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THE EPIPHANY - GOD'S GREAT MANIFESTATION
Greetings from Fr. Bob ...
On January 3rd we celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany, marking the arrival of the Magi (Mt.2). We call them the three Wise Men or Three Kings, but there is one important fact about them that we often overlook. They were outsiders and not people of the covenant, not sons of Abraham. Yet they were among the first to come to the stable to worship the new born King.
They are like the Samaritan leper in the New Testament who was cured and came back to give thanks. He was an outsider. Or the Syrian woman, a pagan, who bantered with Jesus about her daughter's health which was restored. She was an outsider. The Samaritan woman at the well who had five husbands and the Roman Centurion who testified on Calvary that "surely this was God's son," were outsiders.
They are all biblical foreigners just like the Magi. So what do they all tell us, these outsiders? They tell us simply and profoundly that no one is excluded from the love of God. In a sense, we are all foreigners. Some consider themselves out of the social loop or sinful. Some are addicted and carry shameful deeds and betrayals.
Some are unforgiving, vengeful or alienated in a hundred different ways and consider themselves moral outsiders. But the story of the Magi tells us there is room for all of us - male, female, addicted or free, faithful or faithless, saint or sinner.
The Irish writer James Joyce sums it up best when he says – "Here comes everybody." Because it is everybody. Outsiders of all sorts are welcomed to the grace and love found in Jesus Christ.
The Epiphany is God's great manifestation. The light of the world is here deep inside of you, around you, above you and below you. God is here and we must reveal that startling fact in our lives. God is here. Let your life announce it.
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Yours in Christ,
Fr. Bob Warren, SA
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JANUARY 18-25, 2016 — WEEK OF PRAYER FOR
CHRISTIAN UNITY
 From January 18-25, 2016, Christian churches around the world will come together to pray for Christian Unity. Since the founder of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, Servant of God Fr. Paul Wattson, SA, began the Church Unity Octave at Graymoor in 1908, the Friars and Sisters of the Atonement believed that setting aside a week for prayer and seminars to promote Christian unity would help heal the divide among all followers of Christ.
"Called to Proclaim the Mighty Acts of the Lord" (cf. 1 Peter 2:9) has been selected as the 2016 theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The theme finds its origins in the First Letter of Peter. St. Peter tells the early Church that in their search for meaning prior to encountering the Gospel they were not a people. But through hearing the call to be God's chosen race and receiving the power of God's salvation in Jesus Christ, they have become God's people. As Christians seeking the unity of the Body of Christ, we are all called to recognize the mighty acts of God in our own lives and the life of the Church. Learn more about the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and purchase supplies for your own church celebrations.
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GRAYMOOR PLANS SEVEN EVENTS AT HOME AND ELSEWHERE FOR WEEK OF PRAYER
FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
Each year, the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement organize and help promote the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity around the world. Together, Christian communities around the world use the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity to share ideas for ecumenical education and celebration.
From January 18-25, 1908, Servant of God Fr. Paul Wattson, SA, and Mother Lurana White, SA, co-founders of the Society of the Atonement at Graymoor, celebrated the first Church Unity Octave. This eight-day week of prayer focuses on the cause of Christian unity. They wrote letters and articles encouraging others to pray with them "that all may be one … that the world may believe" (John 17:21). In keeping with the Founders' goals, each year the Friars organize a week of prayer services for Christian unity, led by Friars and Sisters of the Atonement and other Christian congregations at Graymoor and in nearby locations.
In the late 1960s, the Octave was joined with other prayer movements to form what is now observed worldwide as the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The theme for 2016 is Called to Proclaim the Mighty Acts of the Lord (cf. 1 Peter 2:9). In the shared sacred texts of the Bible, we hear of God's saving acts in salvation history: leading his people out of slavery in Egypt, and the great mighty act of God: the raising of Jesus from the dead, which opened new life to all of us. As Christians seeking the unity of the Body of Christ, we are all called to recognize the mighty acts of God in our own lives and the life of the Church.
To participate and pray from home, view the Daily Scripture and Prayer Guide.
