Pauline Teng, Author at Archdiocese Commission for Catholic Schools

22 September 2015

Address of Pope Francis to Students in Cuba

Unprepared remarks of the Holy Father given at the Fr Félix Varela Cultural Center, Havana on the occasion of his visit to Cuba on 20 September 2015.

You are standing up and I am sitting. How rude! But you know why I am sitting; it is because I was taking notes on some of the things which our companion here was saying. Those are the things I want to talk about.

One really striking word he used was “dream”. A Latin American writer once said that we all have two eyes: one of flesh and another of glass. With the eye of flesh, we see what is in front of us. With the eye of glass, we see what we dream of. Beautiful, isn’t it?

In the daily reality of life, there has to be room for dreaming. A young person incapable of dreaming is cut off, self-enclosed. Everyone sometimes dreams of things which are never going to happen. But dream them anyway, desire them, seek new horizons, be open to great things.

I’m not sure if you use this word in Cuba, but in Argentina we say: “Don’t be a pushover!” Don’t bend or yield; open up. Open up and dream! Dream that with you the world can be different. Dream that if you give your best, you are going to help make this world a different place. Don’t forget to dream! If you get carried away and dream too much, life will cut you short. It makes no difference; dream anyway, and share your dreams. Talk about the great things you wish for, because the greater your ability to dream, the farther you will have gone; even if life cuts you short half way, you will still have gone a great distance. So, first of all, dream!

You said something which I had wrote down and underlined. You said that we have to know how to welcome and accept those who think differently than we do. Honestly, sometimes we are very closed. We shut ourselves up in our little world: “Either things go my way or not at all”. And you went even further. You said that we must not become enclosed in our little ideological or religious “worlds”… that we need to outgrow forms of individualism.

When a religion becomes a “little world”, it loses the best that it has, it stops worshiping God, believing in God. It becomes a little world of words, of prayers, of “I am good and you are bad”, of moral rules and regulations. When I have my ideology, my way of thinking, and you have yours, I lock myself up in this little world of ideology.

Open hearts and open minds. If you are different than I am, then why don’t we talk? Why do we always throw stones at one another over what separates us, what makes us different? Why don’t we extend a hand where we have common ground? Why not try to speak about what we have in common, and then we can talk about where we differ. But I’m saying “talk”; I’m not saying “fight”. I am not saying retreat into our “little worlds”, to use your word. But this can only happen when I am able to speak about what I have in common with the other person, about things we can work on together.

In Buenos Aires, in a new parish in an extremely poor area, a group of university students were building some rooms for the parish. So the parish priest said to me: “Why don’t you come one Saturday and I’ll introduce them to you”. They were building on Saturdays and Sundays. They were young men and women from the university. So I arrived, I saw them and they were introduced to me: “This is the architect. He’s Jewish. This one is Communist. This one is a practicing Catholic”. They were all different, yet they were all working for the common good.

This is called social friendship, where everyone works for the common good. Social enmity instead destroys. A family is destroyed by enmity. A country is destroyed by enmity. The world is destroyed by enmity. And the greatest enmity is war. Today we see that the world is being destroyed by war, because people are incapable of sitting down and talking. “Good, let’s negotiate. What can we do together? Where are we going to draw the line? But let’s not kill any more people”. Where there is division, there is death: the death of the soul, since we are killing our ability to come together. We are killing social friendship. And this is what I’m asking you today: to find ways of building social friendship”.

Then there was another word you said: “hope”. The young are the hope of every people; we hear this all the time. But what is hope? Does it mean being optimistic? No. Optimism is a state of mind. Tomorrow, you wake up in a bad mood and you’re not optimistic at all; you see everything in a bad light. Hope is something more. Hope involves suffering. Hope can accept suffering as part of building something; it is able to sacrifice. Are you able to sacrifice for the future, or do you simply want to live for the day and let those yet to come fend for themselves? Hope is fruitful. Hope gives life. Are you able to be life-giving? Or are you going to be young people who are spiritually barren, incapable of giving life to others, incapable of building social friendship, incapable of building a nation, incapable of doing great things?

Hope is fruitful. Hope comes from working, from having a job. Here I would mention a very grave problem in Europe: the number of young people who are unemployed. There are countries in Europe where 40% of young people twenty-five years and younger are unemployed. I am thinking of one country. In another country, it is 47% and in another still, 50%.

Clearly, when a people is not concerned with providing work to its young – and when I say “a people”, I don’t mean governments; I mean the entire people who ought to be concerned whether these young people have jobs or not – that people has no future. Young people become part of the throwaway culture and all of us know that today, under the rule of mammon, things get thrown away and people get thrown away. Children are thrown away because they are not wanted, or killed before they are born. The elderly are thrown away – I’m speaking about the world in general – because they are no longer productive. In some countries, euthanasia is legal, but in so many others there is a hidden, covert euthanasia. Young people are thrown away because they are not given work. So then, what is left for a young person who has no work? When a country – a people – does not create employment opportunities for its young, what is left for these young people if not forms of addiction, or suicide, or going off in search of armies of destruction in order to make war.

This throwaway culture is harming us all; it is taking away our hope. And this is what you asked for in the name of young people: “We want hope”. A hope which requires effort, hard work, and which bears fruit; a hope which gives us work and saves us from the throwaway culture. A hope which unites people, all people, because a people can join in looking to the future and in building social friendship – for all their differences – such a people has hope.

For me, meeting a young person without hope is, as I once said, like meeting a young retiree. There are young people who seem to have retired at the age of twenty-two. They are young people filled with existential dreariness, young people who have surrendered to defeatism, young people who whine and run away from life. The path of hope is not an easy one. And it can’t be taken alone. There is an African proverb which says: “If you want to go quickly, walk alone, but if you want to go far, walk with another”.

So this is what I have to say to you, the young people of Cuba. For all your different ways of thinking and seeing things, I would like you to walk with others, together, looking for hope, seeking the future and the nobility of your homeland.

We began with the word “dream”, and I would like to conclude with another word that you said and which I myself often use: “the culture of encounter”. Please, let us not “dis-encounter” one another. Let us go side by side with one other, as one. Encountering one another, even though we may think differently, even though we may feel differently. There is something bigger than us, it is the grandeur of our people, the grandeur of our homeland, that beauty, that sweet hope for our homeland, which we must reach.

