Legislature Honours Heralds’ Founder
On October 23th, the Legislative Assembly of São Paulo State (Alesp) paid homage to Msgr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias, founder of the Heralds of the Gospel, awarding him the Medal of Honour for Merit, the highest decoration bestowed by the legislative house. The solemn ceremony took place in the Juscelino Kubitschek Chamber and was presided over by Deputy André do Prado, with Deputy Gil Diniz as the proponent of the tribute. The occasion was distinguished by the presence of: Most Rev. Carlos Lema Garcia, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of São Paulo; Most Rev. Sérgio Aparecido Colombo, Bishop of Bragança Paulista; Bishop Benedito Beni dos Santos, Emeritus of Lorena; Bishop Antônio Luiz Catelan Ferreira, Auxiliary of Rio de Janeiro; as well as Fr. Alex Barbosa de Brito, EP, and Fr. Ricardo José Basso, EP, the latter representing Msgr. João for the ceremony.
Portugal – Members of the Mary, Queen of All Hearts Shrine Apostolate met on October 14 for a regional encounter at the Shrine of Our Lady of Sameiro, in Braga. On this occasion, the Pilgrim Statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary was solemnly crowned and participants were able to make or renew their consecration as slaves of love to the Blessed Virgin.
Colombia – From October 23 to 25, forty-six diocesan and religious priests from all over the country participated in the 2nd Marian Gathering for Priests, held in the complex of Our Lady of Fatima Church in Tocancipá. “Mary, a Priestly Paradise” was the theme of the lectures given by Fr. Carlos Werner Benjumea, EP. The programme also featured concelebrated Masses and moments for prayer and meditation. In the same location, Heralds of the Gospel co-operators from Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Honduras, Peru, El Salvador and Colombia gathered for an international meeting from September 29 to October 1.
São Paulo – Promoted by the Youth Sector of the Archdiocese of São Paulo, the Catholic music festival Summer Beats had its fourth edition on October 15, at the Aeronautical Park of São Paulo, attached to Campo de Marte Airport. The event brought together thousands of young people and included, among other artists and Catholic bands, the choir and orchestra of the Major Seminary of the Heralds of the Gospel.
Ecuador and Dominican Republic – The activities carried out by the Heralds of the Gospel missionaries in these two countries have been especially intense in recent months. The Pilgrim Statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary was carried by the sisters to parishes, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, residences, factories and commercial establishments. The photos above depict the visit to the Shrine of Our Lord of Miracles in Daule, to the St. Thomas Educational Centre, a coffee factory, and to the Cristo Rey Chapel in Guayaquil, Ecuador; as well as the nursing home run by the Diocesan Promoters of the Faith Sisters, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Paraguay – On October 7th, the Heralds of the Gospel’s musical ensemble contributed to the celebrations for the parish Patroness at Our Lady of the Rosary Church, in Asunción. The event consisted in a procession and Mass, celebrated by the Most Rev. Francisco Benítez Candia, Bishop of Benjamín Aceval.
Italy – The inhabitants of the town of San Michele, in Messina, received profuse graces during the Marian Mission carried out there by the Heralds of the Gospel in the month of October. Catechesis, meditated Rosaries, moments of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and visits to the sick and to the primary school were some of the activities that filled the days of the mission, which ended with the consecration of the community to Jesus, through the hands of Mary.
Spain – The Pilgrim Statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary also visited Arcos de la Frontera, in Cádiz, on October 15. The statue of the Blessed Virgin was solemnly crowned during the Mass held at St. Francis of Assisi Parish, and was then carried through the city’s picturesque streets with its whitewashed houses, bringing abundant blessings to many homes.
October 13 – The anniversary of the last apparition of the Virgin of Fatima to the three shepherd children was commemorated by Heralds in different parts of the world. The photos show scenes from the Masses celebrated in the Lord of Divine Mercy Shrine in Lima, Peru; in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Asunción, Paraguay; in the Church of Our Lady of Fatima in Tocancipá, Colombia; in the Oratory of Our Lady of Fatima in Nova Friburgo, Brazil; in St. Paul’s Basilica in Toronto, Canada; in the Parish of St. Teresa of Jesus in Cuenca, Ecuador; in the House of the Heralds in Buenos Aires, Argentina.