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Dear Friends
is entirely supported by advertising and donations. It is run in liaison with the Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar by EuropeAxess Media Ltd. as a not-for-profit project.
Upon this Rock magazine is published monthly by EuropeAxess Media Ltd, Gibraltar. Editor Fr. Stuart Chipolina: editor@uponthisrock.eu Production Editor: A. Sargent angela@europeaxess.com
Cover: Holy Father in Madrid and Gibraltarians at World Youth Day. Photos from Henry Earle. Collage: Kat Chandler. Upon this Rock magazine
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e loves God above all else. A man’s enemies are the men of his own household
Micah 7:6
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esus’ sharp statement that he would cause division rather than peace within families must have shocked his disciples. Was he exaggerating? Jesus used a typical Hebrew (Semetic) hyperbole to drive home an important lesson. We often do the same when we want to emphasize something very strongly. Jesus’ hyperbole, however, did contain a real warning that the gospel message does have consequences for our lives. It has the power
to heal, restore, and unite those who believe its message. But the consequence of ignoring or rejecting the gospel can lead to many hurtful desires and seduction by the world. When Jesus spoke about division he likely had in mind the prophecy of Micah: a man’s enemies are the men of his own household (Micah 7:6). The essence of Christianity is loyalty to Jesus Christ, a loyalty that takes precedence over every other relationship. The love of God compels us to choose who
will be first in our lives. To place any relationship (or anything else) above God is a form of idolatry. Jesus challenges his disciples to examine who they love first and foremost. A true disciple loves God above all else and is willing to forsake all for Jesus Christ. Jesus insists that his disciples give him the loyalty which is only due to God, a loyalty which is higher than spouse or kin. It is possible that family and friends can become our enemies, if the thought of them keeps us from
doing what we know God wants us to do. Does the love of Jesus Christ compel you to put God first in all you do (2 Corinthians 5:14)? God Bless you, Fr Stuart image: www.zastavki.com
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Events
Mayor starts with prayer.
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s a member of the Confraternity of Our Lady of Europe, His Worship Julio Alcantara, Mayor of Gibraltar wished to start National Day with a public thank you at the Shrine.
He was received by Mgr. Charlie Azzopardi, and on this special National Day he prayed for Our Lady’s continued blessing, for Her protection of our beloved Gibraltar, and of a people devoted to the Holy Mother as our very own “Virgencita de Europa”. The Mayor was accompanied by his wife Paddy, Carmen and Tony Lima the Deputy Mayor, Yvette Zarb of the Ministry of Culture, the National Day organiser, and Br. Tito Chincota visiting from Lusaka, Zambia. The Confraternity of Our Lady of Europe, first formed in 1540, was re-formed in December 2010 to promote the true devotion to Our Lady (under the title of Our Lady of Europe). Other aims of the group are to pray for the Continent of Europe, for the work of the Shrine, to support the activities of the Shrine, and to assist financially with the upkeep of the Shrine and its Marian apostolate. Members receive a Confraternity Insignia, and a Prayer Book with prayers for all needs and occasions, including the full text of the Mass for the Solemnity of Our Lady of Europe on the 5th May, the Liturgy of the Hours, Adoration and Benediction, Stations of the Cross, and many other prayers and devotions. If you would like to join the Confraternity, please contact Mgr. Charlie Azzopardi, M: 58522000, or Denis Hook M: 58658000.
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NEWS
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ieutenant Colonel Colin Risso welcomes Father Danny Hernandez, Army Military Chaplain to National Day.
Father Danny flew out to surprise his parents at a dinner to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of their wedding. Left: Joe and Hilda Hernandez celebrate their golden wedding anniversary
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he Holy Father has called upon Christians to use new media as a tool for evangelization.
Two Franciscans in Preston, U.K., took him at his word. On the 2nd June this year they held an Adoration event entitled ‘Lift the City’ in the busy, pedestrianised town centre. “There was a certain risk, of course” said Br. Loarne, “bringing the Lord out in this way, without knowing how people would react. But as we prayed about it, we felt that this was what God was inspiring us to do. We had our Guardian’s approval for it and felt it was in line with the Franciscan style of doing things in simplicity”. At time of going to print the YouTube video, shot by local media students, had been viewed over 150,000 times.
