in the name of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ and on behalf of the Executive of the

Catholic Fraternity, I invite you to our 15th International Conference that will take

place in Assisi – Saint Mary of the Angels (28th April –1st May 2012) on the theme

“United in Christ for a New Evangelization”.

The Catholic Fraternity is glad to be able to welcome the representatives of the

New Communities coming from around the world and arisen in the vast spiritual current

of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal.

The Conference will also be a great occasion to deepen the spiritual bonds with

the Holy Father Benedict XVI, being the Catholic Fraternity a Private Association of the

Faithful of Pontifical Right and to reflect, in the light of the Pontifical Magistery, upon our

ecclesial mission in the perspective of the New Evangelization.

The 2012 Conference will be preceded by the 4th International Meeting of

the Bishops interested in the New Communities of the Charismatic Renewal (28th April

– 1st May 2012), who accompany the ecclesial path of our Communities; the theme will be

“Ecumenism and New Evangelization”. The aim of the Bishops’ Meeting will be to reflect

upon the ecumenical implications in the mission of the New Communities and share the

experiences in action.

Fiche_d’Inscription_2012                                                    2012_Registration_Form

 Módulo de Inscrição                                                 Modulo  Iscrizione_Assisi_2012

The Catholic Fraternity of Charismatic Covenant Communities and Fellowships

is a Pontifical Association of Christ’s Faithful

The Most Excellent Prelates are invited to participate also in the 15th

International Conference that will be held on successive days.

The above-mentioned meetings will also be an excellent opportunity to prepare

ourselves spiritually to the 13th Ordinary Assembly of Bishops on the theme of the “New

Evangelization for the transmission of the Christian Faith” (7th – 28th October 2012) and

to the Year of the Faith (11th October 2012 – 24th November 2013), two important events

called by the Holy Father Benedict XVI.

The Pontifical Council for the Laity has already granted its Patronage to these

events.

May this initiative in Assisi in 2012 give a strong impulse to the work of

Evangelization of our Communities in communion with the Mission of the Universal

Church.

This was to be the context for the Executive Meeting of the Catholic Fraternity. Our prayers and deliberations were inspired by the call to holiness which had been so profoundly lived out by John Paul II. Like every other meeting of the Executive, there was a packed agenda as we looked at the new communities seeking admission to the Catholic Fraternity, the pastoral challenges that were being faced by communities all over the world and heard reports of various initiatives taken by President Matteo Calisior other members of the Executive who were involved in a great variety of initiatives throughout the world. In addition to all these practical agenda items, the Catholic Fraternity was about to celebrate an historic moment with the “Inauguration of the New Offices” in theVatican’s Palazzo San Calisto.

As we made our way into the beautifulchurchof St. Mary in Trastevere (just next door to the Palazzo San Calisto), I could help but feel a real excitement as we were about to fulfill a dream of nearly ten years of hoping and planning as we prepared for the Mass of Inauguration and the Blessing of the Offices. Our dear friend and Spiritual Advisor to the Catholic Fraternity, Archbishop Dom Alberto Corrêa presided at the Eucharistic Celebration and His Excellency, Bishop Josef Clemens, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Laity blessed the Offices. This celebration was a profound expression of communion. We were warmly welcomed into thechurchofSt Maryin Trastevere, home of the Egidio Community. This was but one of the many representatives of Movements and New Communities who had joined us for the occasion. Community members had flown in from different parts of the world including family members of Bobbie Cavnar (co-founder of the Fraternity with Brian Smith) who travelled from theUnited Statesfor this special occasion. Bishops and priests, representatives of the Council for Laity, Ecumenical friends as well as a number of Ambassadors appointed to the Holy See had all come for this great occasion. I was delighted to see our Australian Ambassador, Mr Tim Fischer, present at the Mass and the Blessing of the Offices.

Congratulations to all members of the Catholic Fraternity on achieving this milestone. I would add a special word of congratulations toMatteo Calisiwho has worked tirelessly to establish this office and to the great team of women and men who are the office staff members. We look forward to this new chapter in the history of the Catholic Fraternity. Normally in this newsletter, we would include a message from the President of the Catholic Fraternity but as this newsletter is going to print Matteo is about to leave for the Sth East Asian Regional Meeting and then on toBrazil. We look forward to his report on these gatherings in the next newsletter.

Your brother in the Lord,

Shayne Bennett (Editor)

The Jubilee Conference

The culmination of the Jubilee celebrations was a mega Jubilee Conference held from 28^th Dec. 2010 to 1^st Jan 2011 atKerala,India which witnessed  more than 20,000 Jesus Youth from 29 different countries representing all five continents come together for four days of thanksgiving, celebration and prayer. One of the many fruits of the Jubilee was that each Jesus Youth undertook a personal journey to re-commit their lives once again to the mission of evangelization. ‘Every Jesus Youth, a missonary’ – this was the catchphrase that encapsulated the overwhelming desire of the 20,000 present to go forth for the Lord. And this missionary spirit continues to spark off new initiatives and ventures in different countries.

