#Apostolate

#Apostolate

Every minute of every hour of every day – for 40 days – there is always someone, somewhere in the world, praying for an end to abortion. Isn’t that a beautiful reality to battle our cynical culture? There are 40 Days for Life campaigns currently under way in 24 countries and today we go on a world tour to just a few of them. No matter where YOU are in the world you don’t just have to read about the prayer — you can JOIN it. We still have the entire second half of the campaign to go, so please find your vigil and pray with us! Ijebu Ode, Nigeria Father Peace Ike leads the 40 Days for Life effort in Ijebu Owe. From the start of the campaign, he said, “I asked the students and teachers of St. Joseph Nursery/Primary School to pray and fast for both the aborted children and those who committed the crime of abortion.” When it comes to fasting, he said it is customary to fast from food. But he asked them to consider “fasting from doing bad things instead.” On Nigerian Independence Day, Father Peace organized a pro-life retreat and seminar, where they again “prayed for the aborted babies and those responsible for abortion.” Nasaud, Romania The 40 Days for Life leaders in Nasaud were a bit concerned about this campaign – a number of the people who had volunteered previously said they just couldn’t help out this time. “But we prayed for it long before it started,” said Daria in Nasaud, “and God did answer. It is amazing that several women volunteered for many hours per week, even though they had serious health problems.”New vigil participants keep getting involved. There was one woman in particular who was “really thankful for us inviting her to our vigil,” Daria said, “and promised that she will come again.” Cape Town, South Africa Nine 40 Days for Life campaigns have now taken place in Cape Town … with people praying outside a facility run by the London-based global abortion giant Marie Stopes. The group shown in this photo has made a regular commitment to pray on the sidewalk … though on this particular day they were delayed a bit by unexpectedly heavy traffic. Nonetheless, they’ve promised to return … including a visit on Day 40, November 5. Leeds, England It has been an eventful campaign for the 40 Days for Life team in Leeds, where the prayer volunteers continue to have interesting interactions with both passersby and clients outside a large Marie Stopes facility. Chris, the local coordinator in Leeds, recalls one man who stopped to ask what they were doing. “I told him what the place was,” he said. “He had thought it was a church!” The man told the volunteers to not let anyone stop them from doing what they were doing. Lagos, Nigeria Morris Joseph Igwe, the campaign leader in Lagos, says the 40 Days for Life efforts there have gotten a big boost from the Catholic archdiocese and Archbishop Alfred Adewale Martins. “In a world where eugenic and utilitarian mentality rule,” Morris said, “the culture of death … in turn has no regard for human life, especially the poor, weak and vulnerable.”He said the 40 Days for Life team members “are Ambassadors for Life. Being a pro-lifer is an attitude that flows from one’s being. It is an attitude of love and compassion.” SHAWN CARNEY, PRESIDENT #News

Every minute of every hour of every day – for 40 days – there is always someone, somewhere in the world, praying for an end to abortion. Isn’t that a beautiful reality to battle our cynical culture? There are 40 Days for Life campaigns currently under way in 24 countries and today we go on a world tour to just a few of them. No matter where YOU are in the world you don’t just have to read about the prayer — you can JOIN it. We still have the entire second half of the campaign to go, so please find your vigil and pray with us! Ijebu Ode, Nigeria Father Peace Ike leads the 40 Days for Life effort in Ijebu Owe. From the start of the campaign, he said, “I asked the students and teachers of St. Joseph Nursery/Primary School to pray and fast for both the aborted children and those who committed the crime of abortion.” When it comes to fasting, he said it is customary to fast from food. But he asked them to consider “fasting from doing bad things instead.” On Nigerian Independence Day, Father Peace organized a pro-life retreat and seminar, where they again “prayed for the aborted babies and those responsible for abortion.” Nasaud, Romania The 40 Days for Life leaders in Nasaud were a bit concerned about this campaign – a number of the people who had volunteered previously said they just couldn’t help out this time. “But we prayed for it long before it started,” said Daria in Nasaud, “and God did answer. It is amazing that several women volunteered for many hours per week, even though they had serious health problems.”New vigil participants keep getting involved. There was one woman in particular who was “really thankful for us inviting her to our vigil,” Daria said, “and promised that she will come again.” Cape Town, South Africa Nine 40 Days for Life campaigns have now taken place in Cape Town … with people praying outside a facility run by the London-based global abortion giant Marie Stopes. The group shown in this photo has made a regular commitment to pray on the sidewalk … though on this