While watching news from

the Philippines, I saw a

woman being interviewed

who said, ―Nilipad man ni

Peping ang aming bubong,

nilubog man ni Ondoy ang

aming bahay, pero hindi nila

kayang lunurin at liparin

ang aming pagdiriwang ng

Pasko.”

Listening to this, I said to

myself, indeed, she is right.

No storms, which could

include the financial crisis

and other crises that we now

encounter, can stop us from

celebrating Christmas

because Christmas - in the

first place - is not just about

having material things as

espoused by TV

commercials. Christmas is

about having Christ. And

when we have Christ that can

really make us joyful, for

that is

simply the

essence of

Christmas.

Christmas

is about a

chaotic

world,

where Jesus himself chose to

be born, so that it may have

life again!

Sana po ay talagang

maramdaman natin ngayong

taon ang totoong diwa ng

Pasko. At ito ay mangyayari

lamang kung patutuluyin

natin si Jesus sa ating mga

puso at sa ating buhay.

May the

blessings of

this season be

truly

experienced by

you and your

loved ones.

Maligayang Pasko sa inyong

lahat!

Fathers Joey, Ely and Jojo

Message from the Chaplaincy

Many Filipinos should be

thankful to Magic Microphone

(for Videoke) not only because it

harnessed to perfection

their hidden beautiful

voices, but more so

because it made them see

the undiscovered beauty of

the Philippines: the virgin

beauty of Palawan, the

whiteness of Boracay, the

captivating beauty of

Bohol, the unbelievable

Banawe, among others.

And indeed, because of

this Magic Mic many

Filipinos here in Vienna

have already begun

visiting those places.

I wish there is also another

Mic that will feature the

unique Filipino values:

the Bayanihan spirit, the Maria

Clara mentality, utang na loob,

palabra de honor, respect for

the elders by using Po or Opo

and pagmamano, pakikisama,

hospitality, of being joyful and

happy people despite the

hardships experienced in life,

the great religiosity, among

others. Especially this year, the

chaplaincy wishes to be that

instrument for the awareness of

these Filipinos values by

choosing them as themes for this

year‘s Simbang

Gabi.

Moreover, talking

about these Filipino

values becomes

more relevant as the

chaplaincy kicks off

with its newest

p r o g r a m ,

PASKUHAN SA

PAROKYA on 20

December. During

the Community

Mass on that day,

t h e d i f f e r e n t

organizations will

present to the

community their

own projects for the

repair and maintenance of the

church buildings.

Ultimately, this program is not

Please, sir, can I have

some more?

2

Dublin, here we come! 3

Mommy‘s thoughts 4

Dreaming of home ... 5

St. Stephen 6

The New Year—2010 6

Ako ang Simula 7

Ano ba ang araw ng

Pasko?

7

Growing in hope, joy 8

Christmas-less December 9

Notes from your Pastoral

Council

9

From joy to trust 10

In the right corner 11

Inviting the youth 11

Schedule of services and

activities

12

Inside this issue:

Dec. 2009

Vol. 5, No. 4

The Official Newsletter of the Filipino Catholic Chaplaincy, Archdiocese of Vienna, Austria

about work assignments but

developing an attitude of

involvement, of promoting true

community spirit among all

members of the Chaplaincy. This

itself is truly Filipino. This is

bayanihan spirit. This is a unique

Filipino value.

Undeniably, one cannot do away

with values when one seeks to

build a community. Precisely,

these themes can truly help us

grow together as a community.

May everyone take th is

opportunity to reflect also on our

hidden values, and for some

forgotten values, values that truly

make us a unique and lovable

people.

Building a stronger community through Filipino values

Ang ating Simbang Gabi 2009

Themes

Dec. 16–Madaling humanga & magalang

(Admiring and respectful)

Dec. 17–Maka-pamilya (Family oriented)

Dec. 18–Matiisin (Forebearing)

Dec. 19–Maka-Diyos (Religious)

Dec. 20–Magiliw sa mga panauhin Hospitable)

Dec. 21–Bayanihan spirit (Helpful,

cooperative community spirit)

Dec. 22–Masayahin (Cheerful)

Dec. 23–Mapagpasalamat (Thankful)

Dec. 24–Puno ng pag-asa (Hopeful)

Dec. 25– Pakikisama (Spirit of Camaraderie)

Page 2 Pastulan Vol. 5, No. 4

I have been mulling for weeks now

over what to write – my life over the

past year has been a whirlwind of

events, lessons and blessings that I

just couldn‟t focus on what to share.

But today I was listening to a sermon

on my way to work, and the message

delivered was my biggest lesson this

year – I took that as my sign, how

could I not share that with you! It is

such an important and life-

changing lesson this year and

I am still working to find ways

to truly live by it and incorpo-

rate it into my spirit!

The biggest lesson I learned

this year is to DREAM BIG

and believe that I will achieve

that dream! This lesson came

to me through my best friend

sharing one of the messages

that she learned at her

church. She shared about

how we underestimate the

power of God by being limited

in what we ask for!

Recently, I have been having

an inexplicable, ravenous ap-

petite – I am hungry all the

time and I crave hearty, carb-

rich, flavoursome food! While

in my subconscious I worry

about exploding into an

Oompa-loompa, the desire to

eat well is stronger than wor-

rying about the consequences

of eating. However, to my

pleasant surprise, I am in fact

losing weight!

My lifestyle may be the reason to my

unplanned weight-loss. I am busy all

the time, I am always on the go, I am

rarely at home, my mind is constantly

turning cogs, my spirit is alive, I am

experiencing new things (concerts,

theatre plays, meeting new inspiring

people), I keep in touch with all my

friends (on the „phone or in person), I

work, I am running a business, I am

networking, I am learning. I AM LIV-

ING A FULL LIFE!

Where am I going with this? Parents

will relate to this example: when your

child asks for a new toy you will un-

doubtedly want to do nothing else but

to give your child this particular toy.

When you see the joy in their faces,

you are inclined to buy the additional

accessories to prolong that joy. God is

the same and, what‟s more, He has

the power to provide whatever your

heart desires. Like a child, don‟t be

afraid to ask! We can‟t be shameful

and coy about it – go up to Him and

ask for it and some more!

But let us stick with the analogy of the

appetite and food so everyone can

relate. Because I am living a full life, I

need to sustain my body with food

(and my spirit with soul-food)! If I‟m

still hungry, I need to eat some more

to be full! Never mind the diet, don‟t

forgo dessert if you want it, and don‟t

just order a salad because you don‟t

want to look greedy! If you are going

to eat a good meal then go for the full

works! Ask for the turkey, the roast

vegetables and potatoes, the corn

bread and pecan pie… and the side

salad!

