Upon This Rock 118 April 2011

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Upon this Rock magazine is published monthly by

EuropeAxess Media Ltd, Gibraltar.

Editor Fr. Stuart Chipolina: [email protected]

Production Editor: A. Sargent

[email protected]: Walking with the Holy

Father - St. Joseph’s Day Mass at the Shrine (A. Sargent) and Walking Home in Tokyo after

the quake (C. Cardona)

Upon this Rock magazine is entirely supported by advertising and donations. It is run in liaison with the Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar by EuropeAxess Media Ltd. as a not-for-profit project. To advertise: This magazine is hand-delivered to homes, churches, hospitals and many businesses around Gibraltar every month. To discuss your advertising requirements, or promote your church group or charity, call Tel: 200 79335 email: [email protected] Editorial is selected by EuropeAxess Media in liaison with the Catholic Diocese of Gibraltar. Neither of these parties is responsible for the accuracy of the information contained herein, nor do the views and opinions expressed herein necessarily reflect the views and opinions of either party. Advertisers are not endorsed by virtue of advertising in this magazine. EuropeAxess Media reserves the right to refuse space to any submissions or advertisements.

God makes us a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17),

but sinful pride, indifference, and unbelief can block that transformation from taking full effect in us. God repeatedly sent His prophets to the chosen people of Israel to shake from them their indifference and unbelief, but their ears grew dull of hearing. They forgot to ask for healing and pardon. We all stand in need of God’s grace and help every day and every moment of our lives. Scripture tells us that “the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never

come to an end; they are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23). God gives grace to the humble who seek him with sincerity, with expectant faith, and with a repentant heart that wants to be made whole and clean again. When Naaman, a non-Jew went to Jerusalem to seek a cure for his leprosy, the prophet Elisha instructed him to bathe seven times in the Jordan river. He humbly followed the prophet’s instructions and was immediately restored in body and spirit.When Jesus proclaimed the good news of God’s kingdom to His own people, He did not hesitate to confront them with their sin of indifference and unbelief. He startled His listeners in the synagogue at Nazareth with a

How to release God’s transforming power.

seeming rebuke that no prophet or servant of God can receive honour among His own people. He then angered them when He complimented the Gentiles who seemed to have shown more faith in God than the “chosen ones” of Israel. The Jews regarded the unbelieving Gentiles as “fuel for the fires of hell.” Jesus’ praise for “outsiders” offended the ears of His own people because they were blind-sighted to God’s mercy and plan of redemption for all nations. The word of warning and judgment spoken by Jesus was met with hostility by His own people. They forcibly threw

Him out of the town and would have done Him harm had He not stopped them.The Lord Jesus offers healing and pardon to all who humbly ask for His mercy and help. He will set us free from every sinful habit and every harmful way of relating to our neighbour, if we allow Him to cleanse and heal us. If we want to walk in freedom and grow in love and holiness, then we must humbly renounce our sinful ways and submit to Christ’s instruction and healing for our lives. Scripture tells us that the Lord disciplines us for our good that we may share His holiness (Hebrews 12:10). Do you want the Lord Jesus to set you free from every sinful pattern and to make you whole and well again? Ask Him to show you the way to walk in His love and truth. God Bless You Fr. Stuart

Above: The River Jordon today. Right: Naaman humbly obeys Elisha, bathing seven times in the river.

dear friends

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gibraltar youth ministries

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World Youth Day Cross & Icon to visit the Rock

The Roman Catholic Di-ocese of Gibraltar has the immense honour

and privilege of receiving the “World Youth Day Cross and Icon” on the Rock.Last month a special weekend of events called ‘Walking with the Holy Father’ was held at the Europa Retreat Centre for those young people who were preparing to receive the

Cross and Icon and escort it as it travels round the Rock and passes on to Spain. Significantly, Mass on the Saturday fell on St. Joseph’s day, and the Youth took an active part in the Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Europe on that day. Speaking to the congregation Mgr Charlie Azzopardi reminded us how St. Joseph played a pivotal role in identifying the message given by the angel, that the child Mary bore was special, and to be protected, and in fact that he had been given two further messages, to take his family and flee to escape Herod, and again when it was time to return home. Fr. Charlie said that it was because St. Joseph was an honourable man, a man of prayer that he was able to receive these messages and recognize them for what

they were. He underlined the importance of discipline, that any great musician or sportsman takes on a strict regime of training, and so it is with prayer, that we must work at it to keep up a life of prayer, and not only prayer in community but private prayer. He told the youth attending the retreat “Find time to go alone to the chapel and spend time with God in silence.”

Also known as the Olympic Torch of World Youth Day, the Cross and Icon have been right around the world. Th

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Activities centred around the Cross during the weekend retreat.

