-
Friday, July 10th 2015 Established 1905 Georgetown, Guyana One
Hundred Dollars ($100) Year 110, No. 26
From Saturday 11th - Monday 20th July 2015 I will join a
contingent of fifteen young people who will be representing the
Diocese at the AEC Youth Assembly in Antiqua. Please pray for the
group. In my absence the Vicar General, Msgr. Terrence Montrose,
will see to matters on my behalf.
Francis Alleyne, OSB
Bishops Engagements
222 South & Wellington Sts., Georgetown, Guyana Telephone:
226-2195 email: [email protected]
www.catholicstandard.webs.com
INSIDE Editorial: Curfew - p2 Letters to the Editor - p2 Old
Rosignol Catholic Church being con-verted to children's educational
centre- p3 T&T priest urges inclusivity for special-needs
Catholics - p4 The Case for Greece: When It Forgave Germany's Debt-
p4 A Christian Perspective on Social Issues - p4 Sunday Mass
Readings - p5 Childrens Page - p6 AEC Bishops Sunday Scripture
reflections - p7 Heythrop College announces closure - p8 Greek debt
and the World- p9 Viewpoint: Passion - p11 Saint of the Week:
Kateri Tekakwitha - p12
QUITO, Ecuador (CNS) -- Although still thou-sands of miles from
his birthplace in Argen-tina, Pope Francis made a homecoming of
sorts July 5 when he landed in Ecuador, greeted by cheering crowds
and the sights and sounds of South America. After a 12-hour flight
from Rome, the pope participated in a brief welcoming ceremony at
Quito's Mariscal Sucre Airport, telling government dignitaries,
bishops and special guests that his pastoral work before becoming
pope had taken him to Ecuador many times. "Today, too, I have come
as a witness of God's mercy and of faith in Jesus Christ," he said.
Mercy and faith, he said, have shaped Latin American culture for
centuries, contributing to democracy and improving the lives of
countless millions of people. "In our own time, too, we can find in
the Gospel a key to meeting contemporary chal-lenges," the pope
said, including respecting national, ethnic, religious and cultural
dif-ferences and fostering dialogue. The pope's visit followed a
period of public protests over Ecuadorean government poli-cies.
Initially triggered by proposed inheri-tance and capital gains
taxes, the protests
also have targeted what even some of Ecua-dorean President
Rafael Correa's supporters describe as his heavy-handed approach.
Christian values, the pope said, should moti-vate citizens to
promote the full participa-tion of all people in their nation's
social, political and economic life "so that the growth in progress
and development al-ready registered will ensure a better future for
everyone, with particular concern for the most vulnerable of our
brothers and sisters to whom Latin America still owes a debt." The
program for the pope's July 5-12 tour of Ecuador, Bolivia and
Paraguay was punctu-ated with formal meetings with government
officials and with large public Masses, but it also was filled with
visits to the poor, the sick and the elderly, and prisoners. Pope
Francis demonstrated his knowledge of Ecuador and the country's
geography when expressing his hope for the nation. "From the peak
of Chimborazo to the Pacific coast, from the Amazon rainforest to
the Galapagos Islands, may you never lose the ability to thank God
for what he has done and is doing for you," the pope said.
(please turn to page 3)
Coming home to South
America, Pope Francis says
countries owe debt to poor
15th
Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
He began to send them out
-
CATHOLIC STANDARD Friday, July 10th, 2015
We warmly welcome and wholeheartedly support the decision by the
authorities to impose that 2.00am curfew on certain entertainment
activities across the country. In fact we hope this is just a first
step of a more comprehensive plan to tackle the noise pollu-tion
which Guyanese have been of for years. Hardly a week goes by
without there being at least one letter in the press from some part
of the country complaining about blaring, often vulgar music
usually affecting people on public transport, in the safety and
privacy of their homes, in business places, in hospitals and even
places of worship. Recently we were told of a church having to
radically alter its program for an Easter vigil service because of
the relent-less, deafening, bombardment coming from an
entertainment spot about one corner from the place of worship.
Somewhat surprising too are the arguments by some which say in
effect that they have a right to disturb entire neighborhoods with
their mu-sic sets with up to a dozen speakers in some cases. Little
wonder that there have also been several reports of violent
incidents stemming from disputes over decibel levels. The law is
clear. To create a public nuisance by use of a noisy instrument is
illegal. The en-forcement of the law seems to be the problem.
However this is not just a legal matter. It in-volves respect for
your fellow Guyanese and the human rights of all citizens to enjoy
undis-turbed peace and rest especially at nights. It is important
to note too that many drivers have complained that loud music in
areas where there is heavy traffic can be very dan-gerous as it
makes concentrating difficult. Not only can excessive noise cause
us physical harm but there is a spiritual or emotional downside to
it as well. All of the worlds major religions stress the importance
of regular (please turn to page 10)
Curfew EDITORIAL
Page 2
Son Chapman an example of where hatred, brutality can end
Dear Editor, 51 years have passed since that fateful day when
more than forty of Linden's own were massacred on the Demerara
River as they travelled home on the Son Chapman launch at 1600
hours on Monday, July 6, 1964. It has been said that 'To live in
hearts we leave behind is not to die.' How very true! The men,
women, and children who died on the Son Chapman 51 years ago live
on in the hearts and minds of their families and friends, and the
people of Linden. Many of us alive today never knew the men, women,
and children of the Son Chapman massacre. Yet, we remember them and
reflect on their experience be-cause - by their deaths - we have an
exam-ple of what hatred and brutality can lead to...senseless loss
of life and endless suf-fering. Incidents such as the Son Chapman
massa-cre and the July18 Tragedy of 2012 must
never again occur. We must take the lessons taught by trage-dies
such as these to guide our actions in the here and now. For our
society to allow such tragedies to reoccur would be indica-tive of
our collective unwillingness to learn and grow as a society.
