Global Nuclear Arsenal 2020
Tales from Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The Doctor’s Tale
THE DOCTOR’S TALE is a version by actor/playwright Michael Mears of NAGASAKI 1945, an account by a young doctor working in a small hospital in Nagasaki at the time of the second atomic bomb, detailing how he and his few staff, with very limited supplies, survived that day and the following weeks. At 7.30pm on August…
Walking on Water
In Biblical culture the sea is the symbol of chaos and anti-creation. Often it is identified with threat and death. In the story of Exodus, God’s people are saved because the sea disappears for a moment (Exodus 14:21-22). In the book of Jonah, the prophet is thrown into the sea and dwells inside the monster…
St Dominic
Why is Dominic any different from any other saint who founded a religious order? It’s a worthwhile question, and a good antidote to the personality cults that often attach themselves to the founders of religious orders. The key for me is in the opening quotation from Blessed Jordan of Saxony. Dominic felt compassion for other…
75th Anniversary Hiroshima/Nagasaki – Film: Original Child bomb
Original Child Bomb is an hour long mixed-media documentary about the human cost of nuclear weapons. The film is built around seldom-seen archival footage of the nuclear devastation at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The title refers to a poem by Thomas Merton, the pioneering mystic, monk, activist and author. With music by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Mos Def. The…
Tales from Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The Priest’s Tale
THE PRIEST’S TALE is an adaptation by actor/playwright Michael Mears of one of the survivor’s accounts from John Hersey’s classic book HIROSHIMA. Father Wilhelm was a German Jesuit priest living in Hiroshima at the time of the first atomic bombing. His account is a compelling and clear-eyed description of his experiences that day and in the…
Enola Gay: 75th Anniversary of Hiroshima
At 8.15am on 6 August 1945, the American Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber released its deadly cargo into the early morning skies of the waking Japanese industrial town of Hiroshima. The roar of its engine announced the beginning of the apocalyptic chapter in the story of man’s inhumanity to man. ‘Little Boy” took just 50 seconds,…
Pope’s August Prayer Intention: Seafarers and the Maritime World
“The life of sailors or fishermen and their families is very difficult,” Pope Francis notes in the video message in his native Spanish language. “Sometimes they are victims of forced labor or are left behind in distant ports.” “The competition of industrial fishing and the problem of pollution make their work even more complicated.” However,…
Japanese and US Bishop Call for Abolition of Nuclear Weapons
Archbishop Takami, president of the Japanese bishops’ conference, opened his remarks by explaining how he is a survivor of the bombing of Nagasaki, his hometown and the center of Japan’s Catholic faith community. He was in his mother’s womb at the time. “I did not witness the horrific scenes that unfolded immediately following the bombing…
Brazil: Draft Letter of Significant Group of Bishops Causes Stir
In the letter, more than 150 bishops accuse the federal government of “inaction and omission” in combating the coronavirus pandemic and of “inability and incapacity” to face the crisis. “Closing its eyes to the appeals of national and international entities, the federal government demonstrates omission, apathy and rejection by the poorest and most vulnerable of…
Women Religious: Authority and Abuse of Power
The Church has often dealt with the issue of abuse, even in recent times, both at the level of reflection and in terms of operational measures and protocols. However, the focus is mostly on the sexual and psychological abuse of children by ministers of the Church, especially priests. These are undoubtedly the predominant concerns, but…
St John Vianney – A Reflection on Priesthood
Our culture makes us want to know who we are. It commands us to ‘be ourselves’, to be the masters and makers of our lives; this is the ultimate freedom. But the priest is not self-made; all he has, he has received. This is the mystery at the centre of his life and in every…
MILL HILL MISSIONARIES