ECUMENICAL ADVOCACY DAYS

Fr. Rocco and other advocates with Congressman McGovern

Hello Everyone,

I just got back from Washington DC.   The Ecumenical Advocacy Days (EAD) were the best yet... it was our 10th anniversary and everything about this weekend from Friday to Monday went better than ever.

Much of what went on is already on the EAD website  www.advocacydays.org

I would invite everyone to also look at faithfulbudget.org  which is the focus for our Monday visits with Staffers for the Senators and Congresspersons.  We had a three person Massachusetts delegation there and we visited the offices of both Senator Brown and Senator Kerry.  Both staffers were open to "the Faithful Budget"... except when it came to revenues from Browns office.. but it seemed he was open to maintaining the safety nets, etc...(how to pay for them all is another question if there are no revenues coming in....)....  We visited the offices of Congressmen Michael Capuono and Stephen Lynch and spoke to their staffers.  We did get an appointment with Congressman McGovern and he kept us for 40 minutes.... (I think there were lobbyists outside and he would rather chat with us than deal with them...).... It was a good meeting with him... we josted on the Africa policy when it comes to folks like Joseph Kony, etc.... but we were respectful... He favors military action to apprehend Kony and others... I shared with him how impossible that has been in the past and futile for the present and future... The Africans can deal with him better on their own without our help....

The dates for next year are April 5th through 8th.... the 8th will be the lobby day visits.... the theme for the conference will be announced towards the end of May or so.... It was very well worth the time.. AND for those who are new to lobby visits, the trainings were excellent this year... much of the material is there on the website, but it was presented through skits and Q & A, and many new folks to lobbying found this very helpful.....  Now we are to "take it home" and visit the members' offices locally.... There may be a webinar come September that will revisit this year's ask and theme to get folks geared for the election in November....  I will share more at our April chapter if people are interested.

All the best
Fr. Rocco Puopolo, SX

COEXIST

Mary Aktay, Communications Dir. Xaverian Missionaries

With the atrocities in Toulouse, France and Kandahar, Afghanistan still gaping wounds, it is good to know there are many, many devout people of all faiths dedicated to bringing about a better world, individually and collectively. The UK based COEXIST Foundation is a case in point.  Committed to promoting “understanding of Jews, Christians and Muslims through education, dialogue and research,”   COEXIST actively seeks to “bring into the spotlight” outstanding people of faith who, drawing on the wisdom of their own religious tradition “break new ground” in interfaith cooperation for “a pluralistic and sustainable society.” The culmination of this effort was in the COEXIST PEACE prizes awarded on March 20 in a ceremony at New York University in NYC.

Two prizes of $10,000 each were awarded to Dishani Jayalweera of Sri Lanka,  founder of the  Center for Peace-building and Reconciliation (CPBR), and Mustafa Ali,  of Kenya, Secretary General of the African Council of Religious Leaders.  The grand prize of $100,000 was awarded to Lian Gogali , a peace activist who founded the Indonesian Institute for Women.  She will use the funding to establish an Interfaith Center for Peace and Justice.  Ms. Gogali stated: “Jesus came to teach us about peace and justice where religious background does not matter. It’s not enough to talk about peace. [We] have to work for it.”

The basic principle of the foundation can be summed up by the words of Lord Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations:  “God has given us many faiths, but only one world in which to co-exist.” Dr. Ali Gomaa, Chief Mufti of Egypt, one of the esteemed judges for the event, added: “The more we know one another and understand one another, the more we can work together for world peace.”  Perhaps then tragedies like those in Toulouse and Kandahar will never occur again. MORE>>>

World Catholicism Week 2012

World Catholicism Week 2012, "Real Presences: Eucharist, Society, and Global Catholicism," is a celebration of the globally interdependent dimensions of the Catholic experience of faith at DePaul, in Chicago, across the Americas, and around the world. The weeklong event is open to all DePaul faculty, staff, and students, as well as the general public. The themes and keynote speakers for the 2012 event are:

CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE FOR MORE INFO

What does World Catholicism mean to you? Share your thoughts in the comments section

April 16-18
Real Presences: 
Eucharist, Society & Global Catholicism
William Cavanaugh, DePaul University
Maria Clara Bingemer, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
Emmanuel Katongole, Duke Divinity School
Francis Cardinal George, Archbishop of Chicago
Virgilio Elizondo, University of Notre Dame

April 17-19
Time for God: 
Working Catholic Spirituality Into My Schedule
Thomas Rosica, CSB, CEO of Salt + Light Television


April 20

Solidarity Across the Borders:Catholic Education in the Americas Today

Speakers:

Rev. José Morales Orozco, S.J., President of Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City

Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., President of DePaul University 2010 

FOR MORE INFORMATION
worldcath2012.depaul.edu
Facebook.com/WorldCatholicism
cwcit@depaul.edu
(773) 325-4158



If you are in the Chicago area, check it out!

Join Us for the Novena of Grace March 4-12

The Xaverian Missionaries have traditionally carried on the Novena of Grace to St. Francis Xavier, a prayer that has began in the mid 17th century. Join us and many throughout the world that rely on the intercession of St. Francis Xavier in our dream of God to change the world through Christ. 

The novena prayers may be found on our website here. Take a look at snippets of his life events as a missionary throughout southeast Asia, as well as pictures, prayers and some of his letters.

If you are interested in visiting our prayer room, you may offer your prayers online here.

If you are interested in assisting us in our work of global mission in the nineteen countries where we work, we would be most appreciative. DONATE HERE.

A Letter from Bangladesh

Dear friends,

Fr. Germano

We have been showered with many blessings here at Chuknagar in southern Bangladesh. In September 2011, after a course of six years of working with Bengalis wishing to become Christian, 70 catechumens received baptism at the end of October in 2011. We inaugurated the formation center dedicated to Saint Guido Conforti, a dream that endured for many years. We celebrated Christmas in the new church, dedicated to "Mary Queen of the Poor."

In terms of education and human development, 60 students have passed the examinations for graduation. In 1980, when we started our presence among the outcasts, no one would ever bet on such progress. We have so many reasons to thank the Lord. A large area, where our small schools are situated were flooded out, remaining vacant for several months. Almost all were forced to leave their homes and camp out in makeshift tents.

Every day are episodes of violence and discrimination against our people. In Chuknagar, last November 15, thousands of outcastes marched in a peaceful protest against the discrimination and injustice they suffer at just being called "outcasts.".

Fr. Antonio Germano
Xaverian Missionary in Bangladesh
antoniogermano2@gmail.com