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Kolping World Day of Prayer October 27, 2010

Kolping: An answer to the Challenges of Today.

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The Eastern Republic of Uruguay

Capital Montevideo Language Spanish Form of government Republic (presidential system) President José Mujica Vice-president Danilo Astori National hero José Gervasio Artigas Independency August 25, 1825 Total area 176,065 square kilometres Total population 3,241,003 (2004 census) Population density 19 persons per km2 Currency Peso uruguayo (UYU) Ethnicity Uruguayan

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Internet country code Uy Country code +598 National flower Ceibo, Cocspeer Coral Tree

(Erythrina crista-galli) The “República Oriental del Uruguay” is located in the south-eastern part of South America with a total area of 176,065 km2. In the north and northeast it borders on the Brazilian (Federal) state of Río Grande del Sur and in the West – separated by the Río Uruguay – it borders on the Argentinean provinces of Entre Ríos and Corrientes; in the south Uruguay ends at the coast of the Río de la Plata, at the opposite bank of which lies the city and province of Buenos Aires. The Atlantic coast forms the country's south-eastern border. Uruguay is divided into 19 departments, called “Departamentos”.

The name “Uruguay” comes from Guaraní. Its meaning is interpreted differently. The most common – poetic - translation is: “river of the painted birds” and goes back to Juan Zorilla de San Martín. The Blossom of the Native Ceibo Tree

Geography

The ground relief in the southern part resembles the typical landscape of the Pampas and is marked by flat, fertile plains that consist of chains of low hills, the so called “cuchillas”. The highest elevations are in the “Cuchilla de Haedo” and the “Cuchilla Grande” with the “Cerro Catedral” as the highest point of the country (514 metres).

Downtown Montevideo

Economy Uruguay exports mainly agricultural products, ranging from farming (rice, wheat,

sorghum, sunflower oil, barley, soybeans, sugar beet, sugar cane) to livestock breeding (beef and mutton). Important branches of industry concentrate on the production and processing of milk and milk products, paper and cardboard packaging, fertilizers, alcohol, cement as well as petroleum refining. Apart from large deposits of agate, granite, and marble in the north of the country and gold

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mines in Minas Corrales, in the Department of Rivera, there are hardly any mineral and energy resources. What is also worth mentioning is the service sector, primarily in the field of finance, logistics, transportation, communication and tourism, as well as the quickly developing information technology sector specialising on the production of software and related services (Uruguay is the most important software exporter in South America). The forestry sector, which has been steadily growing in the previous years, concentrates primarily on eucalyptus wood which is processed in saw mills and used for the production of cellulose. Tourism is also contributing considerably to the national revenue. Tourism with its numerous seaside resorts – the most popular ones are Punta del Este and Piriápolis – characterizes the coastal strip along the Rio de la Plata and the Atlantic Ocean. It is complemented by smaller tourism branches oriented to agriculture, historic sites, and thermal baths.

Rambla de Montevideo

Population

Eighty-eight percent of the Uruguayan population is of European descent; many Europeans came to the country during numerous successive immigration waves. The main countries of origin are Spain and Italy; a smaller proportion of inhabitants is of other European descent. About 8 % of the total population are mestizos, and about 4 % are Afro-Uruguayans. According to scientific research, 33 % of Uruguayans have at least one indigenous ancestor in their family tree (Charrúa or Guaraní). However, this is not visible in the phenotype. On the national average, natives make up 10 % of the Uruguayan DNA. This percentage doubles in the Department Tacuarembó, the main residential area of the former indigenous population. Culture

The Tango and Milonga clearly characterize the music along the Río de la Plata. The UNESCO declared Tango, the most popular representative of which is Carlos Cardel, a World Cultural Heritage in 2009. Typical are also local rhythms like Candombe and the Uruguayan Murga, both main components of carnival, that were also declared a World Cultural Heritage in 2009.