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Excerpts from an article first published in ‘GOODNEWS’ magazine.
A flying visit from Eucharistic ‘flashmob’ Fr. Danny to surprise goes viral on YouTube his parents on a very special day.
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Adult Education
The Rite of Christian Each Holy Saturday tens of thousands of men and women are received into the Catholic Church all over the world.
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arishes welcome these new members through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) and a ceremony bringing men and women into full communion with the Catholic Church. In Gibraltar a new RCIA course is being offered by Fathers Derek Alvarez and Francois Sainte-Marie. You may have seen an advertisement to this effect in the Chronicle. Should you have a family member, friend or colleague who has expressed an interest in the
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Catholic faith please introduce them to our Team Leaders by either writing to them at RCIA GIB- P.O.Box 20, or approaching them personally or even better by using the following dedicated e mail address- RCIAGIB@Hotmail.co.uk. Listed here are some frequently asked questions and answers related to this programme?
What is the RCIA? The RCIA, which stands for Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, is a process through
which non-baptised men and women enter into the Catholic Church. It includes several stages marked by study, prayer and rites at mass. Participants in the RCIA are known as Catechumens. They undergo a process of exploring their conversion through studying the Gospels, their profession of faith in Jesus and their knowledge of the Catholic Church. Finally they will receive the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist as they enter into the fullness of Communion with the universal Church. The RCIA process follows the ancient practice of the Church and was restored by the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) as the normal way adults prepare for Baptism and full incorporation into membership of the Church.
What are the steps of the RCIA?
Prior to formally beginning the RCIA process an individual
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comes to some knowledge of Jesus Christ, considers his or her relationship with God and is usually attracted in some way to the Catholic Church. This time period is known as the Period of Evangelisation and Precatechumenate. For some people this process involves a long period of searching; for others, it is a shorter time. Often some contact with people of faith and a personal faith experience leads people to inquire about membership in the Catholic Church. After conversation with an advisor or spiritual guide, the person, known as an ‘inquirer’, may decide to continue the process and seek acceptance into the Order of Catechumens. The inquirer stands in the midst of the parish community and states that he or she wants to continue the process and become a baptized member of the Catholic Church. The local parish assembly affirms his or her wish and the inquirer then becomes a ‘catechumen’. The period of the Ceatechumenate can be a variable time
Anne Mesilio
Initiation for Adults although it is generally speaking a year. It depends on how the person is growing in faith, what questions and obstacles they encounter along the way, and how God leads them on this faith journey. During this time the Catechumens consider what God saying to them in the Sacred Scriptures, what changes in their life they want to make to respond to God’s inspiration and what membership in the Catholic Church involves. When a Catechumen and the parish team working with them believes a person is ready to make a faith commitment to Jesus in the Catholic Church, the next step is the request for baptism and the celebration of the Rite of Election. This rite includes the official enrolment of names of all those seeking baptism at the coming Easter Vigil. On the first Sunday of Lent, the Catechumens and their Sponsors and families and members of the parish gather at the Cathedral Church and the Catechumens publicly request baptism. Their names are then recorded in a special book and they are no longer called Catechumens, but the ‘Elect’. The days of Lent are the final period of purification and enlightenment leading up to the celebration of initiation at the Easter Vigil. This Lenten season is a period of intense preparation marked by prayer, study and spiritual direction for the Elect. There are also special prayers for the Elect said by the parish communities. The third formal step is the Celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation that takes place during the Easter Vigil Liturgy on Holy Saturday night when the Catechumen receives the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist. Now the person is a fully initiated member of the Catholic Church and will continue to live out his/her response to God as a member of this faith community. After the person is initiated at the Vigil another period of formation and education continues in the period of the post-baptismal catechesis, which Continued page 18
The new RCIA course will be led by Fathers Derek Alvarez and Francois Sainte-Marie, assisted by Joe Garcia.
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Yo u t h M i n i s t r y
Twelve Years of Mime
Who said... “Preach the gospel always and when necessary, use words”?