Thank you very much. I now leave you with my best wishes. For you I wish… everything I told you; that is what I wish for you. I am going to pray for you. And I ask you to pray for me. And if any of you are not believers – and you can’t pray because you don’t believe – at least wish me well. May God bless you and bring you to tread this path of hope which leads to the culture of encounter, while avoiding those “little worlds” that our companion spoke about. May God bless all of you.

—–

Dear Friends,

I am very happy to be with you here in this Cultural Center which is so important for Cuban history. I thank God for this opportunity to meet so many young people who, by their work, studies and training, are dreaming of, and already making real, the future of Cuba.

I thank Leonardo for his words of welcome, and particularly because, although he could have spoken about so many other important and concrete things such as our difficulties, fears, and doubts – as real and human as they are – he spoke to us about hope. He talked to us about those dreams and aspirations so firmly planted in the heart of young Cubans, transcending all their differences in education, culture, beliefs or ideas. Thank you, Leonardo, because, when I look at all of you, the first thing that comes into my mind and heart, too, is the word “hope”. I cannot imagine a young person who is listless, without dreams or ideals, without a longing for something greater.

But what kind of hope does a young Cuban have at this moment of history? Nothing more or less than that of any other young person in any other part of the world. Because hope speaks to us of something deeply rooted in every human heart, independently of our concrete circumstances and historical conditioning. Hope speaks to us of a thirst, an aspiration, a longing for a life of fulfillment, a desire to achieve great things, things which fill our heart and lift our spirit to lofty realities like truth, goodness and beauty, justice and love. But it also involves taking risks. It means being ready not to be seduced by what is fleeting, by false promises of happiness, by immediate and selfish pleasures, by a life of mediocrity and self-centeredness, which only fills the heart with sadness and bitterness. No, hope is bold; it can look beyond personal convenience, the petty securities and compensations which limit our horizon, and can open us up to grand ideals which make life more beautiful and worthwhile. I would ask each one of you: What is it that shapes your life? What lies deep in your heart? Where do your hopes and aspirations lie? Are you ready to put yourself on the line for the sake of something even greater?

Perhaps you may say: “Yes, Father, I am strongly attracted to those ideals. I feel their call, their beauty, their light shining in my heart. But I feel too weak, I am not ready to decide to take the path of hope. The goal is lofty and my strength is all too little. It is better to be content with small things, less grand but more realistic, more within my reach”. I can understand that reaction; it is normal to feel weighed down by difficult and demanding things. But take care not to yield to the temptation of a disenchantment which paralyzes the intellect and the will, or that apathy which is a radical form of pessimism about the future. These attitudes end either in a flight from reality towards vain utopias, or else in selfish isolation and a cynicism deaf to the cry for justice, truth and humanity which rises up around us and within us.

But what are we to do? How do we find paths of hope in the situations in which we live? How do we make those hopes for fulfillment, authenticity, justice and truth, become a reality in our personal lives, in our country and our world? I think that there are three ideas which can help to keep our hope alive:

Hope is a path made of memory and discernment. Hope is the virtue which goes places. It isn’t simply a path we take for the pleasure of it, but it has an end, a goal which is practical and lights up our way. Hope is also nourished by memory; it looks not only to the future but also to the past and present. To keep moving forward in life, in addition to knowing where we want to go, we also need to know who we are and where we come from. Individuals or peoples who have no memory and erase their past risk losing their identity and destroying their future. So we need to remember who we are, and in what our spiritual and moral heritage consists. This, I believe, was the experience and the insight of that great Cuban, Father Félix Varela. Discernment is also needed, because it is essential to be open to reality and to be able to interpret it without fear or prejudice. Partial and ideological interpretations are useless; they only disfigure reality by trying to fit it into our preconceived schemas, and they always cause disappointment and despair. We need discernment and memory, because discernment is not blind; it is built on solid ethical and moral criteria which help us to see what is good and just.

Hope is a path taken with others. An African proverb says: “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go with others”. Isolation and aloofness never generate hope; but closeness to others and encounter do. Left to ourselves, we will go nowhere. Nor by exclusion will we be able to build a future for anyone, even ourselves. A path of hope calls for a culture of encounter, dialogue, which can overcome conflict and sterile confrontation. To create that culture, it is vital to see different ways of thinking not in terms of risk, but of richness and growth. The world needs this culture of encounter. It needs young people who seek to know and love one another, to journey together in building a country like that which José Martí dreamed of: “With all, and for the good of all”.

Hope is a path of solidarity. The culture of encounter should naturally lead to a culture of solidarity. I was struck by what Leonardo said at the beginning, when he spoke of solidarity as a source of strength for overcoming all obstacles. Without solidarity, no country has a future. Beyond all other considerations or interests, there has to be concern for that person who may be my friend, my companion, but also someone who may think differently than I do, someone with his own ideas yet just as human and just as Cuban as I am. Simple tolerance is not enough; we have to go well beyond that, passing from a suspicious and defensive attitude to one of acceptance, cooperation, concrete service and effective assistance. Do not be afraid of solidarity, service and offering a helping hand, so that no one is excluded from the path.

This path of life is lit up by a higher hope: the hope born of our faith in Christ. He made himself our companion along the way. Not only does he encourage us, he also accompanies us; he is at our side and he extends a friendly hand to us. The Son of God, he wanted to become someone like us, to accompany us on our way. Faith in his presence, in his friendship and love, lights up all our hopes and dreams. With him at our side, we learn to discern what is real, to encounter and serve others, and to walk the path of solidarity.

Dear young people of Cuba, if God himself entered our history and became flesh in Jesus, if he shouldered our weakness and sin, then you need not be afraid of hope, or of the future, because God is on your side. He believes in you, and he hopes in you.

Dear friends, thank you for this meeting. May hope in Christ, your friend, always guide you along your path in life. And, please, remember to pray for me. May the Lord bless all of you.

Source: Vatican.va
Photo credit: Getty Images

16 September 2015

Tags: Educators

Categories: Events, Homilies / Messages

Remembering the Identity of a Teacher

Msgr Ambrose Vaz reaffirms Catholic educators of their important role and identity at this year’s Teacher’s Day Mass.

Nearly 200 Catholic educators, staff, family, and friends once again gathered to commemorate Teachers’ Day, at a specially organised Mass held on 12 September. Organised annually by the Archdiocesan Commission for Catholic Schools (ACCS), the Eucharistic celebration took place at Catholic High School, and was presided by Msgr Ambrose Vaz and concelebrants, Fr Edward Seah and Fr Adrian Danker.

