Saint Ambrose's Description of Mary

"Her movement was not indolent, her walk was not too quick, her voice not affected or sharp; the composure of her person showed the beauty and harmony of her interior.  It was a wonderful spectacle to see with what promptness and diligence she performed her domestic duties, to which she applied herself with great solicitude, but always with tranquility and great peace.  Her forehead was serene, and a modesty more celestial than terrestrial pervaded her every movement.  Her words were few and ever dignified, prudent, and joyful.  In Mary, all and everything was well regulated."

ACN-USA News - In Nigeria, a conversion to Catholicism was dream come true

A life-long attraction to the Catholic faith finally brought a young Nigerian woman to leave her Protestant faith for the Church of Rome. Her journey of faith was not an easy one:

“I’ve wanted to be a Catholic since I was a child, and I am glad that I have finally realized that intention.

“My name is Jennifer Ondoma. I am Igbo by tribe, from Delta State in Nigeria; I am 30-years-old and the proud mother of one. I was born into a dedicated Pentecostal family, but my admiration for the Catholic faith knows no bounds.

“It all started at the age of ten: my neighbors were Catholics, and they would always intimidate me by saying the rosary in the neighborhood church along with other Catholic families, every blessed day. Whenever they were set to go, I secretly admired them, and I wished that one day I would have the opportunity to go with them.

“When the opportunity finally came, I immediately and heartily grabbed it. That fateful day, I snuck out of the house and followed them to the church. Nothing mattered more to me than knowing how to say the rosary.

“Afterwards, while approaching my house, my heart skipped. I was breathing faster than usual. When I stepped into the compound, I found my parents waiting for me. I received a beating and a concrete warning to stay away from the Catholic Church. But the warning fell on deaf ears. That incident only strengthened my faith. My parents did all that they could to stop me, but my mind was already made up.

“That year same year, I was sent to Lagos to stay with my uncle, who was more like a father to me. On my first Sunday in his house, I was amazed to learn that he was a Catholic. I couldn’t hold in my happiness. I was so excited that when he asked me if I’d been baptized, I was completely lost in thought.

“But instantly, I returned to reality and responded, ‘No, sir.’

“I was quickly enrolled in catechism classes, and after that, I was baptized and received my first Holy Communion. Two years later, I was confirmed. It felt amazing.

“I love everything about the Catholic Church: the mode of worship, the Mass, the Legion of Mary, the Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, the Blessed Sacrament. All of these contributed positively to my growth as a devout Catholic and a good Christian. 

“I never had doubts about my faith. I don’t see anything wrong with the Catholic way of worship, and I don’t see anything wrong with honoring Mary through the rosary. I have no regrets about becoming a Catholic, and I consider myself blessed to be a part of the Catholic family.

“Many people have tried to bring me back into the Pentecostal church; they say that one cannot spiritually grow in the Catholic Church, but that is a fallacy.

“My first experience after conversion was not a pleasant one, however. I was not welcomed by my parents, and I lost a lot of friends. Some relatives decided to break all ties with me. There were pressure everywhere. When I entered the family compound with a rosary around my neck, my parents forcibly removed it.

“But I found courage. It was indeed a rough journey, but I was steadfast and emerged victorious.

“I once had a suitor who was a pastor in one of the Pentecostal Churches. I was astonished when he placed a condition on our relationship: he said, ‘Before we can get married, you must be converted to my faith.’ I didn’t know what to do. My faith was at odds with my happiness. But when he said that Catholics were idol worshippers, my decision was made. I ended the relationship. And I am now happily married to a devout Catholic.

“Without fear, I can categorically say that I am not threatened by the Islamic faith, even with all that my country has seen. I encourage Catholics everywhere to remain steadfast: I have been lonely, and I have experienced many ups and downs. But I keep the faith, and everything I feel, I share with God in my prayers. It pays to be righteous.”

—Patience Ibile

With picture of Jennifer Ondoma and her baby girl (© ACN)

Editor’s Notes:

Directly under the Holy Father, Aid to the Church in Need supports the faithful wherever they are persecuted, oppressed or in pastoral need.  ACN is a Catholic charity - helping to bring Christ to the world through prayer, information and action.

