10 January a huge number of people demonstrated in front of the French embassy in Rome in order to express their solidarity with the victims of the attack which occurred on 7 January. They gathered to reject violence and brutality. Candles, flowers and moving messages were placed there. Above all, an eloquent silence reigned. Some of us joined the demonstration in defence of life, respect and solidarity.
Some members of the Holy Family of Helmut, the Holy Family of Bergame and the Holy Family of Bordeaux.
Some thirty Religious from three Congregations founded under the protection of the Holy Family of Nazareth came together on Sunday, 28 December in the Holy Family School complex of Kinshasa-Righini for a day of prayer, sharing and fun.
The Sisters of the Holy Family of Helmut, the Holy Family of Bergame and the Holy Family of Bordeaux, congregations founded in Belgium, Italy and France respectively come together every year to celebrate the feast of the Holy Family together. This year it was the turn of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Bergame, who have the Holy Family school complex, to host the event.
After Midday Prayer and Benediction, the Religious, Aspirants, Postulants and Novices of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Bergame presented some dances and sketches depicting the virtues (e.g. truth, forgiveness and trust) of the Holy Family of Nazareth. These virtues apply to couples and families as well as to Religious. The Sisters also asked Jesus, Mary and Joseph to remain among them so that their houses would become houses of peace, continual prayer, obedience and charity.
During this celebration at Kinshasa, the Sisters of the Holy Family of Bordeaux were united in spirit with their Sisters who were meeting at Idiofa in the province of Bandundu. In the Cathedral of St. Kizito, the Bishop of Idiofa, Mgr Joseph Moko, celebrated the Eucharist during which Sr. Georgine Mufogoto, the Delegation Superior of the DR of Congo, received the perpetual vows of Srs. Gisèle Katembe, Sylvie Kazoa, Norbertine Muzozi and Mireille Tshitshi.
Fr. Jean Baptiste Malenge, OMI
FRANCIS FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE WORLD DAY OF PEACE – 1 JANUARY 2015
“NO LONGER SLAVES, BUT BROTHERS AND SISTERS”
At the beginning of this New Year, which we welcome as God’s gracious gift to all humanity, I offer heartfelt wishes of peace to every man and woman, to all the world’s peoples and nations, to heads of state and government, and to religious leaders…
… The desire for a full life… which includes a longing for fraternity which draws us to fellowship with others and enables us to see them not as enemies or rivals, but as brothers and sisters to be accepted and embraced”. Since we are by nature relational beings, meant to find fulfilment through interpersonal relationships inspired by justice and love, it is fundamental for our human development that our dignity, freedom and autonomy be acknowledged and respected… But fraternity also embraces variety and differences between brothers and sisters, even though they are linked by birth and are of the same nature and dignity. As brothers and sisters, therefore, all people are in relation with others, from whom they differ, but with whom they share the same origin, nature and dignity. In this way, fraternity constitutes the network of relations essential for the building of the human family created by God…
…In the account of the origins of the human family, the sin of estrangement from God, from the father figure and from the brother, becomes an expression of the refusal of communion. It gives rise to a culture of enslavement… Hence, the need for constant conversion to the Covenant, fulfilled by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, in the confidence that “where sin increased, grace abounded all the more… through Jesus Christ”…The Christian community is thus a place of communion lived in the love shared among brothers and sisters… All of this shows how the Good News of Jesus Christ, in whom God makes “all things new” (Rev 21:5), is also capable of redeeming human relationships, including those between slaves and masters, by shedding light on what both have in common: adoptive sonship and the bond of brotherhood in Christ…
…. From time immemorial, different societies have known the phenomenon of man’s subjugation by man… Today, millions of people today – children, women and men of all ages – are deprived of freedom and are forced to live in conditions akin to slavery…Today, as in the past, slavery is rooted in a notion of the human person which allows him or her to be treated as an object. Whenever sin corrupts the human heart and distances us from our Creator and our neighbours, the latter are no longer regarded as beings of equal dignity, as brothers or sisters sharing a common humanity, but rather as objects. Whether by coercion or deception, or by physical or psychological duress, human persons created in the image and likeness of God are deprived of their freedom, sold and reduced to being the property of others. They are treated as means to an end.
Alongside this deeper cause – the rejection of another person’s humanity – there are other causes which help to explain contemporary forms of slavery… Another cause of slavery is corruption on the part of people willing to do anything for financial gain… When the person is replaced by mammon, a subversion of values occurs”… Often, when considering the reality of human trafficking, illegal trafficking of migrants and other acknowledged or unacknowledged forms of slavery, one has the impression that they occur within a context of general indifference.