Finally, the survivors of the Son Chapman - 6 crewmen and 26
passengers - must also be remembered for they represent God's never
ending mercy and the resilience of the people of Linden. This
experience has made us stronger. The people of Region 10 are known
for staring adversity in the face and overcoming. To-gether, we
will continue to do so in the years to come. May God rest the souls
of the men, women and children of the Son Chapman. And may God
bless the people of Linden and Region 10.
K. Sharma Solomon
MODERN OPTICAL SERVICE
316 Middle St., N/C/Burg,
Tel. 226-1082
For modern designed frames, glasses,
plastic and photochromatic lens
-
CATHOLIC STANDARD Friday, July 10th, 2015 Page 3
Coming home to South America, Pope says countries owe debt to
poor (From Front Page)
"May you never lose the ability to protect what is small and
simple," he continued, "to care for your children and your elderly,
to have confidence in the young and to be constantly struck by the
nobility of your people and the singular beauty of your country."
"Ecuador loves life," Correa told the pope at the airport ceremony,
noting that the consti-tution protects life from the moment of
conception. "It establishes recognizing and protecting the family
as the basic core of society and commits us deeply to caring for
'our common home,'" referring to the environment with the same
words Pope Francis used in his encyclical, "Laudato Si'." Correa
said Ecuador's was the "first constitution in the history of
humanity to grant rights to nature." Twenty percent of the country
is protected in parks and reserves, Correa told the pope. Some
environmental and human rights organizations in Ecuador have
questioned Correa's commitment to environmental safeguards, as
conflicts have erupted over plans for open-pit mining and expanded
oil and gas exploration and production. Walking the red carpet at
the airport, Pope Francis was greeted by dozens of children and
young people dressed in a wide variety of traditional clothes.
Correa told the pope that his
By Leon Suseran Something special is taking place behind the
shabby-looking exterior and surroundings of the now closed
Immaculate Heart of Mary R.C. Parish Church at Rosignol Village,
West Bank Berbice. A spirited sister in Christ is taking on the
humongous task of converting the old church into what would
gradually become an education centre for children in the community.
Two weekends ago, Parish Priest of the Church of the Ascension, Fr
Michael Traher, SFM and the Missionaries of Charity Sisters
attached to New Amsterdam visited the site. They were amazed at the
transformation that has taken place on the old building as well as
its surroundings over the past months by Ms. Jackie Isaacs. The
building is currently under transition into a day care and summer
school area for children. This venture is being pioneered by
retired educator in the area, Jackie Isaacs. Speaking to the
Catholic Standard, Ms. Isaacs has a broad and exciting vision
for
converting the building into a day-care and Summer Class spot.
However, to make the venture a successful one, she is still in need
of assistance from the general public to push the venture and is
calling for any assistance possible. She can be contacted on
telephone # 675-0330. So far she has received lots of assistance
and support in various ways especially too from Vicar General,
Msgr. Terrence Montrose. Ms. Isaacs also wants to erect a signboard
in front of the yard to raise awareness about what is going on in
the building. She has over three decades of experience educating
children and even has a little bottom-house school where she lives,
a few blocks away. Bishop Francis Alleyne OSB is expected to also
tour the site and share ideas too with Sr. Isaacs shortly. May God
richly bless our sister as she strives to work hard and use her
skills to establish such a learning centre at the church
building
Old Rosignol Catholic Church being converted to children's
educational centre
UPCOMING EVENTS Saturday July 25th
Cathedral Parish Fair The Cathedral Parish will host its Annual
Parish Fair on Saturday July 25th 2015 at 3:00 p.m. on the Parish
Grounds, Brickdam. Tickets cost $100 each.
All are invited to come and share in an afternoon of fun and
good family enter-tainment.
Please let us know of upcoming events by emailing us at:
[email protected] under the heading Upcoming
Events
or call 226-2195 .
Popes Intentions
Each month, the Pope releases specific intentions for the World
and for Mission. Please pray for Pope Francis intentions in
July:
Politics: That political responsibility may be lived at all
levels as a high form of charity.
The Poor in Latin America: That, amid social inequalities, Latin
American Christians may bear witness to love for the poor and
contribute to a more fraternal society.
country is culturally diverse, with a mixed-race majority, as
well as 14 indigenous peoples, including two nomadic groups that
continue to shun contact with the outside world. Correa said that
"the great social sin of our America is injustice. How can we call
ourselves the most Christian continent in the world if we are also
the most unequal, when one of the most repeated signs of the Gospel
is sharing bread?" During the flight from Rome, Pope Francis only
briefly addressed the 70 members of the media traveling with him.
He thanked them for their work, which "can do so much good."
Instead of answering their questions -- his practice usually only
on flights back to Rome -- he walked down one aisle of the Alitalia
plane and up the other, greeting each person.
-
CATHOLIC STANDARD Friday, July 10th, 2015 Page 4
I think that there are few who like a good old-fashioned Guyana
gyaff more than me; a con-versation about hard issues, philosophy,
vi-sion, and the like. There is camaraderie, learning, humor. I
also like music in most genres, and at some volume. These are
integral parts of rites of passage, maturing, and local culture.
The major mile-stones - a new house, new car, new job, or a funeral
- are occasions for celebrating and merriment. But for self and
contemporaries, it was never at the expense of other citizens.
