Child Labor- now and then   [article sent by Jim Carty sm - Australia] The NOW How many times each day do you use your iPhone, or your Cell-Phone of whatever you call it. Next time you do, think of the "rare-earth" metal cobalt hidden inside- a critical component- Then ask yourself: where did it come from and who mined it and how was it mined? Chances are it came from the so-called Democratic Republic of Congo which is the world's largest cobalt mine, and was mined by either a large international Company or by one method known as artisanal mining That is to say, by a small-scale miner (ASM) who is a subsistence miner not officially employed by a mining company, but works independen...

Prière pour un Futur qui émerge Source de compassion, toi qui contiens toute vie, Rejoins-nous alors que nous tendonsvvers un futur qui naîtra de nos humbles efforts. Guide-nous dans ton futur qui émerge. Donne-nous la force de réduire les dommages que nous causons. Transfigure nos désespoirs, qu'ils deviennent les champs fertiles où germera un monde renouvelé. Nous t'invoquons, Esprit de bonté, pour que tu enveloppes toute chose d'une plénitude de bénédiction. Ouvre-nous à la force de vie qui anime tout ce qui vit, donne-nous le courage, enseigne-nous l'art de la co-création dans notre monde. Whaea nui o te Taiao katoa, inoi mō mātou. Mère de la nouvelle Création, prie pour nous Peter ...

A Blest and Joy-filled Christmas and New Year As we celebrate God-with-us. "God gave all things life, and Mary is the mother through whom all things are given new life. Without God's Son, nothing could exist; without Mary's Son, nothing could be redeemed'. [Anselm of Canterbury: 1033 – 1109] Que Noël et cette Nouvelle Année soient bénis et remplis de joie, alors que nous célébrons Dieu-avec-nous « Dieu a donné la vie à toutes choses, et Marie est la mère par qui une nouvelle vie est donnée à toutes choses Sans le Fils de Dieu rien ne pourrait exister Sans le Fils de Marie, rien ne pourrait être racheté [Anselm of Canterbury: 1033 – 1109]

Le P. Pascal Boidin sm, membre de la communauté de Notre-Dame de France à Londres, atransmis ce témoignage pour publication dans le n°170 du feuillet EuroInfo de la Province d'Europe. Cette mémoire des migrants morts en Méditerranée montre la préoccupation pour la justice de ces étudiants européens. Fr Pascal Boidin SM, from the community of Notre-Dame de France in London, sent EuroInfo this account of a meeting of students from various countries, on the Italian island of Lampedusa, where a deadly wreckage caused the death of several hundred migrants. It is a remembrance of the need of justice cared for by many young people all over Europe. Bonjour à tous, je m'appelle Charles Vibert. Je sui...

Marist Charism and Peace-making This last week, on 01 December, Marists from 4 corners of the world made Presentations on our Marist Charism and Peace-making.The Marists Presenting were: Fr Hermes [Larry] Sabud – Ranong Thailand; SMSM Sisters Gisèle, Christiana, & Monique – Ngozi, Burundi, Africa; Fr Miguel Contreras – Peru, South America; and Fr Donato Kivi – Fiji, Oceania. The invitation came from the Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Commission – JPIC Roma – who organize a workshop each year to train JPIC Promoters for Religious Congregations around the world. The Workshop was run this year from 28 November until 02 December, and had the Theme: Pacem in Terris and Laudato Si i...

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....

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...

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...

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 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 Hermes Larry Sabud sm, Superior of our Marist Community in Ranong, Thailand, recently sent this news to us:  Le P. Hermes Larry Sabud sm, supérieur de notre communauté mariste de Ranong, Thaïlande, nous a récemment envoyé cette nouvelle : Blessing of the Harmony Centre, Ranong, Thailand:    Bénédiction du Centre Harmony, Ranong, Thaïlande : During an interreligious and intercultural celebration on 10 June, the Marist Harmony Centre in Ranong was blessed in the presence of many faithful and their religious leaders, the Muslim Imam, Buddhist Monks and Catholic priests and also other civil authorities. The Centre envisions harmony in cultural and religious diversity in Ra...

 Mary Ghisolfo, Lay Marist serving with Notre Dame des Victoires, San Francisco, California, writes to answer the question:  "Why Does Ministry Among the Poor Awaken for Us the Critical Role of a Marist Vocation?"  "At our best, we are instruments of God's mercy working to help others taste the boundless love of the Lord, especially those who find themselves on the margins." (Statement of Identity, US Province of the Society of Mary – Assembly and Chapter June 2013 The parishioners at Notre Dame des Victoires Church (NDV) are committed to supporting the Gubbio Project, an organization which serves the homeless, hungry and those in need of various health services...