News

Tens of Thousands of Iraqi Christians Still Living in Fear in Refugee Camps

Tens of thousands of Iraqi Christians who have fled their homes in the Nineveh Valley in northern Iraq are still living in refugee camps, and many of them are afraid to return to their hometowns, the Secretary for Inter-Christian Relations for the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate Hieromonk Stefan (Igumnov) related at a recent Russia Today press conference.

Washington DC: Bells tolls for Martin Luther King at National Catholic Shrine

Today, April 4th at 7.05pm (EDT), the US Conference of Catholic Bishops will join in solidarity with the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in remembering the Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr, by tolling the Shrine's bells 39 times to honour the number of years Dr. King lived on earth.

At that time, the USCCB and the Shrine will join with numerous other churches and schools across the nation tolling bells in homage to Dr King's legacy and his many contributions including the principle of non-violent resistance. The moment is also an opportunity for us to pause and reflect individually on what we are doing to build the culture of love, respect and peace to which the Gospel calls us and to also ask ourselves how we seek to help our brothers and sisters still suffering under the weight of racism.

Anies attends Easter service at Monas

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and a congregation of thousands attended an Easter celebration at the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta on Sunday morning.

Anies came to the event, which was held by an Indonesian Bethel Church congregation, at around 6 a.m., during which the congregation sang before preacher Gilbert Lumoindong gave a sermon.

Weekly Diocesan Bulletin - Sunday, April 1st, 2018

PALM SUNDAY: THE ENTRANCE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST INTO JERUSALEM

FIRST ANTIPHON

VERSE: I love the Lord because He has heard the voice of my supplication.REFRAIN: Through the prayers of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us.
VERSE: Because He inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call on Him as long as I live.
REFRAIN: Through the prayers of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us.
VERSE: Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
REFRAIN: Through the prayers of the Theotokos, O Savior, save us.

Palm Sunday celebrations mark revival of life in Qaraqosh

For many Christian families in Qaraqosh, this Easter is particularly special, as they will be celebrating it at home for the first time since fleeing the city in 2014.

The city, located in northern Iraq’s Nineveh Plains, was occupied by the Islamic State group for over three years before its liberation in October 2017.

Venerable Benedict of Nursia

Saint Benedict, founder of Western monasticism, was born in the Italian city of Nursia in the year 480. When he was fourteen years of age, the saint’s parents sent him to Rome to study. Unsettled by the immorality around him, he decided to devote himself to a different sort of life.

At first Saint Benedict settled near the church of the holy Apostle Peter in the village of Effedum, but news of his ascetic life compelled him to go farther into the mountains. There he encountered the hermit Romanus, who tonsured him into monasticism and directed him to live in a remote cave at Subiaco. From time to time, the hermit would bring him food.