First, there was never enough money to make a gaudy splash, after
all it was clean. Second, there was no need for the wanton
exhibitionism of arrival, opulence, and self-importance. And third,
unlike times past, todays merri-ment sometimes - way too many times
- con-ceals the dark, the ugly, and the harrowing. Among these are:
financial, physical, mental, and moral dissipation; physical and
family abuse; corrupt practices; and drunk driving with all its
associated felonies. Some will ar-gue that having an earlier or
later curfew would not mean much regarding these socie-tal ills;
that it would not contribute to mate-rial change in the quantum of
public socializa-tion now chased underground. But already, there
are visible, palpable quali-tative changes on Cummings Street,
Carmi-chael Street, Camp Street, and lower Brick-dam, to name a few
of the more boisterous watering hole vicinities. In these areas
residents were perpetually plagued and tortured in the wee hours.
And it was in the wee-wee after hours (ex-premises) that the
swaggering and uninhibited put on exhibitions of coarse language,
public urination, and the detritus of their presence. If only there
is a curtailing and then cessation of such obscenities the curfew
would be worthwhile. A reduction in the earlier mentioned horrors
would be added incentive to tighten the noose even further. The
rights of the few must not trample upon the corresponding rights of
the many. The debauchery, multi-pronged pollutions, and societal
injuries of the past must go. The same must be the fate of previous
official involvement at very high levels that were a noticeable
part of the swinging, splurging, engorging, corrupting scene that
laid low many communities and citizens. Many resisted seatbelts; it
has proven benefi-cial. Many have a problem with anti-littering;
they will adjust. And so, too, it will be with this long delayed,
much needed 2 a.m. cur-few. It is a start in restoring some degree
of decency and sanity to this society.
By GHK Lall
A Christian Perspective on Social Issues
That 2am curfew was
overdue Fr Dexter Brereton CSSp of Trinidad and Tobago has urged
inclusivity at the table of the Lord, stressing that every human
being was created with tremendous dignity. He made the call at a
Mass for Catholic families with special-needs members, cele-brated
at the chapel of Archbishop Joseph Harris House on Sunday June
28th. Every single human being was created in the image and
likeness of Almighty God, said Fr Brereton, and moreover, is
created to have a relationship with God and a relationship with
other people. When some members of the Catholic community, like
seven-year-old autistic Mathaeus, could not attend Mass, somehow
the table is not complete, he added. It was Mathaeus mother, Saira
Joseph-La Foucade, and Special Education teacher Suzy de Verteuil
who lobbied Archbishop Joseph Harris for sensory-friendly Masses in
parishes. Archbishop Harris was to celebrate the first such Mass
but due to illness Fr Brereton filled in for him. Fr Brereton said
Archbishop Harris was very happy to be part of the initiative where
we create these Masses for the sensory-challenged so everybody can
sit around the table of the Lord. This is just what parents like
Joseph-La Foucade have been longing for. She said Every time I go
to church I would go with my daughter Laila and I just felt so
incomplete not having him (Mathaeus). Sometimes I would look at
other children and think my son cant be with me. This Mass really
makes it complete for me. I always think if we cant be complete in
church, where can we be? She continued: This Mass is for everyone
to come and feel welcome. We are com-plete in our Fathers house.
Autism is a neuro-developmental disorder and this has prevented
Mathaeus from accompanying his family to Mass. Last week Sunday was
his first time since being baptised.
Describing the pilot Mass as a mustard seed being planted, she
looked forward to more sensory-friendly Masses. She said about 15
families attended, including a 60-year-old man who is in the care
of his sister and mother. The sensory-friendly Mass was no longer
than 45 minutes and the congregation was asked to remain seated for
most of the liturgy to prevent the sensory-challenged from becoming
anxious. Also, no micro-phones were used, fewer hymns were sung and
only a guitar provided accompaniment. Another difference was that
the children were allowed to move about and express themselves
freely, even on the altar and throughout the grounds of Archbishops
House. The Mass was a first-time experience also for 13-year-old
Gareth Peake, who also has autism. His mother RoseAnna said, When
my other children go to Mass he usually comes to the door wanting
to come, but I could never take him it would distract other people.
So this is the first time he has ever been to Mass. It was lovely
for him. Timitra Williams attended the Mass with her husband
Anthony and their four chil-dren, including three-year-old Salim,
who has Cerebral Palsy. Williams said parents of special-needs
children sometimes got looks from parishioners who did not
understand the childs condition and who were distracted if the
child was noisy. She explained that sometimes her family sat in the
back pews because they had to get up and move around a lot with
Salim. For us, having this support system through a Mass is a
fantastic idea which definitely needs to be repeated. The idea of
going to different parishes makes sense because it will create
awareness within the parish communities and it allows people to
integrate and to come to a place of under-standing that these are
parishioners too just like the rest of us, Williams said. (From
Catholic News of Trinidad & Tobago)
T&T priest urges inclusivity for special-needs Catholics
Over the last few months, Jubilee USA worked with Associated
Press reporters on developing stories around Greece and global
bankruptcy. A series of those stories featur-ing Jubilee USA, were
released over the last few days. Below you can read The Case for
Greece: When it forgave Germany's Debt THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, LONDON
Forgiving debt, if done right, can get an economy back on its feet.
The Interna-tional Monetary Fund certainly thinks so, according to
a new report in which it argues Greece should get help.
But Germany, another major creditor to Greece, is resisting,
even though it knows better than most what debt relief can achieve.