particular day they were delayed a bit by unexpectedly heavy traffic. Nonetheless, they’ve promised to return … including a visit on Day 40, November 5. Leeds, England It has been an eventful campaign for the 40 Days for Life team in Leeds, where the prayer volunteers continue to have interesting interactions with both passersby and clients outside a large Marie Stopes facility. Chris, the local coordinator in Leeds, recalls one man who stopped to ask what they were doing. “I told him what the place was,” he said. “He had thought it was a church!” The man told the volunteers to not let anyone stop them from doing what they were doing. Lagos, Nigeria Morris Joseph Igwe, the campaign leader in Lagos, says the 40 Days for Life efforts there have gotten a big boost from the Catholic archdiocese and Archbishop Alfred Adewale Martins. “In a world where eugenic and utilitarian mentality rule,” Morris said, “the culture of death … in turn has no regard for human life, especially the poor, weak and vulnerable.”He said the 40 Days for Life team members “are Ambassadors for Life. Being a pro-lifer is an attitude that flows from one’s being. It is an attitude of love and compassion.” SHAWN CARNEY, PRESIDENT #News

Every minute of every hour of every day – for 40 days – there is always someone, somewhere in the world, praying for an end to abortion. Isn’t that a beautiful reality to battle our cynical culture? There are 40 Days for Life campaigns currently under way in 24 countries and today we go on a world tour to just a few of them. No matter where YOU are in the world you don’t just have to read about the prayer — you can JOIN it. We still have the entire second half of the campaign to go, so please find your vigil and pray with us! Ijebu Ode, Nigeria Father Peace Ike leads the 40 Days for Life effort in Ijebu Owe. From the start of the campaign, he said, “I asked the students and teachers of St. Joseph Nursery/Primary School to pray and fast for both the aborted children and those who committed the crime of abortion.” When it comes to fasting, he said it is customary to fast from food. But he asked them to consider “fasting from doing bad things instead.” On Nigerian Independence Day, Father Peace organized a pro-life retreat and seminar, where they again “prayed for the aborted babies and those responsible for abortion.” Nasaud, Romania The 40 Days for Life leaders in Nasaud were a bit concerned about this campaign – a number of the people who had volunteered previously said they just couldn’t help out this time. “But we prayed for it long before it started,” said Daria in Nasaud, “and God did answer. It is amazing that several women volunteered for many hours per week, even though they had serious health problems.”New vigil participants keep getting involved. There was one woman in particular who was “really thankful for us inviting her to our vigil,” Daria said, “and promised that she will come again.” Cape Town, South Africa Nine 40 Days for Life campaigns have now taken place in Cape Town … with people praying outside a facility run by the London-based global abortion giant Marie Stopes. The group shown in this photo has made a regular commitment to pray on the sidewalk … though on this particular day they were delayed a bit by unexpectedly heavy traffic. Nonetheless, they’ve promised to return … including a visit on Day 40, November 5. Leeds, England It has been an eventful campaign for the 40 Days for Life team in Leeds, where the prayer volunteers continue to have interesting interactions with both passersby and clients outside a large Marie Stopes facility. Chris, the local coordinator in Leeds, recalls one man who stopped to ask what they were doing. “I told him what the place was,” he said. “He had thought it was a church!” The man told the volunteers to not let anyone stop them from doing what they were doing. Lagos, Nigeria Morris Joseph Igwe, the campaign leader in Lagos, says the 40 Days for Life efforts there have gotten a big boost from the Catholic archdiocese and Archbishop Alfred Adewale Martins. “In a world where eugenic and utilitarian mentality rule,” Morris said, “the culture of death … in turn has no regard for human life, especially the poor, weak and vulnerable.”He said the 40 Days for Life team members “are Ambassadors for Life. Being a pro-lifer is an attitude that flows from one’s being. It is an attitude of love and compassion.” SHAWN CARNEY, PRESIDENT #News

Kochi, India, Oct 14, 2017 / 04:01 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Both Hindu and Catholic schoolchildren in India claim to have witnessed an apparition of Christ and several appearances of the Virgin Mary accompanied by the scent of jasmine, the gift of contrition, and the healing of a girl’s ear problem. The site of the alleged apparitions is St. Ambrose Church and Lower Primary School in Edavanakkad, in the far southwestern state of Kerala, 16 miles northwest of Kochi. The parish and adjacent school are under the Archdiocese of Verapoly. The Marian apparitions are said to have happened on at least two separate dates. The church’s assistant pastor Father Merton D’Silva said archdiocesan authorities have taken a “wait-and-see” approach before intervening, the news site Matters India reports. Matters