Apostles for today - September 2024

 

How to live being a missionary disciple 

 

I am Antonio João Madeirense Tchissingui, a member of the UAC, and I live in Luanda, the capital of Angola. When I was invited to participate in the fourth UAC Congress, where representatives of various nations would be present and Angola would be part of this group, for me it was a utopia, I could not believe it. The situation became more serious when I learned that, as a member of the UAC, I would have the responsibility to testify about Angola's mission. 

Even though I did not quite understand what it was, I quickly met with the members of the group and presented the proposal put forward by the General Secretariat of the UAC. But because of our economic situation, I did not get any positive feedback. When we learned that the costs for travel and accommodation will have to be borne by the group, there was no agreement. So, with great sadness, once again I would have attended Congress alone. Immediately I heard God's call to do my part and I was certain that He would assist me. By the grace of God, Maria Janota, continuing her discernment, informed me that she was willing to come with me to represent Angola in Congress. 

The Congress for me was the realization of a great dream: to remember the 'Yes' to the Christian life already pronounced in Baptism. I would like to briefly tell you about three experiences I have had in this Congress. 

1. During this meeting, I recalled the novena I made in preparation for the Act of Apostolic Commitment that took place on February 25, 2015 in the Church of San Salvatore in Onda in Rome. This was a more conscious assumption than I promised in Baptism. My 'Here I am' before the whole assembly and the Society of the Catholic Apostolate has marked and will always mark my Christian life. 

2. Congress was a glorious act and I was also proud to represent my nation: Angola. I heard a voice inside me saying: 'Angola is also a land where it is possible to carry out the Pallottine mission'. 

3. I can't say how happy I was to see Pallotti's sons and daughters from all over the world where the Pallottine mission is present. All animated by the same ideal of reviving faith, rekindling charity and spreading it throughout the world. In other words: rekindling the flame of faith, justice and love in people's hearts. Only me and Maria de Fátima Janota, two members of the group, actually participated in the Congress representing Angola, but the others who remained in their activities, supported and encouraged us through communion of prayer, messages of encouragement and above all offering the sacrifice of work and mission. The Holy Spirit will continue to enlighten our minds and strengthen our hearts so that Angola is enriched by a strong Pallottine mission. 

What does it mean for us to be apostles today? 

Our apostolic mission today is visible in the pastoral work we carry out in the parish of the Holy Family. In this parish, the Lord calls us to witness our Christian life and baptismal commitment by serving in the apostolic activities entrusted to us. 

I thank the Lord because we are a significant group at the service of the parish, each with a specific task. This enriches us. 

    How do we organize our meetings? 

    There have never been fixed rules or pre-established places for our meetings, but rather in the homes of those who welcome us. We start with a reflection on a biblical text that opens our hearts to the action of the Spirit and each member shares their own path. In the end we leave for our mission more committed and strengthened. 

    After attending the IV General Congress, where I experienced how contagious the love lived in the Pallottine Family is, concerns and new ideas for our mission emerged. 

    Here are some of them: 

    How can we live and be disciples today in the mission of evangelization in Angola through music and singing? For, music and dance are important elements in the African liturgy?

    What does music represent in African culture, particularly in Angola? Music is not just entertainment, but possesses deep religious meanings, rituals and cultural expressions that reinforce and perpetuate African traditions and values. We can say that the music in the liturgy helps us to pray and contemplate God, through sonorous, vibrant and harmonious melodies that reveal the beauty and greatness of God, who loves us with infinite love. 

    A European friend once asked me why we dance or what is the purpose of dancing in the Church. I confess that this question  put me a little embarrassed. However, I can say that dance, in Angolan culture and liturgy, is part of the mission of the Church and is a form of praise, which serves as a means of evangelization. Dance is also a way to recognize the body as a gift from God and temple of the Holy Spirit. 

    Another frequently asked question is: how to live and be disciples today in the evangelization mission in Angola through music or singing? 

    I can try to say that the voice is a free gift from God, so singing is gratefully acknowledging the gift received. For this we must sing without vanity and evangelize with humility, glorifying God for his wonders. 

    After attending Congress, we have a burning question: What is the biggest challenge we face right now? 

    The testimony of Maria de Fátima Janota, told us about the great problem of children living on the street in Angola and elsewhere. These are basically children between the ages of 7 and 12. Many of them have a family, but they run away from home because they are mistreated or raped and do not have the economic conditions, and we know that in these conditions drugs and other vices soon find a favorable place. Children disperse on the street, there they soon learn to take drugs or use soft drugs, how to suck gasoline from Coca-Cola bottles, or they are forced to prostitute themselves. 

    With our personal resources and the collaboration of other organizations, we try to help them leave this life; it's a difficult mission, but we know it's not impossible. We try to do our best according to our strength and possibilities. 

    We thank and praise God for the gifts and graces he gives us every day in order to live our baptismal mission in the face of such obvious realities. 

    We implore the protection of  Mary, Queen  of the  Apostles, and  the  blessings of  St. Vincent Pallotti to help  us  to be missionary disciples of Jesus, the Father's Apostle, being apostles of Love, Mercy and Solidarity.     

    The Angolan community -  Luanda
Antonio João Madeirense Tchissingui 

Piazza San Vincenzo Pallotti, 204 00186 Roma, ITALIA
Tel: (+39) 06.6876827 E-mail: uacgensec@gmail.com

Apostles for Today - August 2024

 Apostles for Today 

      August 2024 

                       

AIDG

Psalm 116:12

How can I repay the Lord for all the good he has done for me? 

