25 October 2020 Bulletin
Click to read this week’s bulletin: 25 October 2020 Bulletin
Fr. Gaspar’s 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Fr Anthony Gaspar on Mission Sunday
Mission Appeal to the Prince of Peace Catholic Church Community, Taylor, SC, USA to support ANANDA HEALTH CARE OUT REACH PROGRAM:
There are about 7 Care Centres of Children with Special needs run by the religious order nuns and brothers of the roman catholic diocese of Sivagangai, Tamilnadu, India. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sivagangai is located at southeast corner of Bay of Bengal, 30 miles east of Madurai city, Tamil Nadu, India. It was established on July 25, 1987. The motto of our diocese is “Marching towards the Kingdom of God on the footsteps of our patron saint John De Britto”. He was a Portuguese missionary, who was beheaded on our soil at Oriyur in 1693 and died a martyr. Yes, we reap what he had sown; the ultimate love for God among the poor people. John De britto was a real wisdom from above “first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits”.
Mainly to support and attend to the Health care of these special need kids and other health- wise vulnerable kids we thought of establishing a health care outreach program: ANANDA health care outreach program. This health care outreach program is named after our patron saint St. John De Britto, : in Tamil version of his Name “ Anandar” a man with great Joy. I am blessed to be one of the brains behind establishing this outreach program serving the kids. I am actively involved in this mission though miles away from home: my education in research medicine as a research doctor finds its greater fulfilment in participating this mission. We support these kids materially with daily living aids; like bathing, carrying, child care, dispenser aids etc., special communication boards and speaking devices. We invite our local catholic families to visit these kids and spend time with them. We do plan to provide professional training to the volunteers who have heart to nurse these kids though the course fee is a lot.
Our big worry is “how we ultimately bring this number down”. Disability is both a cause and consequence of poverty”. There is increasing evidence to suggest that being poor dramatically increases the likelihood of being born with impairment. This is not surprising as people living in poverty have limited access to basic health care, have insufficient and/or unhealthy food, poor sanitation facilities, and an increased risk and likelihood of living and working in hazardous conditions; just imagine how bad it is now, the pandemic situation. We try to address these through health care awareness programs; more affordable to meet the health need with what is available.
We invite you all to participate supporting and encouraging us in this mission. Extreme poverty anywhere is a threat to human security everywhere, and “if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward”, says the Lord. Our little contribution with generous heart provides a greater hope those who desperately looking for especially those special need kids who cannot ask us anything but deserve our attention and care. As a cup of water can quench the thirsty of a poor, may our little contribution matters these kids care.
Real generosity is doing something nice for someone who will never find out.
Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me.
23 October: Memorial of Saint John of Capistrano
23 October: Memorial of Saint John of Capistrano, born in 1386 at Capistrano in the Italian Province of the Abruzzi. His father was a German knight and died when John was young. His mother gave him an excellent education. St. John became a lawyer and then the governor of Perugia at the age of 26. When war broke out between Perugia and Malatesta, John tried to achieve peace but became a prisoner of war. During imprisonment, he encountered St. Francis of Assisi in a dream. He then resolved to embrace poverty, chastity, and obedience by joining the Franciscans. His teacher and mentor was St. Bernardine of Siena, known for bold preaching. St. John began preaching as a deacon in 1420, and then as a priest in 1425. The world at the time was in great need: one third of the population had died from the Black Plague and the Church was split in schism. Saint John made great efforts for the Church. He resolved controversy within the Franciscan order. Pope Nicholas V and his successor Callixtus III entrusted important matters to John, including the effort to reunite Eastern and Western Christendom at the Council of Florence. St. John preached to tens of thousands during his missionary travels throughout Italy and Central Europe, and established communities of Franciscan renewal. He healed the sick by making the Sign of the Cross over them. He also wrote extensively against heresies. At the age of 70, he was commissioned by Pope Callixtus III to lead a crusade against the Muslim Turks. He marched at the head of 70,000 Christian soldiers. They won the great battle of Belgrade in 1456 and delivered Europe from the Muslims. He died a few months later from illness. St. John was canonized in 1724 and was praised by St. John Paul II for his “glorious evangelical witness,” as a priest who “gave himself with great generosity for the salvation of souls.” St. John of Capistrano is known as “the soldier saint” and is the patron of military chaplains, jurists and judges.
Ideas for celebrating this feast day at home:
- Father Junipera Serra founded the Mission of San Juan Capistrano in 1776, named for St. John, for mission work to the Indians. The Mission is famous for the tradition of the swallows returning every year. Click here to read more about the Mission. Here is a step-by-step craft to make paper swallows! The history of the swallows at the mission can be found here.
- Here is a fun craft idea for making little Franciscan friars in memory of St. John of Capistrano.
- Today’s feast day dinner should include Italian foods and a dessert such as cupcakes topped with cocktails swords to remember ‘the soldier saint’. If your children own knight or friar costumes, today’s the day to dress up!
- Watch a free video on Formed tracing the origin of the Franciscan order: “The Birth of the Franciscans.”
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