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gibraltar youth ministries

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World Youth Day Cross & Icon to visit the Rock

The Cross and Icon will be in Gibraltar between the 4th and 7th of April 2011 as part of its pilgrimage around the nation of Spain which is hosting the World Youth Day event in August of this year, where an estimated 1.5- 2 million youth are expected.Due to the unique nature of the Diocese of Gibraltar not belonging to any Bishop’s Conference, it is an unprecedented gift by the Bishop’s Conference of Spain that we have this great opportunity to host the World Youth day Cross and Icon in Gibraltar.On the 22nd of April 1984 Pope John Paul II entrusted the young people of the world the “World Youth Day Cross” with these

words, “My dear young people, I entrust to you the sign of this Jubilee Year: the Cross of Christ! Carry it throughout the world as a symbol of Christ’s love for humanity, and announce to everyone that only in the death and resurrection of Christ can we find salvation and redemption”. Since then the cross has travelled the world from the North Pole to the South Pacific, from the Philippines, to Ground Zero in New York.The Cross does not travel alone.

On Palm Sunday 2003 Pope John Paul II entrusted to the youth of the world an icon of the Blessed Mother that would accompany the cross. “It will be a sign of Mary’s motherly presence close to young people who are called, like the Apostle John, to

welcome her into their lives,” said the pontiff.The diocese of Gibraltar has organised a series of events surrounding the occasion of its presence on the Rock, beginning with its transportation across the Strait on a tug from Ceuta. Prayer events will be held every evening, and during the day it will be visiting our Middle and Secondary schools, the hospital, and prison, amongst other places. See the itinerary on this page.

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PRELIMINARY ITINERARY OF WYD CROSS AND ICON IN GIBRALTAR

Monday 4th – Thursday 7th April 2011

Monday 4th : Collection of Cross and Icon from Ceuta, arrival in Gibraltar at around 6.30 / 7.00pm

Escort to St Theresa’s Church for Liturgical Service.

Tuesday 5th: AM: Visiting Schools – Tercentenary Hall PM: Upper Rock Evening: Shrine of Our Lady of Europe Hopefully outdoor Rosary – ‘Siete Dolores

de Maria’ (see page 15 in last month’s mag)Wednesday 6th: AM: Visiting Schools – Tercentenary Hall PM: Hospital / Prison 7.30pm: Outdoor Stations of the Cross

Starting at Casemates, walk to Cathedral St Mary the Crowned.Thursday 7th: AM: Visiting Schools – Tercentenary Hall PM: Hand over of Cross and Icon at

Frontier to Spain (en route to Bilbao)

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February saw the start of the international celebration of Faith and

Light to celebrate 40 years since it was founded by Jean Vanier and Marie-Helene Mathieu in Lourdes in 1971. To start off the celebrations in Gibraltar we celebrated the Feast of Light on the 2nd of February with a mass in the Cathedral presided by Bishop Ralph and Fr Paul. We used our

own candles, with a little sticker saying ‘Faith and Light’. We also had the banners of our three communities at the side of the altar and we took an active part in the Mass by having a member of each community do the readings and the offertory. After the Mass each community went on to do their own things, one of the communities went out to eat at the Leisure Centre and had a great night.

They shall shine like the stars in the heavens

The following Saturday 5th February we continued our awareness campaign by setting up display boards outside the Cathedral showing past and present photos of our journey over the years. We took this opportunity to hand out information leaflets to the many passersby. At the same time, in order to fundraise, we had a cake stall with a raffle. We are very grateful to the Jewel Box for their donation

of a lovely jewel box, Gibral Flora Ltd for their donation of a beautiful plant and to El Buen Gusto for their donation of a fantastic fruit hamper as their generosity enabled us to have a very successful raffle. Thanks to all those persons who bought raffle tickets or cakes and of course those persons who very kindly offered up their time to help out, either on the day or by baking a cake or muffins for us. We can say that the day was a

faith and light communities matthew ferrary

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The banners of our three communities and the prizes donated for the cake stall.

Selling raffle tickets.

great success!On the sunny morning of Friday 25th February 2011 a group from Faith and Light Gibraltar, comprising Fr. Paul, Matthew Ferrary, Andrew Hermida, Tony Chiappe, Douglas and Joanna Ressa, Kayleigh Tavares and Matthew and Odilia Turnock set off very early in the morning by car all the way up to Salamanca to attend a regional meeting of our zone, namely Iberatlantica which is made up by the communities of Gibraltar, Madrid, Salamanca, Merida, Sevilla and Cordoba. The meeting catered mainly for leaders and those who one day could be elected leaders, and for the chaplains. All talks stressed the importance of service to the community and that leaders are there to serve the group and delegate things to the members of the coordinating teams, as they also have an input and they should be open to suggestions, and not try to do all things themselves and impose their will. Different workshops were held such as: how to solve problems that may arise within our communities; how to coordinate

a coordinating team; and how to attract new members. We also had our prayer time and our own time of silence. The theme of this meeting was ‘Brillaran como estrellas en el firmamento’ (they shall shine like stars in the heavens). We learnt from this theme that the stars, our communities, should shine so much that our light, like that of stars can still be seen even when we are no longer in existence. Meeting old friends is always a pleasure bringing back memories, and making new ones is always a positive, because their ideas could be put into practice within our communities, knowing we all have one thing in common. The acceptance of our

special friends into our Universal Church as an important part of this great family of Christ. We will continue with our awareness campaign in the near future, in our Parish Churches, to let the community at large know

what we are about and encourage parents or carers of children or adults with a mental disability to come and join us in our meetings. We encourage anyone willing to give up a few hours once a month to come along and experience the rewarding feeling of living in community with our special friends.Hope to see you all soon and please feel free to ask questions as we will very happily enlighten you on this special family of ours.