India has recounted the apparitions based on a note on the parish billboard by parish priest Father Mathew D’Cunha. The apparition reportedly began Sept. 28 when a student at the school, a Hindu girl named Krishnaveda, went to the church to pray for her ear problem. She put some holy water on her ear. She later told her fellow students that the holy water immediately helped her ear. When the children left the school to pray in the church, they looked up and saw in the sky a vision of Christ being scourged. They recited the name of Jesus and went into the church to thank God for healing the girl’s ear. The only Catholic girl among them, Ambrosiya, volunteered to lead the students in praying the rosary. However she did not know the Luminous Mysteries recited on Thursday and sought a teacher’s help. The children were in prayer when the teacher reached them at about 1:45 in the afternoon. One of the girls, named Anusree, told the teacher that the Blessed Virgin was standing under the altar. They reported the smell of jasmine flower. The alleged apparition told the children to come closer, which frightened a girl named Sivanya, who said she wanted to leave. While the teacher was leading the children out of the church, the girls said the apparition followed them and pleaded with them not to leave. The teacher went to tell the other teachers, while some children went to the assistant pastor, Father D’Silva. When D’Silva took the children back to the church so they could pray, the children claimed to see the Virgin Mary standing under the altar. The adults could not see anything. According to the children, the apparition promised them help in their studies and promised to send them the Holy Spirit. The apparition also promised to take them to heaven. When the news of the apparition spread, people began to gather at the church. Parents of the children took them home. On Oct. 3 a large crowd prayed the rosary in the church with the reputed visionaries. After a time, everyone perceived the scent of jasmine flowers. The children said they saw the Virgin Mary again. A priest asked the children to point out the exact spot. The congregation saw a bright light and the priest said he felt someone patting his head. Many in the congregation said they received the gift of contrition as they prayed. The church had planned a night vigil on Oct. 12. #News

Kochi, India, Oct 14, 2017 / 04:01 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Both Hindu and Catholic schoolchildren in India claim to have witnessed an apparition of Christ and several appearances of the Virgin Mary accompanied by the scent of jasmine, the gift of contrition, and the healing of a girl’s ear problem. The site of the alleged apparitions is St. Ambrose Church and Lower Primary School in Edavanakkad, in the far southwestern state of Kerala, 16 miles northwest of Kochi. The parish and adjacent school are under the Archdiocese of Verapoly. The Marian apparitions are said to have happened on at least two separate dates. The church’s assistant pastor Father Merton D’Silva said archdiocesan authorities have taken a “wait-and-see” approach before intervening, the news site Matters India reports. Matters India has recounted the apparitions based on a note on the parish billboard by parish priest Father Mathew D’Cunha. The apparition reportedly began Sept. 28 when a student at the school, a Hindu girl named Krishnaveda, went to the church to pray for her ear problem. She put some holy water on her ear. She later told her fellow students that the holy water immediately helped her ear. When the children left the school to pray in the church, they looked up and saw in the sky a vision of Christ being scourged. They recited the name of Jesus and went into the church to thank God for healing the girl’s ear. The only Catholic girl among them, Ambrosiya, volunteered to lead the students in praying the rosary. However she did not know the Luminous Mysteries recited on Thursday and sought a teacher’s help. The children were in prayer when the teacher reached them at about 1:45 in the afternoon. One of the girls, named Anusree, told the teacher that the Blessed Virgin was standing under the altar. They reported the smell of jasmine flower. The alleged apparition told the children to come closer, which frightened a girl named Sivanya, who said she wanted to leave. While the teacher was leading the children out of the church, the girls said the apparition followed them and pleaded with them not to leave. The teacher went to tell the other teachers, while some children went to the assistant pastor, Father D’Silva. When D’Silva took the children back to the church so they could pray, the children claimed to see the Virgin Mary standing under the altar. The adults could not see anything. According to the children, the apparition promised them help in their studies and promised to send them the Holy Spirit. The apparition also promised to take them to heaven. When the news of the apparition spread, people began to gather at the church. Parents of the children took them home. On Oct. 3 a large crowd prayed the rosary in the church with the reputed visionaries. After a time, everyone perceived the scent of jasmine flowers. The children said they saw the Virgin Mary again. A priest asked the children to point out the exact spot. The congregation saw a bright light and the priest said he felt someone patting his head. Many in the congregation said they received the gift of contrition as they prayed. The church had planned a night vigil on Oct. 12. #News