Founded in 1947 by Father Werenfried van Straaten, whom Pope John Paul II named “An Outstanding Apostle of Charity,” the organization is now at work in over 145 countries throughout the world.

The charity undertakes thousands of projects every year including providing transport for clergy and lay Church workers, construction of church buildings, funding for priests and nuns and help to train seminarians. Since the initiative’s launch in 1979, 43 million Aid to the Church in Need Child’s Bibles have been distributed worldwide.

For more information contact Michael Varenne at michael@churchinneed.org or call 718-609-0939 or fax 718-609-0938. Aid to the Church in Need, 725 Leonard Street, PO Box 220384, Brooklyn, NY 11222-0384.  www.churchinneed.org

Book Reviews -Loyola books for Children

The following is a book review by a guest reviewer.  Rosa Sautner is a Catholic homeschooling mom of twin girls on the East Coast. She also happens to be my dear sister.

by Amy Welborn, illustrated by Marina Seoane

Published 2018, Loyola Press, 177 pages

The Catholic Church is filled with signs and symbols which point to deeper, more profound mysteries.  In  this beautifully illustrated book, author Amy Welborn, explains and expounds upon  the many signs and symbols  we find in our Church, its Saints,  the Liturgical Seasons, the Sacraments and the Bible.  With lovely, full-colored illustrations and simply written explanations for each sign and symbol, this book will appeal to children and adults alike.  It is not only a lovely reference book but an engaging picture book as well. This book will inspire all who read it to see beyond the signs into the mystery that is God's plan of love for each of us.

Shhh...God Is in the Silence

by Fiona Basile, illustrated by Alice Mount

Published 2016, Loyola Press, 23 pages

With all the noise of our modern world, can we hear when God speaks to us?  Author Fiona Basile found during her silent retreat that one can only hear God when we silence ourselves to hear his gentle voice.  With repetition and sweet illustrations this book will gently explain to young children that we must quiet ourselves and listen to God speak to our hearts.  This lovely picture book brings home the message of God's great love for each of us found deep within the silence of our hearts. 

ACN News -Pakistan Christian girl is thrown off roof for refusing to embrace Islam

BINISH PAUL is 18-years-old and a Christian. She attends public school in Pakistan. On Aug. 22, 2018, a young Muslim man, Taheer Abbas threw her from a second-story roof: he was angry that Binish had refused to marry him and convert to Islam.

The brutal act was another example of violence being used to force conversion, charged Binish Paul’s lawyer, Tabassum Yousaf.

Ms. Yousaf reported: “For months, Taheer had been putting pressure on Binish to convert to Islam. Over and over again, she refused. This culminated in the violent act, during which the young woman sustained severe fractures to her legs and spine.”

As is often the case in such incidents, this places the family of the young Christian woman in a difficult position. The parents turned to the local police, but the officers declined to file charges.

Moreover, the director of the hospital refused to issue the medical report necessary to document the injuries.

“They also received serious threats from the family of the perpetrator. If the case were not closed, then they would all be accused of blasphemy,” said Ms. Yousaf, who is Catholic.

The lawyer filed the charges directly with the court, the hospital was forced to provide a medical report. This made it possible to arrest Taheer Abbas two days after the crime.

Ms. Yousaf said: “When similar attacks happen in our Church community, the main problem is that the Christians in Pakistan often belong to the poorest social groups and are not aware of their rights. For example, hardly anyone knows that you can file charges with the courts.”

“The refusal of the police to open a case, together with threats from the relatives and friends of the perpetrators, ensure that many families do not even report the crimes they have suffered.”

As a result, there are many incidents of young Christian women being forced to convert that never become public knowledge.

“When I was studying law, I was also pressured by a young Muslim, a friend of mine. Fortunately, my family and my brothers protected me.”

“Young Christian women who come from simple circumstances, however, are powerless against their attackers,” said Ms. Yousaf.

She reported that each year 15 to 30 cases similar to that experienced by Binish occur in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi alone. In comparison, the number of times these incidents are reported to the police can be counted on one hand.

“Many people are afraid because the Muslim community threatens to rape or kill the women of these families,” said Ms. Yousaf.

“In Pakistan, it is difficult to receive justice if you are a member of a religious minority,” the lawyer added; the judges are under pressure from the political parties.

