REMEMBERING THE 1980 ITALIAN EARTHQUAKE:

Materdomini, in southern Italy, was the birthplace of St. Gerard Majella our patron.

The Redemptorists have a basilica there dedicated to St. Gerard and his shrine is a popular place for pilgrimage.

30 years ago in November, Materdomini was struck by an earthquake.

Ninety interminable seconds.

It was Sunday, November 23, 1980.

At 19:34 a quake of magnitude 6.9 on the Richter scale devastated southern central Italy.

An earthquake of biblical proportions: 2,914 victims, 9,000 injured, 280,000 displaced persons.

The photos tell the story of the destruction of the old Basilica of St. Gerard at Materdomini.

Two days after the disaster, Pope John Paul II came to, Balvano (Potenza).

In this small area, the collapse of the church led to the deaths of 66 people, mostly children.

Time cannot erase the hurt of those who lost their children and loved ones.

But as Benedict XVI said to the survivors of the L'Aquila quake in 2009,

"we must commit to live again, tapping into what the earthquake cannot destroy: Love."

The church, monastery and St. Gerard’s shrine have been completely restored .

Christmas Greeting from...

Our men at the Abbey, Birmingham, Frs Dickenson and Maguire C.Ss.R.,

send their best wishes and prayers to all!

In this photo they are joined by the Archbishop of Birmingham, Most Rev Bernard Longley.

Our novice brothers send their festive wishes from further afield, Canada!

4th Sunday of Advent

Alleluia, alleluia!

The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son

                     and they will call him Emmanuel,

a name which means

"God - is - with - us".

Alleluia!

ADVANCEMENT IN THE SEELOS

CANONIZATION CAUSE

New Orleans: The official Diocesan Inquiry into an alleged extraordinary healing through the intercession of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos C.Ss.R., has been finalized.  Most Reverend Edwin F. O’Brien, Archbishop of Baltimore, had convoked the Diocesan Inquiry Phase in May, 2009, and his Inquiry Panel members exercised the greatest diligence in gathering the necessary proofs and extensive documentation.

The fact-finding Inquiry Panel investigated the case and heard the testimony of Mary Ellen Heibel, her primary physician and nurse, and other key witnesses, concerning Heibel’s cure of metastasized esophageal cancer.  Heibel, a devout Catholic and parishioner of Saint Mary’s Church in Annapolis, Maryland, had  been cancer-free since January 2005, even though the disease had spread to her liver, lungs, back and sternum, and medical treatment had failed.  The cancer disappeared one week after she helped begin a weekly Seelos novena in her parish.

On October 11, 2010, the Redemptorist Postulator General, Reverend Antonio Marrazzo, submitted the results of this investigation to the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints at the Vatican.  With the Diocesan Phase of the canonization process now complete, Marrazzo’s formal petition for the Decree of Unsealing the Acts effectively begins the Roman Phase.

At some point in the near future, the case will undergo proper scrutiny by Vatican authorities who will determine if the cure meets the criteria for the one miracle needed in Seelos’ canonization.

Redemptorist Father Francis Xavier Seelos (1819-1867) was beatified at Saint Peter’s Square in Rome in the solemn Jubilee Year 2000.   He was a man of joy and deep prayer, whose kindness and zeal attracted many people to the sacraments.  Known to many as a powerful intercessor, his sacred remains are located at the National Shrine of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos in New Orleans, Louisiana.  

You are kindly urged to pray for his canonization.

New wave of harassments against Redemptorists in Vietnam

December 15, 2010 at 12:59am

 

Local authority summoned the Redemptorist Provincial Superior of Vietnam after repeat raids on the monastery’'s church.

The preparation for Christmas at the Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Saigon has been interrupted with repeat raids of local officials who have been insisting that Redemptorists who are in charge of the church must remove from their bulletin board allegedly anti-regime articles, and stop delivering homilies calling for justice.

In a letter dated Dec. 13 sent to all Redemptorists, Fr. Joseph Dinh Huu Thoai, Chief of the Secretariat of the Redemptorist Province of Vietnam, reported that on two successive days of Dec. 8 and 9, local officials had raided the church, the second largest one in Saigon. The next day, local government of the third district of Ho Chi Minh city summoned Fr. Vincent Pham Trung Thanh, the provincial superior.

