The people of Mannar district were affected in many ways, due to ethnic war that was going on last thirty years. Among this population, there are about 2000 people with physical and mental disabilities.
MANNAR ASSOCIATION FOR REHABILITATION OF DIFFERENTLY ABLE PEOPLE The ContextThe people of Mannar district were affected in many ways, due to ethnic war that was going on last thirty years. Among this population, there are about 2000 people with physical and mental disabilities. Besides, thousands of wounded and traumatized people are being brought over to Vanni to Mannar and Vavuniya. They are in the Hospitals and in the Welfare Centres.  In enhancing and supporting the children, there is dire need for Rehabilitation services and Special training for traumatized, mentally affected  and physical handicapped children and adults.The ethnic war in the country, which raged for the last thirty years, has claimed not only eighty thousand precious lives but has made about twenty thousand of these people physically disabled, many of whom suffer from mental trauma. The innocent civilians who have been caught in the midst of this war, have been affected by various types of land mines, un-explored ordinance multi barrel guns, Chemical weapons, shelling and bombardment in the war-torn Districts and in the border Districts.There are also many children with disability and mental trauma within malnutrition in the hospitals and in the IDP (Internally Displaced Person) Camps. Further, due to the long war, many mothers have given birth to undernourished children, born with weakened arms, legs and mental disorders. There has been an increase in cesarean births with birth weights below 2.5 kg. Although there are a large number of children with disabilities and mental trauma by land mines, shelling, aerial bombing and various other reasons, the rehabilitation services are very poor and insufficient. The children with disabilities are either unable to reach the services or the government is unable to meet their needs. Thus, we realized that Rehabilitation is the only means and a strategy to enhance the quality of life of the disabled people by improving service delivery, by improving more equitable opportunities and by promoting and protecting their human rights. Realizing the situation and the needs of the children with disabilities and mental trauma in the region and to maintain their rights, MARDAP is committed to provide Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconciliation services in the Hospitals and in the IDP Camps. We propose  to provide awareness programmes to the affected victims’ parents and guardians and also to the grass root level community – based organizations on first aid treatments, nutrition, education, protection, education of children, after care treatment, rehabilitation and reconciliation activities. Short description of the Organization:The Organization called MARDAP (Mannar Association for Rehabilitation of Differently Able People) run by Holy Family Sisters in Mannar, has completed Six years of service. The objective of MARDAP is to rehabilitate and to raise self-esteem, their dignity and socio-economic of the differently able people.  It is registered under the Voluntary Social Service Organization (Registration and Supervision) Act. No..31 of 1980. It’s main aim is to do Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) Service to the traumatized, displaced and Differently able people in Mannar District. The CBR project has been a beneficial project for people. A team which gained sufficient knowledge, skills and attitude in managing the CBR, has been implementing this project. Through implementing this project, the staffs have come to be capable and experience team in this field.We also run Special School for the Mentally Challenged, Hearing and Speech impaired children, and Vocational training for the young people in our Centre. About 55 children participate in this training programme.The Strength of the Staff is 25 – (15 CBR Workers,  4 Special School Teachers, and 6 Administration personnel (M-9, F-16). We need 5 more staff to continue our additional services.VISION A World of Peace, Harmony, Equality and Making Differently Abled Realize Full Potentials.MISSION:  v Our Mission is to reach out to People With Disability (PWD) / Differently Abled in the society through Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR).v Advocate upholding of Human Rights and Rights of the Disabled in the society.v Empower PWD to develop their potentials and integration with the wider society.v Providing medical access for  PWD in thir own villages.v  Create the psychosoical resource in the village and centre to Heal the psychosocial wounds, stigma, misunderstanding and fear of disability by creating awareness among public. OBJECTIVES :  §   Advocating the rights of the DAP (Differently Able People)  in the society.§   Assisting the DAP to overcome the emotional, psychological stress and trauma.§   Helping them to integrate with the wider society.§   Promoting inclusive education.§   Creating awareness to the parents of the disabled of their responsibilities and  making them to be self-reliant and self-supportive.§   Ensuring them of having all the legal documents including Disabled Identity Card.§   Preventing the growth rate of disabled in the society.§   Channeling the aids to the DAP given by the NGOO.§   Promoting income generating activities and encourage saving schemes.Community based rehabilitation (CBR) Programmes activities. 1.  Social Rehabilitation2.  Special school for mentally retarded, hearing & speech impaired children.3.  Medical Rehabilitation.4.  Economic Rehabilitation               

Five years ago, August 16, 2005, during evening prayer, Brother Roger, founder and prior of the Taizé Community, was assassinated by a deranged woman. He had recently celebrated his ninetieth birthday.

