The Sower Apr 2015 nEW - Congregation of the Missionary Brothers
THE SOWER Vol. No. XLIX No. 35 January April 2015 Members & Collaborators of the XIV General Chapter 2015 Portiuncula, Mysore EDITORIAL BOARD Bros. Xavier Alexander, George Tho iyil, Savarimuthu Amburose, Bartholomius Kandulna, Zacharias Kuzhikulam, Mathew M.M., Dominic Marak, Laurence Abraham, Collinsius Wanniang, Sanil Tharayil, Roy Va appally and S.M.Joseph. Published by : Franciscan Missionary Brothers Generalate, Mount Poinsur, Mumbai 400 103 Printing : St.Francis ITI Press, Mount Poinsur, Mumbai103 # Materials for publication could be sent to : The EditorTHE SOWER, Franciscan Brothers Generalate, Mount Poinsur, P.B. 8470, Borivali West, Mumbai 400 103. Email: [email protected] Ph: +91222895 2997. The Sower is a quarterly, communication organ to disseminate news, views and writeups of the Franciscan Missionary Brothers (CMSF), benefactors and wellwishers with a view to motivate and inspire the readers to become contributors and supporters. The views expressed in the articles may not necessarily be endorsed by the Editorial Board and the responsibility lies on contributors. CONTENTS Editorial 2 XIV General Chapter... 3 Lenten Resolve 6 Golden Jubilee of SFITI 7 Empowering the Powerless 9 SFIT Convocation 2014 11 SFIAD Convocation 2014 12 Graduation Ceremony SFIMAR 13 Enhancing Employability... 16 Annual Day SFIMAR 18 St. Francis School, Begur: Annual Day 19 Christmas 2014: KVTC, Sunyani, Ghana 21 A New Diocese in Tamil Nadu 22 THE SOWER 1 EDITORIAL EASTER reflections… During the first week of April the world all over will celebrate Easter, commemorating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ a er his passion and death. Easter provides us the required insights to change our worldview and a changed outlook on our life and the world around. The Easter story continues to be relevant because many of the pains from the days of Jesus are still with us today, and the compassion and living example of Jesus leads to a new worldview full of hope and empowerment. Easter celebrates the victory of light and life over darkness and death. God recreates and redeems life from dead, dry and destroyed bones. We are released from the bonds of selfobsession, addiction and whatever would steal away the radical freedom of Godwith us. Our lives are being recentered in what is most holy and creative the new thing God is continually doing in our midst. The wonder of the resurrection is upon us once more. May we embrace Godʹs ever new life with every fiber of our being and every yearning of our soul. Christ is risen, death is vanquished, humanity is restored to holy and creative relationship with Godʹs ongoing and eternal liveliness. Praise God who brings light out of darkness, life out of death, and newness out of the old. Christ is risen, Alleluia! Happy Easter! 2 THE SOWER XIV GENERAL CHAPTER 2015: An Overview The XIV General Chapter was commenced on 09th February with an animation program on the themeCMSF Charism Revisited: Walking the Gospel of Joyfor two days and on 11th February, on the feastday of Our Lady of Lourdes the XIV General Chapter of the Congregation was formally declared open. The reporting sessions and the business sessions on all aspects of our life and activities had a wider discussion and active participation by all the capitulars. For the first time the General Chapter of the Congregation was conducted outside of Mount Poinsur, in a rural se ing to signify that CMSF is ready to reach out to the periphery, to the fringes of the society with its evangelical activities and upli programs for the thousands who are in need of a CMSF touch. The students and staff of St.Francis School, Je i Hundi were in unison with the Brothers in prayer for the success of the Chapter, its deliberations and decision making processes. At Portiuncula, everyone of us was reminded of the Chapter of Mats conducted by St.Francis of Assisi, where more than five thousand friars were present, finding no inconvenience despite the large crowd. The Scholastics under the leadership of their Directors conducted the liturgy, choir, in a most magnificent way and li ed everyone to a higher realm. Their presence and services were indeed commendable at all areas and they made themselves available at all times during the Chapter. The community at Portiuncula had meticulously arranged/provided everything for a comfortable stay for over two weeks. Thanks to the Superior and the community for the remarkable job done and the Franciscan hospitality extended to all. LENT2015: The season of Lent2015 began with Ash Wednesday during the General Chapter. On Ash Wednesday ashes were applied to foreheads as if to say, if our ideas are not like those of Christ, we run the risk of turning into dust and ashes. But if we are converted and believe in the Gospel our life acquires a dimension that is characteristic of eternity and all we do does not fly away like ash and dust. It also reminds us of the essentialsreal human and religious values of life and demands a detachment from all that weighs us down. This Lenten season is the perfect time to