Good News from the MISSIONS OFFICE - Archdiocese of Seattle

Good News from the MISSIONS OFFICECatholic Archdiocese of Seattle 710 9 th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104 January 2014“…and he is named Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace. His dominion is vast and foreverpeaceful.” (Isaiah 9:5-6)Wonderful Counselor, grant insight and wisdom to those inauthority that they may listen to the cries of the afflicted andwork unceasingly to alleviate their plight.Shine light on those who walk in darkness,grant peace to those who long for justice.Mighty God, shake those who trample on the defenseless that they may turn away from evil and learn toseek the way of peace.Shine light on those who walk in darkness,grant peace to those who long for justice.Everlasting Father, look with compassion on those who dwell in lands of deep darkness that their peoplesmay look beyond their fear and be upheld by a vision of your love.Shine light on those who walk in darkness,grant peace to those who long for justice.Prince of Peace, inspire those who work in your name that they may be ready to challenge injustice and toactively pursue reconciliation.Shine light on those who walk in darkness,grant peace to those who long for justice.Child of God, hold the hands of the vulnerable that they may be comforted by your touch and guided tofollow in your path.Shine light on those who walk in darkness,grant peace to those who long for justice.Emmanuel, Son of God, be with us in our pain and in our joy that we may know your presence and beupheld by a vision of a world made whole.Shine light on those who walk in darkness,grant peace to those who long for justice,and of your government let there be no end. Amen.Source: Annabel Shilson-Thomas / CAFOD (English/Wales sister agency of Catholic Relief Services), www.cafod.org.uk.Art: Julie Lonneman, Liturgy Training Publications.

Good News from the Missions OfficeJanuary: Poverty in the U.S.Awareness MonthCheck out the educational resources (Englishand Spanish) at www.povertyusa.org and www.pobrezausa.org.Watch the Poverty USA tour and Stories of Hope. Sponsored bythe U.S. Bishops’ Catholic Campaign for Human Development.Consider adding the link to your parish or school websiteduring January.Young Adult Interfaith Conference“Many Faiths, One Humanity: Unity in Diversity”.January 12, 2014; 1:30pm–6:00pm.Bringing young adults (20s and 30s) together from diversebackgrounds to build community, engage in dialogue, learnabout each other’s faith traditions, and explore interfaithengagement in service and justice. St. Mark’s Cathedral,1245 Tenth Ave E, Seattle, WA 98102. Visit www.ipjc.org forinformation and registration.“Opening a Horizon of Hope:Transformed by Christ to Love All.”A parish social ministry training conference for parish leadersin Portland and Seattle archdioceses to learn more about theCatholic social mission and to discover effective strategies torespond to needs and those on the margins.April 4, Friday evening, and Saturday, April 5, 2014Place: Resurrection parish, Tualatin, OR.National Migration WeekNational Migration Week 2014 willtake place January 5-11 with thetheme, "Out of the Darkness." Migrantsand particularly the most vulnerablemigrants: children, the undocumented,refugees, and victims of human trafficking, often findthemselves existing in a kind of figurative darkness where theiroptions remain limited and their ability to live out their livesin its fullness severely restricted. Often at risk of violence orexploitation these vulnerable populations need to be providedthe support needed so that they can thrive. The prayer for 2014can be found elsewhere in this newsletter; it andrelated resources for use throughout the year can be found atwww.usccb.org/mrs/nmw.Catholic Advocacy DayFriday, February 21, 2014This year’s theme is “Proclaim Justice & Life for All!”At: Olympia (begin in the morning at St. Michael church,then to Capitol) All are invited to attend this annual event toensure that the Gospel message to care for our brothers andsisters is heard loud and clear in Olympia. The day will include:• Briefings on legislative issues and stories of how youradvocacy makes a difference• Mass with Archbishop Sartain• Appointments with legislatorsBuses will be provided for registered participants andwill depart from a number of different locations. Formore information about Catholic Advocacy Day, email:dialogueforjustice@ccsww.org, or visit www.ccsww.org andgo to “Advocacy.”CRSRice Bowlwebinar foryouth ministersJanuary 2014 – Page TwoWednesday, January 8. 