NL 2014-12 new - The Missionary Society of St Thomas … Public School, Miraroad ..... 55 Santhome Bible Centre, Pariyaram ..... 56 VIII. News from MSTs Abroad.....57 IX. Initiatives

Contents

I. Message from the Director General ............................ 3II. News from Generalate .............................................. 4

Death Anniversary of Fr Mathew Plathottam ..................... 4Meeting of Central and Regional Administrative Teams ..... 5Silver Jubilee Celebration .................................................... 5Death Anniversary Bishop Vayalil ........................................ 6Fond Memories of Father Jacob Tharakunnel MST ............. 7Higher Studies ................................................................... 10Visit of Christians from Arunachal Pradesh ....................... 11Vocation Camp .................................................................. 11

III. Transfers & Appointments ..................................... 12St Paul Region, Ujjain ........................................................ 12St Alphonsa Region, Sangli ................................................ 12Outside the Regions .......................................................... 12

IV. Change of Contact Information .............................. 12St Paul Region, Ujjain ........................................................ 12St Alphonsa Region, Sangli ................................................ 12St Thomas Region, Mandya ............................................... 12St Mary Queen of Missions Delegation, Delhi ................... 13Outside the Regions .......................................................... 13

V. News from Mission Regions .................................... 13St Paul Region, Ujjain ........................................................ 13St Thomas Region, Mandya ............................................... 20St Alphonsa Region, Sangli ................................................ 26St Mary Queen of Missions Delegation, Delhi ................... 39

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VI. News from the Ministry of Formation .................... 47Deepti Minor Seminary ..................................................... 47Jeevan Jyoti, Srirangapatna ............................................... 49Ruhalaya Major Seminary ................................................. 50

VII. News from Other Ministries .................................. 53IMPACT, Kochi ................................................................... 53Santhome Public School, Miraroad ................................... 55Santhome Bible Centre, Pariyaram ................................... 56

VIII. News from MSTs Abroad ...................................... 57Germany ........................................................................... 57Tanzania ............................................................................ 58

IX. Initiatives and Achievements by the Members ....... 59Fr Sabu Njarolickal is Awarded .......................................... 59Bro. Amal Akkimattel wins First Prize ................................ 60Other Achievers ................................................................ 60

X. Beloved Ones Departed for Eternal Reward ............. 60

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Designed and edited by Fr Joseph G. Aryankalayil


I. MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR GENERAL

Your Excellency, Dear Rev. Fathers and Brothers,

“Be glad, rejoice, radiate Joy,” for God hasbecome man revealing the mystery of Love.May I wish you all a Very Happy Christmasand a New Year filled with Joy!

Recently (October 2014) the Congrega-tion for Institutes of Consecrated Life and So-cieties of Apostolic Life in connection with thedeclaration of “the Year of Consecrated Life”published a letter addressed to consecratedmen and women based on the teachings of

Pope Francis with the title, “Rejoice!”… After the introduction thefirst chapter begins with the title, “Be glad, rejoice, radiate Joy”.

The letter begins with a quotation from the talk of Pope Francis:“I want to say one word to you and this word is joy. Wherever con-secrated people are, there is always joy!” Pope Francis is the quin-tessence of consecrated life always radiating freedom, peace andjoy. He gives witness to the radicalism of the consecrated life ema-nating newness, freshness with a challenge to the world with a sim-plicity that destroys the barriers of selfishness, materialism and he-donism. His presence and witnessing inspire all consecrated menand women of good will to move forward with the hope proclaim-ing the infinite love of God through a life of joyful witnessing. We,the members of a Society of Apostolic Life, are committed to themission of Jesus Christ. We are called to sanctify ourselves throughliving Christ’s mission, radiating peace and joy of Christmas.

Christmas is the feast that celebrates the opening of the newbridge built between God and man. In the person of the Child Jesus,born in a manger in the company of animals, we have the new bridgethat has removed forever the chasm between God and humanity.Clement of Alexandria once remarked: “The Word of God becameman that you also may learn from a man how a man becomes God…”

Fr Kurian AmmanathukunnelDirector General, MST


Christmas is a feast of peace, joy and hope. The first Christmasthat was celebrated in Bethlehem (house of bread) should inspireus missionaries to become “houses of bread” to the hungry in ourvicinity. Just as Jesus offered himself as bread to humanity we areradically invited to satisfy the hunger of those in our neighbourhoodin all of its forms such as hunger for food, knowledge, human dig-nity, approbation and appreciation, leading our fellow beings to realpeace, joy and hope. There cannot be real peace, as long as there ispoverty; there cannot be real joy as long as there is illiteracy anddiscrimination. There cannot be real hope as long as the human so-ciety is corrupt, unjust and uncaring. There cannot be real love aslong as there exist hatred, violence and mistrust, resulting from theaccumulation of oppressive powers subjecting humans to mere ob-jects of lust in extreme form.

Only the redemptive of love of Christ, which fills human heartswith a sense of dignity, and spirit of love, can bring peace and radi-ate the divine joy. Let us become fully committed to live our mis-sionary and consecrated life.

May the celebration of Christmas help us to radiate the joy ofChrist in all realms of our life!

II. NEWS FROM GENERALATE

Death Anniversary of Fr Mathew Plathottam

The first death anniversary of Father Mathew Plathottam MSTwas commemorated both at MST Generalate and his home parishon 22 October 2014. The requiem Holy Mass at the Generalate waspresided over by Rev. Fr Lonappan Arangassery at 6:30 a.m. It wasfollowed by office for the dead at the tomb of Fr Mathew Plathottam.At 10:30 a.m., there was another requiem Mass at St Francis Assissi

05cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14M SM SM SM SM S TTTTTWorldWorldWorldWorldWorldChurch, Marangattupally. It was followed by a commemorative publicmeeting. In the afternoon, Fr Mathew’s former parishioners fromTrichur Archdiocese under the leadership of their parish priests cameto his tomb and celebrated office for the dead.

On 19-20 November 2014, Fr Mathew’s batch mates fromMangalapuzha—including Bishop Jose Porunnedom and BishopSelvister Ponnumuthan—had their yearly gathering at MSTGeneralate, and celebrated, on 20th morning, requiem Holy Massand office for the dead for their departed batch mate.

Meeting of Central and Regional Administrative Teams

A joint meeting of the Central Team and Regional Teams of MSTwas held at MST Generalate on 8-10 November, 2014. This was anoccasion for the members of the administrative teams to deliberateon important aspects of MST’s life and apostolates.

Silver Jubilee Celebration

The 10th batch of MST Fathers, ordained during 1989-1990, cel-ebrate the Silver Jubilee of their Sacerdotal Ordination this year. Theyare, according to the date of their ordination: Fr George (Joy)Edattamkuzhy [26/12/1989], Fr Joseph Thekkekarott [27/12/1989],Fr Augustine (Hans) Puthiakulangara [28/12/1989], Fr AntonyPerumanoor [29/12/1989], Fr Francis Ezhanikatt [30/12/1989], FrKuriakose Moozhayil [31/12/1989], Fr Joseph (Jaison) Puthenpura


[01/01/1990], Fr Thomas Chenganariparampil [02/01/1990], FrJoseph Muthuplakkal [03/01/1990], Fr George Thotteeparampil [17/04/1990], Fr Joseph Plappallil [24/04/1990], and Fr Joseph (Jose)Aryankalayil [24/04/1990]. A celebration was organised at theGeneralate, in collaboration with Deepti Minor Seminary, on 10-11November 2014. Cultural programmes by Deepti seminarians, shar-

ing by the Jubilarians and a solemn dinner were the highlights of thecelebration on 10th evening. On 11th morning, there was a solemneucharistic celebration by the Jubilarians, presided over by Fr FrancisEzhanikatt; Fr Jaison Puthenpura gave an inspiring homily.

Death Anniversary Bishop Vayalil

The 28th death anniversary of Mar Sebastian Vayalil, the founderof MST, was commemorated on 21 November 2014. A requiem HolyMass, presided over by the Director General and participated byFathers and brothers from Deepti Bhavan, was celebrated at the Ca-thedral Church, Palai. It was followed by the celebration of the of-fice for the dead at the tomb of Bishop Vayalil.

07cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14M SM SM SM SM S TTTTTWorldWorldWorldWorldWorldFond Memories of Father Jacob Tharakunnel MST

Fr Jacob (Joy) Tharakunnel was born on 01-09-1950 as the eld-est son of late Mr. Michael and Mrs. Anna at Teekoy in the dioceseof Palai. He has three brothers and two sisters. His parents later mi-grated to Therthally, near Marygiri, in Kannur District. He had hisschool education at L.P. School at Chittadi, U.P. School at Thimiri andHigh School at Alakode. He completed the school education in 1968and joined the Deepti minor seminary in 1973. After his minor semi-nary studies, he completed his Philosophy and Theology studies atthe Pontifical Seminary, Alwaye.

He was ordained a priest by Late Bishop Mar Sebastian Vayalilon 2nd January 1981 at the Cathedral, Pala. After his ordination hewas appointed assistant priest-in-charge at Narsingarh mission sta-tion in the diocese of Ujjain. In 1983-’84 he was appointed priest-in-charge of Harsodan mission station and manager ofArpan press, Ujjain. In 1984 he was inShajapur for a few months duringwhich he pur- chased land forBercha mission station. During1984-’87 he was the priest-in-charge at Mana, then atN a r s i n ga r h (1987-’94),Nagda (1994- ’99) andS h a j a p u r (1999-2003).During this period, heserved also as one of theeparchial con- sultors of theEparchy of Ujjain ( 1 9 9 9 - 2 0 0 3 )and as the General Auditor of MST(1998- 2003). In 2003 he was elected theTreasurer General of MST. In 2008-’09 he was appointed priest-in-charge of Chandessary mission station. Since he had some healthrelated problems in Ujjain, he was sent to Jeevan Jyoti MissionaryOrientation Centre at Srirangapatna. He was there for a few months.He was then sent to Viswadeepti in Kolhapur in July 2009. He wasthere till April 2010. Since he was unable to continue his active mis-


sion work along with his treatment, he was admitted to Aaraam inApril 2010 where he remained till the end.

