Sunday, June 3, 2012

June, 2012


News Letter – June, 2012


The Sacred Heart of Jesus
By Father Paul Keenan

Growing up Catholic in the late 40’s and 50’s was a rich experience. A typical Catholic home like ours was replete with religious imagery, statues, crucifixes, religious pictures, fonts of holy water, holy cards bearing images of Jesus and the saints – all of these were part of a normal Catholic home. While it is understandable that some of the other faiths believed that we were worshiping or praying to these objects, the truth is that Catholics worship only God. The various religious objects of my boyhood – and you find them in many Catholic homes today – were powerful reminders of the presence of God. They "lift up our minds and hearts to God," as our catechism taught us. Even, and perhaps especially, in troubled times, they taught us that God’s love was ever near. There was something else that our religious objects did for us. They helped us to recall our heroes. When we were tempted to forget our goals and ideals they helped us to remember.

In our home one of the most powerful religious images was a large picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that hung in the hallway for all to see. When I say "picture of the Sacred Heart," I do not mean to imply that it was a picture of an anatomical heart; rather it was a reproduction of a painting of Jesus. In that painting, we see the heart of Jesus surrounded by a crown of thorns, behind which lay a burning fire of love. As you could well imagine from the place of prominence the picture had in our home, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus was important to us. During the month of June, my parents kept a red vigil light burning beneath it day and night. June is the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart and the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is celebrated on the first Friday of June. During that month our family made a special novena to the Sacred Heart – nine days of prayers in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Devotion to the Sacred Heart was not limited to one month of the year. Catholics made a special effort to receive the Body of Christ on the first Friday of every month, which was dedicated to the Sacred Heart. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, a seventeenth-century mystic, had received a vision in which Jesus promised that those who made the First Friday devotion for nine consecutive months would be given the grace of repentance at the moment of death. Today in many Catholic churches throughout the world, the Eucharistic Host is solemnly displayed and special first Friday devotions are held in honor of the Sacred Heart.

For Catholics, the symbol of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a powerful image of the love of God. Throughout the Hebrew Bible, the heart of God was a key image of the God who kept covenant with his people. The heart itself was the very center – the core – of a person. Time and time again the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob begged his people not to harden their hearts but to return to him. In the Gospels, when Jesus was challenged to summarize the law of God, he stressed loving God with all our heart and our neighbor as ourselves. The New Testament stressed love as the way to life, "God is Love," wrote St. John; "and whoever abides in love abides in God and God in them" (I John 4:16). To St. Paul, the presence of love renders all other gifts worthwhile, while its absence renders them useless (I Corinthians 3).

The Sacred Heart of Jesus, then, is meant to symbolize the love of God and to evoke love for God from us.

What is so striking about the image is that the Heart of Christ is depicted as both crowned with thorns and on fire with love. Ringed by a crown of thorns, Jesus’ heart is the heart of the one who was crucified. On the cross, Jesus was given a crown of thorns by his tormentors. This was a gesture of mockery. His enemies believed that Jesus was attempting to establish a kingdom on earth. The crown of thorns was meant to highlight the apparent failure of Jesus to do so successfully. Instead of a majestic crown of gold studded with diadems, this terrible crown made of dead wood was an image of barrenness, futility and failure.

Besides its meaning as an instrument of mockery, the crown of thorns was an actual instrument of torture. It was positioned so that its points pressed into the skull, causing bleeding and excruciating pain. The cutting remarks of those who tormented Jesus were reinforced by the thorns cutting into his head.

Yet in the image of the Sacred Heart there is a blessed irony. Though crowned with thorns, the heart of Jesus is aflame with love. In the Gospel of John (1:5), the light of God is described as "a light no darkness can extinguish." This is the meaning here. The divine love burns on behind, despite and within the crown of thorns. To Christians, the image is a potent reminder of the omni-potent power of divine love.