You can follow us on Facebook just add us on ‘Faith Light

Gibraltar’, email: [email protected] or contact:

Natasha Passano on 54014088; Matthew Ferrary on

54006325; or Kayleigh Tavares on 54002557.

They shall shine like the stars in the heavensfaith and light communities matthew ferrary

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Hearing a talk from our provintial leader, Miguel Reyes.

Kayleigh Tavares reading the Gospel of the day

Meeting new friends from Sevilla

Above. The Mass to finish off the retreat. Present were the communities of Faith and Light from Salamanca.

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new local prostate cancer support group anne mesilio

Caring for a man who is ill with prostate cancer can be a challenging

experience for his spouse/partner and indeed the whole family. The diagnosis has probably come as a shock for everyone and suddenly life as you knew it has taken on the frightening hue of death for a cancer diagnosis is sometimes synonymous with this. Nothing will have prepared you for this and you are not expected to know how to deal with this alien situation even if it is the most common cancer in men from 50-70 years. It can actually be difficult to diagnose too, as symptoms are often caused

by non cancerous diseases. In the early stages it can be present without any symptoms and for this reason men over 50 years are urged to have an annual health check which should include the prostate. However, any man diagnosed with prostate cancer will need extra understanding and empathic help but to do this. Everyone concerned needs to learn about the disease, what needs to be done next and why, what outcomes to expect, possible side effects if chemotherapy is indicated, post operative care and the prognosis. Your doctor will be the one able to help and reassure you here but this could be limited and

you will find questions that need answers and reassurances all the time. You are learning words you have never heard of and this can be very daunting. Everyone is being called upon to rise to the challenge of this potentially life changing situation and you are not expected to know how to do this. Help is at hand in the form of a support group. The group is made up of some people who have been through, or are going through similar circumstances and can empathise with you and keep you from that isolating feeling of being alone. It is important to listen non-judgementally to what the person has to say because you

do not know exactly what he is feeling, though of course you may have a very good idea as you try to understand. This applies to the whole family as reactions will vary, and it is often helpful not expect everyone concerned to share feelings at once. It is also helpful to understand that the gamut of feelings you are experiencing are ‘normal’ in the circumstances.The Gibraltar Prostate Cancer Support Group has been started whose aim is to help limit the impact of cancer, physically and emotionally, not just for the person but for the whole family. I asked John Diaz how it had come about. “Manolo Ruiz from the Senior Citizens club had been on television asking for volunteers to start such a group and being a cancer survivor myself I offered to help. We have had tremendous help from Isabel Ellul Hammond (Breast Cancer Awareness) who offered her own Constitution as a guideline and a committee of six has been appointed. Myself

Stand by your manIt is generally accepted that men are less likely than women to discuss their health concerns or share their fears.

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new local prostate cancer support group anne mesilio

as Chairperson, Derek Ghio as Treasurer/Deputy Chair, Richard Montegriffo Secretary, with David Hardy, Mario Ghio and George Payas as committee members. On the committee at least four are not cancer sufferers”. What do you hope to achieve? “We need to prioritise the early detection of prostate cancer by providing as much information as possible, urging all men of 50 years and over to have a yearly check up. This will need to include a test for the amount of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in the blood stream. All men have a small amount of this anyway and the level increases with age so a raised level indicates a prostate problem. Further investigation is needed to establish/rule out anything sinister. The normal level is under 4(ng/ml) and mine was 95”, John shared with me. “Off the Richter scale!” I could not help gasping. He went on, “I was diagnosed in 2004 and sent immediately to the Royal Marsden hospital in London for a biopsy. After this I was sent home on treatment for one year until the PSA level went down. Then I had seven weeks of radiotherapy where high powered x-rays are pointed at the prostate. The survival rate for this treatment is five years and that was seven years ago”, he finished. Bravo! I was impressed with how he had taken responsibility for his recovery