Fr Tharakunnel was totally bed ridden for about 15 months. Hecould not offer or participate in Holy Mass after 13th August 2013.He was given nasal feeding and he was under the care of others.This was a period of terrible suffering for him. But he cooperatedtotally and remained with his pleasant nature and submitted to thewill of God.

Fr Jacob Tharakunnel breathed his last at 5:00 a.m. on Wednes-day, 26th November 2014. He left for his eternal abode very calmlyand quietly. His body was taken to the mortuary and preparation forthe burial was started. Hearing about his departure, his brothersreached from Malabar on the same day itself. His mortal remainswere brought to Aaraam chapel on Friday 28th November. FatherDirector General and the General Councillors of MST along with agood number of MST fathers and brothers received the body intothe Aaraam Chapel and the D.G. said the office of the dead andprayed. Thereafter several fathers, sisters and his relatives and friendspaid homage to him and prayed for him. Many of his class matescame to pray for him from far and wide. Bishop Mar JosephPallikaparampil, Mar Jacob Muricken and Shri Joy Abraham M.P. wereamong the well wishers who came to pay homage to him.

The funeral service started at 1:30 p.m. with the Director Gen-eral officiating the first and second part of the ceremony. After thefirst part Bishop George Madathikandam of Kothamangalam Dio-cese spoke about Fr Jacob from his personal experience. BishopGeorge was one of the best friends of Fr Jacob and he used to visithim quite often to console him and to pray for him. Bishop Georgedescribed him as a man of selfless service and a brave man whocould undertake any risky act. He said that Fr. Jacob was a man withpersonal contact with several people. His love was unconditionaland from the heart.

The funeral Mass was officiated by Bishop GeorgeMadathikandam and assisted by Bishop Sebastian Thekkethecheril,Bishop of Vijayapuram Diocese (another class mate of Fr Jacob) and

09cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14M SM SM SM SM S TTTTTWorldWorldWorldWorldWorldRev. Fr Kurian Ammanathukunnel and concelebrated by a goodnumber of priests. Bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangatt also joined theMass and prayed for Fr Jacob. Before the funeral mass started Direc-tor General, Very Rev. Fr Kurian Ammanathukunnel, gave a briefdescription about the person and services of Fr Jacob Tharakunnel.After the Mass the funeral procession took place and his body waslaid to rest at about 4:15 p.m.

A saintly priest of MST, who stood for his faith, who accepted allhis sufferings with a smiling face and a loving person, is with theHeavenly Father to continue supporting us with his divine interven-tions.

Service with love was the motto of the life of Fr Tharakunnel.His friends in the seminary testify that he was always ready tohelp others. Even during summer holidays he was ready to takeup assignments for the benefit of others. He accomplished allthe works that was entrusted to him with utmost sincerity.

He was a man of discipline and principles. This spirit of disciplinewas seen in his life in observing the rules and regulations, dailyprayer, sincerity in handling money and properties, tendernessin his relations, control of his speech and in maintaining the innerhappiness. He was very particular to keep all the records.He was a man of deep faith. Even when his parents and all siblingsand close relatives abandoned the catholic faith to join aprotestant sect, he remained faithful to his catholic faith. Thedesertion of his dear ones was a cause of pain for him till hisdeath. This deep pain drew him closer to his parish priest andhis friends. It is to be noted that it was during this ordeal that hecame in close contact with his parish priest and, through him,he realized his vocation to priesthood and joined MST.

He was very thoughtful and concerned about the people heknew. He used to send letters and later text messages to all ofthem on the occasion of their birth day/ feast day/ ordinationday, etc. He remembered them all very correctly and was veryparticular to wish them on the exact day. This continued evenwhen he was totally on wheel chair with one side got paralyzed.


He was a man of great courage and serenity. When he wasinformed by his doctors that he was suffering from Parkinson’sdisease, he surfed the internet and gathered sufficientinformation about the disease. He got informed about thevarious stages of this serious disease and was totally preparedto face them with courage. Never in his life did he expressdiscontentment or displeasure about his disease or about thedifficulties he faced or about the treatment and service hereceived. All those who visited him in his sick bed could see himwith a wide smile or laughter in his face, when his physicalcondition permitted him. He accepted all his ailments andsufferings with a smiling face. When he was able to express hisfeelings, he was very happy and positive. Even at the point ofsevere suffering and pain, he accepted them positively and triedto be pleasant and calm. This was his greatness—he was indeeda “passion flower” in the garden of MST.

MST is ever grateful to Fr Jacob Tharakunnel. It was during histime as Treasurer General of MST (2003-2008) that MST started sev-eral of its own centres. It was during this period that MST took abold decision to start its own apostolates. Major purchases of prop-erties and initiatives of schools at Mira Road (Mumbai), Pawasa(Ujjain), Sangli, Ratnagiri, Chiplun, house at Chicago, flat at DilshadGarden (Delhi), house at Pariyaram etc. are examples of this.

Fr Jacob Tharakunnel was a simple, soft spoken, loving and com-mitted missionary. All those who knew him loved him and gainedsomething from him. Through suffering he prepared himself for hisfinal journey: by the way he accepted this suffering he purified him-self and others. We are sure he has gone to his heavenly abode toreceive his reward from the heavenly Father. Let us remember himin our prayers. May he rest in peace in the Lord!

Higher Studies

Rev. Fr Jose Vallikatt MST was conferred Ph. D. degree by RMITUniversity, Melbourne at the graduation ceremony held at EtihadStadium, Melbourne on 17th December, 2014. He obtained Ph. D.for his thesis, entitled “Virtually Religious: Myth Ritual and Commu-

11cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14M SM SM SM SM S TTTTTWorldWorldWorldWorldWorldnity in World of Warcraft,” which is the result of a research on thereligious dimensions of online video games. Rev. Fr JoseValiamangalm MST has successfully defended his doctoral thesis on“Ecclesial V ision of St Thomas Christians in the Light ofVarthamanapustakam: A Historico-Theological Study,” at DhamaramVidya Kshetram, Bengaluru on 18th December, 2014. Hearty con-gratulations, dear Fathers!

Visit of Christians from Arunachal Pradesh

Some of the faith-ful from St. Mary’s Par-ish, Sagalee [whereour Fathers are serv-ing] in the diocese ofItanagar, ArunachalPradesh paid a visit toour Generalate on 13th

December, 2014. Theycame to Kerala for apilgrimage to Christianholy places and for aretreat at Muringoor.

Vocation CampA vocation camp and interview of aspiring candidates were held

at the Generalate on 22nd December, 2014. It was organised by Fa-thers Boby Kochuparampil and Robin Manianchira. Some 115 stu-dents from dioceses/archdioceses of Changanacherry, Idukki,Kanjirappally, Kothamangalam and Palai participated in the event.


III. TRANSFERS & APPOINTMENTS

St Paul Region, Ujjain

Fr George (Ivan) Muthanatt: Finance officer of Ruhalaya Major Semi-nary, Ujjain for another period of three years.

St Alphonsa Region, Sangli

Fr Siju Kolthambrayil: Assistant Priest-in-Charge at Ashadeep, Sangli.

Outside the Regions

1. Fr Thomas Chirackal: relieved as Priest-in-Charge, Santhome-MST House, Thamarassery.

2. Fr Joseph Kannathukuzhy: Priest-in-Charge, Santhome-MSTHouse, Thamarassery.

IV. CHANGE OF CONTACT INFORMATION


Fr Sebastian Koottumkal: Ruhalaya Major Seminary (Theology), P.B. No. 4, Agar Road, Ujjain - 456006, Madhya Pradesh (Cell:09406649836).


1. Fr John Kizhakkarakatt: Marygiri, Kontge P.O. - 415 643, LanjaTk, Ratnagiri Dt, Maharashtra.

2. Fr Siju Kolthambrayil: Ashadeep, Rajendra Housing Society, BalajiNagar East, Sangli - 416 416, Maharashtra (Cell: 07387740883[MS], 09497251146 [Kerala]).

St Thomas Region, Mandya

Fr Justin Kanatt: Jeevan Jyoti, Ganjam P.O. - 571 477, Srirangapatna,Mandya Dt, Karnataka, India (Cell: 09483210878)

13cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14M SM SM SM SM S TTTTTWorldWorldWorldWorldWorldSt Mary Queen of Missions Delegation, Delhi

Fr Joseph Muthuplakkal: 21 A, Nilgiri -1 Apartments, Sector -34,Noida -201301, Delhi-NCR, Uttar Pradesh.

Outside the Regions

1. Fr Lonappan Arangassery: St Joseph’s Parish, 10 WillowbankRoad, Birkenhead - CH42 7JY, UK (Landline: 0044-151 6525767)

2. Fr Cyriac Chandrankunnel: Burgberg 10, 38704 Liebenburg,Germany (Cell: 0049-151-515-67739; Landline: 0049-5346 912446 [P], 0049-5346 1484 [O])

3. Fr Thomas Chirackal: C/o MST Generalate, Deepti Mount,Melampara P.O. - 686578, Bharananganam, Kottayam Dt., Kerala.

4. Fr Joseph Kizhakkethottathil: St Rita Catholic Church, 1935 EastView, Box No 40, Fruitvale B.C. - V0G 120, Canada (Landline:001-250-367-9861).