Sadly, this is largely true. Yet I would like to mention the enormous and often silent efforts which have been made for many years by religious congregations, especially women’s congregations, to provide support to victims…Yet, of itself, it is not sufficient to end the scourge of the exploitation of human persons. There is also need for a threefold commitment on the institutional level: to prevention, to victim protection and to the legal prosecution of perpetrators…
… States must ensure that their own legislation truly respects the dignity of the human person in the areas of migration, employment, adoption, the movement of businesses offshore and the sale of items produced by slave labour. There is a need for just laws which are centred on the human person, uphold fundamental rights and restore those rights when they have been violated…
… Together with the social responsibility of businesses, there is also the social responsibility of consumers. Every person ought to have the awareness that “purchasing is always a moral – and not simply an economic – act”
In the light of all this, I invite everyone, in accordance with his or her specific role and responsibilities, to practice acts of fraternity towards those kept in a state of enslavement. Let us ask ourselves, as individuals and as communities, whether we feel challenged when, in our daily lives, we meet or deal with persons who could be victims of human trafficking, or when we are tempted to select items which may well have been produced by exploiting other…
… We know that God will ask each of us: What did you do for your brother? (cf. Gen 4:9-10). The globalization of indifference, which today burdens the lives of so many of our brothers and sisters, requires all of us to forge a new worldwide solidarity and fraternity capable of giving them new hope and helping them to advance with courage amid the problems of our time and the new horizons which they disclose and which God places in our hands.
From the Vatican, 8 December 2014
POPE FRANCIS
The grace which was revealed in our world is Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary, true man and true God. He has entered our history; he has shared our journey. He came to free us from darkness and to grant us light. In him was revealed the grace, the mercy, and the tender love of the Father: Jesus is Love incarnate. He is not simply a teacher of wisdom, he is not an ideal for which we strive while knowing that we are hopelessly distant from it. He is the meaning of life and history, who has pitched his tent in our midst.
In our personal history too, there are both bright and dark moments, lights and shadows. If we love God and our brothers and sisters, we walk in the light; but if our heart is closed, if we are dominated by pride, deceit, self-seeking, then darkness falls within us and around us. A people who walk, but as a pilgim people who do not want to go astray.
On this night, let us share the joy of the Gospel: God loves us, he so loves us that he gave us his Son to be our brother, to be light in our darkness. To us the Lord repeats: “Do not be afraid!” (Lk 2:10). As the angels said to the shepherds: “Do not be afraid!”. Our Father is patient, he loves us, he gives us Jesus to guide us on the way which leads to the promised land. Jesus is the light who brightens the darkness. He is mercy: our Father always forgives us. He is our peace.
Nativity Prayer
Let the just rejoice,
for their justifier is born.
Let the sick and infirm rejoice,
For their saviour is born.
Let the captives rejoice,
For their Redeemer is born.
Let slaves rejoice,
for their Master is born.
Let free men rejoice,
For their Liberator is born.
Let All Christians rejoice,
For Jesus Christ is born.
(St. Augustine of Hippo, AD 354-440)
Happy Christmas and New Year 2015
Nearly 25 years ago, the world made a promise to children: that we would do everything in our power to protect and promote their rights to survive and thrive, to learn and grow, to make their voices heard and to reach their full potential. In spite of the overall gains, there are many children who have fallen even further behind. Old challenges have combined with new problems to deprive many children of their rights and the benefits of development.
To meet these challenges, and to reach those children who are hardest to reach, we need new ways of thinking and new ways of doing – for adults and children.
There is much to celebrate as we mark the 25th anniversary of the Convention, from declining infant mortality to rising school enrolment, but this historic milestone must also serve as an urgent reminder that much remains to be done. Too many children still do not enjoy their full rights on par with their peers.
Children in the World
Today, there are more than 2.2 billion children on Earth. Nearly two billion of these live in a developing country.
Depending on the country in which they reside, a child will not enjoy the same rights or conditions of life as their Western counterparts. Many regions and countries in the Third World face great disparities, and the factors in question, whether political, economic, social, cultural, ethnic or religious, can have a different impact on each child.
Despite the progress that has been made in recent years, the situation faced by the children of our world is still desperate. The most fundamental rights of minors are violated in most parts of the world, and even in the most economically developed countries not all children benefit from the same rights.
Poverty remains the principal cause of the violation of the Rights of the Child because lack of funds seriously impedes access to their basic human needs: healthcare, water, food and education. In the countries which are least affected by poverty, children generally have the chance to enjoy these rights, although many are still victims of violence, abuse or discrimination.
of Pierre Bienvenu Noailles
Pierre Bienvenu Noailles, embraces all vocations within the Church and because its charism of Communion responds to the challenge of the modern world.