show our faith in Christ, to show him that we are ready and willing to listen to him and to follow him. During these days we should prepare ourselves, through penance and fasting, for the celebration of the glorious Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord also reminds us that before we experience the glory of heaven, we have to go through the Calvary of daily life. It is a Lenten essential that we reach out to those in need by acts of charity, reaching out to both those near and far in order to give them an exalted life. Lent is a favourable time for showing this concern for others by small yet concrete signs of our belonging to the one human family. Lent is a call to conversion, conversion of heart. It reminds us, of the uncertainty of our own lives and our dependence on God and our neighbour. If we humbly implore Godʹs grace and accept our own limitations, Godʹs love will surround us with infinite possibilities to over the temptations of life. THE SOWER 3 May the Lord Jesus, who underwent temptations, sufferings and humiliations and finally emerged victorious be at our side to guard and lead us forward in our Lenten resolutions. Wishing you all the Joy of Easter! Portiuncula, Mysore is well prepared to hold the XIV General Chapter. Celebration of the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes 4 The Superior General presenting the Six yearly Report in the Chapter THE SOWER Financial Report by Bro. Domnic PJ, Bursar General Intervention: Bro. Bri o Vanpuzha Felicitation program for the newly elected General Team General Chapters Members at St. Francis School, Je i Hundi with selected Staff & Students “Go Green”: Planting a sapling of Ashoka Tree in memory of the XIV General Chapter by Bro. George Koldert THE SOWER 5 LENTEN RESOLVE Rocky Dias, Exstudent, RaiaGoa Lent is the season of fasting and prayers and also doing good. Fasting does not merely mean abstaining from eating meat and eating one vegetarian meal. One must try to abstain from best pleasured items during the Lenten season and share the food with the hungry, bring home for a day homeless children, clothe the naked and bring peace in our homes. During this season follow the path to righteousness; make it your vanguard, the glory to god. By doing this we bring God in our lives and by a sinful life God remains absent from our midst. Seek Jesus with all your heart and soul as we continue this lent with our penitential observances and sacrifices. Temptations does cross our minds for evil doings, here we must emulate the life of Christ. He became man like us, in all things and was even tempted as we are, but without sinning (Heb. 4/15). By accepting human body and soul, Christ also accepted our human weakness. During this lent smile and greet everybody you meet even those you do not know. God loves you and you are Godʹs child. Lent is a season to experience the joy of forgiveness. All the past negativity must be overcome by the positive thoughts of love, abstinence, penance and forgiveness. As good human beings we must long to rest from our quarrels and conflicts in our homes and with others. Remember to forgive a person we need to be humble. BIRTHDAY IN HEAVEN Bro.Charles Peechaa , CMSF You died on earth and born in heaven Hearty welcome to you in heaven Today is your day, a single entry forever You wonʹt be back to native anymore You have come to heaven not alone You have led many in the paths of heaven You have nothing to complain against any You have radiated the true light to so many You are a permanent member in heaven You are precious than anything on earth You have nothing to worry of the present or future You have unending joys and happiness in heaven There is no birthday cake in heaven There is no fireworks in heaven But there is singing hallelujah always in heaven And there is celebration every moment in heaven None in heaven have envy or spread rumors None have to change or replace in heaven None will feel greater or lesser None can think as senior or junior You have come to the banquet You have come to share the joy of the Lord You have come to praise the Lord And you have come to worship the God Almighty. 6 THE SOWER GOLDEN JUBILEE OF ST.FRANCIS ITI, Mount Poinsur 23 JANUARY 2015 Bro. Jose Valliara, CMSF, Superior General Message On the occasion of the grand finale of the Golden Jubilee of St.Francis Industrial Training Institute, I am happy to congratulate you dear Brothers and our collaborators who are involved in the field of Technical Education. St.Francis Industrial Training Institute has been a beacon of light, knowledge and skill to the thousands of youth who passed out during the last 50 years. It has played a crucial role in moulding the youth of our country, by training them in various trades and skills, thereby offering them be er prospects in the career world. Doubtless indeed, the Institute has imparted quality value based education and training so as to make them be er citizens of the country. Golden Jubilee Year should be a turning point for the Institute to update itself technologically to meet the demands of the Industry and the techsavvy youth of present