The image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus at once glorious and suffering raises a puzzling question in the post-resurrection era. Can divine redemptive love and divine suffering co-exist once Jesus has arisen? Does not the victory of Jesus over sin and death abolish the crown of thorns? Was not the resurrection of Jesus a triumph over sin and death? Basking in the resurrection, do we not say, "O Death where is your victory; O Death where is your sting" (I Corinthians 15:55)?

In the Book of Revelation, written by John, the author of the Fourth Gospel, there is an intriguing suggestion about the co-existence of divine glory and suffering. The Book of Revelation is a mysterious and image-rich account of a vision given to John of the end of time and of the entry of creation into the fullness of glory. In Chapter 5, John speaks of seeing a lamb looking as if it had been slain. It symbolizes the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ the Savior. It is a jarring image, for one would expect to see the Savior in complete glory. John seems to be saying here that somehow in Christ, glory and suffering co-exist. Back in the Fourth Gospel, Jesus showed something similar in the passage about the appearance of the risen Christ to Thomas the Apostle (20:24-28). Clearly, Jesus is in his glorified state, yet He invites Thomas to place his hands into the wounds from the crucifixion. The mystery that John seeks to communicate is that somehow, even in glory, there remains a close connection between divine life and suffering.

That is a mystery that the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus imparts as well. The divine heart is radiant with love, yet crowned with thorns. Somehow, even in God, it tells us, the vestiges of suffering remain an intricate part of God as we know Him.

What does this mean for us? It means that to approach God implies coming into the presence of One who is deeply touched by the reality of suffering and sorrow. Our expectation tends to be that to be God means to be above the reality of pain. This is, indeed, mysterious to us, for we are accustomed to believing that God in his omnipotence would destroy all evil. We sometimes become deeply angry when He does not. "Why does God allow bad things to happen to us?" It is a question often on our lips. The answer has to do with the relationship between divine initiative and human response. Looking at the Sacred Heart, one wonders why the flame of divine love does not destroy the wooden crown. It seems that there is something about the crown of thorns that is self-replenishing even in the face of God’s love. The story imaged here is that of the ongoing battle between good and evil. The image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus tells us that God’s heart is as affected by that struggle as ours.

For Christians, and for others as well, that might seem to be bad news. It might appear to be saying that in the face of evil, God is as helpless as we often feel ourselves to be.

Yet that is not the message that the Gospels or the devotion to the Sacred Heart proffer. The Christian insistence is that the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ results in the ultimate triumph of good over evil, a triumph which is not yet fully realized in our world to date. The images of the glorious, yet wounded, God do not imply a lack of victory. They tell us, rather, that even after the victory has been fully manifested, the history of the human struggle for and against the ways of God will always be significant and never be trivialized.

What this means, I think, can be exemplified in the story of a friend of mine. She tells the story openly, and I should add that the priest in whom she confided was not I. As my friend tells this story, she was for many years engaged in actions and relationships that by her own admission were immoral. One day, while reading a simple newspaper story, she was overcome by the realization of how damaging her actions had been to so many others and to herself. Filled with remorse, she spoke to a priest and poured out her entire story. When she had finished, she waited for the priest to condemn her. Instead, he shook his head and, with deep compassion, remarked, "How you have suffered. How you have suffered."

That encounter touched my friend deeply and literally changed her life. The priest’s compassion acknowledged both her sense of sinfulness and the deep anguish that had plagued her life for years. He did not justify or excuse her actions or in any way pretend that they or the anguish didn’t exist. Yet, behind them, he offered the assurance of God’s love and forgiveness. All of that, the thorns and the heart, enabled my friend to turn her life around. Now she spends her life helping others like herself to experience that same love. The thorns are still there, but now they are transformed so as to enable her to use her experience for good.

We see something similar when any suffering becomes redemptive. I have seen people ravaged by divorce help others when their marriages have fallen apart. Alcohol and drug abusers often become effective counselors for other substance abusers. They do not forget their pain; but now, instead of destroying them, it transforms it into something useful for others.

