World Day of Peace

Catholics around the world will celebrate the 43th World Day of Peace on New Year’s Day. Pope Benedict XVI has chosen “If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation” as the theme for 2010 celebration.

Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, welcomed Pope Benedict’s message for World Day of Peace (WDP) as he called on Catholics in the United States to work and pray for peace.

Project Hope and Compassion update from Fr. Mockler

Fr. Peter Mockler, pastor of St. Ann's Parish in Mississippi shares an update on the Project Hope and Compassion (PHC) efforts. St. Ann's provides accommodations for those volunteers helping to restore the Gulf Coast. PHC is a tremendous ministry and the hospitality will touch your heart, if you ever get a chance to go, don't miss catfish night!

Fr. Mockler has been a guest on CatholicTV's This is the Day program, as has Samantha Ormond, a young adult from Acton, MA, who serves as a long term volunteer at PHC. Here is his recent update:

“Its been fifty two months since Katrina visited our shores, destroyed our property and changed our lives .Thank God we have come to the end of another Hurricane season and we can continue to recover. Uppermost in our minds in this season of giving and thanksgiving are the wonderful people who have come to our aid over the past four years through Project Hope & Compassion. PHC has played a significant role in the relief, recovery,and rebuilding effort post Katrina. We are so grateful to the thousands of volunteers who left what they were doing and put their lives on hold to come to our aid. We had no idea prior to Katrina how many Big Hearted people there were across the country who would touch our lives with healing.and renew our Hope. Although (the)Katrina recovery has moved off the newspapers,and many relief programs have shut down, we at PHC continue to be blessed with generous support and many volunteers, and we are resolved to continue our efforts until recovery is complete or we exhaust our resources.”

Project Hope and Compassion “Camp Hope” in Lizana, MS
www.projecthopeandcompassion.org

Fulton Sheen Returns To CatholicTV

Starting in January, programming featuring Servant of God Fulton Sheen, makes its return to the CatholicTV programming schedule. The programming includes excerpts from his Emmy Award-winning television program “Life is Worth Living”.

This programming will be viewable at CatholicTV.com and on CatholicTV.

Servant of God Archbishop Fulton Sheen hosted this multi-themed program which includes such topics as gloom and laughter, patriotism in America, the true meaning of caring, communism, and angels.

Each week, the “Fulton Sheen” program will air at the following times (Eastern): Monday 10:30 a.m. Tuesday 3:30 a.m. Friday 12:30 p.m. and 11 p.m.

The Archbishop Fulton John Sheen Foundation is the official promoter of the Cause for the Canonization of Archbishop Sheen. CatholicTV supports the foundation's mission to introduce a new generation to the holy priest, missionary and communicator, Fulton J. Sheen, and to move the Church to proclaim him a saint. John Monahan narrated a retrospective of Archbishop Sheen which may be seen at the following web page: http://www.CatholicTV.com/videos/videos.aspx?videoID=343

CatholicTV recently aired a Mass in honor of the 30th anniversary of the death of Servant of God Archbishop Fulton Sheen. The Mass took place at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City with Archbishop Timothy Dolan as the principal celebrant and homilist.

This Mass can be viewed now at the following web address: http://www.CatholicTV.com/shows/default.aspx?seriesID=111&videoID=886

Holy Baby!

Exciting news! The Holy Baby! series will premiere on CatholicTV in early February.

New Year’s Day With the Pope? CatholicTV Will Air Vatican Vespers and New Year’s Day Mass from the Vatican

CatholicTV will air vespers service from the Vatican at 8PM Eastern on New Year’s Eve. CatholicTV will also air the Mass of the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God at noon and 8PM on Jan 1st. New Year’s Day will also mark the 43rd World Day of Peace originally introduced by Pope Paul VI.

These Vatican events will stream at www.CatholicTV.com and also on CatholicTV where available.

The World Day of Peace is a feast day of the Catholic Church dedicated to peace. It was introduced in 1967 and was inspired by the encyclicals Pacem in Terris and Populorum Progressio of John XXIII and Paul VI.

Pope Benedict has already released a message for World Day of Peace and in it, the Pope talks extensively about the need to be respectful to the environment, which is God’s creation.

Pope Benedict’s message for the celebration of the World Day of Peace can be viewed at. http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/peace/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20091208_xliii-world-day-peace_en.html

Vespers service will include a homily by the Holy Father. In the first Vespers service of Advent, Pope Benedict XVI said, “In our daily lives we all experience having little time for the Lord and also little time for ourselves. We end by being absorbed in "doing". Is it not true that activities often absorb us and that society with its multiple interests monopolizes our attention? Is it not true that we devote a lot of time to entertainment and to various kinds of amusement? At times we get carried away. Advent, this powerful liturgical season that we are beginning, invites us to pause in silence to understand a presence. It is an invitation to understand that the individual events of the day are hints that God is giving us, signs of the attention he has for each one of us”.

