MIRROR News – Issue April 2018 by ACN Malta

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www.acnmalta.org

No 3 • April 2018 Published eight times per year

“Our hope is not just optimism; it is something else, more! It is as if believers have an additional “piece of heaven” over their heads … accompanied by a presence which some are not even able to sense.” The joy of faith: witnesses to hope in India.

Pope Francis, General audience, 4th October 2017

Love is simple, and not to love would be im- sense of entreaty, is nothing else but the possible. But to be able to hope – that is the voice of one who hopes. The second way is “But we had hoped that he was the one to difficult thing.” in someone’s sincere and righteous actions redeem Israel” (Lk 24:21). Thus the two carried out every day, even in the face of disciples expressed their disappointment on Many Christians survive suffering, im- apparent failure, obstacles or impotence the way to Emmaus on that first Easter Sun- prisonment and torture, only through hope. when they are confronted with the overday. Two deflated travellers walked towards This is not an escape from reality or whelming powers of evil. The third way is a future without meaning or purpose. They taking consolation in the life to come, but in bearing and sharing in another’s sufferhad lost all hope. Only in the breaking of a supernatural force that is directed ing. Of course we must always strive to the bread did they recognise the Risen One unerringly towards the blessing and salva- minimise suffering, but God alone can uland at the same moment they were given tion of the world. Christian hope gives true timately overcome it. Our hope is deepened the divine gift of hope. Of course, they had meaning and direction to the here and the more we unite ourselves with him in “not yet” achieved final salvasuffering, embrace it and “offer tion, but now they saw the fuit up” in order to overcome the “Christian hope gives true ture clearly. Filled with hope, world’s sin and evil which are meaning and direction to they now possessed the sure the sources of suffering. and firm anchor of their souls, the here and now!” and could safely set sail to Dear friends, we are all called heaven. to be witnesses to hope. now. Freedom, philosophy, progress – all Through our prayer, our good deeds and The French poet Charles Péguy describes these cannot eliminate poverty and our sharing in the sufferings of others, let Hope as like a little girl, almost unnoticed suffering in this world. But we can accom- us strive to be a source of Easter hope as she trips between her two big sisters, plish more than we think if, through the for those afflicted by poverty and Faith and Love – yet it is this little one Resurrection of Jesus, the hope of salvation suffering. who carries everything with her. “Faith remains alive in us. My grateful blessing on you all, sees only what is. But Hope sees what will be. Love addresses itself only to what is. In his encyclical letter Spe Salvi Pope But Hope sees what will be. Hope cannot Benedict XVI enumerates three essential be understood on its own. Faith is simple, ways by which we learn hope. The first is Fr Martin Maria Barta and not to believe would be impossible. through prayer. For prayer, in its original Ecclesiastical Assistant 1

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In d ia

Bread for the souls of the Dalits

Good News: learning that they are loved in Small Christian Communities.

these programmes. They are also learning that they are not outcasts, that their faith unites them and that they can mutually support one another. We are supporting these communities with €12,000. The poorest of the poor among the Dalits are the Musahars. They are being ministered to by the Claretian Fathers, who have asked our help to build a multipurpose hall (€50,000) where Musahar children can learn to read and write, to pray and grow together and be ministered to in their spiritual needs. The Fathers explain that such a building “would be a blessing for these people and would give them a sense of self-confidence and an awareness of their own dignity”. We must help to provide the Dalits with the bread for their souls that they deserve.

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Ready to help in many areas of life Every year up to 1,000 priests are ordained in India. They belong to 172 dioceses and serve in over 10,000 different parishes. The number of seminarians is also growing, today there are over 15,000. But the poorest diocese, Buxar, has only 10. It is in its early days, it was only founded in 2006. It has 15 parishes and three mission stations, and the 15 diocesan priests minister to some 25,000 Catholic faithful. All the Catholics belong to the very lowest caste – the Dalits – and live 2

scattered in the villages out in the countryside. It is there that these young seminarians will be working, after their ordination, helping the people. They are looking forward to it. We have promised €1,828 to support their seminary training this year. They ask for so little – and yet they have no one else who can Time for a break: even the seminarians need to relax from time to time. help them.

