E-Newsletter on Asian and Pacific Island Affairs (SCAPA)
Summer 2016
Dear co-workers and friends,
Ordinary time is no ordinary time. The Sundays and weeks (encompassing either 33 or 34 weeks a year) of Ordinary time is the longest liturgical season in the Catholic Church. Ordinary Time is "a time for growth and maturation, a time in which the mystery of Christ is called to penetrate ever more deeply into history until all things are finally caught up in Christ," stresses the USCCB/Divine Worship (http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year/ordinary-time.cfm).
Summer in the US falls during the Ordinary time season. So, while we are enjoying summer with family and friends, may time together with them be Christ filled and an opportunity to encourage one another to grow and mature in the faith.
This summer issue of the e-newsletter offers a glimpse of some activities, celebration and reflection from the Asian and Pacific Island (API) communities. In the next issue we will highlight events including the 7th Annual Gathering of the National Conference of Burmese-American Catholics, the Laotian National Catholic Conference and the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement Convention which were held in late June and July.
We know there are many more events happening within the API Catholic communities, so I encourage you to send newsworthy information ([email protected]) and we will consider it in the order it is received, for subsequent issues of the e-newsletter.
Let us continue to pray for peace and healing in our country and for comfort to those who were affected by the recent tragedies.
Thanks,
Sr. Myrna Tordillo, MSCS
Assistant Director
US Conference of Catholic Bishops
Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church
Korean Catholics in North America Celebrate 50 Years
Read the article by
Jihoon Kang about the 50th anniversary celebration of Korean Catholics held on May 12th at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, New Jersey.
Vocation in the Fijian Community
It was a joyous occasion for those who witnessed Sr. Akeneta's first vows as a Religious of the Assumption on April 30. Read Sr. Nuala Cotter's, RA Provincial Superior, article about the event.
Gift of Life
How the Laotian community celebrates the life of a departed loved one with their traditions of sharing ood, storytelling, and prayers is a focus of this article written by Phensy Vatsana.
Flores de Mayo (Flowers of May)
Find out how the Filipino community in Saint Monica Catholic Church in Mobile, Alabama celebrated the traditional Flores de Mayo (Flowers of May), a popular devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary by reading Vivian Amargo's article.
14th Annual Asian & Pacific Island Marian Pilgrimage
The Asian and Pacific Catholic Network (APCN) in collaboration with the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity hosted the annual pilgrimage to Our Lady at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. Read the blurb and check out the beautiful photos.
Asian & Pacific Island Catholics in the U.S.
Check out the January and October 2015 reports prepared by Drs. Tricia Bruce, Jerry Park and Stephen Cherry for the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity about a national study of Asian and Pacific Island Catholics in the US that include demographics. Find more information on the Asian & Pacific Island Affairs demographics web page.
Korean American Catholic Day of Prayer
"Come and you will see" (Jn. 1:39). The Diocese of Arlington will host the first Korean American Catholic Day of Prayer focusing on Vocations on August 20, 2016. The Day of Prayer aims to engage all Korean Catholics in a reflection, greater vocational awareness and to deepen their faith while exploring the opportunity to seek, discern and respond. Check out the English flyer and Korean flyer.
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church
Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Island Affairs (SCAPA)