“The Holy-Family seemed to me like a huge tree,
a sort of oak tree with green branches.
One could visualise flowers and
fruits of every season;
birds of all colours, from all countries,
each with its own particular song;
but soon, they had but one single voice,
and, in perfect harmony, they seemed to say,
“Glory to God alone and all through Mary!”
(Cf. Booklet “Choose Life” p.5)
A tree which has grown and has extended throughout the world, welcoming people of every vocation…
Perhaps when you see this title you will wonder “Why are we getting this information now? We already receive it through the social media which bombard us with information every day.” Sometimes, however, we have a defence mechanism which means that we hear information without listening to it. On this occasion perhaps you may feel closer to the situation knowing that the Holy Family of Bordeaux is in solidarity with it contributing its grain of sand so that things may be less difficult for those who are suffering. We are sending you the information which we received from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), an organisation which we help financially.
The situation on 18 September 2014
The constantly-changing natu-re of the conflict makes it difficult to keep track of the movement of people and the multiple displacements that are taking place continually.
The United Nations estimate the number of refugees to be 1.800.000. In the month of August alone, 600.000 people were obliged to flee their homes. Some 850.000 are in Iraqi Kurdistan; the others are scattered ín the centre and south of Iraq. Unfortunately, there is a great shortage of housing in Iraq. Many of the refugees are living in buildings that are still under construction, mosques, schools, churches or public parks. It is thought that some 2.000 schools cannot open because they are being used to house thousands of refugees. This school year may never become a reality for tens of thousands of children.
The future of many Iraqis is a cause of great concern. There are reports of women being kidnapped by armed groups and by those who engage in human trafficking inside and outside the country. Working children who do not go to school abound, as does sexual violence. Community social services do not supply provisions. Many families flee from violence only to find themselves in danger from a very harsh Winter.
In the centre and north of Iraq, there is an urgent need of food, water, sanitation, accommodation, mattresses, blankets, means of communication and practical help for needy families.
What is UNHCR doing?
They have given accommodation and provided for the basic needs of 300.000 personas; 52.000 families in Iraq, some coming from the mountains and from around Mosul.
They will build 11 refugees camps; they will continue to support the 4 which they are already looking after; they will organise the reception of and distribution of Winter clothes, blankets, heaters… They are organising a system for distributing money in places where there are families who need it.
They and their colleagues are collecting reports of violations in the area of security and protection. They are regularising the situation of undocumented, displaced people and refugees who have fled their country. They are helping local authorities with staff and equipment so that they can draw up a register of families in order to receive humanitarian assistance.
Funds needed
Up to the end of 2014, 577 million dollars will be needed to help 1.800.000 displaced people and 150.000 refugees from neighbouring countries. Donations have already been received from the governments of Saudi Arabia, Denmark, Germany, Japan Kuwait, Norway, Luxemburg, Sweden, Turkey, The United Kingdom and the European Union. Donations have also been received from private individuals, businesses, people from various countries around the world as well as from the local Iraqi people who give what they can.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) – www.unhcr.org
The extraordinary Synod on the Family will be held in Rome from 5 to 19 October. The theme of the synod is:
The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the context of Evangelisation.
Its principal objective is:
To show today’s world the beauty and values of the family which come from the proclamation of Jesus Christ.
Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops will introduce the participants at the coming General Assembly. 253 people of various backgrounds will be present. These include:
114 Presidents of Bishops’ Conferences
13 Heads of Eastern Catholic Churches
25 Heads of the Congregations of the Roman Curia
3 Religious elected by the Union of Superiors General
26 Members appointed by the Pope
38 Auditors including Margaret Muldoon, our former Superior General, 13 married couples and 16 experts. We are all united in joy and in gratitude to the Church for the confidence placed in us.
Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, reminds us that the synod will take place in two stages: the Extraordinary General Assembly in 2014 and the Ordinary General Assembly in 2015. He also said that at the Extraordinary General Assembly a more dynamic and participative methodology will be used taking into account the need for continuity in the Ordinary Assembly after which the Synodal Document will be published.
http://www.infocatolica.com/?t=noticia&cod=21892
2014 is a Jubilee year and a year of thanksgiving for the community of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Bordeaux in Banda. This community was founded in 1989 at the request of Monseigneur Eugène BILETSI, the then bishop of the Idiofa diocese. All the members of the Family of P.B.N. – Religious and Lay Associates – as well as the people of the Banda parish came together to celebrate this great event.
