Fr Hermes [Larry] Sabud reports on recent efforts at Peace-Making in Thailand: INTERNATIONAL AND INTERCULTURAL DAY OF PEACE   Ranong, Thailand   21 September 2022 Peace is possible. Let's make it happen. This was the theme that the Marist Asia Foundation (MAF) Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (IRICD) Program adopted during the celebration of the International Day of Peace alongside the celebration of the MAF Intercultural Day. The celebration started with the Painting for Peace Exhibition participated by the three schools: The Guiding Star Learning Center, Phichai Rattanakhan School and MAF Burmese Migrant Secondary Program. The IRICD [Inter-religious and In...

Ross Flint, Marist Associate, and ordained member of the Anglican Communion, Tasmania, sends this short, stark, report – in the context of COP27 "World is on 'highway to climate hell",  - United Nations General Secretary warns at COP27 summit. António Guterres tells leaders 'global climate fight will be won or lost in this crucial decade – on our watch' In 1992, countries joined an international treaty, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, as a framework for international cooperation to combat climate change by limiting average global temperature increases and the resulting climate change, and coping with impacts that were, by then, inevitable. https://unfccc....

'Praise be to you my Lord through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us' [St Francis of Assisi – Canticle of the creatures]. As we follow COP27 we can be encouraged by the practical things others are doing.  Fr Donato Kivi sm, Chair of our Marist Ecology Commission, sends us news of what he has done with and for his people in Fiji.  The people of Tokou village on the island of Ovalau in the Fiji Islands got together to build an earth-bag grotto for the Blessed Virgin Mary. The building is made out of compressed earth following earthbag architecture. The grotto project is pioneering for motivating and training the villagers in building safe, durable, low cost and eco...

The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, more commonly referred to as Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC, or COP27, is being held as the 27th United Nations Climate Change conference, and occurs from 6 November until 18 November 2022 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. One way we can all partake in the present and future care of our common home is through a Contemplative exercise – Earth Examen. The one below comes from the Season of Creation website.  Contemplation - Earth Examen: An examen is a way of beholding an object or being in prayerful wonder. Through questions, you are invited to reflect on God's presence and the goodness of that which you behold. Consider contempla...

Fr Damien Diouf SM, NDF London, Chair of our Migrants and Refugee Commission, recently sent this report: Notre Dame Refugee Centre has been working with refugees and asylum seekers for more than 25 years, thanks to the generosity of those who share our aims and beliefs. Originally, it was set up by Notre Dame de France in 1996, in response to changes in asylum and immigration laws that year. It was then registered as an independent charity in 2007. Like many of our supporters, many of our visitors are French speaking, but we have welcomed visitors from 98 different countries over the five past years. We remain a bilingual English and French speaking refugee centre.  Our immigration team...

New Zealander, Fr Tony O'Connor-Hickman SM spent 12 years in the parish church of San Felipe in Brownsville, a town on the border between the US and Mexico. It faces the Mexican town of Matamoros, divided by the Rio Grande and by the border wall.  He previously had been on mission in Venezuela and Peru. San Felipe parish has been at the forefront of the migrant crisis in the US border lands. Thousands of unaccompanied minors seeking safety and a better life have been detained by the US Border force. Fr Tony and his San Felipe team have cared for, and ministered to many of these children. Following is an appreciation of his ministry.  [note: ed: By Michael Seifert - f...

The Letter: This film was released on Tuesday 04th October, the last day of the Ecumenical Season of Creation. Produced by Oscar-winning producers Off the Fence it explores issues including Indigenous rights, climate migration, and youth leadership in the context of action on climate and nature. The highlight of the film is the exclusive dialogue that the protagonists have with Pope Francis. The Trailer, 2 mins, can be viewed here: https://theletterfilm.org/ The Movie, 80 mins, can be viewed here: https://theletterfilm.org/watch/ Both the Trailer, and the Movie are good news that can be spread in every family, every community, every school, parish, and diocese.  The press conference was...

Columban Missionary, Fr Patrick McInerney ssc, recently gave a Presentation to the Marist Inter-religious Dialogue Commission. Patrick is the Director of the Columban Centre for Christian-Muslim Relations, situated in the Paramatta Diocese, Sydney. He was ordained in 1978, ministered for many years in Pakistan, and since return worked in interfaith in Sydney for the past 20 years. A Summary of Pat's Presentation: Introduction: On the Positive side: Pat has been invited to address the Clergy Conference of Paramatta, as a way to get them onside with the ministry of IRD [Inter-religious Dialogue].He was also invited, as a consequence, to give a full day presentation to the students at the Dioce...

Fr Paul Walsh sm, Irish Marist who spent some years in Norway, sent us this news from Elizabeth Golding, a friend and Marist Associate in Oslo, who calls Grandparents to care for the future of their Grandchildren:  The future of the grandchildren must be secured. Now the Grandparents' Climate Action is fighting for extensive use of solar roofs on public buildings. While the state is raking in extra billions on high energy prices, there must be room to invest much of it in energy-saving and climate-friendly solar panels on public buildings, such as churches and schools, Demands Elisabeth Golding and Grandparents' Climate Action.  The organization Grandparents' Climate Action is a ge...

This Reflection and Meditation anticipates the 4th Week of the Season of Creation, September 25th, World Day of Migrants and Refugees As people of faith, we can add our gaze to that of God's. We can acknowledge suffering, share the promise, and be the witness and voices that help bring about deliverance. Introductory word "Building the Future with Migrants and Refugees" is the theme chosen by the Holy Father for the 108th World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR), celebrated on September 25, 2022. Pope Francis highlights the commitment that we are all called to share in building a future that embraces God's plan, leaving no one behind. …Scripture Reading: Exodus 3:7-10 Then the Lord said, "I...

