| A
Blessed, Holy and Prosperous New Year! |
|
A
Blessed,
Holy and Prosperous New Year to one and all! I am grateful to all of
you for
your contribution to the Helpers’ Apostolate last year,
whether
through counseling pregnant women on the sidewalk or Life
Center,
counseling women after an abortion, by your
prayerful presence outside an abortion mill, by faithfully attending
a larger monthly Helpers Prayer Vigil, or by your financial
generosity
and prayers. May we include also in our prayers all the Helpers who God
called to Himself last year, and all those Helpers still carrying the
cross of sickness.
|
|
The People
Came to Find Out if I Was Okay
|
|
Forty years ago, in fall 1967, I
warned the people in Incarnation Church that a small group of
pro-choice activists were trying to legalize abortion in New York.
After Mass, people asked if I was okay, stating “You could
never legalize abortion in New York or any other
state, this is America.” They were wrong, because in 1970
abortion up to the seventh month was legalized in New York. Thus, if
the 1973 Decision, Roe
v. Wade was
overturned tomorrow, it would not help our efforts in New York. The
present leadership in New York, fearful the Supreme Court might
overrule Roe
v. Wade, wants
to pass a law maintaining legal abortion throughout the nine months,
including partial birth abortions. |
|
| It Was Unthinkable |
In
1997, thirty years later during a homily I insisted we have to change
our laws to protect all unborn children. After Mass, people asked if I
was okay, stating: “You could never make abortion illegal in this state or
any other, this is America.” Suddenly I realized what the
late Holy Father, John Paul II, warned in his Encyclical, the Gospel of
Life, that when the voices of good people fail to be heard in the
marketplace, in the public square, a Culture of Life can slowly, then
rapidly become a Culture of Death. In 1967, for the majority of
Americans, a law allowing the unjust killing of innocent unborn
children was unthinkable. For them, America and a Culture of Life were
synonymous. In 1997, for the majority of Americans, to outlaw abortion
was unthinkable. For them, America and a Culture of Death were
synonymous.
|
|
| Silence Is Not A Luxury for Anyone |
The people were
wrong in 1967, when they believed legalizing unjust killing was
impossible. It happened. Well, I am convinced that the people were
wrong in 1997, who believed outlawing abortion in America was
impossible. We will persist. Today, ten years later, every poll shows
America is increasingly pro-life,. Young and old are letting their
voices be heard in the marketplace. Come and lift up your voices in the
public square, proclaiming to all, in song and prayer, the sacredness
of every human life in the eyes of God. Silence is not a luxury for
anyone living amidst of a Culture of Death. Don’t foolishly
be left out of the growing worldwide choir of prayer for life, if you
want to be part of that heavenly choir, proclaiming and praising the
God of Life from whom all life flows. Set aside time to participate in
the Helpers Prayer Vigils for Life, until America and a Culture of Life
are again synonymous in the hearts and minds of all.