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Five years ago, August 16,
2005, during evening prayer, Brother Roger, founder and prior of the Taizé
Community, was assassinated by a deranged woman. He had recently celebrated his
ninetieth birthday.
 
Every year Taize
continues to bring  together thousands of young people from all
over the world.  During a meeting in the Church of Reconciliation
Brother Alois expressed his joy in these words: “What are the young people
who come to Taize looking for?  Perhaps just to meet “a
community where kindness of heart and simplicity are at the centre of
everything.”  (Brother Roger “God can only love” p.40)
 
Brother Roger’s spiritual influence still continues to spread: “Throughout the ages God has raised up holy men and women to serve as
models for all “… 
“Throughout his life, Brother Roger followed the way of the Lamb: by his
gentleness and his humility, by his refusal of every act of human greatness, by
his decision never to speak ill of anyone, by his desire to carry in his own
heart the sufferings and the hopes of humanity. Few persons of our generation
have incarnated with such transparency the gentle and humble face of Jesus
Christ.” said Cardinal Kasper in an interview with
the Osservatore Romano August 15th 2008. And he added:
“Christian
unity was certainly one of the deepest desires of the prior of Taizé, just as
the division between Christians was for him a true source of pain and regret.
Brother Roger was a man of communion, who found it hard to tolerate any form of
antagonism or rivalry between persons or communities. When he spoke of
Christian unity and of his meetings with the representatives of different
Christian traditions, his look and his voice enabled you to understand with
what intensity of charity and hope he desired “all to be one”. The search for
unity was for him a kind of guideline in even the most concrete decisions of
each day: to welcome joyfully any action that could bring Christians of
different traditions closer, to avoid every word or act that could slow down
their reconciliation. He practiced that discernment with an attentiveness that
bordered on meticulousness. In the search for unity, however, Brother Roger was
not in a hurry or nervous. He understood God’s patience in the history of
salvation and in the history of the Church. (…) He was convinced that only an ecumenism
nourished by the Word of God and the celebration of the Eucharist, by prayer
and contemplation, would be able to bring together Christians in the unity
wished for by Jesus. It is in this area of spiritual ecumenism that I would
like to situate the important contribution of Brother Roger and the Taizé
Community”
What are the young
people who come to Taize looking for?  Perhaps just to meet “a
community where kindness of heart and simplicity are at the centre of
everything.”  (Brother Roger
“God can only love” p.40)

          
Photos and documentation :

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copyright © Ateliers & Presses de Taizé, Communauté de
Taizé, 71250 Taizé, France. editions@taize.fr

As a lay associate, he loved God and the Holy Family.
He was a carpenter, like Saint Joseph: a just man who lived out his vocation as a lay associate…

‘A family whose members love one another’