This blog anticipates the third week of the Season of Creation: beginning on Sunday 18th August:  We bow to the presence of God in all creation and we also bow to the presence of God in the heart of every person. Mantra: Holy Ground Monica Brown You are here, so this is holy ground. In all that is You are here. This is holy ground, the ground of my being now. My spirit bows to You upon this holy ground. Before each reading, the reader places a pair of shoes at the prayer focus. Reflection 1: Holy Ground is any place where we experience God: where we learn that we're not alone and where we discover that God provides us with what we need to be, who we're...

The Second Sunday in the Season of Creation will be on September 11th.  This Meditation and Prayer Exercise anticipates the 2nd Week:  Meditative exercise: I invite you to close your eyes and to be attentive to all that you hear. (allow 2 minutes) I now invite you to open your eyes. Remembering what you have heard, try to locate where the different sounds came from. Do you see anything unusual, extraordinary, or unexpected? Rejoice and thank God our Creator for what you have heard, seen, and discovered… and allow it all to draw you into the presence of God! Scripture Reading: Exodus 3:3-4 Then Moses said, "I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bu...

The Season of Creation begins on 01 September.  The Theme of Prayer for our first week is: Blazing yet not consumed "Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement. Get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible; never treat life casually. To be spiritual is to be amazed". - Abraham Joshua Heschel … nature is a constant source of wonder and awe. It is also a continuing revelation of the divine. - Laudato Si 85 Scripture Reading: Exodus 3:1-2 Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and c...

Fr Joseph McLaughlin SM, Notre Dame des Victoires, San Francisco, California writes: It is 9:15 am and I begin my 20-minute walk to St. Anthony's dining room in the tenderloin district of San Francisco. In October 1950, Father Alfred Boeddeker opened the doors of St. Anthony's dining room to men and women in need of meals. Since then, services offered here have grown to include a medical clinic, free clothing program, technology lab and more. However, its mission remains the same: to care for those in need and create a society in which all persons flourish. As I draw closer to Golden Gate Avenue I meet Anna who could be 35 or 55; a dear lady who seldom speaks to me. "Hi Anna, it is Joe....

Fr Jim Carty sm, Aussie Marist, calls us, in our current world situation, to remember the tragedy of Nuclear Warfare The secretary general of the United Nations warned on Monday (1stAugust 2022) that humanity was "just one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation," citing the war in Ukraine among the conflicts driving the risk to a level not seen since the height of the Cold War. "All this at a time when the risks of proliferation are growing and guardrails to prevent escalation are weakening," the official, António Guterres, said. "And when crises — with nuclear undertones — are festering from the Middle East and the Korean Peninsula to Russia's invasion of U...

Safeguarding… "seeks to create a culture of relational safety in persons and institutions of the Catholic Church …. It is a perspective and way of life that needs to become an intentional part of the daily life of every Catholic." (from the Ateneo University of Manila)  These words are quoted by Sr Catherine Jones smsm, for the Congregational Newsletter of the Mission Advancement Team.  The article in full follows:  Marie Francoise Perroton has set us an example of "hearing a call" and setting out in response to this call of the women of Ouvea in 1845. We SMSM have tried to follow in her footsteps by continually discerning the signs of the times, and responding to new cal...

Peter Healy sm, Kiwi Marist, gives us this reflection on a recently released documentary:  Carbon the Unauthorized Biography This documentary film made in Australia in 2022 is all at once a cosmology, a geology and an ecology of carbon. Our planet home's most ubiquitous element, it is everywhere, in our bodies, our food and what we wear. As we all know it is blanketing our collective airspace given the millions of combustion engines in most every country on earth. If you have ever wondered what the carbon cycle is, then this documentary is for you. The carbon atom is cleverly animated in this film and speaks in the first person about our current crisis of extraction, burn and overload. ...

Fr Arnold Garferio sm, current Director of MAF recently made this Report:  Burmese Migrant Secondary Education Program Thai Government Non-Formal Education (KOSONO) Preparation Program Marist Outreach Program A.   NUMBERS Student Population Towards the End of the School Year 2021-2022: 62    Students in Preparation Program 156   Students in Burmese Migrant Secondary Program 218  Total Number Students 25     Graduated from Burmese Migrant Secondary Program Examinations Passing Rate and Class Attendance Rate (End of School Year 2021-2022) 82 %    Preparation Program students class attendance rate 47 ...

Fr Setefano Mataele sm, Provincial of Oceania, recently presented this Vision to his Province:  A REORIENTATION OF THE OCEANIA MARIST PROVINCE 2022 AND BEYOND The Three Circles Of The Marist Apostolic Religious life  Contemplation, Community, Mission Reorientation: changing the status quo:  When looking at the reality of our situation there is a temptation to disillusionment and resignation regarding our future. It could all be just very discouraging and depressing. In the past we have tried to respond by telling ourselves to make one huge effort to turn things around and slogans have been put out like "think region", "think province", "think society",...

 Marist Father - John Bolduc SM, Parochial Vicar, St. Patrick Parish, Roxbury, Massachusetts writes about his Prison Ministry, and its Marist dimension:  I think of the icon, Our Lady of Tenderness. What strikes me is that she is not looking at us. She does not look for our attention; it is Jesus who is important and He seems to be looking to his Father and He is not a little baby. Marists learn to love that woman, but never without her Son. Her Son was sometimes a hard man, calling others names – Herod was a fox; Pharisees were whitened sepulchers (Matthew 23:27), decomposing, putrid dead corpses. Her Son never shamed those who were shamed by others: lepers, criminals, c...