The public is welcome to attend these events planned for Graymoor and its vicinity:
Monday, January 18, 7:00 pm, St. Francis Convent
Rev. Cynthia Major of the United Methodist Church speaking.
Tuesday, January 19, 7:00 pm, St. Christopher's Inn
Rev. Robert Johnson of the American Baptist Church speaking.
Wednesday, January 20, 7:00 pm, St. Pius X 5th Fl. Library, Graymoor
Rev. Jan Nunley of the Episcopal Church speaking.
Thursday, January 21, 7:00 pm, St. Pius X 5th Fl. Library, Graymoor
Rev. Gary Battle of the Refugee Church of Christ speaking.
Friday, January 22, 11:00 am, St. Pius X 5th Fl. Library, Graymoor
The V. Rev. Brian F. Terry, Minister General of the Friars of the Atonement, speaking.
Saturday, January 23, 7:00 pm, St. Pius X 5th Fl. Library, Graymoor
Rev. Agnes Campbell Saffoury speaking.
Sunday, January 24, 3:00 pm, Peekskill Presbyterian Church
Very Reverend Bishop Andrew Dietsche of the Episcopal Diocese of New York speaking.
Monday, January 25, 7:00 pm, St. Pius X 5th Fl. Library, Graymoor
Rev. Alexi Vinogradov of the Wappingers Falls Orthodox Church speaking.
For more information about Week of Prayer for Christian Unity events, contact the Graymoor Spiritual Life Center, (845) 424-3549 or email JKeane@AtonementFriars.org.
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ATONEMENT FRIARS TO PARTICIPATE IN GLOBAL
CHRISTIAN UNITY EVENTS
 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- A Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Ecumenical Prayer Service will be held on Jan. 24, 2016 at 4 p.m. at Good Shepherd Chaldean Catholic Church. Thomas Cardinal Collins will be preaching. The focus of this year's service is on the refugees' crisis. "One faith, one destiny, one journey together" article >>
Washington, DC
- The 2016 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will be inaugurated on Sunday, January 17th, with Evening Prayer for Christian Unity at 4:00 PM at the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in Washington, DC.
The Reverend Ledlie Laughlin, rector of St. Columba's Episcopal Church, Tenleytown (DC), will preach. During the service a newly commissioned icon of Father Paul Wattson, SA, and Mother Lurana Mary White, SA, co-founders of the Society of the Atonement, will be blessed. Also participating will be Dr. Mark Hansen, lay pastor of Saint Clement's Episcopal Church, Millington, MD. Both Father Paul Wattson and his father served as rectors of that church.
Rome, Italy
- On Thursday, January 21, at 4:30 pm, the Centro Pro Unione in the Piazza Navona will host "The Church and the People of God." The Rt. Rev. Prof. N.T. Wright, Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity, University of St. Andrews, Retired Bishop of Durham (UK). His talk will be followed by an Ecumenical Celebration of the Word. The co-organizer of this event is the Lay Centre at Foyer Unitas. |
FRANCISCAN AT-ONE-MENT MISSION PROJECT
The Friars are seeking six candidates to volunteer for the Summer Franciscan At-One-Ment Mission Project which will run from June 17-August 14, 2016. The Franciscan At-One-Ment Mission Project is a program of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement. With Jesus and St. Francis as guides, we invite young men to serve in one of the Friars' "At-One-Ment" ministries of healing and reconciliation.
 Volunteers can choose from two tracks:
1) helping homeless and chemically dependent men at St. Christopher's Inn regain their lives as productive members of society, or,
2) fostering religious dialogue so that all Christian faiths and world religions may work together better to bring reconciliation to our divided, hurting world.
V. Rev. Brian F. Terry, Minister General, said, "This presents an opportunity for volunteers to come to know themselves better through serving in one of the Friars' ministries of 'At-One-Ment.' Our aim is to ignite participants' faith lives through authentic personal connections and understanding other Christian faiths and world religions."
For both tracks, volunteers will participate with the friars in the daily routine of community living, meals, and prayer. All six volunteers will come together frequently for fellowship and reflection.