After the hell of World War II, the Federal Republic of Germany
commonly known as West Germany got massive help with its debt from
former foes. Among its creditors then? Greece. The 1953 agreement,
in which Greece and about 20 other countries effectively wrote off
a large chunk of Germany's loans and restructured the rest, is a
landmark case that shows how (please turn to page 9)
The Case for Greece: When It Forgave Germany's Debt
-
CATHOLIC STANDARD Friday, July 10th, 2015
FIRST READING Amos 7:12-15
Go, prophesy to my people.
To Amos, Amaziah said, Go away, seer; get back to the land of
Judah; earn your bread there, do your prophesying there. We want no
more prophesying in Bethel; this is the royal sanctuary, the
national temple. I was no prophet, neither did I belong to any of
the brotherhood of prophets, Amos re-plied to Amaziah, I was a
shepherd, and looked after sycamores: but it was the Lord who took
me from herding the flock, and the Lord who said, Go, prophesy to
my people. RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 84 Response: Let us see, O
Lord, your mercy and give us your saving help.
1. I will hear what the Lord God has to say, a voice that speaks
of peace, peace for his people. His help is near for those who fear
him and his glory will dwell in our land. Resp.
2. Mercy and faithfulness have met; justice and peace have
embraced. Faithfulness shall spring from the earth and justice look
down from heaven. Resp.
3. The Lord will make us prosper and our earth shall yield its
fruit. Justice shall march before him and peace shall follow his
steps. Response
SECOND READING Ephesians 1:3-14
Before the world was made, God chose us.
Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has
blessed us with all the spiritual blessings of heaven in Christ.
Before the world was made, he chose us, chose us in Christ, to be
holy and spotless, and to live through love in his presence,
determining that we should become his adopted sons, through Jesus
Christ for his own kind purposes, to make us praise the glory of
his grace, his free gift to us in the Beloved in whom, through his
blood, we gain our freedom, the forgiveness of our sins. Such is
the richness of the grace which he has showered on us in all wisdom
and insight. He has let us know the mystery of his pur-pose, the
hidden plan he so kindly made in Christ from the beginning to act
upon when the times had run their course to the end: that he would
bring everything together under Christ, as head, everything in the
heavens and everything on earth.
And it is in him that we were claimed as Gods own, chosen from
the beginning, under the predetermined plan of the one who guides
all things as he decides by his own will; chosen to be,
for his greater glory, the people who would put their hopes in
Christ before he came. Now you too, in him, have heard the message
of the truth and the good news of your salvation, and have believed
it: and you too have been stamped with the seal of the Holy Spirit
of the Promise, the pledge of our inheritance which brings freedom
for those whom God has taken for his own, to make his glory
praised.
GOSPEL Mark 6:7-13
He began to send them out.
Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs
giving them author-ity over the unclean spirits. And he instructed
them to take nothing for the journey except a staff no bread, no
haversack, no coppers for their purses. There were to wear sandals
but, he added, Do not take a spare tunic. And he said to them, If
you enter a house anywhere, stay there until you leave the
district. And if any place does not welcome you and people refuse
to listen to you, as you walk away shake off the dust from under
your feet as a sign to them. So they set off to preach repentance;
and they cast out many devils, and anointed many sick people with
oil and cured them.
Page 5
[From: http://www.thecatholicsteward.com ]
M ost scholars are of the opinion that St. Paul wrote his letter
to the Ephesians while he was imprisoned in Rome. Those who study
Sacred Scripture find this letter different from most of Pauls
letters, as rather than addressing particular prob-lems which may
have arisen in a Christian community established by Paul, it
develops a theology, an explanation of what it means to be a
Christian. At the end of this particular reading, Paul makes
reference to two important aspects of our faith and of our beliefs.
St. Paul tells us that we have believed in him (Jesus) and that we
are sealed with the prom-ised Holy Spirit. Believing in Jesus, in
His
promises, in His redemption of us, is at the core of everything
we do. This trust, this belief, is what allows us to take the steps
needed to follow Him, to be His disciple, and to practice a
stewardship way of living. Note that we believe first, however, and
then we are sealed. Yes, we are sealed at Baptism and at
Confirmation as those represent our promises to the Lord. We do not
need some assurance from God as to His good graces. By believing,
by having faith and trust, we are able to be Christs
representative. It is worth recalling and repeating that well-known
quote from St. Thomas Aquinas: To one who has faith, no explanation
is necessary; to one without faith, no explanation is possible.
By: The Diocesan Stewardship Council of Guyana
Visit us on Facebook http://tinyurl.com/guyanastewardship
Sunday Scripture July 12th 2015 - 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time,
Year B
-
CATHOLIC STANDARD Friday, July 10th, 2015
Childrens Page
Page 6
Dear Girls and Boys, When he was on the earth, Jesus traveled
around from village to village teaching, healing people, and
casting out demons. One day, he called his twelve disciples to him
and said, "I want you to go out two by two. I am giving you all of
the authority you need to cast out evil spirits." That sounds like
a pretty big task, doesn't it? That meant that they would have to
travel from town to town just as Jesus had been doing. I imagine
the disciples thought to themselves, "Wow! I had better go home and
start packing!" But then Jesus gave them further instructions.
"Take nothing for your journey except a walking stick -- no food,
no traveler's bag, and no money. You can wear sandals, but no extra
clothing." No food, no money, no extra clothes -- how could the
disciples possibly make this journey? They found people who would
welcome them and they stayed with them in their homes. These people
fed them and gave them every-thing they needed for the journey. The
Bible tells us that the disciples went out telling every-one they
met to repent of their sins and turn to God. They also cast out
many evil spirits and they healed many sick people. In other words,
they did exactly what Jesus told them to do and he gave them the
power to do it. Jesus told us to go and make disciples. Some-times
we delay following his command because we think we aren't ready. If
we would just go, like the Twelve did, he would give us the ability
to share the Good News with others. What do you think? Let's go!
