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Mission Education and Promotion

  Western Region

Northern California Upcoming Events

 May 2010
In This Issue
Next Movie Night: The Girl at the Cafe
Mission Forum: Interfaith Dialogue
Intro to JustFaith Workshop
Contact Info 

Western Regional Center

 

Address
16642 Ashland Ave.
San Lorenzo, CA
94580
 
Email
 
Phone
510.276.5021
888.444.8957
 
General Hours
Monday - Friday
9 am to 4 pm
 
Website
 
 
 

Dialogue of Life
Featured ORBIS Book

Dialogue of Life is the inspiring testament of Bob McCahill, a priest and missioner who for twenty years has pursued an unusual witness among the Muslim poor of Bangladesh. Rather than traditional pastoral work, McCahill simply tries to live as a friend and brother to his Muslim neighbors, offering a positive witness to the gospel ideals of service and love.

Available at the Maryknoll Mission Center or online. 
Greetings!

Greetings from Maryknoll!
 

We are in the liminal space between Ascension and Pentecost.   For the first followers they retreated to the upper room to wait for the Holy Spirit.   For us who are baptized, we have already received the gifts of the Spirit.  However, many of us find ourselves still stuck in the upper room, overwhelmed, afraid or unsure of what to do with the those gifts.   

 

St. TeresaSt. Teresa of Lisieux recommended starting with the small things:

 "Love proves itself by deeds, so how am I to show my love? Great deeds are forbidden me. The only way I can prove my love is by scattering flowers and these flowers are every little sacrifice, every glance and word, and the doing of the least actions for love."

It's no wonder that she is co-patroness for mission and a great model for all of us.  Let Pentecost continue today with each of us in little ways as we do our part to bring God's love to the world.

 

We hope you can join us for our upcoming events listed below.   Fr. Tom Bonacci will be with us at the Mission Forum next Tuesday for a presentation on Interfaith Dialogue.   Pope John Paul II identified interreligious dialogue as one of the crucial paths of mission today.   And on Monday, June 7th, we will be showing the thought provoking film, The Girl in the Café.  

 

In case you haven't heard, Maryknoll and JustFaith have entered into a new partnership in mission.  This formal affiliation builds on the existing relationship.  JustFaith programs already incorporate spirituality and social analysis content published by our Orbis Books, as well as insights from our Office for Global Concerns.  We hope that this arrangement will provide even better opportunities for us to colloborate with JustFaith groups and graduates in the area.  In light of that, see below regarding an upcoming special introductory JustFaith workshop on Thursday, June 3, 2010.

 

We wish you a blessed Pentecost.   May the Spirit stir deeply within you.

 

Peace,

Deacon Matt

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Movies that Matter:  Bella The Girl in the Cafe
 
GirlinCafeMonday June 7, 2010 
6:30 pm
 
 
Join us for our monthly educational movie night, co-sponsored by Maryknoll and the Adult Faith Formation Program at St. John the Baptist Parish. The first Monday of each month will offer a new movie that inspires or takes us deeper in our faith and understanding of our connections with others. Refreshments will be provided and the movie will be followed by a discussion.
 
THE GIRL IN THE CAFE is a thought-provoking drama from British director David Yates (THE WAY WE LIVE NOW). Yates slices his narrative into two parts; the first involves a lengthy courtship between primary characters Lawrence (Bill Nighy) and Gina (Kelly MacDonald). Meeting by chance in a cafe, the two share a common bond, although Lawrence's natural reticence makes it hard for Gina to read him. The second half of the film sees the couple travelling to Reykjavik in Iceland, where high-ranking politician Lawrence is due to work at the G8 summit. But Gina has a few surprises in store for both Lawrence and the gathering of politicians, leading to an eye-opening second half of the movie. Beautifully shot, THE GIRL IN THE CAFE is a politically-charged romance movie with remarkable performances from Nighy and MacDonald. NOTE:  This movie is rated TV 14 and may not be suitable for young children.
Mission Forum:  Interfaith Dialogue with Fr. Tom Bonacci
 
Fr. Tom BonacciTuesday, May 25, 2010
7:30 pm
 
You are invited to join Fr. Tom Bonacci, C.P. for a dialogue on Interfaith Connections.
 
The United States is one of the most religiously diverse nations on earth. This diversity offers a fertile opportunity for dialogue, understanding, cooperation, and peace. This evening's program will focus on developing and enhancing our appreciation of faith traditions around the world. Come and hear about Fr. Tom's Interfaith Peace Project and the interfaith work that is underway.
 
Come and find out how you can become part of the conversation. 
 
Sowing Seeds of Justice:  A Practical Introduction to JustFaith by Sharon Bidwell
 
Thursday, June 3, 2010
7:00 -9:00 pm  
Mullens Commons 
St. John Vianney Catholic Church
1650 Ygnacio Valley Road, Walnut Creek, CA 94598
www.sjvianney.org church   
 Hear the compelling stories of how the JustFaith small-group program of personal transformation has revitalized churches across the country:
● Discover how to connect your faith to what's happening in the world today and to express your faith in concrete acts of discipleship
● Learn practical steps for introducing JustFaith in your church or faith community-including plans for launching a JustFaith group this fall
● Find out about Engaging Spirituality, Justice Walking, and other programs offered by JustFaith
 
JustFaith is sponsored by Bread for the World, Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Charities, PAX Christi USA and Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers.  It is an in-depth program of spiritual formation used in thousands of churches across the country-with more than 20,000 graduates.   
 
For more information, visit www.justfaith.org
The event is free and open to the public, but RSVP-to help with room set-up.
 
Contact Meg Bowerman at lmjtbow@pacbell.net