5. Fr Mathew Maprakavil: Akademie Klausenhof, Klausenhofstr.100, 46499 Hamminkeln, Germany (from January 2015).

V. NEWS FROM MISSION REGIONS


Consultation on the Study of C & D of MSTA meeting of all the members of the region was held on 15th

October, 2014 for a discussion on the modalities of the proposedstudy and revision of the Constitution and Directives of the MST. Itwas held at 3 p.m. and more than 40 members were present for thesame. The meeting was presided over by Fr Jose Kondoor, RegionalDirector. After welcoming the members, the Regional Director in-vited Rev. Fr Antony Perumanoor to moderate the session. After abriefing on the purpose of the meeting, Fr Antony invited the mem-bers to give their suggestions and opinions on the matter. He alsotold the members that they could also give their views in writing onbefore the next meeting scheduled to be held at MST Generalate inthe first week of November 2014.


The Silver Jubilee CelebrationsA Thanksgiving Holy Qurbana with the Silver Jubilarians—Rev.

Fathers Thomas C.T., Antony Perumanoor, Joseph Thekkekarott, HansPuthiakulangara and Joseph Plappallil—was celebrated in the chapelof Regional House at 05:30 p.m. on 15th October, 2014. His Excellen-cies Mar Sebastian Vadakkel, Bishop of Ujjain and Most Rev. ChackoThottumarickal, Bishop of Indore, graced the occasion with theirpresence and blessings.

In his homily, Bishop Chacko reminded us of the great blessingin the call of Jesus to follow him and the need of responding to thecall by taking the vocation and ministry with absolute earnestness

and undivided commitment. After the Mass there was a felicitationfunction presided over by Mar Sebastian Vadakel. Rev. Fr JamesAthikalam felicitated the jubilarians on behalf of St. Paul’s Region,elaborating the good qualities and contributions of each and everyjubilarian and wished them all the best for the future. This was fol-lowed by the dinner and the greetings by all gathered. Rev. Fr Hansappreciated and thanked all on behalf of the jubilarians.

On 26th October, 2014 there was a grand silver jubilee celebra-tion of Rev. Fr Hans arranged in Bhopal by the Syro-Malabar com-munity of Bhopal. His Grace Leo Cornelio, the Archbishop of Bhopal,graced the occasion. Many Fathers, a good number of sisters and alarge community of the faithful participated in it. Rev. Fr JoseKondoor, the Regional Director, felicitated Fr Hans and other

15cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14M SM SM SM SM S TTTTTWorldWorldWorldWorldWorldjubilarians and wished them all the best, on the occasion.

Reception to His Beatitude Moran Mor Cardinal Baselios CleemisHis Beatitude Moran Mor Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, the Major

Archbishop of Syro-Malankara Church and the President of CBCI,was accorded a cordial welcome at the Santhome Bhavan, Mendyaon 23rd October, 2014. He was in Ujjain as the Chief Guest of theM.P. Regional Youth Convention, held at Chandessary, Ujjain. TheCardinal was received from Indore by Rev. Fathers Jose Kondoor,the Regional Director, and Antony Pulickamandapam and reachedby 6:00 p.m. at Santhome Bhavan, where a number of MST Fathersand Sisters of S.H. community accorded him a warm welcome. Dur-ing the dinner held at 7: 00 p.m., a formal welcome-ceremony wasconducted.

Regional MeetingA regional meeting of the members of St Paul’s Region was held

at the Regional House, Mendya on 3rd December, 2014 in the after-noon. The purpose was to discuss the Report of the last GeneralAssembly. Rev. Fr Jose Palakeel beautifully enlightened the mem-bers on the subject with the help of a power-point presentation.During this meeting, the members also decided to have this year’sRegional tour of MSTs at Ajanta and Ellora in Maharashtra. The meet-ing was followed by a Requiem Mass for our late Fr JacobTharakunnel.

Transfer of RegentsThe brothers doing regency were given change of their respec-

tive mission assignments at the beginning of December with a viewto giving them diverse mission experience during the period of theirregency. Their monthly recollections take place regularly atSanthome Bhavan, Mendya.

St Thomas School, PawasaAfter a long wait and struggle, we managed to get the required

permission from the civil authorities for further construction. Nowthe construction work is in full swing. School Day of our school thisyear was held on 22nd December, 2014.


Masih Ashram, KarontiaThe prayer apostolate in the Ashram is going on well. The con-

struction of the remaining portion of the Ashram is going to be com-pleted soon.

Nirmal Jyoti, Bhopal

Mental Health ProgrammeNirmal Jyoti reaches out to the marginalized of Bhopal especially

to persons with mental health issues through its various programmes.To those who are mentally sick it offers regular medical support,psychological counselling, group therapy sessions and routine fam-ily visits. Through mental health awareness classes, conducted indifferent slums, Nirmal Jyoti not only educates the people therein

but also finds out new patients who need medical and psychologicalsupport. We conducted three such sessions in two slums of Bhopalduring the months of October, November and December 2014.

In connection with Mental Health Day on 11/10/2014, a semi-nar was organized for the persons associated with Nirmal Jyoti. Dr.Richa Priyamvada, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, was the resourceperson. She spoke on the importance of proper medication and thefamilial support for the betterment of the persons with mental healthissues.

Workshops on Personality Development were conducted for

17cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14M SM SM SM SM S TTTTTWorldWorldWorldWorldWorldsenior school students of St Xavier’s Higher Secondary School andSt Joseph’s Co-ed Higher Secondary School, Bhopal.

Psycho-Social programme for Children affected / infected withHIV-AIDS

Nirmal Jyoti conducted gathering of Children affected/infectedwith HIV/AIDS at Karuna Sadan on 12th October (21 children togetherwith their guardians attended) and on 15th November (32 Childrenand their guardians attended).These children were provided withnutritious and educational support. One seminar on HIV/AIDS wasconducted for the senior girls in the government school.


Nirmal Jyoti, in Collaboration with the Social work Departmentof the Bhopal School of Social Sciences, observed the World AIDSDay on December1, 2014. Rally, Red Ribbon Campaign, street playand AIDS Prevention Oath were conducted in the premises of BhopalRailway station, and in the slums of Gandhi Nagar and Bairagarh.

Woman Empowerment ProgrammeNirmal Jyoti has initiated a tailoring training centre for ladies in

the Sanjaya Nagar slum to foster the cause of woman empower-ment. Fr. Scaria inaugurated the centre on 2nd December, 2014.

Five Loaves ProgrammeUnder the programme of “Five Loaves” Nirmal Jyoti feeds around

25 hungry vagabonds of Bhopal streets on every weekdays.

Exposure Programme for the Nirmal Jyoti StaffThe staff members of Nirmal Jyoti were taken to two different

NGOs on two different occasions to enhance their knowledge andto equip them for better service. First, they visited the headquartersof the NGO called “Uday,” run by the Holy Spirit Sisters and had afirst-hand experience of its work by going through various slums.Another day they attended the seminar conducted by NGO namedCEROWC. The resource person was Rev. Fr Jacob PeenikaparambilCMI. Both these exposure programmes were well appreciated bythe staff and were very profitable to them.

Nirmal Jyoti Special School, Mandsaur

Physiotherapy CentreNirmal Jyoti Special School provides care and support to the

children with mental disability and is trying to bring them to themain stream of the society. To support the children we have starteda physiotherapy centre in the school. Fr Kennedy Thomas the parishpriest of St Thomas Church Mandsaur blessed and inaugurated thecentre. A therapist is also appointed.

Purchase of a plot of landWe are very happy to share with you all that we are in the proc-

ess of purchasing a plot of land measuring about 6 acres for the

19cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14M SM SM SM SM S TTTTTWorldWorldWorldWorldWorldschool. We hope to complete the formalities by the end of January2015.

Medical MampsThere were two medical camps conducted in the school for the

children. With the support of Lions Club of Mandsaur, we conductedENT check-up of the children. With the help of experts fromManovikas, Ujjain we conducted an IQ test for the children in theschool.

Awareness ClassesThere were two awareness classes conducted in the normal

schools on disability and mental retardation. Fr Tom George, thedirector of Manovikas, Ujjain guided the classes. He spoke on dis-ability, what are the responsibilities of the society towards themand how they are to be supported. More than 500 children ben-efited from the classes.

CelebrationsDiwali, the festival of lights, was celebrated with colour and fla-

vour. The upper collector of Mandsaur district and deputy directorof social justice department, Mandsaur, were present on the occa-sion. Rengoli was prepared and the children performed cultural pro-grammes. The upper collector appreciated our work and the sup-port we provide to these children.

Children’s Day was celebrated in a very special way. 80 childrenof class 10 from St Thomas School, Mandsaur, visited the school andwe jointly celebrated the Children’s Day. Fr George, the director ofthe school, explained to them about the school and about disability.Cultural programmes were performed by the students of bothschools. It was altogether a different experience for the children whovisited our school.

World Disability Day was celebrated in a fitting manner byNiramal Jyoti Special School. A rally and an exhibition were conductedand the children participated in the competitions conducted by theeducation department and won prizes


Parents’ MeetingsThere were two parents’ meetings conducted in the school in

which the parents were given awareness and training about disabili-ties and about their responsibilities. Mr V. K Gautham, the presidentof Parivar Madhya Predesh, and Rev Fr Joby Nirappel, the Directorof Sanjos Councelling Centre, Ujjain, were the resource persons.

Visit by the Students from Other SchoolsThe students from St Thomas school and Despur Vidhyalya visit

our school on a regular basis to learn about mental retardation anddisability. The students of Despur Vidhyalya donated a keyboard tothe school.

Other Major EventsThe students from Nirmal Jyoti Special School participated in

the winter games at Bhopal conducted by the Rotary Club of Bhopaland secured prizes.