In his homily, Msgr Ambrose reaffirmed the identity and mission of Catholic educators as he drew parallels to the week’s gospel, in which Jesus asks His disciples, “Who do people say I am?”

Popular opinion and God’s definition
Msgr Ambrose explained that there is often a popular opinion of the identity of the messiah, who is seen as “a powerful figure; in terms of earthly, political, even military power”, as compared to an identity of the messiah according to God.

He elaborates, “The disciples had got the terminology right, that Jesus is the messiah. But Jesus went on to teach them what this truly meant. The messiah would be like the son of man, a title that would describe obedience to God, such obedience that would even require one to submit to suffering, and to ultimately be put to death.”

In this same way, Msgr Ambrose expresses that there is also often a popular opinion of the identity of teachers, “where the teacher is one that simply imparts knowledge and dispatches information”, as compared to the identity of teachers according to God, “as seen in Jesus, THE teacher”.

He emphasises, “A teacher does much more than impart knowledge, much more than dispatch information. The understanding of the identity of a teacher, as seen in Jesus, is to communicate, to pass on, an experience of God.”

Walking in the presence of the Lord
Going further to reaffirm the identity of a Catholic educator, Msgr Amrbose also highlighted that this seemingly tall order is in fact very possible, if teachers choose to “walk in the presence of the Lord”. This was not only the responsorial psalm for the Mass, but was also the theme of this year’s Teacher’s Day Mass.

“This is what the teacher is ultimately all about. The teacher shares from his or her ordinary experience, of what it is to walk in the presence of the Lord, and to remind others to experience the same joy,” explained Msgr Ambrose.

He also acknowledged the difficulties teachers often face in their work, particularly when students “resist being taught or cared for”. Msgr Ambrose reaffirmed the dedication of educators, who in the face of discouragement, “continues to communicate God’s love in their lives, by the way they live out this conviction of God’s love for us.”

He added that this is why, in the second reading, St James writes that faith is not just something “believed in our minds and hearts, but is also shown, expressed in the way we live”. Because good works always accompanies faith, Msgr Ambrose affirms that, “As teachers, we are tasked really to express, through the life we live, our dedication and service, our commitment to our students, our willingness to express in our lives the love of God.”

Concluding his homily, Msgr Ambrose expressed gratitude to Catholic educators for their service and ministry to God’s children. “On behalf of the Church, the Archdiocese, we really thank all our teachers for being that example of God’s love in the dedication of their lives, in the way that you carry out not only instructing your students, but essentially and hopefully, teaching them the joy of being called by God to be His children,” he said.

The teachers’ fellowship
The Mass was followed by a reception, where visitors as well as student volunteers had their fill of food and drink. Teachers relished in the opportunity to get to know one another, as there were educators who “don’t know many Catholic teachers, because I don’t teach in a Catholic school,” shared Edward Toh, English and Art teacher at East Spring Primary School, “The homily really spoke to me; to recognise Jesus also as a teacher for us.”

Monica Khng, Assistant Programme Teacher at Christian Outreach to the Handicapped, agreed to his sentiments, “It was wonderful to see the students so well co-ordinated with their teachers and the bond and team-spirit they share. It is a nice reminder that we have to be like that as teachers; to build them up and be examples and mentors, as we often stand as moral compasses for students, pointing toward the life of Christ.”

Fr Edward Seah, Interim Executive Director of ACCS, expressed gratitude for the success of the event, which had certainly helped encourage and edify Catholic educators in Singapore. Encouraging educators is one of ACCS’s major interests, as Fr Edward reveals the reason for choosing this year’s theme, “We chose the one that we felt is the most edifying. The theme, ‘Walking in the Presence of the Lord’, helps to remind educators that they are not walking alone. God is always with them, especially so when they are doing God’s work.”

16 September 2015

Tags: Educators

Categories: Events, Homilies / Messages

Teachers Day 2015 – Homily

By Msgr Ambrose Vaz

Dear teachers and friends, we come to celebrate this Mass today, not so much as to celebrate a day – Teacher’s Day – but more to celebrate a vocation – a call from God – to teach. The success of our mission, how we carry out our vocation, depends very much on the understanding, the conviction, of our identity. If we’re not clear about our identity of what it means to be a teacher, it will be quite impossible for us to effectively carry out our mission.

We see this in our gospel today (Mark 8:27-35): Jesus asking his disciples who do people say he is and finally asking them: “Who do you say I am?” Not so much for an ego-trip; not because he wanted to know if he was well-known, but because he wanted to share with them and to clarify what their understanding of his identity was and what was his understanding of his identity.

So we find that he [had] asked them “who do people say I am”. The disciples said that [his] identity is John the Baptist, others Elijah, others one of the prophets. What Jesus would say was, “Well, that was far from true, but what do you say?” Peter comes up with the right identity: “You are the Christ, the Messiah, the anointed one of God.”

Jesus would say that that was the right answer but then he was quite sure they didn’t really understand the implications. In terms of the terminology, they got it right: he was the Christ, he was the Messiah, but there were so many different opinions – expectations, you could say – as to who and what the Messiah would be all about.

The most popular opinion was that the Messiah would be a powerful figure in terms of earthly, political, even military power. They were hoping that the Messiah would come and defeat the Romans [and] take Israel to the time of King David, victorious in war, extending the borders of the land, and so on. Some would say that besides that, he would be a political figure, one that would also perhaps bring them up to a level of prosperity; material prosperity that would far exceed anything Israel ever knew. They had their idea of a Messiah, but it was wrong. Jesus deepens this conversation so that he could clarify what the world thinks the Messiah is all about and what God expects the Messiah to be.

Jesus began to teach them the true identity of the messiah. He would be like the Son of Man. A title that would describe obedience – obedience to God. Such obedience that would even require him to submit to suffering, destined to suffer grievously, be rejected by the elders, chief priests and scribes and ultimately to be put to death but eventually to rise after three days. Then of course we see Peter, who started to remonstrate with them: “This is not what we understand of the messiah; this is wrong!” But Jesus had to tell him: “Get behind me, Satan“. “Your way of understanding the Messiah is very wrong, that is not the identity of the Messiah.”