When I go out to eat, I will usually

have wine, an appetiser and a main

course but if I‟m not full I will have

dessert! Why not? When I am invited

to a friend‟s home for dinner, I want to

be able to ask for a second helping if

their cooking is delicious, I want to be

able to tell them I am still hungry!

When I invite people to eat in my

home, I want them to leave full! Happy

and full! I love it when they ask for a

second helping!! They might not be

able to eat more at the moment but

even then I am delighted when they

take leftovers home in

a Tupperware con-

tainer to enjoy when

they get hungry later on

at home!

God is the same – He

wants us to be full with

His “cooking”!!! Let us

go to Him and request

dish that we are crav-

ing for, that we have

been dreaming of! Let

us ask Him to prepare

us a meal that will sat-

isfy our hunger! He

wants us to go up to

Him and ask for first,

second, and third help-

ings because we are

enjoying what He is

putting on the table!

“You prepare a table

before me… You

anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

“(Psalm 23:5)

He wants us to love it

so much that we keep

coming back for more, to tell people

about it, to show people, to bring

friends to the table, to enjoy it and

savour it, to relish in the memory of it!

However, if God takes a while cooking

up the perfect meal, don‟t go snacking

and ruining your appetite! Don‟t be

distracted by the peanuts in the bowl!

Anticipate the deliciousness of the

food that is about to be served! Trust

the process and don‟t give up on the

promise of a meal with your Father!!!

The excitement of sharing this mes-

sage with you has made me hungry

so I am off to eat some breakfast! Ge-

segnete Mahlzeit!

Meggy

Please, sir, can I have some more? (Oliver Twist)

Dec. 2009 Page 3

less people and has

2 shelter houses,

one for women

(Regina Coeli

House) and one for

men (Montfort

House), which are

maintained by vol-

unteers from all

over the world. We visited them. Our day

was made complete after a Holy Mass

celebrated by Fr. Ely and Fr. Jojo. After

buying some books and other material

from their extensive library, we moved

back to the city, stopping briefly at the

world-famous Guinness Brewery to take

some photos. Then we proceeded to Myra

House, where the first ever Legion of

Mary meeting was held on 7 September

1921. We met Brother Tom and Brother

John, who where good friends of Frank

Duff. They told us about the beginnings

of the Legion and some interesting stories

about Frank Duff. We felt very honoured

and blessed to be part of this adventure,

and to walk in their footsteps.

The next day‘s destination was Knock,

about 200 km from Dublin in county

Mayo, a very important area in Irish his-

tory. This place is not as well-known as

Lourdes or Fatima. We attended mass in

the old chapel at the back of which our

Lady, wearing a long white cloak and

with a large crown on her head, first ap-

peared on the evening of 21 August 1879

to Mary McLoughlin, the housekeeper of

the parish priest. The apparition with St.

Joseph and St. John the Evangelist was

witnessed by fifteen people in all. The

Church was at first hesitant to recognize

the apparition but the first pilgrimages

started already in 1880. The apparition

was officially approved by the Church in

1971. Pope John Paul II visited the

Marian Shrine in 1979, commemorating

the centenary of the apparition. Knock

was also visited in June 1993 by the late

Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Since that

time, more and more

people come from all

over the world to visit the

shrine and pray to our

blessed Mother.

It was incredibly cold,

rainy and windy but this

did not dampen our good spirits. The

place is much bigger than we thought.

The apparition chapel is surrounded by a

huge complex including a bed-and-

breakfast for those who would like

to stay overnight. The weather did

not really allow us to explore every-

thing, so we returned to Dublin in

our little bus. In the evening, every-

one went back to the city in little

groups or stayed at the hotel to re-

flect on the day‘s events. Some of us

went to the Temple Bar area where

we listened to a small group of street

musicians, whose style heartened us

to swing and dance. It was really a

nice experience. Others in our group

wanted to try ―authentic Irish food‖

and went off in search of an ―Irish

restaurant‖. It would have involved

eating salmon, codfish or meat pie

but, in the end, that group went back

to the Manila Café.

On Sunday, it was time to pack our lug-

gage. After listening to Holy Mass in a

church close to the hotel, we left for the

airport. Were we tired? I guess not. We

were, instead, happy because we attained

our dream of visiting Dublin, the place of

our beginnings.

Dina Godtz and Maggie Gascon

When we were young, Dublin was one of

the cities in the world that we dreamed of

visiting because of the many inspiring

stories the Irish missionaries in the Philip-

pines told us. And never did we imagine

that that dream could become a reality

when we joined the Legion of Mary in

Vienna. There was good reason after all,

since Ireland is the cradle of our group,

the country of our founder, Frank Duff.

14 Legionaries from the 2 Praesidia, with

Fr. Ely and Fr. Jojo readily approved of

the idea of undertaking this pilgrimage on

22-25 October 2009. As the day of our

departure neared, we felt so much excite-

ment. We were the noisiest group on the

'plane! Sister Charito and her husband,

Jun, who preceded us by a few days, were

waiting for us at the airport and we took

the airport bus to our hotel, close to

O‘Connell Street. After settling in, we

went around the

city, visiting

among other

places of interest

the Blessed Sac-

rament Church,

where most Filipi-

nos go to in Dublin, to thank the Lord for

our safe arrival, and Trinity College, after

which we did a little bit of souvenir shop-

ping. By the way, many Dublin tourist

guides mention that the

city is relatively small.

Don‘t believe it. Walking

distances are quite long

and several of our mem-

bers came back to the hotel

with aching knees and

burning shoe soles. Well, it

may also be that most of us

are already advancing in

age! In the evening, we all

went to the ―Manila Café‖.

Most of us had rice and

fish, and we spent a nice

evening there as a compen-

sation for the long tour of

the day. Some of us even

sang at their videoke to the

delight also of the Irish cus-

tomers.

On Friday, after an early wake-up call and

a solid Irish breakfast, we went straight to

the Legion of Mary headquarters in Ire-

land. It is situated on Morning Star Ave-

nue. Frank Duff, the founder of the Le-

gion, lived in a house a little bit further up

the street. We visited his place where

everything is as it was when he lived

there. We saw his books, letters and even

his bicycle. The Legion cares for home-

Dublin, here we come!