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The classics among famous Uruguayan painters are Juan Manuel called “painter of the native country” as well as the master of constructivism, Joaquín Torres García and his disciples, José Gurvich, Gonzalo Fonseca and others. Literature in Uruguay started in the first half of the 19th century with Bartolomé Hidalgo and his famous so-called “Cielitos” – political satirical texts that were sung and danced. He also founded a lyrical form of these texts called “poetry of the gauchos.” Others authors following him – the most important ones are Romillo Risso, José Alonso y Trelles (called “Viejo Pancho”), Serafín J. García, Elías Rgules, Antonio Lussich and Javier de Viana – took over this tradition that puts rural life with its special characteristics in the centre, but they transferred it to the urban milieu, while maintaining the language of the gauchos. Another father of national history, but already with neo-classical tendency, is Francisco Enrique Rodó. Adolfo Berroy and Juan Zorrilla de San Martín represent the romantic literature. Equally important in this era are Juan José Morosoli and José Enrique Rodó. Around 1900, Julio Herrera y Reissig is regarded as harbinger of modernistic lyric poetry in Spanish speaking America. The (female) poets Juana de Ibarbourou (better known as “Juana de América”), María Eugenia Vaz Farreira and Delmira Austini belong to the same era. Other popular lyric poets are Emilio Frugoni and Emilio Oribe. Among the currently most published intellectual writers are above all Juan Carlos Onetti, Horacio Quiroga, (female) poet Idea Vilariño, Eduardo Galeano and Mario Benedetti. First and foremost on the list of dramatists at the beginning of the 20th century is Florencio Sánchez.

Religion

Uruguay is a secular state with absolute religious freedom. The separation of Church and State was laid down in the constitution in 1919. With this, the process of secularisation reached its peak in Uruguay. The secularisation process began in 1861 with the secularisation of cemeteries and continued in 1877 with the “Decreto Ley de Educación Común” drawn up by José Pedro Varelo that made religious education in schools no longer mandatory. On the social level, Uruguay is marked by a generous tolerance towards different cultures. The Constitution and laws prohibit any kind of religious discrimination. The most common religion is Catholicism. Forty-seven percent of the population said they are Roman Catholics. However, only a minority of them really practise Catholicism. Protestants make up 11.1 % of the population and 0.3 % are Jewish. Syncretistic groups are increasingly important. They combine Catholic and pre-Christian elements. About 40.4 % of Uruguayans do not belong to any religious group. Eighty-one percent of the citizens said they believed in God, while 14 % said they were atheists. With these figures, Uruguay is considered to be the most secularised country of the western part of the southern hemisphere. Gastronomy

Uruguayan gastronomy has much in common with the Argentinean one and also - as far as the region Rio Grande do Sur is concerned - with the Brazilian gastronomy and thereby greatly differs from the rest of the Latin American gastronomy. This is mainly due to the fact that, very early, many Spaniards and Italians settled in Uruguay.

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The nationwide beef production is the reason for the predominance of meals having their origin in livestock breeding. These are traditional meals like grilled and fried meat as well as meals on the basis of various meat derivatives, e.g. innards, udder, tongue, etc. The products of the milk processing industry are almost of equal importance. They deliver the essential ingredients for the cooking of products of the national cuisine. Examples are, among others, butter, cream products, “Manjar” (a typical Spanish-Latin American milk cream product) and numerous varieties of cheese.

An exclusively Uruguayan alcoholic product is the “Grappamiel”, a spirit with about 50 % natural honey. Another non-alcoholic beverage similar to tea - though by no means an exclusive national drink - is “Mate”. Originally this is the name of a dried hollowed gourd used as the basis for the classical drinking vessel. The dried Mate leaves are put into the vessel and hot water is then poured into the gourd. The drink is sipped through a straw - usually made of metal. Mainly on rainy days, people eat small fried bread along with it.

Since not too long ago, Uruguay has also been a wine-producing and, to a modest extent, also a wine-exporting country. The ancient French “Tannat” vine is today cultivated almost exclusively in Uruguay and is now considered to be the characteristic Uruguayan type of wine in the international trade.