The coordinator of Mahila Balavikasa with a delegation from anNGO called Samarpan, Hoshangabad visited our school and ex-pressed happiness and satisfaction on our work.

St Thomas Region, Mandya

Santhome Hall BlessedThe newly roofed Santhome Hall was blessed by Fr Francis

Kureeckal on 2nd November, 2014. It can now function as an audito-rium and might fulfil most of our requirements for meeting. It wasbuilt with financial assistance from Santhome Public School, Mandya.

Silver Jubilee Celebrations at SanthomeSacerdotal Silver Jubilee of Rev. Fathers Joy Edattamkuzhy, Joseph

Thekkekarott, George Thotteeparampil and Kuriakose Moozhayil(priests ascribed to St Thomas Mission Region, Mandya) was cel-ebrated solemnly at Santhome Regional House on 2nd November,2014. The Jubilarians, along with Rev. Fr Francis Kureeckal, RegionalDirector, and other fathers from the region and from the diocese ofMandya celebrated Jubilee Qurbana at 10: 30 a.m. A good number


of sisters and the brothers doing regency in the region and in thediocese and all the brothers from Jeevan Jyoti participated in theQurbana. Felicitation meeting was held in the newly built audito-rium on the terrace and Rev. Fr Francis Kureeckal, Rev. Fr PaulVazhappallil (Chancellor and Procurator, diocese of Mandya), Rev.Fr Salas Karikandathil and Rev. Sr Cherupushpam MSMI spoke dur-ing the meeting. Celebrations came to an end by 01:30 pm withlunch.

Rev. Fr Jiby Thekkemuryil AwardedFr Jiby Thekkemuryil, the principal of Santhome Public School,

was honoured by the Amritha Bidu Yoga School and Pathanjali Yoga


School with Sikshana Yogi Prasasthi 2014, a Karnataka state levelaward on 21st November, 2014. They conferred the award on Fr Jiby,recognizing his great contribution in the field of education for theintegral development of children. Hearty Congratulations to Rev. FrJiby Thekkemuryil!

‘Year of Consecrated Life’ InauguratedThe ‘Year of Consecrated Life’, announced by Pope Francis, com-

menced with a Holy Qurbana, presided over by Fr Francis Kureeckaland participated by all the fathers, on 7th December 2014 at HinkalCathedral Church, Mysore. Rev. Fr Joseph Vayalil CMI, provincial,Kozhikode province, led classes on the identity and relevance of thereligious in today’s world.

Loan of Rs 5160000/- DistributedLoan, amounting to Rs 5,160,000/- was distributed to 129 ladies

belonging to Santhome Self Help Groups at 03:00 p.m. on 1st De-cember 2014. Fathers Francis Kureeckal and Joby Koottumkal par-ticipated in the function and distributed the loan on the terrace hallat Santhome Regional House. The Loan amount was procured byBridge Foundation, Bangalore. Mr. Lingaraj, the animator, organizedthe function.

Asha Sadan Special School, MandyaChildren’s Day was celebrated on 22nd November, 2014 in an

extra-ordinary solemn way at Asha Sadan Special School with as-tounding cultural programmes by students. Fathers, sisters and broth-ers from nearby mission stations and schools were invited for theprogramme and all appreciated the quality and perfection of theprogramme given by the special students and congratulated theteachers and the students for the same. Students also participatedin the celebrations of the ‘Day of the Disabled’ in Mandya and stagedcultural programme. A free medical camp with special dental carefor the students was conducted at Asha Sadan. Christmas was cel-ebrated solemnly at Asha Sadan on 19th December, 2014. Gifts weregiven to teachers and students. Fr Francis Kureeckal was the chiefguest.


Jeevodaya, Arakere

Gandhi Jayanti CelebrationsGandhi Jayanti was duly celebrated at Jeevodaya School, Arakere.

Rev. Fr Benny Puthenpurackal, principal, gave a message to the stu-dents on Gandhi Jayanti and paid homage to Gandhiji, the Father ofthe Nation. Thereafter, the teachers and students were engaged inSwatch Bharat Abhiyaan, proposed by Mr Narendra Modi, the PrimeMinister of India, by cleaning the school premises.

Sports & GamesRev. Fr Francis Kureeckal, the Regional Director of St Thomas

Region, Mandya, inaugurated the Jeeva Olympics 2014-2015 on 31st

October, 2014. Fifteen students of Jeevodaya School participated inthe district level sports competition in Mandya. Miss Nirmitha A. R.got selected to the state level competition for hurdles.

Divya Jyoti School, Gollaradoddi, Koppa

Anugraha 2014Jeevodaya School, Gollaradoddi, Koppa, celebrated its Annual

Day (Anugraha 2014) on 29th November, 2014. Rev. Fr C.T. Thomas,General Councillor of MST, inaugurated the Annual Day by lighting


the lamp. Fr C.T. Thomas, Fr Francis Kureeckal, Mr Kumar Koppa,etc. spoke during the meeting. A large number of people attendedthe function and enjoyed the cultural programmes, staged by thestudents. The students proved that they could do wonders if ampleopportunities are given.

Swatch Bharat AbhiyaanThere was a large scale drawing competition in connection with

Swatch Bharat Abhiyaan at Divya Jyoti School for all students on 3rd

December, 2014. The students and teachers held a procession toGollaradoddi village on 4th of November, holding the pictures oncleanliness that they drew the previous day. It was very much ap-preciated both by parents and students.

25cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14M SM SM SM SM S TTTTTWorldWorldWorldWorldWorldSanthome Public School, Mandya

Asha Sadan Visit by StudentsIX and X standard students of Santhome Public School, Mandya,

visited Asha Sadan Special School and it was an occasion for them tolearn that people with limitations are human beings and that theyalso deserve a decent and noble existence and life-situations. Thestudents got acquainted with the curriculum of Asha Sadan and min-gled with the special children for whom they staged a few culturalprogrammes. Students of Asha Sadan danced for the students ofSanthome Public School. Students of both the schools were happyabout the exposure programme.

Refresher Course for TeachersSanthome Public School organized a refresher course for its

teachers on December 13, 2014 in the school premises. Mr JosseyPeter (Visiting Professor, Christ University, Bangalore) was the re-source person and all the participants highly benefitted from andthoroughly enjoyed the sessions that began at 09:30 am and endedby 04:15 pm.

Santhome International School, Sathyamangalam

Children’s Day CelebrationsSanthome International School, Sathyamangalam, celebrated the

Children’s Day on 14th November with various entertainment pro-grammes, performed by teachers as well as the students. Competi-


tions were conducted for students and the winners were awardedwith prizes.

The Construction Work of the School BuildingThe construction work of the school building is in full swing. The

concreting of the second part of the ground floor was done on 18th

November. Rev. Fathers Thomas Kocheettathott and Joby Koottumkalwere present at Santhome on that day. Planning is on to have the firstanniversary of the School and blessing of the School Building on 31st

January, 2015.


Fr. Boby Jose Kattikad Preaches the Annual Retreat for the Priestof Sangli Mission Society

The annual retreat for the priests of St Alphonsa Region, Sangliwas preached by Fr Boby Jose Kattikad, OFM Cap at Vishwadeepti,Kolhapur from 26th to 29th October, 2014. The three days of prayer,reflection and silence was indeed a fruitful spiritual journey for the

Fathers to understand themselves. The talks given by Fr Boby werereally inspiring and rejuvenating, and touched the core of our life aspriests and missionaries in the modern world.

27cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14M SM SM SM SM S TTTTTWorldWorldWorldWorldWorldAlphonsa School, ShahuwadiStudy Tour to Army Camp

The school arranged a study tour of the students and teachersof class VIII and IX to the military camp at Kutalwadi The officerswelcomed the students and half an hour instruction was given to

them on the functioning of military force in different situations andon the modalities of joining the military force. They also showedthem different types of rifles and their functions. A big thanks to FrBinish Kizhakkeparambil for availing this opportunity!

Gold Medals for Kalabhartati State Level Drawing CompetitionEight of our students got gold medals and thirteen students got

trophies and certificates in Kalabhartati state level drawing compe-tition. The trophies and certificates were awarded to the studentsby Fr Shibu Pulickal, minor seminary Rector of the Diocese of Kalyan.Congratulations to all the winners!

Inter-School Multimedia Quiz CompetitionAn inter-school multimedia quiz competition was organized by

the school on 14th November as the part of the celebration of theSilver Jubilee of Sangli Mission. The programme was inaugurated byFr Siby Kocheettathott and the quiz master was Mrs. Rinta Rajan.


Nine schools participated in the completion and the programme waswell appreciated by all.

Blessing of Quarters at RatnagiriSt Thomas Priest Quarters, Ratnagiri, was solemnly blessed at

6:30 pm on 14th December, 2014 by Very Rev. Fr. KurianAmmanathukunnel, the Director General of MST, in the presence ofRev. Fathers George Koorumullumpurayidom, Joy Kunnel, JoseCheriampanatt and other priests and sisters of Sangli Mission.Congratulations to Fr Siby Kocheettathott, the in-charge of St. Tho-mas parish and school, Ratnagiri, for taking extra effort to completethe construction work.

29cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14M SM SM SM SM S TTTTTWorldWorldWorldWorldWorldOne-Day Picnic for the Disabled Children

One day picnic was organized for all the disabled children fromdifferent schools of Sangli Mission on 5th November, 2014. Around350 children were taken to D Y Patil Water Park, Kolhapur and theyspent the whole day in the park along with Rev. Fathers and thestaff.

