Vol.
XXXIII September
- October 2013 No.8 ____________________________________________________________________________________
Archbishop’s
Program
October
15 :
Fairfield – Holy Cross Province Assembly
17 :
Meeting with Rev. Fr. Mariolino CSJ
18 – 07 Nov :
New Zealand/Australia
November
01 – 07 : New Zealand/ Australia
07 – 09 :
Rampur – Ordination of Deacon Michael SJ
10 – 11 :
Jamalpur/ Basauni – Confirmation
15 – 16 :
Gulni
17 :
Sikandra – Blessing of the presbytery, Confirmation
19 – 21 : Navjyoti – Archdiocesan Pastoral Council
meeting
22 AM : Meeting with the Major Superiors
24 :
Patna – Conclusion of the Year of Faith”
25 PM : Major Superiors’ Get-together
26 – 28 : Navjyoti – RBC + CRI + CDP meeting
29 :
Gaya – Closing of Diamond Jubilee Year of Creane Memorial School
30 :
Mugalsarai – Shrine Feast
Bishop Victor Henry Thakur was installed as Archbishop
of Raipur on 19 September by the Apostolic Nuncio. Archbishop William and
Bishop Sebastian of Buxar participated in the installation ceremonies. The
Samachar extends our congratulations and best wishes to you dear Archbishop
Victor. You are fondly remembered for your valuable contribution to the Church
in Bihar.
Archbishop William has
appointed Fr. Peter Singarayan
as Priest in-charge of Rajgir effective from the third week of October. Fr.
Peter has been substituting Fr. Augustine Mundoli at Fatwa at the time of this
appointment. Since Fr. Augustine will take a couple of weeks more to return
from his treatment, Fr. Anthony
Panangatt has been appointed to take care of his place until he
returns.
Gaya Deanery:
“All the members of the Gaya Deanery were present for a meeting held on 28
August in Bodh Gaya. All of us participated in a series of talks on “celibacy”
given by a Buddhist monk and a Brahma Kumari sister. The talks indeed were
inspiring and enriching. After the talks, when we started our meeting, the SRA
Sisters, on the occasion of 90 years of existence of the Congregation, presented
a 10 minutes’ documentary on their Congregation. The interactions that followed
the documentary presentation took us closer to the spirit of the SRA
congregation. We then discussed and planned to have a deanery level celebration
of the ‘Year of Faith’ on 2 October in Gaya Parish with 10 participants each (4
priests and religious and 6 laity) from the parishes of the Deanery. After
sharing a fellow-ship meal prepared by the SRA Sisters, we concluded the session
wishing God’s abundant blessings on the SRA community at Bodh Gaya”. (Fr. Jose
Chirackal)
Gaya Parish:
On 17 August, Sonabigha village community of Gaya Parish welcomed two Sisters
of Disciples of Christ, Sr. Albina and Sr. Rajani in their midst. Archbishop
William, Fr. Andrews Thambi, Fr. James George and Fr. P. Bhaskar together with
some of the parishioners were with the villagers to welcome the Sisters to
their new abode. The Samachar wishes you God’s blessings dear Sisters in your
mission at Sonabigha. Seven children received First Communion on 8 September,
the Birthday of Mother Mary, during the Holy Eucharist. Special prayers were
offered for the first communicants during the Eucharist, and later the families
of the children celebrated the joy of “Jesus coming to the children” in the
Holy Eucharist. (Fr. A. Thambi)
A day of recollection and sharing was arranged for priests, Religious and
laity of the deanery on 2 October at Gaya parish in which a total of 100 people
participated. Fr. Philip Kattakayam was the facilitator briefing the gathering
about the importance of the year of faith. The participants deliberated on the
changes brought about by Vatican II and on the experience of reading and
teaching the Bible. “Every Christian needs to have faith, celebrate faith and
share the faith with others” he said. The lively interaction among the
participants helped them to go little more deep in their faith sharing. The
members greatly appreciated Fr. Jose Chirackal, the dean, for organizing the
program, and Fr. A. Thambi and his team for making all the arrangements to make
every one feel at home. ( Sr. Matilda HC)
Youth Commission News: A three-day leadership training service (LTS) camp
was organized by Patna Archdiocesan Youth Commission at the Youth centre,
Chakaram, from 6 to 8 September 2013. Fifty children from six schools together
with their LTS animators participated in the camp. Fr. Alwyn D’Souza SJ, Fr.
Anto Joseph SJ, Sr. Leena SCN and Mr. Ajit Julius conducted the sessions for
the children. The Youth Commission held yet another meeting of the LTS/YCS
animators at the Youth Centre, Chakaram on 17 August 2013. 21 animators from
different schools participated in the meeting. Archbishop William addressed the
animators and stressed the need to strengthen the LTS/YCS units in our schools.
