Year V - n. 37 Figlie di San Paolo - Casa generalizia Via San Giovanni Eudes 25 - 00163 Roma e-mail: [email protected] - sito: www.paoline.org February - March 2013 DEAREST SISTERS... PAULINE PANORAMA Calendar of the General Government The Circumscriptions Mozambique: Sr. Gabriella: A Ray of Sunshine Italy: Palermo Book Center Renovated Taizé’s European Meeting for Youth Philippines: Taking the Bible to a Dumpsite contents Argentina: Latest Edition of Catechetical School Spain: Beyond All Expectations Peru: A Book at the Service of Peace T H E 10TH GENERAL CHAPTER “We believe and so we speak” (Part I) THE TEACHINGS OF MAESTRA THECLA Thecla, Woman of Faith SHARING OUR STORIES “Send me!” THE PAULINE FAMILY Celebrating the Year of Faith with a New Missalette Symposium on the Year of Faith IN THE SPOTLIGHT Window on the Church 50th Anniversary of Inter Mirifica First Catholic Monastery Inaugurated in Georgia Window on the World Half the World’s Food Winds Up in the Trash European Union Donation to UNICEF World Giving Index Reports a Drop in Donations to Charity in 2012 Window on Communications Is It Time for an Even-Newer Journalism? Fides News Agency: 85 Years of Service to the Missionary World Worldwide Recitation of the Rosary via the Web Message for the 47th World Communications Day EVENTS AND APPOINTMENTS First Professions CALLED TO ETERNAL LIFE The fruit of this trust was a serene, worry- free attitude. Prima Maestra wanted all the Daughters of St. Paul to live in this way, es- pecially with regard to the apostolate: The apostolate too should be carried out in a certain way. Instead of saying: “But this is hard!” “We can’t do that here!” “It’s not possible over there either!”–have faith! We can do it because if we trust in obedience, in what we are told, the Lord will give us the graces [we need]. If we have faith and trust in his grace, we can do all things. It’s always like that. And even when the darkness persists, we must continue to firmly believe: Always have great faith–even when things dearest sisters... THECLA, TEACHER OF FAITH are dark. Don’t demand to see, to feel…. Be- Dearest Sisters, lieve! Lord, increase my faith! We are moving ahead very rapidly on our Maestra Thecla is a great teacher of life, ho- journey toward the 10th General Chapter. At liness and faith. Let us resolve to pray to this point, our Provincial Chapters, Delega- her and get to know her more profoundly tion Meetings and Meetings of the communi- through her writings. Above all, let us make ties dependent on the General Government her known to others through initiatives con- have ended. All were lived as privileged nected to our apostolate, remembering her times for building communion, sharing val- in a time of prayer open to our friends and ues, reflecting on the various dimensions of collaborators during this month dedicated the Pauline life and, today, almost 100 years to her. Prima Maestra is more than ever a after the birth of our Congregation, “dream- vibrant and active presence today. This can ing” together about the future of the Daugh- be seen through the many letters sent in to ters of St. Paul. us each year from every part of the world, recounting the graces and favors poured out At this moment in our history and in the by the Lord through her intercession. Let light of the Chapter’s theme, the memorial of us now “put her to work” even more inten- Maestra Thecla’s “birth to heaven” takes on sively in view of the miracle needed for her special significance. As is well underscored beatification. in the Eucharistic Adoration for February in the booklet prepared by the Pre-Chapter We entrust to M. The- Commission: “Maestra Thecla lived faith cla our journey to- heroically, humbly and courageously. She ward the 10th General witnessed to complete adherence to the di- Chapter, our commu- vine will, exercised with strength, gentleness nitarian and personal and peace, in a spirit of obedience to Fr. Al- needs, and human- berione.” ity’s thirst for God. Above all, let us ask In M. Thecla, faith and obedience were al- her, the Mother of our Institute, to continue ways closely connected because surrender to to protect and tend, inspire and accompany, the will of God springs from listening to him this “creature” that she carried in her arms with trust through human intermediaries. and nurtured and for which she gave her life. One day the Theologian said to me: “I think United to all of you in affection and prayer, you trust too much in the Theologian. Trust only in the Lord.” These words made me re- flect deeply and I said to myself: “Yes, I have Sr. M. Antonieta Bruscato great trust in the Lord, but I also trust the Superior General Theologian because