times. We are witnessing a revolutionary change in the field of Technical Education more than ever in the past as the economic development of the country largely depends on technological improvements and scientific and technical manpower. Therefore the technical education has a crucial role in speeding up the nations development. Technical training institutes provide skilled manpower needed in the various sectors. India has the oldest and the largest infrastructure for scientific and technical training in the Asian continent and it has made significant contributions to the countryʹs scientific and industrial development. In the absence of technology human life becomes almost impossible today; it is so pervasive that, we need technical assistance in anything and everything. So, we need to train our youth in response to this need of the time. Such education is needed to produce specially trained men/women for making and operating the modern machines/tools. Mechanization has invaded every sphere of human life, and therefore, technical education has become vital in the arena of education and training. This mechanization of life will increase and expand to all corners of the world, hence the requirement for mechanics and technicians to manage all these, and the demand for heavy industries to manufacture these machines. Hence, the need for technical / industrial education is paramount in our country. It primarily aims at equipping a person for work, to make him fit for ge ing a job in the industry. So it plays a vital role in the human resource development of the country by creating skilled manpower, enhancing industrial productivity and improving the quality of life. Technical education promotes the material prosperity and economic advancement of a nation; that is to say, technical education makes a country rich, prosperous and resourceful. Our country has plenty of raw material resources but we need technical information, skill, and technology to make use of them for the good of the nation and people. THE SOWER 7 I congratulate the present Principal Bro.Wilson Kallungal and the other Brothers who are in charges of various sections, former Principals and Brothers who have strenuously worked for the progress of the Institute during the past 50 years. I also appreciate all the staff, and other collaborators who make this run smoothly for the good of the youth of our country. SFITI Golden Jubilee Celebrations in Pictures 8 THE SOWER Music Show by SFIT Students Inmates of St. Francis Boys Home Playing Band Brothers & Staff of SFITI EMPOWERING THE POWERLESS Bro. Wilson K.Joseph, CMSF Franciscan Missionary Brothers started the process of empowering the youth in Borivli, long back when they started St. Francis Orphanage and school in 1908 by Rev. Bro. Paulus Moritz, the founder of the society of the Franciscan Missionary Brothers. Bro. Paulus had an extra ordinary compassion for the poor especially poor and the marginalized. He, along with his early followers, traveled extensively to the remotest villages of India, as part of his mission program. He experienced the sufferings of the poor directly especially during the epidemic, floods and famines. Among the suffering, the children were the most affected, neglected and easily vulnerable to any maladies. Bro. Paulus knew that the children are the future of any society and they have to be nurtured and cared for to build up a healthy society. Bro. Paulus Moritz, in one of his le ers dated 3rd November, 1912, writes about how the orphanages became centers of learning spiritual, academic and vocational skills. ʹIn addition to spiritual and corporal works of mercy, he started village schools, boarding homes, industrial THE SOWER 9 technical fields which offered an effective means of promoting the welfare of the peopleʹ. Further, ʹThe orphans develop their skills and find job opportunities and training in such projects. They were introduced to various handicra s and trades like carpentry, foundry, tailoring, iron casting, photography, printing press, book binding candle and statue making etc.ʹ The early Brothers themselves were qualified and commi ed to initiate such training programs all over the centers. The Franciscan centers became very popular and our students obtained employment or became self employed a er completing their basic training. St. Francis Orphanage and High School at Borivli is the first of such centers started by our beloved Founder. He visualized the need to set up an orphanage to empower the weaker and poor children of Bombay. The Orphanage and School would not have been possible without the generous help of people all around the globe. Brothers volunteered to humbly beg at various places and always people admired the good works of the Brothers and helped them generously. When the Brothers noticed that the school here had reached a certain level, they began to concentrate on technical education as well to help the poor children to stand on their own feet. The famous saying, ʹGive a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him all his lifeʹ had become a slogan for the early Brothers. As per the vision