54
December 18, 1996

At Christmastime, it's very colourful on our streets....Christmas trees, pretty symbols, colourful lights etc. Naturally, we buy gifts too. Those countries which, not so long ago, emerged from atheistic communism, probably won't have all that colourfulness on the streets, but Christmas will still be there.

It is of course nice, to rejoice and to be able to show that in an ostentatious way. But....what if it all remains an outward show? Won't all our rejoicing be a little empty? We can put the question in this way...Was Jesus' birth celebrated in an inferior way in those communist countries over the last few years, just because it could only be talked about within the four walls of the family home...and sometimes not even then? Let's not delude ourselves. The true celebration is only in an encounter with God.

Yes, God really awaits an encounter with us. Let's allow Him that..... Afterwards all those outward shows won't be so colourful, they'll just be the trimmings of something much bigger.

Merry Christmas to all of you....

Fra Miljenko

FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY MASS OF FR. LJUDEVIT RUPCIC

On the 1st of December in the Church of St James in Medjugorje, Dr.Fra. Ljudevit Rupcic, Professor,Writer, and Biblical scholar and Theologian, celebrated a"Jubilee Mass". In the overcrowded Medjugorje church, amidst relations, parishioners and pilgrims, Fr. Rupcic, together with Fr, Tomislava Pervan, Provincial of the hercegovinian Franciscans, and Fr Ivan Landeka, parish priest of Medjugorje led the mass in the company of 23 other priests.

At the beginning of the Jubilee Mass, Fr. Rupcic thanked God for eveything that He gave him throughout his life, emphasising how God really directed him and his life. "This mass is an opportunity and a reason for which I can say a very big and sincere thank You exactly here in this shrine of the Queen of Peace."

During the sermon, Fr. Tomislav Pervan spoke about the life, deeds and works of Fr Ljudevit Rupcic.

The previous day at Mostar, an intellectual symposium had been held in Mostar about the life and works of Dr. fra. Ljudevit Rupcic, where a recent edition of his translation of the Psalms and the New Testament from it's original into the Croatian language was represented.

And if knowledge of this tireless franciscan has spread throughout the faithful of Hercegovina Croatia and it's surroundings, let this, his jubilee anniversary be an occasion for us too to get to know him:

Fr. Ljudevit Rupcic was born in 1920, and in 1939 entered the Franciscan Order in the province of Hercegovina. In 1946 he was ordained a priest. He finished his theological studies in the Seminary University in Zagreb and completed them in 1947. In 1958 He received a Doctorate and became a professor of the same faculty in 1971. From 1958 until 1988, he lectured in "Exegesis of the New Testament" in the Franciscan University in Sarajevo, and sometimes in the Theology Faculty in Zagreb. Under the former Yugoslavian Communist regime he served two prison sentences, from 1945 to 1947 and again from1952 to 1956, a total of 7 years.

For a long period (1968-1981), he ws a member of the Theological commission for the Episcopal Commision of Ex-Yugoslavia. He translated the New Testament from the original into the Croatian language, his translation has had numerous re-publications. Many of his books works and articles have been published in Croatian, German, Italian French and the English language, and has held many lectures at numerous congresses and symposii in Europe and America. The pilgrims and freinds of Medjugorje also know this"witness and defender of Our Lady", as a steadfast and persevering preacher and confessor.

THE PRAYER - FORMATIVE SEMINAR

As we have already said in previous editions of the "Press Bulletin"- the prayer/formative seminar for the leaders of prayer, charity and pilgrim groups, connected with Medjugorje will be held in hotel "Sunce" at Neum from the 24th to the 28th of February 1997. These seminars which are held once a year out of the exceptions are important in many ways: For those of you who work for the spreading of Our Ladys messages within your own circles, just as for us to ensure better co-operation and solutions to the difficulties which we meet up with in our mutual work with the pilgrims.

We would ask you once more to complete your bookings before the end of December because of the organisation of Hotel organisation. Booking can be done at the fax number+387 88 651 444, addressing it to the Informativni Centar.

Simultaneous translation will be organised for the different language groups. The cost of accomodation and seminars together is 275 DEM per person for a double room. The supplement for a single room is 40 DEM. Payment can be made to the seminar organisers on arrival. Transport from the Airport to the hotel at Neum can be arranged. All those wishing to avail of this service should contact "Udruzi Medjugorje MIR" at Split not later than the end of December with details of the arrival time on the 24st of February.(fax+ 385 21 36 13 54) On the last day transport will be arranged from Neum to Medjugorje. It will be necessary to bring a radio with headphones for simultaneous translation. (It's also be possible to get a radio with earphones on the premises for 15 DEM.) The programme of the seminar is published in No.50 of the Press Bulletin.

Neum is situated on the Adriatic road running from Split to Dubrovnik, about 130 km south of Split.

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Last Modified 12/18/96