First Catholic University in India Opens

Although this piece is from the same portion of the world as the last post, it is about a vastly different subject and source.
From the Indian Catholic Newspaper:

The Don Bosco University, India’s first Catholic university, was opened by Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Saturday at a prayerful function in Guwahati. "Let all involved in the project be filled with the spirit of Don Bosco and the mission of empowering youth with necessary skills and knowledge," wished Gogoi while opening the university.

Archbishop Thomas Menamparmbil of Guwahati released the DBU Brochure and presented it to the Chief Minister. Salesians are known for their schools and colleges in north east India and have set up the region’s first college, St. Antony’s college, in Shillong in 1934.

The college is also the world’s first university college Salesians have opened. The Salesians now have 27 colleges and over one hundred Technical Schools.

Hundreds of Salesian centers serve people across the country [of India] helping people for non formal courses, agricultural development, literacy and to shelter for street children. The newly opened university plans to link and upgrade Salesian educational facilities with its government approved and nationally recognized system.

“This is the first catholic university in India. The project has been sanctioned by the Rector Major and his Council. The Government of India has welcomed the move to set up a Catholic University in India. The Ecclesiastical authorities in India have been very positive in their attitude to the setting up of a Catholic University in India,” said a Salesian web site.

While the Chancellor-designate of the new University, Fr. Joe Almeida welcomed the guests, Fr. Stephen Mavely, the Vice Chancellor, gave a short account of the evolution of the dream of a University. K. Sudha Rao, former vice chancellor of Karnataka State Open University, in the key note address stressed the need of a University in the cultural context of the North East.

Twilight Years

When one imagines their twilight year in a realistic fashion, the possibility of having to use diapers might come to mind. Improper muscle function can be a problem. An inability to self-feed might also be an issue with which the household might have to deal.

That's why it is so nice to have someone with whom to share those difficulties.

I just have to question if it is a good idea to share your second childhood with your newborn first child.

That is what a 70 year old Rajo Devi and her husband Bala Ram, 72, have decided to do.

On November 28th Rajo Devi, post-menopausal for roughly 20 years, delivered a girl who had been conceived by in vitro fertilization treatment at Hisar Fertility Center in Haryana, India. The baby girl weighed in at slightly more than 3 pounds at birth. Both mother and child are said to be doing well. Click HERE for more on this.

May God bless them while the angels watch over them.

A Babe in a Manger - A Priest at His Prayers

A baby merely hours old was found lying in a church's creche in southern Germany

"I was in the church shortly after midday to pray and I heard the baby crying," said Father Thomas Rein, parish priest at St. Peter and St. Paul Catholic Church in Poettmes.

"We prepared the crib in the pre-Christmas period so children could lay fresh straw in it and ponder on the meaning of Jesus and Lo! There really was a Jesus-child in it!" Fr. Rein said excitedly.

"His cries saved his little life; I would not have noticed him otherwise."

The priest noted a serious concern for the babe's welfare because the church's temperature was below 55 degrees F, "It was only 12 degrees C in the church. There were fears that he could have hypothermia."

Neuburger Pediatric Clinic nurses and emergency staff have named the little one Peter. He is said to be doing well.

Police are only saying that they believe the mother is 38-year-old Romanian woman. The woman is thought to have lived in the Poettmes.

50,000,000 Pennies Mark 50,000,000 Abortion Deaths

Mississippi Memorial Uses 50 Million Pennies to Mark 50 Million Abortion Deaths

Jackson, MS (LifeNews.com) -- A group of pro-life advocates in Mississippi found out as they collected 50 million of the coins for a unique memorial to mark the deaths of unborn children since Roe v. Wade allowed unlimited abortions in 1973.

The Mississippi Baptist Convention put together this one-of-a-kind visual reminder of the number of babies who have died from abortions. The group collected pennies from church congregations across the state and erected a large glass house to store all the pennies the size of a backyard storage shed.

