Fresh News from the Worldwide Network of the Xaverian Missionaries – 11.30.2024
DECEMBER 3: SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER, TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH
On December 3rd, the Xaverian Missionaries worldwide celebrate our patron and inspiration to the church’s mission that we are called to engage with our whole hearts. So much so that we renew our vows together on this special day. EWTN produced a fine documentary on the life and inspiration of St. Francis Xavier. Let’s pray through his intercession that the love of Christ may permeate all cultures worldwide in a time of great division and uncertainty.
ST FRANCIS XAVIER PARISH, MALIGAYA, MANILA, THE PHILIPPINES: DIACONAL ORDINATION
On Sunday, December 1st, 2024, at 9:00 a.m., in the church of St Francis Xavier, Maligaya, Manila, the Philippines, dioceses of Novaliches, our confrere Friwandi Nainggolan will be ordained deacon through the laying on of hands and the prayer of ordination of Msgr. Roberto Orendain Gaa, Bishop of Novaliches, Manila, Quezon City District.
ST SIMON TICUMAC PARISH, MEXICO CITY, MEXICO: DIACONAL ORDINATION
On Saturday, December 7th, 2024, at 5:00 p.m., in the church of St Simon Ticumac Parish, Archdiocese of Mexico City, Mexico, our confrere Yedrianus Mali will be ordained deacon through the laying on of hands and the prayer of ordination of Msgr. Carlos Enrique Samaniego López, auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Mexico City and episcopal vicar for Consecrated Life.
INTERNATIONAL NOVITIATE IN BUJUMBURA – BURUNDI: FIRST MEMORIAL OF BLESSED GIOVANNI DIDONÈ, PRESBYTER, AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS
On the occasion of the first memorial of the Blessed martyrs of Fizi and Baraka and by its Community Project of Life, the community of the Pre-novitiate and Novitiate of Bujumbura (Burundi) we made a pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Kavinvira, Uvira (the Democratic Republic of Congo) to pray before the relics of our Blessed martyrs and ask for graces. In Kavinvira, the pilgrims from Bujumbura joined the many other faithful from the parishes of the diocese of Uvira, who also came on pilgrimage. We prayed the rosary and celebrated the Eucharist in an atmosphere of joy and recollection. On the same occasion, the novices and pre-novices performed the song that one wrote in memory of Giovanni Didonè, Luigi Carrara, Vittorio Faccin, and Albert Joubert. As the song lyrics go, we ask for the gift of faith, perseverance, and missionary zeal for all those who will listen to this song. You can watch the video clip and listen to the song by clicking here https://youtu.be/1aI644GJglA (Valentin Shukuru Bihaira s.x.)
PONCE, PUERTO RICO: 6TH AMERICAN MISSIONARY CONGRESS (CAM6)
The American Missionary Congress brought together 36 countries from across the Americas from November 19th to 24th, 2024, in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The opening and closing Eucharistic celebration of the Congress gathered more than 12,000 people.
CAM6 reflected on the theme “Evangelizers with Spirit to the Ends of the Earth,” inspired by the motto “America, with the Power of the Spirit, Witnesses to Christ.” The event gathered about 1400 missionaries from all over the American continent, including 62 delegates from Brazil. The Xaverian Missionaries were represented by Frs. José Luis Castillo Aguirre, Roberto Carlos Mendoza Silva, Rafael López Villaseñor, Stefano Raschietti and Bishop Paolo Andreolli.
CAM6’s missiological reflection has adopted a synodal form around three central themes: 1. Moved by the Lord Jesus; 2. Witnesses of Christ; 3. To the ends of the earth.
At the end of the Congress, Brazil was chosen as the host country of CAM7, which will take place in 2029. By taking on the responsibility to host this critical meeting next time, the Brazilian Church will continue the effort to organize and spread missionary awareness among the Churches in the continent. (Rafael López Villaseñor)
BLESSED MARTYR LUIGI CARRARA sx: Cornale di Pradalunga, Bergamo (28 November 2024)
On Thursday, November 28th, 2024, liturgical memorial of the Blessed Martyrs of Fraternity, Mgr Francesco Beschi, Bishop of Bergamo, Italy, presided over the Eucharist in thanksgiving of the Diocese of Bergamo for the beatification of the martyrs in the parish church of Cornale (Bergamo), the birthplace of Blessed Luigi Carrara. The Eucharistic celebration was attended by some thirty priests, among them the Vicar General, Mgr Davide Pelucchi, and six Xaverian missionaries, deacons and seminarians from the Major Seminary, several religious sisters, including the Missionary of Mary – Xaverian Teresina Caffi, originally from Pradalunga, Fr Luigi’s brother, Leone Carrara, with many family members and a large assembly. In his homily, the bishop emphasized the beauty of a life given for the sake of fraternity: ‘the life of the martyr is not snatched by his ‘executioner’, but it is the martyr himself who offers it, and Fr. Luigi gave it by kneeling before Brother Vittorio Faccin who had just been killed; he also prayed that there may still be missionary vocations in Italy, including Xaverian ones”.
After the Eucharist, still in the church, Giovanni Soldani, accompanied on the organ by Francesco Maffeis, read a beautiful and touching summary of the Blessed’s life (Blessed Luigi Carrara, Martyr of Hope, theatrical reading). Immediately afterwards, in a procession, accompanied by the village band, the bishop, with the priests, the mayors of the area and all the people went to the oratory where the Cornale community offered an aperitif to all. Congratulations to the Cornale/Pradalunga parish and civic community for the fine organization. (Natale Paganelli s.x.)
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