A Alegria do Evangelho, um estudo

A Alegria do Evangelho Resumo por Duane G. Roy, OSB “Ação evangelizadora dos cristãos hoje” - Um convite aos cristãos entenderem que ser cristão é seguir Jesus Cristo, fazendo nossa vida uma doação para salvação do outro. Ação evangelizadora é qualquer ação que constrói paz, amor e melhor convívio entre as todas as pessoas. Nossa Ação (em união com o agir de Deus), Pode ser... ORAÇÃO –TRABALHO – ESTUDOS – PASTORAIS –TESTEMUNHO Em tudo isso inclui Liturgia / oração; Vida Pastoral; Estudos e Leitura Orante; Convívio em Comunidade; Vida profissional; e a Vocação da Vida familiar. Para realizar tudo isso: 3 AÇÕES: ENCONTRO – DIÁLOGO – ANÚNCIO ENCONTRO A Igreja fala muito em Nova Evangelização. Papa Francisco fala em nova evangelização para a transmissão da fé cristã. Para anunciar precisa primeira encontrar – encontro com uma Pessoa que dá à vida um novo horizonte, novo rumo decisivo. Tal Encontro é a fonte / manancial da ação evangelizadora. É encontro com o grande “Outro” Jesus, o primeiro e o maior evangelizador. Também se faz sempre no encontro com os diversos “outros” – todo o povo de Deus anuncia o Evangelho. Ninguém se salva sozinho. Papa Francisco destaca três “outros”: Pobre, Mulher e Migrantes. Pobre: “Desejo uma Igreja pobre para os pobres. Manifestar a beleza do Evangelho.” “A nova evangelização é um convite a reconhecer a força salvífica das suas vidas, e a colocá-los no centro do caminho da Igreja.” A sistema econômico é injusto na sua raiz, que gera uma economia da exclusão e da desigualdade social. Cultura do descartável; excluído, sobras. Mulher: “Duplamente pobres”, situações de exclusão, maus tratos e violência, com menos possibilidades de defender os seus direitos. “A Igreja reconhece a indispensável contribuição da mulher na sociedade; é preciso ampliar os espaços para uma presença feminina mais incisiva na Igreja. Migrantes: “Os sem abrigo, os tóxico-dependentes, os refugiados, os povo indígenas, os idosos sós e abandonados. A Igreja sem fronteira que se sente mãe de todos. As comunidades devem superar desconfiança doentia.” DIÁLOGO - um anúncio “respeitoso e amável” do Evangelho. Partilhar as alegrias, esperanças, preocupações e muitas coisas que enchem o coração. Primeiro diálogo é intra-eclesial – liturgia/homilia – bem preparada, baseada à escuta do povo: contemplar a Palavra e Contemplar o povo. Diálogo é extra-eclesial também. A catolicidade mostra a beleza do rosto pluriforme. Diversidade cultural é um dom e não ameaça a unidade da Igreja. Evangelização entendida como inculturação. O povo se evangeliza continuamente a si mesmo. A Igreja é chamada a ser sempre a casa aberta do Pai, portas abertas por todo o lado, para os “outros” do mundo. ANÚNCIO– Alem do encontro e do diálogo, os cristãos têm o deve de anunciar o Evangelho, partilhar a alegria, oferecer um banquete. “Por atração” – não propaganda! Tornar o Reino de Deus presente no mundo. Um anúncio que leva ao amor fraterno, ao serviço humilde e generoso, à justiça, à misericórdia para com o pobre, pois a experiência cristã tende a provocar conseqüências sociais. O Estilo / O Testemunho do Evangelizador/a Papa Francisco diz – Abandonar cômodo critério pastoral – “sempre se fez assim”. A nossa imperfeição não deve ser desculpa; pelo contrario, a missão é um estimulo constante para não nos acomodarmos na mediocridade e para continuar crescendo. Não diga que hoje é mais difícil. É diferente. O sonho do Papa é opção missionária capaz de transformar tudo – costumes, estilos, horários, linguagem, toda a estrutura eclesial se tornem canal para evangelização do mundo, mais que auto-preservação. “Acreditar na força revolucionária de ternura e do afeto, como fez Maria. Confiança na presença de Deus junto ao seu povo. E com marca da colegialidade. “Prefiro uma Igreja acidentada, ferida e enlameada por ter saído pelas estradas, a uma Igreja enferma pelo fechamento e a comodidade de se agarrar às próprias seguranças.” – Papa Francisco.

