MARIAN APPARITIONS (62) – Prague, Czech Republic
The baroque Church of Our Lady Victorious and St Anthony of Padua in Prague is known throughout the Catholic world for the miraculous statue of the Infant of Prague. That famous statue of the Infant Jesus was brought to the Church in the Czech capital in 1628.
NEWS BRIEFS
Tej Francis
BEIJING, CHINA
CHINESE FAITHFUL HELP VICTIMS OF NATURAL DISASTERS
(Agenzia Fides) 21 dioceses of mainland China have responded to the appeal launched on the occasion of the “National Collection Day for the victims of natural disasters” with great generosity. As Catholic Faith news Agency in China reports, the initiative celebrated on March 25, Palm Sunday, was promoted by Jinde Charites, the body that has been taking care of Catholic charitable works for 20 years, and was welcomed with great availability by bishops, priests and laity.
A NEW APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION – Being the saint ‘next door’
FEATURED IMAGE: Valter Cirillo at Pixabay
Aurelio Porfiri
On Monday, 9 April 2018, the new Apostolic Exhortation of His Holiness Pope Francis Gaudete and Exultate: On the call to Holiness in Today’s World was officially presented in the Holy See Press Office. The presenters, together with the Holy See Press Director Greg Burke, were Bishop Angelo De Donatis (Vicar General for His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome), Gianni Valente (Journalist) and Paola Bignardi (former president of the movement Azione Cattolica).
CHANCERY NOTICE
CN/4/005/2018
World Day of Prayer for Vocations
The 55th World Day of Prayer for Vocations will be celebrated next Sunday, April 22 (4th Sunday of Easter). The theme of Pope Francis message is “Listening, discerning and living the call of the Lord” (the message can be found in www.vatican.va).
USJ HOLDS SUCCESSFUL OPEN DAY 2018
The University of Saint Joseph held its first Open Day at the Ilha Verde Campus from 14:00 to 18:00 on 14th April to provide the general public, in particular, secondary school students, an opportunity to learn more about the learning environment and admission-related information offered at the university.
PUBLIC CONSULTATION YIELDS 121 OPINIONS – Catholic Center Redevelopment
Pedro Daniel Oliveira
The public consultation on the urban development plan concerning the Macau Diocese’s Catholic Center ended last 10 April, with the Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT, in Portuguese) receiving a total of 121 opinion forms since March 27, when the query kicked-off.
HEALTHY AND SELFLESS LIFE – Caritas Macau’s Badminton Tournament To Raise Funds
Pedro Daniel Oliveira
Caritas Macau is planning to organize a badminton fundraiser tournament in June. Each corporate team will give MOP 5,000, corporate staff individuals MOP 1,000, school teams MOP 2,500 and other citizens MOP 500.
SOWER OF VIRTUES – Filipino Archbishop Teofilo Camomot’s Process Of Canonization By The Vatican
Featured Image: www.archbishopcamomot.ph
Pedro Daniel Olivera*
Late Cebuano Archbishop Teofilo Camomot could become the third canonized Filipino next to San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila and San Pedro Calungsod – both lay persons. The process of beatification and canonization involves work in the diocesan level, and in the Vatican’s Congregation for the Cause of Saints, which forwards their findings to the Roman Pontiff. Camomot was known for his extreme generosity and love for the poor.
Three Filipino citizens in Macau expressed high expectations with the possibility of Pope’s ruling in favor of his canonization. Speaking to O CLARIM, Civil Engineer Danilo Ngo said, “the approval of the process to make Archbishop Teofilo Camomot a saint is a manifestation of how the Lord can intercede in us, humans, and make all things possible here on earth for some people to possess virtues, which can lead to holiness.”
He also recalled Saint Padre Pio, who died on September 23, 1968, and received stigmata or the wounds of Christ. “Archbishop Camomot died on September 27, 1988. Both of them passed away almost the same date.”
Betânia (Home for the Elderly) Health Assistant Ross Belle Balatbat said she is in favor for his sainthood because “in his ordinary daily life he made the Holy Spirit possible to work amidst the post-World War II condition, and he maximized all the means available to evangelize in an extraordinary way in the ordinary lives and needs of every person he can serve.”
She also said, “his commitment” in his priestly mission “was drawn from a supernatural level,” since “he was able to plant seeds in people’s lives through his deeds.” “If he’ll be a saint, his life can be a model for making our daily ordinary life extraordinary by God’s grace,” Mrs Balatbat added.
Sacred Heart Canossian College (English Section) Librarian Mimi Fronteras told us that Camomot’s canonization would have the power to reunite the Filipinos. “The people of the Church and Duterte’s Administration are not all on the same side. Some Filipino archbishops and bishops have already criticized Duterte for the very open way he expresses himself. The country is divided into political factions. I think it will be very good for us if there is another Filipino to be canonized. In my opinion, it can somehow reunite [people],” she said.
* with J.M.O.M. and Inquirer.Net
COMING HOME – My Way to the Catholic Church through a Protestant’s Work
Petrus Wang
Here is my story of conversion: no blood, no tears, no sweats, but a miracle of God in most daily life.
I was born in Mainland China where most people are expected to be born atheists: God(s) does not exist, or rather, should not exist in the official context——worships of God(s) is equivalent to superstition. However, I was born to believe in some supernatural power even before Jesus Christ reached out to me—at that time, I prayed to Chinese gods and my ancestors