Our Lady appeared on 21 August 1879 in Knock, county Mayo,

Ireland. The apparition was officially approved by the Church in

1971, and the Marian Shrine is gaining in popularity among pilgrims.

Legion of Mary Pilgrimage

The Marian Legionnaires in front of Trinity College

Chapel of Apparition, Our Lady of Knock

Pastulan Page 4

Dear Anna,

You watched the news with eyes open

wide, your young mind trying to under-

stand the tragedy that was unfolding. You

listened quietly as I talked to my brother on

the ‗phone, and you heard how they lost all

their belongings when the flood waters

rose. You asked where all the water came

from and … why.

I tried my best to explain how floods come

about - how heavy rains cause the rivers

and creeks to overflow. Later on, you will

hear about deforestation and global warm-

ing. But as early as now, I want you to

learn - as a child of God - how to cope with

tragedies.

I spent my early childhood days along the

banks of the Pasig River, one of the famous

bodies of water in the Philippines. It was

the source of inspiration

for many novels, poems

and songs. For me and

my childhood friends, it

was where we had our

first swimming lessons,

where we played and

wove tales of sirenas

and syokoys, where we

gathered multi-coloured

shells to play with, or

caught something to eat

for dinner, where we

built sand castles or

patiently waited for

fishermen with their

fresh catch for sale.

But there were also

days when the river got

angry and rampaged

over its banks. I re-

member our mad scramble to get all the

goldfish from our small pond, to bring the

few precious belongings, the pigs, hens and

pets to higher ground for safety, and then to

wait until the waters would again subside.

But those hours and sometimes days spent

upstairs watching the floods were far from

boring. It was exciting to see what the rap-

idly flowing water brought with it: giant

fishes, big logs, trees, sometimes whole

houses. We somehow enjoyed those school

-free days, never mind that we couldn‘t

play on the streets, but we had the radio on

all day, and we feasted on rainy-day food:

champorado, nilagang saging, nilagang

kamote, binatog and, because Nanay could

not go to market, we had plenty of de-lata:

carne norte, portola, ligo, etc. What a

change from the usual paksiw na ayungin,

ginataang biya, sinigang or ginisang gulay.

And to keep us quiet, we were even al-

lowed to read comic books!

Of course, it was not always floods, some-

times it was just one of the many typhoons

that visit the Philippines every year. I still

remember the smell of freshness it left in

the air, and the joy we had from scavenging

for fruits that had fallen from wind-battered

trees. We loved those nights of darkness

when the electricity supply was cut due to

fallen Meralco posts, how we huddled

close together as we exchanged tales of

ghosts – manananggal, kapre, tiyanak,

bampira, atbp. They usually were very

long nights; the shadows cast by the can-

dles, the howling wind, the creaking win-

dows and the cold, all make sleep difficult.

The transistor radio was a valued necessity

during those nights as Lola Basyang started

her stories with ―Efren, huwag ka nang

malikot…” We all heeded those words,

even though we obviously were not all

named Efren. Her stories took our thoughts

and imagination into faraway lands of

beauty and love, of heroism and bravery.

On some other nights, when the rains had

stopped, we gathered in the garden as our

father pointed at the stars and got us ac-

quainted with Big and Little Dipper.

For a child, even queuing for relief goods

was exciting. We compared the contents of

the bags of goodies distributed by the

Mayor‘s Blue Ladies. On lucky days, espe-

cially if elections were nearing, there would

be packets of Chocnuts added to the obliga-

tory kilo of rice, a pack of sugar, two cans

of sardines, three candles and a box of

matches.

As I grew older, I started to realize how

much those calamities affected our parents.

When I was eleven, a very strong typhoon

sent our new house crashing to the ground.

The following year, my father had to build

a small boat to bring us to safety as the

floodwaters continued to rise. Each time,

we had to start from scratch, most things

we needed for school had to be replaced;

home furniture had to be repaired. And

there was no house insurance to claim.

As the novelty started to wane, we children

eventually start to grumble and complain

about the discomforts but we never heard

anything from our parents. After the storm

that destroyed our house, I saw my father

cry but I did not hear him ask, ―Why?‖. I

remember how your Lola –

my mother - held her rosary

as each storm signal pro-

gressed to ―three‖. But in

silence and with a strong

belief in God, my parents

always managed to bring us

back to normality. We

never had too much, but

they saw to it that we had

what we needed. Most of

all, their silent fortitude

made us feel secure. They

managed to turn every ca-

lamity into a learning ex-

perience.

My dear child, your Daddy

and I are working hard so

you won‘t have to queue

for rice. And being a child

of the 21st century, you

probably won‘t have to endure days with-

out electricity. But, like our parents, we

also strive to develop in you that sense of

security – that no typhoon, nor flood nor

any other calamity should make you doubt

God‘s love for you.

As Christmas nears, we think of all those

children affected by Ondoy, Peping and

Co. You even mentioned them in your

prayers last night. But, never mind, God in

His infinite goodness will surely bring the

smiles back to their faces. He always does.

Merry Christmas, Anak!

Love,

Mommy

Mommy‘s thoughts on...

C h r i s t m a s d e s p i t e O n d o y

Dec. 2009 Page 5

September, October, November . . . they‟ve come and they‟re gone. The months with the “BER” endings brought the cold of winter and these thoughts about “Christmas away from home”. Kabayans, we have all had our own share of the first Christmas…. So let me share mine with you, rolling back the years to…is it now about 33 years already? Yes, that‟s a long way back.

Looking back like countless Filipinas before me, it will be a (first) Christmas that most Filipinos raised on the belief that “West is best”, “white is alright” could only dream about.

Sure, for the first time in my life the lyrics of many familiar Christmas Carols will be coming true.

It was not only the first real “White Christmas”. Now I would finally get to meet “Frosty the Snowman”, I would know how it feels to have “Jack Frost nipping at my nose”, hear “chesnuts roasting on the open fire”, and perhaps even hear first hand of some Austrian boy who saw his “Mommy kissing Santa Claus”! And like many of our Kabayans, I have my share of my pictures taken in the snow – in complete winter attire – with a snowman to add background authenticity – so that folks back home would see just what a grand time I am having!

So what could possibly spoil this first Christmas for me?

