Tomorrow is the March for Life at the Cathedral. Come out and support our Archdiocese, our Archbishop Ryan, and Father Harold, who will be the main speaker. As most people know, Father Harold has the zeal of the Holy Spirit, making him an excellent speaker.
The Neocatechumenal Way is well-known for having large families because we are open to life. We carry life in us as we bear fruits. We carry the life of the Gospel as we evangelize. We carry life as we produce vocations and large families.
Father Antonino Caminiti passed away yesterday. Rest in peace, Father Nino. We love you!
The Holy Father has appointed His Excellency, Archbishop Gábor PINTÉR as the Apostolic Nuncio to New Zealand, CEPAC, and Apostolic Delegate to the Pacific Islands. Welcome Archbishop Gabor Pinter.
The Itinerant Convivience will be taking place in Israel. Yes, you heard that correctly....Israel. The Itinerants in the United States and Guam will be in Israel. The parishes and the Archdiocese will not need to put in a single cent for those who are worried about the money they contributed to the parishes.
Some may wonder why Israel, considering that the country is at war with Hamas. We can never understand why God chose for the itinerants to have a retreat in Israel. At any rate, we pray for the itinerants to have a safe travel to Israel and to always stay safe. Please pray for them.
We had the Easter Announcement two nights ago. David told us a little bit about the meeting he had at the Chancery with Father Romy. Regarding the meeting at the Chancery, David said that we were too noisy, and the entire room erupted with laughter. 🤣🤣🤣 Apparently, the NCW made too much noise with Gennarini’s visit. 🤣🤣🤣 At any rate, our head catechists in Guam agreed to follow Father Romy’s instructions. It is always important to be obedient, and God will reward our obedience as always. God has rewarded us with many blessings despite everything that has happened. In the past, we have seen the communities grow and ex-members returning to the NCW. Our youth continues to participate in the pilgrimages and scrutacios. There is even a community of 13 members in the Department of Corrections. The NCW in Guam continues to move on. Nevertheless, Father Romy and the priests who were present at the meeting were very impressed with what the NCW is doing with its youth.
We are currently working towards the World Youth Day pilgrimage to Portugal. As I previously stated, Guam has approximately 160 youth who will be participating this year. The kids are busy fundraising toward their trip, which will be toward the end of July. Also, the evangelization into the Pacific region has already started. Some of the brothers have already left to Palau, Yap, and other islands. Others are already preparing to leave soon.
I enjoyed the speech of Father Krzysztof. He spoke of three things: 1) the German church that is on the verge of schism, 2) the war between Russia and Ukraine and 3) the attack on traditional family and values by ideologies that make no sense.
We received a couple of good news in last night's Advent Announcement. The first good news is that Carmen Hernandez will be declared the title "Servant of God" by the Vatican on December 4, 2022. She is getting closer to the canonization of sainthood. You can find the information here.
On July 19, 2021, after the five years established by the current legislation, the petition for the opening of the Cause of Canonization of Carmen Hernández, initiator together with Kiko Argüello, of the Neocatechumenal Way, was presented to the Archbishop of Madrid, Cardinal D. Carlos Osoro.
After a preliminary investigation to verify the presence of a solid, spontaneous and well extended reputation of sanctity and of signs, by the diocesan tribunal; after also having made the pertinent canonical consultations with the Dicastery of the Causes of Saints of the Holy See, with the bishops of the ecclesiastical Province and with the faithful of this Diocese, the Archbishop of Madrid, D. Carlos Osoro, has accepted this request and will preside over the “Official Opening of the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of Carmen Hernández Barrera”.
This joyful ecclesial event will take place on December 4, 2022, the second Sunday of Advent, at 6:00 p.m., at the Francisco de Vitoria University in Madrid.
Those invited include the communities lead by Kiko, Fr. Mario and Ascensión in Italy, Spain and France, all the itinerant catechists of the first teams of the nations, all the rectors and vice-rectors of the Redemptoris Mater seminaries of the world and the ordained priests of the seminaries of Rome and Madrid.
Please continue to pray for Father Julio Malagon, who is currently in ICU with severe pancreatictis. Also, pray for Father Miguel, who has been at his side. The seminary of Brooklyn also needs our prayers.