|
|
THE UNBORN
BABIES AND MOTHERS NEED
YOUR PRAYERFUL PRESENCE AT THE
UPCOMING
HELPERS PRAYER VIGILS
|
| DATE |
LOCATION |
CELEBRANT |
| Sat
Jan 19, 2008 |
St
Gerard Magella
188-16 91st Ave Hollis, Queens, NY 11423
718-468-6565 |
Bishop
Daily |
| Sat
Feb 16, 2008 |
St
Peter-St Paul
234 Congress St, Brooklyn NY 11201
718-624-3425 |
Bishop
DiMarzio |
| Sat
Mar 15, 2008 |
Blessed
Sacrament
34-43 93rd St Jackson Hts, Queens, NY 11372
718-639-3888 |
Bishop
Catanello |
| Sat
Apr 12, 2008 |
Saint
Catherine of Genoa
520 Linden Blvd Brooklyn, NY 11203
718-282-7162 |
Bishop
Sansaricq |
| Sat
May 17, 2008 |
Queen
of Martyrs
110-06 Queens Blvd Forest Hills, NY 11375
718-268-6251 |
Bishop
Cisneros |
| Sat
June 21, 2008 |
St John Vianney
140-10 34th
Avenue Flushing, NY 11354
718-762-7920 |
Bishop Caggiano |
| Sat
Aug 30, 2008 |
Our
Lady of the Cenacle
136-06 87th Av Richmond Hill NY 11418
718-291-2540 |
Bishop
Catanello |
| Sat Sept 20, 2008 |
Saint Joan of Arc
82-00 35th Avenue Jackson Hts., NY 11372
718-429-2333 |
Bishop Caggiano |
| Sat Oct 18, 2008 |
Saint Patrick's
39-38 29th Street Long Island
City, NY 11101
718-729-6060 |
Bishop DiMarzio |
PRO-LIFE
MISSION TRIP TO CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
|
|
On
August 8th I departed JFK airport for Eastern Europe, assisted by Elizabeth
Hickson who hasdone volunteer missionary work in South
America, Africa and India. On the flight, my seat remained upright and
refused to go back during the nine hours of flight time. To my left, I
was accompanied by a very loud little boy who also remained talkative
for nine hours. So I decided if I could not sleep I would get a lot of
reading done and prepare for the talks I planned to give. Well that was
a nice thought, until the lights went out where I was sitting, and
malfunctioned for the duration of the flight. However in the darkness
of the plane not able to sleep, while praying my rosary and recognizing
the Lord’s way from experience, I knew it would be a great
trip!
|
|
| Cardinal Schonborn and Apostolic
Nuncio to Austria Support Helpers Apostolate |
We
arrived in Vienna, Austria at 7:30am and were
met by Dietmar
Fischer, the faithful man who first brought the Helpers
and I to Europe. Dietmar is the leader of the pro-life centers in
Austria, and head of HLI Austria. The Helpers had a wonderful breakfast
waiting for us and as we ate the Austrian Helpers shared with us
wonderful stories of how God was working through them to save His
little ones and to help their mothers. In the afternoon, I celebrated
Mass in a chapel full of Helpers from Vienna and the surrounding area.
The Mass was followed by a talk and training session. In the evening
following a Dominican feast celebration at the Cathedral, I met again
with Cardinal
Schonborn
who from the beginning has given his blessing to the Helpers Apostolate
in Austria. Today, Dietmar joyfully informed me that on Dec. 28, 2007,
the Feast of the Holy Innocents, the Apostolic Nuncio to Austria came to
the Helpers Prayer Vigil in Vienna as the main celebrant, joining with Bishop Andreas Laun, the homilist. The
Nuncio came in the name of the Pope to state this holy Apostolate has
the full support and backing of the Church, and encourages continuing
this holy work.
|
|
| Dr. Imre Teglasy Starts a New
Project in Hungary |
|
Early
the next morning we set out for Budapest, Hungary
with our driver
Herfried, who has faithfully counseled each day for nine years outside
the abortion mills in Vienna. Dr. Imre Teglasy and his friend
waited for us upon our arrival in Budapest for a brief lunch. Then, we
continued our journey to the City of Nyiregyhaza
where I spoke that
evening on the Church’s encyclicals and documents dealing
with human life to an audience of multi-denominational ministers. The
presentation received a warm response and hopefully instilled a new
understanding of Church teaching on issues such as contraceptives and
abortion. The day ended in good fellowship while sharing a wonderful
Hungarian meal. On Friday morning, Aug. 8th, Dr. Imre and his
friends drove us outside the city to a beautiful, peaceful area
containing a wildlife preserve, to view and bless their new project, a
home for unwed pregnant mothers. After blessing the home still under
repair and bidding farewell to the Helpers in Hungary, we set out for
the Life Conference in Romania.
|
|
| A Pro-Life Conference in
Lugoj, Rumania |
|
An
hour after passing through the city of Timisora, Romania where we picked up
Casiana Roos, my translator for
the upcoming conference, we finally arrived in the town of Lugoj at the residence
of the Greek-Catholic Bishop Alexander Mesian. There we were met
by my good friends, Fr. Ioan Chisarau, President of the Gift of Life
Association and a Romanian Catholic priest, and his wife Gerda, who for years
have been faithfully organizing the Helpers prayer vigils in Timisora .