The weather, for one thing. Ever since the cold spell began, my spirits have followed the general downward direction of the mercury. A regular wintry day usually finds me making my way to the bus stop all wrapped up in my Strumpfhose, four layers of shirt and sweater, three layers of pants, three pairs of socks, gloves,

Haube and a heavy Mantel. It takes only 5 minutes for the bus to arrive, but even less before I start to shiver to the bone. My teeth are doing an imitation of a squirrel chirp and my knees beat to a steady conga rhythm. When up comes another kabayan – who has survived three winters – who pats my shoulder and says, “Wala pa yan kabayan, you should see it get to minus thirty degrees!” My tropical hands and ears have been battered to numbness by the wintry winds –

cold in cold! And here‟s somebody who tells me it‟s going to get even worse? Those carols never mentioned you could freeze to death from a white Christmas, and somehow this spoils everything for me.

Then there‟s the language – and the whole culture that goes with it! To ears accustomed to “Merry

Christmas” and “Maligayang Pasko”, a greeting of “Frohe Weihnachten und ein gesundes Neues Jahr” simply doesn‟t jive.

Meaning that while all these “Frohes” and “Weihnachtens” may seem natural and right for Austrians, they can never be natural for me. That first time, I‟ll trade a hundred Frohe Weihnachten for one Maligayang Pasko! Give me my Simbang gabi, my media noche, my bamboo lanterns, my “Pasko ay sumapit”, and most especially, give me FAMILY and FRIENDS who share to make a financially-lacking season, a spiritually-rich celebration of LOVE and GOODWILL. I‟ll be dreaming about it as I shiver and try to “Deutsch Sprechen” all season long. I miss all of this, as I spend Christmas away from home and, yes even, after the second, third, fourth and actually every time…..

I miss the food too: the puto bumbong, the bibingka, the golden lechon. Haaay naku! Yes, do you know what? Many of my male friends agree with my sentiments as, longing for a cold glass of San Miguel beer,

they say “Prosit” over a glass of wine remembering past family reunions or being with barkada and friends at Christmas in „Pinas. As much as they miss the discussions they used to have about anything under the sun, from basketball to politics and the movie stars, I really miss the ingriedients of a Filipino Christmas and I can say that “Paskong Pinoy ist wirklich ganz anders!”

Given the track record of many Pinoys in various foreign countries, I know that in time we will survive that first Christmas away from home, but we will always be thinking about and longing for Christmas at home, a Christmas made different by close (also closed) family ties.

But then, are we not as Filipinos known to have the rare ability to hide our problems and burden behind our smiles??? One thing is for sure, it‟s here in our adopted homeland that we become closer to HIM (God), His will and way for us. Definitely, our reason to be here – far away home - is just because of “LOVE”; our own “mission of Love” to fulfill in many

different ways. Like JESUS our LORD. He had nothing but LOVE, infinite LOVE to give. That is why Christmas is different: It is special, its magic will last and overcome even homesickness, and poverty.

Let‟s not just have an eternal Merry Christmas, but a meaningful and grace-filled one, a Christmas which celebrates not only the bygone birth of Christ, but Christ being born again in our personal lives, in our family and in our social life.

Timmy de Mata

Dreaming of home on my first Christmas (in Vienna)

Pastulan Page 6

Saint Stephen (Greek: Stephanos,), known as the Protomartyr of Christianity, is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran and Eastern Orthodox Churches. He was one of the first in the early Church to bear the title Archdeacon.

Acts of the Apostles tells the story of how Stephen was tried by the Sanhedrin (priests) for blasphemy against Moses and God (Acts 6:11) and speaking against the Temple and the Law (Acts 6:13-14). He was stoned to death (c. A.D. 34–35) by an infuriated mob encouraged by Saul of Tarsus, the future Saint Paul: "And Saul entirely approved of putting him to death" (8:1). Stephen's final speech was presented as accusing the Jews of persecuting prophets who spoke out against their sins: "Which one of the Prophets did your fathers not persecute, and they killed the ones who prophesied the coming of the Just One, of whom now, too, you have become betrayers and murderers." (7:52)

Saint Stephen's name is simply derived from the Greek Stephanos, meaning "crown" or “wreath”, which translates into

Aramaic as Kelil. Traditionally, Saint Stephen is invested with a crown of martyrdom for Christianity; he is often depicted in art with three stones and the martyrs' palm. In Eastern Christian

iconography, he is shown as a young beardless man with a tonsure, wearing a deacon's vestments, and often holding a miniature church building or a censer.

In Western Christianity, 26 December is called "St Stephen's Day", the "feast of Stephen" of the English Christmas carol, "Good King Wenceslas". It is a public holiday in many nations that were historically Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran: Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Poland, Republika Srpska, United Kingdom (where it was also called "Boxing Day"), Ireland, Italy, Germany, Finland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In Catalonia (though not elsewhere in Spain), it is called Sant Esteve and is a bank holiday. In France, the day of Saint Étienne is a bank holiday in the Alsace-Moselle region, but not elsewhere. 26 December is also a holiday in Tuguegarao City, Philippines, which celebrates a fiesta in honor of St Stephen Protomartyr, its patron saint.

In the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite, St. Stephen's feast day is celebrated on December 27. (This date in the Julian Calendar currently corresponds to January 9 in the Gregorian Calendar.) This day is also called the "Third Day of the Nativity".

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Stephen)

2010 A.D. Anno Domini, year of the LORD. This

has been so because it was at Christmas, the

turning point of history, that Christ entered into

and lives in time. The year of the Lord means the

time of Salvation. The kingdom has come but is

headed towards Eternity. So as years come and

go, we come closer to Eternity, our final destiny

and fulfillment. And, there‘s no stopping this

movement and direction of time.

Finally, let‘s go to the practical implication of the

meaning of TIME and the NEW YEAR. The new

year for us should mean becoming ―NEW‖, i.e., a

renewal, change, growth. Again as the Tagalog

saying has it, ―Bagong taon ay magbagong

buhay‖. As we grow old, we must also grow up

(mature) in wisdom, grace and love. We must

make a conscious effort to move towards eternity.

In the concrete, this calls for a constant daily

struggle to DISCIPLINE ourselves, to die to our

selfishness and sin.

Timmy de Mata

Why does practically everyone, regardless of age and

condition in life, welcome New Year with joy and

excitement?

The answer is no other than our ―CHRISTIAN HOPE‖.

This is certainly much more than optimism or

expectations of better ―TIMES‖. This hope is rooted in

our belief in God. As we believe in God, we go on

hoping, even against hope. And as we say in Tagalog

―Habang may buhay, may pag-asa‖.

But is this hope, one may ask, unrealistic? Is this not

just kidding or fooling oneself? Definitely, this year

will bring its share of pain, problems and

disappointments for each of us. Is hoping that 2010

will be better than 2009 much like burying one‘s head

in the sand to escape painful realities?