When Catholics here pray the words “Give us this day our daily bread” they do so in earnest, as many of them do not even have the bread they need. And when they pray, “Forgive us our trespasses”, many have in mind the burden of financial debt that they can never shake off, on account of the usurious rates of interest. This particularly affects Christians, who almost all belong to the Dalits, the lowest caste in India. They are not forced to live in hovels on the edges of towns allowed to drink from public wells; they are and villages and frequently they cannot even send their children to the state schools. This is why a disproportionately high number of them are illiterate. But the diocese has set up Small Christian Communities (SCCs), which are helping small groups learn to read and write. Most of those in these groups are women. They are also learning basic life skills like cooking and needlework. SCCs also pray together and learn more about their faith and about Jesus; that every one has equal dignity in the sight of God; and that the family can be a place of selfless love – so they can bring the message of Christ’s joy into their poor homes and hovels, and into Word of God: a procession in Buxar for the hearts of their families. In the diocese of the Feast of Christ the King. Buxar 300 women are involved in one of

It was in Bihar State that Mahatma Gandhi first launched his nonviolent civil disobedience campaign, which ultimately led to Indian independence. But today that is little more than history for those living in Bihar, the poorest state on the Indian subcontinent.

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Any donation you kindly give will go to support these, or similar

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In the service of the Word © Ismael Martínez Sánchez/ACN

Focus on the Gospel: a Bible study in northern India.

“The persecution ten years ago has made us stronger”, says Bishop Kujur. But at the time, they fled in their tens of thousands throughout the region as they were attacked by hordes of fanatical Hindu extremists. The scars of the past are still painful. But the Bible shows them that the Cross is the power of God. And it also shows that while our love for God is proven in fidelity to his Word, it is perfected in forgiveness. Christ’s disciples in Odisha are more than willing to forgive. They want to live by his Word. “They are hungry for the Word of God”, writes their bishop. It gives them meaning and dignity.

Caring for the poorest of the poor: a Catholic Sister with one of the Dalits. ar

And for this reason alone, the Christians of Odisha (formerly Orissa) need the Word in their own language, Odia. They already have the “Nutan Niyam” (New Testament) in Odia. But it has long since been out of print. For more than 10 years now priests, religious Sisters and lay helpers have been pleading for a new edition. And now the six bishops of Odisha state have between them brought out a new edition, simplifying the language but without changing the meaning, simple and attractive in form. They plan to print 50,000 copies, at a cost of a little more than €1 each. We have promised the bishops €51,700. For while the hearts of Odisha’s Christians are full of faith and love, materially speaking, their hands are empty. The Bible is also needed for the training of men and women who will be providing spiritual help and counselling to others. Some 250 such helpers from each of Odisha State’s six dioceses will receive training over a period of three years, on weekend courses, so they can then go out into the villages of the Dalits and tribal peoples and assist with parishes, the youth groups and women’s groups. They will act as a bridge between the villages and the

projects, and enable the pastoral work of Aid to the Church in Need.

Odisha is a land of numerous unknown martyrs. Many were killed simply for possessing a Bible. Yet the Word of God is a real treasure for the Catholics here. They not only read it, but they live it.

Forgiveness – the basis for peace with God and neighbour.

central parish, helping to keep the people’s faith alive and deepen it. Their work will include running marriage preparation courses, presiding at funerals, preparing for Sunday Mass and leading prayer groups. But first they need the relevant training materials including the Bible, pamphlets on Catholic social teaching, human rights, papal encyclicals, and reports describing what works best in other countries. The training programme is substantial and the young students are strongly motivated. They will bring new life to the six dioceses, and promote justice and peace, in Odisha State. We have promised €30,000 towards the cost.

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d sthoo e i r p ring Nurtu

Disciples of the truth

Strengthening their faith at the tomb of Peter.

Spanish College of San José and will combine study, prayer and excursions in the city. The programme is a challenging one. In addition to addressing theological, missionary and pastoral questions, subjects such as “The psychological health of the priest”, “Criteria for the human maturity of the priest” and also “Human relations” will be included. Today, priests face ongoing challenges in their life and ministry. The goal of the course is to teach them to approach these challenges as Christ would. The idea is that, after they have returned, they will pass on the insights and experiences they have gained on smaller, regional courses. During the past year over 300 priests have taken part in regional courses like these. So it is that more and more priests from this continent – which is plagued by fundamentalist sects and violence – are coming to feel their unity despite their diversity; in this way the face of the earth is being renewed as the power of truth knows no frontiers or barriers.