‘A family whose members love one another just like the family at Nazareth”… This is the first line of the hymn of our Association, sung in Spanish-speaking countries.
As I recall this line, I think of another family, that of a lay associate of the Holy Family in Paraguay, who has just left us to return to the Father and to “prepare a place for us”, for each member of the Holy Family of Bordeaux.
Don Eduardo Mareco, was a carpenter by profession; he was, as one of the apostolic sisters put it “our Saint Joseph”. 
This simple man was kindly and joyful; he was one of the first lay associates in Paraguay.  He spread joy wherever he went and there was always a kind word and a joke on his lips. 
Fourteen years ago he had a brain haemorrhage which confined him to bed for the rest of his days.  He was unable to care for himself and was dependent on others to look after his needs. 
In spite of the consequences of this illness, he never lost his sense of humour and was always smiling and welcoming to those who came to visit him.
He belonged to the lay associate group; his wife and children did not.  But during his long illness his profound spiritual life had a great influence on them
They were a united, loving family and this was manifested in every detail, every caress, every mouthful of food that they gave him and in all the care they lavished on his body so that he never suffered the consequences of having to lie in bed for so many years.  On the day of his death, one of his daughters said to me: “He became our child” and in all the time that they cared for him, they never betrayed the least sign of fatigue.  On the contrary, they surrounded him with affection and this love was almost tangible.  
When we visited him, he was overjoyed at our presence; many times he prayed with us.  He always asked about the Sisters especially those he knew well.  He asked especially for Sister Gloria and Genevieve and his eyes lit up when he heard that they were coming on a visit to Paraguay and he would send them greetings. 
  What struck me was the image of our Good Father which he had near his bed.  On one occasion his wife commented that once she forgot to place the image back near his bed.  As soon as he realised that it was missing, he asked about it.  This showed that Pierre Bienvenu Noailles always accompanied him and that Don Mareco prayed often for his intercession.  Our faith tells us that they have surely met in Heaven and that they both continue to intercede in a very special way for all the members of the Association of the Holy Family of Bordeaux. 
Mirtha Fleitas (Paraguay)
We wish to tell you about our brother Edward Mareco: he was a friend and an exemplary husband and father.
As a lay associate, he loved God and the Holy Family.
He was a carpenter, like Saint Joseph: a just man who lived out his vocation as a lay associate, participating in retreats, days of formation and in all the activities of the Association. 
He showed his faith by deeds and he was an extraordinary joyful and attentive man. 
It was just before he was due to celebrate his 70th birthday by having a celebration with his family and friends, that he fell ill. 
God blessed him with a wonderful wife who fulfilled her marriage vows “in joys and sorrows, in sickness and in health, till death do us part”.  Surely their marriage was inspired by Mary Jesus and Joseph.
When we visited him, he recognised us and prayed the rosary with us.
We are sure that the Lord welcomes him into his glory and that he shares the joys of Heavne with our dear Good Father.
Silvia de Ortiz y Reina de Ramírez (Grupo de Campo Grande – Paraguay)

That morning Mother Trinity called her companions.
– We have decided to have another adventure, but this time, it won’t be a night outing like the one we had at Loreto. We are going to Martillac.

ADVENTURE AT MARTILLAC

That morning Mother Trinity called her companions.
– We have decided to have another adventure, but this time, it won’t be a night outing like the one we had at Loreto.  We are going to Martillac.  It seems that there are some very interesting things happening there.  Mother Bonnat will accompany us; she longs to see again those places that were once so dear to her.  So does Mother Trimoulet who was the first superior of that house.  So I have prepared a surprise for you.  

The sisters are astonished by what they see… hard hats lined up on a table in an adjoining room…
– What! Is there a war on at Martillac? asks one of them in surprise.  If that is the case, it is dangerous and I prefer to stay at home.
-No, don’t be afraid!  There are works being carried out at Martillac and you cannot go on the site without protection.  These are the rules of security. 
– Security, we have not had that before.  In our time we didn’t make such a fuss.  Do you remember the work on the island which lasted more than two years?  What a work that was!  Only someone as enterprising as our Good Father could have carried out such work.  I hope our sisters today have had good advice. 

– Enough chatter.  Let’s hurry.  We are going on the new modern means of transport.  I have heard Marie Paule say that the tram is best.  And then we will take the bus as far as the Cave and then continue on foot. 
– As far as the Cave? says one of the Sisters.  What cave are you talking about?  This seems very strange to me.  We used to stop at the Bouscaut in order to let the horses rest. 
– You need to be updated.  La Cave is the name of the bus stop.  It is a strange name but they say it adds a little local colour to this place where there are vineyards
The Sisters don the hard hats and set out…
Several hours later…
We find them sitting under a big cedar.  They are rather tired after such a journey but they are quite excited by their discoveries. 

