CHURCHES IN BRIEF
France: Annecy, a seminar on Francis de Sales Pope Francis’ message and the demonstrations on “Mariage pour tous” will be the focus of the 18th Francis de Sales Study Days scheduled to take place January 23-24 in Annency, the homeland of the Patron Saint of Journalists, on the initiative of the French Catholic Press Federation (FFPC), in conjunction with the diocese of Annency. This year’s theme is “Our media: coming to grips with current events”. In our ever-changing societies, said FFPC president Jean-Marie Montel, “there is no magic wand to predict the future”. It is necessary to verify the criteria, languages, as well as the link between new and old technologies. This effort “will ensure the continuity of our media, thereby responding to the latest questions risen by contemporary public opinion, whilst giving paramount importance to the Good News”. From this perspective, Montel added, “we need one another”. Lay and Catholic media reporters, along with writers and sociologists, will delve into the themes of the two-day meeting in Annency, highlighted by the Pope’s message for the World Day of Social Communications. A bishop will speak of the relationship between tweets and pastoral service. FFPC (www.presse-catholique.org) is an umbrella organization representing daily newspapers, weeklies and periodicals at diocesan, regional and national level, as well as radio and TV networks, websites, social networks and parish newsletters. Spain: Avila, “Gospel proclamation in the streets” The Spanish diocese of Avila “intends to evangelize existential peripheries in the streets” through a diocesan mission on the occasion of the V centenary of the birth of Saint Theresa of Jesus in 2015. A set of initiative scheduled for the occasion aim at proclaiming the Good News to those who are still distant or who live faith in a superficial manner. The anniversary of the birth of the Saint “will be a propitious time for a renewal of sanctity, following the example of Theresa of Jesus”, said the bishop of Avila, Msgr. Jesús García Burillo, presenting the initiative. Spiritual formation of pastoral workers due to carry out the mission – the faithful from parishes – will take place throughout 2014. The mission will take place in the first three months of 2015. A final pilgrimage involving all 254 parishes of the diocese to Avila, with a community celebration officiated by the Bishop, will close the event. The purpose of the mission is to encourage all Catholics to put into action the Pope’s words to young people during the World Youth Day in Rio: “I want the noise to go out, I want the Church to go out onto the streets”. The diocese that saw the birth of Teresa of Jesus almost 500 years ago “is no longer but formally and apparently Christian”. The Church thereby calls upon all Catholics, and all parishes to “make noise”, to spread awareness of “Him who gave meaning to Teresa’s life”. Russia, solidarity initiatives by the Orthodox Church A website that opens though a link on the “Mercy” portal, “the largest association for social projects of the Russian Orthodox Church to help people in need”, as of January 2014 actively supports all those who wish to promote charity initiatives. “A new year is always the expectation of a miracle. It’s a time when more than before we want to believe in good deeds, Christian love, in the hope that the world could become a better place, and so can we”, said Anna Ovsyannikova, spokesperson of the Mercy service. “Private donations are the main source of funding for our charity services”. For this reason on the website it is possible to choose one of six projects, with several contribution options: 1.000 rubles (30 euro) covers the expense of a one-day nurse assistance to a sick person; 1.100 rubles for a one-day of holiday to the beach for a disabled person or slightly more in case of a day of vacation for a single mother in dedicated reception centres. It is possible to contribute to the purchase of respirators or buy train tickets and to cover the expenses of I.D. procedures for homeless who wish to return to their homes.