Called the Memorial to the Missing, the penny-filled structure contains a plaque that encourages visitors to the Baptist convention's headquarters -- and the legislature across the street -- to respect life. Full story at LifeNews.com

So All May Eat - Pay as You are Able - Cafe

The Washington Times' Chris Gergen and Gregg Vanourek shown a spotlight on a wonderful nonprofit restaurant located in Denver, Colorado called "SAME Cafe." It is well worth a read. Here is a snippet of Gergen and Vanourek's article:

The 'pay as you can' cafe

This holiday season, many are thinking of those who are less fortunate. Taking that sentiment several steps further, Brad and Libby Birky of Denver have created a nonprofit restaurant called SAME (So All May Eat) Cafe with a "pay as you can" pricing model.

Yes, you read that correctly. Instead of standard menu-based pricing, a donation box is set in the corner, and people are expected to pay what they can. Those who can't afford to pay are asked to help with manual labor: washing dishes, mopping the floor and the like. Those who can afford it often pay a bit more to contribute to the social mission.

The Birky family wanted to do something dramatically different after putting in years of volunteering at various food banks and shelters, where canned food is the standard fare and handouts sometimes are dispensed with cold detachment. At SAME, their philosophy is that everyone - regardless of economic status or station in life - deserves the chance to eat healthy food while being treated with dignity and respect.

SAME is not a soup kitchen. The volunteers are vigilant about asking customers to contribute something, whether money or labor. There also is a spirit of the place, a welcoming family atmosphere.

Isn't that something? If you'd like to read the complete article please click HERE.

THe Holy Father's December Intentions

Papal Intention for Culture of Life

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 1, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI is praying this month for the expansion of the culture of life.

The Apostleship of Prayer announced the general intention chosen by the Pope: "That, faced by the growing expansion of the culture of violence and death, the Church may courageously promote the culture of life through all her apostolic and missionary activities."

The Holy Father also chooses an apostolic intention for each month. In December, he will pray that especially in mission countries, Christians may show through gestures of brotherliness that the Child born in the grotto in Bethlehem is the luminous Hope of the world."

Pastoral Care

Rev. Joseph Illo of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Modesto, CA recently sent his parishioners a letter which discussed the potential need for the Sacrament of Reconciliation for individuals who voted for Barack Obama in the recent presidential election.

In part, Fr. Illo said:

If you voted for a pro-abortion candidate, I cannot say for certain is you should refrain from Holy Communion. I don't know what you were thinking. But voting for a candidate who promises "abortion rights," even is he promises every other good thing, is voting for abortion. It is a grave mistake, and probably a grave sin. No issue can compare withe the legalized destruction of a mother's child. I am writing because I love you and I care about your relationship with God. I am also writing because God requires this of me as a Catholic priest...

You've gotta love a pastor who for the salvation of his parishioners knowingly set himself up for the furor of our moral relativistic society. Kudos and thanks to Fr. Illo!!!!!

By the way, the emphasis in the above paragraph is in the original text. To read the whole letter, click HERE.

Special Holiday Postmarks

Would you like your little ones to receive a letter from Santa with an actual "North Pole" postmark?

If so, place the sealed, stamped and addressed letter inside a larger envelope that is addressed to:

North Pole Christmas Cancellation Postmaster

5400 Mail Trail

Fairbanks, AK 99709

Be sure that both envelopes bear the appropriate postage so the addressee of the inner envelope receives the Santa mail with the "North Pole, Alaska" cancellation.

Special holiday postmark designs may also be had by routing your Christmas cards through these post offices:

Bethlehem, PA 18016

Carrollton, MO 64633

Christmas Valley, OR 97641

Holly, CO 81047

Holly, MI 48442

Hope, ID 83836

Hope, KS 67451

Hope, MN 56046

Nazareth, PA 18064

Noel, MO 64854

Saint Joseph, MI 49085

Saint Marys, WV 26170

Santa, Claus, IN 47579

Santa, ID 83866

Star, ID 83669

Star, MS 39167

Star, TX 76880

Starlight, PA 18461

Place your addressed cards in a larger envelope that has been addressed to the Postmaster of the office you wish to cancel your cards. At the bottom left corner mark it "Attention: Christmas Re-Mailing."

To have the your mail reaches the ultimate destinations before December 25th, plan so that the package/envelope reaches the cancelling post office by the 15th and be sure to use the proper postage - inside and out.

For a full list of U.S. Post Offices with holiday-based names, please click HERE. Not all on this list will have holiday design cancellations. However, the Post Offices actually listed above are to have a special design.