Father, we know that many people need to hear the Good News. Jesus
has told us to go and make disciples. Help us to be willing to go.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
[Sources: http://www.sdc.me.uk , http://www.sermons4kids.com
& http://www.salfordliturgy.org.uk ]
-
CATHOLIC STANDARD Friday, July 10th, 2015 Page 7
Reflections for July are by Most Reverend Gabriel Malzaire,
Bishop of Roseau, Dominica.
D ear sisters and brothers in Christ, the readings of this 15th
Sunday of the Year focus on the Church's missionary vocation. It is
very clear in all three texts, albeit in different ways, that the
Church exists for that very purpose.
The call of Amos in the first reading is quite intriguing. It
displays the extent to which the one who has been caught by God can
go for the sake of His word. There is an obvious fearlessness on
the part of the prophet; thus serving as a type or model for
prophetic calls. As we saw last week with Ezekiel, Paul and Jesus,
their ministries were exercised in the midst of great opposition.
Amos' response to Amaziah is a clear indica-tion that he believed
himself to be a man on a divine mission, and that nothing could
come in the way of that charge: "I was a shepherd, and looked after
sycamores: but
it was the Lord who took me from herding the flock, and the Lord
who said, "Go, prophesy to my people Israel." Amos, there-fore,
epitomizes the prophetic role - he was truly a mouthpiece of
God.
A similar vocation is being cultivated in the disciples by Jesus
in today's Gospel text. However, the focus of this version of the
apostolic/prophetic call is the resistance to the luring of
material thing that could come in the way of the word of God and
its mission. Worldly comfort, from Jesus' per-spective, should
always be secondary to the salvation of souls. It seems to indicate
that the effectiveness or efficacy of the word is dependent of the
lack of encumbrance in the path of God's word. The text tells us
that by obeying the commission given them by Christ "they set off
to preach repentance; and they cast out many devils, and anointed
many sick people with oil and cured them."
The second reading, which is one of my favourite texts in the
Pauline corpus, is most liberating in its evangelical thrust. Paul
is affirming in Christians their place in the
scheme of God's predetermined plan; meaning that no one is
accidental. What a privilege the Christian enjoys in knowing that
he/she was thought of by God from the very beginning! However, that
privilege comes with a responsibility. It means that this choice of
God in our regard commis-sions us to be "the people who would put
their hope in Christ before he comes ... bringing freedom for those
whom God has taken for his own to make his glory praised."
If the glory of God is the mission of the Church, then the words
of St. Irenaeus, which states that "the glory of God is the human
person fully alive" makes every rea-sonable and spiritual sense.
Let us therefore strive to do just that.
Heavenly Father, Lord of all prophets and teachers; you called
your Church and its ministers to witness to your glory by a life
worthy of their vocation. Help us to emulate the zeal of Amos, the
conviction of Paul and witness of Jesus your Son, who is Lord for
ever and even. Amen
AEC BISHOPS SUNDAY SCRIPTURE MEDITATIONS July 12th 2015,
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
-
CATHOLIC STANDARD Friday, July 10th, 2015
Located north of Bishop's House, entrance via Brickdam
Presbytery
Now in stock are: People's Missals, gifts & candles for
Baptism, First Communion & Confirmation; Rosaries, Crucifixes,
Wall Plaques, bracelets, keyrings; and many books for children and
adults.
Visit us today!
Heythrop College in London - where the vast majority of Jesuit
priests and brothers who have worked in Guyana over the past 150
years were trained - has announced it is to close as a higher
education institution after more than 400 years.
A statement last week following a gover-nors meeting said: The
college in its cur-rent form, as a constituent college of the
University of London, will come to an end in 2018, although its
mission and work will not. The Jesuit-run institution, which
specialises in theology and philosophy, has been strug-gling with a
budget shortfall following the rise in student fees and increasing
admini-stration costs. Heythrop has been in merger talks with St
Marys University in Twickenham for more than a year. Those
discussions, which never reached the formal negotiating stage, have
now ended. Heythrop, formerly in Oxfordshire but now located on a
residential square in Kensing-ton, London will continue to teach
courses until 2017 and had already made the decision not to accept
undergraduates this September. The college has around 650 students
and had developed a reputation for excellent pastoral care and
teaching of theology.
400-year-old Jesuit-run Heythrop College in UK announces
closure
Laudato Si': On the Care of Our Common Home
Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si' is a call for global action
as well as an appeal for deep inner conversion. Each week, we will
provide one of the Pope's suggestions, with the paragraph numbers
to indicate their place in the Encyclical.
Do not give in to denial, indifference, resignation, blind
confidence in technical solutions. (14, 59)
Page 8
-
CATHOLIC STANDARD Friday, July 10th, 2015
By Mike James [email protected]
S hould the rest of the world be con-cerned about the outcome of
the current crisis negotiations between Greece and the rest of the
European Union + IMF?
The case for Dont Worry 1. Greece is small by European
standards. Its 11 million population is only 2% of the EUs 500
million.
Its current government foreign debt of $360 billion is
equivalent to US$33,000 per capita and about 170% of its annual
GDP. This is high in comparison with Guyana which, following
significant debt write off under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries
(HIPIC) initiation has averaged over the last five years a foreign
debt of $1.2 billion, equiva-lent to about 60% of annual GDP.
However, Greeces foreign debt is far smaller than that of many
developed coun-tries and way below the worlds most indebted nation
the US which owes $58,437 per capita.