At the meeting, representatives of state administration for religious affairs and local officials took turn to spell out "unjust accusations against Saigon's Redemptorists of being 'instigators of disorder''," wrote Fr. Joseph Dinh.

They charged that the provincial superior himself was liable for "homilies of Redemptorists and articles posted on bulletin board relating to land disputes at Hanoi nunciature, Thai Ha; waves of persecution at Tam Toa, Con Dau, Dong Chiem... and the government plan to mine bauxite deposits in Vietnam's Central Highlands". From the government's point of view, they are "non-religious issues" that priests are not allowed to mention without being charged with conducting anti-government activities.

Fr.Vincent Pham rejected all accusations saying that his orders have worked for the good of the people, praying and living in service to the Gospel, and calling for the reconciliation among sections in the society, and the respect of justice and truth.

In response to his refutation, the chairwoman of the district promised "more raids" on the church in next days.

The Redemptorist Province in Vietnam is the largest in Asia. Over the past twenty years, the Province has grown: in 1983, there were 179 professed brothers, while today there are 278, including 168 priests who live in about 20 houses scattered throughout the country, in North, Central, and South Vietnam. There are also 222 postulants. The growth of vocations represents a great hope for the entire Church in Vietnam.

There has been a general crackdown on dissent in Vietnam ahead of the ruling Communist Party congress early next year. Prominent lawyers, journalists and activists have been arrested and jailed in recent months, while others remain under government surveillance. In that context, the wave of harassments against Redemptorists in Vietnam may be a harbinger for imminent crackdowns

As we celebrate in peace...

let us remember our brothers and sisters...

...IRAQI CHRISTIANS HEADING TO CHURCH BEHIND WALLS...

As Christians around the world prepare to celebrate Christmas, the faithful in Iraq hope to be able to attend Christmas Mass in safety.

An Iraqi Redemptorist, recently appointed Archbishop of Erbil, talks about the government's plan to build concrete walls around churches in Baghdad and Mosul to protect churchgoers:

The sadness of the people is everywhere. Uncertainty is everywhere. The question on everyone’s lips is ‘What’s next?’” Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil told the charity Aid to the Church in Need.

Dublin Prioress visits the Sisters in the new home...

The Prioress of the Dublin Monastery of our sisters made a special visit on our sisters in their new home in another part of Liverpool...

Here is a picture of the house which is home to two of the sisters...

The sisters have been at their new place a few months now, and they are loving it...

Here they are - Sr. Gabrielle (Dublin), Sr. M Bernadette, Sr. M Patrick and Sr. Anne Joseph...

There is one sisters missing from this picture and that is Sr. M Clement O.Ss.R.

Sr Gabrielle getting a warm welcome from Sr Anne Joseph O.Ss.R.

Check out the Dublin Redemptoristines Web-site.

Welcome Home Bishop Ralph...

When Bishop Ralph was appointed bishop, his community was in the Bishop Eton Monastery, Liverpool.

Recently he went back for the first time as a bishop.

The confreres and the people of the parish were delighted to welcome him home.

A special mass was celebrated followed by a meal in the parish hall.

Below there is a selection of photos from the mass...

GAUDETE SUNDAY OF ADVENT

Rejoice Sunday of Advent...

St. Patrick's in Edinburgh had a proper celebration of Gaudete Sunday...

Kinnoull Monastery says "Goodbye to Sr Eileen…"

Since April Sr Eileen Cummins OLA (Our Lady of Apostles) has been in the community in Kinnoull, being a person of welcome and hospitality to the people who come in our doors.

She has been an invaluable member of our community, and so it was with great sadness that the community said goodbye as she returns to her own province to take up pressing needs there.

Prior to coming to Kinnoull Sr Eileen held the office of Superior General of the Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles in Rome.

The Kinnoull community gives thanks to God for the wonderful gift that Sr. Eileen has been these past nine months!

Some of the community and Sr Eileen

- we wish you God Speed!