and his willingness to give precious time to this new support group. From my own personal experience, support groups are invaluable in the work they do enabling a clearer understanding of what to expect from your situation. By sharing personal experiences you connect with others facing similar challenges and yes, it is an opportunity to make new friends.He referred to the biopsy again, it is the only reliable way to diagnose this cancer but the procedure is not carried out in Gibraltar. “For that, we have to go to the UK and one of our aims is to fundraise to be able to provide the equipment in order to carry out the procedure here, and we aim to co-operate with the Gibraltar Health Authority on this”. The website will be a source of information for those wishing to join, for those who may be wondering what symptoms may herald cancer, (e.g., the need to urinate more often at night), and it is imperative to make men in Gibraltar aware that early diagnosis and treatment can be life saving. On 1st March this year Sky News carried a report of a new and 70% more reliable

urine test which it is hoped will be available later this year. This can only be good news, for at present men are subjected to painful and embarrassing tests and being able to detect prostate cancer, the biggest killer of men, early, has to be welcomed.The website is available to all,

and ladies, please visit it too, the information may be a life saver for your man. For confidential help email [email protected] or call telephone 58009161. For information see prostatecancersupportgroup.gi Together you can beat cancer.

Stand by your man

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The Gibraltar Prostate Cancer Support Group Committee

a gibraltarian in japan interview with cliff cardona

We just held on and prayed the building didn’t collapse

Where are you working now Cliff?I work at a Tokyo-

based magazine as graphic designer.What time did you feel the earthquake?It struck Tokyo at around 2:50pm.

Where were you at that time?I was at the office working on the next issue.Is it the first earthquake you have felt there?It’s not the first, but certainly the biggest.What was the immediate reac-tion of the people around you?I work in an office with the magazine editor and IT technician. The editor and I felt some initial shaking soon after the quake hit and just looked at each other as if to say “uh oh”. The tech guy, however, seemed oblivious and just kept working at his workstation.He wasn’t oblivious for much longer. The quake just kept getting stronger and stronger. Things were starting to fall down

from shelves, and I could see the buildings next to ours sway from side to side. We just held on and prayed the building didn’t collapse.Were you able to quickly check that your wife and daughter were safe?The cell phone networks went down minutes after the quake struck, due to everyone trying to call at the same time, but the internet was still online so I emailed my wife to check that she was okay. She rushed to the daycare center to pick up our daughter soon after.Did you stay in the office or did they stop work straight away?We all tried to remain calm and continue working after the main tremor hit, but it was almost im-possible to focus on anything, and the news coming in from up north was very worrying. We all just ended up watching the news whilst riding the constant after-shocks, some of which felt almost as strong as the main quake. What was the effect on the city?

There were some initial reports of fires breaking out in the city, the biggest one in Odaiba (see photo, opposite, taken from the office). The force of the quake meant that things were thrown off shelves, so places like supermarkets were a mess.Trains came to a halt too, so most people didn’t know how they were going to get home. There were endless queues for buses and taxis.How did you get home? On foot. (see front cover photo) I looked up the quickest walking route from the office to my house on my iPhone. “20km, 4 hour walk.” The phone’s battery dying half-way in didn’t help, but I managed to find my way home by asking where the closest train stations were and following rail tracks. It took me about five hours of non-stop walking, but I made it in the end.Do you know if your wife’s family is safe?My wife’s family is from Iwate (one of the areas worst affected by

Cliff Cardona moved to Japan with his wife in May 2009

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a gibraltarian in japan interview with cliff cardona

We just held on and prayed the building didn’t collapse

the quake), so we were obviously very concerned about their safety. We weren’t able to contact them until the next day, but thankfully they are all safe and doing well. How long did the aftershocks continue?They are still going at the time of writing (15th March), but they have subsided somewhat.What sort of frequency and strength of aftershock did you experience?They were occurring in 10 minute intervals to start off with, and then it decreased to one every 30 minutes or so. They are still occurring now, but irregularly.How did that feel?Worrying. No matter how weak a tremor is, feeling the earth shaking beneath you is never fun.Did people in Tokyo try to get back to work the next day?The next day was a Saturday, so most offices were closed anyway. Many shops also closed for the day.How are the stocks of essentials holding up where you shop?

Not great. People are panic-buying, which is understandable but a little selfish. I saw someone pushing a shopping trolley filled with about 10 packs of sliced bread yesterday. It basically means that those who are actually in short supply of food have no choice but to ‘compete’ with the panic-buyers.We are just buying things as we need them. In what way are ordinary people encouraged to support the recovery efforts?

People in cities have been asked to limit the amount of electricity used due to limited resources, but everyone’s been told to avoid travelling up north for the time being.Are the hospitals coping with the injured?Places like Iwate and Miyagi are struggling and have resorted to using school gymnasiums as makeshift first-aid shelters.How many people have been left homeless?We only have estimates available at the moment, but there’s talk of more than 500,000.We have heard nothing about looting. Every other disaster of this nature that I remember has resulted in reports of looting after the event. Why is this not the case in Japan?There have actually been a couple of isolated reports of looting coming out of Miyagi, but nothing major. The Japanese are very much a people who believe in doing things together, as one. The general feeling in Tokyo is

one of concern for the people up north, but also of wanting to get together and recover from this terrible event. Japan has come back from almost complete ruin in the past thanks to this way of thinking, and confidence is high that they will be able to do so again this time around. What is your own biggest worry right now?The main concern right now is the situation in Fukushima with the nuclear power plant, and whether or not another strong earthquake will hit in the next few days or weeks. Experts are still trying to figure out whether the effects of this earthquake have lessened or indeed heightened the possibility of a big one hitting closer to Tokyo.At time of going to press it appears the worst nuclear dangers are over, but we continue to pray for the people of Japan, for those who lost their lives and all who were affected by the earthquakes and tsunami.