She continued: “They do not offer our brothers and sisters in faith adequate and fair legal assistance. Many members of minority groups are not even aware that they have the same rights as Muslims.”

“As a Catholic lawyer, I consider it important that they have access to more information in this area and receive legal assistance. I am rendering this service for God and my Church.”

—Marta Petrosillo

With picture of a Christian procession in Faisalabad, Pakistan (© ACN)

Editor’s Notes:

Directly under the Holy Father, Aid to the Church in Need supports the faithful wherever they are persecuted, oppressed or in pastoral need.  ACN is a Catholic charity - helping to bring Christ to the world through prayer, information and action.

Founded in 1947 by Father Werenfried van Straaten, whom Pope John Paul II named “An Outstanding Apostle of Charity,” the organization is now at work in over 145 countries throughout the world.

The charity undertakes thousands of projects every year including providing transport for clergy and lay Church workers, construction of church buildings, funding for priests and nuns and help to train seminarians. Since the initiative’s launch in 1979, 43 million Aid to the Church in Need Child’s Bibles have been distributed worldwide.

For more information contact Michael Varenne at michael@churchinneed.org or call 718-609-0939 or fax 718-609-0938. Aid to the Church in Need, 725 Leonard Street, PO Box 220384, Brooklyn, NY 11222-0384.  www.churchinneed.org

Exaltation of the Holy Cross Reflection

"Men called up to Jesus hanging on the Cross that if He came down t hey would put their faith in Him.   Men still do that today to His Mystical Body, the Church.  They call out that if the Church would change her teachings on certain faith and moral principles, they would find the Church more believable.  They forget our Savior is a Crucified Savior and that unless we take up our cross daily, as He said, we are not worthy of Him.  They have lost faith who would take the Cross out of Christianity.  Christ without His Cross is not the true Christ but an anti-christ.  Religion without the Cross is a godless religion of worshipping self."

- Father Robert J.  Fox

ACN News -Syrian prelate denounces ‘plan to oust Christians from the region’

“FOR YEARS I have been saying that the Kurds are trying to eliminate the Christian presence in this part of Syria,” said Syriac-Catholic Archbishop Jacques Behnam Hindo of Al Hasakah-Nisibi, which is located in the north-eastern part of Syria.

The prelate reported on the closure of several Christian schools by the Democratic Federation of North Syria, a de facto autonomous region located in northern and north-eastern Syria.

The region is not officially recognized by the Syrian government and is governed by a coalition in which the “Democratic Union,” a Kurdish political party, holds the majority.

The archbishop said: “Since the beginning of the year, the local government has already taken possession of about 100 state-run schools and introduced their own curriculum and textbooks.”

“The Kurdish officials had assured us that they would not even look at the private schools, but they not only looked at them, they closed them.”

The official reason given for the closure of several Christian schools in the cities of Qamishli, Al-Darbasiyah and Al-Malikiyah was that these institutions had refused to conform to the curriculum introduced by the local authorities.

“They do not want us to instruct pupils in the liturgical language, Syriac, and they do not want us to teach history because they prefer to drum their own history into the heads of pupils,” charged Archbishop Hindo, who expressed concern about the likely closure of further Christian schools. There are six more in Al Hasakah alone.

The prelate also noted the impact that the Kurdish curriculum, which differs from the official Syrian curriculum, might have on students. He said: “I told a Kurdish official that this was penalizing an entire generation, because they will not have any access to higher levels of education.”

“He answered me that they were even prepared to sacrifice six or seven generations to disseminate their ideology.”

What has happened is evidence of the planned “Kurdification” of the region, the archbishop continued, which, he added, also includes the elimination of the local Christian presence.

He said: “We have been warning against this danger since at least 2015. They want to oust us Christians to strengthen their own presence. To date, Kurds make up only 20 percent of the population, but, thanks to Western support, are disproportionately represented in the local government.”

Archbishop Hindo called on the international community and particularly the European states, saying: “The closure of our schools is painful to us. The Church has been in charge of these institutions since 1932 and we never thought that they would ever be closed. The West cannot keep silent.”

