-
1
Prayer can change the world. Prayerbrings God back into all our
actions – ashe will not involve himself without our in-vitation.
Prayer is a powerful force. It cansuspend the laws of nature and
overcomeevery obstacle. For it is a participation inthe almighty
power of God. When weinvolve ourselves in the course of
eventsthrough prayer we actually change therelation of cause and
effect in the world.For when we intervene in prayer, God’s
grace comes into play, transforming thecomplex interplay of
destructive forces.But God does not simply want us to beghim to
intervene; rather he wants to giveus, through prayer, the dignity
of sharingin his divine work.Prayer does not always come easily –
infact it can be very hard work. But the morewe pray, the more we
find joy in prayer.St Teresa of Avila teaches us that prayercan be
“a simple uplifting of the soul toGod, to frequent converse with
Him, to anintimate friendship with the One who
Information, prayer and action are the threepillars of ACN’s
mission. Prayer is at thevery heart of our mission, as through
prayerinformation becomes Evangelisation andaction becomes a Work
of God. Some ofthe earliest projects of our charity ACN,under its
founder, Fr Werenfried vanStraaten, were the “Fortresses for
God”,monasteries and religious houses builtalong the line of the
old IronCurtain, whose task was to pre-pare and facilitate,
throughprayer, the work of helping theChurch in communist
EasternEurope. The prayer battle must precedeevery other battle for
justice and peace.Only by winning the battle of prayer canwe win
all the other battles in the world,including those in our own
personal lives.Often we hear it said: “All we can do nowis pray.”
It is so true! Particularly when,instead of despairing at the
situation in ourlives and in the world, we summon thecourage to
pray. But this way of speakingdoes not do justice to God. For in
realityprayer should be not the “ultima ratio” –the last resort –
but the “prima ratio”, thevery first thing we do.
loves me infinitely”. Those who pray inthis way will begin to
change in their verybeing, and in all they do. I cannot
praysincerely for peace and yet do nothing tobring about peace. I
cannot pray for thehungry or those who eke out their lives inmisery
and do nothing to help. “Wouldit not be folly”, wrote the founder
ofACN, “to ask God for graces and yet beunwilling to cooperate with
those graces?”Dear friends, today, with your help, we are
still helping to build manyfortresses for God around theworld,
many strongholds ofprayer. In the contemplativecommunities
especially, the re-ligious Sisters and brothersraise up their hands
tirelessly
to heaven in prayer like Moses atRephidim and fight the good
fight inprayer for us. May we likewise makespace for God in our
lives – as he iswaiting, 24 hours a day, to hear from us.
My grateful blessing on you all,
Fr Martin Maria BartaEcclesiastical Assistant
Only by winning the battleof prayer can we win all the other
battles too.
No 2 • February 2017Published eight times per year
020 8642 8668www.acnuk.org
“The culture of mercy is shaped in assiduous prayer, in docility
tothe working of the Holy Spirit, in knowing the lives of the
saints and
in being close to the poor.”Pope Francis, Apostolic letter
Misericordia et Misera
70 years of ACN
-
“I promise consecrated chastity,poverty and obedience to God,
ourLord, to the most Blessed Virgin ofMount Carmel, and to the
prioressand her successors.”
With these simple words the CarmeliteSisters of the convent of
the ImmaculateHeart of Mary in Tambacan, Philippinesmake their
profession of vows. But whatled up to this moment was a
carefulprocess of discernment, often involvinglong nights spent in
prayer. Here onLuzon island in the northern Philippines,a remote
and desolate region, SisterLorelei Marie Libo-on has at last
foundher “Tanging Yaman,” the “true treasure”of her life. Like most
of the Sisters here,she sensed her vocation to “serve theChurch
through prayer and sacrifice” atan early age. The nuns pray for the
wholeworld but “we pray in particular forpriests, religious and all
missionaries.”
Sister Marilyn Facinabao has a favouritesong: “Musmos ka pa
lamang minahal nakita – You were still a very little childwhen I
loved you… I was holding you by the hand when you made your
firststeps…” She always felt “called”, but she
had never seen a nun, so she always said,when asked, “I want to
be a priest”. Butwhen she first met a religious Sister,
sheimmediately realised “That’s what I reallywant to be.” She never
forgot God’s call inher heart, which gradually became louder.She
felt his guiding hand.
