NEW NOTES by Mel Libre

NEW NOTES TawagAwit Newsletter

January 2011

SHARING LOVE ON CHRISTMAS Christmas maybe one of the busiest seasons of the year, but that did not deter TawagAwit members in pursuing activities meant to give more meaning to the birth of Jesus Christ.

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.

The build up for OG: Open Gathering reached its peak on December 19 with 308 attending the event of “giving, sharing and caring”. The volume of donations overwhelmed Sis Claudia Menchavez and Sis Josephine Matiga, gifts and toys solicitation coordinators respectively, who gave the biggest packages away to 30 new migrants and their children, and the rest to all attendees. The Auckland Catholic Filipino Chaplaincy took charge of the food donations enough to serve the churchgoers and others visitors who accepted the invitation made by Fr Gilbert Ramos during the Filipino Mass at the Good Shepherd Parish, Balmoral. Some of the finest Filipino entertainers joined TawagAwit chapters in rendering songs to participants. The event culminated with the presentation of a Vanilla Chic cake to baby Jesus by the children. On December 26, 8 volunteers from TawagAwit joined the anonymous benefactor that brought a roasted pig and drinks for the dinner of nearly 50 indigents at the Auckland City Mission along Hobson Street. The reach-out activity culminated with the group singing Christmas songs to the delight of the beneficiaries. Volunteer Mike Manuel said, “The benefactor who did not want to be identified did an inspiring gesture, and I would love TawagAwit to initiate a similar activity in the future.” The final event of the year on December 27 was the celebration of the 14th anniversary of the ordination of Fr Reno Alima, assistant parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Glen Eden and an avid supporter of TawagAwit. TawagAwit sang the missal songs and its members actively participated in the program that followed, making presentations as well as co-emceeing the program and leading in the social dancing.

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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 tawagawit@gmail.com

TawagAwit volunteers serving the homeless at the Auckland City Mission

TawagAwit-St Mary’s Northcote conducted its Christmas Outogether activity on December 12 at Mission Bay, after its regular mass offering on the same day. Fr Craig Dunford, parish priest, with his grandmother joined the picnic at the park. It was a welcome break for the chapter headed by Bro Cyril & Sis Rose Bas who brought their daughter KC. On December 25, the chapter sang during the 10:30am mass and offered a Filipino carol, “Himig Pasko” as a reflection song… Miriam Batucan, organizer of the post ordination activity of Fr Carlo Cruz held in St Patrick’s Parish, Auckland Central District, thanked all the groups and individuals who helped make the event successful. TawagAwit donated food and rendered a Christmas carol during the event attended by nearly 500 brethren...Three chapters of TawagAwit (St Thomas More Glenfield, Good Shepherd Balmoral and Our Lady of Lourdes Glen Eden) joined forces to sing during the English Mass at 9:30am on December 26 in Good Shepherd Balmoral. Bro Peter Gayaman and Bro Ray Babaran served as instrumentalists for the group whose members practiced together for the first time an hour prior to the mass. Among the songs sang were “Do You Hear What I Hear” with Shie Babaran leading ladies; Psalm 128 with Bro Mel PLACE PHthe OTO HERE, B Libre as cantor; and the Mews Gloria by Bro Peter Gayaman…Of the seven issues of OG News, the official publication of Open Gathering 2010, the fourth issue with the main news, “Groups Support OG” was the most popular. One hundred seventeen viewers subscribed to the newsletter as of December 28. Visit:

Quick Notes:

http://issuu.com/meel/docs/og_news_4...Edwin Silerio, a Filipino leader in Taupo, has invited TawagAwit to help form a Filipino choir in their parish. A TawagAwit delegation will sing during the mass on February 27, and introduce TawagAwit to potential members. The activity is part of the Alay Laya parish visitation program of TawagAwit…The Sto Nino Devotees of New Zealand Trust has invited TawagAwit to sing during its novena mass on January 9, Sunday in Good Shepherd Parish, Balmoral. This year’s celebration will be on January 16 at the North Shore Event Centre.