Today my dear friends, this Gospel is very apt for us as we celebrate Teacher’s Day; very apt as we reflect on what the identity of a teacher is all about. Because that is, of course, the popular opinion or understanding of what a teacher is all about and God’s understanding of what a teacher should be. Most of the time perhaps, people tend to think that a teacher is one that imparts knowledge – the one that dispatches information. As long as I tell you and give you some information, I have taught you. But God’s understanding as he did in Jesus, the teacher, would be much more than imparting knowledge, dispatching information.

The understanding of the identity of a teacher as seen in Jesus is to communicate, to pass on an experience of God. Essentially, a teacher is one that communicates to the one they had taught, the experience of truth, essentially consisting of a relationship with God, the ultimate truth. And so we make use of the opportunities we get as we pass on knowledge, whether it be secular sciences or any other type of knowledge. Even in the process of communicating this knowledge, it is good to ask ourselves: Do we pass on the experience of a loving God?

This is what we see in our Responsorial Psalm (Ps 116:1-6,8-9): “I will walk in the presence of the Lord, in the land of the living.” This what a teacher is ultimately all about: The teacher, sharing from his or her own experience of what it is to walk in the presence of the Lord and remind others to experience that same joy.

We know today therefore, how difficult it can be to be a teacher. Not only is it just telling others about the ultimate good, but first being able to experience it, to live it out for ourselves, to be able to be convincing in passing it on to others.

When we look at the first reading (Isaiah 50:5-9A), the Prophet Isaiah as a teacher, and his conviction of who God is in his life, that he is able to say: “I set my face like a flint. I know I shall not be shamed. Despite all the difficulties, I’m going to go through, for my part, I made no resistance. I offered my back and did not cover my face.” Basically, a teacher is being very thick-skinned in communicating the truth, in communicating the essential ultimate truth, the experience of a loving God in our life. A teacher will face much difficulties. Sometimes perhaps in total resistance from students who do not want to accept being formed, being taught, being loved, being cared for, being shown the meaning of God’s love; there would be those who completely reject and refuse such instruction. Then there will be others who will perhaps belittle the effort that you make [and] who will not appreciate the need for us to do that.

Yet the true teacher continues to communicate, firstly in our own lives, by the way we live out this conviction of God’s love for us, and secondly, by showing it in practical example. And that is why St James tells us in our second reading (James 2:14-18). Faith is not just something that we believe in our minds or in our hearts, but [it] has to be shown, expressed in the way we live. Faith is like this, St James tells us: Good works must accompany it. And so as teachers, our task will be to express, through the life we live – our dedication, service, commitment to our students – our willingness to express in our life the love of God. Sometimes it is difficult. We find children who are not willing to learn, not willing to cooperate. We find systems, maybe, that do not really encourage us to give of ourselves. Nevertheless that is what faith is all about, expressed in good works.

If we go back to the Gospel again, we see Jesus, the ultimate teacher, who comes to teach us the recipe of life. The whole role and purpose of life is to be able to experience truth, communicated in love, that we see in Jesus. Today, we ask ourselves, as teachers, [if we are] effective in bringing this love of God to the people we minister to, to our students, even as we are called to instruct them in the different sciences, subjects that we teach, all bearing in mind that our ultimate goal is much more than helping them to pass exams but to help them to understand the meaning of life. Sometimes we can do well, we can pass exams, but we still miss out the real meaning of life. The real meaning of life is to be able to experience the joy of God who calls us into his life; to be able to experience him through experiencing love. A love that we cannot teach but can only show; we can only express [it] in the way we live our lives.

Today, dear teachers, we thank you on behalf of the Church and the Archdiocese. We thank all our teachers for being that example of God’s love in the education of their lives, in the way that you carry out, not only instructing your students [and] teaching them many new facts, but essentially and hopefully, teaching them the joy of being called by God to be his children. See him principally in your own joy in being called to be a teacher, to communicate this important message to your students.

As we celebrate this Mass today, we pray for all our teachers, as well as our students. We pray principally for our teachers that they never get too tired of ministering to the students [that] they are called to; that they never get too tired to express the love of God in their own lives, especially in moments when they are burdened, tired, sometimes even perhaps rejected. We pray for our teachers. We pray today that God will continue to send as many good teachers who will be desiring to communicate much more than knowledge but would be desiring to share their lives [and] to share God with their students. We pray for this [and] we pray for one another as we celebrate this Mass.

Catholic Preschools’ educators take part in special Teachers Day celebrations

10 September 2015

Tags: Educators

Categories: Events, News

Catholic Preschools’ educators take part in special Teachers Day celebrations

The inaugural combined Catholic Preschools Teacher’s Day celebration was held on 4 September 2015 at the Yio Chu Kang Grassroots Club from 9am to 2pm, attended by Preschool teachers and principals.

These 114 educators participated actively in games and dance activities organised by the staff of St Anne’s Church Kindergarten and Nativity Church Kindergarten.

Mrs Agnes Lee, a teacher at St Anne’s Church Kindergarten, was involved in the planning of the celebration. She saw this celebration as “an opportunity to celebrate each other’s calling to be a teacher”. “To me, it must be a meaningful get-together for us to rediscover the special qualities of a Preschool teacher. The feel-good activities allowed teachers to not only reflect on how they symbolise themselves [as an educator], but at the same time, to affirm each other.”

A sense of community and belonging was experienced by teachers, with many commenting that they had arrived as strangers, but departed as one big family of Catholic Preschool educators.

A participant at the celebrations, also named Mrs Agnes Lee, said: “[it] was certainly a special and unique occasion where we had meaningful fun”. Mrs Lee, Principal of Holy Family Kindergarten, added: “I enjoyed [myself] most when we shared, learned from each other, sang, danced and played games together. I was tremendously inspired by the many creative events put up by the teachers.”

“I really enjoyed this opportunity of celebrating Teacher’s Day together where there was so much bonding and friendship made. We definitely had a time of our lives!”

For more photos, check out our Facebook page.

8 September 2015

Tags: Educators

Categories: Reflections, Saints

The Birth of Mary

Why is the birthday of our Lady so special, and what can educators learn from this special event?

In a single liturgical year in the Catholic Church, there are feasts for nearly every aspect of Mary’s life; her Queenship, her Immaculate Heart, her Assumption, the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Immaculate Conception. And on 8 September, the Church once again commemorates the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

But what makes the earthly birthday of the Blessed Virgin so special? In fact, there are only three persons whose birthdays are commemorated in the Catholic Church; St John the Baptist, Mother Mary, and Jesus Christ.

