GGrroouuppss ssuuppppoorrtt OOGG

As December 19 draws nearer, several organizations are encouraging their members to participate in a day of giving, sharing and caring in OG: Open Gathering to be held at Good Shepherd Parish, Balmoral, Auckland City. Hosted by the Auckland Catholic Filipino Chaplaincy (ACFC), this year’s event has obtained support from AKLnzPINOY, Katilingbang Bisaya sa New Zealand (KBNZ), Leyte-Samar Waraynon ha New Zealand, Tahanang Pilipino Aotearoa Trust (TAPAT) and Migrant Action Trust (MAT). Yahoo group, AKLnzPINOY (see photo below) has nearly 1,500 members who share information and experiences on living in Auckland. The group recently published a Migrant Book, “From Carabao to Sheep”. Mauro “Ka Uro” Oreta, one of the founding members, will speak in OG. KBNZ that consists of Visayan-speaking Filipinos is one of the active Filipino organizations in Auckland, and its Sinulog dance troupe was judged as Grand Champion among the contestants in the inaugural Auckland International Carnival held on November 6. The Leyte-Samar Waraynon ha New Zealand organizes regularly activities for its members and two of its finest solo singers are expected to perform in OG. TAPAT is a registered Trust that aims to construct and operate a Filipino Community Centre in Auckland, and during the campaign period hosted a forum among the leading candidates for mayor of Auckland Super City. Migrant Action Trust is a leading advocacy group and conducts forums and clinics for new migrants who are seeking jobs or want to understand better the Kiwi culture. The supporting organizations have been asked to inform their members about OG asking them to attend and bring food-and-drinks to be shared; to invite new migrants; and to donate gifts to be given away to children and those who have arrived in the New Zealand from two years to the present. The organizers of OG call on other Filipino groups to participate in the event. Please email: tawagawit@gmail.com.

PLACE PHOTO HERE,

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We Need You TawagAwit invites you to help in

spreading God’s Word through music

and other acts of love.

You can be a: (1) member; (2) supporter

or (3) organizer A member is one who can attend to the

regular activities of the Ministry. The

minimum participation are: attendance during

practice sessions of songs, usually once a

week or once every two weeks AND singing

with the group during the assigned mass

usually once a month or once every two months.

A supporter is one who can donate services or

resources to the Ministry. There are special events that TawagAwit organizes and the

events need finances or helping hands.

An organizer is one who initiates the formation of a chapter in a parish. The

Ministry will provide all the assistance within

its means to help in the vital task.

NNEEWW NNOOTTEESS TawagAwit Newsletter

December 2010

Quick Notes: Majority of the members of TawagAwit-Our Lady

of Lourdes Parish joined the KBNZ Sinulog Dance Troupe in the

Auckland International Carnival on November 6. The troupe was

awarded the grand champion among the competitors that included

Brazilian samba groups from major cities in New Zealand, Chinese

dragon dancers and contingents from Cook Island, Thailand and

Korea. The group also participated in Henderson Santa Parade on

November 27… Servant Leaders of TawagAwit attended the

Servant Leaders Meeting on November 9 at the home of Bro

Mel/Sis Debbie Libre. During the meeting, the SLs agreed that each

chapter contribute a song number during the OG: Open Gathering. The

following accepted responsible positions: Sis Claudia Menchavez,

coordinator for Gifts for new migrants, Sis Josephine Matiga,

coordinator for Gifts for kids and Bro Ferdie Esclamado, coordinator

for Program. All members are encouraged to bring food, drinks, gifts

and toys for sharing to guests…TawagAwit-St Mary’s Parish sang

as reflection song, “Tanging Yaman” during the mass celebrated

by Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes SVD on November 20

5:30pm mass. The bishop came to New Zealand under the

auspices of the New Zealand Bible Society that intends to

publish copies of the bible for distribution in the Philippines as a

tool towards eradicating corruption…TawagAwit-St Thomas

More Parish and TawagAwit-Our Lady of Lourdes Parish sang in

the final Old mass, one week prior to the implementation by the New

Zealand Catholic hierarchy of the New Roman Mass. The New

Zealand Catholics are the first in the world to welcome new English

translations of the 2000-year-old Mass…TawagAwit-St Thomas

More organized a Baby Shower event on November 28 for Sis

Jamelle Gayaman who is expecting a baby within a month. Sis

Velia Soriano and Sis Gladys Borgueta assisted Bro Peter Gayaman in

organizing a fun-filled activity for the nearly 50 well-wishers.

PLACE PH OTO HERE,

Our Vision:

Harmony in the World

Our Mission:

To spread God’s Word through

music and other acts of love.

Our Values:

Godliness

We believe in God and live His

Word.

Offering

We share our talents, time and

resources for God’s greater glory.

Devotion

We commit ourselves to the

mission of the Ministry.

Love

We love God with all of our heart

will all our soul, with all our

minds and with all our strength.

Originality

We promote artistry and creativity

to express our faith.

Victory over Sin

We fight Satan in each and every

moment of our lives.

Evangelization

We bring the Light of God to

those who are in the dark.

Sustainability

We contribute and manage our

resources effectively.