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The Kolping Society of Uruguay

The Kolping Society of Uruguay was founded in 1985 after Msgr. Heinrich Festing had paid a visit to the country in June of that year. Today, the Kolping Society defines its mission as follows: “to promote and support the integral development of youth and adults, especially of the Kolping members through the principle of providing help for self-help, thus enabling members to become better human beings and Christians, to strengthen their family and working life and play an active part in society and the Church based on responsibility and solidarity with others. Organization

Kolping Uruguay unites under its roof the "Kolping Institution", which concentrates on the development of integral educational and vocational training programmes, and the National Kolping Society with its Kolping Families and groups. The Association currently has 1,250 members who get a further training for daily life there, share their faith and carry out diverse activities and develop programmes to promote people. All this is based on the principles of help for self-help. Geographical Extension

The Kolping Society is present in the following eight of Uruguay's 19 departamentos: in Montevideo, Canelones, San José, Colonia, Florida, Durazno, Tacuarembó and Rivera. In Uruguay, Kolping has 28 small manufacturing companies and 35 active Kolping Families; 12 groups of adults are getting ready to become Kolping Families; in addition, there are 24 groups of adolescents and 53 groups of young people.

Resources and Services

Kolping Uruguay is running student dormitories, conference and lecture halls, a hotel management school in the capital, a vocational training centre, and several Kolping Houses, industrial premises and craft centres are run by Kolping Families. The Kolping Vocational training Institute has a permanent team of qualified teachers and employs more experts and qualified advisers depending on actual needs.

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The infrastructure and personnel resources not only carry out educational and vocational training courses but are also involved in production processes and service activities that generate funds for the self-financing of the institute. Activities Kolping Uruguay carries out various integral training and educational programmes, and provides diverse services and recreational activities for Kolping members. The target group goes far beyond Kolping Family members because many programmes are offered for society in general and for the most disadvantaged people in particular.

Vocational Training Programmes for Young People and Adults

These programmes comprise, among other things, training of artisans, courses in technical occupations and various trades, computer classes, business administration, tourism, hotel business, and gastronomy.

• Imparting occupational skills for the rapid

integration of young people and adults into the labour market.

• Classes to update the know-how of jobless people to integrate them into the labour market

• Graduate training courses and leadership training for the management of tourism companies

• Comprehensive vocational training for young people in information technologies including work experience in companies and assistance in finding a job

• Special training for women from urban and rural areas • Vocational training for prisoners • Further training courses designed for companies and organizations • Training to start up a new business and a range of services to help • Courses and workshops to solve problems and for peaceful co-existence

according to the ESPERE (Escuelas de Perdón y Reconciliación – Schools for Forgiveness and Reconciliation) method that started in Colombia in 2001 and today includes almost all countries in Latin America

Economy of Solidarity:

Vocational training, technical and financial assistance for entrepreneurs based on the principle of providing "help for self-help

Kolping supports the creation, the development and the continuity of small productive and/or commercial companies as well as the work of self-employed people with the aim of social integration and of improving the quality of life.

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Examples are:

• “EMPRECREA”: a programme that focuses especially on youth with a clear entrepreneurial profile, but without sufficient material resources to enable them to set up a business of their own to increase the personal and family income. The programme covers training in business management, financial aid and offers counselling by experienced entrepreneurs working on a voluntary basis

• Micro-credit programmes for Kolping members to enable them to set up micro businesses of their own

• Economic projects based on solidarity, an alternative economic model on the basis of cooperation, solidarity, mutual assistance, appropriateness, and environmental protection.

Voluntary Services In 2009, 1,254 Kolping members did 35,967 hours of voluntary service. Fields of activities included, among others:

• Charitable work in public and private institutions • Social activities of youth for disadvantaged children in the campaign

“Street Work for a Child’s Smile” • Promotional programmes in the social sector • Environmental protection programmes • Socio-political education and leadership training • Management • Work with executives • Drug prevention • Recreational activities • Introduction to the Gospel and

preparation for the sacraments • Social activities • Holiday camps • Retreats • Celebrations

Financing and Cooperation

The financial basis for the Kolping work in Uruguay are Kolping's own productive projects as well as cooperation with various public and private institutions and organisations, both on the national and international level. Concrete individual programmes, campaigns and activities are carried out with the following institutions:

• The Uruguayan Ministries for Social Development, Labour, Formation and Education, Internal Affairs, Defence, Industry and Energy

• Municipal Administrations • Universities: Universidad Católica del Uruguay, Universidad de Montevideo,

Universidad del Salvador • Latin American Centre for Humane Economy (CLAEH)

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• Association of Catholic Workers in Uruguay, Centre for Retail Salespeople (CAMBADU), Network of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (Red PROPYMESI), Association for the Promotion of New Businesses as well as of Technological and Industrial Development Projects in Uruguay (URUNOVA), Technological Laboratory of Uruguay, Association of Christian Entrepreneurs (ACDE), Chamber for Training Institutions, National Association of Milk Producers, Cooperation of Tourism Businesses in Montevideo, Foundation “Chajá” (Centre for Education and Culture in Rural Areas)

• Network of Kolping Foundations in Latin America, International Foundation for Forgiveness and Reconciliation, ADVENIAT

• Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of the Federal Republic of Germany (BMZ), Embassies of the Federal Republic of Germany and the United Kingdom in Uruguay

• Rotary International, Youth Business International, Fondazione Cooperazione e Sviluppo (CESVI)

• Organisation of American States (OAS), Economic Commission of the UN for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), International Labour Organisation (ILO), Inter-American Centre for Knowledge Development (Cinterfor).

Development of resources

The importance of the above mentioned projects and institutions prompted Kolping Uruguay to create its own “Department for Projects and Development of Resources”. It is meant to safeguard - in an ethically responsible framework - the financial and staff needs, thus enabling Kolping to implement its mission.

Quality Certification The institutions cooperating with Kolping, but also the graduates from the Kolping vocational training school and start-up business classes, can confirm the excellent quality of the work of the Kolping Society of Uruguay. In addition, Kolping Uruguay has introduced a quality management system on the basis of the ISO 9000:2000 standards in order to improve, professionalize and certify its work. As a result of an independent quality examination carried out by the Technological Laboratory Uruguay (LATU) and the Austrian Certification and Assessment GmbH (ÖQS), the Kolping Vocational Training Institute, the Kolping School for Training, Logistics and Machinery, and the Kolping Training Hotel received corresponding quality certificates in 2004.

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Celebration of the Eucharist

Have at hand: National flag Banner of the Kolping Society Cross Bible Picture of the Blessed Adolph Kolping Introduction: We are very happy to welcome you to the celebration of the “World Day of Prayer” and we do so in particular in the name of the Kolping Society of Uruguay which is now uniting all the Kolping Families around the world. Together, we are building a prayer network that makes us feel the presence of the living God and our founder, the Blessed Adolph Kolping, who is an intercessor and a role model for all of us. We pray for his blessings that the Association founded by him may grow in quantity and quality so that the kingdom of God becomes visible in our midst. Solemn entrance with the National flags, the Kolping banners, the cross, the Bible and a picture of Blessed Adolph Kolping Hymn Welcome by the priest Penitential Rite Priest: We are conscious of our weaknesses and sins. We ask God for

forgiveness to obtain His mercy. - Because we lack enthusiasm and joy in living our faith and

our hope. Lord, have mercy - Because we as “Kolping Family” show too little commitment

to society and the Church. Christ, have mercy - Because we don’t make all possible efforts to promote

people through the charisma of Kolping Lord, have mercy Collect of the Day

Let us pray: God our Father, to address the religious and social needs of the youths you called Blessed Father Kolping to leave his job and become a priest. Through his intercession we pray for your help to understand the requirements of our own times and for the strength to deal with them. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

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First Reading: As part of Kolping International, we also form one body of many different members. Romans 12:1-8 1 I urge you, then, brothers and sisters, remembering the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, dedicated and acceptable to God; that is the kind of worship for you, as sensible people. 2 Do not model your behaviour on the contemporary world, but let the renewing of your minds transform you, so that you may discern for yourselves what is the will of God - what is good and acceptable and mature 3 And through the grace that I have been given, I say this to every one of you: never pride yourself on being better than you really are, but think of yourself dispassionately, recognising that God has given to each one his measure of faith. 4 Just as each of us has various parts in one body, and the parts do not all have the same function: 5 in the same way, all of us, though there are so many of us, make up one body in Christ, and as different parts we are all joined to one another. 6 Then since the gifts that we have differ according to the grace that was given to each of us: if it is a gift of prophecy, we should prophesy as much as our faith tells us; 7 if it is a gift of practical service, let us devote ourselves to serving; if it is teaching, to teaching; 8 if it is encouraging, to encouraging. When you give, you should give generously from the heart; if you are put in charge, you must be conscientious; if you do works of mercy, let it be because you enjoy doing them. Psalm 100 (99) Acclaim Yahweh, all the earth, 2 serve Yahweh with gladness, come into his presence with songs of joy! 3 Be sure that Yahweh is God, he made us, we belong to him, his people, the flock of his sheepfold. 4 Come within his gates giving thanks, to his courts singing praise, give thanks to him and bless his name! 5 For Yahweh is good, his faithful love is everlasting, his constancy from age to age. Gospel: The Lord always wants to be a saviour and a healer, but he counts on our initiatives and cooperation. Let us listen to His word. Luke 5: 17-26 17 Now it happened that he was teaching one day, and Pharisees and teachers of the Law, who had come from every village in Galilee, from Judaea and from Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was there so that he should heal.

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18 And now some men appeared, bringing on a bed a paralysed man whom they were trying to bring in and lay down in front of him. 19 But as they could find no way of getting the man through the crowd, they went up onto the top of the house and lowered him and his stretcher down through the tiles into the middle of the gathering, in front of Jesus. 20 Seeing their faith he said, ‘My friend, your sins are forgiven you.’ 21 The scribes and the Pharisees began to think this over. ‘Who is this man, talking blasphemy? Who but God alone can forgive sins?’ 22 But Jesus, aware of their thoughts, made them this reply, ‘What are these thoughts you have in your hearts? 23 Which of these is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? 24 ‘But to prove to you that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins’, he said to the paralysed man, ‘I order you: get up and pick up your stretcher and go home’. 25 And immediately before their very eyes he got up, picked up what he had been lying on and went home praising God. 26 They were all astounded and praised God and were filled with awe, saying: ‘We have seen strange things today’. Impulses for reflection - We live in a time of globalization and, at the same time, of an increasing individualism.

- Our cultures are going to change as a result of the media. - Many people feel lost in this time of change. - Something similar happened in times of Blessed Adolph Kolping. - He gave an all-encompassing response to the challenges. What he wanted to impart was:

• a meaning of life through faith • a home and a family • decent work based on education and training • localities and opportunities for healthy recreational activities • the ability to exert influence on the changes in society and politics.

- In his lifetime, Europe was the area of his activity. - Now we are an international organization. - Each Kolping member is part of this “global family”. - Every National Kolping Society forms part of this body, as Saint Paul says when he refers to Jesus Christ.

- We depend on each other and we enrich one another. - Nobody is too poor to not be able to share his or her faith, culture, services, willingness to serve one another, ideas, solidarity, support etc.

- Every “Kolping Family” and “National Kolping Society” has its individual charisma to serve the whole body – the International Kolping Society.

- However, we all have to be linked to the whole body harmoniously. - This is not always the case and some members want to go their own way and pursue their own interests.

- Others end up sick or paralyzed. - Hopefully, they will let themselves be guided by friends to Jesus Christ to be healed.

- We are all responsible for ensuring that the body (International Kolping Society, our National Association and our Kolping Family) is healthy.

- Let us follow the example of those four friends who take the paralytic to Jesus.

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- We take many people around us to the Kolping Society to enable them to develop as individuals and as Christians, to be good parents, to prove themselves in their occupations, to make better use of the leisure time, and to participate actively in society, especially in areas where important decisions for the future of their own and all other nations are taken.

Intercessions God always loves and listens to us. We pray for His help through the intercession of our Blessed Founder. We answer: Come to our aid, O Lord - We pray for the renewal in the Church which is necessary time and again, to

be able to proclaim the goods news of salvation. Let us pray: - We pray for the rulers, that they may look for the well-being of their people

through the promotion of justice, decent working conditions and peace. Let us pray:

- We pray for the International Kolping Society, that it may be able to spread the ideas of our founder, to reinforce the unity among the Regional, Diocesan, and National Kolping Societies and to continue to fight for a more dignified life. Let us pray:

- We pray for our Kolping Families and National Kolping Societies and that they may continue to grow in their willingness to serve one another and promote help for self-help among each other. Let us pray:

- We pray for ourselves who are following the way marked by Blessed Adolph Kolping, that we shall always stand up for the protection of life at all stages. Let us pray:

More intercessions can be added here. Priest: God our Father, we want to respond your great love for us. Give us the gifts of the Holy Spirit so that we can follow your Son faithfully and implement the ideas of Blessed Adolph Kolping. For this we pray to you, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen. Presentation of gifts Priest: Through God’s goodness the fruit of the Earth is given to us. We are very grateful and thus bring you, along with bread and wine, our intention to share our ideas and work with the aim to build a better world. In each country symbols, signs and products reflecting the work in the different Kolping Societies can be brought to the altar.

Prayer over the gifts Priest: Let us pray: Almighty God, the gifts that we offer in memory of Blessed Adolph Kolping bear witness of your power and might. We pray that through these offerings we may be considered worthy to receive the fruits of salvation. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

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Preface of Pastors Priest: The Lord be with you All: And also with you. Priest: Lift up your hearts. All: We lift them up to the Lord. Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. All: It is right to give him thanks and praise. Father, all-powerful and everlasting God, we do well always and everywhere

to give you thanks. As we commemorate Blessed Adolph Kolping, You inspire us by his holy life, instruct us by his preaching, and give us your protection in answer to his prayers. We joint the angels and the saints as they sing their unending hymn of praise.

Communion Sisters and Brothers, as members of the big International Kolping Family, all of us and each of us share the same Jesus who is the Bread of Life. This is why we commit ourselves to strengthen the solidarity among us and to work together on the shaping of a society which is more just and based on solidarity. Hymn:

Following to the Communion Rite and the silence, we pray together for the canonisation of Blessed Adolph Kolping. Prayer for the Canonization of Blessed Adolph Kolping Almighty and everlasting God! You gave us Blessed Adolph Kolping as an intercessor and role model. His life found its fulfilment in caring for young people in religious and social difficulties. For many he was an untiring pastor, a fatherly advisor, a patient teacher and a true friend. He set us an example in his love for your Son. In his loyalty to the Church he is an exemplary role model for us. His concern was to understand work, family and society in the light of our faith. He considered helping one another within the community to be the expression of the Christian love for one’s neighbour. From Holy Scripture, the sacraments, and from prayer, he drew the strength to establish a movement that is to serve You and humankind. At all times you have called us to help establish your kingdom. We therefore beseech You; Help us work together to overcome poverty, injustice and hopelessness. Through the intercession of Blessed Adolph Kolping, help us to defend human life and protect marriage and family. As members of the International Kolping Society within the communion of Your Church, let us be the salt of the earth and a light for the world.

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Fulfill our hope of being able to honour Adolph Kolping as a Saint throughout the whole Church in all languages and nations. Let us, through faith, hope and love, work towards bringing to perfection Your kingdom in this world; just as Adolph Kolping strove to do. For this we pray, through Christ, our Lord. Amen. Final Prayer Let us pray! Almighty God, we thank you that you have graciously nourished us. Strengthen us through this holy meal so that we may follow the example of Blessed Adolph Kolping and help renew the Church and society. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen. Solemn Blessings Priest: God, our Father, has gathered us today to celebrate the International

World Day of Prayer of the Kolping Society. We ask for his blessing and protection and that he may grant us peace.

All: Amen Priest: Jesus Christ, our Lord who manifested the renewing power of the

mystery of Passover in Blessed Adolph Kolping, let us be true witnesses of your Gospel.

All: Amen Priest: The Holy Spirit gave us Blessed Adolph Kolping as a role model for our

life and as a charisma to transform society. Give us the grace to work together in the Kolping Society in our everlasting search of the Kingdom of God.

All: Amen Priest: And may the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, the Son and the Holy

Spirit, be amongst you.

All: Amen Send-off Word of thanks to the members present and invitation to join the agape feast among sisters and brothers.

Song: Kolping Song

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Liturgy of the Word

If there is no priest in the Kolping Family or Kolping Group who can celebrate the Eucharist we suggest that a Liturgy of Word is celebrated.

Have at hand: National flag Banner of the Kolping Society Cross Bible Picture of Blessed Adolph Kolping Introduction: We are very happy to welcome you to the celebration of the “World Day of Prayer”, and we do so in particular in the name of the Kolping Society of Uruguay which is now uniting all the Kolping Families around the world. Together, we are building a prayer network that makes us feel the presence of the living God and our founder, the Blessed Adolph Kolping, who is an intercessor and role model for all of us. We pray for his blessings that the Association founded by him may grow in quantity and quality so that the kingdom of God becomes visible in our midst. Solemn entrance with the National flag, the Kolping banners, the cross, the Bible and a picture of Blessed Adolph Kolping Hymn Penitential rite We need to prepare our hearts to listen to the Word of God so that we can humbly acknowledge our sins. Reader 1: Because we lack enthusiasm and joy in living our faith and our

hope. Lord, have mercy Reader 2 Because we, as ‘Kolping Family’, show too little commitment to

society and the Church. Christ, have mercy Reader 3 Because we don’t make all possible efforts to promote people

through the charisma of Kolping Lord, have mercy Reading from the Gospel of Luke:

Luke 5: 17-26 17 Now it happened that he was teaching one day, and Pharisees and teachers of the Law, who had come from every village in Galilee, from Judaea and from

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Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was there so that he should heal. 18 And now some men appeared, bringing on a bed a paralysed man whom they were trying to bring in and lay down in front of him. 19 But as they could find no way of getting the man through the crowd, they went up onto the top of the house and lowered him and his stretcher down through the tiles into the middle of the gathering, in front of Jesus. 20 Seeing their faith he said, ‘My friend, your sins are forgiven you.’ 21 The scribes and the Pharisees began to think this over. ‘Who is this man, talking blasphemy? Who but God alone can forgive sins?’ 22 But Jesus, aware of their thoughts, made them this reply, ‘What are these thoughts you have in your hearts? 23 Which of these is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? 24 ‘But to prove to you that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins’, he said to the paralysed man, ‘I order you: get up and pick up your stretcher and go home’. 25 And immediately before their very eyes he got up, picked up what he had been lying on and went home praising God. 26 They were all astounded and praised God and were filled with awe, saying: ‘We have seen strange things today’. Follow-up to the Gospel When the proclamation of the Gospel ends, the members present are asked to form small groups for a short group-dynamic experience. 1. The picture shows a diagram which looks like a stretcher. Write down your

name in the centre of the diagram. Make yourself aware of your true Kolping friends and put their names in the four corners.

Who took me to Kolping? What did I find in the Kolping Society which motivated me to join the Association and to still be a member?

1.- 2.-

3.- 4.-

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2. There is another diagram. Please write down the names of four people for whom you know that the experiences you make in your Kolping Family would be a great help. What am I willing to do so that these people get to know the Kolping Society?

Impulses for reflection - We live in a time of globalization and, at the same time, of an increasing individualism

- Our cultures are going to change as a result of the media - Many people feel lost in this time of change - Something similar happened in times of Blessed Adolph Kolping - He gave an all-encompassing response to the challenges. What he wanted to impart was:

• a meaning of life through faith • a home and a family • decent work based on education and training • localities and opportunities for healthy recreational activities • the ability to exert influence on the changes in society and politics.

- In his lifetime, Europe was the area of his activity - Now we are an international organization - Each Kolping member is part of this “global family”. - Every National Kolping Society forms part of this body, as Saint Paul says when he refers to Jesus Christ.

- We depend on each other and we enrich one another. - Nobody is too poor to not be able to share his or her faith, culture, services, willingness to serve one another, ideas, solidarity, support etc.

- Every “Kolping Family” and “National Kolping Society” has its individual charisma to serve the whole body – the International Kolping Society.

- However, we all have to be linked to the whole body harmoniously. - This is not always the case and some members want to go their own way and pursue their own interests.

- Others end up sick or paralyzed. - Hopefully, they will let themselves be guided by friends to Jesus Christ to be healed.

- We are all responsible for ensuring that the body (International Kolping Society, our National Association and our Kolping Family) is healthy.

- Let us follow the example of those four friends who take the paralytic to Jesus. - We take many people around us to the Kolping Society to enable them to develop as individuals and as Christians, to be good parents, to prove themselves in their occupations, to make better use of the leisure time and to

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participate actively in society, especially in areas where important decisions for the future of their own and all other nations are taken.

Prayer of the Faithful God always loves and listens to us. We pray for His help through the intercession of our Blessed Founder. We answer: Come to our aid, O Lord - We pray for the renewal in the Church which is necessary time and again, to

be able to proclaim the goods news of salvation. Let us pray: - We pray for the rulers, that they may look for the well-being of their people

through the promotion of justice, decent working conditions and peace. Let us pray:

- We pray for the International Kolping Society, that it may be able to spread the ideas of our founder, to reinforce the unity among the Regional, Diocesan, and National Kolping Societies and to continue to fight for a more dignified life. Let us pray:

- We pray for our Kolping Families and National Kolping Societies and that they may continue to grow in their willingness to serve one another and promote help for self-help among each other. Let us pray:

- We pray for ourselves who are following the way marked by Blessed Adolph Kolping, that we shall always stand up for the protection of life at all stages. Let us pray:

More intercessions can be added here. We unite our hearts and voices in the prayer that Jesus taught us. The Lord’s Prayer We also pray for the canonization of Blessed Adolph Kolping Prayer for the Canonization of Blessed Adolph Kolping

Almighty and everlasting God! You gave us Blessed Adolph Kolping as an intercessor and role model. His life found its fulfilment in caring for young people in religious and social difficulties. For many he was an untiring pastor, a fatherly advisor, a patient teacher and a true friend. He set us an example in his love for your Son. In his loyalty to the Church he is an exemplary role model for us. His concern was to understand work, family and society in the light of our faith. He considered helping one another within the community to be the expression of the Christian love for one’s neighbour. From Holy Scripture, the sacraments, and from prayer, he drew the strength to establish a movement that is to serve You and humankind. At all times you have called us to help establish your kingdom. We therefore beseech You; Help us work together to overcome poverty, injustice and

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hopelessness. Through the intercession of Blessed Adolph Kolping, help us to defend human life and protect marriage and family. As members of the International Kolping Society within the communion of Your Church, let us be the salt of the earth and a light for the world. Fulfill our hope of being able to honour Adolph Kolping as a Saint throughout the whole Church in all languages and nations. Let us, through faith, hope and love, work towards bringing to perfection Your kingdom in this world, just as Adolph Kolping strove to do. For this we pray, through Christ, our Lord. Amen. Closing song: Kolping Song P. Bernardo Godbarsen SAC National Praeses

Kolping Society of Uruguay