Missionaries of the World

The Church in India has to play greater roles to meet the health care needs of the poor in the changing situations of the country, says Archbishop Bernard Moras, former head of Indian bishops' health care ministry. The prelate said this on his return from the 27th International Conference of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care held in Rome Nov. 15-20. In his paper presented at the conference on ''Catholic Hospitals in a Challenging World," he said India has witnessed remarkable improvement in the health situation of the people.

The 2012 edition of the Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice conferred by the Harmony Foundation went to Sima Samar, a former Afghan Vice President and Mala Yousufzai, the 15-year-old Pakistani girl attacked by the Taliban for her commitment to women's rights. The teenager is presently hospitalised in Birmingham, Great Britain, after she was shot in the head on 9 October by Muslim extremist. Abraham Mathai, President of Harmony Foundation said the two women were chosen for their courage for putting their lives on the line for an ideal.

Sainte-Croix-de-Tadoussac Mission Church, built between 1747 and 1750 at the confluence of the Saguenay and St. Lawrence rivers and considered Canada's oldest wooden church, has been designated a national historic site. "It is the only remaining original place of worship that tells the stories of the missionary activities of the Jesuit fathers in the remote regions of New France and of the conversion of the Innu First Nation people (the Montagnais) to Christianity," said a release from Parks Canada, which operates many of the country's national historic sites.

The Goa Catholic Church would for the first time have a prayer service in Spanish next month during the annual feast of St. Francis Xavier. "We have so many brethren who come to pray in honor of St. Francis Xavier. Several of them come from Spain, where the saint hails from. The Mass in Spanish is for them to feel at home," said Fr. Savio Baretto, the Church Priest. He said that prayers are also held in Malayalam, Kannada and Tamil as "we have thousands of worshipers coming from states where those languages are spoken."

Conversion from Hinduism to Christianity has not helped changed the social and economic status of Dalits in Karnataka, claimed speakers at a conference in Mangalore on Monday. Despite their conversion to Christianity, Dalits faced discrimination in every aspect of their lives, expressed Deputy Director at the Centre for studies of local culture at Kuvempu University Dr Shanmukha A and Research Scholar Shankarappa N S. They were speaking at a session on 'Problems of Christian Dalits in Karnataka' at the IV international conference on 'Rethinking religion in India'.

The head of the Syro Malabar Catholic Church, Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal was Saturday among six others who joined the College of Cardinals at a ceremony led by Pope Benedict XVI at Vatican. He received the gold ring and the biretta from the Pope during the ceremony at the Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican on 24 November 2012. All six are "cardinal electors", those under 80 years old and are therefore eligible to enter a conclave that will one day choose Benedict's successor.

A fast-track court today sentenced 12 people to six years' imprisonment after they were convicted of being involved in the violence during 2008 riots in Odisha's Kandhamal district. Additional Session Judge B N Mishra of Fast Track Court-II also imposed Rs.5,000 each as fine on the convicts in connection with arson, rioting and house torching at Jarkinaju village under Raikia area on August 25, 2008.

During this year 2012, 39 attacks were perpetrated against the Christian community in Karnataka, according to the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), the latest reported last Friday in two separate locations in the state. In Bellary District, Muslim fundamentalists attacked an Anglican clergyman and tried to destroy Christian churches and Christian-run facilities. In Kolar District, Hindu nationalists from the Bajrang Dal disrupted the ceremony consecrating a Pentecostal church. In both cases, GCIC President Sajan George noted, "fears in Karnataka have been reignited in the hearts of Christians."

Suspected suicide bombers from Islamist group Boko Haram detonated two cars laden with explosives at a Protestant church during Sunday morning service, killing at least 11 people and wounding 30 others in a major military establishment in northern Nigeria's Kaduna State. A bus drove into the side of the St Andrew Military Protestant Church in a military barrack in Jaji town in Kaduna state and exploded five minutes after a service had started, Reuters quoted army spokesman Bola Koleoso as saying.