   Together with the psalmist, I want to thank the Lord for all that he is accomplishing for the whole Pallottine family. I hope to share with you what treasures I have received and what we are witnessing here in my current mission with our new convent in Jersey City. This is a cherished moment in our community since it is the first time in 25 years that the American Sisters of the Immaculate Conception Province open a new community. I am deeply grateful to them and their prayers in spreading this charism of Saint Vincent Pallotti and turning a new page in our history.
 

   Each day I am filled with thanks for the Pallottine formation and experiences that brought me to where I am and prepared me to give all I can here in this new community. I feel so blessed to have had my formation in Italy; all that I received opened me to the universal spirit and mind which Pallotti had. Because of that experience among the sisters and fathers of all backgrounds and cultures, I came to know our Father Founder, Saint Vincent Pallotti, as a point of reference for my life whom I love and receive daily inspiration from. I can say proudly, in all humility, that, having the chance to visit all the sites where Pallotti lived, to speak the language which he spoke, so that I can read his writings and letters which is a patrimony for whole entire Pallottine family, where his family lived, and his current resting place, I came into contact with his sanctity, palpable in these places, and that contact opened my eyes to embrace the real meaning of our Pallottine Identity Jesus Apostle of the Eternal Father, and to be part in His mission. Now I recognize all that was preparing me for this mission.

   The new Pallottine convent is located in the waterfront section downtown Jersey City, next door to the parish school. Fr. Bryan Page is the pastor of the church, Our Lady of Czestochowa, where our new community is located. From the first moment he welcomed us with great enthusiasm and joy. The same thing was true for the parishioners . The convent shares its home with different parts of this parish’s mission: on the ground floor of the building there is the preschool for two year-olds where sisters are also working, and above the convent is a missionary teacher residence. That residence is meant to prepare apostles for the church that’s the desire of Fr.Bryan’s mission and we sisters are involved in the formation of the lay missionaries.

   Jersey City is an incredibly diverse place even for United States standards. The children at our parish school speak over 20 different world languages at home. The people in this city come from all over the world, or from families that have called the United States home for centuries. When I became a citizen last year, the children and staff at the school cheered, many of them familiar with this kind of celebration from their own family experiences.

   Our Lady of Czestochowa, the parish’s namesake, is a reminder that this neighborhood was once very Polish. Today, some Polish families remain at the parish from its first foundation, and many new faces fill the pews, some of them only months old.

   I thank God for the gift of this experience, full of concrete opportunities to evangelize. We Pallottine sisters are so grateful to Fr. Bryan Page, for all that he is doing for us on all levels, spiritually and as well as taking care of all that is needed to accomplish this mission.Always with the same enthusiasm and spirit of Pallotti had the same goal to prepare Apostles for the church. So I call him a failed Pallottine. because though he is a diocesan priest, as Pallotti was, he inspires me more and more in the spirit of Pallotti. He is full of initiatives and great communion with all cultures. I see Pallotti’s ideas and spirit in the church’s activities and ministries such as the small groups, women’s group, adoration, Children’s Liturgy of the Word, bringing communion to the sick and homebound, sacramental preparation for children and adults, and community gatherings, young couples are more taken care and giving them responsibility to prepare for the sacraments and other activities of the church.Being a part of Our Lady of Czestochowa feels like a perfect place for the Pallottine charism to be fully realized. Sisters are involved in every activity; we are like parsley, as the Italians say, always present: in catechesis, in celebrations of mass and families, on retreat and leisure days. We are present in small reading faith groups sharing the Word of God and in the preparation of the parish for particular times, as well as in recreational activities around the city, or less formally in the evenings where we eat pizza together, for example. He appreciates us and encourages us. We have three sisters in this community, and each one brings unique graces to our mission and the parish and school.

The school environment is fraternal. There is an air of understanding and collaboration among the adults as well as the children. The teachers are open and participatory to every suggestion. This year, students held a giant rosary as they helped younger ones share flowers with their mother’s for the month of May celebrating the Blessed Virgin. Because Pallotti, too, was a diocesan priest and not a member of an order, I feel I am in the right place here in this diocese, sharing in this mission with diocesan priests. Priests from this diocese who serve neighboring churches are so fraternal, too – they regularly give their time to celebrate Mass at the Pallottine convent. I feel that all are helping us to realize this mission of Pallotti in this part of the world, caring for our shared spiritual life.

   The presence of us sisters in the school and in the parish is greatly valued and loved. People on the street smile and many even say thank you to the sisters upon seeing their visible reminder as we go about our days, walking to and from the convent, on errands or visiting parishioners. I feel that God brought me to this community to be closer to Him and to journey together with the people of God. I am always grateful and proud of my entire Pallottine family, and see the fruits of our prayers and acts alive in the Pallottine presence here in Jersey City mission. One request to all those who are readers of the Apostles today to Pray and Pray for our Parish and its mission that we may have the same spirit and enthusiasm of St.Vincent Pallotti to thrust and hunger for God and to be selfless for the people of God where we are called to live in this time our life. St. Vincent Pallotti Pray for us . Our Lady of Czestochowa Pray for us.

Sr.Rini Panakal CSAC

180 Grand St.

Jersey City, New Jersey

07302 USA

Apostles for Today - July 2024

 Apostles for Today

July 2024

Christ Educates His Disciples in Missionary Service

Usually our trips are joyful and hopeful: sightseeing, relaxation, family companionship, honeymoons, learning, courses, cultural exchanges, etc.

