My IMU Blog

Despite a very cold winter, Global Warming is continuing

Fr. Seán McDonagh, SSC

The winter of 2009 and early spring of 2010 were unusually cold in the Northern Hemisphere. Many people of my generation claim that was the coldest winter for over 50 years.  In many areas of Britain and Ireland the snow remained on the ground for more than ten days at a time, a throw back to what life was like when I was growing up in the 1950s.  In the 1950s and early 1960s, the winters were cold. I, and many of my contemporaries, suffered from chilblains on our hands and feet because of exposure to cold and damp weather. During the prolonged cold spell, some of my friends have begun to joke about climate change and global warming. According to them the winter and early spring of 2009/2010 pointed in the direction of the Earth moving more towards an ice-age rather than forward into an unprecedented warm spell.

Chile - Pope's solidarity with Chile, 3 days of mourning nationwide as tremors continue
Conception (Agenzia Fides) - Chile has announced a time of national mourning starting tomorrow, March 7, for three days, in honor of the victims of the devastating earthquake of February 27. Pope Benedict XVI sent a message to Bishop Alejandro Goic Karmelic, Bishop of Rancagua and President of the Bishops' Conference of Chile, in which he expressed his sorrow for what happened, asking God to "comfort" for those who fell victim to this tragic event, eternal rest for the dead, and to inspire in all "Christian hope and feelings of fraternal solidarity to overcome this adversity." Invoking the protection of "Nuestra Señora del Carmen," the Pope imparts his blessing as "a sign of affection to the beloved people of Chile."
Two days ago, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon began his visit to the country hit by the earthquake, to assess the damage and the assistance needed. The executive committee of the incumbent President Michelle Bachelet has announced that the number of dead appears to be 316 and not 802, as had been reported. This occurred because about 500 people were considered dead at the time, but are still missing. A total of 316 dead have been found, according to reports from the Secretary of the Interior, Patricio Rosende who submitted names and surnames of all 279 identified victims from a certain area, stating that the search would be extended "to the bodies at sea" and therefore, the figure is "likely to increase."
The Catholic Church in Chile, through the Chairman and Secretary General of the Bishops' Conference, issued a message asking to keep up morale, restore confidence, and work together to rebuild after the disaster. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 06/03/2010)

Links:
Message from Holy Father
http://www.fides.org/spa/documents/Mensaje_del_Santo_Padre_Chile.doc
Message from Bishops of Chile
http://www.fides.org/spa/documents/mensaje_obispos_chile_04032010.doc

 

Fr. Derry Healy SSC (First printed on Columban website )

Dear Friends,

It is five days since the earthquake and tsunami that has claimed the lives of more than 800 people with hundreds still not accounted for and more than 2,000 homeless. Some 700 churches and chapels have been destroyed in the five dioceses that make up the most affected regions. While we as Columbans do not have any parish commitments in the most affected areas, we do however have many contacts and frequent pastoral involvement. I personally have been going to Concepcion one a month for meetings. Some of our lay missionaries, Pilar Vasquez, our priests, Alvaro Martinez, our seminarians, Rafael Ramirez, members of JUCOMI (Chilean Columban Youth) Alejandro, all have family in the most affected regions. All of us have been affected by this natural disaster and each one has his or her story to tell. For many days to come, people will ask, where were you for the earthquake? It is still the basic topic of conversation as if nothing else matters. One young university student said this evening, "once I discovered that my family was safe and our house was still standing, I just knelt down and thanked God and then headed off to help those who were still on their knees under the weight of the cross that they were made bear".

With several days without communication between the most affected regions, particularly the region of Maule (where the best of Chilean wine comes from), the battery radio and the flash lamp have proven to be indispensible companions. I had only to remember my father, as these were two of his most treasured items. Among the items that people are asking for in the affected regions are small batteries to keep the transistor going. Local radio has proved a Godsend gift where technology is used at its best to locate survivors, communicate information and build a sense of community.

Uganda - Ugandan Bishops' Conference launches appeal to help rebuild north
Rome (Agenzia Fides) - "The Church in Uganda is growing, as evidenced by the many priestly and religious vocations" Fides was told by Archbishop Matthias Ssekamanya of Lugazi, President of the Uganda Bishops' Conference, in Rome for their ad Limina Apostolorum visit.
"While we place great hopes on the growth of the Church in our country, we cannot hide the fact that we are facing some major challenges," said Archbishop Ssekamanya. "First, not all the faithful have completely assimilated the Gospel. This is because the traditional cultures are still very strong. Some of these are incompatible with the Gospel, such as polygamy and certain ancestral religious beliefs."
"Other challenges include the sects, which have significant financial resources and have a strong appeal to young people and people living in modest conditions. We do not know where all this money comes from, but we know that these sects have large quantities available to them. We also know that most of the sects present in Uganda come from North America and Europe."
With regard to ecumenical and interfaith relations, the President of the Bishops' Conference of Uganda states that "in Uganda, we have an interreligious Commission in which we join other religions in addressing some common problems. There is also a World Council, which includes the Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican churches. Among the issues address are: education, intermarrying, and social problems, especially peace in justice. In this regard, we are preparing a common pastoral letter on the next elections (to be held in 2011).
We asked Archbishop Ssekamanya about the situation in northern Uganda, for over 20 years devastated by the war led by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) against the civilian population. "The situation is in the process of continuous improvement, as there is no more fighting," says Archbishop Ssekamanya. The LRA (which Archbishop Ssekamanya calls a "very mysterious group"), in recent years, has shifted its activities to outside Uganda, particularly in southern Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Central Africa.
"The biggest problem is the fact that we have millions of people who have been living 20 years in refugee camps. We need assistance to rebuild homes and to allow people to resume farming. These people are very poor and in need of everything. I would stress the urgent need to rebuild the schools, because education is the key to any type of development."
"The Catholic Church will continue to do its part to bring about a complete reconciliation in the area," concluded the President of the Bishops' Conference. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 2/3/2010)

