Pastorelle Sisters join in an ecumenical reflection

and prayer service in St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral, Melbourne

On Saturday 18^th November, 2006, Sr. Rita Ruzzene and Sr. Mary La Bruna attended an Ecumenical reflection and prayer service held in St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral to coincide with the G20 Forum held in Melbourne this weekend. The G20 Forum is a gathering of finance ministers from the world’s richest nations to discuss “Building and Sustaining Prosperity”.

The ecumenical service was organized by Micah Challenge and had as its theme: “God’s Prosperity for All” drawing on the words of Jesus in John’s Gospel 10:10: “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full”.

The reflection was led by the most Rev. Njongonkuku Ndungane, Anglican Archbishop Cape Town based largely on the prophet Micah, 6:8 and Matthew, 25:31-46. He dreams of a world where every individual would be able to smile together in complete freedom, in peace, in prosperity…a world where very human being can fulfill their potential as God created them to be.

Micah Challenge is a global Christian movement in support of the Millennium Development Goals to halve global poverty by 2015. At the beginning of the prayer service, eight young students carried symbols to highlight the eight Millennium Development Goals: 1) Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; 2) Achieve universal primary education; 3) Promote gender equality and empower women; 4) Reduce child mortality; 5) Improve maternal health; 6) Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases; 7) Ensure environmental sustainability; 8) Develop a global partnership for development - including through fairer trade, debt relief and better aid.

The Catholic auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne, Christopher Prowse, led the responsive prayer during the service. And it was very heartening to see the large number of young people making up the congregation.

For more information visit: www.micahchallenge.org.au and www.makepovertyhistory.com.au

sr Mary La Bruna sjbp