– Have you seen that new building between the two houses that have been completely rebuilt…I heard a worker say that they are going to put up solar panels.  Do you know what they are?
– I think that they capture the sun’s energy but I am not sure how it works.  We need to continue following the classes at the Holy Family School on sustainable development and new energy.  Mother Bonnat says that it is extremely interesting.  
–  They are also going to link up the house to the chapel so we will be able to avoid the winds and cold winter weather

– Imagine!  What a change !  When I think of when we arrived, says Mother Trimoulet.  It was 14 November 1831; we left in the morning and we arrived at 5 o’clock in the afternoon.  It was already dark and when we lit the candle, we discovered spiders’ webs everywhere.  The house was dilapidated and to stand up to the hardships of winter, we used our recreation time to gather up pine cones and twigs to burn in the fire to warm ourselves.  Immediately we planted beans and potatoes.  Nowadays people need many more comforts.  They are saying that we have to submit to the norms of today. 
  – Still, Mother Saint Bernard says, the property is gaining and becoming more beautiful and I notice that the sisters have not forgotten the Good Father’s wish: “Courage” he used to say, “plant, maintain and embellish our dear Solitude for my future daughters and in this way you will please your Good Father”.
– They have also not forgotten the project of the house which is to be a resource centre.  It is good that they are carrying out this project in a way that is suitable for today.  And I think that the Good Father would be pleased to see his wishes being fulfilled: “Offer to everyone a “home” where there is a door that opens onto a sacred garden in which flows forth a spring that is a source of the spirit of God Alone.  Everyone will quench their thirst at this fountain and find new energy to spread everywhere”   

– Look, the kitchen garden is flourishing again – salads, radishes, cucumbers, beans, tomatoes…earth gives in abundance…but where is Mother Bonnat?  It is time for us to go.  Buses are on time here…not as it was in our day. 
The Sisters go off in search of Mother Bonnat and they find her at the Hermitage.  In the library she is looking at her herb book and is in the process of completing it with an entry on flowers that she found in the fallow land near the vegetable garden. 

– Time has been too short but we will come back.  I have heard that we are in for more surprises…I have heard of a new vine stock…however I will say no more…

I begin this short article with the words of a young Haitian who is a theology student in his second year. This young man lost ten companions in the earthquake in January. He himself had been buried beneath rubble for 15 hours. As a result, he had to have a leg amputated.

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HAITI: “A people who suffer
but who continue to hope….”

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We are sharing this article with you since one
of our sisters, Geni Do Santos Camargo, who is a Brazilian, is a member of the
Team that visited Haiti after the earthquake.

I begin this
short article with the words of a young Haitian who is a theology
student
in his second year.  This young man lost ten companions in the
earthquake in January.  He himself had been buried beneath rubble
for 15 hours.  As a result, he had to have a leg amputated. 
Three months after the earthquake, he spoke for the first time of his
experience.  He said: “When people speak to me of pain and suffering,
I can truly understand because I know now what suffering is”.    

The words and
the experience of this young man remind me of the text from the Gospel
of Mark where Jesus looks at the crowds and feels compassion for them
because they were like sheep without a shepherd.  (Mark 6, 34a). 
This was the sentiment of the team sent out from the National Missionary
Council. (Comina).  This team was made up of Sister Geni dos Santos
Camargo, Holy Family Sister, the president of the regional CRB of Sao
Paulo, Father Jose Altevir, secretary of Comina and me.  We felt
great compassion on the peoples in the cities of Haiti that we visited. 
   

Our visit
lasted
12 days and the object of the visit was to look at the possibility of
sending an intercongregational community through the missionary project
in the Church of Brazil.  We wished to be a sisterly presence to
the people of Haiti in this difficult situation.  We wished to
be open to them, be in solidarity with them and bring them the good
news of the Gospel.  It is completely impossible to be in that
country without sharing in the pain and suffering of its people.   

We are aware
of the historic struggles and the abandonment they have experienced. 
Those few seconds of the terrible earthquake were sufficient to add
pain and suffering to the lives of these people.  The situation
that they are in at present is scandalous and cries out to Heaven for
justice.   
The entire
city of Port au Prince and the cities of Leogne and Jacmel that we
visited,
remain more or less the same as they were in the aftermath of the
earthquake
– a scene that is difficult to describe and forget.   The
Haitians that survived, as well as the losses they suffered (families,
houses, documents…) have to fight for survival with more than three
thousand Non Governmental Organisations.  They are obliged to exist
in a state of misery battling with the dust, dirt, lack of response
from aid agencies and social and political paralysis.    

