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A Central Theme of Our Faith: Suffering
St. Anthony Prayer Walkway Blessed
Christian Unity in Action
Documents of the Great and Holy Council
Catholic Press Association Awards
Holy Land Festival
Your Lasting Legacy of Generosity & Hope
Share in our Ministry of Prayer
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Our Lady of the Atonement
Greetings from Father Bob ...
Every evening I take a walk around Graymoor. At this time of year, the trees are green and lush and the flowerbeds are bursting with color. Graymoor certainly is a beautiful place, and there is so much activity going on. It seems that every night some group is meeting here – prayer groups, Holy Hour, Healing Mass, A.A. and N.A. meetings.
Then there are those people who come to Graymoor for retreats. They come to spend a weekend deepening their spiritual life and their relationship with God. I always say that we must be one of the few religious houses in the world that often experiences traffic jam and parking problems.
July is also a special month for us because on July 9th we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Atonement, which is Graymoor's title for Our Blessed Mother.
Our founder, Fr. Paul once wrote that the title of Our Lady of the Atonement is unique to the Friars and Sisters of the Atonement. "For it did not begin in Rome or in a majestic basilica. It was not the interpretation of a great theologian. This feast day of Mary is ours. It began at Graymoor in the heart of New York State." So, we can truly say that Our Lady of the Atonement is an American Madonna.
But Mary is a woman of all ages and belongs to all people. That is the secret of her enduring popularity and her appeal. Mary did not start out as great and travel a privileged path. She was the handmaid of the Lord and traveled the lowly path throughout her life. But then, God, who is mighty, has done great things for her. Because she responded to his loving invitation, God saw to it that all generations would call her "Blessed."
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Yours in Christ,
Father Bob Warren, SA |
A CENTRAL THEME OF OUR FAITH: SUFFERING
 Father Damian MacPherson, SA, Director of Ecumenical & Interfaith Affairs for the Archdiocese of Toronto in Canada, writes in the Catholic Register about suffering, a central theme of our faith. He is responding to the current debate over the Canadian legislation allowing medically assisted dying for the terminally ill.
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ST. ANTHONY PRAYER WALKWAY BLESSED
 On June 9, Heritage Society members and benefactors joined the Friars for the dedication of the St. Anthony Shrine Prayer Walkway. V. Rev. Brian F. Terry, SA, Minister General, celebrated the Eucharist and blessed the Prayer Walkway with Fr. Emil Tomaskovic, SA. The guests joined the Friars at a festive luncheon following Mass. The St. Anthony Shrine at Graymoor, built in 1959, is the largest of its kind to St. Anthony in the United States. You can request your own commemorative brick on the Walkway from the link below.
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DOCUMENTS OF THE GREAT AND HOLY COUNCIL
 On June 15, 2016 at 5pm, three Orthodox theologians, Dr. Tamara Grdzelidze (Orthodox Church of Georgia), Dr. Bogdan Tataru-Cazaban (Ambassador of Romania, member of the Romanian Orthodox Church) and Dr. Dimitrios Keramidas (Orthodox Church of Greece) together with other younger orthodox theologians, Deacon Leonide Ebralidze (Orthodox Church of Georgia) Alexandru Marius Crisan (Orthodox Church of Romania) and Nikos-Giorgios Papachristou (Ecumenical Patriarchate) came to Centro Pro Unione to discuss the proceedings and documents of the Great and Holy Council. Fourteen Orthodox Autocephalous Churches met in Crete in June for the first time in centuries to talk about issues relating to life in the Orthodox Church and to recapture their lost synodality and conciliarity. This event was jointly held by Centro Pro Unione in Rome and the Georgian and Romanian Embassies to the Holy See. Scholars presented abstracts to discuss the fruits of this historic meeting.
Centro Pro Unione, a ministry of the Friars, is a research center in Rome which focuses on ecumenical studies.
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CATHOLIC PRESS ASSOCIATION AWARDS
 Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute (GEII), a ministry of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, earned a third place Catholic Press Association Award. The Catholic Press Association received 2,451 press submissions in 255 categories for consideration for the 2016 awards. The article published in its journal, Ecumenical Trends,"Koinonia and Philoxenia - Toward an Expanded Ecumenical Ecclesiology" by Rev. Michael Kinnamon was awarded third place for Best Essay Originating with a Magazine or Newsletter: Professional & Special Interest Magazine. The Rev. Michael Kinnamon, Ph.D., is the former General Secretary of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, and is recently retired from the position of Spehar-Halligan Visiting Professor of Ecumenical and Interreligious Studies at Seattle University's School of Theology and Ministry. Click here to subscribe to Ecumenical Trends.