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rancis of Assisi was skilled in the use of drama to get his message across, leaving us a wonderful legacy in our rich Mediterranean Nativity scene traditions. With a twelve year history on the Rock, the use of Mime has become a powerful tool, finely honed for maximum impact. What are the origins of the Mime Ministry in Gibraltar? Daniel Ressa, who is responsible for the Mime Ministry answered: A group from Costa Rica came over in 1999 for one month to do various outreaches. They had a few people from their Mime Ministry with them. I spent the whole month with them and did, like, several crash courses in Mime. I learned several Mimes from them, and after that, we’ve been carrying on with it ourselves. Michelle Hook, who recently joined the Ministry continues: I only started with them in the run up to the Youth Arise Festival. This is my first time with the group. We did five different Mimes and I took part in two of them. How often do you practise? We practice once or twice a week when we are working up to an event, for about an hour or one and a half hours. How long does it take to get ready before an
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evangelization event? To put the make up and costumes on it takes one and a half to two hours. Are you all from the same prayer group? Yes. Can anyone join the Mime Ministry? Daniel: Anyone who feels they are up for it. Michelle: It looks very fun to be on stage and it is, but its not about being a great actor, or being a great dancer, those things are part of it but there is a lot of work and effort that goes into getting the message across everything is about that, to work together as a team to get the message across as well as possible. What sort of personalities are best suited for mime? Daniel: It has to be someone who is not too shy, it is hard to come up on stage and let your emotions come out on your face. Michelle: That’s what it’s all about to let the emotions come through with the special makeup and gestures. If the person were shy or self-conscious that would come across. Daniel: When I was in school the teachers told my parents that I was a bit of a clown, so maybe a person who is a bit of a clown. And now you are using those talents for God? Daniel nodded, laughing: Yes What does it feel like, when you have your emotions on show in front of a huge audience? Michelle: It’s very nice, like
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Angela Sargent talks to Daniel Ressa and Michelle Hook
Photo by: Sebastian Andrews, a member of Rex Band
they need it, but mostly it has to come from inside of them. Now I’m trying to work on a new Mime, to show the youth things that are not necessarily things that are wrong, or sinful but that still distract us from God.
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when we did our last Mime, ‘Talita Cumi’ I was a woman who had not heard about Jesus, and Daniel was Jesus, and I came and just touched the hem of his cloak, and their was a transformation. It was great fun. Daniel and Michelle went on to describe the fun parts of some of their Mimes, they were excited to tell me how they had made different effects and how the audience had become involved in the action, cheering on the good guy and worried for the victim of sin. Daniel: For me it is important not just to do a Mime but to get the ‘Wow’ factor in so that people respond, to get some humour in that engages them. When you are aware of the effect on the people from the stage, is there is any follow up with people in the audience that are visibly moved by the mime? Daniel: We do get people coming up to us and asking questions. At the Youth Arise Festival, there was an Italian girl she had been in tears from watching the Mime, she asked Monique Risso, if she knew who the group were, and Monique said she was very proud to say that they were from here, from Gibraltar. Well then the girl said to pass on the message how she, and all of the Italians had been very moved by the Mime they had just seen, and how they had all been in tears! How does it make you think about yourselves
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when you take away the obvious character traits. Daniel: When I started I thought it was really so cool to get the make-up on and get the costume on. But now as soon as I am dressed and ready, I become the character I am to play, an instrument to get the message across, I give it all I can so the message can be as clear as possible. Michelle: Often there is a rush to get ready, you are stressing to get your make-up done, but when you have your mask on everything changes, Daniel calls us all together and we pray together and focus on what it is we are doing. The ego tries to get in, and we have to remember, it is not for us but for God. It’s not like, ME being a great Mary, but about US getting the message across. Who writes the Mimes? Daniel: I do Who choreographs the mimes? Daniel: me Who comes up with the ideas? Daniel: I do. Michelle: Daniel does do most of the creative work, its true, but he asks for our input too, he comes with his role in a mime ready and then he asks us what we think we could do to interact with his character to give the message. He is not the sort of person that orders us around, but he lets us come up with our own ideas and work them into the piece. Daniel: I research, sometimes on the internet or see something from another Youth Group, like when we were in Australia I saw something
that inspired me, and I put it all together and compose something. Then I come up with my role, but I cannot tell another person how to feel and how to think, that has to come from inside them, so there is a lot for the individual to bring to the piece, I may say, pick a flower, show the sea flowing, but how that individual goes about it, the moves and expressions, that is theirs. I help them of course, where
WHY do you give up your time to perform this Ministry? Michelle started to speak, then hesitated glancing at Daniel, who sat calmly holding his baby daughter Kate on his lap, Michelle continued: I can’t speak for Daniel, but we are people who dedicate our time to God. Because He has done so much for us we want to do this for Him, everything we do is for the glory of God. And, its like Father Charlie is always saying, the more opportunities and different ways we have to be able to get a message of evangelization across, the better. Daniel nodded quietly.
