Gospel is a Gift to be Shared, Pope says



Pope Benedict - CNA Photo


Gospel must not be an elite message, Pope says : Catholic News Agency (CNA)

The photograph and following excerpt is from the Catholic News Agency:

Vatican City (CNA/EWTN News) Pope Benedict said in a message on missionary efforts that the Gospel is not an “exclusive” message to an elite few but rather a gift to be shared and “a piece of good news to be passed on.”

On Jan. 25, the Vatican released the Pope's official statement for the 85th annual World Mission Sunday which will be held on Oct. 23. The event is organized by the Propagation of the Faith and is set aside for Catholics worldwide to recommit themselves to the Church's missionary activity through prayer.

The theme of this year's celebration is, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

Pope Benedict opened his remarks by emphasizing that the “announcement of the Gospel is destined for everyone.”

“The Church exists to evangelize,” he said. “Her activity, in conformity with the word of Christ and under the influence of His grace and charity, becomes fully and truly present in all individuals and all peoples in order to lead them to faith in Christ.”

The task of spreading the Gospel, then, “has lost none of its urgency,” the Pope said. The Church cannot “rest easy” at the thought that “there are people who still do not know Christ, who have not yet heard His message of salvation.”

Pope Benedict also addressed the growing number of individuals who've heard the Gospel but have forgotten it, abandoned it, or no longer identify themselves with the Church. He said that in modern times, even traditionally Christian societies are “reluctant to open themselves to the word of faith.”

He cited a cultural shift – influenced by globalization and increasing relativism – as leading to mentalities and lifestyles “that ignore the Evangelical message as if God did not exist, and which exalt the search for well-being, easy earnings, career and success as the goals of life, even at the expense of moral values.”

To those who hear and believe, the Pope said, the Gospel “is not the exclusive prerogative of those who received it, but a gift to be shared, a piece of good news to be passed on.”

“This gift-commitment is entrusted not just to the few, but to all baptized people,” he underscored.

Read more: Gospel must not be an elite message

Ron DiCianni: Painting the Resurrection

Ron DiCianni: Painting the Resurrection - CBN TV - Video

The Resurrection Mural is an inspiring oil painting which measures 40 foot long by 12 foot high by artist, Ron DiCianni. It took over two years to paint the mural and was commissioned by The Museum of Biblical Art in Dallas, Texas.

For more information on the painting, please visit the following link: About the Resurrection Mural

Our Lady of Medjugorje's Message of January 25, 2011

Our Lady
Photo by Loci B. Lenar

The Medjugorje Web - Apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Medjugorje

Our Lady's monthly message conveyed to visionary Marija Pavlovic- Lunetti on January 25, 2011:

"Dear children! Also today I am with you and I am looking at you and blessing you, and I am not losing hope that this world will change for the good and that peace will reign in the hearts of men. Joy will begin to reign in the world because you have opened yourselves to my call and to God’s love. The Holy Spirit is changing a multitude of those who have said ‘yes’. Therefore I desire to say to you: thank you for having responded to my call."

The International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima

The International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima from St. Louis Review on Vimeo.

The International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima visited many parishes in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The faithful at Immaculate Conception Church in Arnold, Missouri held their own devotional evening.

Reflection spoken by Patrick Sabat, Custodian of the International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima.

The following excerpt is from the website of PilgrimVirginStatue.com:

Sent out to bring the Message of Fatima to the world, the International Pilgrim Virgin Statue has traveled the world many times, visiting more than 100 countries, including Russia and Red China, bringing the great message of hope, "the peace plan from heaven," to millions of people. Many miracles and signal graces are reported wherever the statue travels including shedding tears many times.

Parishioners of St. Mary's Church invited to Discuss God's Spiritual Blessings on Radio Maria!

Statue of Our Lady - St. Mary's Church
Photo by Loci B. Lenar



Tune into Radio Maria on January 24th for a Lively Discussion about God’s Spiritual Blessings!



Logo Courtesy of Radio Maria

Radio Maria has invited several parishioners from St. Mary’s Church of Denville, New Jersey to speak live on the Catholic program, Sacred Treasures.  Kathie Duggan, host of Sacred Treasures will have Loci Lenar, Donna Ott, and Father Richard Tartaglia as guests on her radio show. The program will include testimony about God’s healing grace and focus on the Catholic and Christian faith. Sacred Treasures is scheduled for Monday, January 24th, between 3:00 - 4:00 PM (EST) and can be heard live through internet streaming by visiting the following link: http://radiomaria.us/schedule/eastern-time/

Loci Lenar was recently a guest on Sacred Treasures (Radio Maria). During the radio interview (Sept. 27, 2010), Mr. Lenar shared testimony with listeners and host Kathie Duggan about the spiritual presence of Archangel Michael and a bright cross which has appeared on his property in Mine Hill, NJ. He also addressed healings of several medical conditions which resulted after receiving the anointing of the sick from his parish priest, Father Richard Tartaglia.

