CHINA. Chinese Catholics say religious publications are valid channels
for pastoral care and evangelisation and they are asking for more. This emerged
in a survey made by the most widely read Chinese Catholic magazine Faith
published in Hebei province.
(more:
FIDES)
PAKISTAN. “Lord of Life” is the title of a new religious music cassette
produced and circulated for Lent 2006 by WAVE Studios in Lahore directed by Fr
John Nadeem. The cassette is a collection of 11 hymns in Urdu and Punjabi on the
theme of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
(more:
FIDES)
NEW ZEALAND. The Archdio-
cese of Wellington in New Zealand is harnessing the potential of lay Catholics
to help provide adequate and ever better pastoral care. More and more lay people
are playing leading roles in posts of responsibility in various activities.
(more:
FIDES)
INDONESIA. A young Catholic nun resident in a convent at Jalan Pattimura
near Ambon the main city of the Indone-
sian province of Moluccas was killed on March 10. The 33 year old Sister, a
member of a community of Daughters of the Sacred Heart, caught an intruder in
the convent who reacted violently stabbing her with a knife.
(more:
FIDES)
PERU. To help local Catholics make Lent a time of conver-
sion, the archdiocese of Arequipa has organised a series of Day Retreats for
various categories of people, children young people, married couples, the
elderly and finally, the sick.
(more:
FIDES)
RUSSIA. Hundreds of Catholics in Russia joined Benedict XVI in praying
the rosary last Sa-
turday when a dozen European and African cities were linked via satellite with
the Vatican. The Saturday event at the Vatican, a Marian vigil, was attended by
university students.
(more:
ZENIT)
CHINA. Working with Father Hou Ying Rong, the parish priest at Xin Zhou
in Shan Xi province, the lay group started a Work of Love initiative to provide
help for poor families and especially to pay school fees. Currently, 19 children
attend the local school thanks to the generosity of Catholics in the capital.
(more:
ZENIT)
ZAMBIA. There is a strong Islamic influence due to fo-
reign investment in the region of northern Zambia, says a Polish missionary
working in the Kasama Diocese. Ten years ago, some 70% of the people in the
region were Christian. Today, about 30% are Catholic and 20% to 25% Protestant.
(more:
ZENIT)
COLOMBIA. Two priorities of evangelization in Latin America are formation
and promulga-
tion of the faith, according to Archbishop Stanislaw Rylko. The president of the
Pontifical Council for the Laity made these comments when addressing the first
meeting of ecclesial movements and new Church communities in Latin America. The
meeting gathered 40 bishops and 170 people representing 45 new ecclesial
organizations.
(more:
ZENIT)
INDIA. The University of Mumbai (Bombay) has granted permanent
recognition to the Indian Institute of Culture (IIC) for guiding students of
Masters and Doctoral programmes in the subjects of Anthropology and Sociology.
During the past seven years IIC was given temporary recognition on a
probationary basis.
(Arnoldus Nota)
INDIA. To mark the 75th year of the arrival of SVD missio-
naries in India, Sarprakashan publication center in Indore, is planning to
produce a film on Jesus with special focus on the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Hindi
film will have subtitles in English.
(Arnoldus Nota)