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The sky was filled with smoke billowing from the docks in Tokyo.

on retreat julio alcantara

Report from Fatima

Thursday 24 February ... 7 a.m. .. over 40 souls from Father Stuart’s

flock gather at the Frontier to commence a four-day pilgrimage to Fatima, Portugal. Fr. Stuart, Deacon Francois, and Richard deftly manage their “sheep” on to the coach with little fuss but very detailed organization. The long journey of some ten + hours is eased by very moving films on

Bishop Romero of El Salvador; documenting the incredible life of a young Spanish priest killed in a mountaineering accident – a film that does so much to re-address the media-tainted perception of Catholic priesthood; and of course, the miracle of Fatima. Hymns and rosaries, the mood is set for special days in a very special place.The pilgrims quickly become a

The pilgrims quickly become a bonded family group; quietly helping each other; making all feel welcome.

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on retreat julio alcantara

Arrangements are un-derway for this year’s Life in the Spirit Semi-

nar organized by Christ The King prayer group.The Seminar is to be held at the Europa Retreat Centre on the

20th, 21st & 22nd May. All are welcome. The main speaker will be Mr Gabrielle Sedda from the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in London. Gabriele enthralled last year’s participants with his powerful testimony and inspired everyone with his prayerful witness. If would like to hear more, please call: MARGARET 54012881, PAMELA 56222000 orGERARD 54024064, 20073348e-mail: [email protected]

Report from Fatima

bonded family group, quietly helping each other; making all feel welcome. Holy Mass in the monastery’s chapel gives substance to our days. Father Stuart’s talks motivate med-itation and prayer, surprising newcomers that have not experienced his words before. Rosaries and Mass at the Capelina are special indeed and there is great pride when the Gibraltar group is given responsibility for the noon Mass. Deacon Francois gives a memorable sermon in Spanish, with the ‘ambiente’ so well set by the music ministry, as are the Offertory prayers offered by members of the group. The huge attendance at the Mass is a testimony to this.The encouraging warmth of the centre set out for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, draws us like a magnet and provides the spiritual backdrop for the always

memorable International Rosary and torchlight procession. Some members of the Group remain behind for the penitential walk to the Capelina. The open-air Stations of the Cross and the visit to Lucia’s home add more special moments to our pilgrimage, providing food for reflection.The return journey is equally long, and we arrive at the Waterport Coach Park tired but spiritually much refreshed. “Hail Mary ………”

what’s on

Gabriele Sedda returns to Gib to

talk at a Life in the Spirit Seminar

Art for Holy WeekAn exhibition to be held in the Vault at Casemates on the 12th - 19th April including recently restored Church

paintings.

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gibraltar dyslexia support group anne mesilio

D is for Dyslexia......not for Dunce

*www. tommulcahyinteractivemetronome.com

Edison’s name is well known as the ‘inventor’ of the light bulb though

he is credited with numerous inventions which have benefited mankind. This remarkable man was dyslexic, a learning disability which usually affects at least 10% of the population with reading and writing difficulties and during his early years it was his mother who was his mainstay, believing in him and devoting countless hours to helping him. Tom Mulcahy, a present day Irishman was describing his battle with dyslexia. (I came across this as I browsed the web the day after I had chatted with Stuart Byrne). “My teachers went too fast for me to keep up so I was left behind in class, but I grasped the playing of the tin whistle very fast which meant I could do something my peers could not do”. Tom left school at fifteen with no exams and joined the family tailoring business, “it suited (no pun intended) me, no books to read”, but the tin whistle opened up a love of music though his ability to read music is limited. This notwithstanding he has achieved an LGSM in music, a BA degree in Jazz Performance and a Masters with Honours in Performance. He is a music tutor at University College Cork.* Two men, nearly a century apart whose stories illustrate the unchanging nature of this disability though thankfully there is both recognition and help at hand these days. To find out how much help there is here in Gibraltar I went along to chat