Kochi, India, Oct 14, 2017 / 04:01 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Both Hindu and Catholic schoolchildren in India claim to have witnessed an apparition of Christ and several appearances of the Virgin Mary accompanied by the scent of jasmine, the gift of contrition, and the healing of a girl’s ear problem. The site of the alleged apparitions is St. Ambrose Church and Lower Primary School in Edavanakkad, in the far southwestern state of Kerala, 16 miles northwest of Kochi. The parish and adjacent school are under the Archdiocese of Verapoly. The Marian apparitions are said to have happened on at least two separate dates. The church’s assistant pastor Father Merton D’Silva said archdiocesan authorities have taken a “wait-and-see” approach before intervening, the news site Matters India reports. Matters India has recounted the apparitions based on a note on the parish billboard by parish priest Father Mathew D’Cunha. The apparition reportedly began Sept. 28 when a student at the school, a Hindu girl named Krishnaveda, went to the church to pray for her ear problem. She put some holy water on her ear. She later told her fellow students that the holy water immediately helped her ear. When the children left the school to pray in the church, they looked up and saw in the sky a vision of Christ being scourged. They recited the name of Jesus and went into the church to thank God for healing the girl’s ear. The only Catholic girl among them, Ambrosiya, volunteered to lead the students in praying the rosary. However she did not know the Luminous Mysteries recited on Thursday and sought a teacher’s help. The children were in prayer when the teacher reached them at about 1:45 in the afternoon. One of the girls, named Anusree, told the teacher that the Blessed Virgin was standing under the altar. They reported the smell of jasmine flower. The alleged apparition told the children to come closer, which frightened a girl named Sivanya, who said she wanted to leave. While the teacher was leading the children out of the church, the girls said the apparition followed them and pleaded with them not to leave. The teacher went to tell the other teachers, while some children went to the assistant pastor, Father D’Silva. When D’Silva took the children back to the church so they could pray, the children claimed to see the Virgin Mary standing under the altar. The adults could not see anything. According to the children, the apparition promised them help in their studies and promised to send them the Holy Spirit. The apparition also promised to take them to heaven. When the news of the apparition spread, people began to gather at the church. Parents of the children took them home. On Oct. 3 a large crowd prayed the rosary in the church with the reputed visionaries. After a time, everyone perceived the scent of jasmine flowers. The children said they saw the Virgin Mary again. A priest asked the children to point out the exact spot. The congregation saw a bright light and the priest said he felt someone patting his head. Many in the congregation said they received the gift of contrition as they prayed. The church had planned a night vigil on Oct. 12. #News

SAN FRANCISCO, California, October 11, 2017 (LifeSiteNews) — Those who doubt the existence of hell, despite Our Lady of Fatima showing its horrors to three Portuguese shepherd children 100 years ago, can nevertheless see a “living reflection of hell” in abortion, euthanasia, and homosexuality, said San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone. Archbishop Cordileone made his remarks during a homily last weekend as he consecrated his Archdiocese to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He recalled during his October 7 homily the great evils witnessed in the past 100 years, including the great world wars, death camps, numerous genocides, and Christian persecution. “Who would dare to say that such barbarity is not a mocking of God?” he asked. Cordileone listed legal abortion as one of the many genocides. “And then there is the attack on innocent human life: Our own land has been soiled by the blood of innocent children in what has become a deadly epidemic tantamount to a genocide on life in the womb,” he said. “And now we are increasingly witnessing the abandonment of our suffering brothers and sisters at the other end of life’s journey,” he added, in a reference to euthanasia and assisted suicide of the elderly. The Archbishop went on to list legal homosexual “marriage,” and made a reference to Pride Parades, as ways in which God is mocked. “And even in our own city of St. Francis, we see … the celebration and even exaltation of the vulgar and the blasphemous, mocking God’s beautiful plan in how He created us, in our very bodies, for communion with one another and Himself,” he said. “God is roundly mocked in our very streets, and it is met with approval and applause in our community – and yet, we remain silent,” he added. Friday, October 