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Vatican Notes:

Pope’s General Intention January 2011: General

Intention: That the riches of creation be preserved, valued and made available to all, as a precious gifts from God to mankind. Missionary Intention: That Christians may achieve full unity, bearing witness of the universal fatherhood of God to the entire human race …The birth

PLACE PHOTO HERE, OTHERWISE DELETE BOX

Feast of Sr Sto Nino January 16, 2011 North Shore Event Centre Auckland City Organized by:

Sto Nino Devotees of New Zealand Trust

of Christ is a "mystery of love" that must be looked upon with faith, says Benedict XVI. The Pope reflected on December 25 on the Incarnation in his annual Christmas message, which he delivered from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. His words were heard by some 40,000 people gathered in St. Peter's Square, as well as millions of television viewers worldwide who followed his Christmas greeting in 65 languages and the traditional blessing "urbi et orbi" (to the city of Rome and the world)."God became man," the Pontiff began. "He came to dwell among us. God is not distant: he is 'Emmanuel,' God-with-us. He is no stranger: he has a face, the face of Jesus." He called the message of Christmas one that is "ever new, ever surprising, for it surpasses even our most daring hope." But Christmas, the Holy Father continued, "is not merely a proclamation. It is an event, a happening, which credible witnesses saw, heard and touched in the person of Jesus of Nazareth!" (zenit.org)… Religious liberty — and the growing struggles of Christians and Church institutions worldwide — has emerged this year as one of Pope Benedict XVI’s most pressing concerns. It’s a key agenda item in the Pope’ recent meetings with ambassadors and world leaders. And it has become a high-profile priority for Vatican diplomats. Just last month, in an address to a summit of European leaders, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone warned that Christians have become “the most discriminated and persecuted religious group” in the world. The Pope echoes this language in a new document released at the Vatican Dec. 16. “At present, Christians are the religious group which suffers most from persecution on account of its faith,” Pope Benedict writes in a message to mark to the annual World Day of Peace, which is celebrated Jan. 1. The pope said, “Many Christians experience daily affronts and often live in fear because of their pursuit of truth, their faith in Jesus Christ and their heartfelt plea for respect for religious freedom. This situation is unacceptable, since it represents an insult to God and to human dignity.” (ewtn)…Thousands of families gathered in St. Peter’s Square on December 5 to hear Pope Benedict speak about preparing their hearts for “He who comes” and to see the Vatican’s Christmas tree. The Pope offered those present a reflection on today’s Gospel, Matthew 3:1-12, which features St. John the Baptist being called into the wilderness to urge repentance to prepare for the coming of the Lord. St. Gregory the Great, the Pope said, taught that “the Baptist preaches the true faith and good works ... so that … the pathways to God are straightened and honest thoughts are born in souls after listening to the Word that leads to all good.”The Pope then connected the mission of John the Baptist to Advent. “(W)e too are called to hear God's voice, echoing in the wilderness of the world through the Holy Scriptures, especially when they are preached with the power of the Holy Spirit.” He pointed Catholics to the Virgin Mary as the model of listening, saying, “As we contemplate in the Mother of God a life totally shaped by the word, we realize that we too are called to enter into the mystery of faith, whereby Christ comes to dwell in our lives (ewtn)

NEW NOTES Page 4 So Laff :-) Sing a new song to the Lord, and so one priest tells it’s best to sing in Latin. Next Mass Offerings in Auckland, New Zealand January 9 10:30am St Mary’s Parish, Northcote January 9 7:00pm Good Shepherd Parish, Balmoral January 16 10:00am St Thomas More Parish, Glenfield Invitation: +TawagAwit invites everyone to join the ministry: (1) The St Mary’s Church, Northcote meets every Sunday 11:30am at St Mary’s Church at Onewa Road (2) St Thomas More Church, Glenfield meets every other Friday 7:30pm at St Thomas More Church in Glenfield (3) Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Glen Eden meets every other Sunday afternoon (4) Good Shepherd Church Balmoral (South Auckland) chapter meets every other Saturday

+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. Photo at right: Bro Noel & Sis Gladys Borgueta pose with TawagAwit members and friends (top) during their 25th wedding anniversary celebration (bottom) with sons and Fr Ralph Barcelo.

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