Benedictines at St. Joseph Priory, Mineiros, Goiás

Today, in an atmosphere of prayer and fraternity, grateful to God, and happy memory of our father Saint Benedict, we gathered for the Investiture of our brothers James and Hélio. Thank you for your desire to journey with us. The dictionary defines " Investiture” as an act of investing, or taking possession. Today, dear candidates, you will be invested with the Benedictine monastic habit; and will take possession of your place in the monastic order, the Order St. Benedict, adding “OSB” at the end of your name; and in the community, taking your place in queue with your brothers, respecting the elders and loving the younger. The mystique of the monastic habit comes from a long tradition of hermits and cenobites, as a distinctive symbol of consecration, humility, simplicity and prayerfulness. For us Benedictines it is a sign of a person vowed to obedience, stability and continued conversion. Your novice master and your community undertakes the challenge to instruct you in this sacred tradition, with zeal of an older brother – novice master Father Carlos - capable to enlighten your journey with patience and wisdom, discerning with you the Spirit of Christ which leads us together to Eternal Life. You are at the dawn of a new life. I hope you will always cherish this novitiate experience. Invested with the monastic habit reminds us of the admonition of St. Paul describing the steps of Christian life, in Romans 13.11-14: Awake from carnal sleep and its security, from sloth and the negligence of spiritual death. The night passed; day has approached; arise and dress yourself for "ora and labora", to militate under Christ the true King in the School in the Lord's service. Put on Christ, the New Man. You have passed though the waters of baptism. Walk now in readiness and honesty in the clarity of day, avoiding the works of darkness. What we most expect from a novice is that he be honest, zealous, docile and well disposed. Acquire the gift of giving of yourself; use well the instruments of Good Works in this workshop of men under construction, under the interceding eye of St. Joseph! We welcome you to journey with us. Have patience with us. With the help of many brothers, guided by the Gospels, the wisdom of the Rule of St. Benedict, and the leadership of our Abbot, enter into our holy routine of Ora et Labora, to sanctify time, and in holy obedience to protect yourselves from the pursuit of your own will. We will try to offer you some of the ideals of the Holy Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles that contain beautiful portraits of mutual love, sharing things in common, perseverance in prayer, breaking of bread together, and a life full of service in the name of the Lord. This monastic community, a simple priory in the Brazilian Cerrado, and meek presence in a capital city in the heart of this giant nation, invites you to journey with us, mindful of the voice God in the Holy Scriptures, in the RB, in the person of our Abbot, and even in the persons of your brothers and sisters, the poor and guests. In monastic silence listen to God, to each other, to know how to speak with wisdom without judging or murmuring; let´s work together for our livelihood, to avoid idleness, in mutual service and in mission to humanity. Each one has his own cell, space to keep the few things needed, to rest, to pray, to study; and for a deep listening to the appeals of conversion. With all your creative spirit, make your life the best gift to God and to others. Thiago and Hélio, welcome to our brotherhood. Be prayerful, and fraternal. And through the intercession of St. Benedict may Christ lead us together to the eternal home of the Father.

Evangelizing Force of St. Benedict

Evangelizing Force of St. Benedict For four centuries Benedictine monasteries in Brazil were concentrated on the coast, among growing urban centers. They perpetuated the knowledge of the person of St. Benedict, his Rule, and the history of expansion of Benedictine men and women worldwide. Upon arrival of two monasteries in Mineiros in the early 1960s – still the first and only Benedictines in Brazil´s Midwest - devotion to St. Benedict grew here also. St. Benedict Church was constructed and inaugurated in 1999; St. Benedict Parish was created in 2007. Parishioners discovered the evangelizing power of this man of God, "blessed by name and grace," as his biographer, Pope Gregory the Great, wrote in 600. The feast of St. Benedict is celebrated on July 11. Saint Benedict Parish has already established a set of activities to commemorate annually this date. July 2 begins a novena in preparation for the feast day. Each evening, in the Church, there is Mass with special prayers invocating our "Glorious Father St. Benedict," asking for special graces according to needs of each one. After the proclamation of the Gospel of the day, and a reading from one of the 73 chapters of the Rule of St. Benedict, there is a homily, showing how the wise teaching of St. Benedict many times is a concrete application of the gospel of Christ to community life. A litany follows; and at the final blessing religious articles and all those present are blessed with holy water. The traditional Benedictine medal is widely used. Every Tuesday evening there are perpetual novena prayers with the Mass, imploring divine protection, blessings and grace, through the intercession of St. Benedict. This year, on the feast of Saint Benedict, July 11, parishioners rejoiced with the monastic community upon the entrance into the novitiate of two university students, Brothers James and Philip, invested with the monastic habit. God willing, next year on this date, they will pronounce first monastic vows in this same church. To conclude the various activities in celebration of their patron saint, the parish promoted the sixth edition of Barbecued Ribs, a benefit luncheon on the pleasant gardens next to the church. Approximately seven hundred persons shared the fraternal and joyful feat, according to the likes of Saint Benedict!

