NEW NOTES February 2012 by Mel Libre

NEW NOTES TawagAwit Newsletter z

January 2012

BISHOP DUNN TO BLESS BJPII IMAGE The Blessed John Paul II Mass Centre inside Massey University in Albany averages 70 churchgoers each Sunday since its establishment in the 2nd quarter of 2011. TawagAwit was instrumental in its formation as Auckland Catholic Tertiary Chaplain Fr Sam Pulanco sought for support in singing during the masses. On 1 May 2011, the day of the beatification of Pope John Paul II in Rome, Bro Mel B Libre suggested to Fr Sam to honour the pope through the naming of the new church after him. Fr Sam took the suggestion positively, by bringing this to the attention of Bishop Patrick Dunn of the Auckland Diocese. From there on, the church flourished as people attended the masses each Sunday.

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

Other than organising a chapter in the BJPII Mass Centre, TawagAwit, through its servant leaders, adopted Blessed John Paul II as the ministry’s patron. TawagAwit’s annual OG: Open Gathering 2011 was held in the mass centre on 18 December. For his part, Fr Sam identified brethren to function as the core group (led by Nida Gray) to support the activities of the mass centre. Groups such as the Light of Jesus and Couple for Christ also contributed to the mass centre through active participation in the masses. On 12 February 2012, Bishop Patrick Dunn (right photo below) of the Auckland Diocese will bless the image of Blessed John Paul II. This image was obtained from Rome when Fr Sam visited the Vatican in late 2011. After the blessing, the image will begin its home visits where families will act as host and observe daily prayer for a week. The intentions of the daily prayer are for the continued growth of the mass centre into a parish and for personal petitions of host families. Bro Mel has called on all the chapters and members of TawagAwit to attend this important activity of the BJPII Mass Centre, the official parish of the ministry

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.

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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

Sis Ching and Bro Nani Mandawe on the oathtaking as Hermana/Hermano Mayores

Quick Notes: TawagAwit chapters supported the Novena masses leading toward the Feast of the Sr Sto Nino de Cebu in Good Shepherd Parish in Balmoral, with St Thomas More singing the missal songs on 7 January and Our Lady of Lourdes on 12 January. Members of the chapters also participated in the Liturgical Dance offering during the mass on 15 January at the North Shore Event Centre, while many others joined the presentations of Katilingbang Bisaya sa New Zealand and the Leyte Samar Waraynon New Zealand, among others. The NZ-Filipino Devotees of Senyor Sto Niño thanked TawagAwit for the support given, and invited the chapters to sing in subsequent novena masses during the year....Bro Nani-Sis Ching Mandawe, servant leaders of TawagAwit-Our Lady of Lourdes Glen Eden, have been appointed as Hermano-Hermana Mayores for the year in the devotion to Sr Sto Nino de Cebu. They are tasked to coordinate in the weekly hosting of the image of the Sto Nino in different homes throughout the year. Bro Nani and Sis Ching, congratulations!...Disco Diskoral, the biggest Pinoy Dance Party in Auckland, attracted 300 participants who supported the call to raise additional funds for the relief and rehabilitation efforts in Northern Mindanao that was hit by typhoon Sendong that claimed more than 1,000 lives and left hundreds of thousands homeless. Bro Mel B Libre helped organise the event, with a number of members from Our Lady of Lourdes and Blessed John Paul II Mass Centre in attendance. Bro Noel Borgueta of St Thomas More sold out all the 10 tickets assigned to him. Initially KBNZ sent $1,050 to Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro...Siene, a band composed of Jason and Eric Borgueta (of the St Thomas More chapter) and Daryl Guido (of the Our Lady of Lourdes chapter) are finalists in Pasiklaban, a competition that will select the front act in the concert featuring Parokya ni Edgar on February 11 in the ASB Showground...The T-Kids of St Mark’s Pakuranga will be the main feature of GigAlive scheduled on 22 April 2012. The proceeds of the event will support the vocal training of the children with a professional coach and for the staging of Food & Music FEAST on 27 May 2012.

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Vatican Notes: Papal Intentions January 2012. General: That all peoples may have access to water and other resources needed for daily life. Mission: That the Lord may sustain the efforts of health workers assisting the sick and elderly in the world's poorest regions...... "Mamma mia," Pope Benedict XVI said as a dove flew over his head and back into his apartment Jan. 29 after he and two Italian school children released the bird as a symbol of peace. The pope and representatives of the Italian Catholic Action children's section release doves during the Sunday Angelus address in late January each year. Some 2,000 children between the ages of 4 and 14 walked in procession down the boulevard leading to St. Peter's Square carrying homemade banners calling for peace in the world and peace within their families and schools. During his Angelus address, Pope Benedict also marked World Leprosy Day and the international day of prayer for peace in the Holy Land. "In deep communion with the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem and the (Franciscan) custos of the Holy Land, we invoke the gift of peace for that land blessed by God," the pope said... Christianity and even religious belief are in grave danger across the globe, risking oblivion, Pope Benedict XVI said. "Across vast areas of the earth, faith runs the danger of extinguishing like a flame that runs out of fuel," he said. The world faces "a profound crisis of faith, and a loss of a sense of religion constitutes the biggest challenge for the church today," he said. The pope said the renewal of faith has to be a priority for all members of the church and said he hoped the upcoming Year of Faith, starting in October, would further such effort. Pope Benedict met Jan. 27 with about 70 officials, members and consultants of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the office he led for more than 20 years before being elected pope. He said integral to helping the Gospel message seem more credible in today's world was Christian unity -- a theme that members of the congregation discussed during their four-day plenary meeting...Speaking at his weekly general audience Jan. 11, the pope focused on Jesus and the Last Supper, where he instituted the Eucharist, "the sacrament of his body and blood." "Jesus' gift of himself anticipates his sacrifice on the cross and his glorious resurrection," the pope said. He offers his life before it is taken from him on the cross and as such "transforms his violent death into a free act of giving himself for others. Violence immediately is transformed into an active, free and redemptive sacrifice," the pope said. The pope said that, at the Last Supper, Jesus prayed for his disciples, especially Peter, warning him, according to the Gospel of Luke, that "Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat." But Jesus prayed that his disciple's faith would not fail and that Peter, who would betray Jesus, would return to strengthen the others' faith, the pope said. "The Eucharist is food for pilgrims, which becomes (a source of) strength also for those who are tired, worn out and lost," he said...Christians should look toward the New Year with hope and a commitment to working for justice and peace, Pope Benedict XVI said. "God is love, he is just and peaceable, and anyone wishing to honor him must first of all act like a child following his father's example," the pope said Jan. 1 during a Mass marking the feast of Mary, Mother of God and World Peace Day. (All items taken from Catholic News Service)

NEW NOTES Page 4 So Laff :-) “Conduct your life well, and you will be in harmony with God.”

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) Good Shepherd Church Balmoral (8) Mount Saint Mary 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: Members of TawagAwit-Our Lady of Lourdes join the KBNZ Contingent during the Sinulog Festival on 15 January in the North Shore Event Centre

TAWAGAWIT http://www.tawagawit.host56.com email: tawagawit@gmail.com