11am-12:15pm (Pacific)Get ideas from fellow youth ministers, see the NEW 2014 CatholicRelief Services Rice Bowl materials, preview the 2014 Stories ofHope, and more. Register at www.crsricebowl.org/ym.African Connections/Sister Parish ConferenceSave the date! Saturday, March 22, 2014.At: St. Bridget church, Seattle.Human TraffickingHuman Trafficking Awareness Day -January 11, 2014And: National Weekend of Prayer to End Slavery andTrafficking, January 10-12, 2014Monthly Human Trafficking Awareness vigils held the 1stSunday of every month in Seattle at Westlake Park, 1:30 to 2pm,and at other locations. Contact Intercommunity Peace andJustice Center for a variety of resources and for a toolkit to starta monthly vigil in your local community. www.ipjc.org.GOOD NEWS is published monthly, September through Summer,by the Missions Office of the Archdiocese of Seattle.Distributed to Catholic leadership in the Archdiocese of Seattleand those concerned with the needs of the poor, locally andinternationally.Much of this newsletter, and other resources, can be found at:www.seattlearchdiocese.org/missionsSTAFF:J.L. Drouhard .......................................................DirectorVeronica Kieft ..........................Administrative AssistantKelly Hickman......................Administrative Supervisor(206) 382-4580 or (800) 869-7028E-mail: missionsoffice@seattlearch.org

Good News from the Missions OfficeNuns, bishops, and laityattacked by policePolice in Delhi, India, baton-charged and fired water cannonsat dozens of bishops, priests and nuns before making severalarrests on December 12 during a protest to demand an end toChristian Dalit discrimination. Archbishop Anil Couto of Delhiwas among those arrested. At least 10 nuns and two lay leaderswere injured in the crackdown, which resulted when Christiansof various denominations defied police orders and insisted onmarching on the capital’s parliament building. The archbishopalong with several other bishops and lay leaders were taken to alocal police station and later released.“We were not insisting on marching on parliament, but …we defied police orders as a mark of civil disobedience,” saidCatholic lay leader John Dayal, who took part in the rally. He saidthe protesters only wanted to present a letter to Prime MinisterManmohan Singh.Archbishop Couto also criticized the police crackdown, sayingthe protest was part of their fight to end an “unconstitutionallaw.” “….Governments after governments have turned a deaf earon the demands of Christians. Now they are going to the extent ofbrutally beating up our priests and nuns and arresting us too,”he said.The protest was to demand the repeal of a 1950 presidentialorder denying statutory benefits for Dalit Christians. The Indianconstitution guarantees a reservation of government jobs andplaces in educational institutions for underprivileged classes, butChristians and Muslims among these classes are denied suchbenefits on the grounds that their religions do not recognize thecaste system.“This is a human rights issue,” Dayal said. “We want tonationalize and internationalize the issue to make people awareof this gross injustice, and to end it. Unfortunately, no one takesresponsibility for this. The media is silent about this; politiciansdon’t care about it. That is why we are doing this.”Source: www.ucanews.com and www.news.va/en.Walking thePath of PeaceJanuary 2014 – Page ThreeLet us have faith in the possibilityOf walking the path of peace.Let us have hope that we may move beyondThe present spiral of sorrow and death.Let us have the active love that recognizesThe possibility of forgiveness, dialogue and reconciliation.As we look to the Cross,We can see God’s wisdom:Violence is not answered with violence,Death is not answered with the language of death.In the silence of the Cross,May the noise of weapons cease;In the teaching of the Prince of Peace,May we find the way to a world of reconciliation.Let us pray for reconciliation and peace,let us work for reconciliation and peace,and let us all become, in every place,Men and women of reconciliation and peace!So may it be.Source: Jane Deren at www.educationforjustice.org. This prayer reflects thewords and spirit of Pope Francis on the Vigil of the Day of Prayer for Peacein Syria, Sept. 7, 2013. To read his message for the 2014 World Dayof Peace, and view other resources, visit www.usccb.org/jphd.“Humanity has a Future”Every year we celebrate our birthdays. We remember that we are one year older, onemore candle on the cake. But at Christmas we do not celebrate the immense age ofJesus with a vast cake. He is always Emmanuel, God among us, newborn, fresh andjust beginning. Christmas is the feast of God’s eternal freshness. I visited Rwandaafter the genocide and found one of my brethren, a Canadian Dominican, desolate.Nearly all his friends had died. Everything that he had achieved was destroyed.There seemed no future at all. And then the next Christmas he sent me a picture ofhimself holding two chubby Rwandan babies, and he wrote underneath ‘Africa has afuture.’ Every Christmas, when we remember the birth of Christ the child, we can say‘Humanity has a future.’Timothy Radcliffe, O.P. in What is the Point of Being Christian?. 2014 is the 20th anniversary of theRwandan genocide. Art: Julie Lonneman, Liturgy Training Publications.