In an age that often tries to "fix" bad decisions and misfortunes and make them "go away," the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a powerful reminder that merely taking away those moments may rob them – and us – of their deeper gift. When our painful moments (our crown of thorns) can be transformed so that they no longer destroy us, but assist us in helping others, they allow us to realize our essential goodness and enable us to live our lives in new and positive ways.

And in the end, the image of the Sacred Heart reminds us that when we open ourselves to that transformation, we are drawing near to the heart of God.
(http://www.soulfulliving.com/sacred_heart.htm {Father Paul Keenan: Popular speaker, author and radio co-host of WABC Radio’s "Religion on the Line,"})


News  from  the  Diocese


CHAIBASA
As part of the celebration of Golden Jubilee of the Diocese, Most Rev. Felix Toppo, SJ, made his pastoral visit to St. Xavier’s Church, Chaibasa, on 29th April, 2012, and spent half a day with the parishioners. The day began with the Holy Eucharist. During the Holy Mass 67 children received the Sacrament of Confirmation. The lively signing and the entrance dance made the liturgy a memorable one. Fr. Edwin had conducted a special Crash-course for the students who are studying in Government schools. The response and the cooperation from the parents and children were commendable.

MERCY CONVENT
On 30th April, 2012, sisters of Mercy Convent, Baridih, celebrated the House feast, which was on 1st, May. The celebration began with the Holy Eucharist, which was presided over by Most Rev. Felix Toppo, SJ. He used the occasion to thank the sisters for their selfless service to the ailing and needy in the society and exhorted them to share the love of Christ among the people. The celebration came to an end with a delicious meal.

ST. JOSEPH’S CATHEDRAL, GOLMURI
The youth of the Parish conducted drawing & poem writing competitions on 15th April, 2012, for two age groups, under 12 and 15. As many as 46 students participated in it. The winners were awarded with certificate and a special prize while all other participants received consolation prizes. Fr. Camille Hembrom appreciated the dynamic effort of the youth. Fr. Vijay Kachhap,S.J., Fr. Jottin Jose, OP., Bro. Jacob, DDS, Miss. Pushpa Topno & Mrs. Anjali Ekka gave away the prizes and thanked the youth and participants.

The ‘Sarhul’ Feast was celebrated on 29th April, 2012, at St. Josephs’ School grounds. The celebrations began at 9 am with the Solemn Eucharist. Rev. Fr. Hilarius Kongari, S.J., was the main celebrant.Fr. Joseph Surin, S.J., Fr. Camille Hembrom and Fr. Anand Toppo, OFMCap, too were present for the Holy Mass. Shortly after the Holy Mass and refreshments, the cultural programme began in which Mr. Ajay Linda, City S.P., was the Chief Guest. In his address he emphasized the importance of cherishing the tradition. The celebration, in which nearly 2000 people participated, came to an end at about 2 p.m. after an agape meal.

St. Joseph’s Welfare Centre conducted Dance, Singing and Speech competitions from 8th to 10th May, 2012. It was highly appreciated and was an opportunity to discover new talents. (Bro. Jacob DDS)

Please Note:
Most Rev. Felix Toppo, SJ has left for U.S. and Canada. He will be out of the Diocese from 29th May – 07th July, 2012. In his absence Rev. Fr. C.R. Prabhu, the Vicar General, will take care of the ordinary office of the Diocese.

HIP HIP HURRAY!!!
Nothing tastes sweeter than success. Yes, this is what the Loyolian family is experiencing since the declaration of ICSE & ISC 2012 results. ISC 2012 has broken all previous records. The topper – Akash Agarwal has scored a 95% in the Science stream & Manisha Agarwal a 93% in the Commerce Stream. Five students have scored above 90%. The minimum score here is 50%. ICSE 2012 is no less either, has broken all records of yester-years. The topper is Gaurav Kumar with a 96%. Ten students have scored above 91% marks. The minimum percentage is 57 and in Computer students have scored a 100%.

Loyola is all set to move ahead. It has new blocks to accommodate more sections; and an improved Computer lab; all for a superb academic performance. We are indeed inspired to improve every academic year.