 Fr. Elias Mallon, SA, PhD, External Affairs Officer for Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) also earned a Catholic Press Association Award honorable mention in the category Best Online Content Not Published In Print for Selected Blog Essays, November-December 2015 at CNEWA's ONE Magazine online. In the announcement, the Catholic Press Association said, "The blog writer is covering Catholic relations with other faiths in a way that encourages openness, honesty and trust…these blogs very much fulfill the mission of teaching to audience about these principles."
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HOLY LAND FESTIVAL
 The third annual Holy Land Festival will be held on Saturday, July 16th, 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM, at the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land, 1400 Quincy Street, NE, Washington. Sponsored by the Holy Land Committee of the Archdiocese of Washington, the festival highlights the culture and life of Christians in the Holy Land and will feature exhibits, vendors, demonstrations, speakers, food and guided tours of the Monastery church and gardens. Arabic writing and making humus, kebobs and lavender wands will be demonstrated; and books, crafts, clothing and Mediterranean food will be offered for sale.
Exhibitors will include Bethlehem University Foundation, the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land, Holy Family Hospital of Bethlehem Foundation and the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation. Four 50-minute workshops -- beginning with a live, interactive telecast from Bethlehem and including presentations on "Jerusalem 1000-1400: Every People under Heaven" (a special exhibit opening in mid-September at the Metropolitan Museum of Art), women Palestinian saints and the "Holy Land Principles" -- will be offered beginning at noon. [The workshops will be live-streamed at www.myfranciscan.com/live]
The festival will close with mass at 5:00 PM in the Monastery church. Bishop Martin Holley, auxiliary bishop of Washington and a member of the Franciscan Monastery board, will be celebrant and homilist. The choir from St. Joseph's Church, Largo, MD, will sing. Admission to the festival is free and there is free off- and on-street parking. If traveling by public transportation, take the Red Line to Brookland/CUA, then the H6 Metrobus four stops. For additional information, visit www.myfranciscan.com or call (202)526-6800 X374.
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YOUR LASTING LEGACY OF GENEROSITY & HOPE
A Charitable Gift Annuity may be the perfect way to meet the financial goals you have for yourself while helping the Friars with their good works at the same time. There are many immediate and long-term benefits to a Charitable Gift Annuity such as:
• Guaranteed fixed payment for the rest of your life.
• You receive an income tax deduction for the gift value of the annuity.
• Part of each annuity payment you receive is tax-free.
By funding a Charitable Gift Annuity you can help ensure that our work toward at-one-ment, unity, reconciliation and healing goes on.
Those who participate in Franciscan Friars of the Atonement Charitable Gift Annuity become members of the Paul Wattson Heritage Society. For more information contact Margaret Coyle, Associate Director, Special Gifts (800) 338-2620, ext. 2130.
Our website has details on planning your estate, gifts and annuities and includes online wizards and calculators to help you make the right decision for your goals.
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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:
 St. Anthony Angels
"St. Anthony's Angels" are friends and benefactors who honor the life of St. Anthony
by playing a significant role in the extension of God's Kingdom upon earth through their
support of the Mission and ministries of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement. Join with us as we honor St. Anthony of Padua, our fellow Franciscan and one of the Church's most beloved saints.
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 St. Anthony Novena of Masses beginning July 12th.
St. Anthony Novena of Masses >>
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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Click here to subscribe to this newsletter
www.FatherPaulOfGraymoor.org
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Pre-Register Online
•Fri. Jul. 8-Sun. Jul. 10
SPANISH-SPEAKING MATT TALBOT
•Fri. Jul. 22-Sun. Jul. 24
SPIRITUALITY OF THE 12 STEPS
•Fri. Aug. 5-Sun. Aug. 7
LEARN TO LISTEN
Flyer
•Fri. Aug. 19-Sun. Aug. 21
WOMEN IN RECOVERY
ON-GOING MEETINGS AT GRAYMOOR
• Bible Study:
1st Book of Corinthians
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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