13, marks the 100th anniversary of Fatima’s “miracle of the sun.” The day commemorates the last apparition of Our Lady of Fatima to the three children and the fulfillment of the promised “sign.” Tens of thousands of people, including atheists and those who had come to mock the children, witnessed the sun dancing and emitting radiant colors in the sky. Cordileone said that today, 100 years after the Fatima apparition, shows itself to be “in so many ways … a living reflection of hell, one that on so many fronts has roundly mocked God.” “If we think about what has transpired in these last 100 years,” the Archbishop said, “does it not tell us that the century through which we have just passed was nothing other than an experience of hell?” “The century since the Fatima apparitions now ending has mocked God, but God will not be mocked: not because He delights in wreaking vengeance on us, but because turning our backs on God only bounces back to us, leading to our own self-destruction,” he said. Heeding the message The Archbishop said that now, more than ever, people must “heed the message of Fatima in imploring God for mercy,” especially through her request of “prayer, penance and adoration.” He asked every Catholic in the Archdiocese to honor Our Lady’s request by praying the Rosary “every day.” “I ask every Catholic in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, if you are not doing so already, to pray the Rosary every day. And I ask all families to pray the Rosary together at least once a week,” he said. He also asked Catholics in his diocese to do penance on every Friday of the year. “I ask every Catholic in the Archdiocese of San Francisco to dedicate Friday as a day of penance in honor of the day that our Lord died for us, selecting one concrete form of bodily fasting to observe on this day, whether that be abstaining from meat or another type of food or from some type of drink they normally enjoy, or omitting a meal altogether,” he said. Finally, he asked Catholics to honor Our Lady’s request by praying before God in adoration once a week. “I ask every Catholic in the Archdiocese of San Francisco to dedicate some time each week to pray before the Blessed Sacrament. If it is not possible during the week, take some time before or after Sunday Mass to pray on your knees before our Lord present in the tabernacle. At least some time every week praying before the presence of our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament – Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity – will fulfill his desire that we ask him for mercy,” he said. He also asked that Catholics observe the devotion of the First Five Saturdays once a year. “The devotion consists of attending Mass and receiving Communion in reparation for sins on five consecutive first Saturdays of the month shortly after or before going to Confession, and spending a quarter of an hour praying five decades of the Rosary,” he said. Cordileone said that if Catholics honor the requests of Our Lady, it will hasten the fulfillment of her promise that “In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.” “Let us heed her message, let us grant her requests, in order to hasten that triumph, that triumph which is that of her Son over death, for she is inseparably linked to her Son, who came to win for us our eternal salvation,” he said. “Her Immaculate Heart is the door that opens up for us entrance into that triumph. It is through that door that we walk from the darkness of sin and death to the light of Christ’s truth and mercy. There it is, on the other side of that door, a glorious, vast, light-filled paradise that is heaven. Her heart is the gate of heaven,” he added. #News

SAN FRANCISCO, California, October 11, 2017 (LifeSiteNews) — Those who doubt the existence of hell, despite Our Lady of Fatima showing its horrors to three Portuguese shepherd children 100 years ago, can nevertheless see a “living reflection of hell” in abortion, euthanasia, and homosexuality, said San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone. Archbishop Cordileone made his remarks during a homily last weekend as he consecrated his Archdiocese to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He recalled during his October 7 homily the great evils witnessed in the past 100 years, including the great world wars, death camps, numerous genocides, and Christian persecution. “Who would dare to say that such barbarity is not a mocking of God?” he asked. Cordileone listed legal abortion as one of the many genocides. “And then there is the attack on innocent human life: Our own land has been soiled by the blood of innocent children in what has become a deadly epidemic tantamount to a genocide on life in the womb,” he said. “And now we are increasingly witnessing the abandonment of our suffering brothers and sisters at the other end of life’s journey,” he added, in a reference to euthanasia and assisted suicide of the elderly. The Archbishop went on to list legal homosexual “marriage,” and made a reference to Pride Parades, as ways in which God is mocked. “And even in our own city of St. Francis, we see … the celebration and even exaltation of the vulgar and the blasphemous, mocking God’s beautiful plan in how He created us, in