After all that
I have seen and heard in Haiti, I know that as Christians and members
of Religious congregations, we cannot allow this tragedy to be forgotten
nor can we allow ourselves to become accustomed to tragedies like
this.    

I had the
experience
of celebrating Holy Week with this people and I dare to say that “we
went through the dark night of injustice”.  The situation of
extreme poverty of this people is hard to accept.  Tiredness, cowardice,
even the death of many of the country’s leaders, the savagery of wolves,
the absence of a sense of meaning in life, lack of development, abuse
in all its forms, lack of life …cry out to the One who can give LIFE.  

There is a
permanent and painful cross weighing down on this people.  In the
midst of the poor, death comes early and death is a daily companion
in many of these families.   
I conclude
by saying that I believe in the transforming and liberating power of
the Gospel that enables the people of Haiti to cultivate joy in the
midst of so much distress and hopelessness.  As a Brazilian Church
we hope to leave sometime soon for Haiti.   
We count on
your prayers, support and solidarity for this new intercongregational
community which we will form there.    

Sister Antonia
MENDES GOMES, ndc
National
Executive
Consultant – Mission Project.
(Magazine
CONVERGÊNCIA,
June 2010. nº 432)

The Council of the Family was created with the aim of maintaining and deepening our common spirit, promoting communion among the different vocations and ensuring the vitality of the Family.
PREPARING FOR THE COUNCIL OF THE FAMILY The leaders of the different vocations in our Family are meeting today in Rome: Maria Dolores Perez Plé  (Superior General of the Holy Family Consecrated Secular Institute)Sister Bernadette Taurinya (Vicar of the Contemplative Sisters)Antonio Garrido ( Lay Associates – Representative of the Intercontinental Committee)Sister Maria Carmen Vilardell (Representing Sr. Margaret Muldoon, Superior General of the Apostolic Group)What is the Council of the Family and what is its purpose?The Council of the Family was created with the aim of maintaining and deepening our common spirit, promoting communion among the different vocations and ensuring the vitality of the Family.  It is the only body that has the power to make decisions on questions to do with the Family as a whole.From 1970, when the three groups of consecrated life first began to meet together, until today, our Family has made a long journey; our history continues to evolve and it is with great joy that we can confirm that we are moving TOGETHER as a Family.The Council of the Family meets every four years and is made up of the General Councils of Consecrated Life (Seculars, Contemplatives and Apostolics), the Intercontinental Committee of the Lay Associates and the presence of invited priests, since as yet the Priest Associates have no official structure to represent them.  (cf.  LETTER FROM THE COUNCIL OF THE FAMILY TO ALL THE MEMBERS, MEETING POINT, 2005, N0. 3, p. 105)Today the team in Rome has the task of preparing the next Council of the Family Meeting which will take place in Rome, next January 2011 (between 13 and 18).Good preparation is the key to a successful meeting.  So, we ask your prayers that the next meeting of the Council of the Family be “an experience of seeking together the path that we are called to travel together; an experience of listening to the voice of the Spirit active in our lives as a Family on Mission, in the reality of the Church and the world today”.  (Sr. Margaret Muldoon’s letter to the team preparing for the meeting of the Council of the Family, June 2010).                       

It is a warm June evening… the first Sisters of Loreto are asking one another:
-“Did you say “noctiluque?”