About 15 years ago, Blessing Youth Mission built a Church at Chippagiri Gowtown village, Yellapura Tq. in Karwar District, Karnataka State, India. The church is shepherded by Pastor Suresh Kaithan Siddi (40). He has a wife (35) and two sons. The family was depending the church. The church has 30 families and all of them worshipping there.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC), while hearing the blasphemy case against 14-year-old Christian girl Rimsha Masih on Tuesday, ordered to dismiss the FIR against her, Geo News reported. While announcing the verdict, Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court (IHC), Iqbal Hameed ur Rehman remarked that it is a highly sensitive matter and one must be extremely careful while leveling such charges against any one. Fake allegations should not be leveled against any Muslim or non-Muslim.

The next Archbishop of Canterbury, Right Reverend Justin Welby has urged the parliamentary body of the Church of England to support legislation allowing women bishops. General Synod members have spent the morning debating draft legislation ahead of a crucial vote later today. Addressing Synod, Justin Welby said women priests - first permitted 20 years ago - had contributed enormously to the Church and that their ministry had shown itself to be powerful.

After spending 27 years in a Dubai prison, Paul George, a native of Nagercoil in Kanyakumari District in Tamil Nadu has returned home. Paul George Nadar, 66, was convicted for killing nine members of a Pakistani family in 1985. He spent next 27 years in jail, the longest prison term ever served in the UAE's history, according to media reports. Strive efforts taken by Colachel MLA J G Prince, he was released on Wednesday by the Dubai Government and was reached at the Thiruvananthapuram airport yesterday by wife Mary and daughter Sumitra.

British Christian legislators expressed concern Monday, November 19, about the serious and growing persecution and discrimination of Iranian Christians and said at least dozens of believers remain detained amid a crackdown on Christian converts in Iran. In their new report, Britain's 'All-Party Parliamentary Group' (APPG) said the British Government should pressure Iran to uphold the fundamental right of religious freedom for all Iranian people. They also urged the release of Christians, including Pastor Farshid Fathi, who has held in Tehran's notorious Evin prison since December 2010.

In an National Religious Broadcasters media advisory, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Heiner Bielefeldt told the UN General Assembly, "The right of conversion and the right not to be forced to convert or reconvert belong to the internal dimension of a person's religious or belief-related conviction, which is unconditionally protected under international human rights law." The media advisory says that the Special Rapporteur faulted Governments, as well as non-state actors acting out on widespread societal prejudices.

Penn Fraser Jillette is an American illusionist, comedian, musician, and best-selling author known for his work with fellow magician Teller in the team Penn & Teller and advocacy of atheism, scientific skepticism, libertarianism and free market capitalism named the Bible as one of his six favorite books such as in a column for "The Week." Anyone who reads all of it will become an atheist, Jillette asserts. Besides entertaining audiences with his friend Teller (born Raymond Joseph Teller), Jillette is well known for being outspoken about his atheist and libertarian views.

Martyr Devasahayam Pillai was declared as blessed by the Pope Benedict XVI on 28 June, 2012, making him the first layman from India to be declared so. This was an important step prior to sainthood and in the country of his origin; he could be given the veneration due for a saint. The Diocese of Kottar will organise a function at the Carmel School campus, Nagercoil on December 02 to commemorate the declaration of son-of-the-soil Devasahayam Pillai, a Catholic Martyr, as Blessed.

Jesus does describe the end of the world. When he uses apocalyptic images, he is not acting as a 'seer'. On the contrary, he wants to rescue his disciples in every age from the curiosity about dates and soothsaying, and give them instead an essential key to understand especially the right path to follow, today and tomorrow, for entering eternal life." In saying these words today, before the Angelus prayer in Saint Peter's Square, Benedict XVI "demythologised" false images about the end of the world based on false interpretations of Biblical passages.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide has expressed fears for Christians in Northern Nigeria after a family was killed in Kaduna State this week. It reports that gunmen opened fire on the home of Yakubu Kayit in Madauchi-Zonkwa. There were reportedly five family members in the house when the gunmen set it ablaze, killing everyone inside. Pastor Bitrus Titus of Living Faith Church, Zonkwa, told CSW Nigeria that the sound of gun fire lasted for close to an hour last night. He added that there was no intervention from security personnel and that the bodies were burnt beyond recognition.

The World Council of Churches is inviting member parishes and congregations on a "pilgrimage to Busan". The South Korean city is the venue for the WCC's 10th Assembly in October next year. To help churches prepare, the WCC has produced a new online publication exploring the assembly themes of Christian unity, justice and peace. A Journey into Ecumenical Christianity, the six-unit resource is designed for use by congregations in study groups, adult forums, or for a day-long retreat.