While there are many reasons to commemorate Mary’s birthday, each stemming from Sacred Scripture and Tradition, there may perhaps be one simple, yet endearing significance which educators might find helpful.

Temple of the Lord
The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin was the day that God had constructed His temple; the day on which a creature became the preferred dwelling place of God. In remembering her, we remember that God, in His grace, mystery, and love, has chosen to concern Himself with mankind so intimately as to “come to them and make our home with them” (John 14:23).

A reflection on the birth of Mary pulls the mystery and wonder of God’s love into focus. How is it that this indescribable God of all creation, has not only chosen a little girl to be His temple, but also chose to become incarnate through her, “so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16). It is such an understanding of God—a God who is so intimately concerned with mankind—that forms the distinguishing mark of the Christian faith.

Commemorating the Nativity of Mary leads us to ponder on the divine nature of Jesus Christ, and in pondering His divinity, we come to acknowledge the immensity and humility of God’s love that is offered to every person.

While Blessed Mary had the special privilege to be the temple of the Lord both physically and spiritually, we are reminded that God also calls everyone to the same grace of being the dwelling place of God.

St John affirms in his letters to the early Church, “By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because he has given us of his Spirit” (1 John 4:13). On another occasion, St Paul tells the Corinthians, “we are the temple of the living God; as God said, ‘I will live in them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people’.” (2 Cor 6:16).

Beloved children
For educators, reflecting on this special importance of the Nativity of our Mother helps to put into perspective that truly, every student is a precious child of God, a temple of the Holy Spirit. There is a holy and immense love that exists between every child and their Creator, and educators share in the sacred duty of helping them discover this.

When birthdays are celebrated, we celebrate the gift of a person, the life that he or she has, and the joy that they have brought to their loved ones. But as we celebrate the birthday of Mary, we discover that there is also a bigger reason we can rejoice—God’s dwells in this person.

In the Catholic devotion to Mary, we see that it is because of God that she is remembered, it is the grace of God that she was made holy. Her nativity is remembered because it is the dawn that points to the coming light of Christ. In a similar way, we see that every child is called to holiness in Christ, to be the light and salt of the earth. As we celebrate the earthly birthday of Blessed Mary, let us also celebrate the joy of our identity as the dwelling place of God, His chosen people.

A day in the life of… Sr Assunta Cheng FMM

28 August 2015

Tags: Educators

Categories: Reflections

A day in the life of… Sr Assunta Cheng FMM

Literally leaving everything behind, Sr Assunta Cheng left her hometown in Taiwan nearly seven years ago to serve with the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary (FMM) in Singapore. She shares her experience being involved as a spiritual counsellor in Holy Innocent’s High School and St Gabriel’s Primary.

What are some of the difficulties in your area of work with schools and education?
Different schools have different situations. But I think teenage students are more challenging, because they are more attracted by things outside than in religious and spiritual ways. Like when I prepare a spiritual session for students each week, only about eight to 10 good students will come on their own, and it’s always only the upper secondary students. The lower secondary ones don’t seem to care, they don’t like it, and so I have to approach them.

How do you overcome them?
Prayer, and I think the most important thing is to befriend them. Sometimes when I approach them, especially those lower secondary, I won’t question them hey why didn’t you come to see me or to see God, to see Jesus? I would instead ask, how are you? What is going on in life now? Or what did you eat during recess? And other questions like this. I try to befriend them, talk about their studies, their life, to try to understand them.

What do you like about working in the education sector?
Because I enjoy being with youth and young people, it’s very nice to be able to be with them the entire day. When you can get to know them, to know their difficulties. Even sometimes when they don’t see my role in their studies, and they keep a big distance from me, I think it’s good to have a chance to talk to students. I will take any opportunity to get to know students. For example I usually go to every class in the morning, about 7am. The principals are the ones who requested me to do this, the most important is that I represent the religious character of the school. Students of all religions, not just the Christians, will have a chance to talk to me this way.

Do you have any fondest memory of your time in the education sector?
A lot of interesting things has happened, but I’d like to talk about the secondary four students in particular. Actually for secondary students, they are more difficult to understand deeply. They only want to talk about their studies, or other surface issues. It’s a little tougher if you want to talk deeply with them.

I remember one or two years ago, there was a secondary four student passing by the chapel in the school. I was there doing some arrangements. I thought it was very strange that during school time this boy could still be walking up and down. So I thought oh, he must be having some trouble. He decided to come into the chapel after a while, and I tried to talk to him. Turns out, his teacher had just confiscated his handphone and he was very upset by it. So I said okay let’s sit down and talk about it. I asked him, you know it’s your fault, but you’re angry? He says yes. So I asked, when you were primary school, did you have a handphone? He said no. Were you happy then? Yes. Now you are at the secondary level, you have a handphone, but are you happy now? No I’m not. Now, is the handphone controlling you or are you controlling the handphone? You have a phone now, but you are unhappy when someone takes it away. Then why do you want to have one in the first place? You’ve become a slave of it. He just thanked me and left the chapel after the conversation, and I didn’t keep this in memory much. But on graduation day, this same boy approached me to thank me, and a few months ago, I bumped into him again on the road but I didn’t recognise him because I minister to so many students. But he remembers me, and I think these are some fond memories I have when I can talk to secondary level students on a deeper level.

What does being a Catholic educator mean to you?
To be able to pass onto them God’s love, to help them know that God loves them unconditionally. Also, for many students, they are struggling and are still in the growing process. They need encouragement, someone to show them direction. To me, the most important is to be able to show them God’s love, and being a teacher is a very good chance to do something like this.

What is one thing about the foundress of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary that inspires you?
My foundress is Mary of the Passion. Her very open mind is what inspires me. She in fact came from France, but was sent to India to minister. She was able to have an open mind to recognise the differences between the races and their different needs. Especially since our Catholic Church has a universal mission. Even though she is in a different country surrounded by a different culture, she still tries to bring Christ to them. And the way she does this is very inspiring. I was touched by her wider vision, her universal vision.

Has a student ever inspired you or taught you something valuable?
There is quite a lot. I have actually learnt a lot more from students than I have taught them. I remember asking a primary school student once, what do you wish for in life? And he told me, I want to have love for my family. Immediately I was really touched, I told him I will pray for him. To see a primary school student who doesn’t wish for good grades, but instead wishes for love for his family, for something so deep, it really touched me.