A petition is being circulated among the Neocatechumenal Way communities to support the Guam Heartbeat Bill. The petition was started by Senator Telena Nelson. Please sign the petition below to show your support for the bill, banning abortion
We had our Easter Announcement last night. Father Krzysztof conducted the entire Announcement with the help of Father Harold. David and his wife were in Hawaii and will be returning soon. As usual, introductions were the first order of business. The Bible says that what comes from God will never die out. The NCW in Guam is here to stay.
We heard more news from the NCW in Ukraine. They are standing strong. The letter they sent was very inspiring. They do not hate the enemy. Rather, they continue to pray for their enemies. Remarkably, they also continue to walk and even established a school to continue the education of the children....all this in the midst of a war. Many of them remain in Ukraine with their families.
After the Announcement, the youth of the different communities in Guam held a bake sale. The funds will go to their pilgrimage to Israel. This summer, the NCW in Guam will be traveling to Israel for a pilgrimage. Many adults and youth of the NCW Guam communities will be in Israel. I am sure that many of our youth will find the pilgrimage inspiring...so inspiring that some may feel the calling to a religious life. What an opportunity God has given us! Imagine that we will be in the Holy Land walking in the same place Jesus once walked more than 2000 years ago. The NCW in the United States will also be in Israel, so we will meet up with them. All praise and glory goes to God as He opened up this pilgrimage for us!
We had a Lenten Announcement last week. I know I am a bit late in publishing this, but better late than never. At the Announcement, a letter was read from an NCW brother in Ukraine. They have decided to stay in the country and continue praying for peace. They are certainly not seeking to be heroes or martyrs. There is also an NCW in Russia, who are also praying for peace. All of us are praying for the people of Ukraine.
It was also announced that Israel has opened her borders, so our youth will be traveling to Israel this summer. We will be meeting the brothers from the U.S.A. in Israel. Our youth and chaperones are fundraising for their travel expenses. Our youth are looking forward to this pilgrimage.
Currently, there are 5 Guam youth who are off-island. Two Guam youth are in the seminary, studying to become a priest. We continue to pray for them. The other three are on missions. There are also others who are off-island evangelizing.
The second storey of the Raina House in Asan is underway. More rooms are being added to accommodate the communities to conduct their Word celebration r monthly convivience.
Congratulations to the Neocatechumenal Way in Guam. We have come a long way! We are now 25 years old. The communities celebrated their anniversary together inside the Barrigada Church. The Church was full with the brothers and sisters. It was great to see them all. Pat Cottman, who was one of the original itinerant team member in Guam, was also there in our Eucharistic celebration. Father Pius was there with us in spirit, smiling over us. The Way have existed in Guam for 25 years despite the persecutions, and we remained strong. Our continued existence shows that God is good all the time. Construction of the second story at the Rainan House is also underway. Adding more rooms will allow the brothers to hold our monthly conviences there.
We recently had the Advent Announcement. All the NCW communities in Guam were present. Some good news were shared at the Announcement. This year will be the 25th anniversary of the NCW in Guam. 😀 Yes, the Way has been here for 25 years, and all communities will be celebrating together. Another great news was announced. We will be having a pilgrimage to the Holy Land of Israel. Many of us are looking forward to that pilgrimage. Many are excited to travel to the Holy Land where Jesus once walked. We will be meeting up with the NCW from the United States who are also planning to travel to Israel. Travel plans are still in the works, and we will be coordinating with the NCW in the U.S. There has also been much improvement and renovations at the Raina House in Agat. Soon, we will be adding another story to the building. God is good all the time!
The following article can be found here:
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When a charism or an ecclesial reality is found in a foundational state, “the founder is not replaced, he continues on; that is why the Decree speaks of a ‘founder in life’.”
This is what the Holy Father has declared in the meeting with all the associations of the faithful, ecclesial movements and new communities, organized by the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life on September 16, 2021.
With these words, the Holy Father confirmed what he had already declared to the International Team of the Neocatechumenal Way, Kiko Argüello, Father Mario Pezzi and Ascensión Romero, in the audience which he granted them on September 3.
On that occasion, the Pope had recognized that the nature of the Neocatechumenal Way is not to be an ‘Association’ or to be a ‘Movement’, but rather a ‘Christian Initiation’ that leads to the rediscovery of Baptism and the divine life in us.
Also in the meeting with the Dicastery, the Pope stressed: “We have to understand that evangelization is a mandate that comes from Baptism; whoever has Baptism has the duty to evangelize.”