God has led every one of the Sisters by thehand to this Carmel
in Tambacan. Their lifeis one of great abstinence but also one
ofgreat grace. There are many vocations, with21 Sisters in training
and twelve who have
made their full profession. Many otheryoung women are knocking
at the door ofthe Carmel. They too want to serve Godhere. But there
is no more room, as underthe Carmelite Rule, each Sister must live
ina separate cell. So there are three aspirantsstill waiting for
admission. They also needa special wing for elderly and sick
Sistersto be completed, so some of the frail andelderly Sisters,
who struggle with the stairsand need help from the younger ones
toreach their cells, would be able to movethere, freeing up space
for the new entrants.But they don’t have the money for the wingfor
the elderly, or to build new cells, so wehave promised £16,800.
Sister Maria Violeta Banawa recalls herown journey to the
Carmel. “True lovemakes everything possible. I thought lov-ing him
was enough, but love is not only amatter of feelings. It means
dedication,sacrifice and commitment. I lacked this inthe
beginning.” Experience taught her howto truly love. She has
committed her life toJesus. “The chapter of losing, searchingand
finding has ended now. A new chapterbegins,” she concludes,
thanking thosewho have helped her on her journey. •Solemn
profession, joyful surrender – life in the Carmel.
Still serving, regardless of age – an excursion into the convent
garden.
Led byGod’s hand
2 Any donation you kindly give will go to support these, or
similar
-
Nias, off the coast of Sumatra in northwest Indonesia, is in
every sense ofthe word a ‘Christian island’ in the most populous
Muslim nation on earth.Of the total population of around 750,000
souls, some 550,000 areProtestants and 150,000 Catholics. One
Catholic foundation on the island isthe convent of Saint Clare in
Gunungsitoli.
The convent lies at the foot of the “GunungSuci”, the “Holy
Mountain”. For years itwas popularly known as the
“accursedmountain,” because for centuries localpeople were preyed
on by headhunters ordragged off into slavery. The first twoCatholic
missionaries arrived here fromFrance in 1832, but died shortly
afterwards.In the Second World War the Dutch colonialadministration
was expelled by the Japanese.To this day a Japanese military bunker
re-
mains high up on the hilltop in what are nowthe convent grounds
– many people were ex-ecuted in the bunker. Now the Poor
ClareSisters have erected a large cross on top ofit and built a
Lourdes grotto beside it. Eachday lots of people come to kneel here
andpray, while others ask the Sisters for theirprayers. The curse
has become a blessing.
The 31 Sisters of the congregation live instrict enclosure.
Their life is far from easy,with constant power cuts and periods
ofpolitical instability. To support themselvesthey run a small
candlemaking business,bake unleavened bread for Mass, sewliturgical
vestments and furnishings, and runa smallholding. The island was
struck by atsunami in 2004 and an earthquake in 2005,but the
cruellest blow of all for the Sisterswas a fire in the candlemaking
workshop,which engulfed the shop and storeroom,shortly before
Christmas 2015. Jenky, ayoung helper, ran out of the building,
hiswhole body on fire. Sister Claudia rescuedhim and brought to
safety, before herself col-lapsing. She survived, but her help came
toolate for Jenky, who died three days later.
Turning a curseinto ablessing
On top of the holy mountain, the crosssurmounts the bunker.
Today manyChristians come to pray at Our Lady’sgrotto in the
convent garden.
Sister Claudia – still scarred by the fire,one year after the
blaze.
All the Christmas candles and all the waxstored for the Easter
candles flowed downthe street like a blazing stream of lava.
Theworkshop itself was destroyed, along withall the expensive
candle moulds and the ad-joining building. But the Sisters did not
giveup, remembering the prayer of their founder,Saint Clare. In one
of her meditations shesaid: “I ask one thing only of your holy
love– perseverance till the end and the perfectfulfilment of your
will.” We have given£16,800 for the rebuilding of the candle-making
workshop. So now the Sisters cancontinue to give witness and bring
light andblessings to Nias. •
Photo: Magdalena Wolnik/ACN
3projects, and enable the pastoral work of Aid to the Church in
Need.
