St Pio of Pietrelcina

"I only want to be a poor Friar who prays."

Today we celebrate the feastday of Padre Pio. He was born in 1887 in the small Italian village of Pietrelcina. He joined the Capuchin Friars at the age of sixteen and was ordained a Priest seven years later. For fifty years at the monastry of San Giovanni Rotundo, he was a much sought after as a spiritual advisor and confessor, whose life was devoted to the Eucharist and prayer.
In 1918 he became the first Priest to receive the stigmata. In 1956 he founded the House for the Relief of Suffering, a hospital that serves 60,000 people a year.
In one of the largest such ceremonies in history, Pope John Paul II canonized Padre Pio on June 16, 2002. The Holy Father stressed Padre Pio's witness to the power of suffering. If accepted with love, the Holy Father stressed, such suffering can lead to "a privileged path of sanctity."

St. Pio, pray for us!

Welcoming St Terese in Portsmouth

Some Heralds of the Gospel, including five Companions, were present at St John’s Cathedral, Portsmouth, to welcome the Relics of St Thérèse at the beginning of a month long tour of the country.
They participated in the morning’s Opening Liturgy which involved children and representatives of all the Catholic schools of the Diocese. In the afternoon, Bishop Crispian Hollis celebrated Mass - with Anointing of the Sick. Later there was the opportunity for all present to venerate the Relics.
The relics will travel round the country starting in Portsmouth and finishing four weeks later in London. They will visit 28 venues, including Catholic cathedrals, churches and Carmelite convents.

Celebrating the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Iver Heath.

On Saturday September 12 The Heralds of the Gospel had a special event celebrating the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a feast that in itself is an announcement of the most joyful birth of all, Christmas.

The event took place in the beautiful gardens of the Convent of the Bridgettine Sisters in Iver Heath, Bucks. Holy Mass, Adoration and Confession were the most important part of the program, which also included the coronation of the statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and the Act of Consecration to Our Lady.

A picnic lunch was enjoyed by both children and adults. The beautiful weather also contributed to the the event, and as someone commented, "It was the nicest day of the summer".

The Relics of St Thérèse of Lisieux visit England

Many people have been praying and asking for this to happen, and now their prayers have been answered. We can be sure that this will be a time of grace for our Church and our country.

Wherever they have gone, many people have experienced conversion, healing, a renewed sense of vocation, and answers to their prayers.

“I encourage the baptised to use this evangelistic opportunity to proclaim in their daily lives the reality of God’s love and mercy. If you are not a Catholic, come and see. A warm welcome awaits you.” Bishop Malcolm McMahon (Nottingham)Patron of the Visit of the Relics

To find out more, see the official website 'The Catholic Church in England and Wales'

http://www.catholic-ew.org.uk/ccb/catholic_church/relics_of_st_therese_of_lisieux

Founder Of The Heralds Of The Gospel Is Decorated by Pope Benedict XVI

São Paulo, Brazil (Gaudium Press) The “Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice” medal, one of the highest distinctions granted by the Pope to persons outstanding in their service to the Church and to the Roman Pontiff, was bestowed by His Eminence Franc Cardinal Rodé to Msgr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias, in a solemn celebration of the Eucharist on August 15, in the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, at the seminary of the Heralds of the Gospel, located in Greater São Paulo.
Msgr. João S. Clá Dias is founder of Heralds of the Gospel and of two societies of apostolic life, one clerical and the other feminine, Virgo Flos Carmeli and Regina Virginum, respectively.
In the act of bestowing the medal, on the occasion of the 70th birthday of Msgr. João Clá, the Prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life drew attention to the merits of the recipient, recalling the words of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux:
“At the moment of bestowing upon you this decoration with which the Holy Father wished to reward your merits, the words of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux at the beginning of his treatise De Laude Novae Militiae come to mind: ‘The news has been spreading for some time that a new type of chivalry has appeared in the world.’ These words could be applied to the present moment. In effect, a new chivalry has been born thanks to Your Excellency, not secular but religious, with a new ideal of sanctity and of heroic service to the Church. In this endeavor, born of your noble heart, we cannot fail to see a particular grace given to the Church; an act of Divine Providence in view of the needs of the world today.”
Upon expressing his gratitude for the prestigious decoration with which the Holy Father had honored him, Msgr. João S. Clá Dias emphasized the brilliant role of Cardinal Franc Rodé in directing the roman dicastery confided to his care and the valued guidance that led to the pontifical approval of the two societies of apostolic life: Regina Virginum and Virgo Flos Carmeli. But, above all, he wished to express the sentiments of filial adhesion to the Holy Father that pulses in the hearts of all the members of the movement of the Heralds of the Gospel, using the words of the eminent Brazilian Catholic leader of the Twentieth Century, Professor Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira:
“Everything there is within the Catholic Church of sanctity, of authority, of supernatural virtue, all of this, but absolutely everything without exception, or conditions, or restrictions, is subordinated, conditioned, and dependant upon union with the Chair of Saint Peter. (…) Because of this, it is a sign of a condition of spiritual vigor, an extreme sensitivity, a delicate and lively feeling of the faithful for all that touches upon the security, glory and tranquility of the Roman Pontiff. After the love of God, this is the highest of loves that Religion teaches us. One and the other love are even interchangeable. (…) And we can say: ‘for us, between the Pope and Jesus Christ, there is no difference.’ Everything that involves the Pope, directly, intimately and indissolubly involves Jesus Christ.”
On the previous day, August 14, the illustrious visitor inaugurated the Church of Our Lady of Carmel at the motherhouse of the feminine society of apostolic life Regina Virginum, with a solemn celebration of the Eucharist.
For more details and a video on the event (in portuguese) click here