of the Founder, ʹIn 1955 during the tenure of Bro. Amandus as Principal and Manager, the Brothers started a small formal trade school on the premises of the school, for training the poor in Carpentry, Printing, Fretwork, electromechanical toys etc. This humble beginning has over the years, grown into a fullfledged Industrial Training Instituteʹ. (History of a Vision with a Vision, 2.1.30, page 101). St. Francis ITI became a symbol of hope to the underprivileged children of St. Francis Orphanage and the children of other similar centers in India. The quality of training imparted here was unparalleled to any institution in India because of imported machinery, tools equipments and modern techniques of teaching. He invited German professionals to train our staff and students. The founding Brothers in particular Bro. Modestus, the Father of Technical Education Apostolate of the Congregation, led the institute towards becoming one of the premier institutes in India. A er completing their high school studies, most deserving boys from various Orphanages all over hostel managed by the Brothers. As a result, the trained boys were in great demand both in India and the Middle Eastern countries. The apostolate of empowering the youth is still being continued and the Vision and Mission of the Founder is interpreted and translated into action at every center. As St. Francis ITI celebrates the golden Jubilee of its existence, we gratefully remember all the collaborators, benefactors and staff for being the part of the Vision and Mission of our beloved Founder Bro. Paulus Moritz. 10 THE SOWER SFIT CONVOCATION CEREMONY The Chief Guest, Guest of Honour & Other Dignitaries at the Convocation Cermony 300 Students of SFIT were Awarded B.E. Degree THE SOWER 11 SFIAD CONVOCATION CEREMONY One Hundred SFIADians were Awarded 2/3 Years Diplomas in Art & Design on 24 January, 2015 Congratulations to you Dear Students 12 THE SOWER GRADUATION CEREMONY – SFIMAR Ms. Renita DʹSouza, (Assistant Professor) The Graduation Ceremony of St Francis Institute of Management & Research (SFIMAR) was held on 2nd February, 2015. It was commenced in the SFIMAR Auditorium at 11.30am. With great joy and pride SFIMAR graduated its students of full time program MMS, PGDM and part time program MMM/MFM from the class of 2014 for successful accomplishment of their respective courses. Dr M. A. Khan, Registrar, Mumbai University presided as Chief Guest and Rev. Bro. T V George, the Asst. Superior General as the Guest of Honor of the ceremony. The programme commenced with the stars of the event entering the auditorium with a graduation march led by the Chief Guest, Guest of Honor, Chairman (SFIMAR) Bro. Alphonse Nesamony, Director (SFIMAR) Dr.S.S.Mohanty, specially invited guest, dignitaries and faculty members of the institute, in the presence of their parents who witnessed the same with great delight. Blessing of the Almighty were invoked by lighting of the lamp by the guests and singing the prayer of St.Francis and the prayer dance by the students. Chairman Bro. Alphonse Nesamony, took the privilege to welcome all who a ended the programme while delivering the welcome address. He highlighted the sacrifices of the parents and efforts of the faculty rendered in nurturing the students to help them achieve their goals successfully. The nostalgic moments captured in the video played during the program, revived the wonderful memories of the days passed in two years time and le everyone amazed and emotional. Chief Guest, Dr M. A. Khan, Registrar, Mumbai University delivered the Graduation Address. In his speech, he emphasized on the importance of application of knowledge and the pursuit of excellence. The Guest of Honor Rev. Bro T V George, the Asst. Superior General highlighted the importance of the holistic approach that management graduates should adopt in order to contribute effectively in nation building in his speech. SFIMAR believes in encouraging and appreciating the efforts of the students. Toppers of each course, Ms. Sonam Rane and Ms Raisa Tauro from MMS, Mr. Vaibhav P. Shah and Ms. Tanvi Shah from PGDM & Mr. Nitin Nagarka e from MMM, Mr. Kinjal Modi and Mr. Noris Mendes from MFM were felicitated with medals by the Guest of Honor for securing the first and second places respectively. 192 students of the MMS, PGDM and PartTime programs received their degrees. The toppers from each course shared their experience. Dr. S.S. Mohanty, Director (SFIMAR) proposed vote of thanks and advised students to be passionate about their work and contribute towards the be erment of our society and environment as it resonates with our Franciscan ideas of empathy, sharing and service through enterprise. The great celebration came to an end with National Anthem leaving students & parents with enthusiasm and a great feeling of satisfaction, pride and honor. THE SOWER 13 The Brothers, Chief Guest and other Dignitaries The Chairman, Director & Faculty members of SFIMAR Dr. M. A. Khan, Registar, Mumbai University addresses the students & Awarding the Degree 14 THE SOWER MMS, PGDM, MMM, MFM Graduates in Pictures THE SOWER 15 Enhancing the