Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. Just as the Father has sent me, so I am sending you." John 20:21 |
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It would be stating the obvious that fundamental to the Easter event is Christ's message of Justice and peace to all. The word 'peace' appears throughout the Easter liturgies and remains but a word unless we are prepared as Christians and indeed people of all faiths to put peace into action.
This is a special issue-centered Across Borders focusing on Peace in our lives and in our world. We hope you will take part in the discussion.
Easter Blessings! Fr. Carl Chudy sx Fr. John Convery sx
Xaverian Missionaries USA Xaverian Missionaries UK |
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Pope's Message to Youth:
"Be Messengers of Peace!"
"This place where we stand today has a name which expresses the yearning present in the heart of each and every person: "la paz", Peace. This is a gift which comes from on high. "Peace be with you" (Jn 20:21). These are the words of the Risen Lord. We hear them during each Mass, and today they resound anew in this place, with the hope that each one of you will be transformed, becoming a sower and messenger of that peace for which Christ offered his life," the Holy Father told the young people of Mexico during his vist last month. Read More. |
Easter Witness for Peace
 Scotland is home to one of the most dangerous weapons of mass destruction. Barely an hour's drive from the Conforti Institute is the Faslane Trident Nuclear submarine base which is supposed to make us feel safe. If nothing else it is a symbol of humanity's failure to achieve true justice and peace.
With this in mind Scottish Clergy Against Nuclear Arms(SCANA)organized an Easter Witness for Peace at the gates of the Faslane nuclear-weapon base at 12 noon on Saturday 31 March 2012. Participants included Very Rev Alan McDonald (on behalf of the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland), Rt. Rev Joseph Toal (Bishop of Argyll and the Isles, Roman Catholic Church), Bruce Kent (Vice President of CND), Kathy Galloway (Head of Christian Aid Scotland), Rev Peter Macdonald (leader of the Iona Community) and Rev David Mumford (Dean of Brechin, Scottish Episcopal Church). Music was led by members of the Wild Goose Resource Group. This followed the successful event that was held in 2011.
For more information about acting and campaigning for peace in our countries and our world, check out Justice and Peace Scotland. The National Commission for Justice and Peacecombines its function as the Bishops' advisory body on issues of social justice, international peace and human rights with the responsibility for networking existing and newly formed local parish groups. |
 Fr. Mario Veronesi
Bangladesh President Zillur Rahman conferred the 'Liberation War Honor' to Four Catholic priests for their contributions to peace during the conflict against Pakistan in 1971. Holy Cross Fathers Richard Timm and Eugene Homrich attended the event while representatives of martyred priests, Xaverian Father Mario Veronesi, and Holy Cross Father William P Evans received awards in their memory.
After the Pakistani military started their crackdown on Bangladesh many people of all faiths began to take refuge in church compounds. In Jessore town, people took shelter in the church compound where Xaverian Missionary Father Mario Veronesi was the parish priest.
On Palm Sunday, April 4, 1971, soldiers with their rifles and sub-machine guns entered the compound and were proceeding towards the building, Father Veronesi came out to meet them with his raised hands. He had a large red cross badge on his chest because the Fatima Hospital was adjacent to the church. The soldiers immediately started to fire at him and the building. The bullets hit his chest and he died there. Find out more. |
Peace at Conforti
 In keeping with its founding vision, the Conforti Institute seeks to include the dimension of peace and non-violence in its outreach and programmes. The education team is trained in the use of the 'From Violence to Wholeness' programme, originally developed in the USA by Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service, an initiative of the Franciscan Friars of California founded in 1989. It now has outposts in several states and also in Canada and Australia. The programme explores how
- Nonviolence is an act of faith in the God of Love and Justice.
- Human beings are called to love and be loved.
- Reality is connection: we are called to transform all that divides human beings from themselves, from one another, and from the Earth.
- Active nonviolence is an effective way to break the spiral of retaliatory violence and to create options for a more humane world.