This was a sad journey, more like an escape (Lk 24:13-35). The two disciples were talking about what had happened in Jerusalem: "Jesus was a prophet in deed and word, before God and before all the people." He awakened so much hope! Everything he did and said promised a new world! But what we did not expect happened:

"the chief priests and our authorities handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him." "We had hoped that he would liberate Israel, but despite all this, it has been three days since all these things happened."

In this sad journey, however, there was a surprise (LK 24:13-35): "Jesus himself came up to them and walked with them." He is present, more present and active than ever; closer than ever, but they do not recognize him. They think he is a pilgrim: "Are you the only pilgrim in Jerusalem who does not know what has happened there in the last days?" This impression is confirmed by that strange pilgrim's question, "What happened in Jerusalem?"

Jesus is risen in his full human reality. He is not a disembodied spirit, a ghost or a nostalgic hallucination. His corporeality is now a glorified corporeality: he does not belong to this world and enjoys a divine status. The disciples' blindness prevents them from recognizing the presence of the risen Lord. They regarded death as the final and definitive event. They were no longer expecting it, which is why they could not see Jesus. Jesus needs to break the blindness of the disciples of Emmaus to reveal himself to the evidence of their senses.

In spite of their blindness, the disciples on the road to Emmaus welcomed this strange pilgrim as their traveling companion. Jesus asked the disciples, "What happened?" There is irony here. The pilgrim does not seem to realize what has happened, but in fact it is the disciples who do not know what has really happened. Jesus is alive and talking to them, but they do not know what is happening.

Jesus' question brings out of their hearts all that torments them. Jesus asks us the same question: what is going on? He expects us to say what consumes us inside.

The disciples reveal all their disappointment: Jesus was a disappointment to them! He disappointed their hopes and expectations. They expected Jesus to be a conqueror who would impose national political independence. They expected from him an overwhelming imposition of divine power through miracles. They expected from him a security built on economic prosperity and wealth. Jesus frustrated all these expectations.

Meditate on the situation of disappointment and discouragement of "today's apostles"! Meditate on the stories of apostles experiencing weariness and discouragement. The waves of weariness seemed to reach us, who had heard the call to be liberators. We participated with excitement in ecclesial changes; we thought that, at last, the light of the Gospel was reflected in the Church. In the seminary we felt called as a new breed of prophets who should change the world and the Church with the grace of Jesus Christ. 

There was excitement in our gestures and generosity in our giving. The Church was changing with the conciliar renewal, with the active presence of the Christian lay faithful and with its new social and liberation commitments. But then came the time of weariness and discouragement.

First came discouragement. Things had not changed as we thought. Now, not only does the hierarchy seem to be backsliding, but the younger generation is beginning to exhume behaviors and objects that seemed outdated: they are pulling old vestments and robes out of their closets, claiming the right to celebrate the Tridentine Mass. The tide of discouragement is followed by weariness.

"Why continue to strive and toil? Wouldn't it be better to abandon the nets that have been empty for so long? More so. It seems that the nets have been pierced and the few fish that were once caught escape through the holes. Why continue to work when we see fewer and fewer believers getting older and older?"

Discouragement and weariness led some to abandon the institution. Indeed, many abandoned the Church boat, disillusioned, bitter and skeptical. If they do not abandon out of disillusionment, they abandon out of weariness:

"it is better to leave it to others," "we are already defeated."

In this distressing situation, let us remember the disciples on the road to Emmaus. Let us reflect on their crisis and sadness in the face of life and mission. By reading our lives in the light of the Emmaus story, our lives can find their meaning again and the Texts become transparent and very relevant. The Gospels cease to be a theory and speak to our hearts because they are written for us.

The two disciples on the road to Emmaus also had the illusion of glory. They were in the service of Jesus, devoted themselves valiantly to the radical transformation of the people. They had struggled against disease and against Satan. They were going to proclaim the Kingdom with the power and strength of Jesus. They had seen that even evil spirits were submitting to the power transmitted to them by Jesus. Well, the day came when they found themselves wounded, out of breath and without strength, like so many of us. Let us try to immerse ourselves in the crisis, weariness and discouragement of the disciples on the road to Emmaus.

On the depth of contemplation may depend the authenticity of our personal encounter with Jesus. This is how the life of discipleship seemed to end for those two, fleeing to Emmaus, tired, disillusioned, defeated, on the road to nowhere.

The disciples on the road to Emmaus suffer from the terrible affliction of pastoral acidity. It is a surprise that what Pope Francis describes as pastoral acidity applies to the disciples of Emmaus and to us. Let's look at it together:

"The greatest threat is the gray pragmatism of daily life in the Church. The psychology of the tomb is developing, gradually turning Christians into museum mummies. Disillusioned with reality, the Church and themselves, they are constantly tempted to cling to a melancholy and hopeless sadness that takes hold of their hearts like the devil's most precious elixir. They are undoubtedly ardent souls in their zeal, but not endowed with a great sense of discretion and moderation. In the present times, they see nothing but prevarication and ruin. We must disagree with these prophets of doom, who are always announcing inauspicious events, as if the end of the world were imminent" (EG 83.84).

What are the consequences of pastoral acidity? The sufferer sinks into a deep and permanent dissatisfaction, feels bad about the place where he lives, dislikes everything, despises the brothers and sisters who live with him and sees only their faults, ignores those who are far away, loses his sense of humor, reacts with impatience, flees from socializing with peers, everything bores him, lacks courage for the work he has to do, fails to apply himself to manual labor, reading or prayer. In addition, he is ashamed of being this way, feels useless and incapable, and finds himself suffocating his environment instead of making a positive contribution to community life. If he is asked what is happening to him, he replies, "Nothing." If he is asked what he needs, he still says, "Nothing," but he doesn't know either. In acidity, the person has not lost the object of his faith.