Jeevdan, ZarapInternational Day for persons with disabilities was celebrated

very solemnly at Jeevdan Special School on 3rd December, 2014. Dis-ability awareness rally and sports competitions were conducted andprizes were distributed to the winners. Ministry of Social Justice andEmpowerment, Government of India, in a coordinated endeavourwith NGOs, distributed wheel chairs and teaching aids to physicallyand mentally challenged children on the occasion.


Picnic for the Fathers and Sisters of Sangli MissionA one-day picnic was organized for all the sisters working in Sangli

Mission on 20th October to Satara Mission. It was an occasion for allthe sisters of our mission to gather together and to know each other.

Fathers of Sangli Mission visited Nagar Mission as part of cel-ebrating Silver Jubilee on 19th November, 2014. The variousapostolates of the priests in Nagar Mission were inspiring to the vis-iting MSTs.

The gathering of the Faithful of Sangli MissionAs part of celebrating the Silver Jubilee of Sangli Mission gather-

ings were conducted for the faithful from the different mission cen-

31cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14M SM SM SM SM S TTTTTWorldWorldWorldWorldWorldtres. The gathering was conducted on the basis of 3 different zonesor districts. The gatherings began with Holy Qurbana which was fol-lowed by choir competition and a few cultural events by the chil-dren and the parents from the different parishes:

People from Ratnagiri, Khed and Chiplun gathered in MaryMatha Church Chiplun on 16th November, 2014, and Fr LonappanArangassery presided over the Holy Eucharistic Celebration.The faithful from Kolhapur and Sangli zones gathered at Mirajon 23rd November, 2014 and Fr Thomas Karamel presided overthe Holy Eucharistic Celebration.

These gatherings became a stage for the faithful to know each otheras well as promote many talents in them.

Divya Jyoti, BandaSports Day

We had a splendid celebration of Sports Day, which was namedthis year as “Track Meet 2014-15”. Rev. Fr. Martin Komabara was


the chief guest of the event. He exhorted the students to win thegold medal for our mother land.

Inauguration of Udaan ProjectUdaan, a CPR initiative to nurture the talents of the young ones

by boosting the inborn talents in the young mind, was initiated inthe school.

AASTHA: CBR

Corrective Surgery and Medical CampAASTHA: CBR program organized a medical camp for the differ-

ently abled persons at Ashadeep on 27th to 29th November, 2014.420 persons came for screening and medical check-up. 10 doctorsfrom St John’s Hospital, Bangalore, availed their free service for thecamp.

20 children were taken to St John’s Hospital for corrective sur-gery and treatment on 4th December 2014 to 15th December. 25 morechildren will be taken to St John’s Hospital for corrective surgeryfrom 27th December 2014 to 15th January 2015.

Children’s DayIt was a day of enjoyment and celebration for 200 differently

abled children from 10 villages, who were brought to a public park

33cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14M SM SM SM SM S TTTTTWorldWorldWorldWorldWorldat Sangli on 14th November, 2014. It was also a chance for the chil-dren to mix and interact with other children from the city.

World Disability Day CelebrationsAASTHA: CBR organized public rallies in 10 villages on 3rd De-

cember, 2014 to create public awareness in the community in fa-vour of the differently abled. Students from Zilla Parishad schoolsand members of different Community Based Organizations partici-pated in the rally.

Job Placement for the Mentally Challenged PersonsAASTHA: CBR could get job placement for 08 mentally challenged

persons in different shops and garments’ boutiques. They started to


earn Rs 3500 to 4500 per month! Sincere thanks to the AASTHAstaff for their dedicated service!Support for Income Generating Activities

20 women from poorest families were given financial supportfor starting income generating activities like goat-raring, petty shops,tailoring, etc. As of today, AASTHA: CBR has supported 325 womenand 35 differently abled youth to begin different income-generatingactivities.

Aashadeep Special School

Children’s DayA public meeting and cultural program of the special children

was organized to celebrate the children’s day. The staff of ST colonybranch of Federal Bank, Sangli attended the function. They gifted awater purifier to the school and distributed snacks to the children.Celebration of World Disability Day

Ashadeep Special School conducted a public meeting in theschool campus to mark the World Disability Day. Deputy Collectorof Sangli was the chief guest of the function. He appreciated theactivities that Ashadeep undertakes for the training and rehabilita-tion of the differently abled children and assured his whole-heartedsupport for the school. A sports completion too was organized forthe parents on that day.

35cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14M SM SM SM SM S TTTTTWorldWorldWorldWorldWorldSSC Examinations

Rohit and Renuka, two intellectually challenged children fromAshadeep Special School, passed SSC Examinations with flying coloursfrom NIOS. Congratulations to these brave kids and a big THANKS tothe staff of Ashadeep Special School for their dedicated service!Alphonsa School, JathAnnual Get-together and Cultural Extravaganza

A cultural extravaganza was held at Alphonsa School, Jath on 13th

December 2014 as the annual get-together. All the parents and well-

wishers were present for the event. It was presided over by Rev. FrJose Cheriampanatt and blessed by the presence of Rev Fr GeorgeKoorumullumpurayidom as the guest of honour. The Chief Guest wasthe Deputy Collector of Sangli There were around three thousand peo-ple who attended the cultural event. Many parents appreciated theevent by sending letters of appreciation to the school on the followingdays. Hearty congratulation and warm greetings to the teachers, stu-dents and management!

Visit of the Superior General of MSMIRev Sr Little Flower, the Superior General of MSMI Congregation,

together with a General Councillor, paid an official visit to the AlphonsaSchool, Jath and stayed with the community for three days. This was a


new experience for them and praised the work and showed enthu-siasm for the continued service to the school and society.

Dilasa Bhavan, Miraj

Send-off to Rev. Fr. Sabu MaprakavilMissionaries working in Sangli Mission bade Rev. Fr. Sabu

Maprakavil a heartfelt farewell and bestowed on him, at his parting,wishes of good health, cheers and God’s blessings for his future pas-toral work in Germany. He was serving in Sangli Mission for the past8 years and during this time he founded Dilasa Bhavan for the HIVinfected people, especially children.

New Director to Dilasa BhavanRev. Fr Jose Valiamangalam took charge as the new Director of

Dilasa Bhavan on 1st November 2014. Dilasa community gave him acordial welcome.

37cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14M SM SM SM SM S TTTTTWorldWorldWorldWorldWorldSamaj Bhushan Award

Indian National Congress of Sangli District awarded SamajBhushan Award—a district level award given to social service insti-tutions—to Dilasa Bhavan, Miraj. The award was received by Rev.Fathers Jose Valiamangalam and Deleep Nalannadiyil from the handof Smt. Kanchan Kamble, the Mayor of Sangli City. Sincere thanks to

Rev. Fr Sabu Maprakavil and DSS Sisters and all the staff memberswho worked hard for the HIV infected people in Dilasa Bhavan.

World AIDS DayA lot of programmes were arranged in Dilasa Bhavan, Miraj on

the World AIDS Day. There was an exhibition on HIV/AIDS which was


inaugurated by Rev. Fr Jose Valiamangalam. A dental medical campwas arranged in the house as the part of AIDS Day event. In theafternoon there was a public meeting which was presided over byRev. Fr Varghese Monoth, a counsellor of Sangli Mission Society. Dr.Ravindra Phadke, a well known social worker, was the chief guest ofthe programme. The children of Dilasa Bhavan performed a lot ofcultural programmes including a street play which gave awarenessabout HIV/AIDS.

Visit of Medical Students from Bharati Hospital and MedicalCollege, Miraj

Fifty five medical students and their teachers paid a visit to DilasaBhavan on 7th December, 2014, and spent a few hours with the chil-dren. They conducted a drawing competition and later distributedfood items and gifts to all the children.

Foundation Day and Christmas CelebrationDilasa Bhavan is in preparation for the foundation day as well as

Christmas celebration which is celebrated on 23rd December 2014.There is a public meeting as well as cultural programmes of the chil-dren on the same day.

Mary Matha School, ChiplunA One-day teachers’ training programme was conducted in Mary

Matha School Chiplun. Fr Daey Kunn-ath enlightened the teacherson the relevance of “Theatre in Education.”

39cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14M SM SM SM SM S TTTTTWorldWorldWorldWorldWorldSt Mary Queen of Missions Delegation, Delhi

Delhi

Church on FireDelhi is in headlines with many breaking news. The last in the

series was the fire in St Sebastian’s Catholic Church at Dished Gar-den, which is used by the Latin and Syro–Malabar faithful for wor-ship. On 1st December, 2014, Delhi woke up with flash news thatDilshad Garden Church is on fire. We were among the first to reachthe spot. Seeing the horrendous sight we could not believe our eyes.Inside the church everything was consumed by the fire. Altar, sanc-

tuary, balcony, sacristy, Bible and everything else turned into a heapof ashes. Tabernacle, made of metal, got melted from outside. Weremoved the Holy Eucharist that was safe inside and took it to thenearby convent. From the first sight, it is very clear that this mali-cious act was done by some mischievous persons. Smell of kero-sene and marks of some inflammable chemicals spread over, clearlyindicate the interference of outside hands. There was a strong pro-test against the act and Government authorities have promised tobring to light the hands behind this act. It is believed that this is oneof those planned attacks taking place against the church in thesedays. The culprit has not yet been identified. We are hopefully wait-ing for the result of the investigation team. Please do pray for a peace-ful Christmas this year.


Deepti Ashram NajafgarhDeepti Ashram witnessed a change of directorship during this

period. Fr Siju Kolthambrayil, who was the Director for the last twoyears, handed over the charge to Fr Boby Kayyalakakathu on 2nd

November, 2014. The send-off and welcome function conducted atDeepti Ashram was attended by priests and religious of the neigh-bouring houses, many MST Fathers from Delhi Delegation and mem-bers of the parish. Fr Siju has contributed creatively for the growthand development of the institution and children. We are grateful toFr Siju for his dedicated service and wish and pray for his fruitfulfuture missionary life. Our prayerful best wishes to Fr Boby, the newDirector. He is also appointed as the parish priest of Najafgarh Sa-cred Heart Parish.