“If you are truly Christian, you are obligated to bring everything that is happening out into the open and prevent further violations of our rights and further threats to our presence in this region.”

—Marta Petrosillo

With picture of Archbishop Hindo saying Mass (© ACN)

Editor’s Notes:

Directly under the Holy Father, Aid to the Church in Need supports the faithful wherever they are persecuted, oppressed or in pastoral need.  ACN is a Catholic charity - helping to bring Christ to the world through prayer, information and action.

Founded in 1947 by Father Werenfried van Straaten, whom Pope John Paul II named “An Outstanding Apostle of Charity,” the organization is now at work in over 145 countries throughout the world.

The charity undertakes thousands of projects every year including providing transport for clergy and lay Church workers, construction of church buildings, funding for priests and nuns and help to train seminarians. Since the initiative’s launch in 1979, 43 million Aid to the Church in Need Child’s Bibles have been distributed worldwide.

For more information contact Michael Varenne at michael@churchinneed.org or call 718-609-0939 or fax 718-609-0938. Aid to the Church in Need, 725 Leonard Street, PO Box 220384, Brooklyn, NY 11222-0384.  www.churchinneed.org

St. John of the Cross -Doctor of Detachment

Doctor of Detachment

A List of Patron Saints

These were found in an old book of patron saints.


Cause or Patronage                  Name                                     Feast Day

Abused children                      St. Germaine Cousin             June 15
Actors                                      St. Ardalion                            April 14
                                                 St. Genesius the Comedien    August 25
Blind people                             St. Laurece the Illuminator   February 3
Book Lovers                             St. Aldhelm                           May 25
Booksellers                             Bl. James Duckett                 April 19
Breast Cancer                          St. Aldegund                          January 30
Cancer Sufferers                      St. Peregrine Laziosi             May 1
Catholic schools                       St. John Baptist de la Salle   April 7
Converting Muslims                Bl. Andrew Hiberon              April 18
Cooks                                     Bl. Eustochium of Padua        February 13
                                               St. Lawrence of Rome            August 10
Extreme Suffering                  Bl. Lydovina of Schiedam      April 14
Friends of the Holy Souls      St. Adelaide                             June 15
in Purgatory                            St. Catherine of Genoa           September 15
                                                Bl.  Mary of Providence         February 7
                                                St. John Vianney                     August 4
Gardeners                                St. Bandaridus                      August 9
                                                 St. Jonas                               February 11
                                                 St. Phocas the Gardener       July 23
Headaches                              St. Gerald of Sauve-Majeune April 5
                                                St. Ulric of Cluny                  July 14
Journalists                               St. Francis de Sales               January 24
Lawyers                                   St. Liphardus                        June 3
Mathematicians                        St. Anatolius                         July 3
Orphaned and abandoned        St. Jerome Emiliani              July 20
children
                                                 Bl. Margaret Cittadi Castello April 14
People with bad tempers         St. Jerome                              September 30
                                                Bl. John Colombini              July 31
Peru                                         St. Francis Solano                July 14
                                                 Bl. John de Massias             September 18
                                                 St. Martin de Porres             November 3
                                                 St. Rosa de Lima                  August 23
Rogation Days                        St. Mamertas                        May 11
                                                 St. Sidonius Apollinaris       August 23
Sacred Will of God                 Bl. James Gerius                   August 5
Sense of humor                       St. Athanasius                       May 2
Students                                    St. Joseph Calasanctius        August 27
                                                Bl. Louis Mary Palazzolo      May 1
Students and Teachers            Sts. Laurence of Nuvara
                                                and Companions                    April 30
Sweet Tempers                       St. Gerard of Brogne              October 3
Toothaches                               St. Apollonia                         February 9
Twins                                      Sts. Cosmos and Damian      September 27
                                                Sts. John and Benignus         July 21

Women of ill-repute                 St. John Eudes                      August 19
Workers                                   Bl. Leonard Muraldo             April 30







                                                 

Learning to Meditate on the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary

The Holy Rosary is a beautiful way to honor our Lady but it may not be the easiest devotion to do correctly in order to enrich our spiritual life.

