On Saturday, June 13^th the Pilgrim Statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary will honour us with her presence at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan, New York. Please join us for this special time of prayer with our heavenly Queen.

This Statue which belongs to the Heralds of the Gospel was blessed and crowned by the Servant of God, Pope John Paul II, on the 21^st of February, 2001, on the occasion of the Pontifical approval of this association.

The Heralds of the Gospel is an International Association of Pontifical Right, the first established by the Holy See in the Third Millennium.

Comprised mainly of young people, its members practice celibacy, and are entirely dedicated to apostolate, living in separate houses designated for young men and young women. Their life of recollection, study and prayer alternates with evangelizing activities in dioceses and parishes, with special emphasis placed on the formation of youth.

Virgo Flos Carmeli and Regina Virginum, are the most recent societies of apostolic life approved by the Vatican. The confirmation was made known early in May, following a decree issued by Cardinal Franc Rodé, Prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Before that, however, Pope Benedict XVI   had already on the 4^th of April given pontifical approval to both societies during a special audience with Cardinal Rodé. 

Originating in the Heralds of the Gospel and sharing the same values, the two new societies of apostolic life have, however, different characters. While Virgo Flos Carmeli—Virgin Flower of Carmel—in English, is a clerical society, that is, made up mainly of priests, the society of apostolic life Regina Virginum—Queen of Virgins—is a feminine society.

According to the Vatican decree, Virgo Flos Carmeli “is born in the midst of a loving and pertinacious catechetical action regarding the Church and the Roman Pontiff, and one also concerning the importance of the sacralizing of the values of temporal life to the greatest possible extent”. Also as stated in the decree, the society is characterized by the defense of orthodoxy, of the purity of customs and of the hierarchical spirit, “as well as by the effort to reawaken in all men the distinction between good and evil (…).” 

Virgo Flos Carmeli was founded by Monsignor João Scognamiglio Clá Dias, EP, founder and president of the Heralds of the Gospel, and was erected by the then diocesan bishop of Avezzano, Italy, Dom Lucio Angelo Maria Renna, on the 15^th of June, 2006. The growth of the Heralds of the Gospel, at present active in around 70 countries, led to the formation of the priestly branch and ultimately to the constitution of the Clerical Society. 
Later on, Dom José Maria Pinheiro, diocesan bishop of Braganca Paulista in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, where the General House of the Society is located at present, requested the Pope to grant pontifical approval toVirgo Flos Carmeli. 

For more information please contact the Heralds of the Gospel at:

Phone: (281) 597-8178

Fax: (281) 597-8190

P.O. Box 421128

Houston, TX 77242-1128

www.heralds.us

Full Schedule for New York:

June 12 Friday                  Our Lady of Sorrow 7:00 pm.          Coney Island.

June 13 Saturday                St. Patrick Cathedral 12:00 Noon.  Manhattan   

Vatican City (Tuesday, 05-05-2009, Gaudium Press) Virgo Flos Carmeli and Regina Virginum. The two most recent societies of apostolic life approved by the Vatican. The confirmation came this past week, after the decree released by Cardinal Franc Rodé, Prefect for the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. However, beforehand, on April 4, Pope Benedict XVI had already given pontifical approval to both societies during a special audience with Cardinal Rodé.
Societies of Apostolic Life, according to the Code of Canon Law, are associations of men or women whose members live in community, residing in the same house – in “common fraternal” life – and seeking to “attain the perfection of charity”. The members of these societies have their own recognized way of life and do not make the traditional religious vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. The Congregation of the Mission and the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul are two well-known societies of apostolic life.
Arising from within the Heralds of the Gospel, and sharing the same values, the two new societies of apostolic life, however, have distinct natures. Virgo Flos Carmeli – “Virgin Flower of Carmel”, in English – is characterized as a clerical society, in other words, consisting mainly of priests, while the society of apostolic life Regina Virginum – “Queen of Virgins” – is formed by women.
According to the Vatican decree, Virgo Flos Carmeli “is born amidst a loving and pertinacious catechesis on the Church and the Roman Pontiff, as well as respect for the importance of sacralization, to the greatest extent possible, of the values of temporal life.”
The decree goes on to state that the society is characterized by the defense of orthodoxy, purity of customs and the spirit of hierarchy, “as well as the desire to rekindle in humanity the distinction between good and evil (…).”
Virgo Flos Carmeli was founded by Msgr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias, E.P., founder and president of the Heralds of the Gospel, and was erected by the then Bishop of Avezzano, Italy, the Most Rev. Lucio Angelo Maria Renna, on June 15, 2006. the development of the Heralds of the Gospel, presently active in about 70 countries, led to the formation of the priestly branch and the later constitution of the Clerical Society.
Afterwards, the Most Rev. José Maria Pinheiro, Bishop of Bragança Paulista, where the Motherhouse of the Society is presently located, requested Pontifical approval of Virgo Flos Carmeli from the Pope.
Regina Virginum, for its part, had its approval signed on April 26. According to the Vatican decree, the Society of Apostolic Life of Pontifical Right, also founded by Msgr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias, “arose as an expression of the charism of the Heralds of the Gospel, applied to the specific conditions of feminine life, striving to manifest its own characteristics in a particular way within the secularised world.”

New Site for the Virgin of Fatima Association in Canada:
www.virginfatima.org

To impel the beauty of the new evangelization – this is the charism of the Heralds of the Gospel; Its founder, Monsignor João Dias explains.
“The Heralds of the Gospel is a private association of faithful with a very special charism based essentially on three points: the Eucharist, Mary and the Pope.” “Our main goal is to bring back beauty to the face of the earth.” Currently this association of the Catholic Church works in more than 70 countries and plans to expand even more. “We are currently in 78 countries, when we began we were approved by 56 bishops – today there are many more – and now we trying to enter China and Korea; this is what we are trying to achieve.” They are recognized by their characteristic habit that expresses their spirituality: evangelization through beauty. The cowl indicates the life of recollection and the boots their availability to go anywhere. At the centre is the cross of Saint James, stylized with the color white for purity, red for martyrdom, and the rosary, because it is the supreme Marian devotion.

http://www.h2onews.org/_page_videoview.php?id_news=1130&lang=en

Also available in arabic, french, german, italian, spanish and portuguese

On September 26th (the Feast of the Canadian Martyrs)both campus’ of the the Lumen Veritatis Academy went to visit the shrine and place of martyrdom of our heavenly intercessors.
Enclosed are some pictures from the trip…

Lumen Veritatis School Trip. Sept. 26, 2008

Last Sunday, the Heralds of the Gospel participated in a procession in downtown Brampton by invitation of Fr. Andrej Chilmon, Pastor Our Lady of Fatima Parish in that same city.

This particular procession is a Portuguese tradition that comes to Toronto from the Azorean community (I think that is the Island of Sao Miguel where this devotion is most visible). The feast is called Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres and there is a beautiful bust of Our Lord after the scourging that leads the procession through the streets and back to the church. This is a very symbolic tradition because it reminds us that we follow Christ all the days of our lives, through the streets, in the workplace, at home and in all that we do. And as in the procession Christ always leads us back to the Church, His mystical body on earth.

Included in this post, there are some pictures from the procession.