Dom Joaquim Carlos Carvalho, OSB, Administrador Diocesano

Dom Joaquim Carlos Carvalho, OSB, foi eleito Administrador Diocesano da Diocese de Jataí ontem, dia 4 de agosto de 2014, na reunião do Colégio de Consultores Diocesanos reunido na Cúria Diocesana. Com a posse do Bispo de Jataí, José Luiz Majella Delgado, como Arcebispo da Arquidiocese de Pouso Alegre sábado 02 de agosto, a diocese ficou vacante. Um administrador diocesano é um presbítero eleito através do Colégio de Consultores Diocesano no prazo de oito dias após a diocese entrar em período de sede vacante. Seu cargo cessa quando o novo bispo toma posse. Dom Joaquim Carlos, monge beneditino do Priorado de São José, Mineiros, Goiás, natural desta cidade, 60 anos de idade, foi ordenado presbítero em dois de fevereiro de 1982. Ele estudou Teologia em ITER, São Paulo, e Psicologia na Universidade Católica de Goiânia. Ocupou várias posições administrativas como Prior do Priorado São José, Pároco da Paróquia Divino Espirito Santo, professor e diretor em escola estadual, e atualmente Presidente do Conselho Superior da UNIFIMES em Mineiros, GO. Desde 2012 ele é Vigário Geral da Diocese de Jataí. Dom Joaquim tem uma larga experiência em conduzir retiros espirituais para clero, religiosos/as, seminaristas e grupos de leigos.

Olive Lena Morin Roy

Centennial of the birth of Olive Lena Morin Roy Born July 31, 1914 on the family farm in Rooks County, Damar, KS, tenth of eleven siblings, children of Stanislas Morin and Rosanna Hebert. Both parents were immigrants from Canada. They arrived in Rooks County at the turn of the century in this predominantly French Canadian settlement, founded in 1888. Olive married John Felix Roy at the now historical St. Joseph Catholic Church, in Damar, on August 23, 1932. They are parents of ten children. Olive´s mother, Rosanna, died in childbirth when Olive was only three years old. Olive and her one-year-old brother, Levi, were cared for by their father Stanislas on his 480 acre farm near Damar until his death in the summer of 1929. Olive lived and worked with her married sisters until her adolescent years when she attended the first and only Catholic boarding school in Kansas – Sacred Heart Academy in Manhattan, KS. Due to financial crises the country experienced following stock market crash of that year she was financially unable to continue her studies. Upon returning to the Damar area, and through fortunate circumstances, “I met Johnny,” she often said. The couple made their home and reared their children eight miles west of Stockton, with schooling in Webster and Stockton. Olive enjoyed nurturing vegetable and flower gardens. After their children moved away from home she often traveled to visit them including Brazil. She also went to Jerusalem, Mexico and Canada. She cultivated interests in many handicrafts including decoupage, water-color painting, making greeting cards, pressing flowers, bread-baking, wheat-weaving, quilting and sewing. Many of these she gave as gifts to family members and friends alike. Olive was also an avid letter writer. Her son Father Duane retained many letters written to him during her widowed years which he had bound and named, Dear Son. John died at the Plainville hospital on November 30, 1978. Olive died at her home surrounded by her children, on September 11, 1985. They are both buried in the St. Joseph Cemetery in Damar, less than a mile from where she was born. Olive is immortalized through publications by two of her daughters: Ma Famille, Herbert – Frigon – St.Peter – Morin – Senesac, 1660-1994, by Sister Veronica (Ila Mae) Roy, CSJ, MS. RD/LD; and An Ordinary Nun, The Life and Letters of Sister Veronica Mary Roy, CSJ, by Linda Roy M. Cross, Kearney, NE, Morris Publishing, 2002.