It is easy to fall into the trap of just speeding through the Our Fathers, Hail Marys, and Glory Bes just to be able to say we said our daily rosary.  However, if we do that we are cheating ourselves out of the richness of what the Holy Rosary really is....Mary's Family Album.  Father Eric Bowman, a priest in Ohio and a friend, described the Holy Rosary in such a manner.  He pictured himself next the the Blessed Mother and she would show him the photos of the life of her Son, Jesus..."and this is when He was a baby being presented in the temple...and this was the time He was lost in Jerusalem..."

I made a promise a long time ago to pray the Rosary daily.  But I doubt I was enriched with the graces of praying Our Lady's Rosary by the way I said it.  I rushed through the Rosary in the morning, just to get it out of the way.  My mind meditated on my daily problems, food,  and duties I had to perform and never once on the mysteries of Christ's life.  Yet,  our Lady took pity on my poor attempts and gradually over the course of twenty years or so, I finally learned how to meditate on each mystery.

At first I used a little Scriptural Rosary book to help me.  I would read the scriptural passage pertaining to each mystery before I recited the Hail Mary.  I did not really meditate on the mystery but it was much better than the way I had been praying it so I persevered.

Then like a child learning to ride a bike without training wheels, it was time to let go of the Scriptural Rosary book and try to meditate on each mystery before the recitation of the Hail Mary.

I still used the method of recalling the scriptural passage but I found that when I tried to recall each passage myself, instead of reading it, it lead to another thought and another imagery regarding a particular mystery.  I did this for each of the four mysteries:  The Joyful, the Sorrowful, the Luminous and the Glorious.  Some meditations of the mysteries were more difficult than the others.  I found the Glorious Mysteries difficult to meditate on because I had trouble picturing Heaven.  The Sorrowful mysteries I found to be easy to meditate on,  and are also my favorites.  I was in awe on how much Jesus had to endure, in suffering, in torture and willingly, because He wanted to save our individual souls.  Sometimes, I brought myself to tears thinking of a particular mystery maybe because of how much Jesus or  Mary suffered for my sins but also because I could relate to it on a personal level.  For example,  after Jesus rose from the dead, I pictured Him being greeted by His dear Mother in the dark sepulchre, and then He has to leave her side to continue His work on redemption during the 40 days prior to His Ascension.  That mystery brought tears to my eyes as I recalled the day my son left home and my side to start his own life.

The following are examples of how to meditate on the mysteries.

1.  The First Sorrowful Mysteries:

a.  Imagine Jesus going to the Garden of Gethsemane with His chosen apostles.
b.  Imagine Jesus warning them to pray because He knew they were weak men.
c.  Imagine Jesus going off by Himself to talk to God in private, all this while experiencing an agony we cannot even begin to fathom.
d.  Remember His words:  "Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me."
e.  Remember:  "Yet, not My will, but Yours be done."
f.  Imagine great drops of sweat like blood dripping from His sacred head.
g.  Imagine an angel ministering to Him but wiping His brow and giving him words of comfort. Sometimes I image the Blessed Mother sending the Angel to help Jesus.
h.  Imagine Jesus going back to His disciples because He needed them for strength and finding them sleeping.  Imagine how disappointed He must have been.
i.  Remember His words to them "Could you not keep watch with Me for even an hour?"
j.  Imagine how Jesus must have felt at being betrayed by one of His own.

ACN News -In North Korea, despite hostile regime, the faith clings to life

FATHER KANG JU-SEOK is director of the Catholic Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Institute, which is based in Paju, in South Korea. The aim of the institute is to study peace-building methods in Northeast Asia and to work for the evangelization of North Korea.

As we know very little about North Korea, can you give us a picture of the day-to-day life in this country?

North Korea is often just seen as a security problem, headed by an irrational dictator with missiles. And often we miss out on the story of 24 million ordinary people who are living their lives in that country. In fact, we don't know much about their stories.

Nonetheless, according to the refugees from North Korea, people are no longer able to function within the state socialist economy—there is the lack of food rations, for example—and so the people have started smuggling goods back and forth across the border with China.

Many refugees report that there is more foreign information and more foreign media seeping into the country. More North Koreans have access to mobile phones, DVD players, and computers. Increasingly, they are secretly watching South Korean movies, soap operas, even Hollywood movies.

The country has about 24 million inhabitants, of which half live below the poverty line?