Truth and charity bring people together. As Pope Benedict XVI wrote in his encyclical Caritas in Veritate, “Because it is a gift received by every- The meeting in Rome is the driving force one, charity in truth is a force that builds community, it brings all people behind this “theology of encounter”. Average costs for travel and the four-week together without imposing barriers or limits.” course come to €2,143 per participant. The How much greater could this force become Enriquillo Nunez from the Dominican Re- Congregation of the Clergy has asked our among those whose ‘job’, so to speak, is to public also saw “the great challenges in our financial help for the 50 priests involved. proclaim this love and truth? We are, of countries. But together with Jesus, the As a pontifical foundation we have, of course, speaking about priests. 51 priests Good Shepherd and eternal Priest, we can course, gladly agreed to assist. from Latin America, who are responsible succeed.” And Father Javier Uria Vasquez for the ongoing formation of priests, were from Bolivia pointed out that priests can recently invited to Rome by the Congrega- open up the way of truth to others. “The tion of the Clergy for a four-week training Eucharist is the sacrament that unites the course. They sent us testimonies filled with whole Church and brings together all the gratitude for this great gift. faithful in our countries”.

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Father Francisco Silva from Paraguay told us how, like many others, he had arrived in Rome, weary and exhausted by the difficulties he faces his country. But like the others he returned “inwardly newly strengthened, with many ideas and filled with hope”. He had learnt that “joyful and holy priests make their communities holy” and are a leaven in their societies. “Pray for us, and help us to become better”, he wrote. Father 4

For these 51 priests it was a memorable experience of fraternity, not only to be able to exchange experiences but also to find pastoral solutions together and deepen their understanding of the temporal and eternal truths. This was the second time that such a course has been run, and a third is already planned for later this year, because of the Powerhouse of mission: excellent results which have come out of it; course participants, concelebrating the it will again be held in the pontifical Eucharist. Any donation you kindly give will go to support these, or similar

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ia Alger

Corpus Christi: bringing the presence of Christ to the people.

(Back) at home again: Father Paul-Elie.

The difficult path of Father Paul-Elie Algeria is a ticking time bomb, with a surge in migration, an uncertain political climate, and an economic crisis facing its 43 million inhabitants, two-thirds of whom are aged under 30, with one-third of its young people unemployed. And the Islamists are waiting for their moment. Such a situation needs hope, hope in the future of the country. Father Paul-Elie has this hope. He knows his own country, he knows his own people, and he has an insight in to what people are thinking – and not just the Christians. As a young man he was a Muslim, in those days he was called Ali. He lived through the dark years of Algeria’s civil war in the 1990s. Over 200,000 people died, in a pitiless battle between Islamist extremists and the army. That was when he lost hope, no longer believing in anything, focusing only on his studies towards his diploma in information theory. One day he went with a cousin to a hidden chapel run by an Evangelical Christian community. “There I heard Jesus”, he recalls. “He spoke to me by my name and told me he was protecting me and had always done so. I felt loved as never before. I was deeply moved, and for ten minutes I could only weep.” ar

He was baptised, but he still hungered for the truth. Years later a Catholic missionary revealed the fullness of truth and he converted. But Islamists learned that he had converted, and hunted him, threatening his family. He left for Europe, still restless at heart. In Belgium he joined a religious community, then moved on to France and at the age of 34 began to study Theology. Six years later, in 2016, he was ordained to the priesthood. Now he is home again, a priest of the Missionary Fraternity of John Paul II.

storm?” Our Lord responded, “I was in the innermost depths of your heart.” That’s how Father Paul-Elie feels as well, and it is this inner peace from God that he wants to bring to his people. According to the Protestant Church of Algeria there are over 200,000 converts from Islam, most of them are Protestants, but the number of Catholics is also growing. Precise figures are hard to come by. Most live in the Kabylie region of northern Algeria where Father Paul-Elie comes from. Many of them live widely scattered among the mountain villages. He wants to bring them the Lord in the Eucharist. He wants to lead a “dialogue of coexistence” between Catholics and other faiths in the villages so that they can all experience the love of Christ. But for this work he needs a robust vehicle, and he has asked us to help him. We have promised him €21,600.