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A NOCTURNAL ADVENTURE
AT THE HOLY FAMILY COLLEGE IN BORDEAUX

It is a warm June evening… the first Sisters of Loreto are asking one another: 
-“Did you say “noctiluque?”  What a strange word to describe a garden …I have never heard that word before but I suppose nowadays words are constantly changing…We must ask Mother Bonnat …or maybe the idea has come from our Good Father.  He likes to dream, to look into the future and perhaps he has invented the word …and people have taken it up …that would be just like him. 
– But no, look, I have found the word in the dictionary:  Noctiluque:  a small marine creature that generates luminosity in the sea at night; it is like a glow worm that shines in the dark…that must be beautiful!
– I have never seen it.  But what has this got to do with our garden?
– Wait, I have found another definition: a flower or an animal, called “noctiluques” when they glow in the dark. 
– Yes but that still does not tell me what a “noctiluque” garden is. 
–  I heard the conversation of a small group of students and I think that it has something to do with throwing light on and giving value to a garden.  I have heard that it is quite a project. 
– You mean that these young persons have decided to improve our garden.  Oh I imagine that our Good Father will not miss this because he loves nature so much, especially trees. 
– See there is quite a crowd; quickly let’s find a place so that we can see what is going on.
 – Leave your chairs, there are things happening all over the garden…I was told that there are acrobats…My adrenaline level is rising
– Your what?
– But I am not bothered about that because I feel secure with the children in paradise
– Would you like to walk a little until it gets dark?
The sisters walk along the avenues of trees.
– Do you remember when we arrived here …it was in 1822 some months after the Eucharistic Miracle in Rue Mazarin.  That house seemed like a palace to us.  We had been so cramped up until then
– That was the time when we decided to place ourselves under the patronage of “Our Lady of Loreto
– These trees were already there: this monumental cedar, these magnolias, these oak trees, these lime trees…how wonderful it is to see that they are still here in spite of the havoc caused by pollution as it is called today.  It seems that pollution levels are rising all the time.  Where is the good clean air that we used to enjoy?  Our Good Father used to love walking in the park and I can almost see him still along these pathways…
Suddenly Noemi Gautier stops…
–  Do you hear the music?  It seems that the spectacle is beginning.  But what do I see there?  Someone is trying to get into my room by climbing in the window…Well I never!  Nowadays there is absolutely no respect.  Come on let’s warn the director. 
– Wait…am I dreaming?  There are people doing acrobats on the wall…they seem to have no fear
– That must be part of the spectacle.  In the programme there was an item called vertical theatre.  I would have loved to do something like that, to experience new emotions by letting myself fall into the emptiness! 
– And look, on the highest branches of the trees…there are pupils.  In our days we were forbidden to climb…but now everything is allowed…but what they are doing is really beautiful…I hope they won’t fall. Look they are moving around from tree to tree; let’s follow them. 
– Goodness they are recounting our stories; they haven’t forgotten us.
– What they are saying is so beautiful – that earth hold all living things in her bosom – humus and human have the same root.  If she were here, Mother Bonnat would be delighted to see such poetic talent among the young.  What creativity to be able to bring us alive with small things, a paper, a text, light, musical instruments, voices – transformations to life that has been destabilised by humans.  
– They must have worked very hard to produce such a spectacle.  But do you understand what they are doing in the college?  I read the brochure but I have to say I did not understand much about the modern sciences that they are teaching them…do you know what home automation is?
-No but it’s natural that things evolve over time.  In any case there are 650 pupils and I absolutely love the project that they have taken on to restore the park.  They have planted new trees; finished the raking and planted a hedge to attract birds and insects.  They are going to tidy the woods and restore land so that the vegetation will flourish.  That is called « a climax »…
– You do know a lot of things
– Yes I read it in the paper and one of the teachers explained it to me. 
– They also want to create a meadow of wild flowers like the one at the Solitude and that will add colour and beauty.
– But where will they get the water from? There are no more wells
– It seems that the young people are going to install an irrigation system.  Do you know how that will work? 
– No, one would have to follow a course to learn all about that.
– I am going with my dictionary because with all these new words: ecology, cosmic vision, biodiversity, sustainable development.  I could get lost!  But all this is truly exciting – to see these young people thinking about the future and preserving the patrimony that we have left them.  It is really hopeful.   
– Come on, it is getting late, we will resume this conversation tomorrow and we will think up a new adventure that will keep us up to speed as the saying is nowadays. 

On this occasion when we celebrate the 190th anniversary of our Foundation, we come together to give thanks to God for the prophetic power of our charism for our world today ;
Congo celebrates 190th anniversary of our Foundation  Dear Sisters, On this occasion when we celebrate the 190th anniversary of our Foundation, we come together to give thanks to God for the prophetic power of our charism for our world today ;  for our communion with and proximity to the poor and for working to make our communities places where all people can feel welcomed.  We also thank Our Lady of All Graces who has guided our Founder in the accomplishment of his work for the glory of God Alone.   Yes !  It is a great day for us here in the Congo – a day which we will spend in reflection and thanksgiving .  Reflection in order to look back and interiorise our story as Holy Family in general and as Holy Family here in the Congo.  The work of the Holy Family is one of charity and love.  We thank God for the person of Pierre Bienvenu Noailles, and for the graces that he received.  Through his charism we are on a path of sanctification for ourselves and for our brothers and sisters.  It is through prayer and reflection that we feel the action of Pierre Bienvenu Noailles in our Delegation.  May Our Lady of All Graces continue to inspire us and show us the path to follow in fidelity to our Charism.  And we pray for the furtherance of the process of beatification of our Founder.    Sisters of the Delegation of the Congo.       