After the registration of Deepti Ashram with “Women and ChildDevelopment” (WCD) regular visits, producing of the children be-fore Child Welfare Committee (CWC), periodic visit of CWC mem-bers to our institution, submitting of the monthly reports, record-keeping, etc. are done regularly. Children are cheerful and happyunder the new Director. We have admitted some new children dur-ing the period.

Support from the PublicPeople from various levels and places come to Deepti Ashram

with support in cash and kind for the children. Under the Food bucketprogramme, Rayans International School collected a lot of food sub-stances from the children and donated to Deepti Ashram. Childrenfrom the parishes, members of pious associations and individualsfrom many families visited Deepti Ashram, supported our pro-gramme in cash and kind. We thank them all for their generous sup-port. Bro. Paul is offering his voluntary service at Deepti Ashram,Najafgarh.

Workshop and TrainingsRev. Sisters from SH Provincial House conducted a one-day work-

shop for the children on character formation, leadership and valuesin life. Mrs Poonam, the art and craft teacher, trains the children inpreparing art and decoration items. Under the guidance of Mr.

41cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14M SM SM SM SM S TTTTTWorldWorldWorldWorldWorldNeeraj, children learn dance and steps. Computer classes and Eng-lish coaching by Paul are generating interest in the children.

World AIDS Day observanceDeepti Foundation from its very erection was working for the

people infected and affected with HIV/AIDS. This year we had vari-ous programmes for the World AIDS Day. On 1st December, 2014AIDS Day was celebrated at Balaswa rag-picking project area. Aware-

ness classes, drawing competition for children, rally and public meet-ing were the main activities. Parents, women and children in bignumbers participated in the rally and the meeting. In another cel-ebration on 3rd December, a public meeting was conducted, underthe Community Based Rehabilitation Programme of people livingwith HIV & AIDS project supported by Caritas India, in the premisesof the convent of Missionaries of Charity at Dilshad Garden. FrMathew Moothasseril, Pro-Vicar General of the diocese of Faridabad,presided over the function and Dr J. K. Mishra, Joint-Director ofDSACS, was the chief guest of the function. Dr Mishra enlightenedthe gathering on the available government assistance to the HIVpatients and family. A stage show was performed on the HIV infec-tion and the need to be cautious about the various attacks. Mr Joy


Jacob, project co-coordinator, presented the activity report of theprogramme, Fr Kurian welcomed the guests and participants and FrLijo Kavunnukattil proposed vote of thanks. It was attended by hun-dreds of patients and their family members.

Awareness on HIV for the school childrenAs a part of our awareness activity we conducted programmes

in many schools. The highlights of these programmes were aware-ness class on HIV/AIDS, stage programme to alert the young genera-tion about the diseases and drawing competition for the children.Three children from Lucky Public school won the prizes which weregiven away during the public meeting on 3rd December, 2014.

Exposure TourAn exposure tour for the mothers of the rag-picking children

was conducted on 15th December, 2014. 55 rags-picking mothersparticipated in the programme. Living in the slums of Delhi, it wastheir first chance to visit the land marks of this city. Visiting the his-toric places of the capital like Raj Ghat, Lal Kila, India Gate, Parlia-ment Street, Qutab Minar, etc., they felt proud of their country. Theyhave never seen such beautiful faces of India. All of them enjoyedthe day and went home with lot of beautiful memories.

Cultural Exchange ProgrammeRag-picking children from the slum can never think of entering

to the campuses of hi-tech English medium schools. But we arrangeda visit for our rag-picking children to the highly esteemed and re-puted St Xavier’s School in Delhi. About 60 children spent one fullday in the school, mingling and interacting with the students there.Programmes like play, story-telling, music, dance, learning and lis-tening, games, eating and drinking, etc. were all part of the day’sschedule. The rag-picking children visited the campus and class roomsand expressed their desire to study and play there. Children of StXavier’s too learned many things from the life-stories of their coun-terparts. They all wish to have further occasions for such culturalexchange.


Children’s Day and Annual Sports DayThis year Children’s Day was celebrated as Annual Sports Day in

the Gyaan Sarovar School at Balaswa Dairy on 14th November, 2014.It was arranged in the open public ground in the slum area. Morethan a sports day, it was a celebration both for the children and thepublic. For the children, it was their first experience and for the pub-lic it was a chance to see the performances of their children. Chil-dren enjoyed the day in the dust-filled open area of the slum. Thesportsman’s spirit and enthusiasm of the girls in Kabaddi reflectedthe spirit of cricket play in the famous Oscar award winning film“Slum Dog Millionaire”. Children were divided into three groups andteachers were in charge of the groups. This Sports Day gave a goodmessage to the community. The event was inaugurated by Fr MathewMoothassery and Fr Benny Kannamthadam was the guest of hon-our.

Drug De-addiction ProgrammeAn awareness programme was conducted at Gyaan Sarovar for

the drug uses on 18th December, 2014. About fifty parents and moth-ers from the rag-picking families participated in the programme. DrBenjamin from GTB Medical College was the resource person forthe programmes. He explained with examples the bad effects of thedrugs and the harm it brings into our life. Majority of the people inthe area are drug users. This class has helped them to understand


the negative effects it brings to human body. After the class manyhave decided not use any harmful substances in their life.

School Day CelebrationThis year we had a colourful celebration of the School Day at

Gyaan Sarovar on December 6, 2014. Archbishop KuriakoseBharanikulangara of the diocese of Faridabad was the president ofthe function. Local MLA, Mr Devendra Yadav, was the chief guest.Mr. Ajit Yadav, the area councillor, and Sr Cherupushpam SH werethe guests of honour for the function. Around thousand people in-cluding the parents participated in the function. Bishop in his mes-sage appreciated the work of MST missionaries and said that thevalue of human beings who are created in the image of God urgesus to love and serve them wherever they may be. The colourful cul-tural presentations by the children were amazing and interesting.

Dances, skits, songs, break-dances performed by the children gavethe message that “Ham kisi se kam nahi hai” (We are less to none).Presentation of the Bible story, Good Samaritan, by the children ofDeepti Ashram conveyed the message that “the one who helps theother in need is the Good Neighbour”. Prizes were distributed to thewinners in studies, sports & games, full attendance, parents whopromote education of their children, Good SHG leaders, etc. Rev.Sisters and priests from the nearby institutions also were present at

TTTTThe Phe Phe Phe Phe Parararararticipants aticipants aticipants aticipants aticipants at the functiont the functiont the functiont the functiont the function

45cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14M SM SM SM SM S TTTTTWorldWorldWorldWorldWorldthe function. Fr Kurian, Director of Deepti Foundation, welcomedthe gathering, Project Co-ordinator Mr Lalu Mathew, presented theactivity report, and Fr Lijo, the project-in-charge proposed vote ofthanks.

Gathering of MSTs in DelhiOn 1st December, 2014 there was a get-together of MST priests

of Delhi at MST House, Dilshad Garden. Almost all members partici-pated in the function and expressed their joy in coming together.We began the day with Holy Mass, offered in commemoration of FrJacob Tharakunnel who was called for his eternal reward. FrChempottickal shared his experience with Fr Tharakunnel as a lov-ing and loved person. This was also an occasion to celebrate thebirth day of Fr Chempottickal who turned 60 and silver jubilee ofthe priestly ordination of Fr Muthuplakkal. All the Fathers expressedtheir desire to have such family gatherings which will bring onenessand unity among the MSTs in Delhi. It was decided to have a get-together of Ex -MSTs and MSTs on 27th December, 2014 at DeeptiAshram Najafgarh.

VisitsMr Thankachan, finance officer from Holistic Child Development

India (HCDI), Pune, visited our rag-pickers’ programme in Delhi andappreciated the encouraging work we do and gave his valuable sug-gestions for better implementation. Fr Jose Palakeel from MST cen-tral council visited MST Delhi programmes and met the Archbishopand priests. We the priests and Bro. Regent of Deepti Foundationhad a one day outing to Amritsar and Wagah Border, and enjoyedthe day.

MSTs in Faridabad DioceseMST Priests are serving as parish priests in six parishes of the

diocese of Faridabad. Other MST priests in Delhi and Punjab are alsocontributing to the growth of the diocese. We find time to partici-pate in the regular diocesan activities like monthly recollection, an-nual retreat and other meetings and discussions. Many of us aremembers of Diocesan Pastoral Council representing from variouscapacities. The first diocesan CRI meeting was held on 13th Decem-


ber 2014 to mark beginning of the Year of the Consecrated Life. FrKurian Kochettonnil is elected secretary of the CRI unit of the dio-cese of Faridabad. This year the Bible Convention, conducted by thediocese, was attended by a large number of people.

Christmas 2014Preparation for the Christmas is in full swing. Christmas stars are

shining over the houses and trees. Winter has enveloped the entireregion. Carol singers started going from house to house. Programmesare planned in all the centres of our project areas. Christmas Giftsand “food items” were distributed to HIV patients from DeeptiAshram.

Punjab

Punjabi CourseThe pioneering members of the Mary Queen of Missions Del-

egation in Punjab are undergoing a Punjabi language course. Thefirst part of the course is over and they have developed some read-ing and writing skills.

Mission ExplorationsEver since Fr Jose Vallikatt and his team moved to Punjab, they

are exploring the possibilities of different kinds of missionaryapostolates like rural evangelization, involving in farmers’ issues,formal and non-formal education, evangelization through massmedia and communication skills development programmes inschools, etc.