Catholic leaders Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York are calling on President Barack Obama to respect the fundamental American principles of life and religious liberty after he won a second term in office. "We will continue to stand in defense of life, marriage, and our first, most cherished liberty, religious freedom," said Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Regardless of how many Christians may have felt about the outcome of the 2012 election in United States, Rev.Billy Graham offered one admonition: pray for the nation's leaders. "The Bible urges us to do so with both respect and thanksgiving," America's beloved Evangelist Rev.Billy Graham wrote in a letter on the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association's website. He suggested that the nation's path to restoration won't come through any human leader, but through repentance.

The Christian cemetery of the village of Midiakia in Kandhamal District of Orissa has been desecrated by a group of unknown assailants. The news was released just yesterday, but Rev.Gaurango Nayak, Pastor of the Methodist Church, discovered what had happened a week ago, when he went to the cemetery to pray. The authors of the act removed the crosses from every grave and felled some trees and bushes. According to the pastor, in the next two days all the mounds will be overturned. For the moment, the leaders of the local churches have reported the incident to police and officials, but the authors have not yet been arrested. Police have placed the area under their custody, to prevent both sides from entering the cemetery.

Sister Valsa John, a Catholic nun and a member of Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary was born in Kerela, India. After schooling, she was deeply affected and influenced by the lives of two women missionaries in North India. She had been working among the tribal communities in a coal mining region near the city of Dumka in Jharkand for 20 years. She was hacked to death on November 15, 2011. She was one of the remarkable breed of Indian religious figures who are grassroots social activists, who immerse themselves in the most marginalized and impoverished communities and work on literacy, basic health care and human rights. Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Mumbai praised Sister Valsa John for being fearless and said she was a person of courage and faith who gave her life in the service of the Gospel. She always wanted to work for the welfare of the exploited and the poor people. Name: Valsa John Born : February 19, 1958 at Edapally, Kerela, India Joined: Sisters of Charity...

"No one is so poor that they can't give something" is the lesson that Pope Benedict XVI offered to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square for the Angelus prayer, drawing it from the readings of the Sunday Mass. The generosity the Pope was speaking of is a consequence of faith, understood as "the inner attitude of those who base their lives on God, His Word, and trust wholly in Him."

World Vision has warned that the UK's decision to stop aid to India will put the country's development at risk. International development secretary Justine Greening announced on Friday that the UK would end all financial assistance to India in 2015. Although the Indian economy is growing, World Vision said it would be "no easy task" for the government to lift so many people out of poverty in the short term.

Pastor Moses Rajasekar, Man of God who himself is a living testimony. He was a good talented singer and a preacher. He was remembered around the world through this song "Appale po sattane ... Appale po sattane ..." and "Kirustavane disturb pannade, avane assaulta ennividate…". He formed a congregation with the blessing of God and constructed a church at Chennai which was opened by Brother. Mohan C. Lazarus. Name: Moses Rajasekar Born : May 31, 1967, Valparai, Coimbatore, India Married: Ruth Rajasekhar Missionary Work : Chennai, Tamilnadu, India Died : November 05, 2012, Chennai, India Early life of Moses Rajasekar He was born on May 31, 1967 at the Hill place of Vervelli, Valparai, Coimbatore District in Tamilnadu, India to Mr. Moses and Mrs.Mariyammal. After completion of High School, he joined Sister Padma Mudaliar's Bible College at Chennai and completed theology. A few years after graduating from theology, left from his home to Chennai and b...

Pope Benedict XVI sent condolences to the victims of the November 07, 2012 earthquake that killed at least 50 people in Guatemala and offered prayers for the Central American nation. In message sent to the head of the Guatemalan Bishops' Conference, Bishop Rodolfo Valenzuela of Vera Paz, the Pope said he was "Deeply saddened to hear the painful news of the earthquake which has left many dead and injured, as well as immeasurable material damage in your beloved country."

Bishop Justin Welby was announced today as the next Archbishop of Canterbury. He has been the Bishop of Durham for little over a year and succeeds Dr Rowan Williams, who is stepping down at the end of the year. Speaking to the press today, Bishop Welby said his appointment as Archbishop of Canterbury was exciting and never expected. "It is exciting because we are at one of those rare points where the tide of events is turning, and the church nationally, including the Church of England has great opportunities to match its very great but often hidden strengths," he said.