By sharing his faith on the radio, Mr. Lenar believes that his contribution helps in evangelizing God's church by opening the hearts and minds of listeners to read the gospels in order to receive the Lord's blessings.

Donna Ott is an administrative assistant at St. Mary’s parish and has a remarkable story to tell. She has endured painful arthritis in her fingers for nearly five years. While listening to Mr. Lenar’s testimony about God’s spiritual blessings on Radio Maria (Sept. 2010), “the pain unexpectedly disappeared,” said Donna. She immediately shared the news with Fr. Tartaglia. Father agreed that it was a small miracle. Donna believes that sharing her healing with others will help people to reach out for God‘s love as well.  More of Donna's story can be read at the following link:
http://www.christian-miracles.com/amiracleatstmarys.htm

Father Richard Tartaglia is Loci Lenar’s spiritual advisor for over fifteen years. Fr. Tartaglia is gifted as a spiritual advisor in discerning spiritual matters. As a result, Mr. Lenar shares with Fr. Tartaglia the spiritual presence of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through signs and wonders which began over twenty years ago. Documentation is posted on Lenar’s website at the following link: http://www.christian-miracles.com/

The site also receives a steady flow of prayer requests which are presented to Fr. Tartaglia for his prayer support. All requests are prayed for at St. Mary’s Church on Monday mornings at Holy Hour during Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Additionally, St. Mary’s holds an evening prayer service every third Thursday of each month with Fr. Tartaglia. Prayer requests include St. Mary's Parish as well as those which are emailed and posted on the website at the following link: http://www.christian-miracles.com/apps/prayers/

St. Mary’s Catholic Church is located on 15 Myers Avenue, Denville, NJ. Father Martin Glynn is the head pastor of the church.

Please tune into Sacred Treasures on http://radiomaria.us/ and join all three guests with host Kathie Duggan for an hour of discussion about God’s spiritual blessings!

Radio Maria Stations:

Louisiana

580 AM - Alexandria
1360 AM - New Iberia
89.7 FM - Natchitoches
91.1 FM - Lake Charles

Mississippi
88.1 FM - D'Iberville

Ohio
1600 AM - Springfield
88.7 FM - Anna

Pennsylvania
88.1 FM - Hollidaysburg

Texas
1250 AM - Port Arthur

Wisconsin
91.3 FM - Peshtigo

New York (affiliate)
620 AM - New York

***

St. Mary's Contact Information:
http://www.stmarys-denville.org/directory.htm

Radio Maria Contact Information: http://www.radiomaria.us/contact/

Loci Lenar Contact Information: Christian-Miracles.com

Copyright 2011 Christian-Miracles.com

Nun tells of healing after intercessory prayers to Pope John Paul II

Nun tells of healing after praying to John Paul II - FoxNews.com

The following excerpt is from FoxNews.com:

AIX-EN-PROVENCE, France – A French nun says she felt new inner strength and vitality as her Parkinson's disease suddenly disappeared in 2005 — a recovery the Vatican attributes to the miraculous intercession of Pope John Paul II.

Sister Marie Simon-Pierre, who works at a Paris maternity clinic, told reporters in a rare appearance Monday that she felt "reborn" on waking June 3, 2005 after she had prayed for healing to John Paul.

"There was a new strength inside me, and my body was rediscovering its vitality and fluidity," Simon-Pierre, appearing in good health, told reporters in the southern French city of Aix-en-Provence.

The 49-year-old nun — who has largely been shielded from the media — said she still sometimes talks to John Paul.

"For this news conference, I told him to stay right beside me!" said Simon-Pierre, who appeared smiling and wearing a white habit at the news conference.

Pope Benedict XVI has set May 1 as the date for his predecessor's beatification, a step toward possible sainthood.

Church authorities have studied Simon-Pierre's cure and determined it was inexplicable and due to the intercession of John Paul, who also suffered from Parkinson's. Benedict approved the miracle last week, paving the way for the beatification.