Reach Out Programmes to Rural VillagesWe have been visiting and studying the life of rural Punjabis. We

have identified a few places to move out and start participatory lifewith them.

Christmas CelebrationPreparations are underway for the celebration of Christmas sol-

emnly. We had a beautiful carol programme at our St Thomas parishand we all participated in it.

47cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14M SM SM SM SM S TTTTTWorldWorldWorldWorldWorldVI. NEWS FROM THE MINISTRY OF FORMATION

Deepti Minor Seminary

Mission SundayMission Sunday was celebrated with various activities. After the

Holy Qurbana there was a gathering in the auditorium, during whichRev. Fr Sojan Unnieppillil shared his mission experience and answeredto the queries of the students. It was followed by a Mission Melawith the intention of raising fund for the mission. Other fund raisingactivities were lottery, auction and refreshment stall. A portion of

the money gathered thus was handed over to Rev. Fr. Jose Vallikatttowards missionary apostolate in Delhi Delegation of MST.

Award NightIn connection with the Mission Sunday, various competitions

were conducted in the seminary. The students were divided intofour houses and the winners were awarded prizes for the competi-tion held in literary, cultural, and sports and games events on 2nd

November, 2014.

Installation of RelicsRelics of Sts. Chavara, Euphrasia, Blessed Kunjachan and Blessed

Mariam Thresia were installed in the seminary chapel in the pres-


ence of the General Councillors, Regional Directors and the DelhiDelegate. We hope and pray that the presence of the relics will be asource of inspiration for our students in their pursuit of becomingzealous missionaries.

Feast of Blessed KunjachanOur brothers made a pilgrimage to Ramapuram to seek the bless-

ings of Blessed Kunjachan on October 16. For many of the first years,it was their first visit to Ramapuram.

Half- Day OutingTo provide an opportunity for chilling-out, the students were

sent on a half- day outing on October 16. They travelled to the placesof their choice in groups.

Parents’ DayAll the parents of the Second Year students were invited to the

seminary on November 8. Many of them arrived early in the morn-ing. Brothers took their parents to the staff members for a personalmeeting. At 11 o’clock, there was a Eucharistic celebration. Afterlunch they assembled in the auditorium and the students presenteda number of entertainment items in honour of the visitors.

49cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14M SM SM SM SM S TTTTTWorldWorldWorldWorldWorldISPARC-2014

The annual get-together of the Inter-Seminary Platform for Ac-tion, Reflection and Co-operation (ISPARC) was hosted by OCD semi-nary, Ettumanoor. Around 30 of the students participated in it andpresented a mime. The final of the inter-seminary volley ball matchalso was held and Deepti College won the runner’s-up trophy.

Christmas Exams and HolidaysChristmas exams commenced on December 9 and got concluded

on December 21. The students go home on December 22 after theChristmas celebrations at Deepti and will be back on January 2, 2015.

Jeevan Jyoti, Srirangapatna

Jeevan Jyoti family is trying to grow day by day seeking the willof God in her life. His Grace Mar George Njaralakkatt was given asend off in Jeevan Jyoti. He celebrated Holy Qurbana in the semi-nary and inspired all of us to become holy priests. Our brothers had‘mission exposure’ programme in seven mission stations for elevendays and came back with full of enthusiasm and missionary spirit.The whole community participated in the sacerdotal silver jubileecelebrations of four MST priests held at Santhome Regional House.We had a meaningful celebration of the sacerdotal silver jubilee of


Fr Joseph Thekkekarott on November 23 together with all the priestsworking in Mandya mission.

Rev. Fathers Sebastian Thuruthel, Sebastian Koottumkal, SunnyTharapputhotty, Kuriakose Moozhayil, George Thotteeparampil andVery Rev Fr George Koorumullumpurayidom visited Jeevan Jyotiduring this period besides the missionaries from Mandya mission.Jeevan Jyoti community actively participated in the Mission Sundaycelebration and the feast of the Immaculate Conception of theBlessed Mother in the Ganjam parish. We welcomed with great glad-ness Rev. Fr Justin Kanatt who joined the staff of Jeevan Jyoti onNovember 23rd.

Rev. Fathers Roy Thengumkudyil and Daey Kunnath added tothe joy of the community by their loving presence and took classesin a scholarly manner on English grammar and theatre, art and stageperformance respectively. We are grateful to our dear Fathers.

Bro Tereesh Melvattom who did regency here for six monthswent home for undergoing treatment for back pain. We thank himmost sincerely for his dedicated service and loving and active pres-ence in the community. We pray for his speedy recovery.

Rev. Fr Augustine Thanniyil and team preached the annual re-treat which was an enriching and deeply spiritual experience for allthe members of the community. In the light of the retreat we havealready implemented a few renewal programmes in the daily life ofthe community.

Jeevan Jyoti is seriously preparing for a fruitful Christmas cel-ebration. Our brothers, under the guidance of the Fathers, have pre-pared a stage programme on Christmas and have started to stage itin our mission stations. Thus the message of Christ is shared withpeople more effectively.

Ruhalaya Major Seminary

Moran Mor Baselios Cardinal Cleemis in RuhlayaRuhalaya was blessed with the esteemed presence and visit of

Moran Mor Baselios Cardinal Cleemis, Major Archbishop Catholicosof the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church and President of the CBCI,

51cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14M SM SM SM SM S TTTTTWorldWorldWorldWorldWorldon 24th October. The Holy Qurbana was celebrated by his Eminencein the Syro-Malankara rite. The joy of the community was doubledwhen he entered into talks with the nearby communities and in-mates. He also briefed us with the fresh news of the Synod held inRome.

Live-in-Village ProgrammeBrothers of philosophy section left to different villages for the

live-in-village exposure programme on 19th October. Brothers weredivided into different groups comprising of minimum ten members.Having enriched in the culture and language of the people in differ-ent villages in the eparchy of Ujjain they returned to alma mater on29th October.

Winners of Different National & Local CompetitionsMother Ruhalaya is proud to say that her sons are striving hard

in different fields. Brothers Lithosh Karingadayil MST and JoysonPuthukkatu MST both from II year Theology won first prize in an allIndia Inter-Seminary Skit Writing Competition held by the PrisonMinistry of India. They were awarded with a cash prize of Rs 10,000/-. Brothers Jobin Vadakketh MST (II Theology) and Manu MaprayilMST (III Theology) proved their excellence in composing an anthemfor the Pushpa Mission Hospital, and they were gifted with a cashprize of Rs 4000 and Rs 2000/- respectively. Brothers ShejinPuthenpurayil MST (III Theology), Manu Maprayil MST and JoysonPuthukkatu MST won the PowerPoint-presentation competition con-


ducted by Rev. Fr Jose Vallikatt and his team on the latest papal teach-ings on communication. They were also awarded with cash prizes.Hearty congratulations to all the winners!

Rainbow 2014: Drawing FestHome Herald team of Ruhalaya Philosophate, under the initia-

tive of Rev. Fr Jayaprasad Kallupuraprampil, organized a drawing festto avail the talent of the brothers in drawing on any theme from theBible on 13th November. All talented brothers participated in thecompetition very enthusiastically and drew a good number of pic-tures. The creative works of drawing made by the philosophers re-ceived the attention and appreciation of all Ruhalayans. Congratu-lations to all the artists!

Music EveningA music concert was conducted in Ruhalaya as a gesture of dou-

bling the joy on the occasion of the canonization of St KuriakoseChavara Elias and St Euphrasia on 23rd November. Fr AshokKollamkudy was the key attention of the gala. Brothers of both sec-tions performed their vocal skills in various languages. A goodnumber of priests, nuns and candidates attended the show.

New Resident ProfessorRuhalaya seminary is happy to announce the arrival of Rev. Fr

Sebastian Koottumkal as a resident professor on 24th November. FrRector and the community welcomed him joyfully.

53cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14M SM SM SM SM S TTTTTWorldWorldWorldWorldWorldAdieu to Deacons

It was a poignant moment for all of us when we bid farewell toour 12 deacons and a sister of C.M.C. Congregation, upon comple-tion of their Theology studies, on 29th November. We all joyfullyprayed for them and for their future mission. The occasion was sol-emnized with Fathers on the staff, and brothers and the sub-dea-cons making the evening a colourful one with their stage perform-ances.

Annual RetreatTheology brothers had their annual retreat of 5 days, starting on

1st December 2014 and ending on 6th December. The retreat preacherwas Rev. Fr. Joseph Valachathinakathu C.Ss.R. The brothers werespiritually renewed and nourished in spirit.

VII. NEWS FROM OTHER MINISTRIES

IMPACT, Kochi

IMPACT published a cartoon story about the life and ministry ofServant of God, Mgr. Joseph Panjikaran. It was edited by Fr JaisonPuthenpurackal, the director of Kadukumani. Deacon Vincent Varakilwas at IMPACT for a few weeks of diaconate ministry. The sacerdo-tal silver jubilee of Rev. Fr Hans Puthiakulangara, one of the formerdirectors of the communication ministry of MST, was celebrated atIMPACT on 13 November, in the presence other MSTs working inthe vicinity.


Outreach ProgrammesRev. Fr Daey Kunnath was the resource person for Vocation Di-

rectors’ meeting of the CMC sisters at their Generalate inThaikkattukara, Aluva, of the MSJ sisters of the province of Ernakulamand that of the CMC sisters of the province of Tellicherry. He heldtheatre workshops for the seminarians of Jeevan Jyothi,Srirangapatna, Karnataka, for the teachers of St Joseph’s Teachers’Training Centre, Ernakulam, for seminarians of CST minor seminaryPerumbavoor and for the students of Santhome Public School,

Mumbai. He organized Germspark (seminar for children) for the stu-dents of Don Bosco School, Vaduthala, of St Joseph’s School, Kurianadand of St Mary’s School Kuttikanam and St Augustine’s School,Koottikkanam. Fr Kunnath was the chief resource person for the train-ing of the school teachers of Mary Matha School, Chiplun,Maharashtra, toppers’ training for the catechism student-toppersof the eparchy of Thamarassery and leadership training for DCL atKalamassery. He gave media education for the teachers under theco-operative management body of the Archdiocese ofChanganacherry. He also led mission retreats for the students atChungappara, Changanacherry and for the parishioners ofThrikkakara, Ernakulam.