Father Ioan and his wife Gerda received permission and encouragement
from Bishop Mesian to have the Pro-Life Conference at the
Bishop’s residence, a very large complex suitable for holding
such an event. After the opening Mass, in the dining area we shared a
pleasant dinner with the Catholic Byzantine Bishop Alexander
Mesian,
the other conference speakers, and the conference participants.. During
the next three days I gave talks on Humanae Vitae, Donum Vitae and Evangelium Vitae to an audience
including seminarians, priests, and families from Greek Orthodox and
Catholic traditions. Casiana Roos, who previously
translated the Helpers prayer book into Romanian, was an excellent
translator. Other speakers included Brian Clowes from HLI and Sr.
Caroline, a pro-life leader from Paris, France. On the last day of the
life conference, at the Byzantine Mass celebrated by Bishop Mesian at
the Cathedral Church in Lugoj, I preached to the people about
establishing a Culture of Life. At the end of the conference, after
sharing meals, ideas, prayer and fellowship, we said our goodbyes to
all our friends in Romania, and began the long trip back to Vienna. We
drove the entire day and reached Vienna at nightfall, where we were
again welcomed by Dietmar and the other Helpers.
|
|
| St. Maximilian Kolbe Life Center
in Salzburg |
|
The
next morning, Herfried, Claudia, Sylvia, Elizabeth, Dietmar and I left for Salzburg to participate
with other Helpers in the fifth year jubilee of the St. Maximilian
Kolbe Life
Center. There, we were greeted by the directors of the
Life Center, Johannes Bucher, a ten year Helper,
and Manfried
Muller,
author and scholar, who recently completed his studies as a candidate
for the priesthood in the Diocese of Vienna. The Life Center in
Salzburg, similar to the Austrian Life Centers, includes a Perpetual
Adoration of the Eucharist Chapel. Following a Mass of Thanksgiving in
Saint Maximilian Chapel, with many other Helpers and Benefactors from
the Salzburg area, the Fifth anniversary celebration took place in the
Life Center. After Dietmar Fischer, President and Director of the
Helpers in Austria, spoke words of recognition and distributed awards,
I gave words of thanks and encouragement, and the party concluded with
song and prayer. |
|
| Archbishop
Consecrates Salzburg to the Immaculate Heart of Mary |
|
The
following morning, Thursday Aug. 16th accompanied by
Dietmar Fischer, I offered Mass and spoke to the sick and the elderly
in a senior residence in Salzburg. Then we joined a prayer procession
already in place up the small mountain to the famous Maria Plain
Basilica overlooking Salzburg. There, I concelebrated Mass with the Archbishop of
Salzburg,
Dr. Georg Eder. After Mass, the
Archbishop again consecrated the City of Salzburg to the Immaculate
Heart of Mary. Later, at a famous ice cream parlor, Father Johann Ebster, who frequently
leads the Salzburg Helpers Prayer Vigils., joined us. We said our
goodbyes to the Salzburg Helpers, and with Dietmar as our driver,
headed to Germany. |
|
| Oberndorf, Austria to Passau,
Germany |
|
Before
leaving the Salzburg area of Austria on Aug.16th, we went to Oberndorf
to visit St. Nicholas Church where in 1818 “Silent Night,
Holy Night” was first sung. Father Josef Mohr, the parish
priest, wrote the words of the song “Stille Nacht, Heilige
Nacht,” while Franz Xaver Gruber composed the melody.