Simon-Pierre's healing came about two months after John Paul's death on April 2, 2005, at age 84. Soon before her mysterious recovery, she had asked to stop working, saying she was "ready to finish out her days in a wheelchair," her former mother superior recalled.

"When she came to ask me to replace her, I noticed that she was very worn out. I told her to wait. I told her that John Paul II hadn't had his last word on the subject," Sister Marie-Thomas recalled.

Read More: Nun Tells of Healing

St. Mary's Prayer Service is held on January 20th

St. Mary's Church, Denville, NJ
Photo by Loci B. Lenar

St. Mary's Catholic Church holds an evening prayer service every third Thursday of each month.  The next prayer service is on January 20th and begins at 7:30 PM (eastern standard time) and will be held at the church with Father Richard Tartaglia.  The church is located on 15 Myers Avenue in Denville, New Jersey.  Myers Avenue intersects with Route 46 by the Denville Township Police Department.

All are welcome to attend! 

Prayer requests include those from St. Mary's Parish as well as those which are emailed and posted on the website of Christian-Miracles.com.  Prayer requests from the website are personally hand delivererd by Loci B. Lenar to Fr. Richard Tartaglia.

Please consider visiting the church and joining in prayer with Fr.Tartaglia as he prays for those in need of God's help and intervention.

Regarding prayer, Jesus said in Matthew 18:19-20, “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

For additional information about the prayer service, please contact St. Mary's Parish by calling 973-627-0269.

For requesting prayer, please visit the following link: http://www.christian-miracles.com/apps/prayers/

For a selection of devotional prayers, please visit the following link:
http://www.christian-miracles.com/devotionalprayers.htm


St. Mary's Mass Schedule:

Sunday: 7:00, 8:30, 10:00, and 11:30AM

Saturday: 5:00PM

Weekdays: 8:00AM and 12:05PM - except June ~ Labor Day-NO 12:05PM


Confessions:

Saturday: 4:15 - 4:45PM , before 5:00PM mass


Holy Hour Adoration (Exposition)

Mondays following 8:00 AM mass

Angels, Wonders and Miracles of Faith

Corpus Christi Church - Photograph by Loci B. Lenar


Angels, Wonders and Miracles of Faith - Guideposts

The following excerpt is from renown author Joan Wester Anderson and can be read on the website of Guideposts:

By Joan Wester Anderson

One of my favorite fellow bloggers is Loci Lenar, who posts Angels, Wonders and Miracles of Faith. This blog documents current spiritual signs and wonders, happenings that make people sit up and take notice.

It’s a beautiful and colorful site—Loci is extremely tech-talented—but the content is even better because we are able to see it. For example, a lighted cross occasionally appears on Loci’s property, and he has posted photos of it on his site. No one has been able to trace the source of this light, but when we see it as an actual photo, it is far more impressive than just words. Loci also features a statue of Michael the Archangel, with stained glass glowing behind it. Again, there is no apparent source of light.

People contact Angels, Wonders and Miracles of Faith to ask for prayers, and Loci brings those requests to his spiritual adviser, Father Richard Tartaglia, of St. Mary’s parish in Denville, New Jersey.

Read More: Guideposts

***

The following excerpt is from the website of Joan Wester Anderson:

Joan Wester Anderson's 15 books include WHERE ANGELS WALK, TRUE STORIES OF HEAVENLY VISITORS, which was on the New York Times best-seller list for over a year, has sold almost two million copies and been translated into fourteen languages. Published in fall, 1994, were the sequel to ANGELS, titled WHERE MIRACLES HAPPEN, and for children, AN ANGEL TO WATCH OVER ME. Both books were written in response to suggestions from readers, and were followed in rapid succession by three more in this series. FOREVER YOUNG (Thomas More Publishers), the life story of actress Loretta Young, was published in November, 2000. The actress had read the angel series, and requested Anderson as her biographer. The two became close friends. Anderson’s book, IN THE ARMS OF ANGELS (Loyola Press) covers angelic activity primarily during the past decade, including stories of hope from the 9/11 and Columbine School tragedies. Her most recent books, GUARDIAN ANGELS (Loyola Press), and ANGELS AND WONDERS (Loyola Press), focus on amazing and tender stories of God’s answers to prayers.

Anderson has appeared on national television programs including “Good Morning America,” “Oprah,” “20/20,” “NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw” and “Mother Angelica Live,” and was featured in such documentaries as “Angels–Beyond the Light” (NBC), “Angel Stories” and “Stories of Miracles” (The Learning Channel), and many videos. She was a story consultant for the television series, IT’S A MIRACLE, lectures in cities across the country, and has been interviewed on hundreds of radio talk shows.