He has not lost faith in God, but he has lost the vitality, enthusiasm and joy of commitment. And with this comes an inevitable sense of abandonment and loneliness. This description was made by St. John Cassian in his work Institutions and Cenobitic Remedies for the Eight Deadly Vices, X, (+430-33). 

I must confess that I identify with those two disciples! I recognize myself in these descriptions: there are times when desire seems to fade and vitality diminishes. I have experienced moments of more or less intense prostration, experienced a lack of interest and spirit, a loss of zest for life, a desire not to get out of bed in the morning. I have learned from these experiences that pastoral acidity is not immediately paralyzing: it can settle silently in my life: life flows, commitments are fulfilled, but deep down I feel disconnected, I drag myself into the fulfillment of my obligations and agenda, without purpose, without goal, without deep animation. I recognize that sloth is a dangerous demon that always surrounds me. I see the helplessness and ineffectiveness of personal efforts. I feel the disillusionment of a life that seems futile. I feel dissatisfied, unhappy and unmotivated by what I live and do. I feel weary from pressures that are beyond my strength. I realize that I often shelter and defend myself behind the accomplishment of my work. It saddens me when I exercise my priesthood mechanically and without personal involvement. I feel that the first love is fading away. Indeed, the state of mind of the disciples on the road to Emmaus describes what I experience.

Pastoral acidity has been secularized and reduced to a syndrome: it has been renamed "burnout." The condition, even if treated with medical procedures, cannot be cured by pills alone. I believe it is impoverishing to treat and study burnout solely from a psychological or psychiatric point of view. Both burnout and acidity are matters of the soul and require treatment for the whole person, so they involve a spiritual journey to be taken with the help of grace.

The biblical text is delightfully witty and healing. It shows with clarity that we are as blind as those two who did not recognize that Jesus was speaking to them. We do not see, not because Jesus is not there; we simply do not see because we are reluctant to do his will.

Thanks be to God. The disciples' deep disappointment was not caused by Jesus' false promises. Jesus never promised what the disciples expected.

It was well for the disciples to express the disappointment that was consuming them. They were now able to recognize that the problem was not what Jesus promised, but what the disciples expected. It was their hopes that were wrong, not Jesus' promises.

Jesus rightly warns his disciples, "How dull of spirit you are and how slow you are to believe everything the prophets have said." They understood nothing of the prophets. Thus begins an Easter lesson in which Jesus explains the Scriptures. The disciples knew the Scripture but had misinterpreted it: they had selected from the Scriptures only the triumphant parts and imagined a messiah based on this selection. Jesus shows that the disciples must also read the Suffering Servant passages, Jeremiah's Passion, and the psalms of lament of the suffering. Even more important is to read all of Scripture from the life and work of Jesus. Only then will they have access to the authentic meaning of Scripture.

The explanation warms the hearts of the disciples, who insistently ask, "Stay with us, for it is late and night is coming." We also invite the living Lord: stay with us, Lord!

Jesus eats with his disciples and repeats the gestures made at the Last Supper: he "took bread, blessed it, broke it and distributed it to them." This opens the disciples' eyes and reveals the identity of that mysterious pilgrim: it is him, he is alive, the Scriptures have said all that was to come! Jesus has disappeared from their sight, for now his physical presence is no longer necessary. Jesus remains present and they experience him. The experience of the risen Lord is too great to remain with them. Immediately, despite their fatigue and distance, they return to Jerusalem to proclaim the Good News of the Resurrection.

Bishop Julio Endi Akamine, SAC

____________________________________________

Piazza San Vincenzo Pallotti, 204 00186 Roma, ITALIA 

Tel: (+39) 06.6876827 E-mail: uacgensec@gmail.com

Piazza San Vincenzo Pallotti, 204 00186 Roma, ITALIA 

Tel: (+39) 06.6876827 E-mail: uacgensec@gmail.com

 Apostles for Today
June 2024

AS BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WE WELCOME HIM AND RECOGNIZE HIM.

Love among the members of the community.

    June is traditionally dedicated to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. These two feastdays, celebrated one after another, indicate their close connection and the inseparable unity between the Heart of the Divine Son and the Heart of His Mother. In them is hidden the mystery of God's incomprehensible and purest love. It is from this source of two loving Hearts- of Jesus and Mary- that we learn true and pure love, for all brothers and sisters. 

    Let us enter our hearts and pray: Lord make our hearts unto Yours. ‘Where there is love, there is life’, and where is love there is light’. (Mahatma Gandhi)

    In this reflection I want to share my experience of the communal life where I presently belong: not only in a Pallottine religious community but as part of interlocking communities of the city of Laurel, the Catholic parish and Catholic school communities. 