How about a teacher? Does any particular experience still resonate within you?
In the schools I’ve met quite a lot of teachers who have served more than 40 years already. Even though they have been in this line of work for so long, you still see so much passion they have for students. Especially since students nowadays are getting more challenging to handle. There are times they even scold their teachers and try to chase them out of the classroom. It’s really not easy. But these teachers, and there’s not just one or two but a few of them, even though the students treat them this way, the next day they still come back and still care about their students. They are still willing to show them care and love.

What difference would it make if a parent (especially a Catholic parent) enrolled his children in a Catholic school?
Of course, they will have the opportunity in the Catholic school to bring their children closer to the faith. To buy bibles for them at the school bookshop, to be able to guide their children to trust God, and build up their faith. In Catholic schools, the difference is not only a religious moral education, but also many Catholic activities that tries to help students meet Christ.

What is one advice you would give to teachers today?
Never give up on any student. Even if they are very naughty or if they appear hopeless. I remember once, I went into a class to see a primary two boy chasing his classmates around the class with a stick. I stopped him and asked for it, but he refused and fought with me. So I said ok, now put the stick in the corner where I cannot reach it, but you have to put it there because I want to talk to you. I was just trying my luck but he really did it. Then I addressed the class, is this boy good or bad? They all shouted bad. But now I asked them, let’s talk about the good things about him. One student started sharing, oh sister he carried books for the teacher. Ok very good. Then another student started complaining he pinched others and pushed their chairs. Then this very boy said, “sister say only good things!”

So when I say never give up, this is what I meant. That there really is good in every student, and even he knows it himself; what is good and what is bad. He knows. As long as you have a chance to journey with them, then you have a chance to give them the right direction.

Canossian schools choir perform at interfaith concert to mark SG50

3 August 2015

Tags: Educators, Parents, Students

Categories: Events, News

Canossian schools choir perform at interfaith concert to mark SG50

Our Canossian schools — St Anthony’s Canossian Primary and Secondary, Canossa Convent Primary and the Canossian School for the hearing impaired — made up a 180-strong combined choir to perform in an interfaith concert celebrating SG50. They sang Let There Be Peace on Earth at the concert titled Harmony in Diversity, celebrating religious and racial Harmony in Singapore.

Held at The Star Vista in a crowd of about 5,000, the event was jointly organised by New Creation Church and Taoist Federation (Singapore). It brought together 10 of the major religions — including Buddhists and Bahai’s, Christians, Hindus and Muslims — and the four main races in Singapore in song and dance. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was the guest of honour.

Deacon Matthew Kang, Chairman of New Creation Church, said, “As Singapore celebrates the 50th year of its independence, we give thanks for one of the most precious legacies that has been handed down to us – our racial and religious harmony. It is something worth celebrating and New Creation Church and Taoist Federation are happy and honoured to be co-organising this meaningful event.”

Mr Tan Thiam Lye, Chairman of Taoist Federation (Singapore), added, “We are very happy and encouraged that every race and religion represented in Singapore is involved in some way in tonight’s celebration event. Through this event, the relationships between the leaders of different faiths and races have been strengthened. This is a wonderful outcome.”

Sr Theresa Seow FDCC, Vice-Chairperson of the Archdiocesan Catholic Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and member of the event’s organising committee, shared her delight for the Catholic Church’s involvement in this interfaith event: “To see 180 children of our Catholic schools come together to perform was beautiful.”

She added: “The song performed by the choir was an appropriate one for the occassion, seeing that peace among different religions is what we’ve had in Singapore these 50 years. It is also our desire for future generations to have this peace, not just here in Singapore, but also in the world; it was symbolic that it is the children who sang that message.”

In spite of the logistical and administrative challenges of bringing so many schools together, the schools overcame the obstacles because “everyone was excited about participating in the event,” shared Ms Chua Lee Beng, HOD of CCA at St Anthony’s Canossian Primary School.

Recalling the performance, Ms Chua added: “I was watching the students sing on stage from the holding room backstage and I could not help but feel a sense of pride of the combined effort of the four schools, coming together as one Canossian family to share the message of peace with the different religions and races in Singapore. The reviews that I read on Facebook reaffirmed that their song touched those who attended the event that night.”

Apart from the performance put up by our Catholic schools, the concert also featured a drum performance by members from the Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery, a solo Indian classical dance, and songs by a multiracial group of singers, and a special joint martial arts display by Wudang Sheng Hong Health Preservation Centre and Perguruan Sim Putih. The night ended with the recitation of the national pledge of Singapore, a fitting reminder that “we, the citizens of Singapore” are “one united people, regardless of race, language or religion”.

More coverage by Channel NewsAsia, Catholic News.

St Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises for Educators

31 July 2015

Tags: Educators

Categories: Reflections, Saints

St Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises for Educators

How is it that the reflections and prayers of a man in a cave hundreds of years ago, continues to offer important and relevant lessons for educators today?

On 31 July each year, the Catholic Church commemorates the memorial of St Ignatius of Loyola, one of the most famous Saints of the Church. He is remembered most notably for writing his Spiritual Exercises, a set of meditation and prayers that continue to change the lives of many, and for establishing the Society of Jesus, which has today become the largest male religious order in the Catholic Church.

Amidst various ministries in social justice, parishes, and retreat centres around the world, the Society of Jesus are also particularly regarded for their work in education. St Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises, composed between 1522 and 1524, had become the inspiration for a Jesuit teaching pedagogy that was not only immensely popular in the 15^th century, but had also proved an incredible effectiveness throughout its 500 year history.

It is most interesting to note that Spiritual Exercises was developed during a time of personal solitude St Ignatius spent in a cave, before he was even a priest. As we commemorate the life of this great Saint, let us reflect, what can educators learn from the reflections of a man in a cave hundreds of years ago?

Spiritual Exercises
While there are indeed many lessons that can be drawn, one notable characteristic of an Ignatian-inspired education stands out—the view that education is not meant to simply “amass a store of information or preparation for a profession, though these are important. The ultimate aim is, rather, that full growth of the person which leads to action, action that is suffused with the spirit and presence of Jesus Christ,” explains the immediate past Father General of the Jesuits, Fr Peter Hans Kolvenbach SJ.