Future action plan was discussed and dates for ongoing programs were finalized.
Fr. Sabu Davis along with 4 youths attended the 1Xth ICYM convention at
Jalandhar, Punjab from 5 to 12 October 2013. Twenty Youth participated in the
Yesu Mahotsav at Ranchi.
A Meeting of all the principals (priests) and Secretaries of our schools was held on 9
September to discuss matters such as formation of an Archdiocesan Educational
trust, financial arrangements, salary payments, common syllabus and common exam
for catechism teaching in our schools etc.
Jamalpur Reports: Fr. Thomas Olikathotty conducted a seminar on Faith Animation for the
parishioners of Jamalpur on 11 August as one of the various activities for
celebrating the year of Faith. There were more than 150 participants including children
and youth. The interaction between the parishioners and the resource person was
very meaningful and energetic as it focused on the documents of Vatican II. The
seminar helped the participants to discern one’s own faith and to seek ways to strengthen
it.
Year of Faith pilgrimage: While Fr,
Nandu Kumar and 110 parishioners of Jamalpur left Patna on a pilgrimage
to St. Francis Xavier Church in Goa on 9 October 2013, Fr. Andrews Raja and Fr.
Bhagyaraj have taken a group of 54 people from Barh, Nawada, Sikandra
and Patna on a pilgrimage to Valiankanni on 10 October. The pilgrims request
your prayers for the success of the pilgrimage.
Silver Jubilee: Silver jubilee of the sacerdotal ordination of seven of the
Archdiocesan priests was celebrated on 27 September evening with Archbishop
William, Bishop Sebastian of Buxar and 70 priests concelebrating the Holy
Eucharist at 5:30 p.m. Fr. Michael Ignatius, Fr. Christuraj and Fr. Irudayaraj
have completed 25 years of priesthood, while Fr. James George, Fr. Philip
Susai, Fr. Martin Anand and Fr. Sebastian Kallupura have entered into the
Silver Jubilee year. Fr. Christuraj, Fr. Martin Anand and Fr. James George due
to various reasons could not be present for the celebration. The other
Jubilarians shared their experience as priests in the Archdiocese. The Holy
Eucharist was followed by a fellowship meal. The Archdiocese congratulates you,
dear Jubilarians, and thanks the Good Shepherd for the gift of each one of you
to the people of Bihar.
Five Day Interactive Retreat: In continuation with the scientific study done on the
mission and ministries of the Church in Bihar, the pastors of Patna Archdiocese
and Buxar diocese together with the Archbishop and Bishop Sebastian of Buxar
had a five-day interactive retreat from 23 to 27 September 2013. Fr. Paul
Parathazham who coordinated the scientific survey directed the retreat in which
75 pastors participated. The retreat was very meaningful and fruitful as all of
us could prayerfully reflect on the findings of the survey and finally frame out
a time-bound strategic planning on our mission and ministries.
Action Committees Constituted: Four committees have been set up for the
implementation of the prioritized action plans drawn up during the interactive
retreat of the pastors. The committees are to take necessary steps to implement
the action plan in the Archdiocese in collaboration with the Archbishop and the
Vicar General.
They are:
1.
Authentic Life
Witness: Fr. Jose Chirackal (Convener), Fr. Andrews Raja, Fr. Nandu Kumar.
2.
Faith Formation:
Fr. Jose Edavazhy (Convener), Fr. Cyril
Simon, Fr. Robert Kumar, Fr. T. Olikathotty
3.
Education: Fr.
Joseph Raj (Convener) and representatives from 4 deaneries.
4.
Social Ministry:
Fr. Amalraj (Convener), Fr. A. Kadukanmakal, Fr. Mahipal and Fr. Alwyn D’Souza,
SJ
The Committees will be
approaching you to organize programs related to each of the above mentioned
ministries and you are requested to cooperate with them to actualize our goals
and vision set up by ourselves.
Archdiocesan Pastoral Council Meeting is scheduled to be held at Sewa Kendra from 19
November (evening) to 22 November (morning). All Pastoral Council members are
expected to be present at this important meeting. This meeting will be in the
backdrop of the survey findings and Fr. Paul Parathazham has kindly consented
to be the facilitator of the meeting.
Correction:
In the August issue of the Samachar, the
name of Fr. Amalraj, instead of Fr.
Joseph Raj, had been inadvertently included as one of the members of
the Committee formed to plan and propose ways and means for development of
Jehanabad mission. Kindly note the correction. The editor regrets the error.
Jehanabad:
Mahila Divas was celebrated with full fervor by the parish on 24-25 August, 2013.
