NEW NOTES Dec 2012

NEW NOTES TawagAwit Newsletter

December 2012

FR BERNARD HONORED Fr Bernard Dennehy, 72, was honored by parishioners of Our Lady of Lourdes – Glen Eden on November 18, 2012 when he said his last Mass as parish priest.

We Need You TawagAwit invites you to help in spreading God’s Word through music and otherPLACE acts of love.

PHOTO HERE, OTHERWISE DELETE BOX You can be a: (1) member; (2) supporter or (3) organizer A member is one who can attend to the regular activities of the Ministry. The minimum participation are: attendance during practice sessions of songs, usually once a week or once every two weeks AND singing with the group during the assigned mass usually once a month or once every two months.

A supporter is one who can donate services or resources to the Ministry. There are special events that TawagAwit organizes and the events need finances or helping hands.

An organizer is one who initiates the formation of a chapter in a parish. The Ministry will provide all the assistance within its means to help in the vital task.

He officially retired as an active Diocesan priest after 48 years from his ordination in 1964. He had served in other parishes namely Panguru, Dargaville, Otara, Ponsonby and Owairaka. His priestly ministry took him to Peru where he served for eight years with the Columban Fathers. Fr. Dennnehy is a Master of Theology and a Master of Arts in Maori Studies.

TawagAwit served as choir during the mass and performed a song “Tanging Yaman/Cherished Treasure” in the program that followed in the parish social hall. Bro Mel B Libre who spoke in behalf of the TawagAwit said that “Fr Bernard is an inspiration to the group for his welcoming gesture by allowing us to serve in the parish; and for his wonderful and well-prepared homilies. Father you are truly a cherished treasure and we will miss you.”

Other ethnic groups paid tribute to Fr Bernard through songs and dances. Msgr David Price who was present acknowledged Fr Bernard’s commitment to social justice.

In his response, Fr Bernard said that he will continue to serve as chaplain to the Spanish-speaking community as well as with the Maori community in the Northland. And when the Super Rugby season begins, he’ll have more time to see his favorite sport.

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Our Vision: Harmony in the World

Our Mission: To spread God’s Word through music and other acts of love.

Our Values: Godliness We believe in God and live His Word.

Offering We share our talents, time and resources for God’s greater glory.

Devotion We commit ourselves to the mission of the Ministry.

Love We love God with all of our heart will all our soul, with all our minds and with all our strength.

Originality We promote artistry and creativity to express our faith.

Victory over Sin We fight Satan in each and every moment of our lives.

Evangelization We bring the Light of God to those who are in the dark.

Sustainability We contribute and manage our resources effectively.

Unity We are one with the Lord, one with the Church, one with the community, and one with the Ministry.

For more information about TawagAwit, please contact Bro Mel Libre sl at librelaw@yahoo.com

OG: Open Gathering 2012 PLACE PHOTO HERE,

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE’S LIVES To celebrate the Christmas season, you can make a difference in people’s lives, if you really want to.

OG: Open Gathering allows you to open the door of your heart to new migrants, brethren who come to a new place with a few acquaintances, without family, and maybe without a job for the moment.

Here are a few guidelines: Identify a new migrant. The person setting next to you may have arrived of late in New Zealand. Get to know a bit of the individual, and tell him about what he/she will be doing during Christmas.

Invite the migrant. If you can’t invite him/her to your home, there is a venue where you can make him/her at home as well in OG: Open Gathering. This year, it is on Sunday, December 23, 2012 starting at 2pm in Blockhouse Bay Community Centre, 524 Blockhouse Bay Road Blockhouse Bay, Auckland. Of course, you need to get his/her contact number.

Fetch the invitee. The migrant may want to go, but he/she doesn’t have a vehicle nor is he/she familiar with the roads. Tell him/her that you will fetch him/her on that day.

Wrap a gift. The essence of Christmas is giving. Look for an item that is useful to new migrants, like canned goods, utensils, shirts, etc, and wrap it. Your gift will be distributed among invitees to OG. If you can, wrap as well a toy for the kids.

Cook a dish. Wouldn’t it be great if you cooked your favourite dish or dessert and share these with your brethren during OG? In addition to filling the hearts of invitees, you will fill their stomachs as well.