The Conforti Institute also has a resources library with useful visual and interactive resources to introduce conflict resolution and non-violent action to youth groups and the classroom. Contact the Education Team for more information. |
Take the Survey:
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Child soldiers in Sierra Leone |
The Brian Lehrer Show is launching a series called "End of War." We're polling humanity: Is war inevitable? Will humans ever stop fighting wars, once and for all? Add your voice here. |
Forward Thinking
The late Archbishop Helder Camara (1909-1999) of Recife, Brazil, is quoted as saying
"Happy are those who understand the words 'If you disagree with me, you have something to give me.'"
He recognised that viewing situations from different perspectives, with love and respect, can enrich us. The spirit of his words are given shape and substance by the work of organisations like Forward Thinking, a UK-based organisation dedicated to encouraging greater links between Muslim communities and wider society through its project work in the UK and the Middle East. Through its My Neighbours Project, Forward Thinking aims to bring communities together across the country via neighbourhood tea gatherings, dinners, interfaith walks, estate 'clean-ups', soup kitchens and mosque open days. The project seeks to encourage Muslims to develop better relations with their neighbours in order to break down barriers and build stronger and more united communities around the UK.
Speaking at the launch of My Neighbours, Director, Oliver McTernan challenged the scepticism which often regarded faith based social and neighbourhood activity and church work for justice and charity as a form of 'proselytizing' rather than people acting out of the deep conviction that this was simply what their faith required of them. The best way to counter such scepticism and Islamophobia he believed "was to reach out in this way. It was through such human contact that people would discover, understand and learn to respect the richness to be found in our human diversity."
How can we reach out to others in a spirit of common humanity to overcome suspicion and mistrust, often based on historical misunderstandings and conflict? |
Voices for Peace 
Voices for Peace in the Holy Land Parish Guide was developed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Catholic Relief Services, to assist Catholic leaders in dioceses, parishes and schools to educate their communities about the present situation in the Holy Land, lead them to pray for peace in the region, and inspire them to advocate for a just solution to the conflict. Filled with learning activities for youth, adults and intergenerational groups, the guide also comes equipped with complete instructions for facilitators. Download the pdf here. Read more about Catholic Relief services commitment to peace here. |
Update
 In previous newsletters, we invited people to take part in this unique prayer event which took place on 19th March. To find out how successful it was take a look at the video on YouTube.
100 Hearts last year, 1,000 Hearts this year, perhaps in 2013...?? |
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With the atrocities in Toulouse, France and Kandahar, Afghanistan still gaping wounds, it is good to know there are many, many devout people of all faiths dedicated to bringing about a better world, individually and collectively. The UK based COEXIST Foundation is a case in point. Committed to promoting "understanding of Jews, Christians and Muslims through education, dialogue and research," COEXIST actively seeks to "bring into the spotlight" outstanding people of faith who, drawing on the wisdom of their own religious tradition "break new ground" in interfaith cooperation for "a pluralistic and sustainable society." Read more. Go to their website. |
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The Hunger Games 
[T]his movie is not supposed to be about glorifying killing. The two main characters, Katniss and Peeta, are horrified that they have to participate in the Hunger Games and fight to the death, much like Roman gladiators. Though the governing body, the "Capitol," finds it enjoyable, the majority (except for three districts) of the population is appalled by these games year after year. But I found some very inspiring themes in this story. Read more. |
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Founder of the
Xaverian Missionaries
Saint Guido Maria Conforti
Our "missionary to the world" became a saint on World Mission Sunday, October 23, 2011.
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Saint Guido Conforti: The Bishop Who Loved the Whole World |
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Church Teaching on World Mission
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Across Borders
Passion for Christ
Passion for Humanity
is a collaborative media project of the Xaverian Missionaries of the USA and the United Kingdom.
XAVERIAN MISSIONARIES 12 Helene Court Wayne, New Jersey 07470 |
XMN
The Febraury 2012 edition of the Xaverian Mission Newsletter is available online. "Just as on the road to Emmaus, Christ's disciples met him in the guise of a stranger, Christ makes himself present to each of us in the lonesome traveler, the newcomer, and the migrant,". Read it here. |
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Join us In the Global Mission of the Church!
Thank you for sharing in our mission. |
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