This article has been taken from the 'The Heralds Blog' http://heralds.blog.arautos.org/

Year of Priesthood - Pray for our Priests.

Priests of the Heralds of the Gospel

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Open letter of Archbishop Emeritus of São Paulo, now Prefect, Congregation for the Clergy, the Most Reverend Cláudio Cardinal Hummes



Dear Priests,

The Year of Priesthood, announced by our beloved Pope Benedict XVI to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the death of the saintly Curé of Ars, St. John Mary Vianney, is drawing near. It will be inaugurated by the Holy Father on the 19th June, the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests.

The announcement of the Year of Priesthood has been very warmly received, especially amongst priests themselves. Everyone wants to commit themselves with determination, sincerity and fervour so that it may be a year amply celebrated in the whole world – in the Dioceses, parishes and in every local community – with the warm participation of our Catholic people who undoubtedly love their priests and want to see them happy, holy and joyous in their daily apostolic labours.

It must be a year that is both positive and forward looking in which the Church says to her priests above all, but also to all the Faithful and to wider society by means of the mass media, that she is proud of her priests, loves them, honours them, admires them and that she recognises with gratitude their pastoral work and the witness of the their life. Truthfully priests are important not only for what they do but also for who they are. Sadly, it is true that at the present time some priests have been shown to have been involved in gravely problematic and unfortunate situations. It is necessary to investigate these matters, pursue judicial processes and impose penalties accordingly.

However, it is also important to keep in mind that these pertain to a very small portion of the clergy. The overwhelming majority of priests are people of great personal integrity, dedicated to the sacred ministry; men of prayer and of pastoral charity, who invest their entire existence in the fulfilment of their vocation and mission, often through great personal sacrifice, but always with an authentic love towards Jesus Christ, the Church and the people, in solidarity with the poor and the suffering. It is for this reason that the Church is proud of her priests wherever they may be found.

May this year be an occasion for a period of intense appreciation of the priestly identity, of the theology of the Catholic priesthood, and of the extraordinary meaning of the vocation and mission of priests within the Church and in society. This will require opportunities for study, days of recollection, spiritual exercises reflecting on the Priesthood, conferences and theological seminars in our ecclesiastical faculties, scientific research and respective publications.

The Holy Father, in announcing the Year in his allocution on the 16th March last to the Congregation for the Clergy during its Plenary Assembly, said that with this special year it is intended “to encourage priests in this striving for spiritual perfection on which, above all, the effectiveness of their ministry depends”. For this reason it must be, in a very special way, a year of prayer by priests, with priests and for priests, a year for the renewal of the spirituality of the presbyterate and of each priest.

The Eucharist is, in this perspective, at the heart of priestly spirituality. Thus Eucharistic adoration for the sanctification of priests and the spiritual motherhood of religious women, consecrated and lay women towards priests, as previously proposed some time ago by the Congregation for the Clergy, could be further developed and would certainly bear the fruit of sanctification.

May it also be a year in which the concrete circumstances and the material sustenance of the clergy will be considered, since they live, at times, in situations of great poverty and hardship in many parts of the world.

May it be a year as well of religious and of public celebration which will bring the people – the local Catholic community – to pray, to reflect, to celebrate, and justly to give honour to their priests. In the ecclesial community a celebration is a very cordial event which expresses and nourishes Christian joy, a joy which springs from the certainty that God loves us and celebrates with us. May it therefore be an opportunity to develop the communion and friendship between priests and the communities entrusted to their care.

Many other aspects and initiatives could be mentioned that could enrich the Year of Priesthood, but here the faithful ingenuity of the local churches is called for. Thus, it would be good for every Dioceses and each parish and local community to establish, at the earliest opportunity, an effective programme for this special year. Clearly it would be important to begin the Year with some notable event.

The local Churches are invited on the 19th June next, the same day on which the Holy Father will inaugurate the Year of Priesthood in Rome, to participate in the opening of the Year, ideally by some particular liturgical act and festivity. Let those who are able most surely come to Rome for the inauguration, to manifest their own participation in this happy initiative of the Pope.

God will undoubtedly bless with great love this undertaking; and the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of the Clergy, will pray for each of you, dear priests.

Cláudio Cardinal Hummes, Archbishop Emeritus of São Paulo, Prefect, Congregation for the Clergy.