The students of the school put up a short and touching programme on 28th April, 2012, in honour our Principal, Fr. Edward, who celebrates the Silver Jubilee of his Ordination. (Rita Sen)

LANGUAGE CLASS
15 days of intensive language classes were organized for the Seminarians. The two language courses organized were Ho and Santali. While Fr. John Mundu & Fr. Gregory D’Silva took up the challenge to teach the Seminarians Ho language, Fr. Manu Horo took up Santali. The fathers have transmitted the good knowledge of the language to the students and thus now they can read, write and understand the language. After the classes on 24th May, 2012, Fr. Roque Cardoza organized a get together of seminarians at Vikas Bharati. Most Rev. Felix Toppo, SJ, took time to be with seminarians on that day and to interact with them.

KIRIBURU
Most Rev. Felix Toppo, SJ made the Diocesan Golden Jubilee Pastoral visit to St. Joseph’s Church, Kiriburu, on 13th May, 2012 and spent the day with the parishioners. The day began with the Holy Eucharist. In his homily he invited the faithful to listen to God’s calling and to lead a life according to the call. During the Holy Mass 67 candidates received the Sacrament of Confirmation. After the Holy Mass the parishioners staged a variety entertainment programme. The celebration came to an end with a meal.

DIVYA BHARATI, CHAIBASA
Rev. Fr. George Anthony returned on the 6th May from Darjeeling and conducted a Three-Day Training programme for the Catechists and Lay Leaders in Divya Bharati, Chaibasa from 8-10 May, 2012, in which 23 persons participated, mostly from the Parishes of Jamshedpur Diocese. He is expecting a better response for the next one. From 28th-31st May, he helped out Fr. Walter Crasta in conducting a three day “Marriage Preparation Course”in Ho Language for the couples in St. Theresa’s, Jhinkpani.

XLRI
On the 24th May, 2011, Priests and Brothers of the Province and the Diocese gathered together for a Holy Eucharist to thank God for his abundant Blessings. He has blessed us with new priest and has allowed many to celebrate their Jubilee in the service of our Lord. It also was the perfect occation to make the final profession, so did Fr. Romanus Kerketta. Fr. Michael T. Raj was the main celebrant of the concelebrated Holy Eucharist.

SINI-SERAIKELLA
Our Lady of Nativity Church, Sini: The Parish Community bid farewell to Fr. Barnabas who is on a transfer to Maharashtra. Fr. Richard Tirkey, MSFS will take over as Parish Priest on 1st June. Fr. Vincent Minj, MSFS was busy beautifying St. Xavier’s School campus last month and now has gone for his home holidays. Goodbye Fr. Barnabas and Hearty Welcome to Fr. Richard.

Assisi Sisters (ASMI), Sini: Srs. Vianny & Mary Francis had gone to Guwhati for the inauguration of the new house of ASMI Sisters in the month of May. Under the leadership of Sr. Jessy Francis, the superior of the community, a large group of people of different faiths, numbering about 120 have gone to Potta, Kerala for a Charismatic Retreat. We congratulate Sr. Jessy for her great work.

St. Francis De Sales School, Seraikella: After the painting, the school has now a new look. Fr. Shijumon, MSFS, the Principal is just back from his vacation. Construction of Staff Quarters is in progress. Bro. Raju Kosanam has left for his Philosophical studies to Bangalore from the school community. Frs. Peter Kujur and Sylbester Kullu, who were the students of Loyola B.Ed. College, are on transfer to Fransalian schools in Nanded (MS) and Delhi respectively. Plans are being prepared for the construction of a new school building. The teachers are presently undergoing training, to use the Class Edge Programme (Smart Class) of Tata Interactive Systems which are to be introduced from this academic Session. The DEO of Seraikella-Kharsawan inspected the school in the first week of May.

DSFS Sisters, Seraikella: Sr. Regina has already left the community to take up her new responsibility. She is waiting for her Passport and Visa to fly to Italy. Sr. Marykutty, the superior is on a transfer to Trivandrum, Kerala. Sr. Litty is appointed as the new superior of the DSFS Community. Sr. Anu has left for Kerala for her Retreat & Vacation.


