July 2009 Issue Index

An important lesson I have learnt in life is that we all need to receive love to be able to love in a healthy and lasting way. more

Lying in bed that night was one of the hardest moments in my life. I was in a country where everything was different from my own. I didn't know what to expect and how to react. more

The only person left in the world to call me "Da erzi," "(my) big son" died at the beginning of the week. Zhou Rui Lan was well into her 80s and although she had been bed-ridden for some time, she was mentally alert more

The villagers had a five year plan for building the church. They raised the money; they built the church in 14 months as well as attending to their daily farm work. When the church was opened in May 2007, it was debt free. more

The feast of St James was celebrated on the July 25 in the parish of Yanaoca, Peru. This year the parish feast day was organised by the whole community which is made up of about 300 families. Even those who are not Catholics take part in all the activities. more

Seeing my reaction he put his arm around my shoulder just like a father comforting his child, saying, "Ate (Auntie) May, it's okay! Three is better than zero. Even one is better than nothing! If I get zero, I'll just study harder next time. more

Those living in a multi-faith society should always remember the words of the great World War II martyr, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He said, "God wanted always to be Lord of the World, but religious traditions tend to turn him into the General Manager of their particular branch office." more

Direct and honest, it's a reality worth mulling over. Because, though we all know and have experienced that life is indeed hard, nevertheless there is a widespread belief that we have a right to be happy and that pain, distress and hurts are to be shunned. more

The actual day on which to complete the fast depends on sighting the new moon. When sighted, loud sirens declare that the fasting days are over. The next day is celebrated with large prayer gatherings, followed by family feasting and fraternity. more

The annual Tiananmen Square commemoration attracted over 150,000 people in Hong Kong's Victoria Park to mark the 20th anniversary of the violent suppression of student protesters in Beijing. more

Most people have heard of Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, reputedly the first true novel in the English language. Fewer realise that the story is based on a real person and a real island. more

The Japanese magazine Yomiuri Weekly reported on July 20 the number of priests in Japan dropped about 82% from the years 1970 to 2005. When that period began, the country had about 1.6 million priests, but now only about 300,000. more

The people, he said, wanted them to stay on, not because they could still help so much - help that was badly needed, but simply because the people did not want to be separated from them. They wanted them to stay even if they could not do any work. more