Employability of the Students at St Francis Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai Bro. Alphonse Nesamony, CMSF St. Francis Institute of Management & Research (SFIMAR) was established in 2002 by The Society of the Congregation of Franciscan Brothersʹ to impart quality and valuebased education in the field of Business Management. It is recognized by AICTE, New Delhi and has been granted permanent affiliation by University of Mumbai. SFIMAR is an ISO 9001:2008 Certified Institute and also recognized under Section 2 (f) & 12 (B) of UGC Act 1956. SFIMAR offers twoyear fulltime MMS Programme (affiliated to Mumbai University), full time PGDM Programme (AICTE & DTE approved) and threeyear parttime Masterʹs Degree Programme (Financial Management and Marketing Management streams) which are conducted at its campus in stateoftheart infrastructure environment. Its core team of experienced and qualified faculty shares the responsibility of imparting knowledge to the aspiring students at SFIMAR. A right blend of academic scholars, industry experts, personality development coaches and motivational leaders from various organizations, professionally train the students. SFIMAR deploys superior pedagogy, innovative teaching methods and latest technology in imparting course curricula, while inculcating in its students a sense of values, community service, social inclusion and sustainable business practices. It aims at transforming students into ethical and compassionate management leaders who can function effectively in a globally competitive business world and contribute to the be erment of the economy, society and environment. SFIMAR accords utmost emphasis on helping students achieve suitable employment, realize their long term career goals and become good corporate citizens. While an organizationʹs job description may define the basic qualities needed for a role, there are so skills, such as appearance, a itude, behaviour, communication, leadership skills and more, which could be differentiating factors while choosing between equally competent candidates for either a job or a promotion. Keeping these in mind and based on feedback received from a large number of prospective employers as well as from alumni who hold seniorlevel positions in premier organizations, the Institute has a empted to decode the business landscape and identified employability skills and behavioural competencies, for which, it coaches and assesses the students. SFIMAR has developed a comprehensive learning and development strategy for skill and knowledge enhancement tailored to suit todayʹs challenging business environment. This includes industry visits, internships and project work with leading corporates within the country, international study tours, organizing and participating in research seminars and competitions, personality development and mindfulness programmes. SFIMAR has long since recognized that students have varied levels of knowledge, skills, a itudes and personality. A good proportion of todayʹs youth are seeking guidance in their career and life goals. Some lack confidence, communication and technical skills due to various personality traits and lose focus due to information oversupply. Others lack current knowledge of business and contemporary events. In view of the above, SFIMAR has a very structured and balanced approach 16 THE SOWER towards overall grooming of the students, so that they can be moulded and shaped to achieve their maximum potential. In this regard, SFIMAR runs a number of cocurricular and extracurricular programmes, such as Group Discussion and Mock Personal Interviews; General and Functional Aptitude Tests and Training; Newspaper Reading; Sector Analysis; Technical Training; Alumni Interaction; Personality Grooming and Development; Boot Camp; Sensitivity Training; OnetoOne Mentoring; Anveshi – Student Research Paper Presentation Contest; Live Projects; Lifelong Learning and Extension Activities; Activities related to Instituteʹs Social Responsibilities; Thought Leadership, Lead by Example, Mindfulness and so on. The Instituteʹs Director Dr S S Mohanty said, “We are delighted to have received the 3rd prize from the National Centre for Quality Management for our project ʹEnhancing Employability of the Studentsʹ which is one of the many projects in continuation since 2011.” Dr Mohanty also mentioned that the projectʹs objectives were clearly defined at the outset and the outcomes are measurable over the years. Dr Smita Jesudasan, a Faculty member further elaborated that the project has achieved the objectives of enhancing cognitive abilities; to foster overall personality development, to inculcate creativity, entrepreneurship and leadership skills, to promote ethical and social values in the students and to make them happy, peaceful and content under varied circumstances. Dr Mohanty said the Instituteʹs focused approach on providing high quality management education, empowering and transforming students, has helped it create a ready talentpool of management graduates who are sought a er by the corporate sector. Once the culture of empathy, innovation and sustainable