2. Greece is still relatively well off. Despite the relatively
harsh austerity programme of the last 7 years its per capita income
is cur-rently estimated in the region of $20,000. This compares
very favourably with other developing countries such as Guyana,
$3,700 and Barbados, $16,000. Its standard of living is still very
much higher than its neighbours such as Macedonia, GDP per capita
$10,000, Kosovo $7000, Alba-nia10,000 and Turkey, $15,000. Even
with a chaotic exit from the Euro and from the European Union,
Greeks well still be much better off than most.
3. If Germany and the rest of Europe opt to give the Greeks the
requested write off of 30% of the debt and a 20 year grace period
for the repayment of the rest, this will not be a huge strain on
the wealthier countries of the EU. The total debt of Greece to
Ger-
many is under $80 billion. When the reunifi-cation of West and
East Germany took place at the end of the Cold War in 1990, the
West Germany government exchanged worthless East German for West
Germany marks as part of a massive bailout which is estimated by
the Wall Street Journal to have cost West Germany between 1.5 and
2.5 trillion dol-lars. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, her-self
from the former East Germany, is a ma-jor beneficiary of West
German generosity to brothers and sisters in distress which has
more than paid off for a united Germany, now the European
powerhouse, and the worlds fourth largest economy after, US, China
and Japan. Similar European generosity to Greek brothers and
sisters in distress could provide huge dividends for a stronger,
more democratic and just Europe.
The Case for Plenty Worry The Greek Prime minister Alexis
Tsipras in calling the referendum and for a No vote on the donor
conditions declared that these included measures that will further
de-regulate the labour market, pension cuts, and further reductions
in public sector wagesas well as an increase in VAT on food,
restaurants and tourism, These proposals - which directly violate
the fundamental rights to work, equality and dignity -- prove that
certain partners and members of the institutions are not
inter-ested in reaching a viable and beneficial agreement for all
parties, but rather the humiliation of the Greek people.
Greece, the birthplace of democracy, should send a resounding
democratic message to the European and global community he
concluded.
The current Greek government was elected in January and won a
landslide referendum vote last Sunday on a platform calling for a
radical change in the way that European and world economics and
politics are conducted.
The major temptation facing the EU and the world is that donor
elites will insist in defending the status quo of their domina-tion
of the world economy through IMF traditional debt solutions,
worsening the gap between the worlds rich and poor, including by
the expulsion of Greece from the Euro and the European union, as a
lesson to the world.
If this happens, the result could be a massive European and
world wide loss of confidence in the international financial
system, the very opposite of what the economical pow-erful hope
for, with a subsequent global recession worse that the 2008 crisis
that followed the US government decision to let the giant financial
institution Lehman broth-ers go bankrupt. The whole world,
including developing nations like Guyana could face major
crisis.
Alternative Last week Wednesday Pope Francis urged prayers for
Greece and its people, saying the country was weathering a "keenly
felt human and social crisis."
Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi said in a statement
that the dignity of Greeks must be paramount in any decisions that
emerge from the crisis. He added: "The Holy Father wishes to convey
his closeness to all the Greek people, with a special thought for
the many families gravely beset by such a complex and keenly felt
human and social crisis."
Pope Francis himself in his homily in Quito on Tuesday this
week, urged Ecuadorians and the world that we need to put an end to
exclusion of other in all its forms. He urged that giving means not
only material response but the giving of self for others in the
example of Christ. The challenge to other Europeans to solidarity
with their brothers and sisters in Greece is a challenge to the
world.
Page 9
The Case for Greece: When It Forgave Germany's Debt (From Page
4) effective debt relief can be. It helped spark what became known
as the German economic miracle. So it's perhaps ironic that Germany
is now among the countries resisting Greece's requests for debt
relief. Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis claims debt relief
is the key issue that held up a deal with creditors last week and
says he'd rather cut off his arm than sign anything that doesn't
tackle the country's borrowings. The IMF backed the call to make
Greece's debt manageable with a wide-ranging re-port on Thursday
that also blames the Greek government for being slow with reforms.
Despite years of budget cuts, Greece's debt burden is higher than
when its bailout began in 2010 over 300 billion euros ($332
billion), or 180 percent of annual GDP because the economy has
shrunk by a quarter. Here's a look at when Germany got debt relief,
and if such action might help Greece.
FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS 1953's London Agreement, hammered out over
months, was generous to West Ger-many. It cut the amount owed,
extended the repayment schedule and granted low interest rates. And
crucially, it linked West Germany's debt repayment schedule to its
ability to pay tying repayments to the trade surplus it was running
and expected to run. That created an incentive for trading partners
to buy German goods. The deal effectively blocked claims for
reparations for the destruction the Nazis inflicted on others.
But it wasn't a one-way street. "The London Agreement gave
Germany sweeping debt forgiveness and protection from creditors, in
exchange for pro-market reforms," said Professor Albrecht Ritschl
of the London School of Economics. West Germany was able to borrow
on inter-national markets again, and, free of onerous debt
payments, saw its economy grow strongly. Development activists cite
that case when arguing for easier terms for troubled coun-tries
today. "The same opportunity should be given to Greece that was
given to Germany in 1953," said Eric LeCompte, executive director
of debt relief organization Jubilee USA.
Greek debt and the World
mailto:[email protected]
-
CATHOLIC STANDARD Friday, July 10th, 2015 Page 10
KARDS PLUS GIFT CENTRE
CITY MALL
We stock Gifts and Cards for:
Baptisms, Birthdays, Christenings, Confirmations, First
Communions, Ordinations, New Born Baby, Baby & Bridal Showers,
Weddings, and many other occasions.