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YAI and WYD Feedback
FOLLOW ME “...it’s been a wonderful
Anne Mesilio
experience and I have grown in faith.” Sean
“I
Ballester
t was so touching, such a special moment”, Michelle Hook was recalling a scene from the Mime called “Everything”, which was being performed at the Youth Arise Festival in Gibraltar last August.
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She explained, “We were a bit worried about the response we might get so before starting we had asked some of our friends in the audience to cheer and help along the girl who was trying to get to Jesus. When we were on stage, at that part, we need not have worried because when that moment happened, when Jesus called Follow Me the audience needed no prompting, they were really involved, shouting and cheering her on to follow Jesus, it was so touching”. Michelle is a twenty six year old leader with the Emmaus prayer group and she was chatting to me after her return from World Youth Day in Madrid, also in August. “When I was younger I did not feel the need for church, would pray for perhaps two min-
utes, I would lead my own life and God was not a part of it. After attending a retreat last year I decided to come to prayer meetings and after a few months became a leader, one of the best things I’ve ever done”, she was speaking with energy and spirit and her commitment was not in doubt. Gibraltar hosted eight hundred young people from across the globe at the festival and while it was an organisational headache Michelle feels it was all worthwhile. So, on to Madrid and Pope Benedict XV1. “It was an exciting and lovely time; we stayed
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in the Hilton hotel, went to a concert with Paddy Kelly and on the day, waited from three in the afternoon, in the blistering heat to see the Pope. This was my reason for going so I waited and was rewarded with the privilege of seeing the Holy Father twice as he travelled around, it really was the highlight of the trip for me”. She continued, “but that was not all, we also saw the World Youth Day Cross and Icon which had been in with us in Gibraltar for four days in April, such a bless-
ing”. I wondered what Michelle had got from this trip on a personal level. She did not hesitate. “Oh, I’m looking forward to Brazil in two years time because I think I’ll be more spiritually ready, I got such a real sense of peace seeing the Pope. The same peace I feel in Church in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Personally it’s been a wonderful experience and I have grown in faith”. Waiting to speak to me was Sean Ballester, a nineteen year old student of architecture at Nottingham University. “Two years ago I attended a prayer meeting, made a retreat and got a lot from it. Since then I have grown in faith, helped by Youth Arise especially at the recent festival which I found to be a close intimate encounter in the Tercentenary Hall where we all joined together for prayer and worship”. He contrasted that with the two million present in Madrid and felt because of the sheer weight of numbers “that closeness was
missing”. Sean too was intrigued by Mime. Mime comes from the Greek, ‘mimos’, someone who uses mime as a theatrical medium or as a performance art, involving miming, or the acting out of a story through body motions, without use of speech, is a mime artist. In earlier times, in English, such a performer was referred to as a mummer. Miming is to be distinguished from silent com-
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YAI and WYD Feedback
edy, in which the artist is a seamless character in a film or sketch. He too took part and at first did not understand what it was all about, “I thought it was just clowning around, but actually, performing and portraying a message without words was incredible. We used a song to mime to and the reaction
was amazing, could see and feel how touched people had been, such a blessing to be an instrument of God”. Sean went to Madrid to see the Pope. “Of course that was the main reason for going but what really struck me was seeing the testimony of two million young people. Some say we are the Church of tomorrow, but I like to think we are the Church of today because being part of that energy was the best thing ever”. What did Sean get out of being in Madrid? “What I took from it most was the Holy Father saying how we need to be built and rooted in the faith; this helped open my eyes, the more we give to Christ the more he gives back to us”.