Everything has a purpose, in God’s plan. The chewing of a
little church mouse prevented the organ from playing that Christmas
evening and enriched the Christmas celebration in Oberndorf and since
then, around the world. Though it wasn’t Christmas, while in
that little church, we sang “Silent Night, Holy
Night.” By evening, we reached Passau in Germany, where Wolfgang Hering, President of the
Helpers in Germany, gathered a group of young adults with the help of Simone and Lothar Eck. After Holy Mass,
we explained that the Magisterium’s teaching on Life, and
emphasized the documents Humanae Vitae, Donum Vitae and Evangelium Vitae contained the
Church’s positive response to the ever-growing Culture of
Death. Later that night, we stayed in a lovely hotel in Bavaria,
compliments of Dietmar Fischer. |
|
| Five Thousand Young People Gather
in the City of Tabor |
|
The
next morning we set out for the Youth Conference in the City of Tabor, in the Czech Republic. There, 5,000
young people, from all over the Czech Republic came together through
the efforts of the Czech National Catholic Bishops Conference. The
pouring rain did not dampen the young people’s enthusiasm.
The young people walked great distances through the rain to the sites
of various workshops. The young people who came to my workshop on
“Establishing a Culture of Life” remained
listening, though many missed dinner. These young people, whose
families lived under communism, were open to the teachings of the
Church, since they know what happens to a society that rejects God and
a people who deny the need for a Redeemer. I illustrated that the
Helpers Apostolate positively responds to the Church’s call
to establish a Culture of Life. Later I shared with the presiding
Archbishop that in America, God’s people bring the Gospel of
Life to the streets through public prayer vigils. At the closing Mass
on Sunday, the Archbishop challenged the 5,000 young people not to be
afraid to stand up for life and bring the Gospel of Life to the
streets. The young people all responded affirmatively aloud to the
Archbishop.. There is hope for the flowers. I am grateful to Radim and Katerina Uchae of
Prague, in the Czech Republic for being
instrumental in our invitation to the event, organizing our activities
and translating my lectures. On our way back to Vienna, we offered Mass
at the residence of Dr. Josef PreBlmayer who is
constructing the first Abortion Holocaust Museum in Europe. |
|
| Three of the Five Hospitals in
Bratislava No Longer Do Abortions |
|
On
Sunday August 19th we left Vienna early for the pastoral center
“Quo Vadis “in Bratislava, Slovakia where I gave three
lectures to the Helpers and their friends. During lunch the Bratislava
Catholic Newspaper and Radio Lumen Slovakia interviewed me.
Later, Mass was celebrated in St. Ladislav Church, followed by
Exposition and an evening candlelight Helpers Prayer Vigil. Under the
leadership of Eva Cerovska and Marek Michalcik, among others, the
Helpers organized more than 100 large prayer vigils in Bratislava. Now,
three of the five hospitals in Bratislava no longer perform abortions.
The Helpers Vigil ended with Benediction. After brief friendly
farewells we returned to Vienna. |
|
| Bishop Laun Receives
Cardinal Von Galen Award |
|
On
Monday the 20th following afternoon workshops with the Helpers in
Vienna, I concelebrated an early evening Mass with the courageous
Bishop Dr. Andreas Laun of Salzburg, Austria. Later that evening, I had
the privilege of presenting the HLI
International Cardinal Clemens August Graf Von Galen Pro Life Award to Bishop Laun for
his courage in word, writing and action, throughout Europe, in defense
of the Sacredness of Life, especially the life of the unborn child.. A
celebration dinner in his honor followed the award,, an appropriate end
to this mission trip for life in Europe. |
|
|
HELPERS’ ACTIVITIES IN THE NEW
YORK AREA |
|
Before
departing for Europe, at the request of Father Lawrence CFR, I drove to Philadelphia on the afternoon
of Saturday, August 4th for an evening address to a varied
group of young people, many from the Generation for Life, at the Shrine Church of
St. John Neumann. After a well-received talk, I spoke to many
wonderful people, including a young woman named Wenqi Dwyer. Since then, she
has traveled here to the Monastery to correctly learn the
Helpers’ approach and has started doing sidewalk counseling
in Philadelphia. Wenqi, a computer software
engineer,
also uses her talents to assist the Helpers Apostolate in other ways.
