CHRISTMAS MESSAGE OF BISHOP FELIX TOPPO, S.J.
My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ
Jesus,
In preparation of Christmas we enter
into Advent Season. Let Us remind ourselves that "When the Church
celebrates the Liturgy of Advent each year: she makes present this ancient
expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the
Saviour's first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second
coming" (CCC 524). "The coming of God's Son to earth is an event of
such immensity that God willed to prepare for it over centuries. He makes
everything converge on Christ: all the rituals and sacrifices, figures and
symbols of the 'First Covenant'. He announces this through the mouths of the
prophets who succeeded one another in Israel. Moreover, he awakens in the
hearts of the pagans a dim expectation of this coming" (CCC 522).
St. John the Apostles understood the
infinite love of God in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. He says, "For
this how God loved the world: he gave his only Son, so that everyone who
believes in him many not perish, but may have eternal life" (In 3:16).
Christmas should be seen, reflected upon, understood and meditated upon as an
act of love of God's immense love and mercy in order to bring salvation to humankind.
During Advent the spiritual attitude we
need to take assume and invoke is to say, "Show us, Lord, your love; and
grant us your salvation" (Ps 85:8) and "Come and save us, Lord our
God; let your face shine upon us, that we may be saved" (Ps 80:4). But this
attitude calls for true repentance of heart. "Interior repentance is a
radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all
our heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil, with repugnance toward the
evil actions we have committed. At the same time it entails the desire and
resolution to change one's life, with hope in God's mercy and trust in the help
of grace" (CCC 1431).
We wish to welcome and receive in our
hearts the Second Person of Trinity during Christmas. For this we need to be
purified and sanctified. We need to have deep faith in the mystery of God's
love and mercy. Mother Mary who was immaculate, body and soul, was able to
welcome and receive the Incarnate Word in her heart and womb. She was most
sublime masterpiece of God the Father. She had an immaculate womb and heart to
receive he unblemished Lamb of God. She became the virgin Mother of God and Co-
Redemptress with the Redeemer. She had deep faith in the mystery of God's
immense love and mystery of God's ways.
Like Mother Mary we need to have deep
faith in God's Love and Mercy. Then "the glory of the Lord will be
revealed, and all flesh will see the salvation of our God" (Is 40:5). Then
we will be able to understand the angel's message, "I proclaim to you good
news of great joy: today a Saviour is born for us, Christ the Lord" (Lk
2:11).
In the depth of our hearts, let us sing
with the angels, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those
whom his favor rests" (Lk 2:14).
I wish you Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!
Your Friend and Servant
+Felix Toppo, S.J.
GOLDEN
JUBILEE CELEBRATION
3rd
November, 2012
This
Day belongs to the Lord!
Let’s
rejoice and be glad.
The
Lord is our God and He has given us Light! (Ps. 118)
Golden Jubilee of Mercy
Hospital was celebrated on 3rd November, 2012 in Mercy Hospital
Campus. Mr.H.M.Nerurkar, MD Tata Steel was the Chief guest who laid the
foundation Stone for the MERCY SCHOOL OF NURSING. Bishop Felix Toppo, S.J.,
Jamshedpur Diocese our Guest of Honour, blessed the ground before laying the
foundation stone. The function began with a meaningful prayer dance invoking
the blessings of the Lord for the day followed by a Lamp lighting ceremony. Sr.
Lilly Pallipurath, Provincial Superior gave the welcome address. Golden Jubilee
Souvenir was released by Mr. H.M.Nerurkar MD Tata Steel along with Bishop Felix
Toppo, S.J., Sr. Lilly Pallipurath and Sr. Jessy Joseph. Mr. H.M.Nerurkar and
Bishop Felix Toppo gave their messages to the audience on the occasion of the
Golden Jubilee.
We
had a beautiful and meaningful thanksgiving Eucharistic celebration on 4th November, 2012 at 7 a.m.
Bishop Felix Toppo, S.J. was the main celebrant for the Eucharistic celebration
along with Fr. C.R.Prabhu, Vicar General , Rev. Fr.Michael T.Raj, S.J., Provincial,
Jamshedpur Jesuit Society and Rev. Fr. Camil Hembrom, Parish Priest, Golmuri
Jamshedpur with priests from the Diocese. The parishners felicitated the
sisters after the Mass as a kind gesture of their love and concern towards the
sisters. Our deep felt gratitude to our dear Parishners.
We
would like to thank one and all who participated in our function and the
thanksgiving Eucharistic celebration .Thank you for your help, support and
encouragement at all times.
In
Joy and Gratitude we raise our hearts to the Lord our God for the abundant
blessings and graces He showered upon us to see the successful completion of
the occasion.( Sr. Jessy Joseph, Administrator)
KHUNTPANI: ANNUAL FEAST CELEBRATION
The annual feast of Khuntpani Shrine was celebrated on 8th
November, 2012, with great joy and festivity. On that day the Church in Chotanagpur
remembered the divine intervention of God in the community through the first
Baptism, which took place at Khuntpani in the year 1873, and thanked God for
the same. A large number of faithful from different parts of Jharkhand and Odisha
had gathered for the Solemn Holy Eucharist. Rev. Fr. C.R.Prabhu, Vicar General
was the main celebrant of the concelebrated Solemn Holy Eucharist. During the
homily he spoke about the different ways in which God intervenes in our life
basing on the life of Blessed Mother Mary. The celebration began with the blessing
of the memorial stone, lighting of the lamps and by venerating Khuntpani Mata
by the Priests who were present for the Holy Eucharist. After the Holy
Eucharist, in order to accelerate the festive mood, children from various
schools presented cultural items. Congratulation to Fr. Edwin and his team!
