May 6, 2013 / Maria News

Horrific Video of 747 Plane Crash in Afghanistan

Maria News TV – An American Boeing 747-400 cargo plane owned by a US-based firm crashed at the Bagram air field, located north of Kabul, capital city of Afghanistan, immediately after it took off Monday.

Authorities said that all seven passengers aboard were killed. The Taliban quickly claimed responsibility for the downing of the cargo plane.

MLive.com is reporting that five of the crew members where from Michigan.

Since the crash, the video has gone viral on Youtube. There are also several videos showing reconstructed angles.

The videos below are disturbing. Please keep the deceased and their families in your prayers.

Video One:

Video Two: With reconstructed angles:

Video Three: CNN

Did you know?  St. Joseph of Cupertino is the patron saint of pilots and passenger.

Read More here: http://marianews.com/wordpress/10943/did-you-know-st-joseph-of-cupertino-is-the-patron-saint-of-pilots-and-passenger/

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April 16, 2013 / Maria News

Angels and Saints at Ephesus – Glorious, Beautiful and Timeless.

By Royce Hood – Glorious! Beautiful! Timeless! There is no simple way to describe the musical wonder that is Angels and Saints at Ephesus, the upcoming new album by the Benedictine Sisters of Mary. Just as with their last album, Advent at Ephesus, I am at a loss for words to adequately describe the beautiful sound of this timeless music.

A masterpiece! In a world of one-hit-wonders and trendy beats, most music becomes forgotten and never has any meaningful impact on our world. The Sisters however, have once again created a masterpiece of timeless treasures. Angels and Saints at Ephesus carries the listener on a jubilant journey through the ages with a beautiful choir of sacred music.

Executive entertainment industry veterans Kevin (SONY Music) and Monica (DreamWorks SKG) Fitzgibbons had been so moved by the music of the Sisters that they approached them about formally recording for their label devoted solely to the releasing music of religious orders called De Montfort Music, a division Aim Higher Entertainment. Their first album, Advent at Ephesus spent six weeks at #1 on Billboard’s Classical Music Chart and the Sisters ended up as the #1 Classical Traditional Artist of 2012, according to Nielson’s Soundscan. The album went viral, being featured on some of the biggest media outlets in the country including NPR, USA Today, The Washington Times and others.

Nine-time International Grammy® winning producer Christopher Alder, who hails from Germany and two-time Grammy® winning engineer Mark Donahue were enlisted to record the new album and to capture the Sisters singing in their contemplative environment.

“Music is a vital part of our spirituality, and it has been a blessing to have it blossom and broaden in recent years. We are all very excited about this release,” said Sr. Scholastica, the Order’s sub prioress and the designer of the album’s artwork. “Gathering the hymns we have learned and loved, it seemed only natural to suggest the theme of the Angels and Saints, the heralds of God’s glory and grace for this album.”

The Sisters are unique for a couple of reasons. First, their music has the ability to evangelize without being overly preachy. The album is filled with sacred music, yet the beautiful sound is one that any ear (religious or not) would enjoy. Second, the success of the Sisters’ last album demonstrates the overall hunger for beauty in entertainment. Their last album went to number one defeating the secular 50 Shades of Grey soundtrack. If these Sisters went on tour their concerts would be sold out!

As I write this review, (with the album playing in the background) the imagery that comes to mind is a choir of saints proclaiming the promises of a peaceful and eternal life. I imagine that indeed, the angels and saints in heaven are celebrating the beauty of this album!

Join me in helping to support this album! We have a unique opportunity to show the secular music world that there is BIG DEMAND for beautiful and sacred music. By pre-ordering your copy of Angels and Saints at Ephesus, we can help the sisters climb up the charts and once again be #1 in the country! Let’s turn some heads. Let’s evangelize. Let’s support the Benedictine Sisters of Mary in their quest to spread God’s love through music.

Order your copy here

Related: Check out the Official De Montfort Music site here

Visit the Benedictine Sisters of Mary website here.

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March 17, 2013 / MariaNews.com

Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist – Habemus Papam

MariaNewsTV - Sacred music record label, DeMontfort Music, has released a short video of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, reacting to the news of our new pope.  The Sisters erupt with cheer and reverence with the news of the new Pope Francis.

The video was being filmed of the sisters recording their new album. The album is scheduled to be released in the summer of 2013. DeMontfort Music was responsible for the national best seller Advent at Ephesus, recorded by the Benedictines of Mary Queen of the Apostles. Maria News is looking forward to the release of the new album by the Domincan Sisters! Until then, we leave you this wonderful short video. Habemus Papam!