with Stuart Byrne, committee member of the Gibraltar Dyslexic Support Group. I discovered one of the aims of the group is “ to let every dyslexic person know they should be proud and positive, not confused and disappointed”. My first question was what is dyslexia?Stuart explained, “It is a learning disability or difficulty which usually affects reading and writing and often includes numbers as well. It is permanent which means a great deal of support is needed especially throughout schooling. But”, Stuart emphasized, “This does not preclude other strengths in areas such as creative work. Dyslexics are usually spatially aware with the ability to think outside the box”. (Think Edison and Mulcahy). How is it noticed? “It is often picked up by a teacher or parent who will have noticed a child’s academic work is not in line with his/her level of knowledge or intelligence so they begin to question what is going on”. What happens then? “That depends on who notices it, which school the child attends, on severity of dyslexia, how quickly it is recognised and the support available. Ideally the child should be seen by the SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) and there should be one in every school. The next step would be to be seen by the Educational Psychologist, who is the only one qualified to make a diagnosis. Some have a reluctance to pronounce a child dyslexic and seem to prefer to refer to the child as

having (SPLD) specific learning difficulties and symptoms are similar to dyslexia. This non diagnosis makes it difficult to get the help needed and this is more important than labelling as dyslexic”. The word ‘label’ caught my attention and I wanted to know if dyslexics are labelled, like having a sticker on the forehead saying I am a dyslexic, is that necessary? His reply was candid. “This is a dilemma that all professionals grapple with. I personally feel it is a good thing as long as it is done correctly. For instance, if I had not been told that I had special learning difficulties, I’m sure I would not be the person I am today. Knowing that I was dyslexic helped me a great deal”. In fact in common with Edison’s mother it was Stuart’s mother Marie who helped put in that extra effort after school by continuing his classes at home. She started the Dyslexia Support Group to

include other parents who were struggling to help their offspring similarly affected, but once he was through the educational system she took a back seat and after a few years the group ceased to be active. He went on to become a police constable in the Gibraltar Services Police and is happily married to Hazel with two children. Fifteen years later he reactivated the Group and I asked him how that had come about. He spoke with quiet sincerity as he explained how “I was at a point in my life where I was asking God how I could help out with the less fortunate in our society because I feel this is one of our callings as a Christian. I was searching, could not seem to find anything to do and one day I bumped into a friend in Main Street who mentioned someone who had been diagnosed with dyslexia at age 12/13. This really surprised me as an earlier diagnosis, six to seven is much more desirable but I did not pursue this any further. When I look back at this time in my life I can see that God was preparing me for what He was calling me to do, and the Holy Spirit reminded me of the conversation I had had a few weeks earlier, ah, dyslexia, but what could I do? So I prayed about it and thought I should get involved with the GDSG”. He

“My teachers say I’m addled…my father thought me stupid, and I almost decided I must be a dunce”. Thomas Edison, 1874 -1931

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Left Thomas Edison, above, Mr & Mrs Stuart Byrne.

also brings fresh ideas. If you appreciate all that the Gibraltar Dyslexia Support Group does please put your name forward and join the committee.Where would you like to see the Group in three to five years?“There is a need to bring dyslexic awareness into the workplace. I have met people struggling with for example, depression, who are unaware that they are or might be dyslexic. People have lost jobs, families have split up, we have lots of single parents, and dyslexia is difficult to live with if not understood. I would like people to realise that dyslexia can be dealt with, I’m a prime example”, he offered, and I really appreciated this chat. Stuart made me aware of his concerns that there are parents who may be worried about their child’s progress at school and are not contacting the support group. “I understand that calling us may feel like a last resort, or admitting more than you are ready about your child, but the quicker help can get to them the

better. So please, if your child is having problems at school, don’t hesitate, call us”. If you need to speak with someone confidentially or if you want to offer help in any please get in touch, there are several ways of doing this, so, what’s holding you back?

Freephone 8099 Email:

[email protected]:

www.dyslexia.gi(T) 20078509 (M) 54007924

Facebook and Twitter

gibraltar dyslexia support group anne mesilio

D is for Dyslexia......not for Dunce

HOPE is a sup-port group

specifically geared to helping women recover from the loss of a baby

was disappointed to discover the group was inactive but “as this was something God had put on my heart”, he re-started the group in 2004. After nearly five years he took a break for a year but is back with enthusiasm and energy. What does the Group do I wondered and discovered it is very active in bringing different specialists out from UK giving seminars to teachers and parents. An Educational Psychologist has been out to help assess children as the Education Department struggles with this and there is a need for prompt diagnosis. Is dyslexia only about reading and writing difficulties? “There is a misconception here”, he explained, “ and while that’s the basis, it was only when I got the group going again that I realised just how dyslexic I am. It affects memory, balance, moods, areas not normally attributed to dyslexia. They may find it difficult to express themselves clearly, or to fully comprehend what others mean. Some have problems with tact.