    I came to Laurel, MD in August, 2023. The city is located midway between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, MD on the banks of the Patuxent River. According to the last US census, the population of Laurel is over 30,000 residents. The beginning of the Pallottine Missionary Sisters in Laurel dates back to 1934. Urged by Love of Christ and responding to the signs of times, a group of young, dynamic and zealous Pallottine Sisters came here and started their apostolic work, mainly in education and parish ministry. Their daily outreach was to the children in the boarding school and families in the Parish. They also conducted social and charitable works and organized summer catechesis outside the city. Like St. Vincent Pallotti, they wanted to be everything to everyone. Today we bear fruit from the Sisters’ hard work; seeds of faith and love planted years ago by them in the hearts of local people, until this fruit produced the Biblical hundred-fold. Although Sisters lived in the constructs of religious community, their spiritual and apostolic life had a much greater range. For them community life was not limited to the convent, but to the community of Laurel including church, school, and institutions. Everyone became their brothers and sisters—whose lives they shared, touched and changed. Together with the Pallottine Fathers, whose communities were nearby, Sisters created a Pallottine environment, where Saint Vincent Pallotti became a Laurel saint, and his words often were on people’s lips: “Seek God and you will find God; God in all things and everywhere”. Though the number of the Sisters today is diminishing and their strength is limited, the presence of Pallottine Missionary Sisters in Laurel is much appreciated and treasured. The people are open, kind, respectful, generous, and very grateful for all the efforts Sisters have done for them and their children. 

    On the occasion of Sister Karen Lester’s retirement and her 65 years of service to St. Vincent Pallotti High School, which we celebrated at the end of April, the Mayor of Laurel, in his special Proclamation Letter addressed to Sr. Karen reads: Sister’s integrity, special skills, and devotion have profoundly impacted the history of the Church, St. Vincent Pallotti High School, the City of Laurel and the State of Maryland. Sr. Karen, in these words exemplifies the attitude of all the Sisters, who came through the doors of Pallotti Convent, marked this community with their testimony of faith, sacrifices and love. Pallotti Convent always was and still is a place where people can come and quietly pray, have tea with the Sisters and share their life, enjoy fond memories from the past and envision new dreams for the future. Pallotti Convent is a home whose doors are always open for those who need help or just want to spend time visiting the Sisters and receiving spiritual nourishment. We need each other; we need to love and be loved and be supportive of one another. If we are not this, then our life becomes senseless, empty, and lifeless. 

    The Catholic Church and the Pallottine Sisters’ presence truly breathes God and lives God. It is the parish that keeps burning flame of faith among the faithful through prayerful, liturgical, sacramental and community life. St. Mary’s of the Mills Parish in Laurel is an ordinary parish. What makes it special is that this Church is a Church of living faith, where many people come to the church to encounter Jesus. Attendance at daily Mass often numbers over 65 spanning generations. On Sunday not only do they attend Mass but will spend time with Jesus in silent adoration and actively participating in the life of the parish. The church is open from the early morning to late evening, and every day a priest hears confession. It is inspiring to see different groups of small communities within the parish to actively respond and reach out spiritually and materially. 

    St. Mary’s of the Mills Church has two dedicated priests, the pastor and his vicar, who serve the parish community of 1270 parishioner households, including a large number of families with children and around 2860 individual Catholics. As we are experiencing painful changes in our society, country and world, where attempts are being made to eliminate God from our life, this Church lives a regular rhythm of life, where everyone is doing what is expected of them, as members of St. Mary’s Parish. Dedication and collaboration of Fathers, deacons and Sisters, as well as great involvement of the laity in the life of the parish, schools and society, often remind me of Pallotti’s vision of the Cenacle, the life of the Apostles, or the early Christian community described in Acts 2:42-47. Observing the life of the parish, one can say that this is exactly what Pallotti says about the universal apostolate - inviting all to be apostles of Christ. According to St. Vincent Pallotti’s idea, this is the Union of the Catholic Apostolate which is evolving and being officially established. 

    By the example of our life in Laurel, we can say that we live in different communities. Through them and with them we grow, we develop and work. But most importantly, the Pallottine Sisters constitute our religious community - creating a home and family. Although different and maybe difficult as community life may be, we are called to love - not to live one without the other, but one with the other, for the other and in the other as we share joys and sufferings, embracing and witnessing the beauty of the Gospel and Pope Francis’ admonishment to take care of our sheep. We need community to love, to extend ourselves through our vocation and friendships.

    The essence of community life and relationships is love--without which no one can live. Therefore, let us pray: Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary, teach us love and make our hearts like yours. 

Sr. Izabela Swierad SAC

____________________________________________

Piazza San Vincenzo Pallotti, 204 00186 Roma, ITALIA 

Tel: (+39) 06.6876827 E-mail: uacgensec@gmail.com

Piazza San Vincenzo Pallotti, 204 00186 Roma, ITALIA 

Tel: (+39) 06.6876827 E-mail: uacgensec@gmail.com

Apostles for Today May - 2024

 Apostles for today

Prayer an Reflection

May 2024

THE JOY OF GIVING AND SHARING WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS

The value of solidarity in the life of the Union

   Responding to the call of Jesus to feed the hungry, cloth the naked, visit the sick and those who are in prison (Mt. 25:36-40), and inspired by the apostolic zeal of St. Vincent Pallotti, our founder, the members of the Pallottine Communities in Nagpur, India, felt the urgent need to begin an innovative social apostolate, called “Pallotti Bread” with the motto “Together with the Hungry”. The members felt that the Local Community must have a social feeding venture in association with the staff and students of our educational institutions in Nagpur.

    This new venture was inaugurated by the Archbishop of Nagpur, Most. Rev. Elias Gonsalves and Very. Rev. Fr. Varghese Pullan, the then Provincial of the Epiphany of the Lord Province, Nagpur.  The members of the Local Community volunteered to be the core members and they swung into action, specifying the target groups as the homeless, poor, living on the pavements and slums of the Nagpur city.  Our survey revealed that they were the migrant homeless and jobless poor people, struggling to make a living, living on the streets. The initial challenges made us to streamline our distribution chain by introducing smart ration cards for the beneficiaries with the assistance of modern technology. The rations containing rice, beans, wheat powder, edible oil, and cooking ingredients were made as kits and were distributed to the smart card holders. We used to distribute 500 ration kits in a month.  