-
4
Johannes FreiherrHeereman,Executive President, ACN
(International)
Dear Friends,Our charity, ACN, is growing rapidly. Inthe last
three years we have opened sixnew national offices. Partly perhaps
because the needs are growing evergreater. “The time is out of
joint” –Hamlet’s words seem more and moreapt today. But instead of
respondingwith revenge and violence, we are strivingto promote
justice with love, to bringhealing – thanks to your generosity.This
generosity is evident not just in theincreasing number of
donations. FrWerenfried often used to say, whenpreaching with his
famous “hat of mil-lions”, that he would gladly renouncethe entire
collection if just one youngman or woman in the congregationwould
respond by giving his or her lifeto God. For God’s call to the
conse-crated life as a priest or religious, oras a consecrated
virgin cannot bemeasured in terms of money, gold orearthly
treasures. And Fr Werenfriedalso knew that you, by your
generosity,are supplying the conditions in whichsuch vocations can
be discerned andembraced. That is why every pound yougive to ACN is
far more than just a con-tribution to the “funding of a
project”.Your donation is helping to put the timesback “into joint”
again, for the sake ofthe Kingdom of Christ. That may soundlike an
exaggeration – but it is the truth.Thank you!
Need, love and thanks − your lettersFor theirs is the Kingdom of
HeavenI thank God for the opportunity to supportyour charity, which
helps the heroicChristians of the Church in their suffer-ing and
persecution, for theirs is theKingdom of Heaven, as Jesus taught
usin the Sermon on the Mount. I hold themin my heart and imagine
myself in theirposition. Would I have such courage?, Iask myself. I
pray unceasingly for theirliberation and their courage.
A benefactor in Portugal
Going where others don’t treadYou go where others don’t tread,
and givewhere there is no-one else to give. A thousand blessings on
your work.
A benefactor in Australia
The Bigger Picture I look forward to the Mirror because it
reminds me of my connection to the uni-versal Church. The Mirror
reminds me ofthe bigger picture! Most of the stories areof those in
great need. ACN surely is oneway God shows them His love…and oneway
He shows me an open door to serveHim when many seem closed.
A benefactor in Ohio, USA
Interesting insights Your bulletins about the work of ACNgive us
an interesting insight into theextensive range of your work around
theworld. As Christians we rejoice at theseimpressive examples of
living faith.
A benefactor in Germany
Catholic parents whose son was killed by a suicide bomber in the
2016Easter Sunday attack at Gulshan-i-Iqbal Park, told Pakistan
Arch-bishop Sebastian Shaw of Lahore that they have forgiven the
theirchild’s killer. Archbishop Shaw said: “After celebrating Holy
Mass Iwent up to a married couple to give them my blessing. They
told methat my homily on mercy and pardon had helped them greatly,
sincethey had lost a son in the attack in the Gulshan-i-Iqbal Park
on EasterSunday and that they had forgiven the suicide bomber who
blew him-self up in that attack.” Please pray for Pakistan’s
Christians.
Forgiving their son’s killer
Mirror Editors: Jürgen Liminski & John Newton | Publisher:
Aid to the Church in NeedPrinted in the UK by Cliffe Enterprise,
Eastbourne BN22 8UYISSN 0252-2535 De licentia competentis
auctoritatis ecclesiasticae
Where to send your contribution for the Church in NeedOur
address is Aid to the Church in Need, 12–14 Benhill Avenue, Sutton,
SurreySM1 4DA. Please use the Freepost envelope – it saves you
money and helps us.If you give by standing order, or have sent a
donation recently, please acceptour sincere thanks. This Mirror is
for your interest and information. 12–14 Benhill Avenue, Sutton,
Surrey SM1
4DA | Tel. 020 8642 8668 | A registeredcharity in England &
Wales (1097984) andScotland (SC040748) | www.acnuk.org
Archbishop Shaw visiting victims of the Gulshan-i-Iqbal
bombing