Telephone: 227-1846
SENTIMENTS 'N' MORE GIFT CENTRE
CITY MALL
For sentimental gifts with a personalized touch.
Know the true meaning of your name through our personalized
items.
Gifts also include occu-pation (job) items such as key rings and
mugs.
TEL. 231-0943
KARDS PLUS
Edwards & Co. Accountancy and Tax
Consultancy We provide the following services:
Tax Compliances Payroll services and NIS Remittance
and Calculations Issuing and Renewal of Work Permits Bank
Proposals Consultations Preparation of Income, Property and
Corporation Tax Forms VAT Calculations and Filing
321 East Street, N/C/Burg Tel: 226-6592, 643-8833, 645-8539
Email: [email protected]
By Maryann Brijlal, Volunteer at Catholic Indigenous Students
Union
It gives me upmost joy to share about my involvement as
volunteer in the ministry for the Amerindian students of our
nation. I have been accompanying them for about a year now.
It was joy for me to see these children happy despite their
struggles in a big city like Georgetown. While I am always given
accolades from so many people, I feel I not doing anything
extraordinary but a simple work for God through these children who
need our love and care. I have tried to extend that love and care
for these children. I am grateful to God for the gift of these
lovely students in my life.
These children are far away from their par-ents and other family
and yes they too have challenges. What I have noticed about some of
them is that they learn from either negative or positive
experiences and be-cause of this Leah and myself try to connect
with what they go through.
Being away from their families can make them feel that they are
abandoned. Over the months the spectrum of emotions can span from
painful tragedy to ecstatic happi-ness, it is certainly an enormous
privilege when they continue to include me in their lives.
One of the main activities they are involved in is the freedom
to express their emotions. By doing this we are able to bring their
emotions into our worship services so help-ing them to become
mature adults.
My favorite part of working with these chil-dren is not only to
learn their culture but also hearing from them about their
villages, schools and more.
Over the months Catholic Indigenous Students took part in a
number of activities in the church and they are gearing up for a
few more.
Fr. Jerry Dias SJ, Leah and myself encourage these children to
be productive in both school and Church as both their academic and
spiritual life are essential for their holistic growth.
Our recent outing was to the Enmore Sugar Estate and Packaging
Plant where the children were curious to know how sugar was made
and wanted to learn a little more about the industry.
I would like to thank all those who are supporting these
children especially the Jesuits, Mother Teresas sisters, Fr. Jerry
Dias and the other volunteers along with the members of our
community for wel-coming them into the various parishes.
Working with Catholic Indigenous students
Editorial: Curfew (From Page 2) periods of complete silence in
our lives. There's a passage in the Old Testament that Christians
especially love to quote. It's about "God in the gentle breeze!'
That passage is about Elijah's encounter with God. "There was a
great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking
rocks in pieces before God, but God was not in the wind; and after
the wind an earthquake, but God was not in the earthquake; and
after the earthquake a fire, but God was not in the fire; and after
the fire a sound of a gentle breeze. When Elijah heard it, he
wrapped his face in his mantle..!' (I Kings 19:11-13). God wasn't
in the heart-pounding experiences. Instead God spoke in a gentle
whisper, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"--just a quiet question
that cut Elijah to the bone. God is a God of surprises. But if we
expect to hear the gentle whisper of God, we must be silent. We
must quiet our lives, our voices, and our thoughts so that we can
hear. Often our inability to hear God is not about God's failure to
speak but our failure to listen.
being self proclaimed hot-tempered persons, to that of mature
individuals, where reason flourishes and flying into a rage is
suppressed.
Many crimes including domestic violence and even murder emerge
from situations where talking and discussion problems may not be
entertained. Some persons simply refuse to listen or hear and will
only respond brutishly. Persons can change and they need to strive
to curb bad traits such as being hot-tempered.
Those panting, hostile persons shouting and glaring are not
suffering from any hereditary disease.
They typify their own values and often can be considered as just
lacking manners.
It is my view that we can curb feelings of passion and with
mental strength choose a path of peace, by suppressing fits of
anger and passion, with its dangerous potential to destroy
happiness which we seek.
Viewpoint: Passion (From Page 11)
-
CATHOLIC STANDARD Friday, July 10th, 2015
ABRAMS PHOTO WORLD We specialize in: Video Recording, Video
Editing, Digital photographs, Designing & Printing, Laminating,
Tent Rental and much more. Contact Romeo on Tel.#
(592)643-4558.
WANTED SALES REPS FROM MADHIA, LETHEM, MABA-RUMA, PORT KAITUMA,
BARTICA, ESSEQUIBO, ETC. TO SELL PERFUMES, COSMETICS, CLOTHING,
ETC.
PLEASE CONTACT ALEX 683-0793, 649-6590.
BECK WELDING MACHINING & MARINE PARTS REPAIR
Specialists in: Re-grinding of Crankshafts Re-boring &
re-sleeving of Engine Blocks Re-surfacing & fitting inserts in
Engine Heads Repair and fabrication of machinery parts.
3 Princess & Ketley Sts., Tel# 225-6272
Catholic Magazine Sunday July 12th 2015
Internet Safety for Children
SAFETV Chan 2 - 18:00 hrs, NCN Chan 11 - 20:30 hrs, DTV Channel
8 (New Amsterdam) - 18:00 hrs
RCA TV Channel 8 (Charity) - 19:30hrs SAFETV Chan 2 - Monday
18:30 hrs (re-broadcast)
...