In the 1990s, many perished from starvation. We don't know the exact numbers. We think about 1 million people died in those days and today most North Koreans are suffering from extreme poverty. Because the North Korean regime has been violating the international rules concerning nuclear weapons, the UN sanctions have been in place for a long time.

I worry about the people, especially the poor and vulnerable, who suffer from those sanctions.

Few understand the political structure in North Korea, the personality cult of the Kim family. Can you explain?

Many experts say the country is a kind of religious group and that the people worship the Kim family. We don't know exactly the reason why people do this, how the system of the society works.

One thing that we can assume is that the fear and hatred of the people [towards South Korea] could be a reason. During the Korean War 2 or 3 million people died in North Korea. The government of North Korea is still taking advantage of this trauma of their people.

Before the reign of the Kim family, the North Korean capital of Pyongyang in the early 1900s was such a source of Christian activity that it was known as the Jerusalem of the East. At its height, 3 out of 10 people in Pyongyang were practicing Christians and more than 2000 churches were built in the region. What happened to decimate Christianity so quickly?

After the North Korean regime took control, the government thought that religion was its most dangerous enemy. Therefore, they started to persecute religious groups in various ways.

Even before the Korean War, many North Koreans, mostly Christians, crossed the border seeking freedom of religion. In addition, before and during the war in which millions of people were murdered, Christians were persecuted without remorse.

Today there are four-state sanctioned Churches in Pyongyang: two are Russian Orthodox, one is Roman Catholic and one is Protestant. They exist as “proof” that North Korea tolerates religion. Are these just facades?

It is a complicated thing. The Catholic Church in North Korea founded the “Chosun Catholic Members Association” along with the completion of the Changchung Cathedral in 1988.  With the Changchung Cathedral in Pyongyang and the Association thus established, they began to represent North Korean Catholics, while the Church in South Korea began a series of efforts for the sake of inter-Korean exchange and support.

Over the past 20 years, those priests and Catholics in the South who have visited North Korea through various channels had opportunities to visit Changchung Cathedral and to attend Mass together with the North Korean faithful. Humanitarian exchanges and aid have also been going on through the Changchung Cathedral.

However, the reaction toward the North Korean Church varies among South Korean priests and faithful. Some of them were impressed by the liturgy in which they participated, while others have come to have suspicions. It is understandable that some would have such suspicions, asking: “Are the North Koreans who come to Mass at Changchung Cathedral true believers?”

In my opinion, the truth is that there are some genuine faithful among those North Koreans who come to Mass in Changchung Cathedral. Though attendees are mobilized by the North Korean regime, I believe that some of them are real Catholic faithful.

Do you have hope that one day Christianity will flourish again North Korea?

Yes. Not soon but very slowly, I believe that Christianity will come back to the North along with the reform and opening up of North Korea. The North Korean regime will not let down its guard against religions and missionary works so easily. Yet, I believe that the Holy Spirit will be with us and we will need to make continuous efforts, along with much patience.

—Mark Riedemann

With picture of government buildings in Pyongyang, the North Korean capital

Editor’s Notes:

Directly under the Holy Father, Aid to the Church in Need supports the faithful wherever they are persecuted, oppressed or in pastoral need.  ACN is a Catholic charity - helping to bring Christ to the world through prayer, information and action.

Founded in 1947 by Father Werenfried van Straaten, whom Pope John Paul II named “An Outstanding Apostle of Charity,” the organization is now at work in over 145 countries throughout the world.

The charity undertakes thousands of projects every year including providing transport for clergy and lay Church workers, construction of church buildings, funding for priests and nuns and help to train seminarians. Since the initiative’s launch in 1979, 43 million Aid to the Church in Need Child’s Bibles have been distributed worldwide.

For more information contact Michael Varenne at michael@churchinneed.org or call 718-609-0939 or fax 718-609-0938. Aid to the Church in Need, 725 Leonard Street, PO Box 220384, Brooklyn, NY 11222-0384.  www.churchinneed.org

On Novenas and Trusting in God

For someone who really did not like to be tied down to praying novenas for nine days,  I have come to love a few of them very much.  The following are some of favorites:

1.  The oldest novena known is the Holy Spirit Novena.  We pray that one for the gifts and the fruits of the Holy Spirit.  The novena ends on the vigil of Pentecost.   That one is the best novena anyone can pray. 