I know he has been sent by God and where he goes, I too can be sure Rome, 5 February 2013 of not making a mistake.” Memorial of Venerable Thecla Merlo’s Birth to Heaven 3 TAIZÉ’S EUROPEAN MEETING FOR YOUTH MOZAMBIQUE SR. GABRIELLA: A RAY OF SUNSHINE From 28 Dec. 2012 to 2 Jan. 2013, the The Daughters of St. Paul city of Rome hosted of Mozambique launched Taizé’s 35th Europe- the book, Sr. Gabriella: A an meeting of young Ray of Sunshine, translated people. Forty thou- into Portuguese from the sand young adults Italian edition. The vol- from across the European continent and be- ume was presented to the yond gathered in the Italian capital for six days public by Fr. José Guil- of prayer, reflection and a sharing of life with herme Pinilla, a Consolata Missionary, who parishes, families and religious communities in emphasized its timeliness. The book, which re- and around Rome. Common prayers were held counts the life of Sr. Gabriella Marcazzan, fsp, in the major churches of the city, in particular is written in a simple and appealing style and the Basilicas of St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major could well be used as an aid to young women and St. Paul Outside the Walls. On Saturday, carrying out a vocational discernment. In fact, Dec. 29, the whole group gathered in St. Peter’s Sr. Gabriella lived her religious vocation in a Square for a time of prayer with Pope Benedict true missionary spirit, leaving her homeland XVI. The Daughters of St. Paul participated in to concretize the words of Fr. Alberione: “Your pauline panorama this event by means of a spiritual proposal to borders are those of the whole world.” the young people, offering them a 3-part re- flection on the Faith entitled Belief: Opening the Doors to God’s “Impossibilities.” A catechesis on this subject can be found on the ITALY link: http://cantalavita.com/. PALERMO BOOK CENTER RENOVATED PHILIPPINES TAKING THE BIBLE TO A DUMPSITE Our Palermo book center, which has been in existence for 83 years now, has always been a place for meetings and cultural exchange, giv- ing it a unique status among the city’s book shops. In fact, it is known by the local people as the nicest book shop in the city. And it’s even nicer these days now that it has been complete- ly renovated, making the locale much more luminous and welcoming, and offering more Fr. Alberione told the Daughters of St. Paul that display space for titles. their borders are the borders of the entire world. Firmly believing this message, Sr. Victorina The inauguration of the renewed center, pre- Quimpan and Sr. Ling Gutierrez translated the sided over by Cardinal Paolo Romeo, the Founder’s words into concrete action by tak- Archbishop of Palermo, in the presence of Pro- ing the Bible to families living near the Inay- vincial Superior Sr. Dolores Melis, was very in- awan dumpsite in Cebu–a 16-hectare landfill ternational in flavor. Several FSPs from Africa, in which all the garbage of the city is dumped. Korea, India and Pakistan participated in the Although Cebu City is one of the most modern ceremony, enriching the Bible enthronement urban areas in the country, countless families rite with their ethnic music and dances. Many live near the enormous landfill, in which about people, including friends, relatives, long-time 700 tons of garbage are dumped every day in clients and members of the Pauline Family complete disregard for the health and wellbeing turned out to help the FSPs of Palermo cel- of both the residents and the environment. The The Circumscriptions ebrate this joyous occasion. people the sisters visited, mostly mothers and 4 their children, showed great enthusiasm and joy at being invited to learn to read and pray the Bible. To help them maintain this resolve, each family received a copy of the Bible in the local language, Cebuano. For the Daughters of St. Paul, contact with the poor and the chance to break the bread of the Word with them is an opportunity to witness to the values of the Kingdom of God and foster human and reli- gious formation. and the Bible Animation School of Barcelona. The new text, which is very pastoral in scope, was realized through the intense collaboration ARGENTINA of nine authors specialized in different fields. The large crowd that attended the book launch LATEST EDITION OF CATECHETICAL SCHOOL followed the proceedings attentively. The same Catechetical School, a re- enthusiasm characterized the second encoun- ligious education pro- ter on the theme: Abraham, Our Father in Faith. gram for schools and Here too, numerous people participated in the parishes, is designed to event, which opened Barcelona’s Fifth Bible pauline panorama accompany children, Week.