Anderson is a Catholic and member of St. Edna’s Parish in Arlington Heights IL., a graduate of Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and a former adjunct professor at Harper Community College in Palatine, Illinois. She and her husband live in suburban Chicago, and have five grown children and four grandchildren.

Pope John Paul II's beatification Approved for May 1, 2011

John Paul II's beatification approved for May 1, Divine Mercy Sunday : Catholic News Agency (CNA)

The photograph and following excerpt is from the Catholic News Agency:

Vatican City, Jan 14, 2011 (CNA/EWTN News).- The much-anticipated beatification of Pope John Paul II will take place on May 1, the Sunday after Easter, the Vatican announced.

The healing of a French nun with Parkinson's disease is to go down in history as the miracle that made John Paul II a "blessed." The title is given to martyrs and other Christians to whom a miracle has been officially attributed, thus bringing them one step closer to sainthood.

Pope Benedict XVI approved the decree for the beatification of his predecessor during a Jan. 14 audience with the head of the Vatican department for saints' causes, Cardinal Angelo Amato.

John Paul II's cause arrived in the current's Pope's hands for approval after doctors studied the miraculous healing of Sister Marie Simon Pierre Normand and concluded it was "scientifically unexplainable." Following approval from theologians and Church officials, Pope Benedict promulgated the decree with his signature.

The atmosphere was electric at noon in the the Holy See's Press Office with journalists from all over the world expecting news of the beatification decree.

During the rather cheerful press briefing, Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi explained some of the details of the process and revealed preliminary plans for the ceremony.

In what some have called "record time," the Pope's cause was seemingly expedited through the trials to prove his sainthood. Fr. Lombardi admitted that the cause for the Pope was "facilitated" because of his "great fame of sanctity."

At Pope Benedict's bidding, norms stipulating that saints' causes begin five years after the individual's death were waived. His cause, as those of others Popes and special cases, also leapfrogged others in what is usually a "first in, first examined" process.

This being the case, no corners were cut, the Vatican spokesman assured. He insisted that "each of the legislative steps of the inquiry have been fulfilled, they have been taken with care. They have not been facilitated, rather the cause has proceeded with great attention and fidelity."

Pope John Paul II’s cause is extraordinary in the history of the Church both for the speed with which it was advanced to beatification and because it will be his immediate successor to preside over the ceremony.

The Pope's cause was brought to beatification in just over five years, rivaling that of his good friend Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta for its speed.

His beatification will be celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI in St. Peter's Square on May 1, the first Sunday after Easter.

As Fr. Lombardi explained, the choice is full of significance for the late-Pope, who died just a day before the celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday in 2005. That year, it fell on April 3.

The date changes from year-to-year, but is always the first Sunday after Easter.

"For those who followed John Paul II's pontificate, it is a special Sunday," said Fr. Lombardi.

It is a "fundamental date in his life and his encounter with the Lord," the Vatican spokesman said. He explained that it is the day the Church celebrates the apparition of Jesus to the disciples in the upper room and the institution of Confession.

The day was particularly important to the late-pontiff because it was the day in 2000 that he celebrated the canonization of St. Faustina Kowalska and declared that the Sunday after Easter should henceforth be known as "Divine Mercy Sunday."

Sister Faustina, known for promoting the Divine Mercy chaplet, which is prayed using a rosary, said that all who go to Confession and receive the Eucharist at Mass the Sunday after Easter will be given full remission of their sins.

Divine Mercy is "absolutely fundamental" to the pontificate of John Paul II.

"It's precisely the vision, we could say, of the pontificate of John Paul II that has this theme of the Divine Mercy," Fr. Lombardi said.

The staff at St. Peter's Basilica is already preparing for what is sure to be a grand occasion, drawing pilgrims from all over the globe. Workers are already cleaning the mosaics in the Chapel of St. Stephen, just next to Michelangelo's Pietà, where the soon-to-be "blessed's" body will lie.

John Paul II's body will be taken from the crypt below and set below the chapel's altar.

Because the process came about so quickly after his death, Fr. Lombardi said that the body will not be exhumed for examination.