In the audience on September 3, the Holy Father renewed his trust in Kiko and his team, encouraging them to continue the mission that the Lord has entrusted to them and also rejoiced at the beginning of the canonization process of Carmen Hernández in the archdiocese of Madrid.
A request has been made to open the beatification cause of Carmen Hernandez, one of the initiators of the Neocatechumenal Way. The story can be found here. This is fantastic news for the Way!
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A request has been made to open the beatification cause of Carmen Hernández, co-founder of the Neocatechumenal Way, who died five years ago at the age of 85.
On July 19, the anniversary of the Spanish woman’s death, Cardinal Carlos Osoro, the archbishop of Madrid, offered Mass in the Cathedral of Santa María la Real de la Almudena.
At the Mass, Osoro was presented with the “Supplex Libellus,” a collection of documents requesting that the diocesan phase of Hernández’s cause for beatification be officially opened.
“Carmen wanted in her life to be a spokesperson for Jesus Christ,” Osoro said in his homily. “How many times do we hear from her own lips that what man needs most is to love with the love of Christ himself and to experience the love of the Lord?”
Hernández, who died in 2016, founded the Neocatechumenal Way together with Kiko Argüello in Spain in 1964.
The ecclesial movement draws its inspiration from the practices of the early Catholic Church, providing “post-baptismal” Christian formation in some 40,000 small, parish-based communities.
The movement is present all over the world, and says it has an estimated membership of more than a million people.
According to Vida Nueva magazine, the postulator for Hernández’s cause has begun investigations into the co-founder’s life and has already collected more than 16,000 pages. The next step, if the request to open the cause is granted, will be recording statements from witnesses, historians, and theologians.
Speaking to Vatican News ahead of the July 19 Mass at the Madrid cathedral, the postulator said: “There are many who want to come and say even just a ‘thank you’ to Carmen for what, directly or indirectly, she has done for their life.”
Hernández was born in Ólvega, Spain, but mostly grew up in Tudela. She studied chemistry in Madrid, and afterward joined the Institute of Missionaries of Christ Jesus. After graduating with a degree in theology, she started the Neocatechumenal Way with Argüello.
In the interview with Vatican News, postulator Carlos Metola said that Hernández was a prolific writer and notetaker.
“Carmen wrote every day and every night, after having lived a tiring day or even traveling for hours; already at dawn, she woke up and wrote about what had happened to her,” he said.
“She also surprised us by the quantity of her studies and her research: many drafts, annotations on the Fathers of the Church or on the origins of the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist, the roots of the Jewish Passover,” he continued. “She was a true researcher, she tried to prepare well before any speech or catechesis.”
“Kiko talked more, Carmen wrote a lot. In many of the books in her library (about 5,000 volumes) there is often a ‘K’ marked in red. They were the books she wanted to pass on to Kiko for him to read and study.”
Dear brothers and sisters of the Way,
As you know, Kiko Arguello, the Founder of the Neocatechumenal Way has fallen ill and is in the hospital. Please pray for him. The condition of his health will be updated in the official website of the Neocatechumenal Way, which is located at the top of this blog.
Have a Happy Easter Vigil.
Diana
On January 29, at Mater Dei Hospital, Fr. PIJU M. Of The Child Jesus (Edwin Sammut), of the Discalced Carmelites, Cospicua, aged 72, passed away suddenly yet peacefully, comforted by the rites of Holy Church. He is survived and mourned by his fellow Brothers and Sisters of the Maltese Semi-Province of the Discalced Carmelites, his siblings, in-laws and family members, members of the Neo-Catechumenal Way, other relatives and friends. A concelebrated funeral Mass, praesente cadavere, will be ccelebrated at 9:30 am at St. Therese Sanctuary, Birkirkara, on Monday, February 1, followed by private internment in the vaults of St. Theresa Convent, Cospicua. Due to the current situation, attendance will be limited and monitored according to the protocol established by the Health Authorities. Live Cam Birkirkara - St. Therese Church will be in operation. No flowers by request but donations to Qaddejja tac-Cenaklu, Id-Dar tal-Kleru, Fleur-de-Lys, Kirkirkara, will be greatly appreciated. The Carmelite Community and his family would like to thank the staff at the Emergency Department and Ward M4 at Mater Dei Hospital for their prompt attention and care. Lord, grant him eternal rest.
(Taken from Times Malta)