With the help of Drs. David and Monica Aachen, Wenqi has just
finished translating all of the Helpers’ materials into
Chinese and has forwarded them electronically to people in Taiwan who
wish to start using the Helpers’ approach.
On
Friday evening August 24th a few days after returning from Europe, I drove to
St. Matthew’s Church in Wilmington, Delaware to celebrate a
Pro-Life Helpers Mass. After Mass, we had a candlelight prayer
procession to the abortion mill, and found a sign outside the entrance
indicating the property was for sale. Our prayers became prayers of
reparation and thanksgiving.
|
|
| Bishops Daily and
DiMarzio Lead Helpers Prayer Vigils |
|
I
drove back to Brooklyn that Friday night, since Bishop Thomas Daily was offering the
7:15 AM
Helpers’ Vigil Mass in Our Lady of Cenacle Church on Saturday,
August 25th.
After praying outside of the building in Jamaica Hospital where the
abortions are performed, we returned to church for a closing
Benediction.
On
Saturday September 15th, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio offered the
Helpers Vigil Mass in St. Joan of Arc. Then, Bishop
DiMarzio joined by the new Pastor, Msgr. Garcia, the parish priests, Msgr.
Ogle, the Vicar and Father Sweeney, the Diocesan Vocation
Director,
led the Helpers in Prayer outside of two abortion mills in Jackson
Heights. The local Helpers were joined in this Vigil by Wolfgang Hering
, the President of the Helpers in Germany, and Helpers from Rochester, in upstate New
York.
|
|
| CUA Students Join Bishop Caggiano |
|
On
Oct. 20th
Bishop Frank Caggiano offered the Helpers
Mass at
St. Patrick’s Church in Long Island City and led the
Helpers in a prayerful rosary procession to Choices abortion mill. We
were joined by a wonderful group of college
students from Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. who spent the
weekend at the Monastery of the Precious Blood taking part in a Helpers Retreat
Training Program. On Saturday Nov. 17th, Bishop Daily led
the Helpers Prayerful Rosary Procession to All Women’s
Abortion Mill on Austin Street in Forest Hills, Queens after offering
the 7:30 A.M. at Queen of Martyrs Church. For many years Dotty Doyle, Mary Murray, and
Maryann Mazzella faithfully counseled at this site, supported by
faithful prayers as Dennis O’Shea, Chuck Haunns, John Gorman and Bishop Daily.
|
|
| Franciscan
University Students Join Bronx Helpers |
|
On
the Feast of All Saints, thirty-one college students came to the
Monastery from the Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, to participate in a Helpers Retreat
Training Program. Early Saturday morning, the group joined the
Bronx Helpers at a Vigil Mass organized by Father Juniper, CFR and the always
faithful John
Paduano,
who counsels daily at Planned Parenthood in Brooklyn. The Bronx
Helpers, many of the Sisters of Life, and the students went in
prayerful procession to the Bronx abortion mill where the Helpers,
under the excellent leadership of Mary Devine, experienced great
success. On Friday morning and at noon on Saturday, the students prayed
outside the ambulatory abortion clinic in Brooklyn and met the longtime
great sidewalk counselors Mike Marino and
Rose Diaz.
There, they also joined in prayer the faithful Helpers weekday prayers,
like John
Foley, Mike Reddy, Theresa Gandolfo and others.
|
|
|
PRO-LIFE
MISSION TRIP TO GHANA, TOGO & NIGERIA (AFRICA); ENGLAND
& AUSTRIA
|
|
On
Monday afternoon, Nov. 26th I set out, again
accompanied by the very helpful and talented volunteer assistant,
Elizabeth Hickson, on a Pro-Life Mission trip to Africa and Europe. The
ever generous volunteer Helper, Mike Reddy, drove us to JFK
Airport in New York City. At 5:30 PM on a Delta jet we left JFK and arrived
at 8:30 AM,. Tuesday morning in the City of Accra,
the Capital of the Republic of Ghana in West Africa. Ghana has more
than 20 million people and although many dialects exist, the official
language is English, and the main religions are Muslim (30%) and
Christian (25%). The City of Accra has almost 2 million inhabitants and
its coastal location on the Atlantic Ocean was formerly known as the
Gold Coast because of the precious metal that drew so many Europeans to
its shores. The temperature in each of the African countries on this
trip remained about 100 degrees since we were not far from the middle
of the Earth, the Equator, dividing
the Earth’s surface into the northern and southern
hemispheres.