The members of the Communities are actively involved on every fourth Sunday to distribute these kits at different places. Each time we venture out to distribute these food items, we could experience the joy on their face, and we in turn, felt the “Joy of Giving”, as St. Mother Theresa always referred to.

    We are able to carry out this innovative social apostolate only because of the generous contributions from our Pallottine educational institutions. We have motivated some of the staff members from our institutions to a certain extent to collaborate with us in these noble endeavors. As the poor widow in her poverty had contributed all that she had, her whole livelihood” (Mk. 12:44), these people too contribute from their little savings. We wish to invite our UAC members and other well-wishers to collaborate with us in the near future to share in the Joy of Giving. The onset of the pandemic and the subsequent lock-down (Covid-19) in India in March 2020 onward posed a new challenge to “Pallotti Bread” as we had to stop the distribution due to lock-down.  

   As the migrant laborers started to move from the metro cities on foot to their villages, the members of the Community served hot meals for them daily on the highways. Meantime, we realized that our scarce resources will not be enough to feed the poor on the streets, badly affected by the lock-down and the pandemic. “Pallotti Bread” tied up with the Sneha Charitable Trust, run by the St. Camillus Fathers (MI) and expanded the distribution programs for the poor affected by the pandemic in the city and nearby villages. With the assistance of the Sneha Charitable Trust, “Pallotti Bread” was able to distribute another 600 pulse kits, masks and sanitizers every month, for five to six months from June 2020.

    Besides, we also focused on the frontline workers and the police personnel in the major police stations of Nagpur City and the rural areas. We distributed health kits, containing masks, sanitizers and vitamin tablets for these frontline workers and for the needy people through them. Awareness programs on health, social distancing and Covid norms were conducted in the villages and slums involving College/School staff members, student volunteers, medical staff, police personnel and village leaders.

    “Pallotti Bread” witnessed the caring hands of God as the Heart of Jesus Province of the Pallottine Society in Germany came forward with their contribution to assist us in our feeding program through the Mission Secretariat of the Epiphany of the Lord Province. This helped us again to expand our reach to help the needy with food kits, medicines, masks and sanitizers at different parts of our country.
 We continue our journey of responding and alleviating the hunger of the homeless of our brothers and sisters, inspired by the charism and enthusiasm of our founder St. Vincent Pallotti, who always had the hunger to do more and more (sempre più – always more) for the poor and the needy.

   The Word of God says, Jesus was moved with compassion for the crowd, and He told his disciples, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way” (Mt. 15:32). Jesus, moved with compassion, fed those four thousand people and satisfied their hunger with seven loaves of bread and a few fish. It is true, even today, that when we share our little things with our brothers and sisters we will be able to satisfy their hunger to a great extent. Like Jesus our Master, let us be compassionate and sensitive to the needs of our brothers and sisters around us. May St. Vincent inspire us to do more and more for the poor and fill our hearts with the “Joy of Giving”.
 

Bro. George Chemplamparambil SAC
Mission Secretary, Epiphany of the Lord Province, Nagpur

Piazza San Vincenzo Pallotti, 204 00186 Roma, ITALIA
Tel: (+39) 06.6876827 E-mail: uacgensec@gmail.com
Sito: www.vincenzopallotti.org

Apostles for Today - March 2024

Apostles for Today
March - 2024

RENEW OUR TIRED HEARTS AND TRANSFORM OUR HORIZONS!

In this March reflection of Apostles for Today, we continue to move within Chapter 24 of the Gospel according to St Luke, which, so to speak, has been accompanying us since the beginning of the year. In the light of this text, we also wish to experience the Fourth General Congress of the Union of the Catholic Apostolate, which is rapidly approaching. For a moment let us linger on the well-known story of the disciples on their way to the village of Emmaus. In its immense richness, it reveals the path to the transformation of our hearts.

The beginning of the pericope shows two resigned, tired, and certainly greatly disappointed disciples leaving Jerusalem with a sense of failure. They had hoped for something more. They had expected that Jesus' victory would bring order to their existence: “… but we were hoping” (Lk 24:21). Perhaps they had hoped they would be triumphant with Him and share His kingdom. Instead, they saw His ignominious death and now heard of His alleged resurrection, such a rather unlikely thing, if not distinctly strange. 

Yet, this encounter proved to be far more important than their fears and the road they eventually chose to take became their transformative journey from hopeless people to bearers of hope.

The disciples' transformation begins with an encounter, with being listened to and at the same time with their opening up to a different perspective, one that transforms and empowers them to look beyond their present horizon, beyond what has seemed right up to now. The encounter with Jesus, is indeed much more than an accidental stage of their journey. It is a turning point. The two disciples are called to compare their ideas about what victory humanly means for them and what it means for God. Thanks to the patience of Jesus who, beginning with Moses and all the prophets, interpreted to them what referred to Him in all the Scriptures (Lk 24:27), they learn afresh how God works, so that in the end they are able to see and receive Him as he breaks the bread.