Good News from the Missions OfficeJanuary 2014 – Page FourThe U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops sponsors National Migration Week observance everyJanuary (Jan 5-11 in 2014). See page two for information. Below is the prayer for 2014.A Prayer for MigrantsMerciful and loving Father,you provided for your people Israel in their exodusslaverya promised land that you established for them,and in Jesus Christ you provide welcome refuge for allin need.We ask for your divine protection for all migrantswho have left their homes in search of newopportunity in another land.For refugees, who are forced from their homes due tothreats of violence,we beseech you to provide them a safe haven.For migrants trafficked into slavery,grant them rescue, healing, and the strength tostart again.For immigrants, who so often leave their family andfriends behind,grant them a better lifeand greater opportunityelsewhere.We pray in particularfor your protection overmigrantchildren who are vulnerable to exploitation and abuseat the hands of others.We implore you to grant all migrants your protectionand lead them to a place of safety.Be with all those in need with your power to save.Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,who lives and reigns with you in the unity of theHoly Spirit,one God, forever and ever.Amen.Acts of Solidarity“The Church has realized that the need toheed this plea [the cry of the poor] is itselfborn of the liberating action of grace withineach of us, and thus it is not a question of amission reserved only to a few: ‘The Church,guided by the Gospel of mercy and bylove for mankind, hears the cry for justiceand intends to respond to it with all her might.’ (Instructionon Christian Freedom and Liberation) In this context we canunderstand Jesus’ command to his disciples: ‘You yourselves givethem something to eat!’ (Mk 6:37): it means working to eliminatethe structural causes of poverty and to promote the integraldevelopment of the poor, as well as small daily acts of solidarityin meeting the real needs which we encounter. The word“solidarity” is a little worn and at times poorly understood, but itrefers to something more than a few sporadic acts of generosity.It presumes the creation of a new mindset which thinks interms of community and the priority of the life of all over theappropriation of goods by a few.— Pope Francis, Joy of the Gospel, #188.An action item: For Poverty Awareness Month in January, use anew calendar from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, withdaily suggestions for reflection, learning and action about poverty.Re-post the daily suggestions on social media to help get the wordout about poverty and its root causes. Visit www.povertyusa.org.© Daniel W. Erlander; www.danielerlander.com.

Good News from the Missions OfficeWORLD DAY OF PEACE 2014ENCOUNTERING THE “OTHER”,BUILDING PEACEJanuary 2014 – Page FiveThis resource (adapted by the Missions Office) summarizes Pope Francis’ 2014 World Day of Peace message abouttrue “encounter” with our brothers and sisters affected by poverty and injustice in order to build peace. It is availableas a handout/bulletin insert for reflection on ways we are called to “encounter” others as peacemakers, and isdownloadable from the Missions Office at www.seattlearchdiocese.org/missions through the end of January, and in itsoriginal form at www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/war-and-peace/world-day-of-peace.cfm.Who is the “other” that Christ calls you to “encounter”in this new year?In his 2014 Message for the World Day of Peace (January1), Pope Francis urges us to open our hearts in a new wayto those brothers and sisters affected by poverty, hunger,underdevelopment, conflicts, migrations, pollution,inequalities, and injustice. When we break free fromindifference and see ourselves as members of one humanfamily, we can truly “encounter” one another and build peace.Here are some questions for prayerful reflection based onPope Francis’ message, entitled “Fraternity, the Foundationand Pathway to Peace.”Pope Francis writes that our self-centered, “throwawayculture” can cause us to fail to see those who suffer as humanbeings created in God’s image. What is your reaction whenyou hear about injustice? What can help us to see the one whosuffers as a brother or sister – not as a statistic?Instead, Pope Francis urges a “culture of encounter” basedon relationship and solidarity, so that we can love those whosuffer with the heart of Christ. With whom do you need todevelop a sense of solidarity?Pope Francis criticizes treating those who are poor and needyas burdens or as passive recipients