CatholicTV regularly airs Papal and Vatican events: More information can be found at http://www.catholictv.com/shows/default.aspx?seriesID=57

Blessing of a Christmas Manger or Nativity Scene

From the Advent and Christmas resource section of the USCCB website:

In its present form the custom of displaying figures depicting the birth of Jesus Christ owes its origin to St. Francis of Assisi, who made the Christmas crèche or manger for Christmas Eve of 1223.

The blessing of the Christmas manger or nativity scene may take place on the Vigil of Christmas or at another suitable time.

When the manger is set up in the home, it is appropriate that it be blessed by a parent or another family member.

All make the sign of the cross as the leader says:

Our help is in the name of the Lord.
R/. Who made heaven and earth.

One of those present or the leader reads a text of sacred Scripture,
for example, Luke 2:1-8

New ‘Greener’ Smoother-Operating Version of CatholicTV Magazine Now Available

CatholicTV’s free monthly magazine is now available in a “greener” digital format which resembles and reads like an actual magazine- only it’s not made of paper. The digital magazine is identical to the print version and includes articles, showtimes, photos of shows currently in production, and even a Catholic crossword puzzle.

The digital version of “The CatholicTV Monthly” replaces the former PDF format. The new version is user-friendly with a new feature allowing users to “flip” through its pages just like a print magazine. Users can also zoom to enlarge print size and there is even a sound that plays every time pages are turned.

The current CatholicTV digital magazine can be accessed at the following web page: http://www.CatholicTV.com/magazine/default.aspx. Archived editions of the magazine are also available at the same web address.

Each month, CatholicTV sends out over 15,000 magazines as a free service to viewers and supporters. A sign-up for the free magazine can be accessed at: http://www.CatholicTV.com/magazine/subscribe.aspx

The CatholicTV Monthly is published by Faith Catholic http://www.faithpublishingservice.com/

CatholicTV Will Air 72 Hours Straight of Christmas Programming at CatholicTV.com and on CatholicTV

Starting on December 24th, CatholicTV will offer viewers 72 hours straight of Christmas programming. This programming will include among others, Midnight Mass from the Vatican, an Emmy-nominated Christmas musical performance, and even a Christmas cookie episode of the Catholic cooking show “Our Daily Bread”.

The 72 hours of Christmas programming will stream live at www.CatholicTV.com and on CatholicTV where available.

Highlights and details of “ChristmasTV” by CatholicTV are available below (all times Eastern):

Daughters of St. Paul Christmas Concert –
Tuesday, Dec.22 at 12:30 PM., Wednesday, Dec. 23 at 6 AM., Christmas Eve at 2:30 PM. Christmas Day at 9AM and 7:30 PM, and Sunday, Dec. 27 at 2 PM.

The Sounds of the Season- A Christmas Concert featuring ‘The Gregorian Concert Choir’ and ‘The Festival Orchestra’ from the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Providence, RI. Dec. 24 1:00 PM

“The Promise” with Bing Crosby- Bing Crosby narrates the Nativity story Dec.24 1:30 AM Dec.26 1:00 PM

Pope Benedict’s Christmas Message- Dec.25 Noon & 10:00 PM, Dec. 26 3:30 AM

Real Faith TV: Christmas Edition- “Christmas: Holy day or Holiday?” Catholic teens share their perspective on Christmas and the need to keep Christ at the center Dec. 24 1:30 AM

Midnight Mass at the Vatican Dec. 24 11:00PM , Dec. 25 12:30 AM, 6:00 AM on Dec. 26th.

Tajci: I Believe, the Christmas Concert. Croatian-born Catholic Musician Tajci takes viewers on a Christmas musical sleigh ride in this Christmas concert steeped in mystery and resonating with emotion. Dec. 25 8:00 AM Dec. 26 2:00 AM

The Nativity: A Christmas program of music and drama hosted by Princess Grace of Monaco Dec. 25 12:30 AM & 7:30PM

Five Love Languages author to appear on CatholicTV

We are looking forward to a great interview on December 22, during our live show, This is the Day. Dr. Gary Chapman, author of the best-selling book “The Five Love Languages” will be interviewed about his new "singles edition" of the book.

The episode will stream live at www.CatholicTV.com and on CatholicTV where available at 10:30AM ET. The show will be rebroadcast at 8PM the same day.

Dr. Chapman has over 30 years of counseling experience and has determined that there are very specific languages of love which work for everyone. He will discuss these languages tailored for singles during his interview on This is the Day. Gary Chapman speaks extensively throughout the U.S. and internationally on marriage, family, and relationships. The government of Singapore invited him to present his marriage seminar there and the Chaplain’s Office of NATO issued a special invitation for Dr. Chapman to speak to the NATO forces in Germany. Other engagements have taken him to England, Africa, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Mexico and Hong Kong.

Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, C.Ss.R. on CatholicTV.com

The story of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, C.Ss.R. (1819-1867), the “Cheerful Ascetic,” beatified by Pope John Paul II in the Solemn Jubilee Year 2000. Father Seelos possessed great mystical gifts due to his intense prayer life. His dedication to ministry with cheerful holiness makes him still an outstanding model for... clergy, religious and laity alike. Watch a documentary on this holy man: http://www.catholictv.com/shows/default.aspx?seriesID=81&videoID=660