The Christian meaning of ―TIME‖ will answer this

question. There is certainly much more time than just

past, present and future. It is not simply 2010. It is

The New Year - 2010

St. Stephen

Dec. 2009 Page 7

Ako ang simula, ito nga ba ang paraan

Upang ating inang bayan ay magbago ng lubusan

Bawat isa ay simula sa tunay na katuparan

Ito raw ang siyang daan pagbabago sa lipunan

Tutuo ngang bawat isa'y may tungkulin sa 'ting bayan

Tungkulin na ituwid mo kamaliang nalalaman

Tungkulin ding alamin mo ang ugat at ang dahilan

Ang tunay na nangyayari at di hango sa tsismis lang

Isa lang ang aking tiyak pag-ibig di mawawala

Pag-ibig sa kapatiran gayon din sa ating bansa

Subok ito at nakita nang bumagyo at bumaha

Bawat isa'y nagtulungan at lahat may ginagawa

Lalo kung sumasapit dakilang araw ng pasko

Ang una mong iniisip aginaldo sa kapwa mo

Kahit ika'y maubusa'y ligaya na sa puso mo

Pagkat alam na alam mong may nagawa kang tutuo

Ngunit huwag naman sanang itulak lang sa gobyerno

Masasamang nangyayari'y, sinisisi ay palasyo

Baka gawa-gawa lamang at may halong politiko

Sa huli ang magdurusa'y walang iba kundi tayo

Marami ang naghihirap, malimit yan ang dahilan

Pagnanakaw, pangho-holdup dahilan daw sa kawalan

Mga squater sa lungsod bakit wala raw tahanan

Ang lahat ay isisisi dito sa pamahalaan

Kapatid, mag isip ka din at lahat ay pagnilayan

'di ba't ika'y bahagi rin nitong bulok na lipunan

Hindi kaya bawa't isa'y may nagawang kapalpakan

Kaya hindi makabangon ang bayan sa kalumpuhan

Tingnan natin ang mahirap, 'di ko naman nilalahat

Sa lungsod sila nagpupugad, sa probinsya ay kay sarap

Masabi lang Manilenyo, kahit sila ay maghirap

Sisisihin ay gobyerno, ngunit yabang ang nagtulak

Marami din sa 'ting Pinoy ang katulad ay si Juan

Hinihintay lang malaglag ang bayabas sa gubatan

Ang kamay na malilinis ay ni ayaw marumihan

Hangad lagi ay trabaho na may halong pasikatan

Hindi ko rin sinasabing mag impok ng kayamanan

Ang akin lang tinutumbok, ang bukas ay paghandaan

Sa ayaw man at sa gusto ay dapat nating tandaan

Ang lahat nating gagawin ay pera ang kailangan

Hindi kaya ang dahilan nitong ating kahirapan

Ay taglay na katamaran at ang ating kayabangan

O 'di kaya'y ang katulad ay limatik sa looban

Nabubuhay lang sa dugo ng gobyerno at kahanggan

Ako Ang Simula

Ano ba ang Pasko sa buhay ng tao?

Bakit lahat yata‘y hinihintay ito.

Matanda at bata‘y nasasabik dito;

Ano ang dahilan ng lahat ng ito?

Ang lahat ng tanong, walang kasagutan,

Kung anong totoo ay di natin alam;

Kaya nararapat nating pangaralan,

At ating alamin ang katotohanan.

Ito palang Pasko ay aking nalaman,

Malaki ang ating kaugnayan;

Ito ay ang araw nang pagka pagsilang,

Ng Mahal na Birhen sa Poong Maykapal.

Sa isang sabsaban na hamak na lugal;

Ang Mahal na Kristo dito isinilang,

At ang mga Pastol ang nagpapatunay

At ang Kanyang Ama at Mahal na Ina.

O, Mahal na Hesus, Ikaw‘y isinilang;

Upang iligtas Mo ang sangkatauhan,

Dahil sa Iyong pag-ibig sa tao;

Di Ka nagkakait kahit na kanino.

Panginoon, tangi naming kahilingan;

Ay tanglawan kami ng Iyong liwanag,

Upang di maligaw sa tuwid na landas,

At maging marapat sa iyong patawad.

Adelo Agbon

Ano ba ang Araw ng

Pasko?

Kumilos ka kapatid ko, baguhin mo itong mundo

Bawat isa sa simula sa tunay na pagbabago

Unahin mo ang sarili at huwag tingnan ang kung sino

Dahil dito'y unti-unting magbabago ang anyo mo

Ngunit hintay pala muna ang Pasko ay nalimutan

Ang hangad lang naman sana'y magkaisa't magmahalan

Nawa ang diwa ng Pasko ay madama ng sinuman

Bawat isa'y magsimula at magbago ng lubusan

Jun Rico

Pastulan Page 8

Growing in hope, growing in joy Notes from the Parish' Advent Recollection, 21 Nov. 2009

On the last weekend of the just-

passed liturgical year, Fr. Ben

Jerson Cañete, from the Diocese

of Tagum (Davao) took some

time off from his studies in

Biblical Theology in Rome to

be with our Community and

help us prepare for Advent.

The following notes are reproduced in Pastulan for those

who were not able to attend the recollection. They cannot

subsitute for the experience of having attended the

recollection, but are intended only to give our readers some

impulses for reflection during Advent.

For the first half of his talk, growing in hope, Fr. Ben cited

five points of reflection:

God is a generous provider—He gave us the intelligence

and freedom to choose to do what is right and good for

all

God is a suffering God—His people rejected the many

prophets that He sent, also His own Son

God is a searching God—He continues to look for His

flock viz. He sent many prophets, even if they were

killed one after another by His tenants (Mk 12:6a)

God is a God of justice— In our life, God does not

punish us, but rather He tests our faith. What happens to

us is a result of all the choices that we make.

God is a patient God—It is the faithful who are the hope

of the Church, not the priests. It is because of the former

that the Church has survived through the centuries.

The last Sunday of the liturgical year is the Feast of Christ

the King, symbolizing the triumph of Jesus in saving

mankind from its sins. On this day, we come to know the

reality of God‗s faithfulness to each of us. In Greek thinking,

hope is based on the present reality, it is within the bounds of

this world. In the Old Testament, hope is a dimension of trust

in the Almighty God. It is not based on, or restricted to, the

present reality and goes against what is possible in this

world. In St. Paul's writings, there is no uniform notion of

hope. According to St. Paul, Abraham is the model of hope

(Rom 4:18) because, hoping against hope, he believed that he

would be the father of many nations—and it came to pass!