The jubilee celebrations began with a talk on the Family of Pierre Bienvenu NOAILLES and the history of the Holy Family in Banda. As well as the talk, Mr LEONARD MBEMBE, the president of the Lay Associates in DRC, shared on the Congress with the Lay Associates from the different parishes: Gungu, Ngashi and Banda.
The parish priest, Fr. Laurent MUSUMADI, presided at the Eucharist at 9 o’clock on Sunday 13 July 2014.
At the end of the Mass Sr. Pascaline BUR, one of the foundresses who also celebrates her Silver Jubilee this year spoke on behalf of the founding group. She thanked God for God’s loving care working through the Sisters for the good of the people. She also thanked the people of Banda for their spiritual, moral and material support.
There has been a change in the people’s understanding of Religious Life and, in this context, Sr. Georgine MUFOGOTO, thanked the people for all their support and challenged them in the following terms: “The Sisters of the Holy Family of Bordeaux have given themselves body and soul to Banda and they hope that one day some young women from the Banda mission will enter with them.”
The people of the Banda parish expressed their joy by coming to the celebration, by their music, their presents of vegetables, dancing and playing games. To show their gratitude for all the Sisters have done for the youth of Banda, the young people presented a sketch on the vocation and mission of the foundresses of the Banda community, Srs. Rosario ALVARES, Franca LEONE and Pascaline BUR.
Claudine GAYONGO, who is in charge of vocations work, took the opportunity to explain the different vocations in the Family of PBN. She emphasised Jesus’ invitation “The harvest is great but the labourers are few.” “In order to respond to the needs which require the Sisters’ presence in Banda and elsewhere, we need young people to continue the mission of Christ,” she said.
On behalf of the Communications Team
Sr. Claudine THAMBWE
“When I was in Prison, you visited me” (Mt. 25:36)
These words of Jesus inspired me to take up the ministry in collaboration with “Prison Ministry of India” (PMI). It is worth to render our service to save the rejected and condemned young women of our society. I feel that this is a special call and more meaningful to render my service to the prisoners who live behind bars. The society, kith and kin are not willing to look at the prisoners with new eyes and the prisoners are also not in a position to face the challenges of the society even though they have a genuine desire to lead a better life.
Keeping in our mind the Cooperate Commitment on building Communion, we render our service in the form of visit in Vigilance Home in Chennai where the victims of the Immoral Traffic Prevention (ITP) act from different states are kept. They speak different dialects, because most of them are from Northern part of India. They have been trafficked and sold by the mediators for prostitution. Some of them are commercial sex workers. Most of the sex workers come from very poor families. The girls come out of their homes at a young age to get some job and to enhance the economic status of the family. They are cheated by the mediators and ultimately pushed to become sex workers. The poverty is the main cause for women to go out and earn for their livelihood. If the girls are arrested by the police, there is none to rescue them from prison and that is the end of their life. Due to this mental and psychological depression they lose the hope of their future.
My visit helps these young women to identify their family and to inform them about the situation to the members of the family. I feel the compassionate love towards the individuals which helps to recover and to see some rays of hope in the future. I come in touch with the minds and hearts of the individuals who are unwanted, rejected and who have lost their image in the society.
I met many Catholic, Hindu young girls who lost their faith in God. The close relationship with them brings them back to God by realizing the love of God and realize that He is ever closer to them and He never leaves them. Prayer, Confession and Holy Mass help the inmates in the Vigilance Home to understand the holiness and Godliness within.
Last month a group of young girls were arrested in Chennai in commercial sex trade. A poor girl named Sathya, 23 year old, got married at the age of 12. After few years the husband left her and settled himself with his mother. With little hope she went in search of a job but unfortunately she became a sex worker. When she narrated the true story to the police hoping to be released, instead she was thoroughly beaten up by the inmates in prison. When she was admitted in the hospital she was found with AIDS. Seeing the situation the police released her and sent her back to her native home. After a week I went to see her in the village with other PMI volunteers. We saw her in a very small shed with her one year old child. She was struggling for life. We prayed and came back; on the next day I received a call from the village president that Sathya was no more. After a couple of weeks we went to see the little child, I was moved to see the one year old child without a mother. Later we came to know that the child also affected by HIV, now I am taking effort to place the child in the AIDS home.
Utter poverty and ignorance lead the women to become sex workers. It is here we need to be sensitive and reach the unreachable, suffering humanity in our places and respond with courage and inner strength.
“Do not follow where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
I am really happy to work with this neglected group of women in the society. I appreciate our Delegation for taking up prison ministry as primary concern to take part in the struggles of Unknown people behind Bars.
Sr. Josephine – Chennai