2.  The second highly recommended novena is the Divine Mercy Novena which the Church prays starting on Good Friday and ending on the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday.  We pray for the intentions of many people and the salvation on their souls.  Very powerful and we have Saint Faustina via St. John Paul II to thank for this novena.

3.  Saint Mother Teresa's Express novena is also one that helps a lot especially if you need help right away and don't have 9 days to wait.  You simply pray the Memorare nine times in a row.

4.  One of the newer novenas which is recommended by Pope Francis is the Mary, Untier of Knots novena.  This novena helps with things that complicate our lives or seem impossible to untangle.

5.  My own personal favorite is one that I have been doing for members of my family or my own personal intentions like before I travel.   It is a Mass and Holy Communion Novena and it entails 18 days total with nine in Petition and nine days in Thanksgiving. 

 Plot out 18 consecutive days hopefully ending with the vigil of a feast or solemnity.

1.  The first nine days are Novena for Petition.

- Mass intentions and attendance at Mass

-  During the Consecration at the elevation of the Precious Blood Chalice I again make the prayer request.

- Offering my Holy Communion for that particular intention

Optional:  Daily Rosary for that intention.

2.  Second 9 days are the Novena for Thanksgiving.

This is important because we should be confident God will answer our prayer request.  Whether He answers it in our time, His time, our way or His way, is up to Him but He will answer it.

- Mass in Thanksgiving and attendance at Mass.  If you can request Mass intentions for Thanksgiving that would be great.

- During the Consecration at the elevation of the Precious Blood Chalice I thank God for answering my prayers.

- Offering my Holy Communion in Thanksgiving.

Optional:  Daily Rosary in Thanksgiving.

ACN News -Nigerian bishop fears for the worst from attacks by Fulani herdsmen

“PLEASE DON’T make the same mistake as was made with the genocide in Rwanda. It happened under our noses, but no one stopped it. And we know well how that ended.” These are the words of Bishop William Amove Avenya of the Diocese of Gboko, in Benue State, where Christians form the majority of the population.

He is only the latest of the bishops of Nigeria’s Middle Belt to have raised his voice to denounce what is an increasingly worrying phenomenon—the attacks by Islamist Fulani Herdsmen on Christians in the region.

In recent days there have been new attacks in the area of Jos, the capital of Plateau State, killing more than100 people.

The Fulani Herdsmen have herded their flocks in parts of Nigeria’s Middle Belt for centuries and there have always been occasional clashes with local peasant farmers, the majority of whom are Christians today, and whose crops were frequently trampled and even destroyed by the herdsmen’s flocks.

Whereas in the past these conflicts were generally either tribal in nature or driven by economics, today they appear to have become increasingly religion-based in character.

According to official data, there have been 492 victims since the beginning of the year in Benue State alone. “They are criminals and terrorists, but they do not do the same things in the majority Muslim areas,” Bishop Avenya charges.

He added: “We are convinced that what is happening is an ethnic cleansing of Christians.”

Bishop Peter Iornzuul Adoboh of Katsina Ala Diocese (Benue State) and Bishop Matthew Ishaya Audu of Lafia Diocese (Nassarawa State) believe that there is a “clear agenda of Islamizing the Nigerian Middle Belt,” a plan that is making use of the Fulani Herdsmen.

“Their aim is to strike at the Christians,” explains Bishop Audu, “and the government is doing nothing to stop them, because President Buhari himself is a member of the Fulani tribe.”

Adding to the suspicions of complicity on the part of the government is not merely the inactivity of the federal police but also the fact that these Fulani Herdsmen are being armed with ever more sophisticated weaponry.

“At one time these pastoralists were armed only with sticks,” Bishop Avenya explains. “But now they are armed with AK-47’s—expensive weapons that they could not possibly afford. So who is supplying them?”

“Besides, in these areas there are checkpoints every mile-and-a-half. Is it possible that armed men and their flocks of cattle could have somehow become invisible?”

On May 22, 2018, all the dioceses of Nigeria took part in a protest march, calling on the government to protect the Christians.

