Local

Bishop Lee to open diocesan phase of Synod on Synodality

October 15, 2021

The diocesan phase of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops – the first ever decentralized Synod – begins this Saturday in the Cathedral of the Nativity of Our Lady, with the celebration of a Solemn Mass, followed by a meeting between Bishop Stephen Lee and the local parish priests. Dedicated to the theme “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission,” the process which is just now beginning, looks to hear from voices on the margins of the Church and Pope Francis wants every Catholic to have a word.

Local

Catechesis to resume when schools reopen

October 15, 2021

Local churches resumed public religious services last weekend, but catechesis will only be an option once again when schools and universities reopen their classrooms. The suspension may force children and catechists to make an extra effort to make amends for the meetings that were cancelled. At the Cathedral parish, pre-catechesis attracted eight children. Enrolment in catechumenate classes fell short of expectations.

Local

USJ transitions faster to a digital classroom

October 15, 2021

The agility with which the University of Saint Joseph transitioned, in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, from regular classes to a digital environment, gave Macau’s Catholic University the tools and the experience to adapt skilfully, quickly and effectively to the sudden alteration of the epidemic panorama in the Special Administrative Region. This was the assessment of José Manuel Simões, Communication & Media Coordinator at the University of Saint Joseph.

Faith & Life, Local

Workshops explore John Paul II’s Theology of the Body

October 8, 2021

Starting on October 19th and until mid-April 2022, Father Andrzej Blazkiewicz wants to discuss the various meanings of human love in the Divine Plan with local Catholics. The Polish priest will promote a series of workshops – one per week – based on the book Male and Female He Created Them, a compendium of Pope John Paul II’s teachings on love and sexuality, in which the Polish pontiff discusses issues such as the human condition or human dignity.

Local

Discretion and strength in the service of God

October 8, 2021

Former secretary of Dom Arquimínio da Costa and Dom Domingos Lam, the Dominican Norma Maria da Rosa died one month ago. With a discreet presence in the ecclesiastical chamber, the Macanese nun ensured that balance was kept in the transition of the local Church to a Church with a more pronounced Chinese matrix. Father Luís Sequeira also recalls the work that Norma da Rosa developed with children at risk.

Local

Covid-19 outbreak overshadows celebrations at Fatima parish

October 1, 2021

October is a month of celebration in the parish of Our Lady of Fatima, but the aggravation of the epidemiological panorama in Macau has drawn a veil of uncertainty over the parish festivities. The celebrations should reach their peak on October 13th, with an abridged version of the procession of Our Lady of Fatima.

Local

Saint Joseph’s College No 6 to host Parish Family Day

October 1, 2021

A basketball tournament for parents and children, activities, games and other sort of initiatives conceived with families in mind. The 2021 Parish Family Day takes place on October 23rd, in Ilha Verde. The event enjoys an enhanced importance, after Pope Francis declared this year as the Year of the Family Amoris Laetitia.

Local

Caritas shelters half a thousand during state of immediate prevention

October 1, 2021

Since the Macau Government declared, last Saturday, the state of immediate prevention, Caritas Macau shelters welcomed more than half a thousand registrations. Zhuhai’s decision to impose mandatory quarantine on anyone who has been to Macau has left hundreds of non-resident workers in limbo. There are also local residents among the affected.

Local

BASILIA SAM: “It is my hope that the new premises will become a home for music”

September 24, 2021

New opportunities, but also new responsibilities. The Saint Pius X Music Academy has started the new academic year in its new premises, at Rua da Praia do Bom Parto. The change, says the institution’s director, allowed the recruitment of new teachers and opened the doors to new development perspectives, but also to greater challenges and obligations. The institution currently teaches nearly two hundred students. Mr. Basilla Sam spoke with O Clarim about the road ahead.

Local, World

Jesuit’s diplomacy put Macau and Beijing on the same page

September 24, 2021

The Society of Jesus was instrumental in bringing about the first direct links between the Portuguese colonial authorities in Macau and the imperial court, in Beijing, in the early 17th century. The assumption sets the tone for the lecture that Tereza Sena, an historian and researcher, will deliver next Tuesday at the University of Saint Joseph.