It appears that this Gospel, especially in the perspective of recent years, takes on a new meaning. After all,“But we were hoping"(Lk 24:21) is the very cry of so many of us in every corner of the world. Everyone experiences disappointment at different stages of their life. The last few years have shown this very clearly: armed conflicts, world hunger, lack of empathy, sex scandals - including those involving the church - all accompany us. We have more and more comforts and less and less time for others. It is not uncommon that we live together in a way as if we are astray. Many of us may be asking ourselves this important question: where is He who was meant to reign? Where is the Church, His mystical body that should make Him present here on earth? These questions, though important, do not help us at all if they are poorly lived out; they deprive us of hope and lead us to a sense of bewilderment. It is not that we should not ask questions, but we must seek the answers in the right way, that is, with Him, the One who has definitively conquered death and to whom the final say belongs. Are we ready for this?

Let us look once again at the disciples on the road to Emmaus. Their transformation was not only caused by Jesus' tenderness and patience, but also by their willingness to listen to Him; a healthy curiosity was enkindled in them that eventually renewed their enthusiasm. This is our journey as Christians. We are a people constantly journeying, struggling with hardships and disappointments, but if we seek answers in the Risen One, no one can deprive us of hope. “Redemption is offered to us in the sense that we have been given hope, trustworthy hope, by virtue of which we can face our present: the present, even if it is arduous, can be lived and accepted if it leads towards a goal, if we can be sure of this goal, and if this goal is great enough to justify the effort of the journey.” (Spe Salvi, 1). So says Pope Benedict in his encyclical letter on Christian hope. Do these words not contain the whole secret of continuity? 

In the perspective of Chapter 24 of the Gospel of Luke, it is also worth looking at the Synod on Synodality, which is currently taking place in the Church. For us, just as for the disciples of Emmaus, this is a time of journeying together and, like them, we have two options: either to be content with our own ideas about the synod and our disillusionment with the Church - which is justified in many places - or to embark on this beautiful journey to which we are invited by Pope Francis in order to discern and listen together, so that our hope in the Risen One may even better stretch out to the ends of the earth. Are we ready to take this risk? Are we open to one another? Do we really want to live the Gospel than just keep on talking about it?

As Union of the Catholic Apostolate, we too are invited to follow the path of the disciples of Emmaus. Their feelings and doubts are also ours. In many moments of our community life, as priests, brothers, sisters, lay people, we can certainly say: “... but we were hoping” (Lk 24:21), and continue with a whole litany of how we would envisage the Union to be like. Many of us still live decanting the past and are immersed in memories that, instead of moving us forward, hinder our further development. We can indeed see our weaknesses, frustrations, and lack of working together, which should be our greatest task and pride. However, let us make ourselves willing to hand everything over to Jesus. Let us allow ourselves time to express all of this. Let us allow Him to embrace everything that humanly defies us and show us a new perspective. Let us give Him the chance to renew our weary hearts and transform our Pallottine horizons, a mixture of clarity and darkness. And even though we can easily forget it, we’ll see there is always light in everything.

In this spirit we want to live the forthcoming IV General Congress of the UAC, which will be held in Rome from 25 to 31 July, and whose motto is: With Christ our hope, let us set out together with renewed joy and confidence. Throughout the five days we will spend together, we wish to reflect once again on this Gospel pericope - the theme of this text - and experience the transformation of the heart that, after the encounter with the Risen One, switches from resignation to hope. May the words of our Founder guide us as we prepare to live this time together:

I implore you, therefore, to consider, in the light of the love of our Lord Jesus Christ Crucified, the works of the Pious Union and to have this conviction that they can be realised because they are useful and necessary for the extension of the glory of God and the sanctification of souls, as well as for coming to the aid of our brothers and sisters in need, even though some, taking the works of the Pious Union as its goal, think that they are very difficult to realise. Remember, however, that according to the nature of Pious Union, these works are only means to an end (St. Vincent Pallotti).

See you in Rome!

Michał Grzeca

 Apostles for today

February 2024

Risen Christ walks with us to make us live in the joy of hope

Number 654 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church shows us that there is a double aspect in the Paschal mystery: through his death he frees us from sin, through his Resurrection he opens for us access to a new life.

This is first of all the justification which restores us to the grace of God (cf. Rom 4, 25) “so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead, we too may live in new life” (Rom 6, 4). In approaching our theme for this month there is a whole project of the resurrected Christ on each and every one of us. As he walked with the disciples of Emmaus, he also walks with us today to make us live in the joy of hope.

Let us pause in our thoughts for a moment and remember the experience of the Paschal Vigil. We all have this experience of the celebration of the Easter Eve which begins in darkness but only the Paschal candle guides the procession. The priest sings: Light of Christ and we all respond: We give thanks to God. After this song and this response, you will no longer see sad faces but all the faithful and the celebrants radiate with joy because the risen Christ, light of the world is in the midst of his children. 

The paschal candle always gives us hope that we are children of light and we no longer walk in darkness. Another experience that we would like to contemplate is that in the Gospel of Saint Luke 24: 18-35 where we see the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. They were in despair because they believed that Jesus in whom they had placed all their hope had died and that everything was over. But when they realized that on their march towards Emmaus they were accompanied by the risen Christ, their eyes were opened, a new light shone in their hearts and on their faces. A new hope has sprung up and a new page has opened to see their lives and that of their brothers and sisters differently. With renewed zeal, they hastened back to Jerusalem to testify of what they had seen. As Christ gave his life for humanity, Saint Vincent Pallotti also in experiencing the risen Lord, he desired to be food to satisfy the hungry, clothing to clothe the naked, drink to refresh the thirsty, medicine to strengthen the stomach of those who are weak, care to relieve the suffering of the sick, the crippled, the mute and the deaf,

light to enlighten those who are physically and spiritually blind, life to raise the dead by the grace of God. (OOCC X,115).”