Bishop Avenya insists: “Our faithful are being murdered or forced to live as refugees as a result of the violence, and the West continues to view the matter of the Fulani as merely an internal problem.”

“Don’t do as you did in Rwanda; don’t wait for the genocide to happen before intervening!”

—Marta Petrosillo

With picture of a demonstration by Christians in Nigeria in wake of deadly attack by Fulani herdsmen last April (© ACN)

Editor’s Notes:

Directly under the Holy Father, Aid to the Church in Need supports the faithful wherever they are persecuted, oppressed or in pastoral need.  ACN is a Catholic charity - helping to bring Christ to the world through prayer, information and action.

Founded in 1947 by Father Werenfried van Straaten, whom Pope John Paul II named “An Outstanding Apostle of Charity,” the organization is now at work in over 145 countries throughout the world.

The charity undertakes thousands of projects every year including providing transport for clergy and lay Church workers, construction of church buildings, funding for priests and nuns and help to train seminarians. Since the initiative’s launch in 1979, 43 million Aid to the Church in Need Child’s Bibles have been distributed worldwide.

For more information contact Michael Varenne at michael@churchinneed.org or call 718-609-0939 or fax 718-609-0938. Aid to the Church in Need, 725 Leonard Street, PO Box 220384, Brooklyn, NY 11222-0384.  www.churchinneed.org

ACN News -In Philippines, a third priest is killed in six months

ather Nilo was killed just as he was about to say Mass. What do you know about the circumstances?

He came from celebrating Mass in another village chapel. He was preparing to put on his alb to celebrate another Mass when he was shot four times near the altar in front of the Virgin Mary Our Lady of the Snows. He was even joking as usual with his altar server.

There are rumors that "Iglesia ni Cristo" (INC) could be behind the murder. Would it be possible? What would that mean for the Christian community in the Philippines?

The matter is under investigation. Whatever the investigators may find, there is no reason to kill anyone. We debate, we discuss but we should never resort to murder to settle differences.

Where does the hatred of the Catholic clergy come from?

Father Richmond was an advocate of Kaya Natin (We Can), a movement that promotes ethical political engagement. He was also an active defender of the Catholic faith. With regard to a mission like this—focused on faith and morality—some people will express hatred. But this opposition is no reason to keep silent.

Foreign observers call the Philippines "one of the most dangerous places for human rights activists, environmental activists and investigative journalists.” What can the church do in this heated situation?

The Church will always stand up for peace and mercy. Revenge is not in keeping with our message. Our first tool for social change is prayer. Only God can soften hardened hearts. Our second tool is to keep preaching Christ. We teach and never get tired to repeat the same message. The third response is dialogue. We dialogue with those who hate us or with all those who do not share our belief. We seek the common ground.

The political situation in the Philippines is becoming increasingly tense. At the same time, there were Islamist attacks in the south of the country. Is the country in danger? Could it break up?

We believe in the power of God. We are not afraid to be killed. We should rather be afraid to kill. Living in dangerous times has been part of our mission in the world.

The Lord said: ‘Fear not. I have overcome the world.’ The Church can survive and thrive in any situation.

—Tobias Lehner & Jonathan Luciano

With picture of Archbishop Socrates Buenaventura Villegas (© ACN)

Editor’s Notes:

Directly under the Holy Father, Aid to the Church in Need supports the faithful wherever they are persecuted, oppressed or in pastoral need.  ACN is a Catholic charity - helping to bring Christ to the world through prayer, information and action.

Founded in 1947 by Father Werenfried van Straaten, whom Pope John Paul II named “An Outstanding Apostle of Charity,” the organization is now at work in over 145 countries throughout the world.

The charity undertakes thousands of projects every year including providing transport for clergy and lay Church workers, construction of church buildings, funding for priests and nuns and help to train seminarians. Since the initiative’s launch in 1979, 43 million Aid to the Church in Need Child’s Bibles have been distributed worldwide.

For more information contact Michael Varenne at michael@churchinneed.org or call 718-609-0939 or fax 718-609-0938. Aid to the Church in Need, 725 Leonard Street, PO Box 220384, Brooklyn, NY 11222-0384. www.churchinneed.org