From Isaíah 43:1-4 and Rom 8:24, we know that the basis for

hope is in God and that in hope we are saved. This beautiful

message is repeated in Pope Benedict XVI‗s encyclical

letters which explain that: 1) God is love, and 2) Hope saves.

The discussion in the second half of the recollection,

growing in joy, was based on the letter of St. Paul to the

Philippians, "I want you to be happy, happy in the Lord." In

the New Testament, the verb "chairo" (to rejoice) is

mentioned no less than 362 times. St. Paul cites it 136 times

in his letters, making him an apostle of joy!

In Tagalog, the words for joy are: saya, galak, tuwa, ligaya

and lugod. And there are three types of saya:

Sayang nagsasalaysay at nagpapasalamat, Phil1:3-6. If

God is a generous provider, do we thank Him for

everything even in ordinary events of our life? Are we

also generous to others? Do we remember those people

who have been instrumental to our development, who

have helped us to become what we are today? How do we

thank them?

Sayang nagtatagubilin at naghihikayat, Phil 2:2-4. If God

is a suffering God, St. Paul advises us to be honest and

just, and not allow ourselves to feel jealousy. Are we more

interested in unity than division? Do we engage in makiisa

rather than makaisa? Do we realize that true love hurts?

Sayang nagpapalakas ng loob at tumutulong, Phil 1:20-

21. If God is a patient and searching God, St. Paul

admonishes us not to lose hope, nor to stop propagating

the truth. We need to search for the wayward and

accompany them back onto the right path. We try to

remember St. Francis, whose idea of perfect joy was in

being given the opportunity to suffer like the Lord did!

The Pope of joy, Benedict XVI, wrote three books on joy:

1. Christ our joy

2. Ministers of your joy

3. Faith as trust and joy

and opines that the world is in need of joy because of

Damage that has been caused to the environment;

Social upheaval;

Breakdown of the traditional family;

Widespread culture of death (abortion, contraception,

same-sex marriages, divorce);

International instability and recession; and

Terrorist threats of recent years resulting in general

unease, anxiety and fear about the future.

The three most-known symptoms of modern times are:

Chronic boredom despite all that life has to offer;

Spiritual listlessness or acedia; and

Frequently articulated belief that life itself is without

meaning.

Pope Benedict reminds us that the history of Christianity

begins with the word "Rejoice" Phil. 4:4 and challenges us

to proclaim the culture of joy!

Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel

Nascetur pro te, Israel.

Dec. 2009 Page 9

I have always loved the Christmas season. I love the smell of a

freshly-cooked puto bumbong mixed with the crisp, cold wind of

December. I love how my nose and ears freeze when I step out

of the house… and I love how I try to warm myself up, and

cuddle with the people I love. I love the Christmas colors (which

are not necessarily limited to green and red) and the dancing

lights that brighten up even the darkest nights. I love listening to

Christmas carols, and singing along as they are blasted from

tricycles, jeepneys and even the littlest sari-sari stores. I love the

belens, the Christmas story renditions, Santa Claus, Rudolph, the

little elves, heck, even the Grinch! I love the gifts (which

includes cards, photo frames and what-nots) – however

inexpensive they may be; I love wrapping them, as much as I

love UNWRAPPING them.

But after all, thinking about Christmas makes me miss home all

the more. It makes me long for family reunions, endless videoke

nights and huge feasts. It

makes me ache for my family,

and the comfort they bring,

knowing that no matter what

happens theirs is the home I

belong to – a home that shields

you from faceless beings, from

uncertainty, from self-doubt,

and from practically

everything that the world

A Christmas-less

December?

could throw at you.

Yet I never stopped searching for Christmas. I never stopped

looking for reasons to celebrate it this year, even in the

absence of everything but food. I never realized that the

reason that I have been searching has been - all along - here

in my heart.

The Bible says, ―and you will have joy and gladness, and

many will rejoice at His birth‖.

The only reason why one should not stop rejoicing, even in

the middle of a deep sense of longing, is still the sole reason

for Christmas itself. The prophets in the book of Isaiah (9:6)

remind us what Christmas is all about:

―For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the

government will be on his shoulders. And he will be

called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting

Father, Prince of Peace.‖

Christmas is a reminder that the troubled have a Wonderful

Counselor, the weak and the helpless a Mighty God, the

orphans an Everlasting Father, and the desperate a Prince of

Peace. It is a reminder that to us a Christ was born who will

give rest to our weary hearts and who brings salvation to our

lost souls.

I was comforted by this thought: I may be millions of miles

away from home, I may be alone this Christmas, sharing

stories with strangers perhaps, but I know that Jesus –

Christmas – will always be there to comfort my heart and

my soul precisely because Christmas is Jesus.

Kristina Tan

Walking our spiritual path

Some notes from your Pastoral Council On the first Sunday of every month

(except in summer), the Filipino

Catholic Chaplaincy‗s Pastoral Council

meets after the Community Mass to

carry out its objective of assisting the

Chaplain in organizing pastoral and

other activities for the benefit of the

parish. Of the 19 members, 7 were

elected in 2007, 2 were appointed by the

Chaplain, and 11 represent the various

re l igious o rganiza tions in the

community.

In the main, the activities organized by

the Pastoral Council aim to raise funds

to underwrite the Community‗s projects,

such as the installation and running

costs of the heating system in the Upper

Church, and the replacement of abaca

carpets in the Upper Church. These two

projects alone, undertaken soon after we

started in 2003 to use the facilities of the

Maria vom Berge Karmel parish

represent a total investment of approx.

Euro 65,000.00 and document our active

participation in parish life. Our

parishioners are aware that the funds are

generated through food festivals, the

showing of Filipino films, the

organization of cultural and musical

programmes, the undertaking of

pilgrimages and even through 'tombolas'.

What may not be so obvious is that the

Pastoral Council also occasionally

handles the hosting of visiting Filipino

musical groups. This involves

coordinating family-stays for our visiting

kababayans, providing moral and

logistical support for their often

exhausting musical programs and even

organizing concerts at short notice. Such

activities have been successful not only

because of the generous support of

families and individuals directly involved

with all the arrangements, but because of

the Community, in general, that turn up

unfailingly at such concerts to lend eager

ears and enthusiastic applause.

Even less visible is the support that our

Community provides to our Austrian host

community for such matters as providing

assistance as needed by their community,

at weekly masses for the inmates of the

near-by old folks‗ home, and providing

handy-man help with various tasks

around the church buildings.