Dayclean Podcast Radio Guyana 89.5 FM- 5:10 am daily
Voice of Guyana 102.5 FM - 4 am Wed & Frid ...
Email: [email protected] Telephone: 226-2192
222 Wellington St., Lacytown, Georgetown
Page 11
READING CLASSES Attention parents, guardians
Reading classes for children seven (7) years and older.
Individual attention guaranteed.
Please call 623-6026 Readers are leaders leaders are readers
Your Soul is often times a battlefield, upon which your reason
and your judgement wage war against your passion and your appetite,
would that I could be the peace-maker in your soul, that I might
turn the discord and the rivalry of your elements into one-ness and
melody. But how shall I, unless you yourself be also the
Peacemak-ers, nay, the lovers of all your elements. Your reason and
your passion are the rudder and the sails of your seafaring
soul.
KAHLIL GIBRAN
A calm voice in speaking in any circum-stance; the ability to
listen and in cases of provocation to stay unruffled; and the
hu-mility to withdraw when attacked, reflect those wonderful
qualities of maturity, tol-erance and peace.
Our world will certainly be a better place if persons avoid
conflict situations and sup-press explosive emotions associated
with being hot tempered and easily angered.
The question of self-control often arises, especially when we
witness events which sadly demonstrate the dangerous paths and
consequences of explosive tempers.
So many times we hear persons in their quiet moments of
reflection, admitting that there are certain situations which make
them lose their temper.
In certain circumstances, their reactions are a manifestation of
hostility and aggression. Reason takes flight, and there is no
limit as to what depths they may go to satisfy the fury within.
The admission by some persons that they are hot tempered, and
may easily fly into a passion given certain situations, seems more
a request for others to tolerate and accommodate them it is also a
sort of pas-sive warning that others must beware, as their anger
and frenzy are a natural outflow.
So beware! Stay clear! Accept the outbursts, threats, abuse and
assaults, even be forgiv-ing why? Why should this be? Because they
seek to have their outrageous anger
categorized as an inherent characteristic and weakness of
themselves. They suggest that they are really good persons.
To my mind when an adult talks about lack of self-control and/or
demonstrates that it is an admission of immaturity. Possibly
re-lated to impatience, lack of tolerance and lack of manners.
Those passionate people are self-destructive and are their own
ene-mies. They need to be censored, and be held accountable. At all
times for their ag-gression and hostility.
The uncontrolled temper surfaces in a vari-ety of ways and
causes psychological and sometimes even physical injuries to the
per-sons targeted. There are cases of parents who in dealing with
typical parental prob-lems, demonstrate a total lack of reason.
Rather than examining and discussing the issues and seeking to
counsel, they simply hit the roof. Children may then be insulted,
threatened and ambushed in a blaze of tem-per.
There are similar cases of husbands who even in speculation and
suspicion and within discussion may violently assault their wives
in a temper. The explanation or ex-cuse, may be that they lost
their temper and in that process, their reason rioted.
After the outbursts and in moments of ap-parent repentance, they
automatically ex-pect forgiveness, acceptance and restora-tion of
normal relations.
Those who claim having that attitude to anger easily need to
look at themselves criti-cally. What claim can those persons make
to being,
Human-being they are incapable of reason-ing!
If their best approach to dealing with most issues which surface
is to explode, assault and or abuse.
You and I may conclude that there are many brutes in our
society. You may certainly recognize such persons. They need help
to lift themselves from (please turn to page 10)
MODERN OPTICAL SERVICE 316 Middle St., N/C/Burg,
Tel# 226-1082 For comprehensive eye examinations,
contact lenses and solutions
FLEX GYM Aerobics,
Weight Training 151 Thomas St. Kitty
Tel: 226-7735
PASSION Viewpoint by Vibert Parvatan
-
CATHOLIC STANDARD Friday, July 10th, 2015
Published by the Catholic Standard Ltd. 222 South &
Wellington Sts., Lacytown, Georgetown Telephone: 226 -2195 email:
[email protected]
Page 12
On the Lighter Side
July 14: Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Kateri was born near the town
of Auriesville, New York, in the year 1656, the daughter of a
Mohawk warrior. Kateri became converted as a teenager. She was
baptized at the age of twenty and incurred the great hostility of
her tribe. Although she had to suffer greatly for her Faith, she
remained firm in it. Kateri went to the new Christian colony of
Indians in Canada. Here she lived a life dedicated to prayer,
penitential practices, and care for the sick and aged. Every
morning, even in bitter-est winter, she stood before the chapel
door until it opened at four and remained there until after the
last Mass. She was devoted to the Eucharist and to Jesus Crucified.
She died on April 17, 1680 at the age of twenty-four. She is known
as the "Lily of the Mohawks". St. Kateri Teckakwitha is the first
Native American to be declared a Saint. She is the patroness of the
environment and ecology as is St. Francis of Assisi.
Saint of the Week
A group of youths from St John the Baptist Church, Plaisance
last Sunday spent the day at Marudi Creek, reflecting on team
building and increasing trust among themselves and with others. Fr
Justin Prabhu SJ guided the group through the experience.
Plaisance youth reflect on trust, team building
On Sunday June 28th Bishop Francis Alleyne OSB conferred the
Sacrament of Confirmation on 9 young people of St. Pius X parish:
Yolanda Benn, Dredae Blackman, Brian Henry, Marvin McLeod, Tia
Moore, Rashida Murray, Reginald Murray, Nicholas Narine &
Petrola Todd (photo: Romeo Abrams)
Students on a recent outing to the Enmore Sugar Estate (please
see article on page 10)
Working with Catholic Indigenous students
Confirmation at St. Pius X