Observing the structure St Ignatius had written his Spiritual Exercises, coupled with the fact that it is intended to be a guide for spiritual directors, the book becomes a helpful portrayal of the ideal teaching-learning process, and the ideal teacher-student relationship.

The Exercises were carefully put together based on St Ignatius’ own prayer experiences in the cave, where he practiced not merely cognitive activities or devotional practices. They are, instead, rigorous exercises of the spirit wholly engaging the body, mind, heart and soul of the human person.

These exercises, such as contemplating the gospels, or examining one’s own conscience, are practices which St Ignatius believed helps a human person to reflect on the experiences of his or her life, and thus be able to direct future actions toward God instead of sin.

St Ignatius urges reflection on human experience, seeing it as an “essential means of validating authenticity, because without prudent reflection, delusion readily becomes possible and without careful reflection, the significance of one’s experience may be neglected or trivialized,” describes a document published by the International Centre for Jesuit Education in Rome, Ignatian Pedagogy: A Practical Approach.

Experience, reflection, action
This emphasis placed on experience, reflection, and action, is thus translated into Ignatian education, where the teaching-learning process is encouraged to move beyond simply acquiring knowledge, but to also involve a reflection of new things learned, and an active application of them.

The International Centre for Jesuit Education in Rome argues, “If learning were to stop there, it would not be Ignatian. For it would lack the component of reflection wherein students are impelled to consider the human meaning and significance of what they study and to integrate that meaning as responsible learners who grow as persons of competence, conscience and compassion.”

Because reflection is such a pivotal instrument in the movement from experience to action, St Ignatius also makes it the primary responsibility of the spiritual director to facilitate the progress on reflection.

In turn, an Ignatian educational pedagogy also views the teacher’s primary responsibility as that of helping students reflect on the knowledge they receive, one whose job is not merely to inform but to help the student progress in the truth.

Jesuit schools
This unique style of education inspired by the prayers of St Ignatius has certainly proven itself to be effective and relevant. Despite a constantly changing society through the years, Jesuit educational institutes continue to spread and grow in numbers.

Within just 22 years of establishing the Society of Jesus in the 15th century, the Jesuits had numbered up to a thousand, with a good majority of them involved in 35 schools spread throughout Europe. For the next 25 years the number of schools swelled to 144, and in another short 35 years, this number approached 400. According to a 2014 report by the International Commission on the Apostolate of Jesuit Education, there are 2,129 Jesuit educational institutes around the world today.

On top of a rapid growth and expansion around the globe, Ignatian inspired education has also led to countless alumni who have each made a positive influence for mankind and society. Alumni of Jesuit schools include notable priests, religious, politicians, scientists, businessmen, engineers, and of course, even Saints, such as St Francis de Sales and St Robert Bellarmine, both of whom are regarded as Doctors of the Church.

As we remember St Ignatius and his inspiring pedagogy, let us also take some time to reflect on our own experiences, to allow the Spirit to enlighten and enrich our human lives, and thus be guided closer to Christ.

30 July 2015

Tags: Educators

Categories: Reflections

A day in the life of… Br John Lek FMS

The main calling of the Marist brothers is education, and this was exactly where Br John Lek FMS has been serving God since taking his vows more than 50 years ago. He shares some of his experiences and lessons learnt over the years.

What are your roles and responsibilities as a religious involved in education?
I began as a teacher in a secondary school in Sibu, Sarawak. Besides teaching, I helped lead Catholic activities in the school as spiritual director of the Legion of Mary and with them promoted Catholic activities in school. Then, while still teaching, I took on various responsibilities such as work as laboratory technician, librarian, office clerical work and director in charge of the training of potential candidates for the Marist Brothers. Back in Singapore for a short time, I was teacher, discipline master, and then principal at Maris Stella High School. At another time, I was chosen to lead the Marist Brothers of our region comprising of China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore.

What are some of the difficulties in your area of work with schools and education?
Difficult students and teachers. The difficult students are easier to deal with than the difficult teachers, because teachers are adults and believe that their ways are right, their ways are the best and perhaps the only way. There is the clash of values, attitudes and ways of dealing with things.

It was not at all easy [to overcome these difficulties], the anger, the anguish and the disappointments. But it is during such moments that I experience the power of God, the action of the Holy Spirit, more concretely. I do my best in the way things should be done, and somehow, things turn out okay.

What the fondest memory of your time working in the education sector?
One of the instances that comes to mind was a student whom I managed to help persuading his parents to let him switch school. He came and thanked me after a few months in his new school, and told me that he had become a student leader. He had been causing trouble and after many hours of talking with him, I came to understand his aspirations and decided to help. This was one of the occasions I really experienced what it means to listen with an understanding heart.

What does being a Catholic educator mean to you?
God is love and He loves us unconditionally, which is well manifested in Christ Jesus. As Catholic teachers we are to transmit that. Our founder, St Marcellin Champagnat, famously said, “I cannot see a child without wanting to let him know how much Jesus Christ loves him and how much he should, in return, love the divine Saviour”. He founded the congregation in order to “make Jesus and Mary known and loved”. This is one of the things that differentiates a Catholic teacher from any other teacher. However, God gives us freedom to respond to His love and He accepts us the way we are. We accept everyone irrespective of faith, race and culture. We share our belief and values by words and deeds. We do not impose our faith on others.

Why is education an important aspect of the Marist brothers?
Education for the young, especially those most neglected, is what we are founded for. Our founder, due to his personal experience of the deprivation of education, particularly Christian education, was convinced that that was what he was called to do. With the consent of his Marist Fathers, he founded the congregation barely six months after his ordination.

What is one thing about St Marcellin Champagnat that inspires you?
That his personal experience of the neglected youth in the aftermath of the French Revolution was able to move him to start a congregation to provide Christian education for them. He was a man of action, a man of vision, a man with an understanding heart, a humble character who treated everyone as equals. He was ever present to all, always available, and he formed his Brothers to do the same.

Has a student ever inspired you or taught you something valuable?
I spent many hours talking to a student who had been causing trouble to teachers and his parents. I discovered he was so intelligent that he was able to see through me and the methods I tried using to deal with him. He knew every psychological term and strategy. I learned not to talk down to people, no matter whether they are younger or under my charge. I try to be aware of what I am doing when dealing with people, as much as I can.