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It was not all prayer, there was fun too and Sean explained with delight how “I swapped two flags for an Italian and a Brazilian one, I’m very proud of this and will take them back to university to remind me of what I have lived through”. He too commented on how “from the beginning of summer we were being blessed without realising it with the visit of the World Youth Day Cross and Icon. Since Blessed Pope John Paul 11 entrusted it to the youth twenty six years ago it has travelled the globe becoming imbued with millions of prayers. It is very special”. Both young people felt a particular affinity with the Cross
Anne Mesilio
and told how, at the end of Youth Arise they took the Cross from the Tercentenary Hall, did a four hundred meter lap around the track where Youth Arise had been spelled out with candles and everyone singing the Ave Maria. It was, in the words of Henry Capello, Founder and President of Youth Alive International, “the best ending of a Youth Arise Festival I have ever seen, incredible and touching”. Arise International is a relational based international network of organizations, dedicated, through the grace of our encounter with Christ, to raising a generation of leaders to be apostles of Charity in Truth for the mission of the Church.
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Women’s Health
Dr. Monique Risso
Gibraltar Update
I
wanted to share with the Upon This Rock readers, an update of what has been happening, writes Dr. Monique Risso. With the exciting arrival of nearly 1000 pilgrims from 26 countries, for the Youth Arise Festival it was a perfect opportunity to spread the NaProTechnology, Natural Family Planning and Chastity good news. An enthusiastic local group, accompanied by our new friends from YWAM met a few times to organise the Loving Life Living Life event. This was a meeting sheltered from the hot August sun, where pilgrims were given the opportunity to reflect on themes related to Theology
Summer 2011 has been a busy time for promoting NaProTechnology and FertilityCare in Gibraltar
of the Body and help them in their own personal journey. The event started with a fun bodyspelling ice-breaker, and then there was time for prayer, praise with a great music ministry born from new friendships, a truly encouraging testimony and a prayerful guidance for vocation discernment. I am truly grateful to all the hard work and time donated by all who helped make this event possible. Seeing the Bayside School Dinner Hall three quarters full with pilgrims was a reflection of the current enthusiasm this generation have to learn more about chastity and Theology of the Body.
In the Victoria Stadium we also had a display poster with information leaflets for the different continents present.
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fter hosting Youth Arise the Gibraltar Diocesan Youth Ministry we also became pilgrims to join the nearly two million in Madrid. World Youth Day was a truly incredible experience. Accompanied by His Lordship
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the Bishop, Mgr Charles Azzopardi and Mgr Paul Bear, and an amazing group who withstood the heat, rain and storms to stand firm in the faith at Cuatro Vientos, we shared five life-changing intense days. There was even an opportunity to talk
NaProTechnology and this is a story I must share. At the Parque de los Recolectos in Madrid there was a “Vocations Walk” where we were able to see a lot of religious and marriage vocational groups represented. When we stopped at a Mission Stall, I was amazed to meet with a couple who had visited Gibraltar for Youth Arise, they shared with me that they use FertilityCare as their chosen method of Natural Family Planning and by a sheer Godincidence their FertilityCare Practitioner is a colleague I met at my Educational Programme in Australia. It was incredible to meet them there amidst the multitude of so many people. During all these wonderful events I have started working at the Specialist Medical Clinic, where I am happy to be working alongside Dr Nerney to offer
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General Practice Services for all ages. This will include acute and chronic disease management as well as comprehensive well-man and well-woman health checks. I will also be providing general woman health and reproductive services with NaProTechnology, including fertility awareness, natural family planning, and offering treatment of PreMenstrual Syndrome, Ovarian Cysts, recurrent miscarriage, pre-menopause and infertility, to name a few. Pop along to the clinic or give us a call for more information: Specialist Medical Clinic Unit F7, 1st Floor, ICC Building, Casemates Square, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 49999 Fax: +350 200 68999 Email: info@ specialistmedicalclinic.com Website: www.smg.gi I am also pleased to announce that the website for FertilityCare and NaProTechnology Gibraltar is now online, together with a facebook group. On the website you will find more information on the different conditions and treatments available with NaProTechnology. I look forward to keeping everyone up to date with activities and news, please visit us on-line and “like” our page. The website is www. ladyofeuropefertilitycare. com and the facebook page is: http://www.facebook.com/ pages/Our-Lady-Of-EuropeFertilityCare/209455705776425 or search for Our Lady of Europe FertilityCare on facebook search. Contact me for an Introductory Session.