|
|
| We Prayed for the People of Ghana |
|
An intelligent,
prayerful, young priest, Father Michael Mensah, born in the City
of Accra and currently the Chancellor of the Diocese and Secretary to the Metropolitan
Archbishop of Accra, Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle, met us at the
airport Father
Michael gave us a mini-tour of Accra including government buildings and
civil and supreme court buildings. I warned Father Michael that the
threat to their culture would come more likely through court decisions
than any vote of the people. In 1957, under the leadership of Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana gained its independence from Britain,
becoming the first autonomous country in Africa with Kwame as the first
president. At the place where Nkrumah and his wife Fathia are entombed,
we prayed for them and that the people of Ghana would not become
enslaved by the culture of death.
|
|
| I Urged People to Reject Any
False Values Coming From The West |
|
While
I was in Cape Town, South Africa, I led the Helpers Prayer Vigil
outside a Marie Stopes abortion clinic. Although abortion is not yet
legal in Ghana, nevertheless, the situation is critical since a Marie
Stopes clinic has just opened in Accra, and Togo, the country
immediately to the east of Ghana recently legalized abortion. Father
Michael brought us to the Millenium House on the grounds of
Archbishop Charles’, office and workplace. I offered Mass and
preached at the evening Mass in Christ the King
parish.
Following Mass, I spoke to the people about the threat of the culture
of death in Ghana and how the Helpers in other countries try to
maintain or reestablish a culture of life. On Wednesday, I celebrated
and preached at the 6:15 AM and the 12 PM masses at Holy Spirit
Cathedral Church. At both Masses, I urged the people to reject any
false values from America and Western Europe undermining their love of
Family, Life and Faith. I told them that presently, in America and
Western Europe, millions of people are trying to restore these values
into our Culture.
|
|
| Archbishop Embraces Helpers
Apostolate |
|
After
Mass, we met with the Archbishop in his office and later shared dinner
with him in his residence. The Archbishop is an articulate,
intelligent, zealous, humble priest hoping to implement the Helpers
Apostolate through members of the International Organization, Couples for Christ, in his Diocese. He
requested all materials to be sent to him and will work directly with
the couples. He arranged for me to meet with the man in charge of the Couples for Christ, and I spent a few
hours explaining the workings of the Helpers Apostolate. Later that
day, after sharing a meal with the Archbishop in his residence, he
presented me with a beautiful Mass stole commemorating the Golden
Jubilee of the Holy Spirit Cathedral of Accra. With great generosity
the Archbishop told his personal driver, with Father Michael, to take
the Archbishop’s personal car and drive Elizabeth and me
early the next morning to the border of Togo, a neighboring country.
|
|
| The Republic of Togo |
|
The
Republic of Togo is a long, narrow, poor, agricultural country in West
Africa. Lome, its capital, is
located on the Atlantic Ocean, along the coast formerly known as the
Slave Coast because of the many slave traders that went there from the
17th
to the 19th centuries. French is the official language for the
five million people who are mainly Christian or Muslim. Leo Kodjo, the
President of the Pro Life-Togo Association, met us at the
Togo border. A half dozen very impressive young men, members of
the Association, accompanied Leo. Our first stop in the City of Lome
was to meet with the Ordinary of the Diocese, Bishop Denis
Ammuzu-Dzakpah. After explaining the Apostolate of the Helpers of
God’s Precious Infants to the Bishop, we shared a bite to eat
and then received his blessing on ourselves and the Apostolate. We
later went to the Hôtel Le Prospère where we stayed
and held a four-hour training session for the members of the Pro-Life Togo
Association. Elikplim Dakey was my main
translator of English into French.