BibleStudySpace.Com is a Christian social network with a purpose, to create awareness of the Christian persecution around the world. The silent holocaust of Christian martyrs taking place is not reported by Fox, CNN, NBC and the other secular news networks. The war on Christianity in America is ignored by both Republicans and Democrats. For more than two years Obama did not fill the post of religious freedom ambassador that works against religious persecution across the world. Obama filled it only after heavy pressure from the public and Congress.

Innocent Indian National Christian Doctor Rajan Daniel has been inhumanely killed by a Pakistani National Mohamed Abdul Jamil at Al Ahli Hospital, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on 1st November 2012. Mohamed Abdul Jamil has stabbed Dr. Rajan Daniel eight times at his throat. Dr. Rajan Daniel survived by his wife Geeta George and daughter Junu who lived with him in the United Arab Emirates. This incident has shocked Christians abroad and at home.

Exit polling following the United States presidential election has found that regular churchgoers voted for defeated Republican challenger Mitt Romney by wide margins. According to one exit poll released through CNN, 42 per cent of Protestant Christians voted for Barack Obama and 57 per cent for Romney. Among the nation's Catholics, 50 percent voted for Obama and 48 percent for Romney. The poll found that those who attended church regularly were more likely to vote for Romney than for Obama.

Christians in United States of America are praying for Barack Obama after he was reelected as US President. "The election is finally over and the votes have been cast. President Barack Obama has been reelected as the President of the United States of America," said evangelist Greg Laurie. "Now is the time to pray for our President for the great challenges that he will face in the days ahead."

The Bangalore unit of the Karnataka Komu Souharda Vedike has asked the Karnataka Government to invoke the Goonda Act against those responsible for the recent attack on a church in Davangere. Office-bearers of the vedike, Nagari Babaiah, Ananda Kumar, Rev.Fr.Manohar Chandra Prasad and K.Hyder told presspersons that the government should extend protection to the Christian community in Davangere and withdraw the "false cases" against the victims of the attack.

At least 1,500 Catholic youth from across the Middle East will gather at Abu Dhabi's St.Joseph's Cathedral for Arabia's second Catholic youth conference this Nov. 15-17. "The future of a community lies in its youth and we have placed paramount importance in our parishes to events and activities that foster and strengthen the faith of our youth and young adults," said Bishop Paul Hinder of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia, which is based in the United Arab Emirates.

"For the United States, the best is yet to come": this was Barack Obama's message to his constituents in his victory speech in Chicago. The President of the United States-Barack Obama won his second term, conceded by challenger Mitt Romney, but economists are watching the future with concern. While the news of Obama's victory spread across the world, the Asian markets show little change, the stick markets in Tokyo, Seoul and Hong Kong remain almost immobile.

Evangelist Bill Keller, the world's leading Internet Evangelist and the founder of Liveprayer.com, with over 2.4 million subscribers worldwide reading the Daily Devotional he has written every morning for 13 years on the issues of the day from a Biblical worldview, says that despite being blamed for President Obama being re-elected because of the nearly 2.2 million who pledged to write in the name of JESUS for President, the real loser of the election Tuesday is the United States and the Christian church that compromised Biblical Truth for support a member of a satanic cult.

Pastor Moses Rajasekar is a Man of God who himself is a living testimony, went to be with the Lord yesterday on November 05, 2012. A salute to a great man of God who lived a great dedicated life midst all his sickness and weakness, he continued to serve Him faithfully. He was a good talented singer and a preacher. He formed a congregation with the blessing of God and a church was opened by Brother. Mohan C. Lazarus.

Love of God and love of neighbor are inseparable and are in mutual relationship" because on the one hand looking at the other "with the eyes of God" captures the deep desire to be loved and "by opening myself to the other person, just as he or she is, by reaching out, by making myself available, I am also opening myself up to know God, to feel that He is there and is good". The commandment of love of this Sunday's Gospel was the focus of Benedict XVI's address to 50 thousand people in St. Peter's square for the Angelus, despite the rainy day.