Some 45 Mahilas gathered for the evening adoration and confession on 24. With
these 45 women, some 225 people gathered the next day for the Holy Eucharist. After the solemn Eucharistic Celebration, the
women took part in a short sports competition. It was a very good and
meaningful celebration. (Robert Kumar). Jehanabad
Parish Day was celebrated with solemnity on 8 September. On the
previous day there was a competition of ‘Isayan’ singing. People from 12
villages participated. Archbishop William D’Souza, S.J. was the chief guest
while Fr. Sebastian A also was present at the competitions. About 600 people
gathered for the same. On 8 September Archbishop William celebrated the Holy Eucharist
during which 35 children received First communion and 47 people including
adults received the sacrament of Confirmation. There was a short cultural
program as well. About 400 people participated in the celebration which
concluded with a fellow-ship meal shared by all. Congratulations to Fr. Robert Kumar, Sadhu
Shilanand, the Sacred Heart Sisters and the parishioners for meaningfully
celebrating the Parish Day.
The Birthday of our Blessed Mother was celebrated meaningfully in almost all our
Parishes/Mission stations on 8 September. In many places the celebration was preceded
with novena to Our Lady. In Bankipur, the Novena was conducted by the
Archbishop, Fr. Jerome Dungdung and other Priests from the Archbishop’s House
and from nearby parishes. In Barh, the novena was inaugurated on the first day by
Archbishop William and continued by other priests from the Deanery. The last
day of the Novena and the concluding Eucharistic celebration was presided over
by Fr. Devasia Mattathilani.
Chakaram Parish Day was celebrated on 15 September. About 350 people
participated. Archbishop William was the main celebrant with Fr. Kuldeep, Fr.
Joachim Thakur and Fr. Antony Samy (Banaras Diocese) as concelebrants. 14
children received First communion during the Holy Eucharist. A short but
colourful cultural program followed and the celebrations concluded with a fellow-ship
meal shared by all.
Teaching of Catechism: We need to revive the earlier practice of common
syllabus and common exam for catechism for the students of all the catholic
schools (run by the Archdiocese, Religious Congregations and Laity). Archbishop
with the help of the Director of Education and Director of Jyoti Bhawan, Mokama
(Faith Formation Dept.) has already taken up the preparation of the syllabus
and hopes to finalize the implementation of this important catechetical
practice by November 2013.
Deacon Dinesh Kumar was ordained a priest by Most Rev. Sebastian
Kallupura of Buxar diocese at Belaon, his home parish in Buxar diocese on 8
October 2013. About 45 priests from Patna and Buxar and a crowd of about 1200
people (including religious and the faithful) attended the function. The
ceremonies began at 10.30 a.m. with the blessing and inauguration of the newly
built church at Belaon. As we heartily welcome Fr. Dinesh into our
Presbyterium, we gratefully acknowledge and appreciate Bishop Sebastian
Kallupura for giving his precious time to ordain Fr. Dinesh. We extend our deep
appreciation and congratulations to Fr. Ashok Kumar and his team at Belaon, the
priests, Sisters and Laity of Buxar diocese who organized and conducted the
ordination ceremonies in the newly constructed Church. Archbishop William appoints Fr. Dinesh Kumar at Basauni for his Pastoral Year. This comes into
effect from second week of November 2013
Bijhan Mission Congress 2013 (Prabhu
Yesu Mahotsav): In this ‘Year of
Faith’ Bijhan Bishops Conference organized a three-day Mission Congress (Yesu
Mahotsav) in Ranchi from 11-13 October 2013. About 2500 people including
Priests, Religious and the Faithful as representatives from different dioceses
participated in the Mahotsav. Though due to heavy rain, the program had to be
conducted in the Cathedral Church, Ranchi, the ‘Yesu Mahotsav’ was very
fruitful to the participants and to the BIJHAN region. The Samachar
congratulates Fr. Andrews Thambi and his team for successfully coordinating the
participation of the representatives from the Archdiocese for the Mahotsav.
Fr. Gyan Prakash arrived in Patna on 13 September with a short stop over at his home on
his way from Rome. During his stay in Patna, he visited Ranchi, Muzaffarpur and
Bhagalpur to collect some research materials and joined the interactive retreat
as well. After a hurried visit on 30 September to the North-East together with some
of the Fathers from the Archbishop’s House, he returned to Patna in time to
celebrate his Birthday with us here on 5 October. He left for Rome via Chennai
on 6 October.
Fr. James Shekhar will be moving out to Germany on 21 October for about
three weeks to meet some of our donor agencies and is expected to be back by
second week of November 2013. Kindly remember him in your prayers for
hassle-free trip and fruitful visit.
Fr. Shakespeare had to be admitted in Holy Family Hospital on 21 September with
complaints of pain and numbness on his legs. The diagnosis showed that he is
suffering from GB syndrome, which in its early stage affects the lower limbs
with paralysis and later could be fatal if proper treatment is not taken in
time. The doctors have managed to arrest the spreading of the illness and have
advised bed rest and physiotherapy to him. He was out of the hospital on 5
October and is now taking rest at the Archbishop’s House taking necessary
treatment. Fr. Shakespeare expresses his heartfelt thanks to you for your
prayerful support. Please continue to remember him in your prayers.
