Hug a saint

During our visit to Quebec for the International Eucharistic Congress, Zero chose to "hug a saint". [Now wouldn't that be an interesting variation on speed dating - with finding your favourite saint as the object. You would probably need a lot of saints to make it work ... and lots of people willing to dress up appropriately and tell their life story ....]

Anyway, the saints involved here were the Canadian martyrs. Two of these martyrs worked for a time among the native Indian population that then lived in the area of Quebec in which we stayed during the Eucharistic Congress (though it was a forest area outside of Quebec in the period 1650-1700). If we were not celebrating a Sunday tomorrow, we would be able to celebrate their feast day - Saints John de Brebeuf, Isaac Jogues and companions, Martyrs.

World Day for the Sick: 11th February 2008

The theme for this year's World Day for the Sick is "The Eucharist, Lourdes and Care for the Sick". It therefore links two of the big international Catholic celebrations taking place in 2008 - the 150th anniversary year of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary at Lourdes and the International Eucharistic Congress taking place in Quebec, Canada in June. Pope Benedict XVIs message for the day can be found at the Vatican website. Another worthwhile read is the recent post of Catholic mom of 10 about her own illness.

The Vatican has its own "think tank" on matters relating to the world of healthcare. It is called the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral of Health (or variations upon, depending on how you translate from Italian into English!). The Council organises an annual conference on an issue related to healthcare and also leads on the World Day for the Sick. They publish an academic journal "Dolentium Hominum", which is published in several languages one of which is English. The conference ususally examines an issue very thoroughly, looking at clinical and epidemiological aspects, theological and spiritual aspects, practical and pastoral aspects, and the perspectives of other Christian denominations and religious faiths. The internet presence of the Pontifical Council is not as well organised as it might be. I know that the library of the Linacre Centre in London, UK, have a complete set of "Dolentium Hominum". We might keep the work of the Pontifical Council, and of all those involved in pastoral work with the sick and medical staff, in our prayers on 11th February.