Bradford, in West Yorkshire is a city with a Metropolitan District in the UK which has a population of around 467,665. ( 2001 census). According to the census records, the largest group are white 78%, followed by Pakistani 15%, Indian 3%, Bangladeshi 1%, Afro-Caribbean 1%, Mixed 1.5%. Christians make up 60.1%, Muslims 16.1%,…
BRADFORD COMMUNITY’S INVOLVEMENT IN MULTI CULTURAL AREA Bradford, in West Yorkshire is a city with a Metropolitan District in the UK which has a population of around 467,665.  ( 2001 census). According to the census records, the largest group are white 78%, followed by Pakistani 15%, Indian 3%, Bangladeshi  1%, Afro-Caribbean 1%, Mixed 1.5%.  Christians make up 60.1%, Muslims 16.1%, Hindus 1.5%, Sikh 1.0% Buddhists 0.1%, Jews 0.1%  No religion 13.3%, Not stated 8.1%.ASYLUM SEEKERSThere are over 60 different Nationalities living here, some of whom are Asylum Seekers and Refugees from war torn areas of our world especially from Africa, Iraq, Iran Afghanistan and from different parts of Asia, mainly Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.  Our ministry as Holy Family Sisters is to befriend, help and support Asylum Seekers and Refugees and so we  work as volunteers  in  different Centres  in the City where we hear their tragic stories at firsthand and try to respond.  Every Thursday morning, Celine works in an Information  and Advice Centre where she meets  many Asylum Seekers who have just arrived in Bradford. These people are in a very vulnerable position as they seek advice, money and housing. Celine has also met many from her own country (Sri Lanka) and is able to help with translation and give the advice and support they need. A group has been set up for the children of Asylum Seekers and Celine is also a volunteer there.  Teresa goes as a volunteer to a drop in Centre for Women Asylum Seekers and  their children This is a chance to support them by listening, and befriending  in a safe relaxed setting.. Here, we get to know their needs and can refer them to suitable organisations. Second hand clothes and household goods are also available at  this Centre. Once a month, as a community, we cook  food  which we take to a Centre  where Asylum Seekers gather to get free food, information and advice. (Different groups prepare this food on a rota basis.)In recent years, Bradford has campaigned hard and has become a City of Sanctuary. This is a national movement started in 2007 to build a culture of hospitality for people seeking sanctuary in the UK. We fully support this and attend their public gatherings and celebrations including those in Refugee Week as well as the annual Asian Festival (The Mela). Last year Teresa was singing Sesotho songs in one of the Tents and in the City Square (see photo) along with Asylum Seekers from many different countries who were happy to be in her band!! In addition to big gatherings, we also befriend and support individual families and put them in touch with our local SVP and other friends who can also help to meet some of their needs.There is a great need to befriend the families of Asylum Seekers especially when they are waiting for a reply from the Home Office to their request for leave to stay in this country. Maria has supported many of these families and is currently involved with a single mum from Somalia who has been trafficked into this country, like many others. Sadly her two children are still in camps in Somalia and she has had no contact with them for 5 years. However, through the help of the Red Cross she has recently made contact by phone and her dream is to be reunited with these children one day. Some Asylum Seekers receive financial help in the form of vouchers (£35 per week) leaving them with no cash for essentials e.g. bus fares, phone cards and toiletries etc. This can leave them very isolated as they’re unable to attend the many support networks provided by Volunteers.INTERFAITHSince September 11th 2001, Leaders from the 7 different faiths e.g. Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Bahai, Jews, etc  started meeting on 11th of every month to pray together for Peace.  We attend these gatherings whenever we can. We also go on Interfaith Walks and  work as helpers in local colleges  in English classes for immigrants for whom English is a second language. Many of our local neighbours are Muslims from Pakistan. We have become good friends and are invited to their big occasions such as breaking the fast at the end of Ramadan and celebrating Eid, where  special prayers are said and food is shared. Last month we were invited to their family wedding  which went on for 10 days!PARISH, LOCALSCHOOLS AND WIDER COMMUNITY We live in West Bradford which is greatly enriched by  families from many diverse backgrounds and cultures. e.g. Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Philippines,  India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, as well as  Eastern Europe – Russia, Hungary, Poland, Georgia, etc. We are inserted in this community which provides us with many opportunities to meet them on many levels reminding us that we all belong to one large Family. We have direct contact with these people through the local school, parish and  wider community.We end with a quotation from Sallie McFague’s book “A new climate for Theology”.“The dignity of human beings and the integrity of creation rest, first of all, on our willingness to affirm the value of all life, not just our own or that of our own tribe or religion or country or class or species. Like the saints, we need to practise developing a universal love that knows no bounds, a love that becomes more and more inclusive.”From the Bradford Community Celine, Teresa and Maria  