|
|
| The Culture of Death Begins in
Togo |
|
Tragically, abortion
became legal in Togo in January of 2007. The new abortion law allows
abortion in the case of rape or incest, when the mother’s
life and health are in danger, or if the unborn baby will likely have
serious birth defects. .In America, we know from experience that the
language contained in that law will quickly lead to abortion on demand
followed by euthanasia. The law legalizing abortion has already
destroyed and removed from the law in Togo the Judaic, Christian
ethical principles, namely, that without exception every innocent human
life has an absolute value as a precious gift of God, and so must never
be deliberately destroyed, because others judge that the quality of
that human life in its beginnings, is, or in the end, is no longer
acceptable, dictating abortion or euthanasia.
|
|
| When Doctors Become Abortionists |
|
Furthermore
anticipating that 90% of the doctors in Togo, as in America, will not
do abortions, the authors cleverly wrote into law that abortions can be
performed outside of the hospital, in other suitable settings, namely,
free-standing abortion clinics, as we have in America.. This is where
the doctor stops being a doctor, and becomes an abortionist, spending
his whole day in killing the unborn children without any pressure from
his medical peers, who will not come and work in abortion centers.
Thus, if one in every ten doctors becomes a specialist in killing
unborn children in abortion centers, the number sufficiently implements
the law of death in Togo. I am convinced that the wording of the law
passed in Togo was guided by people outside of Togo who have a clear
knowledge of the American experience. It is important that the Church
and people in Togo learn what the Church and the people in America are
doing to reestablish a Culture of Life. On our part, it is urgent that
as soon as possible we send them a French translation of materials
needed to implement the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants
Apostolate in Togo.
|
|
| The Challenge of Going from Lome
to Abuja |
|
The
real challenge was getting from Lome in Togo to Abuja, Nigeria where Father Emmanuel of the Archdiocese
of Jos
was to meet us. Unable to get any flights from Lome to Abuja, we had to
take a minibus from Lome to Lagos in Nigeria. The bus left Lome at
10:00 AM on Friday and the bus company assured us that we would be in
Lagos by 2:00 PM that afternoon to catch one of the many flights from
Lagos to Abuja, the Capital of Nigeria. Caveat emptor(
buyer beware) proved true once more. I will not quickly forget
the twelve hour bus ride from Lome to Lagos. At the end of the madness,
I knew once again my time in Nigeria would be productive. Obviously by
the time we arrived, the last plane had left for Abuja. Poor Father
Emmanuel waited until the evening in Abuja. We finally contacted him
and he referred us to his friend, Fr. Amos, the
chaplain at the Nigerian Air Force Base, located next to the
Lagos International Airport. Fr. Amos could not have been more kind and
thoughtful in helping us to get sleeping quarters that evening at a
residence run by religious sisters, and assisted us to purchase tickets
for an early Saturday morning flight to Abuja. The next morning we
called Fr. Emmanuel in Jos, informing him of the time of our arrival in
Abuja. Only later, I fully appreciated the sacrifice of Father Emmanuel
when I realized it was a three hour car ride each way from Jos to
Abuja. Father Emmanuel met us at the Abuja Airport and we finally set
out for the Jos Plateau, the highest point in Nigeria.
|
|
| The Republic of Nigeria |
|
Nigeria located in
West Africa, near the Equator, is the most populous African country,
with 134 million people. English is the official Language, and the main
religions are Christianity and Islam. Although the country is rich in
natural resources, human greed and corruption often prevent many people
from sharing the benefits. We take for granted the availability of
electricity and running water but in the areas in Africa that I
visited, it was more like a luxury, limited to those with a generator.
The majority of Nigerians currently hope for peace and prosperity with
the recent election of a Muslim President, whom all feel is a good man
who will try to help not only the 60 million Muslims but also the 60
million Catholics in Nigeria, approximately the same number of
Catholics living in the United States. Experiencing the goodness,
humility, patience and hospitality of the African people, I urged the
priests to resist any beginnings of the culture of death in their
countries which will destroy their greatest natural resource, which for
me was clearly their people.
|
|
| Meeting the Nigerian Helpers and
the Archbishop |
|
After
arriving at Jos, we placed our luggage into the rooms located on the
grounds where the Archbishop of Jos, Ignatius A. Kaigama has his residence.
