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.



Saturday, 17 July 2010

A talk about the Christian community in Iraq - Part 1





A talk about the situation of the Christian Community in Iraq - a community, which dates its origin back to St. Thomas the Apostle - was held at the home of the Heralds of the Gospel. The talk was given by Deacon Hani, SDP (from Iraq), and attended by 15 people.

At the start of 1991, just before the first Persian Gulf War, the Catholic population of Baghdad was counted at more than 500,000. By 2003, Catholics in Baghdad number about 175,000, and the number is decreasing annually. A Vatican official said in 2003, "It's like a biblical exodus, and with the threat of a new war, the remaining Catholics must be thinking very hard about packing their bags."

Since that time the situation has deteriorated even more, and we who live in a country where we may practice our Faith in safety are reminded to pray constantly for our brothers and sisters who are suffering so badly

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For further information, see also the following article from Zenit, and a recent online documentary about the lives of Iraqi Catholics:


ZE09110604 - 2009-11-06
Permalink: http://www.zenit.org/article-27465?l=english

Iraqi Christians: Long History, Precarious Future Documentary Sends Cry for Help to the World By Genevieve Pollock

ARBIL, Iraq, NOV. 6, 2009 (Zenit.org).-

A new video documentary produced by Catholics in Iraq invites people to experience the history, culture, martyrs and struggles of one of the oldest Christian communities.

Hank and Diane McCormick, a missionary couple working in Northern Iraq, told ZENIT that the first episode of this five-part documentary can be viewed online by people worldwide who want to "meet" the Middle Eastern Catholics.

The video exposes stories about Christian martyrs of that region as well as Catholics -- bishops, priests and laypeople -- who are currently living there and working in schools, hospitals and other services. It incorporates scenes from the area's holy places, footage of ancient artifacts, glimpses of liturgical celebrations and local music.

Online viewing of first part of An Open Door: http://www.charityandjustice.org/index.php/cjhome/an-open-door
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