Twenty-five Years of Pontifical Approval
O n February 22, the Feast of the Chair of Peter, twenty-five years were completed since the pontifical approval of the Heralds of the Gospel, granted by Pope John Paul II.
In commemoration of this date several ceremonies were held, among which we highlight the Masses of thanksgiving celebrated in the Basilica of the Conception of Our Lady, in Madrid, Spain, presided over by Archbishop Piero Pioppo, Apostolic Nuncio to Spain; in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, in the municipality of Caieiras, Brazil; in the house of the Heralds located in Lima, Peru, presided over by Msgr. Guillermo Inca Pereda, Assistant Secretary-General of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference; in the Basilica of Sameiro in Braga, Portugal; in the Parish of St. Bruno, in Santiago, Chile; and in the house of the Heralds in Guatemala City.
Rome – A blessed Marian mission was carried out at St. Albert the Great Parish, from January 21- 25. In addition to moments of fervent prayer and visits of the Pilgrim Statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary to the homes of the sick, the days of the mission were marked by Holy Masses presided over by the Most Rev. Michele Di Tolve, Auxiliary Bishop of Rome, and by Bishop Enrico Dal Covolo, SDB, emeritus assessor of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences.
Mairiporã (Brazil) – Our Lady of Grace Parish of has been very active in recent months. We highlight here the Marian missions carried out in the districts of the main Parish Church, St. Jude Thaddeus and St. Agnes Chapel. The latter community also had the joy of receiving, on the occasion of the celebration for its patroness held on January 25, the visit of the Most Rev. Sérgio Aparecido Colombo, Bishop of Bragança Paulista.
Araraquara (Brazil) – On January 21 and 22, sisters and collaborators of the Heralds of the Gospel residing in São Carlos carried out a Marian mission at St. Sebastian Parish in Araraquara. With the help of parishioners, three hundred and sixty homes were visited, in addition to three chapels. The mission concluded with a beautiful procession, followed by a solemn Eucharist.
Retreats and Symposiums
D uring the Carnival holiday, instructional symposiums and spiritual retreats were held in various locations where the Heralds of the Gospel are active, aimed at preparing participants to better profit from the Lenten season. We highlight the activities carried out in the Brazilian cities of Rio de Janeiro and Campos dos Goytacazes (RJ), Belo Horizonte and Montes Claros (MG), Maringá, Piraquara and Ponta Grossa (PR), Brasília, Cuiabá (MT), Mairiporã (SP) and Lauro de Freitas (BA), as well as in the city of Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
Colombia – To mark the beginning of Lent, on February 20, the Heralds of the Gospel held a sacred music concert at the Cathedral of Bogotá, Colombia. The event, broadcast on several Colombian television channels, was organized by the Municipality of Bogotá and the Government of the Department of Cundinamarca, with the support of the Archdiocese of Bogotá.
Paraguay – The World Day of the Sick was observed at the Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Ypacaraí on February 14. The programme for the day consisted of a conference on the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, followed by Holy Mass and benediction with the Blessed Sacrament. At the end of the Eucharist, the sick who were present were anointed with the holy oils.
Guatemala – On February 19, the geriatric centre Sr. Cecilia Charrin House, operated by the Daughters of Charity, received the Pilgrim Statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, carried by sisters from the feminine sector of the Heralds of the Gospel together with cooperators of the institution. The residents of the wing visited were elderly religious sisters who have dedicated their lives to caring for those in need.