From the 26 – 28 April, I travelled to Istanbul in Turkey to participate in the meeting of the European Council of Religious Leaders. This council is part of the global network of Religions for Peace.
 

Meeting of the European Council of Religious Leaders. (ECRL) 

  
 
From the 26 – 28 April, I travelled to Istanbul inTurkey to participate in the meeting of the European Council of Religious Leaders.  This council is part of the global network of Religions for Peace.

The council is made up of 5 Muslim representatives (the Grand Mufti of Bosnia and 4 imams), 5 Jewish representatives (the Chief Rabbi of Russia and a number of Rabbis), 5 Protestants (a Lutheran Bishop from Norway and another Protestant Bishop from Germany), 5 Catholic representatives (Cardinal Danneels, the Bishop of Cretiel and others), 5 representatives from the Orthodox Church (the Archbishop of Russia, the Bishop of Greece and others) and 5 representatives from other religions with a minority presence in Europe (Zoroastrianism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Hinduism).  All have a common objective which is to overcome division in order to work together for peace and reconciliation.

The council was principally made up of male representatives; however a proposal was made that that at least one of the members of each religious group should be female.  I was the only female member of the council and there were two other catholic women who participated as consultants.  

The diversity of membership and the responsibility of the members who made up the council demonstrated the importance of the council itself.  At the end of the meeting we were received by the Patriarch of Constantinople, the ecumenical patriarch of the Orthodox Church.  It was a fraternal encounter and it was very meaningful and for me it was a wonderful experience of the plurality of the Church, enriched by diversity.

The theme of this meeting was: “At the crossroads: justice, equality and sharing as bases for a culture of peace”.  In a Europe where there is an interconnection of civilizations, cultures and religions, it is urgent that efforts be made to establish dialogue and tolerance.
 
 

For me it was an immensely rich experience – there was open and honest dialogue, profound respect for different beliefs and openness to all kinds of differences during our time together. 

There was a felt common spirit, a deep sense of the holy, a common search for God in a diverse, plural world, a sharing of faith which went beyond external manifestations. 

If our experience of God is an experience that calls us to Life, we must set out to transform our beliefs into dialogue and practice. 

Once more the meaning of the word “communion” was widened, diversified, enriched.  The call to interreligious dialogue in our world demands that, in the name of faith, we break the chains that create barriers and knock down the walls that separate us as brothers and sisters.  So out of this meeting has come the Istanbul Declaration on Tolerance and a commitment to Justice, Equality and Sharing. 

We have committed ourselves to working as individuals and as groups in order to transform attitudes of tolerance into acts of tolerance.  I sincerely believe that our vision and call to live communion with the whole of creation is closely linked to this commitment.  We strive for unity, tolerance, sincere respect; we work for justice and equality so that all may be transformed into a path to peace for the whole of our world. 

Marian Murcia
General Bursar – Rome

 
  ISTANBUL DECLARATION ON TOLERANCE OUR COMMITMENT TO JUSTICE, EQUALITY AND SHARING