Single Catholic men, ages 19-25, who are interested in applying and have completed at least two years of college, may call Paul Krenzelok, Director of Discernment Ministry for Youth and Young Adults, for detailed information or email him at PKrenzelok@AtonementFriars.org. Deadline for application is April 1, 2016.
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NEW AFFILIATES NAMED BY FRIARS
 Mary Higgins Clark Conheeney and John J. Conheeney were named as affiliates of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement at a luncheon on Friday, December 11 at Graymoor. They were selected for this honor because they bear witness to the Good News in their daily lives by their use of "time, talent, substance and opportunity" for the good of others.
Mary Higgins Clark Conheeney, the author of 51 best-selling suspense novels, and her husband John J. Conheeney, have known the Friars for many years. They have joyfully supported the ministries of the Community personally, financially, professionally and spiritually with great benevolence and friendship.
They have shown extraordinary devotion to Servant of God Father Paul Wattson's vision of Christian unity and charity, showing their concern and generosity through their support of many worthwhile charities. As affiliates, they are entitled to participate in all the spiritual benefits of the Congregation in life and death, and they are to be granted and accepted in all of the Friars' Houses.
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FRIARS' ECUMENICAL AND INTERREGLIGIOUS UPDATE
Ontario, Canada
Father Damian MacPherson, SA, Director of Ecumenical & Interfaith Affairs, Archdiocese of Toronto, Canada has written an article for Living with Christ, Canada's companion to praying and living the Eucharist, entitled "Ecumenical Initiatives: Big or Small, We Need them All" for the January 2016 issue. He reminds us that God's mightiest of presence is made manifest in the most simple of ways, for example, through the warmth of extending a simple courtesy, a gesture of hospitality or an extra few moments in quality conversation with another not of our faith, tradition or practice.
Father MacPherson will be sharing in the following ecumenical and interreligious activities taking place in the Toronto area:
· Muslim-Catholic Student Dialogue has restarted with a lively and well-attended first meeting (over 20 students) talking about Dating, Marriage and Family with sharing from a Muslim-Catholic couple. A follow-up meeting will be held to discuss further on inter-cultural and inter-generational challenges. The group will also come together to pray as Catholics and Muslims with the theme of praying for those who have been suffering from the various terrorist attacks and violence in the world today.
· Fr. MacPherson is attending meetings with Ambassador Andrew Bennet (Religious Freedom), local Jewish representatives, leaders of Eastern Rite Catholic and Eastern Orthodox leaders to discuss ways and means by which the Jewish community might assist with the alleviation of persecuted Christians in the Middle East.
· The Friars' Ontario Student Writing Award is celebrating its 14th year of success. The Award is given to a Catholic high school student in the province who is chosen as the best essayist writing an article on the theme of the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This year's theme is "Called to Proclaim the Mighty Acts of God." (1 Peter 2:9).
Sterling, Virginia
On December 4, Father Patrick Cogan, SA, Pastor of Christ the Redeemer in Sterling, VA, and president of the Catholic Association of Ecumenical and Interreligious Officers, hosted a gathering for the 2015 LARCUM Conference. Father Donald J. Rooney, chairman of the diocesan Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs Commission, welcomed participants at Christ the Redeemer Church in Sterling for "The Church Always Reforming" was this year's theme. The annual event is a statewide gathering of both clergy and laity from the Lutheran, Anglican, Roman Catholic and United Methodist faith traditions. Learn more >>
Washington, DC
Fr. Jim Gardiner, SA was a panelist for the DC Chapter of the Religion Communicators Council sharing impressions of the recent papal visit, concelebrating the canonization mass in Washington and providing live commentary for WCBS NewsRadio880 while the Pope was in New York City. He also reported on the Parliament of World's Religions which Fr. Wilfred Tyrrell, SA and he attended in Salt Lake City in mid-October.
Additionally, Fr. Jim has been invited to serve on the committee that submits suggestions for the CBS Interfaith Series which produces cultural and religious documentaries that are aired nationwide on CBS television.
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SHARE IN OUR MINISTRY OF PRAYER
Perpetual Novena >>
The Perpetual Novena to St. Anthony continues daily.
