My Calendar
Week of Sep 28th
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Feast of St. Padre Pio Feast of St. Padre Pio
23/09/2024
International Day of Sign Languages International Day of Sign Languages
23/09/2024
International Day of Sign Languages
Did you know that there are an estimated 72 million deaf people worldwide, 80% of them in developing nations.
Deafness can be very isolating but Sign Language can be a real liberation.
Below is a 2 minute video demonstrating some basic greetings in BSL (British Sign Language).A PRAYER FOR THIS DAY
Let's pray for all who are deaf or hearing impaired in any way and reflect on how it might feel to be aware of conversations but be unable to decipher them or contribute to them.
Loving God, we ask for your help in being more sensitive to the needs of those who struggle to hear. AMEN -
European Day of Languages European Day of Languages
26/09/2024
Bonjour!
On European Day of Languages, enjoy some of the richness of different tongues in this 1:02 video:
A PRAYER FOR TODAY (available here as a 1:00 video)
Loving God,we thank you for the gift of languagewhich enables us to communicate and express our deepest emotions.Help us to use languageto build bridges between individuals and nationsso that, one day, wars will ceaseand we will establish a world of tolerance, understanding and celebration.We pray this in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. AMEN.International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
26/09/2024
International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
Here's a 1:34 video about this day - including information about how many nuclear weapons there are in the world!
This is a harrowing eye-witness account (3:36) of the dropping of the first nuclear bomb on Hiroshima on 6th August, 1945:
Here's a report (2:13) about the Holy Father, Pope Francis, visiting Japan in 2019:
Christian CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) ask those who seek peace to pray in the following ways:
- Thank God for those around the world who continue to work and pray for peace;
- Pray for our political leaders to have the courage to seek peace and cooperation over war and division;
- Pray for those living in warzones, that they would be protected and comforted;
- Pray for those who are living with the consequences or threat of war;
- Pray that there would be no resumption of nuclear tests and that negotiations on disarmament would instead take place.
You're invited to offer your own silent prayer on this day.
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World Tourism Day -
International Day for Universal Access to Information International Day for Universal Access to Information
28/09/2024World Rabies Day World Rabies Day
28/09/2024
28 September is World Rabies Day
It is celebrated annually to raise awareness about rabies prevention and to highlight progress in defeating this horrifying disease. Here's a quick (3:41) 'what you need to know' video!
World Rabies Day is an opportunity to reflect on human's efforts to control this deadly disease and remind ourselves that the fight is not yet over.
28 September also marks the anniversary of Louis Pasteur's death, the French chemist and microbiologist, who developed the first rabies vaccine. See how the vaccine came about below:
Today, safe and efficacious animal and human vaccines are among the important tools that exist to eliminate human deaths from rabies while awareness is the key driver for success of communities to engage in effective rabies prevention.
In 2020, it is good to remember the huge successes that vaccines have brought about over the years. This thought gives us hope for a CoronaVirus vaccine which we so need.
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Loving God,
we pray for all affected by the scourge of rabies
and for those who work to eradicate it through providing resources and education.
We give thanks for those involved in medical research,
particularly in developing vaccines.
We pray for decision makers to ensure they are funded well;
that researchers are tenacious and wise;
and that they have those moments of inspiration
that bring about positive developments.
We ask this in your Holy Name. AMEN
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Feast of the Archangels Feast of the Archangels
29/09/2024
The Feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael!