Media Alert – Worth Noting in December
WASHINGTON (November 18, 2003)
Catholics throughout the United States will join their prayers with others on World AIDS Day, December 1. This gives governments, churches, community organizations and health programs a chance to come together, calling upon all people to "Live and Let Live," the theme for this year's observance. Homilies, prayers and activities for the weekend of November 29-30 encourage support for and involvement with AIDS sufferers and those who work with them. The National Catholic AIDS Network enjoys a close working relationship with the USCCB Secretariat for Hispanic Affairs and Secretariat for African American Catholics," says Beverly Carroll, Director, USCCB Secretariat for African American Catholics. "Discrimation and stigmatization are daily facts of life that stand in the way of the real issues of the disease," says Ronaldo Cruz, Director, USCCB Secretariat for Hispanic Affairs.
Beverly Carroll is available at 202/541-3177 or bcarroll@usccb.org; Ronaldo Cruz is available at 202/541-3154 or rcruz@usccb.org.
Catholics will have a chance to see two Catholic Communication Campaign (CCC)-funded programs airing on Christmas day this year. "The Face: Jesus in Art" will air throughout December on public televison stations (check local listings). "'The Face: Jesus in Art' explores the depiction Jesus down through history throughout the world," says Patricia Ryan Garcia, CCC Director of Distribution. "A Storybook Christmas," will be fed to ABC-TV affiliates at 1:00 am (ET) Christmas Day, a treat for those besides Santa and his reindeer who find themselves up at that time." It features two stories told using clay animation, Tolstoy's "Martin the Cobbler," and the biblical story "The First Christmas."
Pat Ryan Garcia is available at 202/541-3404 (pgarcia@usccb.org).
Beginning December 17, the Church's attention is directed more explicitly to the coming celebration of the birth of Christ and the celebration of Advent. One way in which this shown through the use of the "O Antiphons." At evening prayer, from December 17 until December 23, a special antiphon is assigned to the praying of the Magnificat at evening Vespers. These antiphons are addressed to Christ with one of His scriptural titles and they conclude with a distinct petition to the coming Lord. The opening words of these antiphons are: (1) O Wisdom, (2) O Sacred Lord, (3) O Flower of Jesse's Stem, (4) O Key of David, (5) O Radiant Dawn, (6) O Key of all the Nations, (7) O Emmanuel. "The name 'O Antiphons' comes from the fact that in Latin all these attributes begin with the letter O," says Rev. Msgr. Anthony F. Sherman, Associate Director, USCCB Office of Liturgy.
Rev. Msgr. Anthony F. Sherman is available at 202/541-3063 (asherman@usccb.org)