Language problems are often difficult to recognise and can lead to awkward complications in the workplace, in schools and in relating to other people. The positive is that dyslexics often excel in other things like the arts, drama music etc. I have used Edison and Mulcahy as examples but a Google search will return quite a long list of well known persons with dyslexia, all achievers. Stuart continued, “Yes, it’s a disability but it need not stop anyone from doing other things”. Where is the Group at this point in time? In a word, busy. The website (www.dyslexia.gi) is being re-launched and pages have been set up on Facebook and Twitter. Their flag day will be held on 1st April, and the AGM will be held on Thursday 19th May. Stuart would welcome new members. “You don’t have to be dyslexic, in fact we need non-dyslexic people”. It is important that we add new people to the committee each year. This helps the current members of the committee and

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Loosing a baby in preg-nancy can be a heart-breaking experience

and having more than one mis-carriage a devastating ordeal. So many times a miscarriage is considered a normal turn of events and we are often told that one in four pregnancies will end in miscarriage; however this is of no real comfort to the parents of the lost child.Miscarriage is also known as a spontaneous abortion and the correct definition for this is the spontaneous loss of a pregnancy before 20 weeks gestation. This occurs in about 15 percent of pregnancies.In the last five to ten years there has been a change in the man-agement of miscarriages. If a couple have had three or more

consecutively, there is a thor-ough investigation completed, to investigate the cause. There is a growing recognition that there appears to be an association be-tween infertility and miscarriage.

We are slowly coming to recognize that no miscarriage can be

considered normal. All miscarriages are the

result of an abnormal reproductive event.

Thanks to NaProTECHNOL-OGY we can now assess the cy-

cles that are most at risk for mis-carriage and treat each cycle as necessary to prevent such a loss. Our approach to the manage-ment of recurrent miscarriage is to search for the underlying problem and treat whatever we find, we consider a miscarriage to be an abnormal event instead of a common natural event. The CREIGHTON MODEL System (CrMS) can identify unusual bleeding patterns, short luteal phase in the menstrual cycle, a limited mucus cycle and dry cy-cles, pre-menstrual spotting, a highly variable post-Peak phase and pre-menstrual symptoms, all of which are associated with a progesterone deficiency and can cause miscarriage. Other find-ings include ovulation disorders and endometriosis. Identifying and treating abnormal looking cycles increases the chances of success with treatment.

women’s health dr. monique risso

More than one miscarriage?Dr. Monique Risso tells us about a health care system that does not see recurrent miscar-riage as ‘normal’.

HOPE is a sup-port group

specifically geared to helping women recover from the loss of a baby

that is miscarried or stillborn. HOPE aims to help by provid-ing three things:• Emotional Support• Practical Information• Spiritual Comfort.For further details, please call: HOPE Helpline Tel: 200 41817

Evaluation and TreatmentThe initial evaluation is based on the woman’s chart together with a timed blood test to assess deficiencies of the hormones progesterone or oestradiol 17 ß in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. If the results show the hormone levels to be below the normal range, treatment is given to correct the underlying abnormality. In those ladies whose hormone profile is completely normal, the recommendation would be for further surgical evaluation of the woman’s uterus (womb) including an endometrial biopsy to check for an infection of the uterus which could cause a miscarriage. The blood test would also be looking for chromosomal or blood clotting abnormalities or other physical illnesses which are recognised to contribute to recurrent miscarriage.Environmental and lifestyle factors are often very significant contributors to miscarriage. In particular, excessive alcohol and cigarette smoking together with a busy stressful working environment or other lifestyle stress may be the primary reasons why the couple are having miscarriages.Endometriosis can be a significant cause of recurrent miscarriage for some couples; it can be treated by Pelvic Excision and Repair Surgery which is done laproscopically (keyhole surgery).1Reproductive Endocrinology Precis, 2nd Edition: Recurrent Pregnancy Loss. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Washington, D.C., 2002.Once the couple does conceive we recommend ongoing hormone support during pregnancy with progesterone and HCG. This is gradually reduced and discontinued depending on the results of progesterone blood tests taken every two weeks during the early stages of pregnancy.This treatment is minimally invasive, safe and significantly increases the possibility of a successful pregnancy. Unfortunately not everyone is successful; nearly 80% of couples will eventually achieve pregnancy and couples with a history of eight to nine previous miscarriages have been able to have successful pregnancies with this treatment.The next Creighton Model System Introductory Session will take place on Wednesday 13th April 2011 at 6pm.

For further information please contact:DR MONIQUE RISSO MBChB MRCGP. VALMAR MEDICAL CLINIC 11A Main Street Gibraltar TEL: 00350 200 78202 [email protected]

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on being very careful where we walk andrew mifsud dom sebastian moore: theologian

Bridges

Bridges are great. Without them we would need to swim

or boat across rivers, walk round or through the bottom of chasms, allow railways across valleys and roads. They link different areas together and we trample all over them to get from one place to another.