Church of South India (CSI), Kanyakumari Diocese celebrated World Sunday School Day on Sunday. On the morning service, the Sunday School Children and teachers were presented the sermon and worships at all churches. Totally 277 congregations in Kanyakumari Diocese, celebrated the World Sunday School at 40 places including Devicode District Church.

A week-long art exhibition and film session on Mother Teresa began in New Delhi. Former Election Commissioner of India Navin Chawla inaugurated the event titled MOTHER TERESA- Communicator of Compassion, at the Hungarian Information and Cultural Centre, New Delhi. The program included screening of the film In the Name of God's Poor directed by Kevin Connor.

The brutal murder of Indian Christian, Dr. Rajan Daniel, 58, Urologist at Ahalia Hospital, Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates has shocked Christians abroad and at home. Mohamed Abdul Jamil, a 46 years old Pakistani national stabbed him to death and he died on the spot. According to reports, the hospital staff found his body in a pool of blood, with a deep wound in the throat. The police immediately stopped Jamil, who for the moment remains the only suspect. The victim leaves behind his wife and a daughter.

The "World Sunday School" was founded with a great challenge to save and shape the children community after seeing thousands and thousands of street children who neither go to school nor to Church by Serampore trio (William Carey, Joshua Marshman, and William Ward) in India at 1803. Every year first Sunday of November, the "World Sunday School Day", was observed by the Churches. The day is being observed to commemorate the day and its significant change of effective effects towards this modern world especially to the children of the Sunday School in nurturing their shape in way of how a good Christian by birth should adapt to grow in the society through the foot-steps of Christianity's religion principles.

Pastor Joseph Lowery, a civil rights movement hero who delivered the benediction at President Obama's inauguration, reportedly said that he is shocked that any black Americans would stay home with Obama on the ballot and suggested that all or most white people would go to hell. The local outlet paraphrases Lowery's comments. "Lowery said that when he was a young militant, he used to say all white folks were going to hell," the Monroe County Reporter (Ga.) says in covering a rally in Forsyth, Georgia. "Then he mellowed and just said most of them were. Now, he said, he is back to where he was."

A group of Hindu nationalists assaulted nine members of the Pentecostal Church in in the village of Chikkamatti, Shimoga District, Karnataka on Monday alleging forced conversions. Two of them were so severely beaten that they had to be taken to the Bhadravathi Government Hospital. The newly baptised say that they, of their own free volition, embraced Christ. Eventually Karnataka Police arrested the Christians for baptising 40 Tribals. Police instead arrested the Christians for "hurting religious sentiments."

An Iranian Assembly of God pastor and three ministers have each been sentenced to a year in prison for preaching Christianity. According to Iranian Christian news agency Mohabat News, their trial was held on 15 October at Branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court in Ahwaz. The presiding judge was Seyyed Mohammad Bagher Mousavi. The four Christians, who had been arrested on 23 December last year, are the pastor of the Assembly of God church of Ahwaz, Farhad Sabokrouh, and his wife Shahnaz Jeizan, together with two other church ministers, Naser Zamen Dezfuli and Davoud Alijani.

Salesian Missionaries of Mary Immaculate Sister Claire received the Assisi Art Award 2012 from Srinivasa Murthy, Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council. During the function, more than 1,000 lay people, priests, nuns and church leaders attended. The award comprises a citation and a cash prize of 50,000 rupees. Sr Claire is the first recipient of the Assisi Award, set in 2010 by the Office for Social Communications of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (OSC-CBCI) and ART.i, a forum of Indian Christian artists and art lovers.

The Forum of Christian Pastors in Shimla has raised a demand from the candidates in fray for the Nov. 4 assembly elections. "Good Friday, which is a Central Government holiday, has been converted into restricted holiday by the Himachal Pradesh State Government," said Francis K Rana, Forum President. He said that a meeting was held two days ago where the pastors felt that the Christian minority has a significant legacy in town but is not being considered a part of the mainstream.

Today's Feast of All Saints "helps us to reflect on the double horizon of humanity, which we symbolically express with the words 'earth' and 'heaven': the earth represents the journey of history, heaven eternity," and the saints, "known only to God", remind us that we are called to holiness, that is the eternal life in the glory of the Lord, said Benedict XVI as he spoke about the meaning of today's Solemnity in his address to the 30,000 people who had gathered in St Peter's Square to hear the Angelus.