OBITUARY
Rev. Fr. John Guidera: (06-09-1925 - 16-05-2012)

John was the second among six sisters and three brothers, children of his parents, Mary and Tom Guidera. He grew in the warmth of the Guidera home, taking part in all the household chores of their large family, because he and his siblings were taught thus by their parents. Thus thinking of others became his life time motto. He devoted himself to the smallest tasks in the house; and he did this later as a Jesuit too. His father knew wealth; his father knew bankruptcy. From his family upbringing he learned to have a genuine and deep love for the poor; and later, as a Jesuit, a very real love for the leprosy patients of Dhanbad District. He wanted to bring to fruition the work of Fr. Michael Kavanagh for leprosy patients in Dhanbad. His was a family of faith, and they were all so closely knit. He never forgot this. Later on as a Jamshedpur Missionary, the whole family rallied round him to bring in the badly needed money for the mission, for which he became very famous. He and his family did the begging. He started the dollar-a-month club among his family members and numerous friends in America. The humble poor especially and some of the rich and famous too gave. In this way be pulled in, over the years, hundreds of thousands of dollars, all for Jamshedpur Mission. On one occasion, while he was on a visit home to Baltimore, the Mayor of the City honored John by presenting to him the keys of the City of Baltimore. A rare honor.

But his munificence knew no bounds. His charity included Jesuit houses of formation all over India, for which he personally gave subscriptions for the latest books, periodicals and journals. Jamshedpur Jesuit Communities needed a house; DSWC needed all kinds of things; the mission stations needed vehicles; John found the money for them. He was generous to the core; human to the core. He was not made of plastic. He was totally flesh and blood. He said things the way they were. He was never found playing to the gallery. A towering and commanding personality; yet so simple, guileless, innocent, forthright and strong.

He kept longstanding friendships with people of different faiths, castes and backgrounds; especially young men from lowly and poor families. They were ever special to him.

But the soft corner in John’s heart was reserved for young Jesuits, priests and scholastics. As Jesuit Provincial he related well with the Belgian Jesuits in Ranchi and the Australian Jesuits in Hazaribagh. He strode Chotanagpur like a giant for the good of the people. Whenever he visited Calcutta, he would stay at the scholasticate in Prabhu Jesu Girja, and buy ice cream for the young Jesuit scholastics.
John was a great Christian.

The tribal Church was his pride and joy. They shared his faith. He had a predilection for their sons. He wanted all of them to arise and shine on the stage of life. He wanted vocations from among them. The Singhbhum trail was his favorite area. He spent very many years in Lupungutu, Chaibasa and Chakradharpur. Numerous were the young men who owed their vocation to the priesthood and religious life to John.

He had a special love for Christ’s poor which was, like Christ, for all, irrespective of caste or creed. He used his many contacts in high places to benefit the poor. On one occasion he went for dinner with XLRI graduates to Dr. J.J. Irani’s bungalow in Northern Town. He spoke of the need of a couple of bore wells in Gomoh. The next day the wells were in place. He wanted to see places like Gomoh, Govindpur, Shakhabanga and Chaira grow. These missions and works were instruments of Christ’s love coming among the poor, the downtrodden and the marginalized.

John was a great Jesuit. John was eminently suitable and available for a vast variety of Jesuit works and responsibilities. And there was even a proposal that he work in the United States in Jesuit work to support the mission. He was Parish Priest; Headmaster; Minister; Dean of Administration and Finance, XLRI; Director of XLRI for a brief period; Provincial for a full term of 6 years; Assistant Director of the Baltimore Mission Office; Seminary teacher and spiritual director, in the Balasore seminary. He was the Hostel Warden of St. Xavier’s School Hostel in Lupungutu and also the Warden of the College Hostel in Chaibasa. And all this, played by ear; the manner being ordinary.