We then went to Fr. Emmanuel’s parish. His rectory and
church, I am sure, are similar to the home and buildings in Nazareth
where Jesus grew up. Members of the Nigerian Helpers of God’s
Precious Infants, including the original 15 members, were waiting for
us in Father Emmanuel’s residence. After speaking with them
for more than an hour and sharing food they presented me with handmade
Mass vestments with a beautiful design on it of the Nigerian Helpers of
Gods Precious Infants. We left to meet the Archbishop in his residence.
After a very fruitful meeting with the Archbishop, he blessed and urged
us to spread the Helpers Apostolate throughout all of Nigeria. Later
that evening I had Mass with the Helpers and others at Father
Emmanuel’s parish church.
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| Mass Was an Occasion to Celebrate |
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On
Sunday morning I spoke about the beauty of a Culture of Life to 600
young women, ages 13 to 17, who came from all over Nigeria to attend
the outstanding Catholic Leadership School. The attention, respect and
intelligence of that audience was a joy to behold. They later presented
me with a wood carving in the shape of Africa depicting the average
work and home life of the people in Africa. At noon, we celebrated the
Sunday Mass at Father Emmanuel’s parish. For the people, Mass
was
not an obligation to get over with, but a celebration and occasion to
praise the Lord, that lasted two to three hours, without anyone
leaving, including the people standing outside, who couldn’t
fit
inside the packed Church. After Mass, I blessed their new bus,
purchased through five years of parish fundraising, and used for
spreading the Gospel. In an outside ceremony, a group of young children
did a beautiful dance of welcome, followed by a group of young men who
changed into ancient dress costumes and did a special dance of welcome
in spite of the temperature in excess of 100 degrees. Later that
afternoon, we went to the Martyrs of Uganda parish in Kuru, to support
their fundraising bazaar and to meet a Nigerian priest whom I met here
in Brooklyn. Finally on Sunday evening, I spoke to 300 young men
studying theology at St. Augustine Regional Major Seminary. I
challenged them not to be afraid to proclaim the Church’s
teaching on Life and to promote in word and deed the Culture of Life.
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| We Left Nigeria with Pleasant
Memories |
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At 4:30 AM on Monday
morning we set out from Jos to catch a 10:00 AM flight from Abuja to
London, England. Due to heavy traffic near Abuja, we just made the
flight, thanks to the excellent driving of Father Emmanuel. Josephine
who is a stewardess, a Helper who works at the airport, and a Helper
who is a customs agent, came all the way from Jos that morning, to make
sure we would get through customs quickly. We left Nigeria reluctantly,
with pleasant memories, and great hope for the Church and Life in
Nigeria.
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| Our Brief Stay With the Helpers
in England |
|
On
Monday Dec. 3rd at 3 PM, we arrived in London, England and took
the underground to Southgate Station where Rose and Mike
Doherty met
us and brought us to St. Fidelis Friary run by the Friars of the
Renewal. I stayed there that night while Elizabeth went home with Rose
Doherty. I had the opportunity that evening to speak at length with
Father Augustine CFR, the new Spiritual Director of the Helpers in
England. The former Director, Father Fidelis CFR, currently studies
Moral Theology in Rome. On Tuesday evening at the Friary, I spoke to a
core group of Helpers who shared footage from a TV documentary on forty
years of abortion in the U.K, shown on the country’s largest
TV station. The main discussion in the documentary, centered on when
the unborn child being aborted feels pain. The consensus among the
intelligentsia was to lower the age for killing the unborn child to 24
weeks to lessen the likelihood of pain. The amazing fact was that the
documentary, showed the most graphic footage of live abortions one
could imagine. Then they suddenly showed a Helpers Prayer Vigil in
London with the commentary that some thin | | |