our very bodies, for communion with one another and Himself,” he said. “God is roundly mocked in our very streets, and it is met with approval and applause in our community – and yet, we remain silent,” he added. Friday, October 13, marks the 100th anniversary of Fatima’s “miracle of the sun.” The day commemorates the last apparition of Our Lady of Fatima to the three children and the fulfillment of the promised “sign.” Tens of thousands of people, including atheists and those who had come to mock the children, witnessed the sun dancing and emitting radiant colors in the sky. Cordileone said that today, 100 years after the Fatima apparition, shows itself to be “in so many ways … a living reflection of hell, one that on so many fronts has roundly mocked God.” “If we think about what has transpired in these last 100 years,” the Archbishop said, “does it not tell us that the century through which we have just passed was nothing other than an experience of hell?” “The century since the Fatima apparitions now ending has mocked God, but God will not be mocked: not because He delights in wreaking vengeance on us, but because turning our backs on God only bounces back to us, leading to our own self-destruction,” he said. Heeding the message The Archbishop said that now, more than ever, people must “heed the message of Fatima in imploring God for mercy,” especially through her request of “prayer, penance and adoration.” He asked every Catholic in the Archdiocese to honor Our Lady’s request by praying the Rosary “every day.” “I ask every Catholic in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, if you are not doing so already, to pray the Rosary every day. And I ask all families to pray the Rosary together at least once a week,” he said. He also asked Catholics in his diocese to do penance on every Friday of the year. “I ask every Catholic in the Archdiocese of San Francisco to dedicate Friday as a day of penance in honor of the day that our Lord died for us, selecting one concrete form of bodily fasting to observe on this day, whether that be abstaining from meat or another type of food or from some type of drink they normally enjoy, or omitting a meal altogether,” he said. Finally, he asked Catholics to honor Our Lady’s request by praying before God in adoration once a week. “I ask every Catholic in the Archdiocese of San Francisco to dedicate some time each week to pray before the Blessed Sacrament. If it is not possible during the week, take some time before or after Sunday Mass to pray on your knees before our Lord present in the tabernacle. At least some time every week praying before the presence of our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament – Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity – will fulfill his desire that we ask him for mercy,” he said. He also asked that Catholics observe the devotion of the First Five Saturdays once a year. “The devotion consists of attending Mass and receiving Communion in reparation for sins on five consecutive first Saturdays of the month shortly after or before going to Confession, and spending a quarter of an hour praying five decades of the Rosary,” he said. Cordileone said that if Catholics honor the requests of Our Lady, it will hasten the fulfillment of her promise that “In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.” “Let us heed her message, let us grant her requests, in order to hasten that triumph, that triumph which is that of her Son over death, for she is inseparably linked to her Son, who came to win for us our eternal salvation,” he said. “Her Immaculate Heart is the door that opens up for us entrance into that triumph. It is through that door that we walk from the darkness of sin and death to the light of Christ’s truth and mercy. There it is, on the other side of that door, a glorious, vast, light-filled paradise that is heaven. Her heart is the gate of heaven,” he added. #News

SAN FRANCISCO, California, October 11, 2017 (LifeSiteNews) — Those who doubt the existence of hell, despite Our Lady of Fatima showing its horrors to three Portuguese shepherd children 100 years ago, can nevertheless see a “living reflection of hell” in abortion, euthanasia, and homosexuality, said San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone. Archbishop Cordileone made his remarks during a homily last weekend as he consecrated his Archdiocese to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He recalled during his October 7 homily the great evils witnessed in the past 100 years, including the great world wars, death camps, numerous genocides, and Christian persecution. “Who would dare to say that such barbarity is not a mocking of God?” he asked. Cordileone listed legal abortion as one of the many genocides. “And then there is the attack on innocent human life: Our own land has been soiled by the blood of innocent children in what has become a deadly epidemic tantamount to a genocide on life in the womb,” he said. “And now we are increasingly witnessing the abandonment of our suffering brothers and sisters at the other end of life’s journey,” he added, in a reference to euthanasia and assisted suicide of the elderly. The Archbishop went on to list legal homosexual “marriage,” and made a reference to