of charity. Instead, theyshould be invited to the table so they can be “protagonists” ofintegral and inclusive development. What is your perspectivetowards those who are poor and vulnerable? How are youworking to “invite these brothers and sisters to the table”?Pope Francis’ message is the most recent in a long historyof messages for the World Day of Peace beginning withPope Paul VI in 1968. Visit the USCCB website for a linkto the 2014 World Day of Peace message and supplementalresources: www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-anddignity/war-and-peace/world-day-of-peace.cfm.YOU CAN BE A PEACEMAKER.4 WAYS YOU CAN “ENCOUNTER THE OTHER”1. Pray for the courage to “overcome indifference” towardsyour brothers and sisters in need. Use the prayers belowin your daily prayer, at the dinner table, or as part ofgeneral intercessions at Mass. Ask yourself: How does thePrince of Peace call me to encounter the “other” in mychurch, neighborhood, and the global human family?2. Visit www.confrontglobalpoverty.org andwww.PovertyUSA.org to hear the stories of those inpoverty and how the church is responding.3. Go out and encounter your neighbor! Contact CatholicCampaign for Human Development or Catholic ReliefServices to explore opportunities to encounter yourneighbors locally and globally. (Seattle archdiocesanrepresentative for CRS and CCHD: Missions Office;www.seattlearchdiocese.org/missions; 206.382.4580.)There are more opportunities at an even more locallevel (e.g. Catholic Community Services, CatholicHousing Services, St. Vincent de Paul Society, etc.)4. Take Action. Advocate for and with those in poverty bytaking part in Action Alerts (go to above websites) onissues of life and dignity that impact those who arevulnerable in the U.S. and around the world.That we will overcome indifference and see all who suffer asbrothers and sisters. We pray to the Lord…That our governments and leaders will respond with wisdomto the current crises in Syria, central Africa, and the HolyLand. We pray to the Lord…PRAYERS FOR PEACEThat we may see with new eyes and encounter the “other,”including immigrants and persons in poverty, in our localcommunities. We pray to the Lord…That we will work to ensure that those in need have a place atthe table as protagonists of their own development. We pray tothe Lord…

MISSIONS OFFICEArchdiocese of Seattle710 9 th AvenueSeattle, Washington 98104Non-Profit Org.U.S. POSTAGEPAIDSeattle, WAPermit No. 9840Good News from the Missions OfficeTyphoonHaiyanParishioners and othersof good will in westernWashington respondedgenerously to the victimsof Haiyan, donatingmore than $775,000. Onbehalf of Catholic ReliefServices staff and partnerorganizations in thePhilippines – thank you!CRS is using and committing these donations to help 100,000families – or 500,000 people – with emergency shelters, medicalcare, household supplies, water and hygiene/sanitation, and longtermrecovery. Information: www.crs.org.At the CRS emergency shelter distribution, in addition toreceiving a high-quality tarp for the roof of an emergency shelter,beneficiaries also receive nails, a hammer and rope, and eachgroup of 10 families also receives additional tools: two handsaws, ashovel, a crowbar, a digging bar and measuring tape.Ormac City and the surrounding area were struck byTyphoon Haiyan on November 8, 2013. It is considered thestrongest storm ever to make landfall.Photo by Jim Stipe/Catholic Relief Services.CRS staffer Susie Connelly pauses to playwith a baby during an emergency shelterdistribution in the village of Esperanza,outside of Ormac City.January 2014 – Page SixA notice from thenational office for MCA:As we well know, our call to discipleship – to followingour Lord as His missionaries – is not just for Sundays or forthe academic calendar. And so, we write today to happilyannounce a new resource for use in the summer months: aSummer issue of our award-winning It’s Our World (IOW)newsletter. Intended for use in summer programs, such asVacation Bible School, it will be available in two grade levels –K-3, and 4-6.Note: The Missionary Childhood Association’s OrderingWebsite (accessed through www.MCAKids.org) will open forthis Summer It’s Our World newsletter on January 6, 2014, andclose on January 17, 2014.In addition, materials for the MCA Lenten program,National Prayer and Penny Week (March 16 to 23, 2014), willalso be available for ordering during this time. If you did notorder these materials in the regular ordering period last Fall,now is the time to do so! Please consider this catechetical andsacrificial Lenten program, available for use with elementaryand high school students.