Our seminarians in Regency had a day of prayer and sharing on 12-13 October
2013. Sr. Vijaya CJ facilitated the recollection which concluded with a sharing
session of the Brothers presided over by the Vicar General. All the
participants (nine of them) appreciated the talks by Sr. Vijaya CJ. Thank you
very much Sister Vijaya for sharing your valuable time with our Brothers.
Fr. Mariolino CSJ,
the Provincial Superior and Fr.
Amalraj CSJ of the Congregation of St. Joseph, generally known as
‘Josephites’ with their Provincial House in Kochi, were with us since 16
October. Seeking the possibilities of starting a unit of theirs in the
Archdiocese, they visited Jehanabad, Bodh Gaya, Barh and Patna City before they
returned to Kochi on 18 October.
Conclusion of ‘Year of Faith’: As announced earlier “Year of Faith” is to be
concluded on 24 November 2013, the feast of Christ the King. During the year
various programs were conducted at the parish and deanery level. It is
praiseworthy that the priests, Religious and the Faithful meaningfully
celebrated the ‘Year of Faith’ to deepen the faith of everyone in the
Archdiocese. Patna Deanery level conclusion of the ‘Year of Faith’ celebration
is scheduled for 24 November with a Eucharistic Procession starting from the Loyola
School compound at 2.00 p.m. and ending at Kurji Parish. At the end of the
procession the Archbishop will preside over the concelebrated Holy Eucharist in
the Parish Church. In all the parishes/churches in Patna deanery, there will be
only one Mass in the morning for the old and the sick. All others are requested
to participate in the Eucharistic Procession and the Holy Eucharist at Kurji.
Buses are being made available for the people to reach Kurji. For more details
you may contact your Parish Priest in Patna Deanery.
Jyoti Bhawan:
A 3 Month-training program for men catechists is being held at the Pastoral
Center, Mokama from 1 August to 30 October 2013 and according to reports, there
has been good response for the training program. 21 participants from 7
Dioceses, 8 of them from Patna, are participating in the training program.
As we are at the closing
phase of the ‘Year of Faith’, Jyoti Bhawan Mokama is arranging a Faith-Festival for the laity from 4
November (evening) to 7 November (morning). Fr Thomas Olikathotty informs that
you may send as many parishioners as possible for this Faith Fest celebration.
The participants need to take care of their travel expenses only as the
programme is fully sponsored by Jyoti Bhawan.
Three days Training program for lay people as animators for building up
SCC (Small Christian Community) in the villages is scheduled from 28 October
evening to 31 evening at Navjyoti Niketan. The participants will have to meet
their travel expenses only. Fr. Mariamlal informs that keeping in mind the
number of villages you have, you may send as many people as possible from your
parish/mission station.
Please Note:
1.
Apart from the
website, www.patnaarchdiocese.org the Archdiocese has a blog which updates our news
including the “Samachar”. You may open patnaarchdioce.blogspot.in for our
news.
2.
The pastors and
heads of the institutions/commissions are requested to send in news with
photographs (if available) by 25 of every month so that it could be published
in the following month’s ‘Samachar’. You are also requested to send in your
E-mail address to the editor at the earliest. The editor’s e-mail address is: devasiamvg@rediffmail.com
3.
Claretian Communications are publishing 1) Hindi Bible Diary 2014; 2) Rojana Adhatmic
Roti 2014 (Daily Gospel); 3) Chalisa Madhu Ras 2014 (Lentern Season) 4) Let Us
Pray (Daily Prayers). For bulk orders you may get a discount. You may contact:
Claretian Communications, P.Box – 157, 20 Circular Road, Lalpur, Ranchi 834
001, Jharkhand. Tel: 0651-2530730 E-mail: ranchicommunication@gmail.com
Happy Birthday
October
02 – 10 – 1938 Joseph Mattathilani
05 – 10 – 1973 Gyan Prakash
08 – 10 – 1952 Joseph Bara
10 – 10 – 1955 Christuraj
10 – 10 – 1962 Oscar Beck
12 – 10 – 1968 Pakiam Bhaskar
18 – 10 – 1981 Asit Lakra
21 – 10 – 1976 Satyaprakash
29 – 10 – 1980 Mariamlal
November
12 – 11 – 1977 John Britto
20 – 11 – 1979 Stephen Ekka
25 – 11 – 1949 Devasia Mattathilani
27 – 11 – 1955 Augustine Kadukanmakal
30 – 11 – 1953 Jose Chirackal
30 – 11 – 1961 Bartholomeo
Lakra