Last Updated: Friday - 09/24/2010

Nothing More Beautiful year 3 speakers

Speakers, including preacher to the papal household, will address The Beauty of Life in Communion

Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa

EDMONTON - Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, preacher to the papal household for the past 30 years, will be one of the featured speakers for Year 3 of Nothing More Beautiful.

Cantalamessa will speak at the May 5 session on the apostolic nature of the Church.

He is the author of numerous books, has a weekly TV program on Italian state television and has been a member of the Roman Catholic dialogue with the Pentecostal churches for the past 10 years.

Joining him on the May 5 program will be Cam and Nadine MacDonnell of Edmonton.

UNAPOLOGETIC CATHOLIC

The Marian Centre's inner-city ministry has been a special place for both the MacDonnells, who draw inspiration from "people who are unapologetically Catholic, Christian people who share their faith just as naturally as breathing or eating."

Cam is a graduate student in computer science and Nadine works as a nurse at the Stollery Children's Hospital. They are the parents of two pre-school children.

The third year of the five-year Nothing More Beautiful program for the new evangelization has the general theme, The Beauty of Life in Communion.

The four sessions will each focus on one of the marks of the Church - that it is one, holy, catholic and apostolic.

Archbishop Richard Smith, in written comments announcing the program, said that approach emphasizes the fact that our faith in Jesus "necessarily involves the commitment to follow him as members of his Church."

LOVE FOR THE CHURCH

The archbishop asks that Catholics pray that our encounter with Christ in these grace-filled events will deepen our love for his Church.

The first event of Year 3 on Oct. 21 will feature Archbishop Smith providing the catechesis talk on the unity of the Church.

Julien Hammond, head of the archdiocese's office of evangelization and catechesis, will share a personal witness that evening.

In his work, Hammond coordinates several areas relating to faith formation, catechesis, evangelization and related ministries.

Lesley-Anne Knight

He particularly enjoys meeting with people of other Christian denominations and other faith traditions in his role as director of ecumenical and interfaith relations.

On Dec. 9, Bishop Douglas Crosby of Corner Brook and Labrador will give the catechesis talk on the holiness of the Church.

Crosby, an Ontario native, is a member of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate and served as provincial superior of the Oblates' St. Peter's Province and president of the Oblate Conference of Canada.

He was general secretary of the English sector of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops when he was named a bishop in November 1997.

Providing the witness talk that evening will be Agnes Bedard of Calgary. A former national president of the Catholic Women's League, Bedard taught in Catholic schools in Coaldale, Whitehorse and Calgary before taking an "18-year sabbatical" to help her husband Jim raise five boys.

CARITAS PRESIDENT

On Feb. 17, 2011, Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga of Honduras will be the featured speaker.

Rodriguez, a member of the Salesian order, is president of Caritas Internationalis, the Catholic international aid organization. He is a staunch defender of human rights and a powerful voice in the global fight against poverty. He was the Vatican's spokesperson with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank on the issue of Third World debt.

He has been a bishop since 1978 and was president of the Conference of Latin American Bishops (CELAM) from 1995 to 1999. He has also been a member of several pontifical councils.

He will speak on the catholicity of the Church with Lesley-Anne Knight, secretary general of Caritas Internationalis, giving the witness talk that evening.

A British citizen born in Zimbabwe, Knight has more than 25 years of experience in international development. She has lived and worked in eight countries in Africa, Latin America, and Europe and speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.

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