FSPs Sr. Olga Massango and Sr. Edima Dos Santos recently celebrated their Silver Jubilees of religious profession in the parish of Our Lady of Grace, Xipamanine, Maputo, along with the pastor of the parish, Fr. Santiago Lavigne, an Argentine Redemptorist, who was celebrating the same milestone. The Eucharistic Liturgy was presided over by Bishop João Carlos Hatoa Nunes, Auxiliary Bishop of Maputo, Bishop Germano Grachane, Bishop of Nacala, and Bishop Januário Nhangumbe, Bishop Emeritus of Pemba. Many priests, religious, friends and parishioners participated in the Mass.

           

To prepare for this intercongregational missionary event, several biblical animations were held on the theme: Get Up and Go Forth To Proclaim God’s Saving Mercy! The participants say that these formation sessions brought them closer to the Word of God and allowed them to share ideas concerning what the Bible has to say about mercy.

           

In keeping with Fr. Alberione’s urging to elevate the spirit, culture and moral and civil levels of the people, the FSPs also offered the parish library a selection of books to help the faithful use their time in a healthy, constructive and Gospel-oriented way.

 

 

 

 

After running a book center located in their Durban residence for 13 years, our sisters recently opened a new book center in the heart of the city, giving them the chance to expand and improve the organization of their apostolic activities. They are now able to present a wider range of books to the public, provide guided tours for Catholic school children (including those preparing to make their First Communions and Confirmations), hold cultural meetings and encounters for pastoral workers, and guide courses in biblical and catechetical formation.

           

The FSPs took advantage of the inauguration ceremony to present the Pauline charism and the figure of Fr. James Alberione to those in attendance and they say it was heartwarming to see how enthusiastically everyone–priests, religious, families and youth from many different parishes–participated in the event.

           

Our sisters sincerely thank God for enabling them to carry out the Pauline mission with always greater professionality and say that the FSP presence in Africa is becoming always more meaningful to the people, thanks be to God!

 

 

 

Heeding the words of Jesus in this Year of Mercy, the Daughters of St. Paul of Bandra recently visited a juvenile detention home for boys in Mumbai, where they taught 140 children, ranging in age from 8-14, about love and peace through songs, games and dances.

 

The authorities, who were very appreciative of the program, said: “You have brought joy to these boys by teaching them so creatively about values.” The sisters distributed books and sweets to the group and also left a small contribution to be used for their benefit.

 

 

 

On 13 August 2016, Ettore Bernabei, one of Italy’s best-known and best-loved communicators, passed to eternity at the age of 95. Bernabei was a media professional of great depth on both the human and Christian levels. A Catholic who was convinced of the strategic role the instruments of communication play in the integral formation of the human being, he always sought to place his competence in the world of the media at the service of God and his country, first as a journalist and then as a television manager and producer.

           

He served as Director General of RAI (Italy’s foremost TV broadcasting station) from 1961-1974, after which he undertook the arduous job of producing TV programs. In 1992, he founded the Lux Vide TV Production Company, which is famous for its 21-episode Bible series (drawn from both the Old and New Testaments), Zeffirelli’s Jesus of Nazareth, and Rossellini’s Acts of the Apostles. Among the many films on the lives of the saints produced by Lux Vide, the public remembers with special appreciation Chiara e Francesco, Maria Goretti, Don Bosco, Rita da Cascia, Padre Pio, San Filippo Neri, Madre Teresa, Paolo VI, Giovanni Paolo II, Fatima and Lourdes.

           

The Daughters of St. Paul of many different countries have taken advantage of the DVDs of these films as important means for diffusing Gospel values and the testimonies of men and women who have helped to give a more human and fraternal face to the societies in which they lived.

           

We want to thank God for the life of this tireless communicator and ask him to intercede for us so that, as Paulines, we will use the languages of faith and culture to respond to the great questions of contemporary humanity.

 

 

 

Twenty-eight families recently participated in a Family Camp held by the Daughters of St. Paul in their Alberione Home Auditorium, Pasay City. The theme of the encounter was that of World Communications Day 2016: Communications and Mercy: A Fruitful Encounter.

 

The objective of the Camp was to highlight the importance of communication and mercy in building up relationships within and outside of the family in this Jubilee Year dedicated to mercy and the family. In fact, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has invited the Local Church to celebrate 2016 as a Year of the Eucharist and the Family. This theme is part of the Nine Pastoral Priorities of the Church in the Philippines for the New Evangelization in preparation for its Great Jubilee of 2021: the 500^th anniversary of the coming of Christianity to the Philippines.

 

The Family Camp consisted of a full day of input and sharing on different issues that families are coping with today, such as health, drugs, natural disasters, financial problems, verbal abuse, bullying, the death of loved ones, computer addiction, etc. Special activities like drawing and film viewing were also organized for pre-teens and children.

 

The day concluded with a Eucharistic Celebration presided over by Fr. Khris Llacer, SSP, who pointed out in his homily that communication is basic to all relationships. He also challenged the families to continue to spread mercy and to pray for unity in the family.