The worn-out felt carpets have been

replaced in all rooms on the third floor

of the convent, as well as in some of

the rooms on the second floor. This is

also true for the Gruppenraum in the

basement.

Other parishes look with envy as they

observe our services fully-attended by

families (comprising infants through

grandp aren t s) and wh ere the

congregation sings WITH the choir

throughout the mass.

As we journey through our spiritual

path in our chosen home, aware that

paths are seldom smooth & straight, let

us be grateful to the Lord for the

opportunities that He has given us to be

ONE community, and let us pray that

the bonds that hold us become even

stronger with time.

Pastulan Page 10

Each year, the community takes on a theme quoted from Scriptures to become the community´s guiding verse. And at the close of year, we look back to the prophetic theme being realized in the year that has passed.

Our theme for 2008 was taken from Zephaniah, and the Lord instructed us to keep on being joyful by fixing our eyes on Him after coming from a year of great trials and lamentations. And as 2008 ended, the Lord revealed to us that in 2009, we have to trust in Him more, as stated in Isaiah 12:2. Praise God for His great revelation, because as we trusted Him, we experienced more of Him and His blessings with the victories that He has allowed us to experience!

This year, CFC FFL Vienna lived out the

theme "Trusting in the Lord by being more committed to our 7 Core Values". We believe that there is no better way of showing our full trust in Him than by carrying out our mission and vision of renewing the family and defending life by being faithful to our 7 Core Values.

We have solidified our being Christ-centered not only with the implementation of our formation tracks by having consistent and regular monthly teachings for members and leaders and by institutionalizing the celebration of the Eucharist before each General Assembly (GA). We also have implemented the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament every First Friday just before the GA. So truly, the community gathers to worship God not only with our community´s form of praise and worship but by celebrating God´s presence in the Holy Eucharist and with extended adoration of His Real Presence with the exposition and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

We have intensified our being evangelistic and missionary by the conduct of our twice yearly CLS here in Vienna, and the strengthening of the provincial mission areas. As CFC FFL Vienna continues to be the mission center for Europe, we have helped a number of other countries by sending mission teams to them. We have helped out in establishing CFC FFL in Plymouth, UK and in Prague, Czech Republic. There are other cities lined up for work before the year ends.

We had our Family Enrichment Retreat at the middle of this year. as well as Family Day during the summer. We also transitioned many of our members from

From joy to trust one ministry to another. Kids moving on to Youth, Youth to Singles, Singles to Couples or Handmaids. A good harvest of more than 30 youths and 40 kids was produced this year for the CFC Youth for Family and Life (YFL) and the CFC Kids for Family and Life (KFL). These were all in accordance with our Focus on the Family.

As the community grew in numbers, we also kept growing in our relationship with each other. Having fun together during fellowships and celebrations is one way to foster harmony among brethren, but we went beyond that this year by solidifying our identity as a community by involving more people to go on mission. A good number of members in addition to leaders were able to go to different m i s s i o n a r e a s l o c a l l y a n d internationally. We had a one-of-a-kind celebration of this year's anniversary with a special praisefest designed to strengthen relationships. It was preceded by the celebration of Holy Mass by our Spiritual Director, Fr. Joey Demoy.

In gratitude for God´s blessings that allow us to live in abundance here in Vienna, we lived out our core value of

giving a preferential option to the poor by campaigning to help out our Restoration Villages in the Philippines, and supporting the efforts of various chaplaincies who work with the poor. We also responded well to the needs of our brethren who were struck by the different typhoons that ravaged the Philippines. We sent a very good donation to Ondoy and Peping victims through our CFC FFL's "A Drop of

Love Campaign".

This year, we emphasized the call to leaders to be servants. To enforce it,

we intensified the teachings for leaders and even changed the terms for headship. The title of Head (Cluster Head,Chapter Head, Household Head, etc.) was changed to Servant (Cluster Servant, Chapter Servant, Household Servant, etc.)

We also have continued to improve our relations with the Church by participating more in its life. The presence of CFC FFL was greatly felt in the Familien Wallfahrt held in August and sponsored by the Archdiocese of Vienna. A great number of CFC FFL members were also present during the Maria-Namens-Feier in September. We sent delegates to the congress on ”Apostelgeschichte 2010” organized by the Archdiocese and held at the Stephansdom with different parishes and communities present last October. We were also able to invite Bishop Precioso Cantillas of Maasin Leyte, the Cha i r o f the Episcopa l Commission for Migrants and Itinerant Peoples to visit us here in Vienna. He celebrated Holy Mass and gave 3 talks on different occasions.

A distinguishing change brought about by the crisis in community a few years ago is that CFC FFL is now very Marian. The community is consecrated to Our Lady, Mediatrix of All Grace and the consecration prayer is said in every meeting whether at assemblies or at households. The rosary is now

very much part of our meetings and our daily prayers. We also have established the intercessory prayer group to pray and intercede not only for the community but also for our priests and for the church. This happens every Thursday at the Donaucity Church at 5 p.m. and is followed by Holy Mass at 6 p.m. We follow the format of the Cenacles, organized by Fr. Stefano Gobbi and we use the Blue Book (To the Priests, Our Lady's Beloved Sons) for reflections.

So, it was a very busy year of trusting the Lord. And truly,

He never fails us as we trust Him with all our hearts. He gave us a fitting reward in the recognition by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and the renewal of the Vatican Appointment of our Servant General, the founder of Couples for Christ, Frank Padilla and his wife Gerry Padilla to the Pontifical Council of the Family. This has brought joy unto us, as we see it as the Lord looking upon the community with gladness and affirming us as we continue to trust in Him.

Couples for Christ Foundation for Family and Life

Dec. 2009 Page 11

Dear Fr. Jojo,

For several years now, we have

been setting up our own belen in

the Upper Church, to be viewed

from the start of the Simbang Gabi

until the Feast of the Sto. Niño.

However, until now, I am still

wondering where and when this

practice of belen started. Also,

what is its significance for us?

Thank you for your clarification.

Miss Inquirer

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --

Dear Miss Inquirer:

The earliest known scene of the Nativity dates back to the fourth century,

probably about 343 AD. It is carved in stone and was discovered in 1877 in

the catacombs of San Sebastiano in Rome. In that same city, in the church of

St. Mary Major, a replica of the cave of Bethlehem was constructed in the

fifth century and, from the eighth century onward, the relics of the manger of

Jesus which supposedly were brought from Bethlehem, were venerated

there. The decisive impulse for the popularity of the manger came from St.

Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) who in 1223 organized an open air re-

enactment of the Nativity scene in Greccio (Italy). From then on, the

Franciscan Friars, and later on also the Jesuits, began to propagate the crib

and in a short time, it conquered the world. The art of crib-making reached

its high point at the end of the 17th century.

As to its significance, we can say that the crib can offer us a clear audio-

visual of the Nativity scene; thus, it can easily open our minds and hearts to

a more meaningful celebration of Christmas. This representation should,

however, not be regarded as a thing of the past, something that happened

two thousand years ago. Rather, it should make us realize that Christmas

happens every day, in the innocent children born into great poverty,

challenging us to see Christ in them and thus reach out to them. The crib can

truly give us a clear insight, to see Christ in our brothers and sisters who are

suffering.

(Reference: Bernhard Raas, Liturgical Year, Vol. , Philippines: Logos Publication, Inc.)

Fr. Jojo

In the right corner

€5,630 for Ondoy & Peping victims

The Community's collections for the victims of tropical storms Ondoy and

Peping amounted to €5,630.00 and were remitted to Caritas Philippines

for appropriate distribution.

Please bring used clothes (except winter items!) to the Parish Office until

mid-January 2010; we will ship them to calamity victims.

Maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat!

The Young Shepherds

invite all Parish youth

FACILITATORS:

Ian Abila 06991 219 4559

Iggy Alberto 0676 788 7759

Almar Rosimo 06991 947 1202

You are cordially invited to join Father Joey′s special programme to strengthen youth-to-parish bonds, and

prepare for your active participation – e.g. as lectors – during the celebration of our Community Mass. We

would be happy if you could join us in the Pfarrsaal: 2–4 p.m., on the 1st & 3rd Saturdays of the month.

Our Christmas celebration will be held on Sunday, December 27 in the Pfarrsaal. We plan to start at 6

p.m., and we sincerely hope that you and your friends will come!

Come one, come all!

"Mano po 6:

My mother" Starring Sharon Cuneta

Saturday, 10 Jan. 2010, 15:30h

Cineplexx (Reichsbrücke)

Pastulan Page 12

We’re on the Web!

www.fcc-vienna.org

Please visit the Website frequently for church announcements, news, photos

from our events, information about our church organizations, private advertise-

ments, etc. Please feel free to send your comments and suggestions for

improvement to: webmaster@fcc-vienna.org

PASTULAN—The Official Newsletter of the Filipino Catholic Chaplaincy (African, Asian and Latin American Catholic Communities, Archdiocese of Vienna, Austria)

Pfarre Maria vom Berge Karmel, Stefan Fadinger Platz 1, A-1100 Vienna

Tel.: +43 1 617 2346 Fax.: +43 1 526 7316 email: fccpastulan@yahoo.com

Fr. Jose S. Demoy (Chaplain)

Fr. Ely Dalanon (Asst. Chaplain)

Fr. Cyril Villareal (Asst. Chaplain)

STAFF: Marizel Aguirre, MT Brittinger, Angie Castor-

Estrada, Rhona Rectra

PHOTOGRAPHERS: George Florendo, Lito Ramos

Please note that unless otherwise indicated, the venue for all our services and activities is: Maria vom Berge Karmel Church

Stefan Fadinger Platz 1, A-1100 Vienna.

The closest (bus) station is "Gussriegelstrasse" and can be reached by taking:

Bus 65A from U1 "Reumannplatz", or

Bus 15A from U4 "Meidling Hauptstrasse" or U3 "Enkplatz"

Or, take tram no. 1 to the end station "Stefan Fadinger Platz"

Donaucity Church Donaucity-Strasse 2, A-1220 Vienna U1 "Kaisermühlen/VIC"

Mariahilf Church Barnabitengasse 14, A-1060 Vienna U3 "Neubaugasse""

St. Stephen′s Cathedral Stephansplatz 1, A-1010 Vienna U1 and U3 "Stephansplatz"

From our calendar

Day Time Service / Activity

15-23 Dec.

19:00h Simbang Gabi Also at Donaucity Church

20 Dec. 12:00h Paskuhan sa Parokya

17:00h Simbang Gabi At Donaucity Church

24 Dec. 19:30h Vigil Mass, Nativity of Our Lord

21:00h Vigil Mass, Nativity of Our Lord Donaucity Church

25 Dec. 11:00h Mass, Nativity of Our Lord

17:00h !! No mass at Donaucity Church !!

27 Dec. 11:00h

Feast of the Holy Family and Blessing of Families

17:00h Feast of the Holy Family and Blessing of Families, Donaucity Church

31 Dec. 20:00h

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Anticipated Mass)

21:00h Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Anticipated Mass) Donaucity Church

01 Jan. 11:00h

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God Joint mass with Austrian parish (English)

17:00h !! No mass at Donaucity Church !!

17 Jan. 11:00h Feast of the Sto Niño, with Agape and Programme

28 Jan.– 6 Feb. 2010 Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

17 Feb. 12:30h Ash Wednesday Mass, Donaucity Church

18:30h Ash Wednesday Mass, Lainzpfarre

27 Mar. 09:00-16:00h Lenten Recollection

28 Mar. 11:00h Palm Sunday Mass

17:00h Palm Sunday Mass Donaucity Church

1 Apr. 08:00h

Holy Thursday, Way of the Cross (location to be advised)

19:00h Last Supper Mass and Vigil

2 Apr. 07:00h

Good Friday, Way of the Cross (location to be advised)

19:00h Good Friday Liturgy

3 Apr. 20:00h Easter Vigil

4 Apr. 11:00h Easter Sunday and Community Day

17:00h !! No mass at Donaucity Church

28 Apr – 5 May 2010 Pilgrimage to Greece

Pilgrimage to the Holy Land 15 – 22 May 2010 R e

g u

l a

r s

e r

v i

c e

s

Sundays 10:30h — 11:15h

Confession

11:00h Community Mass

17:00h Community Mass, Donaucity Church

Wednesdays 12:30h Mass and Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Donaucity Church

18:30h Mass and Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Mariahilf Church

18:30h First Friday, Mass and Novena to the Divine Mercy

Fridays

18:30h Last Friday, Mass and Novena to Our Lady of Peñafrancia

Saturdays 19:00h Anticipated Mass, St. Stephen′s Cathedral

YOU, your family, and your

friends are cordially invited

to join our Community

services and activities!