The bishops of the United States have courageously chosen religious freedom as the cultural expression of our Church's response to the Holy Father's call for a Year of Faith.
The New York Encounter 2013, whose theme will indeed be Freedom - not just religious freedom, but the experience of what we call "freedom." The New York Encounter (NYE) is a cultural festival, open to the public which will take place January 18-20, 2013 at the Manhattan Center (34th Street and 8th Avenue).
NYE is an initiative of members of the international Catholic movement Communion and Liberation who seek to live the Catholic faith guided by the charism of the Servant of God Monsignor Luigi Giussani.
The mystery of faith in a secular age is at the heart of his teaching. Following Monsignor Giussani's example, the methodology of NYE is based on the experience of our humanity rather than a purely intellectual presentation. As Saint Augustine expressed, it is one of "confession" rather than "presumption."
Among the various events, all listed in the enclosed brochure, I would like to emphasize the following two:
On Saturday, January 19, 2013, at 5:00 p.m., Mr. Paul Bhatti, Pakistan's Minister for National Harmony, will offer an eyewitness account of the life of his brother Shahbaz Bhatti, the Pakistani Minister for Minority Affairs who was murdered in 2011 for defending religious freedom in his country. A real contemporary Catholic martyr!
On Sunday, January 20, 2013 at
2:00 p.m. there will be a meeting titled Faith, Soul of Life. In a time when society is no longer
Christian, from where do we begin again? Father Julián Carrón, President of the
Fraternity of Communion and Liberation (who participated in the recent Synod of
the Bishops in Rome), and Father Peter Cameron, OP, Editor-in-Chief of Magnificat,
will address this fundamental question in light of the Pope's writings for the
Year of Faith.
- Convenient List of Events: Experiencing Freedom 2013 NYE Events.pdf
- Program: NYE 2013 - Program.pdf