business practices have taken root, SFIMARʹs students graduate as empowered individuals, possessing the skills to be a driving force for their organization and the countryʹs growth and advancement at a global level. This coupled with the efforts of SFIMARʹs dedicated Placement Team has enabled it to achieve 100 per cent placement record and so far the highest compensation package received by a student in 2015 was Rs. 62.8 lakhs per annum. He said that the Institute owes its success to the vision, progressive policies and support of the Governing Council and its Chairman, Bro. Alphonse Nesamony. SFIMAR invests continuously in the development of its faculty, by conducting faculty development programs, creating a research development value chain and nurturing innovation in pedagogy. Its management and leadership development programmes and the Entrepreneurship and Business Incubation Centre are designed to promote a culture of creativity and innovation by connecting academia and businesses. SFIMAR has adopted latest technology such as egovernance in order to streamline administrative process, instant review of faculty and studentsʹ performance, mentoring and monitoring. It has also created a cloud research repository and knowledge sharing platform for facilitating collaborative research work. THE SOWER 17 ANNUAL DAYSFIMAR2015 March 14, 2015 Bro. Jose Valliara, CMSF On the occasion of the Annual Day 2015 of SFIMAR, I am extremely happy to witness this historic event and give a short message to our dear students. Dear students, some of you have almost reached the end of your academic program here while others still pursue your preferred course with utmost enthusiasm and earnestness. Annual Day is certainly a joyful and funfilled day, unlike the exam days, which are full of tensions and worries. It is here you bring out your best that is in you. Your academically and culturally groomed personhood, your intellectual and professional caliber, your future vision and the career that you dream of are in full glow now even as you participate in the annual day program here. It is said: Equip yourself with worldly knowledge; enrich yourself internally with spiritual and philosophical knowledge” , it is the essence of all education. Although it was important that you learn a body of knowledge—the ʺfactsʺ of a discipline, however, one cannot pursue any profession without understanding the principles of it. I believe that the SFIMAR has given you this and more for it is a place for the development of intelligence, a place of opportunity and achievement and a place for learning how to think clearly, write beautifully, and put quantitative skills to use in any managerial enterprise. The campus here is also a place for enjoyment, in forms that go beyond entertainment or distraction, stimulating your capacity to create joy for yourselves and others. You have learnt about yourselves, learn the power of persistence, the rewards of hard work, and the hard lessons of life as you went through the daily humdrums of life in spite of the companionship of your friends. Remember, your parents have dreams for you. To a greater extend the college will help you fulfill those dreams. Today, higher education remains the best way for parents to transform dreams into reality for their children. Always listen to what they wanted to tell you with regard to your career, relationships, family, etc. Each of you must keep in mind to acquire academic excellence, research excellence, leadership excellence, and character excellence as you complete the course. These can be experienced in the classrooms and the labs, over meals and outside in the park, wherever bright and creative minds come together; in cocurricular organizations, the clubs, interest groups, and teams where students learn and practice how to come together and to share and perfect their ideas. Always be guided by the campus values—respect, intellectual curiosity, integrity, commitment, empathy, mutual appreciation, and fun. SFIMAR envisions a just and sustainable world; therefore education higher and professional must speak to all dimensions of a human being—intellectual, emotional, aesthetic, ethical, spiritual, and somatic/human ecology. Such an education transforms ordinary knowledge into wisdom and cultivates compassion and service to others and the Mother Earth, prepares students to change the world for the be er. An educational journey must be one through which students emerge as fuller human beings more deeply connected to one another and to the bigger world. We wish that our students to grow and mature, to learn and develop, both academically and personally. Our goal for the students is to become the best at their professions, and also the best public citizens and the best people in the society. I wish all of you every success and Godʹs Blessings! 