Here’s a story about spiritual bridges…There were two kingdoms, separated by a huge gulf. One was the kingdom of Light, and the other the principality of Darkness. However, there were only a few bridges leading from one kingdom to the other. So although the kingdoms were separated, there was a little

movement between them. Although all of the bridges could be easily used, there was a guard-post on each one. Some of these guard-posts were very meticulous about what traffic they allowed. They allowed people from the kingdom of Light to cross over and rescue others from Darkness. The rescuers would walk across, under the protection of their King, and rescue those who were looking to move from Darkness into Light. Then the guards would let them back in again with their guests.However, some of these bridges were guarded less carefully. The bridge keepers would allow anyone who looked OK to pass across. In the same way that people from Light would go across into Darkness to rescue others, so the natives of Darkness would come across the bridge to try and tempt people away from Light. Not being totally stupid, they disguised themselves and the guards were easily deceived into letting them through. The easiest disguise was to dress up as people from the kingdom of Light, particularly those who had been known to the guards in life and were easy to imitate. The guards would look and see somebody’s grandfather, somebody’s auntie, and let them through, not bothering to check if they genuinely were who they said they were.Once inside the kingdom of Light, some of the intruders would try and tempt people away into the principality of

Darkness. Others were more sly. They would try and disturb or otherwise hurt the rescuers, or the leaders of Light. They would damage their buildings and property. But they were VERY careful NEVER to damage the bridge. The bridge was their only way into the kingdom of Light. They could not risk losing their entry point into the kingdom, so even though they hated the bridge that linked them to a kingdom that they could never be part of, they looked after it so that it would be there when they needed it. Instead, they took out their malice, their hate, their envy and their anger on the inhabitants of the kingdom of Light.

Was the bridge at fault?

There were plenty of warnings never to allow traffic from the principality of Darkness. There were also warnings that the Darkness inhabitants would be disguised as “angels of Light”. ( 2 Corinthians 11:14) Well, no wonder! Even Satan can disguise himself to look like an angel of light! (15) So it is no great thing if his servants disguise themselves to look like servants of righteousness.”The Bible warns us over and over again NOT to consult the spirits (Isaiah 8:19-20, Deuteronomy 18:10-14, 2 Kings 16:15, 2 Kings 21:6, 2 Chronicles 33:6 amongst others)King Saul consulted a medium, the Witch of Endor, against God’s direct command not to. The witch

a story about spiritual bridges

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on being very careful where we walk andrew mifsud dom sebastian moore: theologian herself was not hurt in any way, but the king and his sons died the very next day. The enemy is careful never to damage “his” bridges and instead damages the people close to the bridge.So what bearing does this have in our own lives? There are many people including practising Christians who consult mediums. Mediums are the bridges that the enemy uses to get at God’s people. God expressly forbids His people to consult mediums because of the dangers involved. It is rare indeed to see any good come from such an encounter, even if some truths do come out. The enemy appears as an angel of light and uses a mixture of truths, lies and empty promises to bait his traps and tempt us away from Light. The mediums themselves may not understand that they are doing any harm and may genuinely believe they are doing good, after all, they think they are passing on messages of comfort and hope from grandpa or auntie and therefore are helping. The reality is that all or nearly all of these messages are NOT from granny or uncle but from dark angels disguised as angels of light.Why put yourself at risk or allow your friends to put themselves at risk for something that bears no good fruit? There may be some truths, some half truths and some lies but no long-lasting benefits, only traps and snares to pull people into the principality of Darkness. The enemy does not come to you to bless you and help you, he “comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” (John 10:10)(Deuteronomy 18:9) “When you come into the land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. (10) There shall not be found among you any one who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, any one who practises divination, a soothsayer, or an augur, or a sorcerer, (11) or a charmer, or a medium, or a wizard, or a necromancer. (12) For whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord; and because of these abominable practices the Lord your God is driving them out before you.So, to those who have been to mediums seeking guidance, be

aware that the Lord forbids it and repentance and reconciliation are needed. What was done in a moment of “fun”, “unhappiness” or “curiosity” can leave a mark for life and become addictive.To those who are any sort of spiritual bridge, be very careful who you allow across. If the enemy appeared sporting horns, a tail and a trident we would never dream of letting him cross; but he doesn’t. He is the master of disguise who comes as a servant of light, so we have to be extremely wary and do what the New Testament tells us – “Test the spirits”. (1 John 4)

1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

My Confession My sole control of panic was my prayerWhich stopped more than a decade: the resultVisible absence of all taking care:Then came America and changing cult.

I felt my prayer-spot suddenly againAt a huge Pentecostal gatheringBut didn’t follow up, so it was vainThough I did note a new desire to sing.

And then I took the thirty-day retreatAnd all came back and to the point of tearsThough still I did not know in me the seatOf self where longing is above my fears.

Now I know one who must have withstood blissFor when he stopped, you showed as the soul’s kiss.* *The reference is to Eckhart Tolle, and the most powerful argument for God as bliss that I know. It runs: he must have been resisting total bliss, because when he stopped resisting, total bliss invaded him and has never left him. I can’t help seeing this tough piece of reasoning as our opening to bliss, to the Good News. Tolle calls our resistance ‘pain-body.’ I suggest ‘antibliss.’

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