Any such experience with teachers you’ve worked with?
One colleague that I admired was a teacher who chose to be the form teacher of the more challenging class, instead of the brightest ones. She would treat the students with respect and encouraged and challenged them to do their best, affirming them at the appropriate time and in creative ways.

On the other hand, encountering a negative example had also taught me a valuable lesson. I knew a teacher who had an overly high expectation of her students, resulting in her unintentionally hurting a student who had difficulty coping with school after he lost his father. He had to repeat a year as he was unable to deliver, and the teacher unknowingly said things that he found hurtful. I had much trouble trying to counsel him and encourage him after that. I learned from that incident that teachers should really try to have an understanding heart, to be open and non-judgmental when trying to find the root cause of problems.

What is one aspect or character of a Catholic school that you appreciate the most?
Catholic schools in Singapore are able to provide faith formation for Catholic students and students who are interested. Catholic schools are also able to instill spiritual values to all. We share with our students the Catholic values and world view, but we do not impose anything on them.

What difference would it make if a parent (especially a Catholic parent) enrolled his children in a Catholic school?
In general, Catholic schools in Singapore has sound ethos and strive to provide a holistic education and spiritual values, preparing students to be a good and compassionate persons and citizens. Another important aspect you can find in a Catholic school is faith education.

What is one advice you would give to teachers today?
Be open-minded, be positive, be patient and compassionate in dealing with every situation you encounter. Be aware of your personal agenda and try to be other-centred. Do your best and leave everything to God. One of the favourite prayers of our founder, St Champagnat, is psalm 127, “If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do its builders labour; if the Lord does not watch over the city, in vain does the watchman keep vigil”. Be patient, God has His time and His way of achieving the best. Things will turn out better than what you expect or the way you think it should be. Look back at your life and if you reflect deep enough, you will find that this has always been true. Have faith in God.

22 July 2015

Tags: Educators, Students

Categories: Events, News

The Joy of Catholic Education

Over a hundred students and teachers from Catholic schools were involved in special performances at the recent SG50 Thanksgiving Mass. They share how in their participation, they have discovered the beauty of being a Catholic School.

The recent SG50 Thanksgiving Mass that took place at the Singapore Indoor Stadium has certainly helped put Catholic education in Singapore back in the limelight, leaving many with a deep sense of pride and hope. Not only was the Church’s history and contributions to the nation’s education sector commemorated, but special performances were also prepared by more than a hundred students and teachers from Catholic schools here.

CHIJ Kellock Primary School’s choir sang uplifting hymns and harmonised with the 60-member full orchestra, while both St Anthony’s Canossian Primary and Secondary Schools’ percussion groups worked together to drum up an energetic performance with a diverse number of instruments.

In the challenging process of putting everything together within just a couple months of practice, teachers and students of the participating schools share that they have come to truly see the beauty of being a Catholic school.

School, Church, Nation
Though the relationship between Church and School can admittedly be blurred at times, it is events like the SG50 Mass that helps students come to a deeper appreciation of their schools’ connection with the Catholic Church. They had not only learnt about the Church’s role in building up the education sector of Singapore, but were also given the chance to actively participate in celebrating the hopeful future of both Church and nation.

“The school and the choir were thrilled to be part of the JoySG50 performance team. Our principal reminded us that when the Church calls, we respond in faith and love. As part of the Catholic school community, we look forward to opportunities where we can share the good news of God’s love with those around us,” explained Mary Soh, Teacher Liaison for the CHIJ Kellock Primary Choir.

Because the choir consisted of non-Catholic students as well, the teachers of CHIJ Kellock Primary also paid special attention to help students understand and appreciate the hymns they sung. It was not simply a performance, but truly a thanksgiving occasion.

To the students who had lovingly volunteered their time, whether Catholic or not, their participation was important because of one common trait that unites themselves, the school, and the Church – being Singaporean.

Students echoed one another’s sentiments as Deborah Ann Lim, a choir member from CHIJ Kellock Primary expressed, “I am grateful to be given this once in a lifetime opportunity to perform at Singapore’s 50th birthday.” Jacynthe Liew and Steffi Chua, also choir members, chimed in, “Especially since PM Lee was also present to grace the occasion!”

The bigger picture
For the percussion groups of St Anthony’s Canossian Primary and Secondary Schools, performing at the SG50 Mass together as sister schools had also been a valuable lesson to see the bigger picture of their Catholic education.

Veron Yap, Teacher Liaison for St Anthony’s Canossian Schools, shared, “It was an opportunity for the students to come together as sister-schools in close partnership to work for a common goal. It was a platform for students to challenge themselves and overcome what they perceive as their limitations, and they have proved themselves resilient and optimistic.”

The schools’ willingness to participate in the occassion reflected the value of Catholic education, which is not only concerned about grades, but the development of the whole human person. Veron describes, “We believe that each student has an innate, God-given talent, and we just need to take the chance to help them discover it. These platforms are opportunities for students to be developed holistically.”

Overcoming limits
Because of the limited preparation time, which had been further hampered by the June Holidays, the St Anthony’s Canossian Primary and Secondary School percussion groups had to practice separately first, then subsequently combine their rhythms.

This proved challenging because the schools had different musical styles, and it was the first time they were collaborating with one another. However it was through these difficulties that teachers could help students see that they were in this together, and that God was in control.

“We committed everything to God and put in time to practice. Both schools were given time to interact so as to team-build and form warmer ties before the performance,” Veron illustrates.

For the choir from CHIJ Kellock Primary School, teachers had also created learning tracks for the different voice parts and uploaded them onto the school’s online learning wall. This way, the disadvantage of the June holidays taking away practice time was minimised.

“Students were tasked to learn their melodic parts via this social medium, which has helped our choir to be more confident with their voice parts and to sing in beautiful harmony,” Mary expressed.

Organising chairman of the Church’s SG50 celebrations, Fr Derrick Yap OFM, highlights that it is important for the younger generation to feel proud of the Church, to understand that, “God has called us to be His children, and to belong to this beautiful Church.” Thus, he explains, “I tried to involve as many young as possible so that in days when they’re feeling down, hopefully something that was said, something that was sung, or someone that they met here, they remember it and they hold it in their hearts that God is real, for them at this moment.”

Unprepared remarks of the Holy Father given at the Fr Félix Varela Cultural Center, Havana on the occasion of his visit to Cuba on 20 September 2015.

Recent Posts