WE REJOICE AT THE FOLLOWING NEWS:

On 16th January 2008, in a communiqué released at the Vatican,

The Holy Father appointed

MSGR. FELIX ANTHONY MACHADO

of the clergy of Vasai, India, under-secretary of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue,

as bishop of the diocese of Nashik (area 57,532, population 20,295,000, Catholics 86,750, priests 111, religious 406), India,

with the personal title of archbishop.

The archbishop- elect was born in Remedy, Vasai, India in 1948 and ordained a priest in 1976.

(Vatican Information Service)

THE EPIPHANY PROCLAMATION

(Taken from the Collaborative Ministry site I thought it would be useful to remind Catholics of the important moveable feasts that are coming up this year)

Epiphany Proclamation 2008

While a day like Christmas is fixed in our minds and on the calendars on December 25th, many of the important feasts of the Church year move, based upon the date that Easter is set. Easter changes each year moving to the Sunday after the "Paschal Full Moon," and can fall between March 22 and April 25.

In ancient times before calendars were common, most people did not know the dates for the upcoming Liturgical year. On Epiphany Sunday, the upcoming dates were "proclaimed" after the gospel in this way:

Dear brothers and sisters, the glory of the Lord has shone upon us, and shall ever be manifest among us, until the day of his return.
Through the rhythms of times and seasons let us celebrate the mysteries of salvation.
Let us recall the year's culmination, the Easter Triduum of the Lord: his last supper, his crucifixion, his burial, and his rising celebrated between the evening of the twentieth day of March and the evening of the twenty-third day of March.
Each Easter -- as on each Sunday -- the Holy Church makes present the great and saving deed by which Christ has for ever conquered sin and death. From Easter are reckoned all the days we keep holy.
Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, will occur on the sixth day of February.
The Ascension of the Lord will be commemorated on the first day of May.
Pentecost, joyful conclusion of the season of Easter, will be celebrated on the eleventh day of May
And, this year the First Sunday of Advent will be on the thirtieth day of November.

Likewise the pilgrim Church proclaims the passover of Christ in the feasts of the holy Mother of God, in the feasts of the Apostles and Saints, and in the commemoration of the faithful departed.
To Jesus Christ, who was, who is, and who is to come, Lord of time and history, be endless praise, for ever and ever.

Amen.

I said to the man

who stood at the gate of the year

'Give me a light that I may tread

safely into the unknown.'

And he replied,'Go into the darkness and

put your hand into the hand of God

That shall be to you better than light and

safer than a known way!

'So I went forth and finding the Hand of God

Trod gladly into the night

He led me towards the hills

And the breaking of day in the lone east.....