Pride Parades, as ways in which God is mocked. “And even in our own city of St. Francis, we see … the celebration and even exaltation of the vulgar and the blasphemous, mocking God’s beautiful plan in how He created us, in our very bodies, for communion with one another and Himself,” he said. “God is roundly mocked in our very streets, and it is met with approval and applause in our community – and yet, we remain silent,” he added. Friday, October 13, marks the 100th anniversary of Fatima’s “miracle of the sun.” The day commemorates the last apparition of Our Lady of Fatima to the three children and the fulfillment of the promised “sign.” Tens of thousands of people, including atheists and those who had come to mock the children, witnessed the sun dancing and emitting radiant colors in the sky. Cordileone said that today, 100 years after the Fatima apparition, shows itself to be “in so many ways … a living reflection of hell, one that on so many fronts has roundly mocked God.” “If we think about what has transpired in these last 100 years,” the Archbishop said, “does it not tell us that the century through which we have just passed was nothing other than an experience of hell?” “The century since the Fatima apparitions now ending has mocked God, but God will not be mocked: not because He delights in wreaking vengeance on us, but because turning our backs on God only bounces back to us, leading to our own self-destruction,” he said. Heeding the message The Archbishop said that now, more than ever, people must “heed the message of Fatima in imploring God for mercy,” especially through her request of “prayer, penance and adoration.” He asked every Catholic in the Archdiocese to honor Our Lady’s request by praying the Rosary “every day.” “I ask every Catholic in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, if you are not doing so already, to pray the Rosary every day. And I ask all families to pray the Rosary together at least once a week,” he said. He also asked Catholics in his diocese to do penance on every Friday of the year. “I ask every Catholic in the Archdiocese of San Francisco to dedicate Friday as a day of penance in honor of the day that our Lord died for us, selecting one concrete form of bodily fasting to observe on this day, whether that be abstaining from meat or another type of food or from some type of drink they normally enjoy, or omitting a meal altogether,” he said. Finally, he asked Catholics to honor Our Lady’s request by praying before God in adoration once a week. “I ask every Catholic in the Archdiocese of San Francisco to dedicate some time each week to pray before the Blessed Sacrament. If it is not possible during the week, take some time before or after Sunday Mass to pray on your knees before our Lord present in the tabernacle. At least some time every week praying before the presence of our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament – Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity – will fulfill his desire that we ask him for mercy,” he said. He also asked that Catholics observe the devotion of the First Five Saturdays once a year. “The devotion consists of attending Mass and receiving Communion in reparation for sins on five consecutive first Saturdays of the month shortly after or before going to Confession, and spending a quarter of an hour praying five decades of the Rosary,” he said. Cordileone said that if Catholics honor the requests of Our Lady, it will hasten the fulfillment of her promise that “In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.” “Let us heed her message, let us grant her requests, in order to hasten that triumph, that triumph which is that of her Son over death, for she is inseparably linked to her Son, who came to win for us our eternal salvation,” he said. “Her Immaculate Heart is the door that opens up for us entrance into that triumph. It is through that door that we walk from the darkness of sin and death to the light of Christ’s truth and mercy. There it is, on the other side of that door, a glorious, vast, light-filled paradise that is heaven. Her heart is the gate of heaven,” he added. #News

Sacramento, California She was telling her children they were going to have a baby brother or sister as she’d just found out she was ten weeks pregnant. The volunteers gave her information about all the local services that could help her and her family … and she started walking down the street. The happiness, apparently, was not shared by the child’s father. He came storming out of the abortion center … drove off after the woman and children … and was soon back in the parking lot with the mom and kids in the back seat. He parked behind the building. A short time later, the woman ran out in tears, screaming, “Help me! I have to get away from him!” Volunteers helped her find refuge and called the sheriff. Four deputies, including a domestic violence counselor, quickly arrived. They asked the man to leave, then waited with the woman until other family members arrived. “How would this story have ended, if no one was there to help?” asked one of the volunteers, who noted the importance of keeping resources for victims of domestic violence victims at the vigil site. Please keep this family in your prayers. #News