Unity

We are one with the Lord, one

with the Church, one with the

community, and one with the

Ministry.

For more information about

TawagAwit, please contact Bro Mel

Libre sl at tawagawit@gmail.com

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Servant Leaders during the SL Meeting on November 9 at the home of Bro Mel-Sis Debbie

Libre at Glen Eden, Auckland City, New Zealand (Photo by R Babaran)

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Vatican Notes: Pope’s General Intention December 2010: General:

That our personal experience of suffering may be an occasion for better

understanding the situation of unease and pain which is the lot of many

people who are alone, sick or aged, and stir us all to give them generous

help. Mission: That the peoples of the earth may open their doors to

Christ and to His Gospel of peace, brotherhood and justice… Pope

Benedict XVI welcomed the beginning of Advent with a prayer for life and

a defense of the human embryo. The pope presided over an evening prayer

service at the Vatican Nov. 27, part of a worldwide pro-life vigil. He said it was

an appropriate initiative to launch Advent, the liturgical period in which the

church prepares to celebrate the birth of Jesus. In a homily, he said the church's

teaching against abortion comes from its teaching about the dignity of every

human life and its concern that the unborn is most vulnerable to "the selfishness

of adults and the clouding of consciences." "There are cultural tendencies that

seek to anesthetize consciences with spurious arguments," the pope said.

Regarding the human embryo, the pope said science itself has demonstrated the

embyro's autonomous capacity of interaction with the mother, the coordination

of its biological processes, the continuity of its development and its complexity

as an organism. "It's not a question of a collection of biological material, but of

a new living being, dynamic and marvelously ordered, a new individual of the

human species," he said. "This is how Jesus was in Mary's womb; this is how

we each were, in our mother's wombs," he said. (CNS)... Pope Benedict XVI

created 24 new cardinals, and called them to be strong in spreading

and defending the faith and promoting peace and tranquility within the

church. The new cardinals from 13 countries Nov. 20 formally professed their

Catholic faith and fidelity to the pope. After the oath, all but one of the new

cardinals knelt before the pope to receive a red biretta, a three-cornered ret hat,

which the pope said, "signifies that you must be ready to act with strength, to

the point of shedding blood, to increase the Christian faith, for the peace and

tranquility of the people of God and for the freedom and growth of the holy

Roman church." In his homily, Pope Benedict said he chose as cardinals

"pastors who govern important diocesan communities with zeal, prelates in

charge of dicasteries of the Roman Curia or who have served the church and the

Holy See with exemplary fidelity." The Gospel reading used for the prayer

service was St. Mark's account of the disciples vying for a place of honor with

Jesus, and Jesus telling them, "Whoever wishes to be great among you will be

your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all."

Pope Benedict told the new cardinal's that Jesus' "style of living became the

basis of new relationships within the Christian community and of a new way of

exercising authority." (CNS)... Calling to mind the example of Vietnamese

martyrs St. Andrew Dung-Lac and his companions, Benedict XVI on

November 24 invited young people to be intrepid in their witness

to Christian values. The Pope made this invitation at the end of the general

audience when he gave his customary greetings to youth, the sick and

newlyweds. He noted the feast day of St. Andrew, one of 117 people martyred

in Vietnam between 1820 and 1862. "Today, remembering St. Andrew Dung-

Lac and his companions, Vietnamese martyrs, I invite you, dear young people,

to be intrepid in witnessing Christian values, always being faithful to the Lord,"

the Holy Father said. He added: "I exhort you, dear sick, to accept with serene

abandonment all that the Lord gives in every situation of life; I hope that you,

dear newlyweds, will form a truly Christian family, drawing the necessary

strength to realize such a project from the Word of God and from the

Eucharist." (Zenit.org)

PLACE PHOTO HERE,

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Join the Advance Birthday Party of Jesus Christ

OG: Open Gathering Dec 19, 2010, 11am

Good Shepherd Parish

Balmoral, Auckland City

Hosted by:

Auckland Catholic Filipino

Chaplaincy

So Laff :-) If you have mastered three Christmas songs, you are

all set to go caroling in as many homes possible.

Next Mass Offerings in Auckland, New Zealand

December 25 10:30am St Mary’s Parish, Northcote

December 26 9:30am Good Shepherd Parish, Balmoral

December 27 6:00pm Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Glen Eden

Invitation:

+TawagAwit invites everyone to join the ministry:

(1) The St Mary’s Church, Northcote meets every Sunday

11:30am at St Mary’s Church at Onewa Road

(2) St Thomas More Church, Glenfield meets every other Friday

7:30pm at St Thomas More Church in Glenfield

(3) Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Glen Eden meets every other

Sunday afternoon

(4) Good Shepherd Church Balmoral (South Auckland) chapter

meets every other Saturday

+Should you be in another area in New Zealand or

other parts of the world, TawagAwit will help organize

a chapter.

Photo at right: KBNZ Sinulog Dancers during the Auckland

International Carnival in Ellerslie Event Centre, Auckland,

New Zealand (Photo by Eduardo Ong)

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TAWAGAWIT http://www.tawagawit.host56.com

email: tawagawit@gmail.com

PLACE LOGO OR

PHOT O HERE