Please spread the word and share this video with your friends.

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February 6, 2013 / MariaNews.com 

MUST SEE – Nellie Gray tribute video by the March for Life

MariaNews.com –  National pro-life leaders and personal friends of Nellie Gray pay tribute in this power 4 minute video.   This film remiered in front of over 500,000 pro-life marchers at the 2013 March for Life.

Nellie passed away in August of 2012 after over 40 years of dedication to protecting the unborn.    She believed we could overturn Roe v. Wade.  She believed in the dignity of every human life from conception to natural death.  She believed in the power of prayer and that even the hardest of hearts could be converted.   She dedicated her life to the unborn.   Her work lives on in all of us.

Nellie Gray pray for us!

Related: March for Life launches all new website: www.MarchForLife.org

Check out the all new March for Life YouTube channel here.

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January 29, 2013 /MariaNews.com

Filmmakers use social media to fund film about Medjugorje

MariaNews.com – Award winning director Sean Bloomfield and entrepreneur and producer Zaid Jazrawi announced today the launch of The Triumph Film crowd-funding campaign.  Utilizing social media the filmmakers hope to fund and promote a new documentary filmed in Medjugorje.

The Triumph – The battle has begun from Triumph Films on Vimeo.

“Get ready for The Triumph. A powerful new documentary that investigates one of the greatest mysteries in the modern world… a real-life prophecy unfolding today,” reads the opening line of their campaign.

Filmed primarily in the heart of Bosnia-Herzegovina, The Triumph investigates the modern-day miracles of Medjugorje, where apparitions of the Virgin Mary have been occurring since 1981. Sean and Zaid have dedicated the last two years to producing this epic and historical documentary.

In 1981 the Virgin Mary appeared to six small children in the tiny Baltic village of Medjugorje, bringing messages of God’s love to the world.  She promised to give each of the six visionaries a total of ten secrets that will occur on earth in the near future. The visionaries have so far revealed only one of the secrets.  In the third secret, Our Lady promised to leave a supernatural, indestructible and visible sign on the mountain where she first appeared in Medjugorje.

The film producers are using an innovative new method to help fund and promote the film. Indiegogo.com is a crowd-funding platform where anyone can help support a project in exchange for incentives also known as “perks.”   The perks for supporting the project include everything from a DVD to a trip to Medjugorje with the filmmakers.  The goal is to raise at least $50,000 to finish production and to help launch a marketing campaign for the film.

The funding campaign will last until 11:59 pm on March 10, 2013.

The Triumph raised over $5,000 with 45 contributors in less than 5 days from the launch of the campaign. Help make history, consider funding and check out the link below.

Read More: http://www.indiegogo.com/the-triumph?c=home

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October 26, 2012 / MariaNews.com

A Must See & Hear: Cloistered Nuns Create Angelic Music

By Royce Hood

Amazing.  Beautiful.  Necessary.   – It’s difficult to find the right words to describe the angelically perfect sound of Advent at Ephesus, an upcoming release by the De Montfort Music Label.

This story is special for a number of reasons.

First, the nuns who perform on Advent at Ephesus live a cloistered life.   Their mission in the words of the order’s Prioress, Mother Cecilia (fitting name) is that “we only desire the salvation of souls, and that all be done for His greater glory and the honor of Our Lady.”   Mother Cecilia left a secular career with the Columbus, Ohio Symphony to enter religious life.

Second, music industry veterans Kevin and Monica Fitzgibbons discovered the beautiful sound of the Sisters.   Through their music label de Montfort Music, they successfully enlisted Grammy^® and Oscar^® winning producer Glenn Rosenstein to set up a mobile recording studio at the convent to produce the album.

Third, and perhaps providential that the Sisters and de Montfort Music obtained international distribution through Decca Records (part of Universal Music Group), the worlds largest music content company.

Fourth and most incredible is the actual music.   The word “amazing” is true but far from enough.  The word “beautiful” is also accurate and much closer to describing the sound.  The word “necessary” suggests the importance of sacred music in our secular world.   Individually, none of the above words do Advent of Ephesus justice.   Together the adjectives merely come close to describing the wonder that is to be available on November 20.

Already pre-sales on Amazon has Advent of Ephesus rising the charts.   My suggestion to readers is that we make this album number one in classical sales!   It’s important to show the world that there is demand for sacred and beautiful music.

