Fr. Bob's Corner

“Catholic churches in Italy are installing automatic holy water dispensers to help reduce the risk of spreading swine flu,” BBC Television reports in a short video broadcast. Father Pierre Angelo Mota comments that"It has been a bit of a novelty. People initially were a bit shocked by this technological innovation but then they welcomed it with great enthusiasm and joy. The members of this parish have got used to it," he added.

Churchgoer Marta Caimmi agreed.

"It’s great," she said. "Thanks to this we are not worried about catching swine flu. It is the right thing for the times."

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Matthew Kelly is coming to Cornwall as part of our Diocesan Speaker Series this fall. Who is Matthew Kelly, you might ask? Well the best way to tell you is to show you. In March of 2009 he gave a mission at St. Andrew the Apostle Parish – Chandler Arizona (Theme: The Genius of Catholicism). Major segments of this mission were filmed and now appear as Videos on the parish website. In The Genius of Catholicism, Matthew Kelly talks about the 7 pillars of Catholic spirituality and challenges us to discover the relevance of Catholicism for modern problems, happiness, and day-to-day living. He challenges his listeners to be the best version of themselves – and to recognize and open their hearts to all their Catholic faith has to offer. The presentation will take place at St. Joe’s – General Vanier Auditorium on December 15th, 2009. For Further details please visit our Diocesan Website.

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I’ve never liked being boxed in -  the black and white mentality that labels you, defines you, and purports to know just how you think, what you like, how you feel, and who you are. It appears that many young Catholics feel exactly as I felt when I was young, and still do today when others label me. If you’ve ever felt frustrated in this way, you should read John Allen’s article: The Next Generation of Catholic Leaders

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New media are not just instruments for communicating, but they are having a huge impact on culture — on the way people interact and think, Pope Benedict XVI said.

The content of the Gospel message remains unchanged, he said, but the church must learn how to transmit that message to new generations and must do so by taking advantage of the new technology and new attitudes toward communications.

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