Subscription Campaign for KadukumaniRev. Fr Jaison Puthenpurackal, the editor and the circulation

manager of Kadukumani – Children’s magazine, ran a subscription

55cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14M SM SM SM SM S TTTTTWorldWorldWorldWorldWorldcampaign by visiting the families in some of the parishes in Kerala.He was partly assisted by Rev. Fr George Keeranchira and DeaconVincent Varakil. Their efforts yielded very good results with sevenparishes from the dioceses of Thrissur, Irinjalakkuda, Thamarassseryand Idukki turning out to be complete-Kadukumani parishes by everychild/family in the parish subscribing Kadukumani for five years.

Santhome Public School, Miraroad

Science, Art and Craft ExhibitionSanthome Public School, Miraroad organized a Science, Art and

Craft Exhibition on 8th November, 2014. It was an innovative andexperimental day for all the Santhomians. Rev.Fr C.D. Sebastian MSTfrom IIT Mumbai, the Chief Guest of the day, inaugurated the exhi-bition with a stunning speech about space and space technology.He enlightened the students with his thought-provoking words byemphasising some important aspects such as science temperament,rational thinking, etc.

Inspired, encouraged and motivated by the parents and teach-ers, the budding scientists and artists of Santhome gathered in schoolwith great enthusiasm and excitement with different models andexperiments on subjects like Science, Social Science, Art and Craft.The still and working models and projects reflected the innovationand creative ideas which are relevant to today’s requirements. Andit also gave us an opportunity to have glimpse on the future “Fara-


days,” “Newtons,” “Edisons” and “Einsteins” among our children.There was a beautiful artistic world created by the budding artistsand teachers of Santhome where every visitor felt like they were ina dream world.

Students got a rare opportunity to interact with people fromvarious fields and showed their efficiency in scientific, artistic andcommunicating skills. The exhibition really helped in constructing astrong platform for the students and teachers, on which they canmould their innovative ideas and learn from each others’ experi-ences. It also revealed the close relation between Science, Technol-ogy and creativity in human society.

Workshop on Personality Development and Emotional BalanceAn orientation programme was conducted for the students of

grade VIII and IX in the school premises by Fr. Daey MST on Novem-ber 23rd and 24th respectively. The programme mainly focussed onpersonality development and emotional balance in children in theirgrowing stages. Different interesting activities and games were con-ducted which helped the children to become good, responsible,smart and confident. The participation of students in the activitiesshowed their uniqueness in thinking, analysing and responding todifferent situations. Children realised the need for being determinedto achieve their aims, ambitions and goals in life. Releasing all theirtensions they really enjoyed the session very much and also learnedthe importance of being good individuals for the safe and good fu-ture of the nation and for themselves.

Santhome Bible Centre, Pariyaram

Santhome Bible Commentary on MarkThe work of the commentary on the Gospel of Mark is progress-

ing at a steady pace. It may take some more time to complete thework as Fr. Sebastian Kizhakkeyil has classes at various seminaries.He continues his work of gospel exegesis as fast as possible. Readersare eagerly waiting for the next volume to come out soon. FathersKariathil and Kallidukkil actively co-operate with the work of SBC.

57cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14M SM SM SM SM S TTTTTWorldWorldWorldWorldWorldFTAK

Fr. Joy Kochupara’s farmers’ organization (FTAK) is busy with itspreparation for its Annual Seed Fest. The next Seed Fest will takeplace at Kelakam from 23rd to 26th January 2015. The first three weeksof January will be dedicated to ‘Announcement and ConscientizationMarch’ to various parts of north Kerala with the message of “Backto the Roots”. The Seed Fest and the Announcement March aim ateducating the public regarding all types of high productive nativeseeds, organic farming, avoiding all pesticides which are dangerous,increasing agricultural outputs using modern farming techniques,etc. FTAK aims at making farmers self-sufficient in food production.

Vocation PromotionSince several weeks Fr. Nimin Kallakulam is at Pariyaram for pro-

moting young priestly vocations. Day after day he goes to the housesof probable candidates whom he had identified while visiting theirschools earlier in the year.

VIII. NEWS FROM MSTS ABROAD

Germany

Visit of the Director GeneralVery Rev Fr Kurian Ammanathukunnel, Our Director General, vis-

ited us in the month of October 2014 from 7th to 23rd. His fraternallistening and interactions with us strengthened our spirit to carry onthe ministry in a more committed way and to foster belongingnessto the Society. We sincerely thank the D. G. for his visit. He made ita point also to meet and consult with the concerned diocesan au-thorities during his visit.

Transfers and New ArrivalsRev Fathers Cyriac Chandrankunnel, Jiji Ettaniyil and Joseph

Maliekel were transferred in respective Dioceses of Hildersheim,Stuttgart-Rottenburg and Wuersburg. All of them are settled by thistime in the new parishes. Fr Pradeep Mattathilanickal is getting anappointment at Winterberg in the diocese of Paderborn in January2015 after having completed his pastoral and practical exposure. FrMathew Maprakavil is expected to arrive in Germany at the end ofDecember 2014 and is expected to join language courses. We wel-come and wish him all the best!


“Sternsinger-Aktion”As missionaries every one of us here is trying to present the needs

of the missions and thankfully acknowledge the contributions tomissions made by children by carol singing, i.e. “Sternsinger-Aktion,”on snowy days under freezing temperatures. This project by chil-dren over half a century is the biggest ever project undertaken bychildren to support the Church, missions and missionaries all overthe world. Let us remember them, their parents and animators thank-fully and recommend them to Child Jesus. Let us also keep our ben-efactors and donors to the missions in a very special way in ourprayers.

Tanzania

Christmas and New Year Greetings from Tanzania!As we are getting ready for the celebration of the Christmas and

New Year, all are busy in our own parishes. As part of the immediatepreparation for the Christmas we started Novena of Christmas in allparishes. So, all are getting ready to receive the Saviour of the worldin their hearts. During this season of Christmas we wish you all theblessings of the season.

Chengena ParishAs we are at the end of the year, our village parish has many

things to be happy about: the progress of the parish in both spiritual

59cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14cHRISTMAS ‘14M SM SM SM SM S TTTTTWorldWorldWorldWorldWorldand of economic realms is praiseworthy. When the Archbishop camefor the pastoral visit he appreciated of our mission in Chengena par-ish. On his pastoral visit 53 children from the parish were given thesacrament of confirmation.

As we were facing the scarcity of the drinking water, the newlydug open well (28mtrs deep) in the church compound happily solvedour problem.

Madale ParishBeing a new parish, it has no church building of its own. At the

moment, we are using a small hall which has to be handed over tothe owners in the near future. Hence, we are trying our level best tohave a small temporary church in our own land. So along with thepresbytery, a temporary church is also being constructed. FathersBiju Pullappillil and Sebastian Tharapputhotty deserve our appre-ciation for their mission in Madale parish.

IX. INITIATIVES AND ACHIEVEMENTS BY THE MEMBERS

Fr Sabu Njarolickal is Awarded

Fr Sabu Njarolickal MST received from the city of Chapadão DoCéu honorary citizenship for his 6 years of contributions to the city

of Chapadão do Céu, Goias, Brazil. He wasawarded for the charitable and religiouswork in the city from the year 2008. Theceremony took place on 30th November,2014 in the municipal camera.

He was also awarded the best religiouspersonality of the year 2014 in anotherceremony on 6th December, 2014. Fr SabuNjarolickal thanked the population andthe missionary society.


Bro. Amal Akkimattel wins First Prize

Bro. Amal Akkimattel MST, 3rd Year Philosophystudent at Mangalapuzha Seminary, has won firstprize in the recently held extempore speech com-petition for the Major Seminarians of Kerala heldat St Thomas Apostolic Seminary, Vadavathoor.

Other Achievers

For the achievments of brothers Lithosh Karingadayil, JoysonPuthukkatu, Jobin Vadakketh, Manu Maprayil and ShejinPuthenpurayil, see the news item--”Winners of Different National &Local Competitions”--under the title, Ruhalaya Major Seminary.

X. BELOVED ONES DEPARTED FOR ETERNAL REWARD

18/10/2014: Paternal Uncle of Fr James Kurukilamkatt23/10/2014: Uncle of Fr James Athikalam31/10/2014: Paternal Uncle of Fr Michael Puthenpurayil

07/11/2014: Maternal Uncle of Fr Francis Ezhanikatt11/11/2014: Paternal Uncle of Fr George Aranjaniyil

13/11/2014: Paternal Uncle of Fr Francis Vattakunnel14/11/2014: Maternal Grandmother of Fr Jiji Ettaniyil

5/11/2014: Sister-in-law of Fr George Mullappallil26/11/2014: Fr Jacob Tharakunnel

27/11/2014: Brother of Fr Joy Purayidathil02/12/2014: Father of Fr Johny Kochuparambil

22/12/2014: Cousin of Fr Antony VazhatharaLet us keep these beloved departed ones in our prayers!

NL 2014-12 new - The Missionary Society of St Thomas … Public School, Miraroad ..... 55 Santhome Bible Centre, Pariyaram ..... 56 VIII. News from MSTs Abroad.....57 IX. Initiatives

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