Heralds of the Gospel in England and Wales: June 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.

Sunday 28 June 2009

Do not take our Faith for granted.

The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI warned during the Mass celebrated at St. John Lateran for the Feast of Corpus Christi that there is a serious risk of a 'creeping secularisation' even within the Catholic Church itself, and added that Catholics should not take their Faith for granted.

Too often, such an attitude leads to empty formality in the celebration of the Eucharist, and in the Liturgy as a whole, which can result in celebrations lacking veneration and respect. Prayer is often hurried and superficial and limited so as to fit in with our day to day activities and earthly preoccupations, rather than being the main focus of our lives.

His words were followed by a prayer for the traditional procession from St. John Lateran to St Mary Major: “Jesus, stay with us! And free our world from the poison of evil, violence and hatred that is polluting our minds.”

With the new Archbishop of the Diocese of Westminster, The Most Rev. Vincent Nichols.

Brother Arthur and Brother Luis Miguel meeting the new Archbishop of the Diocese of Westminster, The Most Rev. Vincent Nichols.

Monday 1 June 2009

Pope2You.net to Appeal to Youth - New Vatican Web Site Launched

www.pope2you.net

The Vatican’s newest Web page called Pope2You.net, aims to bring the words and messages of Benedict XVI to the youth. It was created with youth in mind, especially with regard to interactivity and the aspect of sharing information. This project is a response to Benedict XVI's message for the World Day of Social Communications, in which he spoke directly to the "digital generation.".

The Vatican site uses new forms to relate with young people, and to help the Pope speak to young people to bring his message of hope and joy.

The Web page will allow young people, whose preferred method of communication is via the Internet, to read the message the Pope addressed to them on the responsible use of new technologies.. The site will allow them, among other things, to send virtual cards to friends, cards with an image of the Pope and a quote taken from one of his addresses.

Archbishop Celli,President of the Vatican Council for Social Communications said "This is a way to spread the values that we believe in. We hope that the youth know how to take advantage of this means of communication so that the message of the Gospel is known by the youth of today's world. This is the reason for this site."

The page includes a "wiki", compiled by the office for social communications of the Italian bishops' conference, on Benedict XVI's vision regarding new technologies, and employs the use of iPhone to receive images of the Pope and his words.

The page will also link to the Vatican's YouTube channel.

On the Net:
www.pope2you.net

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