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In the name of the Fraternity, or rather “in Jesus’ name”, he has returned to Algeria. “I am needed here”, he says. “My heart is at peace, even if the storms should rage around me.” He recalls the words of Saint Teresa of Avila who once complained to the Lord, That all may feel the love of Christ: saying “Where were you, my beloved Father Paul-Elie imparting his priestly Jesus? Where were you during this terrible blessing.

projects, and enable the pastoral work of Aid to the Church in Need.

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By the heartbeat of divine providence Thanks to your help and generosity, we were able to give €3,000 to the Servants of Mary, Help of the Sick in Cuba. Sister Brunilda writes to say that “thanks to your help” she and her three fellow Sisters are living their lives to “the heartbeat of divine providence”. For God alone “can inspire people to help” for projects such as these, where “the sick are suffering in inhuman conditions, without the right medication and often in houses that have been destroyed by the storms”. The Sisters are the “feet and hands” of Jesus, she writes. “But you are the heart and the nervous system that is keeping alive the body of Christ in Cuba.” Without the help of our benefactors the Sisters could not “keep God’s hand open to heal, to comfort and bestow his Mercy, freely and without expecting any reward”.

Need, love and thanks − your letters Making an impact Thank you for helping those in most need all over the world. It is good to hear how ACN is making such an impact. We who have “everything” tend to take our faith and our blessings for granted. God bless. A benefactor from the United States

Inner freedom On receiving your letter, I began to pray the Rosary. After a few days, the Lord granted me such great inner healing and freedom that I now feel more at peace than I have in a long time. With all my heart I wish God’s blessing on your wonderful work, which I am delighted to A peso a day support. My class (2CA1 from the Faculty of Arts A benefactor from Germany and Letters of the University of Santo Tomas) are sending a letter committing Spread the word! us donate a peso every day to support We feel a profound bond with ACN and ACN. We would like to know what is the we constantly spread the word about proper procedure to deposit the donation your work. For three years now I have and other instructions. been baking bread for an Advent marThank you and more power to your or- ket. Today I am sending you another ganisation. God bless! €1,000, which is the proceeds and some Maria, on behalf of her classmates, donations from a few good people. Manila, Philippines A benefactress from Austria

Johannes Freiherr Heereman, Executive President, ACN (International)

Dear friends,

It is seven years now since I responded to Cardinal Piacenza’s request to place myself at the disposal of ACN. At the time I did so purely out of a sense of duty towards the Church, but without any great enthusiasm, since I was not familiar with ACN and had altogether different plans about what I would do after I retired. But today I look back with great gratitude on these years. I was able to use my professional experience to help the charity when Pope Benedict reinstituted it as a pontifical foundation. But above all I had the privilege of getting to know this jewel among Church aid agencies. Father Werenfried saw our mission as one of building a bridge of love between you, the generous benefactors, and the persecuted and suffering Church. On both sides of this bridge I came to know wonderful individuals, outstanding missionaries and generous-hearted benefactors. In the national offices and in the international headquarters in Königstein, Germany I came across people who were working with passion and devotion to keep the bridge open. The immense fruitfulness of this work can only be explained by prayer, which allows people on both sides of this bridge of love to sacrifice themselves for one another. The hands of God, blessing and protecting, are tangibly present here on a daily basis. These years have enormously enriched my life. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Johannes Heereman

Editors: Jürgen Liminski & Stephen Axisa Please use the envelope. Aid to the Church in Need, 39B Mdina Road, Publisher: Aid to the Church in Need, 39B Mdina Road, Attard ATD 9038 Attard ATD 9038; Tel: 21487818; Fax: 21586257 APS Bank, IBAN: MT72 APSB 7705 7008 5772 2000 1771 733 Printed in Malta BIC: APSBMTMT De licentia competentis auctoritatis Email: info@acnmalta.org – facebook//Aid to the Church in Need Malta ecclesiasticae Pass this leaflet on to your neighbours, friends or leave it at the Parish www.acnmalta.org Church for others to review.

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