18 THE SOWER ANNUAL DAY of St. Francis School, Begur BEYOND BARRIERS... AN ODYSSEY OF SELF DISCOVERY Bro. Cletus, CMSF, Principal, St Francis School Performers of the Annual Day Annual Day Celebration of St. Francis School,Hongasandra was on 17th January, 2015. It was a feast to the eyes of audience when a theme based cultural programme titled “Beyond Barriers….An odyssey of self discovery” was presented. It was a saga of those unsaid tales that have gone buried. It was an effort through scintillating performances to stimulate and recreate a sense of “Being” you with children of various invisible processing disorders of learning disabilities. It depicted the life of Ms. Soni Varghese, a dyslexic child. Ms. Soni Vargheseʹ childhood, her life in the school, numerous painful experiences she had from her teachers and friends were presented through videos and dance performances. Her odyssey of selfdiscovery commenced when she unearthed her artistic sensibilities. In her voyage of selfdiscovery, inspirational lives of Alexis Wineman, Pablo Picasso, Thomas Alva Edison, Sudha Chandran, Walt Disney, Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan provided synergy and motivation. Just like a pearl, who begins its life in an oysterʹs shell, Ms Soni Varghese had a simple and humble beginning. Finally, she discovered her inner potential and transformed herself to be a pearl of elegance and beauty. THE SOWER 19 The programme started with a welcome speech by Master Sujith and Master Vinod followed by lighting of lamp by the dignitaries. Dr. Murali Thyloth , Secretary General, World Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation was kind enough to be the Chief guest for the evening. The Guests of honour Rev. Bro. Peter Lemos –Principal, St. Francis School, Koromangala and MLA Mr. Satish Reddy honoured the proceedings. The programme carried on with the presentation of Annual Report by Principal Bro. Cletus and Academic Coordinator Mr. Johnichan who gave an opportunity to people to experience a day in the life of children with disorders of visual perception, auditory and reading difficulties. A keynote address by the Chief Guest ended with a motivating thought “We make a living by what we get and we make a life by what we give.” This summed up the total idea of the theme “Beyond Barriers” and was well received with a thunderous applause by the audience. 20 THE SOWER CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION AT SUNYANI MISSION, GHANA Bro. Joseph C.P., CMSF Bro.Jose Valliara the Superior General and Bro. George Koldert, General Councilor from Germany were at KVTC, Sunyani, Ghana during the Christmas2014 where our Brothers Boniface Kuruthukulangara and Joseph CP, run the Technical Institute there. Bro.Julius George also joined them during the Christmas season. The Brothers with the help of the sisters and the children made a beautiful Crib and members form all the neighbouring communities participated in the procession with the statue of Child Jesus on 23rd December 2014. Around 500 people were present for the function including the staff and students of the Institute. At KWASIBUOKROM they had Christmas Mass in the parish church on 24th December at 9.00 PM. They also had organized a Christmas Carol singing. On 28th Sunday at 4 P.M. the children from our Kwasibuokrom village were invited to our house about 100 children were there. The brothers organized some cultural programs and a few competition items to entertain the children. The first Crib at Sunyani ever... by Bros. Boniface and Joseph CP. The Superior General, Bro. George Koldert & Bro. Julius George were present at the Christmas Celebrations THE SOWER 21 KUZHITHURAI, A NEW DIOCESE IN TAMIL NADU Bro. Joseph S.M., CMSF One of the duties of the Holy Mother, the Church was to create new dioceses whenever and wherever such a need arose. Such a need was felt by the people in the 85 year old Diocese of Ko ar. The people waited patiently for their new Diocese and a new Shepherd for a considerable period of time. It was a great struggle and the people underwent the pain of a mother at the time of her childbirth. They were also like the people of Israel who waited for their Saviour for so many years. Many generations have passed away without seeing the Messiah. At last when the fullness of time had come, God sent the Saviour into this world and the message about the birth of the Messiah was announced by the Angels to the shepherds. In a similar way, when the fullness of time had come for the birth of the new diocese, it was announced by none other than our angelic Pope, Pope Francis. His Holiness Pope Francis had announced the erection of the new Latin Rite Diocese of Kuzhithurai in Kanyakumari District in Tamil Nadu on 22nd December 2014. He also appointed the 63 year old Salesian Priest, Fr.P.Jerome Dhas Varuvel as its first Bishop. The new diocese had been created with territories taken from the Diocese of Ko ar, making it a suffragan of Madurai Archdiocese. The new Kuzhithurai Diocese has 100 Parishes and 123 Mission Stations spread across an area of 915 sq.km. It has a Catholic population of over 2,64,000 and are served by 131 Priests and 269 Religious men and women. The Cathedral of the new diocese will be the Church of the Most Holy Trinity at Thiruthuvapuram in Kuzhithurai. The Episcopal Consecration and taking Canonical Possession of the new diocese took place on Tuesday, 24th