Missionaries of the World

Velankanni Festival is celebrated annually from August 29th to September 08th at the renowned Roman Catholic Shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Good Health. This Virgin Mary Church is the ‘Courdes of the East’ or also popularly known as ‘Sacred Arockia Madha Church’ is believed to have miraculous power of healing. Our Lady of Vailankanni church is located at Velankanni in Nagapattinam District, Tamilnadu State in India on the Coromandel Coast. “Our lady of Good Health” shrine is one of the most visited pilgrim centres in India.

Bishop Joannes Zakaria of Luxor, Egypt said that Christians in his country are running out of food, but are afraid to come out of their homes for fear of attacks by the Muslim Brotherhood. He explained that even those who have money cannot buy food because stores are closed. “I would like to help Christians but I can’t because I myself am confined to my home,” he said. He said that he was the victim of an August 16 attack by the members of Muslim Brotherhood. Fortunately, police arrived on the scene in time to protect him and two armored cars are now parked out front to shield his home.

The National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) organised a meeting which held from 16-18 August in Bangalore, India. Around 70 church leaders attended and shared these reflections in a WCC pre-assembly consultation. The 10th Assembly of the WCC will address the theme “God of life, lead us to justice and peace”, from October 30 to November 08, 2013 in Busan, Republic of Korea. On the occasion, it triggered dialogue on the WCC assembly theme, focusing on concerns of the Indian churches and articulating challenges faced by the ecumenical movement in local contexts.

The Catholic faithful in India observed Justice Sunday, on 19 August 2013 on the theme "Globalisation and Justice in India". The Observance of Justice Sunday was marked by special Masses in all the parishes of all the dioceses, all over the country as well as in the world, enabling the faithful to reflect on the theme. Through appropriate homilies, the bishops and priests of the in India encouraged and enabled the faithful to reflect on the theme Peace on Earth in Justice. In New Delhi's Sacred Heart Cathedral, the Sunday service was celebrated with a special mass.

Pope Francis has renewed his call for peace and reconciliation in Egypt. In a statement, Father Ciro Benedettini, the Vice-Director of Vatican Press Office said the Holy Father continues to follow with growing concern the serious news coming from Egypt and continues to pray for end to violence and that the parties choose the path of dialogue and reconciliation. Earlier in the week, during the Angelus prayer on the Feast of the Assumption, Pope Francis had launched an urgent appeal for peace in Egypt, assuring “the victims, their families, the wounded and those who suffer” of his prayers.

Vice President of India, Hamid Ansari said following the teaching of Jesus Christ could eliminate war and conflict in the world and thereby help establish durable peace. He said as the human folly continues to propel people towards hate and conflict in many parts of the world, Jesus' eternal message of love and compassion shows people the path to redemption. "If we were to follow, in letter and spirit, what has been taught by Jesus Christ, we could eliminate war and conflict from this World and thereby establish durable peace which is so essential for progress and prosperity of mankind," he said.

The wrath of the Muslim Brotherhood against the forced eviction of the sit-in pro-Mohamed Morsi, he rails against Christians. At this time the Islamists attack seven churches Catholic and some 15 religious buildings of the Coptic Orthodox and Protestant. The assaults occurred in Cairo and in the Governorate of Sohag (Upper Egypt). Fr Rafic Greiche, Spokesman for the Egyptian Catholic Church speaks at least seven Catholic churches were attacked and another 15 between Coptic Orthodox and Protestant. At the moment it is not clear whether there are deaths and injuries.

The new Anglican Archbishop of Australia, Bishop Glenn Davies said that Christians need to show compassion and care to all who are made in God's image, regardless of their ethnic and religious affiliations, referring specifically to asylum seekers. "What we need to do as a Christian church is call upon the Government to act with compassion and care for people who are made in the image of God, regardless of their ethnic origin, their religious affiliation," Dr. Davies said.

A Scottish church leader has accused the United Kingdom Government of creating a dependency culture for the wealthy” and “discriminating against those who stay at home to look after their children” after the Chancellor George Osborne moved out childcare plans for families with two working parents. Earlier this week Chancellor George Osborne announced that from 2015 the United Kingdom Government will fund families with two working parents up to £1,200 for each child going into childcare, pledging that this government is on the side of people who want to work hard and get on in life.

The Catholic Church in Sri Lanka condemned as "unacceptable and unjustifiable" the violence of Weliweriya , where the army opened fire on unarmed youths - killing three - chasing them even as they sought refuge in the local church. With hundreds of other people, from the end of July, the boys were asking the Government drinking water for their village and the end of environmental pollution. The Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo and President of the Bishops' Conference of the Sri Lanka attended the funeral of a victim, where he read a message on behalf of all the bishops of Sri Lankans.

Christians of the State of Madhya Pradesh in India strongly oppose a measure that exacerbates the existing measures on the prohibition of conversion. The new law was approved by the executive led by the Hindu nationalist "Bharatiya Janata Party". The "Religious Freedom Act" has been in force since 1968 in Madhya Pradesh, which regulates the conversion from one religion to another. The new law provides that a person who wishes to change religion must inform the district magistrate of his decision. The new provision also obliges the priests who preside a conversion ceremony to inform the State Government a month before on the exact day, time and place in which the conversion takes place, providing for penalties if this does not happen.

A number of people were taken to hospital after Vietnamese police and security agents attacked Catholics praying outside Notre Dame Cathedral in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday. An unknown number of people praying in front of the statue of Our Lady, just outside the Cathedral’s main entrance, were dragged onto buses by police. Those who resisted were brutally beaten and had their mobile phones taken away. Following the assault, several people are being treated in the hospital. In photographs of one young woman beaten by police, her face is swollen and bruised and her mouth filled with dried blood.

Preparations for the Feast of the Nativity of Mary in this September are already started in the Holy Land, particularly among Indian migrant workers. “Mother Mary is revered with great devotion by the Indian community as a mother and a spiritual figure of maternal protection,” said Fr.Jayaseellan Pitchaimuthu OFM, Head of the Indian Chaplain in Holy Land. She is acknowledged as the protector and patroness of the Indian Chaplaincy in Holy Land because she is a model for the migrants, he told.