Tell your friends about OG. You can tell your friends about the Open Gathering; and ask them to do the tasks listed above as well. They’ll be thankful that you did.

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PLACE PHOTO HERE, OTHERWISE DELETE BOX

VATICAN NOTES: Pope’s Intentions: December 2012 General Intention: That migrants throughout the world may be welcomed with generosity and authentic love, especially by Christian communities.

Missionary Intention: Christ, light for all humanity. That Christ may reveal himself to all humanity with the light that shines forth from Bethlehem and is reflected in the face of his Church….In a world of hardened hearts and titillating distractions, Christians need to keep the Gospel message simple and live what they teach with love and joy, Pope Benedict XVI said. The best place to start is with one's own family, he said, learning to spend time together, listening and understanding one another, and "being a sign for each other of God's merciful love." During his weekly general audience Nov. 28, the pope spoke about the challenge of communicating the saving truth of Jesus to today's men and women whose hearts are "often closed" and whose minds are "sometimes distracted by the glitz and glam" of the material world. In his catechesis to some 5,000 pilgrims gathered in the Vatican's Paul VI hall, the pope said "it's necessary to recover simplicity, to return to the essentials"… Catholics are called to serve the common good of society, including by protecting traditional marriage and defending human life, Pope Benedict XVI told bishops from France. Being Catholic means being faithful "to the moral teaching of the church" and having "the courage to demonstrate their Christian convictions -- without arrogance, but with respect -- in the various spheres in which they work," the pope said Nov. 17 as he welcomed a group of bishops making their periodic "ad limina" visits to the Vatican. "With the bishops, they must pay attention to proposals for civil laws that can undermine: the safeguarding of marriage between a man and a woman, the protection of human life from conception to death, and the correct orientation of bioethics in faithfulness to the documents of the magisterium," the pope said…

Sacred music can bolster people's faith and help lapsed Catholics rediscover the beauty of God, Pope Benedict XVI said. "Sacred music can, above all, promote the faith, and, what's more, cooperate in the new evangelization," he told participants attending a conference and pilgrimage sponsored by the Italian St. Cecilia Association. St. Cecilia, whose feast day is Nov. 22, is traditionally honored as the patron saint of musical performers. "Music and singing that are done well can help (people) receive the word of God and be moved in a positive way," the pope said in his address Nov. 10…Presenting himself as "an elderly man visiting his peers," Pope Benedict XVI visited a Rome residence for the elderly, urging the residents to see their age as a sign of God's blessing and urging society to value their presence and wisdom. "Though I know the difficulties that come with being our age, I want to say, it's wonderful being old," the 85-year-old pope said Nov. 12 during a morning visit to the residence run by the lay Community of Sant'Egidio. The pope told those gathered at the residence on the Janiculum Hill that in the Bible a long life is considered a blessing from God, but often today society, which is "dominated by the logic of efficiency and profit, doesn't welcome it as such." "I think we need a greater commitment, beginning with families and public institutions, to ensure the elderly can stay in their homes" and that they can pass on their wisdom to younger generations. "The quality of a society or civilization can be judged by how it treats the elderly," he said.

(Catholic News Service)

NEW NOTES Page 4 So Laff :-) With old age comes wisdom and oftentimes forgetfulness.

Invitation: +TawagAwit invites everyone to join the ministry: (1) St Mary’s Church, Northcote (2) St Thomas More Church, Glenfield (3) Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Glen Eden (4) St Mark’s Church, Pakuranga (5) St Patrick’s Church, Taupo (6) Blessed John Paul II Mass Centre, Albany (7) Mount Mary’s Church Titirangi

+Should you be in another area in New Zealand or other parts of the world, TawagAwit will help organize a chapter. Existing music groups or choirs can also affiliate as a chapter. Email: librelaw@yahoo.com Photo at right: TawagAwit-St Thomas More contribute their songs during the “Sing to the Lord” praise and worship event on December 1 in St Thomas More-Glenfield Parish.

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PLACE LOGO OR http://www.tawagawit.host56.com PHOT O HERE email: tawagawit@gmail.com

Also read:

CORD

http://issuu.com/magazinecord/docs/cord_july_2012