As Jesuit Provincial, he lived co-operation and collaboration among Jesuit Provinces, much before it was in vogue. John had very great love for very many among the diocesan priests of Jamshedpur Diocese. He established deep and lasting friendships with them. High ecclesiastical dignitaries confided in him. He related well with one and all.

Finally, John loved life. He loved it with all its ups and downs. And he loved it with passion. Saints do not run away from life. They love life and live it to the full.
Fr. Emile Coelho, SJ





THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF JAMSHEDPUR
BISHOP’S HOUSE, GOLMURI PO, JAMSHEDPUR – 831 003

OFFICIAL TRANSFERS / APPOINTMENTS / STUDIES
Name
Designation
Parish / Institution / Place
Fr. Jerome Pereira
Priest In-Charge
St. Xavier’s Mission, Balarampur
Fr. Cyprian Lobo
Parish Priest
Sacred Heart Church, Adra
Fr. James Surin
Deputy Director
DSWC, Dhanbad
Fr. Jondko kandeyang
Parish Priest
St. Mark’s Church, Toklo
Fr. Linus Kindo
Secretary & P.A. to Bishop
Diocesan Chancellor
Bishop’s House, Golmuri
Fr. Gerald M. D’Souza
Sabbatical
Adhyatma Vidyapeetha, Bangalore
Fr. Jilson T.L.
Studies: Canon Law
St. Peter’s Pontifical Institute, Bangalore
Fr. Joseph Beck, C.Ss.R
Asst. Parish Priest
St. Xavier’s Church, Chaibasa
Bro. Shibu V.R.
Theology
St. Albert’s College, Ranchi
Bro. Baldev Hembrom
Theology
Vidya Jyoti, Delhi
Bro. Prince Dhibash
Theology
Vidya Jyoti, Delhi
Bro. George Ekka
Theology
St. Charles’ Seminary, Nagpur
Bro. Ranjit Kullu
Theology
St. Charles’ Seminary, Nagpur
Bro. Alfred Balmuchu
Theology
Morning Star College, Barrackpore
Bro. Sushil Dungdung
Theology
Morning Star College, Barrackpore
Bro. Birender Tete
Theology
Papal Seminary, Pune
Bro. Jayaraj Ignatius
Theology
Papal Seminary, Pune
Bro. Mukesh Kerketta
Regency/Studies
Christ the King Church, Chakradharpur
Bro. Darwin Alex
Regency
St. Paul’s Church, Maluka
Bro. Fabian Toppo
Regency
St. Joseph’s Community College, Mango
Bro. Walter Purty
Regency
St. Mary’s Church, Omra
Bro. Isaac Tiru
Regency
St. Xavier’s Mission, Balarampur
Bro. Michael Mundri
Regency
St. Mark’s Church, Toklo
Bro. Jyotish Murmu
Regency
St. Prabhu Marsal Church, Goilkera
Bro. Amit Kindo
Regency
St. Xavier’s Church, Chaibasa
Bro. Sameer Panna
Philosophy
St. Albert’s College, Ranchi
Bro. Balaji Balaswami
Philosophy
St. Albert’s College, Ranchi
Bro. Binod Dungdung
Philosophy
Morning Star College, Barrackpore
Bro. Alex Kerketta
Philosophy
St. Charles’ Seminary, Nagpur
Bro. John Purty
Philosophy
Krist Premalaya, Bhopal
Bro. Sameer Ekka
Philosophy
Krist Premalaya, Bhopal
Bro. RanjitBaa
Philosophy
Masih Vidyapeeth, Agra
Bro. Rajesh Barjo
Propaedeutic Course
Pratiksha, Neeldungri, JSR
Bro. Michael Dias
Propaedeutic Course
Pratiksha, Neeldungri, JSR
Bro. Simon Kisku
Propaedeutic Course
Masih Vidyapeeth, Agra
Bro. Naveen Crasta
Propaedeutic Course
Masih Vidyapeeth, Agra

Please Note: All the changes will take place between 15th and 30th of June 2012 (both days inclusive), unless otherwise agreed and informed to the Bishop or the Vicar General.

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