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Marian Devotion
LEGION OF MARY CELEBRATES 90TH ANNIVERSARY. On the Rock, Legion members engage in hospital visits, home visits, visits to the prison and Mount Alvernia
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rancis Michael (Frank) Duff (1889-1980) knelt in prayer with fifteen others before a statue of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Myra House, Dublin, Ireland, at 8pm on 7th September 1921. He was thirty two years old, the only lay man in the group and how could they ever have envisaged, that Autumn evening, that the seeds of a mighty and far reaching movement had been sown. Frank was the eldest of seven children born to a wealthy
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family of privilege in Dublin, began work as a civil servant and at the age of twenty four joined the Saint Vincent de Paul Society where he became exposed to the abject poverty, alcoholism and prostitution which was prevalent at that time in his native city. Through his work with SVP he became aware of the spiritual deprivations being suffered hand in hand with the dire poverty of people’s circumstances. I was intrigued to learn of a visit he made to Mt. Melleray Abbey, a community of Cistercians (Trappist)
monks, situated on the slopes of the Knockmealdown Mountains in county Waterford, the first such monastery to be built in Ireland after the Reformation in 1832. it is a place of peace and solitude which I know and love well. Here, Frank Duff read a book entitled ‘The Knowledge of Mary’ by Joseph di Consilio and he began to share it with fellow members of the SVP and it was the topic at the meeting on the 7th September in Myra House. The Legion of Mary was born but for the first seven years it was
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confined to Dublin and known as the Association of Our Lady of Mercy. Frank, who has been described as a man of deep interior vision and strong convictions insisted on the firm observance of Legion rules to bring Christ to souls through Mary. The spirit of the Legion is that of Mary herself and Blessed Pope John Paul II whose devotion to her is legendary said; “You are a movement of lay people who propose to make faith the aspiration of your life up to the achievement of personal sanctity. In other words you intend to render your services to every person who is in the image of Christ, with the spirit and solicitude of Mary’. To be a Legion member one must be a practising Catholic. It is a lay organisation whose members give voluntary service to the Church. Under the banner
Most of the group had already gone home, but some of the 2011 Legion members who had been celebrating their 90th Anniversary were still outside the Cathedral when the photographer arrived.
of Mary spiritual works are carried out towards all men, women, young and old, rich, poor, seeing and serving Christ in people marginalised by society, e.g. the homeless. Material aid is prohibited. The organisation of the Legion is modelled on the Roman army starting with the Praesidium as the smallest unit, 4-10 members who usually meet weekly in its parish where prayer is intermingled with reports and discussions. The Curia comes next, one Curia supervise several Presidia. It carries on up to the Cocillium, the highest level which has its seat
in Dublin and has control over the entire Legion. Each level has the same officers; President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and spiritual director who must be a priest or religious. I met up with June Napoli, a member of the Legion in Gibraltar since 1977, and enjoyed a most entertaining chat. It was from her I learned a new word, Acies, a Latin word meaning an army set in battle array, a ceremony held every year on the 25th March, or as close to as possible, in which Legionnaires assemble to renew their fealty to Mary, Queen of the Legion, to receive
strength and blessings for another years battle with the forces of evil. On the Rock, Legion members engage in hospital visits, home visits, as well as the prison and Mt. Alvernia where they sit and chat and pray and impart spiritual comfort. In Christ’s words; “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, then I am in the midst of them”. June fondly reminisced about Fr. Grima, now retired to his native Malta, a great supporter of the Legion as well as spiritual director of the Curia at St. Joseph’s. We both remembered the late Bishop Devlin’s devotion to Our Lady and who was spiritual director to the Curia at St. Theresa’s. She paid tribute to Pepe Fabre, well known local personality who is the longest serving member of the Legion. “All the past bishops and clergy have always been very helpful and supportive and we really appreciate this”, June acknowledged. To see Christ in disguise in all our most needy, most abandoned, most lonely and most poor is an apostolic duty, and let’s be honest, it does not come easy, so abundant prayer is needed. Prayer
Anne Mesilio has a power all its own and is of the highest importance and the first goal of a Legionnaire. As well as active members there are auxiliary members who support the Legion through prayer, the essential ingredient which feeds the Legion. An anniversary Mass was held in the Cathedral on the 7th September. There are six Praesidia on the Rock, two of which are in the Cathedral of St. Mary the Crowned. Our Lady Immaculate and Our Lady of the Visitation and Nazareth meet at the Cathedral. Our Lady Queen of Peace at St. Paul’s. Our Lady of Europe at the Sacred Heart, Our Lady Refuge of Sinners at St Joseph’s and Our Lady of Fatima at St. Theresa’s. Recently ordained Fr. Francois Sainte-Marie has agreed to become spiritual director of the Curia. Marian devotion on the Rock has some interesting historical facts and I was surprised to learn that in 1953 a rosary crusade was held here and 12,000 attended to hear Irish priest, Fr. Patrick Peyton, who travelled the world preaching the importance of prayer, esCONTINUED PAGE 19
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Adult Education Continued from page 7 is called ‘mystagogy’. This period continues at least until Pentecost and sometimes longer. During this period of mystagogy the newly baptized member reflects on their experience at the Easter Vigil and continues to learn more about the Sacred Scriptures, the Sacraments and the teachings of the Catholic Church. In addition they reflect on how they will serve Christ and help in the Church’s mission and other activities.