Dom Joaquim Carlos Carvalho, OSB, foi eleito Administrador Diocesano da Diocese de Jataí ontem, dia 4 de agosto de 2014, na reunião do Colégio de Consultores Diocesanos reunido na Cúria Diocesana. Com a posse do Bispo de Jataí, José Luiz Majella Delgado, como Arcebispo da Arquidiocese de Pouso Alegre sábado 02 de agosto, a diocese ficou vacante. Um administrador diocesano é um presbítero eleito através do Colégio de Consultores Diocesano no prazo de oito dias após a diocese entrar em período de sede vacante. O cargo dele cessa quando o novo bispo tomará posse. Dom Joaquim Carlos, monge beneditino do Priorado de São José, Mineiros, Goiás, natural desta cidade, 60 anos de idade, foi ordenado presbítero em dois de fevereiro de 1982. Ele estudou Teologia em ITER, São Paulo, e Psicologia na Universidade Católica de Goiânia. Ocupou várias posições administrativas como professor e diretor na escola estadual; presidente da Diretoria de Uni-FIMES em Mineiros, GO, Prior do Priorado São José, Pároco da Paróquia Divino Espirito Santo. Desde 2012 ele é Vigário Geral da Diocese de Jataí. Dom Joaquim tem uma larga experiência em conduzir retiros espirituais para clero, religiosos/as, seminaristas e grupos de leigos.

Sao Bento, Mineiros, Goiás

Parish, Monks, Ministry, and Mission By Father Rodrigo Perissinotto, OSB In 2012 the Benedictine Monks of Mineiros completed 50 years of presence in southwest Goiás. They came with a mission to establish the monastic life and provide pastoral and spiritual assistance to the people of God. The pastoral ministry they developed was subsidiary in their monastic experience. A life of prayer and communion in view of peace. The monastic life in its institutional organization consists of monasteries that although belonging to the same religious family, are autonomous in their management. Autonomous but not isolated, because together with others form the great Benedictine family. Since their arrival in the diocese of Jataí and their establishment in Mineiros during the 60s, when there was a single parish in the whole county, the Benedictine monks sought to answer the call of the Latin America Episcopal Conferences. Responding to the preferential option for the poor, they developed Catholic Charities on the parish level, and encouraged diverse social pastoral programs (assisted living for the aged, build houses for the poor, day care centers, child care orientation, basic professional training, promotion and defense of human rights, etc.). They encouraged the concept and formation of Basic Ecclesial Communities to bring the church closer to the people, and promoted an ambitious project to decentralize the parish by building a series of chapels or community centers approximately a kilometer from each other, so that people would not have to walk far to church. Church is an assembly of people who assume their baptismal vocation. The monks promoted and supported lay participation and responsibility in the administration of church property and activities. Each community was encouraged to form administrative and pastoral councils, not only of advisory nature but also executive capacity for community projects. Each community is responsible for providing it´s own support and improvements, to promote financial security and pastoral programs. They decide where and how investments are made. A priest is member of these community councils. Upon the creation of St. Benedict Parish in 2008/2009 this mission concept continued. The parish had its initial inspiration from the 5th Latin America Episcopal Conference in Aparecida [in which Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was an important voice]. The document produced by this Conference challenges and instigates the whole Church with it´s emphasis on discipleship and mission. Parishes are called to be a community of communities. We can say that we are already well advanced in this process, but still feel further steps need to be taken. Our new parish needs to discover it´s missionary vocation. We need to abandon complacency that celebrations are well attended, that we have good pastoral programs; and admit that there are many who are not reached and need to be invited and welcomed into our communities. We have a good group of people who take the lead in community work, but it is necessary to discovery others, so that the work does not stop. We noticed today some accommodation of persons in regard to their life of faith. Many have become Sunday mass Christians. To this scenario we invited Redemptorists missionaries into the two parishes. The objectives of the mission were: Promote greater involvement in community life, sacramental life and pastoral commitment. The missions began in our city with the arrival of two Missionary Sisters. With two kickoff meetings of 98 parishioners on March 13, and 78 on March 17, they organized a religious census to be taken among people in the 32 rural and urban communities. They orientated lay volunteers to visit homes of families to collect data, to explain the mission and invited all to participate. On April 28 a group of Redemptorists missionaries spent time in the parishes to begin the second phase. Lay missionaries were identified and orientated for each sector of the city where they met daily for an entire month preparing for the third phase of the missions. This third phase took place during June 6-20 with 16 missionaries priests present in all urban and rural communities. On June 23 we had a beautiful field Mass on the lawn of St. Benedict Church presided by our diocesan bishop, terminating with a procession with the mission cross, implanting it near the entrance of the church as a sign of this time of grace for our city. Now it is necessary that our communities continue their newly founded mission. It requires each of us to strive to make our parish a community of communities. We ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, to enlighten us in the ways of her son Jesus. D Rodrigo Perissinotto, OSB is pastor of St. Benedict Parish and Subprior of St. Joseph Priory in Mineiros, GO. Translated by Duane G. Roy