Missionaries of the World

Pope Francis’ universal prayer intention for the month of August was released on Tuesday and focuses on “refugees, forced by violence to abandon their homes” that they may “find a generous welcome and the protection of their rights”. Ahead of the papal appeal the French government announced that it is ready to help facilitate asylum in its territory for Christians and other minorities fleeing an Islamist onslaught in Northern Iraq.

Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, the Prefect for the Congregation for the Eastern Churches visited Eastern-Rite Catholic communities in California. During the visit, he said on Sunday “No religion can accept to kill God’s children in the Name of the same God.” He was speaking during a homily at the Chaldean Cathedral of St. Peter in San Diego, California.

A mob of Hindu nationalists attacked the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene at Sehkari Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, India and interrupted a session of Bible studies. The assailants also demolished the cross on the church roof and hoisted the orange flag, a symbol of Hindutva. The police, who arrived two hours after the incident, arrested 14 people but has released 12 soon after.

Pope Francis appointed Bishop Anthony Pappusamy as the Archbishop of Madurai transferring him from Dindigul. His appointment comes after Pope accepted the resignation of Archbishop Peter Fernando, who passed the canonical age of retirement of 75 years. This was announced simultaneously in Rome as well as in India, according to a press release from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India headquarters in New Delhi.

Encouraging faith-based perspectives in the United Nations (UN) initiated dialogue on culture and its role in shaping the post-2015 development agenda, which will be issued in the fall of 2014, the World Council of Churches (WCC) UN office in New York invites churches to participate in an e-consultation.

Thousands of Christians protested across Bangladesh and nuns form a human chain during the protests in Dhaka following an attack on nuns in the North of the Country by a gang. At least 50 men armed with knives and iron bars assaulted and injured two nuns on July 08, 2014. About 2,500 Christians were joined by Muslim and Hindu groups in Rangpur, where the attack took place.

The fiery and gifted Evangelist Prakash Yesudian entered heavenly rest on July 22, 2014. He breathed his last at a private hospital in Chennai. He was born in 1944. His parents hailed from Kumarapuram Thoppur in Kanyakumari District. During his college days at the American College in Madurai, he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour. At a young age, he committed his life to the Lord’s work.

Sister Sarah Navaroji, the woman who penned countless Christian songs praising the virtues of Lord Jesus Christ, passed away on July 22, 2014. She was born in a Christian family as the youngest child. She learned Carnatic music from her father who was a Violinist, Carnatic music teacher. At a young age, identifying her love for music, her father gave her a surname ‘Navaroji’ instead of his own name. Navaroj is a raga in Carnatic music. While in high school, she was participated a song competition of UN Organization and won the first prize.