Dear brothers and sisters, “Hope does not disappoint” (Rom 5:5), but strengthens us in times of trial.
We are celebrating the 33rd World Day of the Sick in the Jubilee Year 2025, in which the Church invites us to become “pilgrims of hope”. The word of God accompanies us and offers us, in the words of Saint Paul, an encouraging message: “Hope does not disappoint” (Rom 5:5); indeed, it strengthens us in times of trial.
Continue readingJerome Novotny , OMI – Reviewing the past 6-7 years, has anything really changed. If you thought the three gender movement six years ago was a unproven novelty, try picking from six “genders” or more with the option of creating your own pronoun today. And it gets stranger yet. Princeton University and University of Michigan are among the leaders promoting this type of behaviour. According to Washington Post, more than 50 colleges or universities allow students to choose their genders without documentation of medical intervention. It’s reported that Princeton University students have the option of even choosing several genders. Or choose to be both male and female. This “Gender’s Slippery Slope”, far from expressing the truth, is destroying all levels of society, including families and young children.
Continue readingPastoral Pro-Life Statement by Bishop Michael Pfeifer, OMI
Day by day abortion is indeed the worst moral evil in the USA because of the huge numbers of precious unborn children of God, true human persons, killed by this brutal cruel act. Sacred scripture makes several references of how God sees the sacredness of these tiny innocent baby in a mothers’ womb. For example, we hear, “you knit me in my mother’s womb.” Medical science has reaffirmed how God sees these precious little ones, pointing out that life indeed begins at conception. Each newly conceived tiny human being has his/her complete DNA. Both Pope St. John Paul II and Pope Francis have called abortion murder. Pope Francis has referred to the brutal killing of the unborn as an act of assassination.
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Jerome Novotny , OMI – It is estimated that about 38% of the Japanese population is above the age of 60, and 26% is above the age of 65. By 2050, one-third will be 65 or older. On the worldwide scale, people aged 65 years or older is expected to reach 1.6 billion in 2050. Population ageing is an irreversible global trend. The number of people aged 80 or older is growing even faster. I myself will become 85 this year.
What basic drive does my generation have in common? Simply put, the older we get, the later we think “old age” starts. Our basic fear is dying.
Continue readingBrad Rozairo, OMI – Having handed over the responsibility to my successor to lead the Oblate Delegation of Japan-Korea, I left Japan on a sabbatical. I felt like I was walking with Mary, our Blessed Mother during this break. I want to share my spiritual journey with Mary in this article.
Continue readingBrad Rozairo, OMI – The message of Pope Francis for this year’s “World Day of Peace” is titled “Forgive us our trespasses: grant us your peace”. In teaching us to pray the Lord’s Prayer, the Pope says, “Jesus begins by asking the Father to forgive our trespasses, but passes immediately to the challenging words: as we forgive those who trespass against us (cf. Mt 6:12). I think, this is where we struggle in living the Lord’s Prayer. We know that forgiveness is not easy but as Christians our Lord expects us to be reconciled with those that harm us by forgiving them.
Continue readingBrad Rozairo, OMI – The Holy Doors in Rome’s four major Basilicas are St. Peter’s, St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major and St. Paul Outside the Walls. Pope Francis inaugurated the Jubilee Year of Hope on Christmas Eve by opening the first Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica. He will open the Holy Door of St. John Lateran on December 29th and St. Mary Major and St. Paul Outside the Walls on January 1st and January 5th, respectively.
Continue readingJerry Novotny, OMI – The nuclear family is considered the ” traditional ” family. The nuclear family consists of a mother, father, and their biological children. A single parent is a parent who cares for one or more children without the assistance of the other biological parent. Step families are becoming more familiar in many parts of the world today. This type is formed on the remarriage of a divorced or widowed person and that includes a child or children. Blending Families and Joint Families are also entering the scene. Let’s analyze the term “Family” and how it relates to the growth of children and World Peace. Does Humanity Have a Future? What role do children have?
“Our children are our future and we must be concerned as a nation about how we ensure their healthy development. There is no replacement for the fundamental institution called the “family.” – Diann Dawson
Continue readingBrad Rozairo, OMI – “It is not a disease but a disorder and a mechanical issue”. This is what I heard from a doctor when he spoke about inguinal hernia. A disorder needs to be fixed, but how it will be done was my concern as I was diagnosed with an inguinal hernia recently. I began a short research on the internet to learn more about it and discovered that a hernia repair can only be done through a surgical procedure. This sounded a bit scary for me as I have not gone through any surgeries in my life. However, having consulted two Doctors I decided to go for a laparoscopic surgery.
Continue readingBrad Rozairo, OMI – Japan’s population is rapidly ageing. This year, before the “Respect-for-the-Aged Day” event, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications released its population survey. According to that, the number of elderly people in Japan surged by 20,000 from September 2023 to 36.25 million! The main reason for this is depopulation.
Continue readingBrad Rozairo, OMI – Experience in Aix-en-ProvencThe De Mazenod Experience, sometimes also called DMX, is a program held every year at the birthplace of our congregation in Aix-en-Provence. The program is centred on the charism of our Founder St. Eugene and has a few objectives. They are personal conversion, deepening of the Oblate charism in one’s own life, reflection on the lived experience of the charism, personal renewal in the Oblate vocation, a deeper understanding of the person of the Founder and ongoing formation. The two-month experience, held in an atmosphere of prayer, reflectionandfraternal sharing, enables an Oblate to look back at his own experience of the Oblate charism lived in daily life and ministry. The program has two pillars, namely, pilgrimage and a fifteen-day silent retreat.
Continue readingBrad Rozairo, OMI: This year will mark the eighth since the Pope established the “World Day of the Poor”. As has become customary, the Holy Father, after the Eucharistic celebration will have lunch with 1300 poor people. But before the celebration, he will bless 13 keys, each representing thirteen countries where the Vincentian congregation will inaugurate “13 houses” project for the poor.
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(St. Eugene de Mazenod, Founder)
I went to administer the sacrament of confirmation to a young person who was dying in the house for juvenile prisoners. There are already 45 children in this house between the ages of 10 and 18. It is painful to see this early degradation; we expect much from the painstaking care that Igive these poor youth through Fr. Fissiaux and Fr. Margaillan, his assistant. Already some of these children are showing the good effects of the religious instruction they receive.