As daughters and sons of Saint Vincent Pallotti, we have the great responsibility of perpetuating the ideal of the Founder. This is possible if we walk together in unity and fraternity. Walking alone we go fast and we get lost, but walking together we are strong and we can go far. Let us remember that our Holy Founder Vincent Pallotti bequeathed us his charism. At a time when the Church had to face crises relating to faith and found itself faced with the multiplication of its tasks for the mission, Pallotti realized the urgency of reviving faith and rekindling charity among Catholics and to unite all in Christ. The way he found to achieve this is the collaboration of all members of the Church, both the clergy and the laity, and to unite their efforts in order to promote more effectively the apostolic mission of the Church. (Preamble b.). Experts in Pallottine spirituality speak to us of collaboration as a gift above all gifts. If collaboration is lacking then let us know that the Union is in danger of ruin.

As an Auxiliary Body of the Church (General Statutes no. 58), the Union of the Catholic Apostolate needs to take a step forward in carrying out its mission in the Church. It is necessary to discover new initiatives that engage even the youngest in order to bring new oxygen to the entire Union. Routine is no longer useful. Being a tireless apostle, Pallotti never stopped inventing new methods to be the evangelical trumpet in the Church and in the world. He knew how to open up to the poor and the confined, to the sick and the marginalized, he took care of soldiers, workers, students and prisoners, he was a tireless confessor, he gave conferences to nuns and preached popular missions in parishes, he organized training for young people, adults and the clergy, he opened and supported orphanages, he spread the Good Press, he encouraged foreign missions, he inaugurated the Octave of the Epiphany.

Beyond everything, his concern is to be a man concerned with the infinite Glory of God and the salvation of men. Like the disciples of Emmaus, we must set out again to leave our routines and our comfortable zones and embrace new horizons. Today, there is so much to do around us, there is poverty of all categories: spiritual, material; isolated, people who lost their loved ones, lack of peace, refugees, the homeless, orphans, street children, widows and widowers, elderly people who live alone, people who live with incurable illnesses, drug addicts, people living with inner wounds, couples torn apart by all kinds of problems etc. All these needs around us need answers. The others are waiting for us.

We cannot wait to do great works but rather we can start with small concrete gestures to give our brothers and Sisters the hope of living. There is more joy in giving than in receiving. The following witness helps us see how the risen Christ walks with us when we decide to engage in his mission. Walking requires us to leave one place to go to another. This requires a firm decision and constant will. Every decision in life involves an Easter mystery. I die within myself so that Christ will resurrect me and give me new life in Him.

For us Missionary Sisters of the Catholic Apostolate (Pallottines), walking with the risen Christ also means being available and accepting the mission entrusted to us. This availability allows us to live the Easter experience. Trusting in the one who calls us and sends us and reading the signs of the times, the Pallottine Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Kibeho Province (Rwanda), by the invitation of the Local Ordinary, they left their country to open a new mission in Brittany (Bretagne) in France in the Diocese of Vannes in the Parish of Saint Peter of Quistinic. They are aware that in the past it was the Missionaries of Europe who were going to evangelize as missionaries. Today, reading the signs of the times, the time has come for African missionaries and those from elsewhere to leave to share what they have received in response to Christ's invitation: “Go to all the world and proclaim the good news” (Mark 16, 15). In Brittany, the Sisters carry out their apostolate with children by giving them catechism and preparing them for the sacraments. They supervise those who feel the call to be altar boys and girls, they visit the elderly and give time to

listen to them, they bring Holy Communion to the sick and doffer accampaniement for those who desire it, they participate in funerals and take care of pastoral care in the parishes, they are part of the Parish choir and they lead Masses during the week... By citing these few apostolates it is to show how much others are waiting for us. It is not by their strength that the sisters fulfil their mission but thanks to the one who calls them and sends them. The sisters are grateful and they rejoice that the first missionaries prepared them well, instilling the missionary spirit in them.

Many elderly people live alone, they need someone to share at least a word with. How important it is to be with those who have lost their loved ones! The presence is very comforting. Sometimes we think that this or that person is used to living alone but deep down we all need each other. How encouraging it is to listen to Christians say that you Pallottine Sisters have brought oxygen to our Parishes. You are lightning rods. All this for the infinite glory of God.

I who write these pages have just spent more than three months in this mission and I give thanks to the Lord who wanted this mission here in Brittany. The others are waiting for us. By praying this prayer of our Pallottine community prayers, let us allow our heart be impregnated with it and let it to engage us again.

Pray:

Guide. Lord, the others are waiting for us:

Assembly. They expect something from us; they wait for our word;

they count on our patience

Guide. Many expect a letter from us, a visit; perhaps they are waiting for us

to give them our time, to look at them with compassion!

Assembly. The world needs us so much, those we meet expect us to call them by their own names.

Guide. Many people look for an open door in us; they need a place and a time to talk with us,  they want to share their burdens with us

Assembly. Now we bring to you, Lord, all those who have come into us:
 accept them and us also with our failings.

Guide. Give us the courage to hold the door of our heart open,
so that all those who seek us can only meet you.

Amen 

Sr Liberata Niyongira SAC

_____________________________________________

Piazza San Vincenzo Pallotti, 204 00186 Roma, ITALIA

Tel: (+39) 06.6876827 E-mail: uacgensec@gmail.com

 www.vincenzopallotti.org