World Youth Day 2011

Jesus Youth has been participating regularly in the World Youth Days since the year 2000.  More than 800 Jesus Youth participants from 17 different countries attended the World Youth Day this August inMadrid. Rexband – the music outreach group of Jesus Youth – which was the first Indian band to be invited to WYD has been performing in the WYD Cultural Festivals since 2002.  Rexband was invited to perform at this WYD too and they had the blessing of performing at the WYD main stage – right before the Holy Father’s message at the night vigil. As inSydneyandCologne, Jesus Youth was also asked to animate three catechesis centres during WYD 2011. Three worship teams from different parts of the world under the guidance of the Rexband animated the the three centres – San Juan de Mata, Santa María la Blanca and San Saturnino.

It’s 3:30am, the cold morning wind blows soft raindrops against my face, the road is enveloped in darkness and as the rhythmic prayers and even tread of the hundreds behind me provide a ethereal melody, I feel a spiritual fusion with the World Youth Day Cross that follows us, I am a part of this pilgrimage, body and soul.

The seven of us that made the journey fromAustraliaare spread amongst the crowd, each caught up in our own contemplation or conversation.  We are taking the WYD cross from Lorengau the capital ofManusIsland, to Papitali which is the first stop in the circumnavigation of the island. This is the only road we will travel. The rest is by boat.

We were invited to celebrate World Youth Day onManusIslandby the Dean, Father Dominic Maka.  “Come see the face of Jesus in the people of Manus” he entreated upon our arrival a few days ago, followed by a proclamation that we would hear many times over the next couple weeks, “You have come here to evangelise, but you too will be evangelised.” This statement that seemed truer every time we heard it.

We are to visit all five Parishes in the Deanery, Papitali, Patu, Bipi, and Bundralis before returning to our home parish of Lorengau , a convoy of priests, children, nurses, fishermen, farmers, teachers and students we move ever onward by foot, by truck,  but mainly by boat, following the WYD Cross.

Devotion is difficult to find en masse inAustralia, but it exists in abundance on Manus. At each village we aremet by kneeling crowds, silent, in awe of the cross as it is brought before them. They sing praise as the cross makes its way to the church where they kneel before it, pledging themselves to the pilgrimage.

At every village the crowds rally, listening to talks and testimonies in reverent silence, dancing with jubilation during the worship and laughing jovially at the dramas. This goes on until 5 or 6 in the morning. Then we all get up for a two and a half hour mass at 9am.

“Ï was really touched by the openness of the Papuan’s to God and how hungry they were for the word of God” reflected Andrew, our youngest team member. There is no cynicism, no boredom; they want to hear about God, to feel his presence.

The life of a Manutian is a difficult one, it is the poorest province in one of the world’s poorest nations, food and water shortages are a constant threat and some children are forced to scrounge food scraps from the table and search through the garbage for clothes. Malaria and AIDS are serious problems across the island with hospital facilities that look totally inadequate by our standards, yet there is care and concern for the patients, and faith abounds. Our team is permitted to pray for the healing of their patients and we meet with some results.

Daniel observed “When they asked for healing, they received it”. We prayed and God healed them, some at the hospital, some in the villages. What struck us was once they were healed, there was no shock or excitement, they were simply thankful and went on their way.

Seeing all this contrasts so sharply with our lives in Australia “Just seeing how little these people have, and how simply they live makes  me appreciate all I have and the opportunities we get” explains Amy.

“It is amazing to see their faith” Daniel marvelled, their simple, absolute faith, was humbling for us all. They place their complete trust in God. To get to church each week a group of women had to cross a river that was neck deep and known to be frequented by crocodiles, they would pray and walk through.

ManusIsland, the land and the people will remain in our minds and hearts for the rest of our lives. Their example in faith, devotion, friendliness, humility and openness teach us so much.

Joe Pender

This Conference signalled and demonstrated a growing spirit of unity and fellowship among the member communities of the region. Shayne Bennet, Emmanuel’sModeratoraddressed the gathering of communities on this very theme pointing to the necessity of a united vision for the Fraternity in the region.

Also addressing the gathering was Bishop Julian Porteous(Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney), Fr. Ken Barker (Missionaries of God’s Love), Joe Chircop (Bread of Life Fellowship) and Lara Kirk (Disciples of Jesus –Canberra).  A common theme for both Bishop Julian and Fr. Ken was the preservation of the grace of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit as the foundational grace of the charismatic renewal, so essential to the Fraternity and the evangelising mission of the Church.