 

HELP FOR IRAQI CHRISTIANS AND CHILEAN EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS

 

VATICAN CITY, 28 FEB 2010 (VIS) - In remarks following today's Angelus prayer, the Pope mentioned the recent killing of a number of Christians in Iraq, and the people affected by an earthquake in Chile.

THANK GOD FOR THE STRANGER - Reflection for March 2010
All over the world, wherever the Irish are found, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated. But not everyone who celebrates knows what it's all really about. The legends can hide the reality. In fact St. Patrick is a great model for us all today. He was forced to come to Ireland, being abducted at the age of sixteen, to become a slave, minding pigs on a cold Antrim mountainside. But during those six years of hardship he discovered how God was looking after him, and developed a life of intense prayer. Then he escaped, and returned to the comfort and security of his family. But the suffering, loneliness and exile which he experienced changed his life and prepared him for an undreamed-of future later on. He describes how this came about in his famous "Confession"
... there, in a vision of the night, I saw a man whose name was Victorious coming as if from Ireland with innumerable letters, and he gave me one of them, and I read the beginning of the letter: ‘The Voice of the Irish'; and as I was reading the beginning of the letter I seemed at that moment to hear the voice of those who were beside the forest of Foclut which is near the western sea, and they were crying as if with one voice: ‘We beg you, holy youth, that you shall come and shall walk again among us.' And I was stung intensely in my heart so that I could read no more, and thus I awoke. Thanks be to God, because after so many years the Lord bestowed on them according to their cry. Confession. Par. 23.

As we look around at all those who have come to our shores, is there a hidden St. Patrick there? Someone from a far-off land whose suffering and hardship has given them a wisdom and experience, a special gift or grace to offer us, in this time of recession, anxiety and hardship for many Ireland ? Thank God for the stranger, Patrick, who was generous enough to return to a land where he had initially been so mistreated!

Cois tine (www.coistine.ie )

Invites you to its 5th Annual Conference:

 

Learning for Change:

China tells colleges to cut ties with Oxfam

Education ministry accuses British charity's Hong Kong branch of having hidden political agenda
   (30)Tweet this (71)Tania Branigan in Beijing guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 23 February 2010 14.54 GMT Article history
Howard Liu, director of Oxfam Hong Kong's China unit, said the personal politics of board members or employees had no influence on its work. Photograph: Kin Cheung/AP

China's education ministry has ordered colleges to cut ties with Oxfam and prevent it from recruiting on campuses, accusing its Hong Kong branch of a hidden political agenda.

Two-part documentary charts the epic story of the origins, impact and legacy of the Irish Missionary Movement

RTÉ One, Tuesday 2nd March, 10.15pm
RTÉ One, Tuesday 9th March, 10.15pm

Exploring the origins, impact and legacy of the Irish Missionary Movement, On God's Mission is the epic story of the thousands of Irish men and women who joined the ranks of missionary orders driven by a potent mix of religious fervour and nationalist idealism.

We are all well and alive, just the shock of the whole experience. All the Columban group are safe and haven´t suffered major damages. Most of the contents of the houses were turned over with the shake. I was not long in bed and was woken up to what I thought was someone trying to break it as the woodwork creaked and the front door vibrated. Soon I felt the whole house shaking and I just and ran for it and up on to the street. Our house is wooden and on stilts on the edge of a ravine. I felt like it was never going to end. Many of us spent the rest of the night on the street with the people. Here in Valparaiso, we gathered the people around, clear of building and electricity wires and got a fire going and made a 40 litre pot of tea. Luckily we has a supply of cups in the Ecological Centre.

I managed to contact all the Columbans (lay missionaries, Associates, Sisters and priests) by yesterday afternoon. Mobile phones were the first to get back the signal. The Centre House in Santiago has suffered minor damages. Also some of our chinches presnet some cracks, but nothing major. Communications, water and electricity are being gradually restored. Since the last major earthquake on March 3rd 1985, strict anti-sismic building regulations have been put in place in Chile and this has prevented a major disaster. This earthquake was much stonger than any experienced in rcent years.

Yesterday, Saturday, was like a "Holy Saturday" just contemplating suffering and vulnerability and in a limbo situation. Today Sunday the gospel of the the tranfiguration gives us new hope and wonder and while the little Christian community would like o stay on Mount Tabor, they are now chllenged to become envolved in the wider community and keep hope alive amid so much disaster. Today there has been here movement and people are trying to get to normal. There are still some tremors as I write this. People around here are still on the street and won´t go back into their apartments yet.

Derry.