CHURCHES IN BRIEF
Night of the churches: thousands of adhesions for May 29 Graphic designer Vera Rieder is the author of the visual project of this year’s edition of the “Night of the churches” that is being planned in many European Countries for next May 29. The idea of opening churches and places of worship to the public and organizing various cultural events was first implemented in Austria in 2005. Four years later the project landed in the Czech Republic, followed by Slovakia in 2011 and by Estonia in 2012. Thousands of churches have already opened their doors to millions of visitors, transforming the Night of churches into a major ecumenical event and a bridge uniting the religious and lay realms. Over 800 churches in the Czech republic have already registered for this year’s edition whose motto will be: “Even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you” (Psalm 139,12). Visitors will have the opportunity of visiting churches and places of worship throughout the night, accessing areas normally closed to the public, admiring artistic and spiritual masterpieces of Christianity, participating in cultural events, concerts, theatrical performances, guided tours, workshops on various religious themes, or simply to admire the majesty of the buildings in silence. Ukraine: icons, inner path of conversion An exhibition of over 160 icons and sculptures created by convicts from all the regions in Ukraine was inaugurated in the regional museum of Ivano-Frankivsk. Writing, painting, embroidery, beads decorations, carving, knitting, glass painting, are some of the techniques used. “The Church cooperates with the penitentiary service of Ukraine in the sector of spiritual pastoral ministry, the priests go to the prisons to celebrate the liturgy in prisons and preach the Word of God”, said the auxiliary bishop of Ivano-Frankivsk of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (CGCU), Mons. Josafat Moschych, who considers this contact “an opportunity for evangelization to carry out the mission of the Church”. The showcased works were chosen among the best ones presented in the competition. “When we are in prison we tend to believe that a work of art can be created only by free people, who have the possibility of contemplating the beauty of nature, the beauty of God’s creation. But when a person undertakes the path of correction, he is also free, although he is behind bars”, said father Ivan from the archdiocesan Cathedral of CGCU, adding that the Icons “represent an inner journey of personal conversion”. The Ivano-Frankivsk exhibition will be open until April 11, after which it will be showcased in Lviv. Belarus: preparation of the national feast in Budslau “Virgin Mary, refuge of the sinners”: this will be the main theme of this year’s national celebrations for the feast of Our Lady of Budslau, July 3-4 2015. The coordinating team held its preparatory meeting during the last week of March, attended by Msgr. Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, Metropolitan archbishop of Minsk-Mogilev. The event is part of the celebrations for the year of Consecrated Life, in the 50th anniversary since the end of the Second Vatican Council, as in the Year of Conversion proclaimed by the Bishops’ Conference of Belarus as a second stage of preparation for the 100th anniversary of Fatima apparitions. (2016). A special part of the program will be dedicated to youths, and it will include a procession with candles and a vigil with prayers, testimonies and cultural performances, planned for July 3rd. The next meeting, to discuss the details of the celebrations will take place in Budslau on June 2. Austria: youths, broad participation in pastoral life The findings of a survey by the Katholische Jungschar (Youth Catholic Action of Austria), on the pastoral activity of children and youths were surprising: as regards the ministry of children in 2014, the responses of 86% of Austrian parishes were positive. In fact, 72.767 young girls and boys aged 6-14 are actively engaged in the altar or within parish youth groups, while 12.955 are volunteers, in charge of coordinating the youth groups they are entrusted to. The report records data on three years of researches, proving with quantitative and qualitative methods a broad pastoral knowledge of children in Austria. In addition to the figures, the survey encompasses the entire social spectrum of the parish for the future work of Katholische Aktion Österreich. Figures contrast the prevailing idea of a decline in youth participation in the life of the Church. Indeed, figures show that 13% of Austrian Catholics aged 6-14 are involved, the same figures of 1960. In the light of the work for the young, “is was ascertained that the pastoral offer for young boys and girls is good said the president of Katholische Jungschar, Sara Dallinger and this is a factor of strength and thrust”.
