28th July - 9th August Seoul, South Korea For aged 18-30 Join Archbishop Mark and a group from the diocese to the next summer’s WYD! With Pope Leo and a million other young Catholics, there will be a full schedule of activities and formation, in a country with a vibrant and growing Catholic community. There will also be opportunities to meet up before travel. Cost is £1500 per person plus the cost of flights (TBC - in the region of £800 to £1200). Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come first served basis. For more information contact Fr Matt Roche-Saunders at wyd@cardiffmenevia.org .

The Miracle of the Devoted Lambs of the Eucharist & St Francis of Assisi, Italy, 13th Century Franciscan historical chronicles told us that “during a trip to Rome, St Francis kept a little lamb with him, due to the inspiration of his devotion to Christ - his most beloved Lamb. Before he left, he entrusted it to a noble matron, Lady Jacopa of the Sette Soli, so she could take care of it in her home. And the lamb, as if spiritually taught by the saint in matters of the soul, always stayed by the woman’s side when she went to Church, when she stayed or returned. When the lady woke up late in some mornings, the lamb would nudge her with its little horns, and woke her with its bleats, encouraging her with its gestures and expressions to hurry to Church. The lady thus quite love and admire this lamb - disciple of Francis and teacher of devotion... Another time, at Santa Maria della Porziuncola, some people brought a sheep as a gift to St Francis, whom accepted it with gratitude, because he loved the sheep’s nature of innocence and simplicity. St Francis advised the little lamb to praise God and definitely not to bother any brothers. And the sheep sensed the piety of this man of God, so it carefully put his teachings into practice. When it heard the brothers singing in the choir, it would enter the Church, bend its knees, and bleat tenderly and harmoniously in front of the altar of the Virgin Mother of the Lamb, as if yearning to greet her. During the Mass celebration, at the moment of elevation, it would bow down, knees bent, as if this devout little animal wished to reprove people of little faith for their irreverence and encourage devout people for their reverence towards the Blessed Sacrament.” (Reference: www.miracolieucaristici.org )

On 1 November 1950, Pius XII defined the dogma of the Assumption. He solemnly proclaimed that the belief whereby the Blessed Virgin Mary, at the close of her earthly life, was taken up, body and soul, into the glory of heaven, definitively forms part of the deposit of faith, received from the Apostles.  To avoid all that is uncertain the Pope did not state either the manner or the circumstances of time and place in which the Assumption took place—only the fact of the Assumption of Mary, body and soul, into the glory of heaven, is the matter of the definition. The Assumption completes God's work in her since it was not fitting that the flesh that had given life to God himself should ever undergo corruption. The Assumption is God's crowning of His work as Mary ends her earthly life and enters eternity. The feast turns our eyes in that direction, and gives us hope that we, too, will follow Our Lady when our life is ended.