Bishop Peter Baldacchino
In 2014, Monsignor Peter Baldacchino became the new Bishop of Miami, Florida. He can speak English, Spanish, Creole, Italian, and Maltese. He also loves soccer. He is a missionary bishop and has been in mission in the Turks and Caicos Islands, which are located southeast of Mayaguana in the Bahamas island chain and north of the island of Hispaniola and other Antilles archipelago islands. Bishop Baldacchino also studied for the priesthood at the Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Newark. According to Catholic News Services (the bold is mine):
"He's a missionary priest," said Father Emanuele De Nigris, pastor of St. Cecilia Parish in Hialeah who, like Bishop-designate Baldacchino, studied for the priesthood at the Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Newark.
Redemptoris Mater seminaries are directed by the Neocatechumenal Way, "an itinerary of Catholic formation" for individuals and families that emphasizes "missionary zeal" in spreading the Gospel in today's world -- or as Blessed John Paul II called it, the "new evangelization."
"He built the church (in Turks and Caicos) from scratch," Father De Nigris said, pointing out that in 15 years the mission territory has grown from no Catholic churches to two churches -- another one is in Grand Turk -- and one school. Weekly Mass attendance has grown from about 40 in the early years to more than 1,000 today.
The Turks and Caicos Islands are 73% Christians. 11% of them are Roman Catholics. Thanks be to God that Catholicism has increased through the work of the new evangelization. The Neocatechumenal Way is one of the many charisms found in the Catholic Church that is heavily involved in the new evangelization and is also a fruit of the Second Vatican Council.
"The Neocatechumenal Way is one of the many charisms found in the Catholic Church that is heavily involved in the new evangelization and is also a fruit of the Second Vatican Council."
ReplyDeleteDiana, oftentimes I just wish people would contemplate the meaning of words they read. We neocatechumenals belong to the church. We follow a charism, we are a fruit. How beautiful language! How piercing truth! I wish my Catholic sisters and brothers would just sit down, read these words a few time and contemplate on the work of God that is very much present and very much visible in our world. I just wish the readers of Junglewatch, the concerned Catholics and the forward laity would have this time to sit down in a quiet room and contemplate, rather than running out to the sun in circles and making noise. They waste their time they owe to Jesus on picketing.
These people are our sisters and brothers in Christ. They think faith is following dead letters of canonized instruction books and nothing more. But faith is so much more than that! Faith first of all is following Jesus! It is a lively thing, full of vibrant life and enthusiasm. It is a joy in Christ that shines not only through your face but also through your acts! I wish I could embrace these people and talk to them about the wonderful love I experience from my Lord every day! They are just poor souls who lost their way in the darkness of the jungle. When kids are behaving good, I know the love of God works in them. But when they are bad, I know they need my love even more, because without love they are so helpless and wicked. We have to love those who sin against the love of Christ so they may return to the Lord's way. Our love is not flowing from ourselves, it is flowing from Jesus Christ, he is the only one who gave us the ability to love. Therefore we cannot hold back our love from the sinner, as Jesus did not hold back his love from us sinners either but saved us!
I just wish I could ask these people what is bugging them so much that they turn against their sisters and brothers. Archbishop Hon and Archbishop Byrnes resolved all their outstanding complaints, so what is driving them higher and higher in their anger and hatred against the flock of the Lord? Vatican is taking care of their issue with Archbishop Apuron, a new Archbishop has arrived and the seminary was "returned" to full diocesan control. What else do they want? Why are they ratcheting up their campaign against our communities? I tell you, Diana, why. It is not about the way we consume the Eucharistic Body of our Lord. It is absolutely alright. We consume it together waiting for each other, because we are one community of the Lord. There is nothing wrong with that. They come against us for different reason. They come against us, because they miss love in their lives. They are buried in dead letters and their prophets of dead letters tell them it is okay, they don't need to experience the living Christ. They are deprived of the love of God, Diana, because their capacity of love was taken away by those for whom Jesus is dead! They are ruled by those self-appointed "saviors" who have never believed our Lord Jesus was risen from the death and now is alive in everyone of us!
Diana, we have to turn to them with love, opening our embracing arms so they may realize that their capacity is so much more than anger and hatred. They have the capacity of entering the universe of love, that was built by Jesus for all humanity through his death and resurrection. We have to remember that our Lord was born for the fallen, his first cry in the manger was for me and his epiphany is for the salvation of all sinners.
Ummmm what? Because I don't follow the NEO way I don't have love and am not loved? I seriously don't understand what you are saying.
Delete"dead letters of canonized instruction books"
Deletehuh?
"I just wish I could ask these people what is bugging them so muchwhat is bugging them so much"
Have you notbeen paying attention?
"We consume it together waiting for each other, because we are one community of the Lord. There is nothing wrong with that. "
Yes, there is something wrong with that. You have no permission to do so.
"they don't need to experience the living Christ."
pure patronizing nonsense. This is the lie you have been fed. Assuming that anyone outside of the NCW couldn't possibly have "experienced the living Christ"
"who have never believed our Lord Jesus was risen from the death and now is alive in everyone of us"
Who exactly are you referring to. Be specific. Then tell us how you know their hearts, you viper.
Ummmm Timmy, Timmy, Timmy, you don't undersand.
DeleteLol, is it you again, Tim?! Well, we do not begin sentences with "ummmm", did not you know? This is very uneducated! This blog is just irking you to the guts, you cannot stay silent, can you?
DeleteZolton:
Delete"We have to love those who sin against the love of Christ so they may return to the Lord's way."
Why?
If we do not understand, it is good to acknowledge this truth. It is not good however to blame the NCW or others for our lack understanding of the faith.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this comment. Not many Catholics know everything about being a Catholic.
DeleteFor example, who were those ladies dressed in all black that were at th AB Byrnes welcoming Mass?
Were they women that walk in the way?
DeleteDear Anonymous at 8:26 pm,
DeleteNo, they do not walk in the Way.
Do they walk in the neocatechumenal way?
DeleteThe ladies in black are are from the Order of Holy Sepulchre.
DeleteDiana, did you mean to say "easier said than done"? Thought so.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous at 11:00 am,
DeleteYes. Thank you for your kind correction.