Bishop Julian encouraged the Fraternity members by reminding them that the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is for the good of the whole Church. He outlined how the Church Leadership understood that God has only just begun with the Charismatic Covenant   Communities and Fellowships. At this time, as we come to ecclesial maturity, the mainline universal Church is opening up its doors to receive the grace of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Bishop Julian also spoke about recent Popes who have been calling for a ‘Culture of Pentecost’ within the whole Church. They see Charismatic Covenant Communities being placed to be the vehicles for bringing this Grace to the Church. At this moment in history, there is needed a New Evangelism in the Church and this will happen through the Baptism in the Holy Spirit for each and every Catholic.

He illustrated this, by sharing how the Australian Bishops have been talking along these lines and are planning to call every Catholic in the Australian Church to a Year of Grace, in which we are ‘To seek the F ace of Christ’: this will be from Pentecost 2012 till Pentecost 2013

Fr. Ken highlighted the need people to remain faithful to this initial grace and calling, that had been received through the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, noting that, whilst many who had received the grace, they then had neglected it for other devotions. It was often the communities, who in revering this grace, had then been empowered to consolidate and preserve this grace for the next generation. He stressed that it was essential that those in the Fraternity do not neglect this grace for within it lay the seeds of their calling.

Joe Chircop spoke passionately about the necessity of cultivating, and the danger of neglecting, the virtue of ‘the fear of the Lord.’ Making reference to Christifideles Laici, Lara Kirk shared about the pitfalls to be avoided in lay ministry.

The Conference concluded with FrKen Barkerleading us in Adoration followed by an informal concert.

A satellite link and Internet will be established between the cities to publicize community involvement in the European political and social sphere in favour of aEurope characterised by solidarity, peace, reconciliation, justice and fraternity. The movements and new communities build deep relationships and are open to fraternal esteem and profound dialogue with those who care about the future ofEurope. They put their charisms together and seek to create an environment of mutual enrichment through a spiritual communion that leads them to work together. The relationship of communion is based on the biblical verse: “I give you a new commandment: love one another, as I have loved you, love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13: 34-35). The Catholic Fraternity is deeply committed to this project. While there is a specific representation of the Catholic Fraternity, there are a number of individual communities which are also participating as part of their mission inEurope.  

 Gérard  Testard

On January 25  2012 she is returned to the Paternal House, Maria Pacelli Masucci, coordinator of
Association “Community Amen” of Rome became part of the Catholic Fraternity in 2004.
Who is Mary?

Those who have known  and loved her used to call her Mother Mary. Her name always has been  linked with her beloved spouse Nino. Together they had taken the path of faith in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in 1974  and they received the Baptism in the Spirit, in  the group that period called as Maria di Roma.

Mary had met Jesus under the Cross, in a very special time, was suffering from pancreatic cancer and had widespread metastases, but the Lord of Life still wanted to give her plenty, and so, after a prayer over her, with the laying on of hands, the metastases disappeared, while the huge tumor mass remained encapsulated.

It took 5 years of incessant prayers that this too disappeared. Two years ago, in 2010, Mary repeated a control CT scan and the doctor told her that surgeon had been  good  enough to leave  only a  perfect scar in the pancreas

Mary in her innocence, replied that she had never been subjected to any surgery but the hand of the surgeon who is called Jesus and after that she decided to give her life to know others  the love of a merciful God who saves and heals and also  the tenderness, the humility of his wonderful mother, Mary.

In 1990 with Nino she founded the historic and beloved Community Amen. In 2003 the Lord called Nino back, and  Maria with great physical and moral pain and suffering, , continued to walk  the path,  witnessing her  belonging to Christ, and exercising various roles and ministries also in the Association Rinnovamento nello Spirito Santo.

 She prayed and taught to pray for all physical, mental, spiritual suffering, and her house was always open to all those whom the Lord entrusted to her  great heart.

Now all those who have loved and known personally feel orphaned.

 May God continue to wipe out the tears and to relieve the pain of this humanity that needs more and more of a special mother like her.
She leaves behind his message: Do not be afraid, God is with you in your day to day life until the end of time. Good bye, see you  in Heaven sweet mother Mary.

Dear Friends,
my most cordial good wishes for a Merry Christmas, that it can be for
us for us members of communities and for our families a time of grace, the
Kairos where Jesus comes to give us new life, new spiritual sap in
order to continue our path towards the goal which is the sainthood.

May you have also a happy 2012 rich of Lord’s blessings.

Matteo Calisi
President

Homily of the Mass

President al the end of Mass

The interviews at the event

.: Look at the pictures Flickr