Read More: Pope John Paul II

Doctors acknowledge "miracles" in Giffords' recovery

WCSH6.com | Portland, ME | Doctors acknowledge "miracles" in Giffords' recovery

(My prayers are with the families and victims of the senseless and horrific shootings in Tucson.  Please pray as we mourn for those that have lost their lives and for the families.  Pray for Gabrielle Giffords' recovery and for all the survivors.  Additionally, please join in prayer for God's healing grace to embrace our nation and world with peace.   -Loci B. Lenar)

From the website of WCSH6.com:

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- After 5 days of urging caution, even Gabrielle Giffords' doctors are starting to call her recovery a miracle.

The Democratic congresswoman, who was shot in the head in an assassination attempt Saturday, is moving both legs and both arms, has opened both eyes and is responding to friends and family. Doctors have sat her up on the side of the bed and dangled her feet over the edge.

Her neurosurgeon, Dr. Michael Lemole, told reporters today: "We're wise to acknowledge miracles."

Few people who take a bullet to the brain -- just 10 percent -- survive such a devastating wound.

Dr. Peter Rhee says the next milestone will be removing her breathing tube, and possibly having her sit in a chair tomorrow. Doctors want to make sure Giffords doesn't backslide, and they're watching for pneumonia and blood clots.

"Miracles of Mary" Documents Miracles of the Virgin Mary

The Miracles of Mary by Bridget Curran

The video and following information is from the website of Rome Reports:

Bridget Curran is an Australian film-maker and author who embarked on a journey to tell of everyday encounters with the Virgin Mary.

In her book “The Miracles of Mary,” Curran depicts encounters with Mary by Christians and non-Christians in the form of apparitions, weeping statues, and other miracles that she notes in detail.

Bridget says, “I've had some really interesting experiences while researching and since researching the book, with people from different faiths, there's quite an interesting Muslim devotion to Our Lady because they saw Jesus as a prophet and they saw Our Lady as someone to really be respected and to look up to.”

The book takes the reader on a tour through Africa, Asia, and Europe through stories that inspire, unite, and teach about ordinary people with extraordinary experiences.

Bridget says,“There are a lot of people that have shied away from the Church but still feel connection to Our Lady which is really lovely and I think very encouraging to help people come back and explore the Church again, and to understand their faith in a different way.”

Stories about apparitions of the Virgin Mary have surfaced around the world, including one in Champion, Wisconsin which was recently approved as the first Marian apparition site in the United States.

This apparition bears resemblance to one of Curran's favorites located in England because they both served to unite people.

Bridget says, “There are a couple of stories which I really love, one of them is Our Lady Walsingham, I was really touched by how it was one of oldest apparitions and one of the first major apparitions in the UK, it was from 12th century. It was really an apparition that brought people together from all different cultures.”

The book was first released in 2008 (Miracles of Mary) and has since reached audiences as diverse those in Brazil and Indonesia, as well as the United States and Europe.

Bridget says, “It's gone into Ireland, the UK, and Europe and it's had a really good response from the readers in the US and it's been lovely to see it kind of flourishing outside of anything that I've been doing so it's really encouraging that people are interested in Our Lady and finding out more.”

“Miracles of Mary” intends to teach about the beauty and grace that people have found in her. Curran continues to be interested in stories related to the Virgin Mary, a figure that she describes as one of love and maternal guidance.

Ted Williams: Homeless to NBA Announcer in Days



Ted Williams displays the sign he used to beg for money
along a highway in Columbus, Ohio.


Ted Williams: From Panhandler to NBA Announcer in Days - U.S. - Catholic Online

The photograph and following excerpt is from Catholic Online:

By James Penrice

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - "I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.. Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25:35-36, 40)

We've witnessed a beautiful manifestation of this Gospel passage this week, as much of the United States and the world has responded with love and affection to one of "the least."

Just days ago 53-year old Ted Williams stood alone along an I-71 exit ramp in Columbus, Ohio, a homeless panhandler with a lengthy criminal record-including at least one felony conviction and prison time for theft. Addictions to alcohol, marijuana and cocaine helped evaporate interest in his career as a radio announcer, and he ended up living on the streets. While going through detox Williams ate food that should have gone to his grandchildren. His life had reached just about the lowest point possible.

"There was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him, nor appearance that would attract us to him. He was spurned and avoided by men, a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity, one of those from whom men hide their faces, spurned, and we held him in no esteem." (Isaiah 53:2a-3)

A reporter from The Columbus Dispatch spotted Williams holding a cardboard sign reading: "I have a God given gift of voice. I'm an ex-radio announcer who has fallen on hard times. Please! Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you and God bless. Happy holidays." The Dispatch created a video report on Williams, in which his "God given gift of voice" was given the opportunity to be heard.