Learn more about the Perpetual Novena to St. Anthony.
 Upcoming Special Novena:
We invite you to share your special needs and intentions with us as we invoke the miraculous power of St. Anthony's intercession in a special Novena of Masses beginning Tuesday, March 15th.
Special St. Anthony Novena >>
The Graymoor Spiritual Union >>
When someone dies, the sadness and grief can be unbearable. Those closest to the deceased often feel like they're not sure how they will go on, or what they will do next. At these times, the special remembrances of prayers and condolences from friends and loved ones are truly heaven-sent gifts.
When you are in need of a special expression of caring for a friend or loved one in honor of their dearly departed, send a Perpetual Remembrance Enrollment Card in the Graymoor Spiritual Union. Your gift will bring comfort and also support the good works of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement. A large selection of cards are available at:
www.AtonementFriars.org/MassCards.
This Month's Featured Card >>
 Perpetual Mass Enrollment
So often you want to express caring to friends and loved ones, especially in times of need or sadness.
This beautiful Perpetual Mass enrollment will bring comfort to someone you know who has lost a loved one . . . or if they are in need of prayer for any reason, be it illness, family troubles, or emotional or spiritual despair.
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Pre-Register Online
•Mon., Jan. 18 – Mon., Jan. 25
WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
•Fri., Jan. 29 – Sun., Jan 31
MATT TALBOT MEN
•Fri., Feb. 19 – Sun., Feb. 21
S.O.A.R.
(Surviving Our Alcoholic Relationships)
ON-GOING MEETINGS AT GRAYMOOR
• Bible Study:
The Book of the Gospel ofLuke
Wednesdays
9:30-11:00 am
John XXIII Parlor
5th floor
Flyer
• Overeaters Anonymous
Saturdays 8:30-9:30 am
Flyer
PRAYER MEETINGS
• St. John's Prayer Group
St. Pius X Chapel
Thur. 7:30 pm
RECOVERY MEETINGS
• AA, NA, SA, Al-Anon, OA
Contact the
Graymoor Spiritual Life Center:
GSLC@AtonementFriars.org
(845) 424-2111
www.GraymoorCenter.org
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Franciscan Friars of the Atonement
Headquartered at Graymoor in Garrison, NY, the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement is a Roman Catholic religious community with social, pastoral and ecumenical ministries in the United States, Canada, England, Italy, and Japan.
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OUR MINISTRIES:
Graymoor Spiritual
Life Center
The Graymoor Spiritual Life Center, a ministry if the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, is a Retreat and Conference Center, providing programs and rental facilities for the spiritual and educational needs of individuals, families and organizations in the Atonement Franciscan spirit of at-one-ment.
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Centro Pro Unione
Christian Unity and
Ecumenical Research
The Centro Pro Unione, founded and directed by the Society of the Atonement, is an ecumenical research and action center. Its purpose is to give space for dialogue, study, research and information in ecumenism: theological, pastoral, social and social.
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Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute
Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute promotes Christian unity and interreligious dialogue in North America through its monthly (except August) journal, Ecumenical Trends, Lecture Series, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity resources.
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St. Christopher's Inn
Residential Shelter & Substance Abuse Treatment Center
St. Christopher's Inn is a temporary shelter dedicated to the rehabilitation of men in crisis. Today the Inn shelters over 1,200 men per year, most of whom suffer from alcohol and/or drug addiction.
Our mission is to offer a continuum of quality health care services that facilitate physical, emotional, and spiritual healing by providing chemical dependency treatment, primary health care, and temporary housing.
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Parish Ministries /
Atonement Centers
The Friars of the Atonement serve in parish ministries throughout the world. To visit parish websites, click on the link below:
St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church, Apex, NC
Christ the Redeemer Roman Catholic Church, Sterling, VA
Chapel of Our Savior, Brockton, Massachusetts
St. Joan of Arc Parish, Toronto Ontario, Canada
St. Joseph the Worker, Richmond British Columbia, Canada
St. Joseph’s Church, Tsurumi-ku Yokohama, Japan
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