What is meant when people refer to men and women coming ‘into full communion with the Church’?
Coming into full communion with the Catholic Church describes the process for entrance into the Church for men and women who are baptized Christians but not Catholics. These individuals make a profession of faith but are not baptized again.
To prepare for this reception the candidates usually participate in a formation program to help them understand and experience the specific teachings and practices of the Catholic Church. Some of their formation and preparation may be with the catechumens preparing for baptism, but the preparation for candidates is very different since they have already been baptized and committed to Jesus Christ and many of them have also been active members of other Christian communities.
What is the Holy Saturday rite like? The Holy Saturday Liturgy begins with the service of light, which includes the blessing of the new fire, and the Paschal candle, which symbolizes Jesus, the light of the World. The second part consists of the Liturgy of the Word with a number of scripture readings. After the Liturgy of the Word the candidates are presented to the members of the community who pray for them and join in the Litany of
the Saints. After the Litany and prayer for the elect, the Bishop blesses the water placing the Paschal candle into the baptismal water. Those seeking baptism then renounce sin and profess their faith after which they are immersed into the baptismal water three times with the words “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”. In some situations where there is no facility for immersion, the water may be poured over the head of each candidate as the formula of Baptism is pronounced. After the baptism the newly baptized are dressed in white garments and are presented with a candle lit from the Paschal Candle. The Bishop who imposes hands on their heads and invokes the gift of the Holy Spirit then confirms the newly baptized. The Bishop then anoints them with Sacred oil of Chrism. The Mass continues in the normal way. Now the newly baptized participate in the general intercessions, in bringing their gifts to the altar and they share in the offering of Christ’s sacrifice. At the rite of Holy Communion during the mass, each of the
newly baptized receives the Eucharist for the first time.
What does the white robe symbolize?
The newly baptized are dressed in a white garment after baptism to symbolize that they are washed clean of sin and that they are to continue to walk in the newness of life.
What does the candle symbolize?
A small candle is lit from the Easter candle and given to the newly baptized as a reminder to them always to walk as children of the light. What does the Sacred Chrism symbolize? The Sacred Chrism, or oil, is a sign of the gift of the Holy Spirit being given to the newly baptized. It is also a sign of the close link between the mission of Jesus and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit who comes upon the person in union with the Father and the Son in Baptism. See the insert on page 7 for contact details, times and venue.
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Marian Devotion LEGION OF MARY CELEBRATES 90TH ANNIVERSARY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 pecially family prayer in which he urged, ‘The family that prays together, stays together’. (Echoes reached me here of his crusade in Ireland in 1954 when I was a wee lass). Perhaps little known outside the Legion is the Venerable Edel Quinn, an outstanding Irish missionary of the 20th century. Frank Duff sent her to East Africa despite her delicate health, and it has been said of her, “the power erupting through unselfish human frailty could be considered
as slowly erodible as Gibraltar which she once passed on route to Africa”. I asked June what it has meant to her to be part of this great Legion and her answer was filled with warmth and thankfulness. “A beautiful happiness has seen me through life after the bleak war years from aged 4-8. it has been a way forward, filling my life with feelings. I have seen the 50th, 75th and 90th anniversaries, here’s to the hundredth “, she finished with a huge smile.
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