Heralds of the Gospel in England and Wales: April 2009

Totus Tuus - To Jesus through Mary.

To impel the beauty of the new evangelization – this is the charism of the Heralds of the Gospel; Its founder, Monsignor João Dias explains."The Heralds of the Gospel is a private association of faithful with a very special charism based essentially on three points: the Eucharist, Mary and the Pope."

The Heralds of the Gospel are an International Association of the Faithful of Pontifical Right, the first to be established by the Holy See in the third millennium, during a ceremony which occurred during the feast of the Chair of St. Peter (February 22) in 2001.

The Heralds of the Gospel strive to be instruments of holiness in the Church by encouraging close unity between faith and life, and working to evangelize particularly through art and culture. Their apostolate, which differs depending upon the environments in which they work, gives pride of place to parish animation, evangelizing families, providing catechetical and cultural formation to young people, and disseminating religious Iiterature.

Friday, 24 April 2009

A Date for your Diary!

Five Blesseds are to be canonised this Sunday 26 April 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI at 10.00am during a Mass to be held in St Peter's Square. There will be live coverage of the event on EWTN the Catholic Global TV Network. This should be a very moving and encouraging experience.

http://heraldsnews.blogspot.com/2009/04/five-blesseds-to-be-canonised-on-sunday.html

Thursday, 23 April 2009

Explanation of the Habit of the Heralds of the Gospel

To impel the beauty of the new evangelization – this is the charism of the Heralds of the Gospel; Its founder, Monsignor João Dias explains."The Heralds of the Gospel is a private association of faithful with a very special charism based essentially on three points: the Eucharist, Mary and the Pope." "Our main goal is to bring back beauty to the face of the earth." Currently this association of the Catholic Church works in more than 70 countries and plans to expand even more. "We are currently in 78 countries, when we began we were approved by 56 bishops – today there are many more – and now we trying to enter China and Korea; this is what we are trying to achieve." They are recognized by their characteristic habit that expresses their spirituality: evangelization through beauty. The cowl indicates the life of recollection and the boots their availability to go anywhere. At the centre is the cross of Saint James, stylized with the color white for purity, red for martyrdom, and the rosary, because it is the supreme Marian devotion

Sunday, 19 April 2009

Statue of St Winefride from her Shrine at Holywell, North Wales.

First Heralds of the Gospel Retreat held in UK

The first Retreat of the Heralds of the Gospel in England and Wales was held at the Padre Pio Shrine in the Franciscan Friary and Retreat Centre, Pantasaph, North Wales from 27th - 29th March 2009. The Theme was: The Blessed Virgin Mary, Confidence and the Four Last Things.

We were blessed with beautiful weather despite a forecast of snow and storms and it was wonderful to meet up with other Third Order Members who had travelled there from various parts of the country. We were made very welcome on our arrival at the Friary, and over the next three days were able to experience a wonderful spiritual renewal as we meditated and prayed together. We were also privileged to celebrate our own Mass each day, and our Retreat ended with a visit to St Winefride's Well located nearby, in Holywell. The Well is the oldest continuously operating pilgrimage site in Great Britain. This was a very interesting and moving experience and was a fitting end to a wonderful week-end.

Pilgrim Statue of The Immaculate Heart of Mary visits homes.

The Heralds of the Gospel take the pilgrim Statue of The Immaculate Heart of Mary as she appeared in Fatima, to peoples homes, as a way of bringing a blessing to the family. The visit normally takes place in the evenings and need not take more than two hours.The Heralds of the Gospel bring the statue to the house and give a short talk about the reason for the visit and the importance of prayer. Five decades of the Rosary are then said, for the intentions of all those present. Tea and coffee may be served at the end. After the visit, the Statue continues on its journey to other homes. This is a wonderful opportunity to invite family and friends to share in Our Lady's visit to your home. The only thing you need to provide is a little table with a table cloth, and some flowers or a candle. There is no charge. Children are welcome to be present. Indeed, it is it is encouraged. The visits must be booked in advance. Call Br Arthur on 02089434159 or 07899034249.

Heralds of the Gospel in England and Wales