Twenty-four hours later, this homeless panhandler became the most sought-after voice talent in the world.

Just days after begging for change along an Ohio highway, Williams was at the announcer's microphone for NBC's "Today" in Manhattan, after having received countless job offers-including an announcer's position with the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers that includes a house, work with NFL films, and several national commercial opportunities. He has been embraced by the nation and the world, as the Dispatch video has become an internet sensation.

Through it all Williams has been touched with a spirit of gratitude.

"I'm just so thankful God has blessed me so deeply," he told the Associated Press. "I'm getting a second chance. Amazing."

Read More: Ted Williams

Girl Cured of Chronic Pain while Watching Cardinal Newman Beatification

Catholic Deacon Jack Sullivan whose own miraculous healing came
 through the intercession of the Venerable John Henry Newman

Girl Cured of Chronic Pain while Watching Cardinal Newman Beatification - Saints and Angels - Catholic Online

The photograph of Deacon Jack Sullivan and the following article regarding intercessory prayers made to Cardinal John Henry Newman is from Catholic Online:

By Mark Greaves

LONDON, England (UK Catholic Herald) - A young girl was healed of intense chronic pain while watching the beatification of John Henry Newman on television, it has been claimed.

Deacon Jack Sullivan, whose severe spinal condition was miraculously cured after he prayed to Cardinal Newman, said the girl's mother called him after the Mass to say her daughter's pain had suddenly disappeared.

He said she was one of several people who had been cured of serious illness after attending healing services that he has conducted around America.

Deacon Sullivan's own healing, approved by the Vatican last year, led to the Victorian cardinal being beatified in September. A second miracle is all that is needed for the Church to recognise him as a saint.

He said the girl who was healed during Newman's beatification had suffered from reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome, a disease characterised by continuous and intense pain that worsens over time and for which there is no cure.

Deacon Sullivan told the Tablet: "Her mother asked me to pray for her daughter, who has been in hospital for two years. I prayed for her during the Mass and the mother called me back all excited saying that during the Mass all of the pain stopped. Lately I've been told that this young lady will be walking before Christmas."


Deacon Sullivan said two other people had been cured after he had touched them with a portion of Newman's hair in healing services in Boston and Salem, New Hampshire.

"One teenage boy was healed from a severe brain injury he had sustained in a car crash". Mr Sullivan said: "He could no longer speak or walk. When I touched him with the relic he seemed to come back to life."

Another man from Detroit was in the advanced stages of liver cancer but after the healing service he said a CAT scan showed "all the cancer had gone".

Deacon Sullivan also said that Newman was "still with me, very dramatically so". He said: "If it weren't for him I probably would have been paralysed, unable to continue with the diaconate or my job. I start my day by saying, 'Good morning, Cardinal Newman, my intercessor and my very faithful friend'."

Pope Calls for Peace Summit to Halt Violence between Religions

Egyptian Muslims and Christians raise a copy of the Quran and a Cross
 in Shubra district, Cairo to protest against the terrorist attack on a
Coptic Christian church in the northern Egyptian city of Alexandria.

 

Pope calls for peace summit to halt violence between religions - International - Catholic Online

The photograph and following excerpt is from Catholic Online:

Pope Benedict has called for a summit among religious leaders to discuss how they can promote peace. Benedict told visitors in St. Peter's Square the aim of the summit, scheduled for October in Assisi would be to "solemnly renew the commitment of believers of every religion to live their own religious faith in the service of the cause for peace."

Read More: Peace Summit

Pope John Paul II to be Beatified in 2011?

John Paul II to be Beatified in 2011? - Blogs - NCRegister.com

The photograph of Pope John Paul II and following excerpt is from the National Catholic Register:

John Paul II could be beatified in 2011, perhaps even before the summer, according to the veteran Vaticanist Andrea Tornielli.

Writing in Il Giornale this morning, he reports that in recent weeks, the medical advisers of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints have produced “a favorable view on the miracle attributed to the intercession of Pope Wojtyla - the healing of a French nun from Parkinson’s - and the documentation in recent days has also passed the scrutiny of theologians.”

He says the Cause now moves to the cardinal and bishop members of the congregation who have just received the dossier on the miracle. They are to cast their vote in a couple of weeks.

Tornielli says it is “theoretically possible” John Paul II could be beatified on April 2, 2011, the sixth anniversary of his death, or a date in May. October is another possibility as that would coincide with the anniversary of his election to the papacy.

Read more: Pope John Paul II