Dear Friends and Colleagues,
We are living in rapidly changing times and each of us has been called upon to be responsive to these changes according to the decisions made by the governments and health authorities in our own countries.
Many of our colleagues have been unable to continue their ministry within their airports while others are finding their presence is needed more than ever. Each of us must be conscious of our responsibilities to ensure that we are not carriers of the infection to others.
To many of us as well as to many fellow citizens our the Holy Week, Easter Sunday, Passover, the beginning of Ramadan and other holy days will be times of loneliness as we celebrated in our homes without any possibility to join our usual congregations. This is probably unprecedented in human history.
On this matter I encourage you to read Fr Fabrizio Martello’s reflection in the most tragic context of Italy.
This is a time to ponder deeply on our faith and in what we believe. We may be likely to encounter personal sadness in the days ahead and this will feel magnified by the general mood of anxiety and powerlessness that we can see emerging worldwide.
But we can also see that the human spirit is unquenchable and is finding ways to overcome the loneliness of isolation. Who can but feel inspired by the Italians and the Spaniards singing from their balconies or the British and French people en masse clapping their health workers or the innovative priest who celebrated Mass on the roof of his Church while his congregation stood at their windows or on their balconies or the striging up of Christmas lights in the USA as a symbol of light and hope of better days to come.
In this context it is also vital to support each other and stay in touch with one another in our chaplaincies but also more globally. Two tools are at you disposal for that purpose: a dedicated space on our members website (see the message from our Media Officer) and a private group on Facebook started a few days ago by Donna Motte (ATL) and myself. I would like to invite you to use these tools to share how you deal with the situation, motivate prayer from other members, share ideas and good practice. If we do so this time will also be beneficial to all of us and strengthen our fellowship.
Let me finish with those lines of encouragement and prayer adapted from the statement I released in your name on 17 March:
The IACAC encourages all its members and every airport chaplain to continue offering their support to the aviation industry by what ever means possible. To be a caring presence in the midst of this turmoil. We offer our deeply sincere and ongoing prayers for each person affected by this disease and economic consequences it has brought about.
We particularly ask the Creator of all things for guidance and wisdom for the leaders of our countries, airlines, airports, and the whole aviation industry as they deal with this dramatic crisis.
To each of you we wish good health, peace and blessings as you go about your daily life.
Stay safe!
Pierre de Mareuil
President
IACAC
Paris –Charles de Gaulle
Holy Days of the Month
Celebrating and sharing our traditions
April 2020
05 – Palm Sunday – Christian
07 – Lilat al Baraat – Islam
08 – Passover First Day – Jewish
09 – Maundy Thursday – Christian
09 – Theravada New Year – Buddhist
10 – Good Friday – Christian
12 – Easter Day – Christian
14 – Vvaisakhi – Sikh
16 – Passover Final day – Jewish
17 – Good Friday – Eastern and Orthodox Christian
18 – Holy Saturday – Eastern and Orthodox Christian
18 – Birthday of Guru Angad Dev – Sikh
19 – Easter Day – Easter and Orthodox Christian
21 – Yom Hashoah – Jewish
22 – Start of Ramadan – Islam
28 – Yom HaZikaron – Jewish
29 – Yom Ha Atzm’ut – Jewish