Pre-order the album here:

Check out the official website for the de Montfort Music Label here.

MUST SEE VIDEO

Related Story: http://marianews.com/wordpress/9588/cloistered-nuns-secure-worldwide-distribution-with-decca-classics-through-de-montfort-music-for-advent-album/

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September 4, 2012 / MariaNews.com 

Video by Catholic Parish in South Korea goes viral

UCANews.com –  Countless parody videos of South Korean rapper Psy’s viral sensation Gangnam Style have been released, and now a Catholic parish in Seoul has added its take on the humorous song and dance phenomenon.

Seongdang Style, made by a Catholic priest and his students, has received more than 110,000 views since it was uploaded on August 28.

“It’s important for the Church to develop digital content in order to survive in modern society,” said Father Ignatius Kim Min-soo, who has a doctorate in mass communication.

In Seongdang Style, a priest wearing a black soutane and sunglasses performs Psy’s ‘horse-riding dance,’ while his young students jump and run around the church, singing lyrics more palatable to Catholicism.

Father Paul Cha Bawoo-na, assistant priest of Sangbong Church in Seoul, said he wanted to show “what the Church life is” in the video. The video includes scenes from the church’s vestry and confessional for non-Catholics.

Father Cha was ordained in 2009 and said he and six high school students from his parish decided to make a parody version of ‘Gangnam Style’ during the summer vacation.

Read More: http://www.ucanews.com/2012/09/04/catholics-jump-on-viral-video-trend-with-seongdang-style/

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August 27, 2012 / MariaNews.com

Turn the Tide – 11 yr old Rimsha Masi – latest victim of Pakistan’s blasphemy law

Turn the Tide, a song by U.K. based electro-pop band, Ooberfuse has reached over 40,000 views in less than a week.   The song is dedicated to 11 year old Rimsha Masih.  For the past week, the 11-year-old Christian girl, who suffers from a mental disability, has been locked up in a jail on blasphemy charges and could get life in prison. She is accused of burning the pages of an exercise book used to learn Arabic and the Qur’an.

Ooberfuse made headlines this past summer for their effort to free Asia Bibi, a Christian mother of 5 sentenced to death for refusing to convert to Islam in Pakistan.

Learn more about Ooberfuse here.  

Related: http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Free-Rimsha-Masih,-the-11-year-old-disabled-girl-arrested-for-blasphemy,-Indian-leader-says-25641.html

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June 5, 2012 / MariaNews.com 

Asia Bibi headline picked up by National Catholic Register 

By Royce Hood

On Monday, June 4, MariaNews.com released an exclusive story about Asia Bibi.   Asia is a mother of five children who has been sentenced to death in Pakistan for defending her Christian faith.

London based electro-pop band called “Ooberfuse” has set out on a mission to free her!    Ooberfuse is a Christian group dedicated to building the Kingdom of God through music.   Recently they were contracted by the Catholic Church in England to write an album dedicated to religious vocations.

Anyway, Asia Bibi has been sentenced to death by hanging.  She has been brutalized and has been confined to prison for more than three years.

Ooberfuse created a song titled “Free Asia Bibi“, a music video (which graphically depicts the horrible conditions where Asia is being held), and they created an informational website www.FreeAsiaBibi.co.uk.

It’s important to note that the music video has received over 50,000 views since being released!

The goal is to create an all out media offensive to bring awareness to this violation of religious freedom and human rights.

As part of the campaign we posted the story on two different blog networks, CatholicDaily.com and IgnitumToday.com.    As of today, the National Catholic Register has picked up an adapted headline from IgnitumToday.com for the Free Asia Bibi story; “Asia Bibi to Hang”.

The only way Asia Bibi will have justice is if people learn of her injustice. Please pray for Asia Bibi, and her family.   Also, please keep in your prayers Ooberfuse as they continue to promote her cause.

If you can – spread the word!

Here is the link: http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/asia-bibi-to-hang-the-hobbit-in-one-picture-why-sexual-integrety-is-not-out/

Here is the original story: http://marianews.com/wordpress/6272/uk-electro-pop-band-launches-campaign-to-support-christian-mother-sentenced-to-death-for-defending-her-faith/

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June 4, 2012 / MariaNews.com

VIDEO: EWTN’s Life on the Rock featuring Royce Hood

On May 31, 2012, Royce Hood appeared on EWTN’s Life on the Rock with Father Mark Mary and Doug Barry.

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