February 2015 at Trinity School Campus, Chithirancode (Manalikarai) at 4.00pm. The Principal Consecrator was Most Rev.Peter Remigious, Bishop of Ko ar Diocese and the Co Consecrators were Most Rev.Antony Pappusamy, Arch Bishop of Madurai and Most.Rev.George Antonysamy, Arch Bishop of MadrasMylapore. Many Bishops from different dioceses of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, number of Priests and Religious Men and Women from both the dioceses and a large number of lay people were present for the function. The Gospel of the day was taken from St.John 10:1116 where Jesus tells the qualities of a Good Shepherd. A touching and meaningful sermon melted the hearts of the people gathered there. May the good, Jesus who laid down his own life for the sake of his sheep be the source and inspiration of the new Bishop, and may the Most Holy Trinity guide his every step so that he may lead the flock under his care towards Jesus. BISHOP JEROME DHAS VARUVEL Bishop Jerome Dhas Varuvel sdb, belongs to the Salesian Province of Chennai. He was born on 21 October, 1951 in Paduvoor in the Diocese of Ko ar. He joined St.Aloysius Minor Seminary, Ko ar Diocese, on 24th May 1964. He had done his P.U.C. at Sco Christian College, Nagercoil. He joined the Sacred Heart Seminary, Poonamallee, Chennai on 12th June 1970. A er three years of Philosophy, he joined the Arul Anandar College at Karumathur, Madurai for his B.A.Economics. 22 THE SOWER It was in 1976 summer he heard the call of Don Bosco within him and discerned his vocation to be a Salesian. He joined the Salesian Novitiate in 1977 and made his first profession on 24th May 1978. He made his perpetual profession on 24th May 1981. He was sent to the Salesian Pontifical University, Rome for his Theological studies. He had completed his Masterʹs in Pedagogy from Salesian Pontifical University in Rome. He was ordained a Priest by the Holy Father St.John Paul II on 2nd June 1985. He returned to India in 1986 and was appointed as Vice Rector of Don Bosco Pre Novitiate at Vellakinar in Coimbatore till 1990. He became the Rector of the PreNovitiate from 1990 onwards. Later he became the Dean of Studies at AMSAM at Tiruchirappalli. In 1996, he assumed the office of Rector and Parish Priest of St.Maryʹs CoCathedral, Armenian Street, Chennai. He served the Province of Chennai from 1999 to 2003 as one of the Provincial Councillors. From 2003 to 2010, he held the office of the Director of Kalvi Solai, the Department for Coordination of Education and Culture in the Province. His seven years of arduous service at Don Bosco, Thalavadi, was seen as a period of great boon for the tribal mission of that area. From the year 2010 till date he held the important task of directing the Novices of the Salesian Provinces of Chennai and Trichy in the capacity of Rector and Director of Novices at Don Bosco, Idaya Deepam, Yelagiri Hills. A great friend of the poor, he is known for his gentleness and firmness. As he has taken up the task of leading the flock of the new born Diocese of Kuzhithurai, let us keep him in our prayers so that the Lord, the Good Shepherd of all the shepherds in the world shower upon him the needed wisdom and courage to carry the Gospel to the nook and corner of his Diocese. CONGRATULATIONS AND PRAYERFUL WISHES! THE SOWER 23 JESUS: WHAT IS HE TO YOU? To the ARTIST He is the One Altogether Lovely. To the ARCHITECT He is the Chief Corner Stone. To the BAKER He is the Living Bread. To the BANKER He is the Hidden Treasure. To the BIOLOGIST He is the Life. To the BUILDER He is the Sure Foundation. To the CARPENTER He is the Door. To the DOCTOR He is the Great Physician. To the EDUCATOR He is the Great Teacher. To the ENGINEER He is the New and Living Way . To the FLORIST He is the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valley. To the GEOLOGIST He is the Rock To the HORTICULTURIST He is the True Vine. To the JUDGE He is the Righteous Judge, Judge of All Men. To the JEWELER He is the Pearl of Great Price. To the LAWYER He is the Counselor, the Lawgiver, the Advocate. To the NEWSPAPER He is the Good Tidings of Great Joy. To the OCULIST He is the Light of the Eyes. To the PHILANTHROPIST He is the To the PHILOSOPHER He is the Wisdom of God. To the PREACHER He is the Word of God. To the SCULPTOR He is the Living Stone. To the SERVANT He is the Good Master. To the STATESMAN He is the Desire of All Nations. To the STUDENT He is the Incarnate Truth. To the THEOLOGIAN He is the Author and Finisher of our Faith. To the TOILER He is the Giver of Rest. To the SINNER He is the Lamb of God that take away the sins of the World. To the CHRISTIAN He is the Son of the Living God, the Savior, the Redeemer and the Lord. To me... HE is all of this and more, HE is my everything, my all in all. HE is more than LIFE to me, ~MY SOON COMING KING~ What is He to you? 24 THE SOWER The Newly elected General Council Members with the provincials and the Regional Superior General Councilor elect The XIV General Council Members taking the Oath of office on 14 February 2015, at Portiuncula Chapel, Mysore
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