BHILAIPAHARI: SILVER JUBILEE
BURIGORA: CHILDRENS’ DAY
CELEBRATION
The village school at Ichakuti and Dharamsai celebrated the
children’s Day on 14th and 15th of November, 2012. The day was filled with lot of fun as the
children were given the opportunities to participate in various games conducted
on the occasion. 25 youths from Jamshedpur and CKP joined the children to share
their joy. They distributed some blankets, copy
books, pen and pencils to the children. Thanks to the youths and congratulation
to Fr. Sanjay Kujur and team for giving these privileges to the children!
JADUGORA
“So I have decided to build a temple to honor the Lord my God, as the Lord instructed my father David…” (1 king 5:5).
The long awaited dream of the faithful of
Jadugora was realized when the newly built chapel was inaugurated by Bishop
Felix Toppo, S.J. on 18th November, 2012. It is dedicated to “Infant
Jesus”. The faithful gave the bishop a traditional welcome by receiving him at
the main road. Then the bishop was led to the newly built chapel by dancing
women and the faithful. The inaugural ceremonies began at 10:30 am by cutting
the ribbon by Fr. C.R. Prabhu and it was blessed by Bishop Felix in the
presence of a big number of faithful and 13 priests. The liturgy was very
devotional with beautiful singing.
A short entertainment programme after the inaugural Mass
cheered all who came. It was also an occasion to honour the people of the place
who kept their faith and concretized it. At the end of the programme all share
the delicious meal prepared by the faithful of Jadugora.
CHAIBASA: ST. XAVIER’S
CHURCH
One day “know your faith” programme for the parish youth was held
on 28th October, 2012. It was conducted by Fr. Joseph Beck CsSr. 40
parish youth participated in it. The programme included a talk, group
discussion, sharing the report and planning activities for the year of faith
for the youth of the parish.
Christ the King Feast: On 25th November, 2012 the
parish celebrated Christ the King feast with the solemn procession. It started
from convent school and ended in the boys’ school campus. Every unit of the
parish had its own banner. The units stayed and walked together singing and praying
during the procession. The girls of St. Xavier’s School took in procession the
Eucharistic Lord and priest with traditional dance from the school gate to the
specially erected stage for the grace-filled occasion. Fr. Edwin Coelho
preached the homily and highlighted the salient features of the year of faith.
All the religious communities of the parish gave a helping hand to make this
occasion a grace filled event for all.
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION &
CONFIRMATION
The First Holy Communion was received by the children in different
parishes.
St. Joseph’s Cathedral: Thirty Five children received the First
Holy Communion on 11th November at the solemn Eucharistic celebration led by
Fr. Bipin Pani and Fr. Camille Hembrom in the presence of devoted congregation.
Our Lady of Guadalupe Church,
Telco, prepared 16 girls
and 12 boys to receive the First Holy communion on 18th November. On
this occasion parents of the children too were given the opportunity to
celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation. Fr. Oskar Beck, the Rector of
Pratiksha was main celebrant of this important event who through his inspiring
homily asked the children to be true and honest follower of Jesus.
St. Mary’s Church, Bistupur: On
18th November, 2012, 28 children received First Communion and 38 boys
and girls received the Confirmation by Bishop Felix Toppo, S.J. A big crowd
participated in the Mass to pray and to wish the children the very best in
their faith journey. Congratulations to all of them!
CHRIST OF KING FEAST
The feast of Christ
the King was celebrated in a very grand way on 25th November, 2012 in
all the deaneries of the diocese. Jamshedpur deanery had it in St. Mary’s Church,
Bistupur as the venue for the celebration. The celebration began in the
afternoon at 1 o’clock. Large number of people was gathered for the
celebrations. Bishop Felix Toppo was the main celebrant of the concelebrated
holy Eucharist. Fr. Augustine Ezhkunnel was the preacher.
KUMARDUBI: LOYOLA SCHOOL, TALDANGA
In the recent past the achievements of
the Loyolian athletes have made us proud. At the Zonal Meet Mou Gorai XI Sc won
1st prize in 100 mts Race, Jyoti Kumari X A – 2nd in
Triple Jump & 3rd in High Jump,
Nishi Agarwal IX A – 1st in Javelin Throw, Ashish Kumar IX A 1st in Long Jump
& 2nd in 100 mts Race. At the Regional Athletic Meet, Jamshedpur
Mou Gorai stood 3rd in the Relay, Jyoti Kumari 3rd in
Triple Jump. The students have yet another occasion, The Inter – School Contest
‘Questergy’ is on 30th November and students of Class 11 are
participating in Debate, Slogan Writing, Collage, Creative Writing, Elocution,
Quiz, Choir & Folk Dance. It is being organized by Carmel School – Dhanbad.
Children’s Day was celebrated with a
twist this year. It was holiday on the 14th as it was a day after
the Diwali. The teachers performed for the children on the 17th.
Among the colourful dances and songs what moved the children the most was the
Prayer Service. The theme was to be aware of all the children of the world and
particularly India who are under-privileged. The condition of such children was
presented with perfect data & charts. In his message the Principal said
that the children are in darkness and it is WE who must bring the change as we
live the School Motto – Light Ever Shines.
The Puja Vacation this year did not take
off on a happy note. It is because on the 11th October a Prayer
Service was held for our dear Sakcham Singh of KG B, whom we lost on 20th
Sept, due to blood cancer. His parents and family members attended the service.
All present sat with a heavy heart. We pray that his soul rests in peace and
his family has the strength to bear the loss.
We have another student, Palak Agarwal,
who is suffering from cancer. We have put up a united effort to help her
overcome this disease. Parents, students, local organizations, neighbouring school,
Staff Members have made a contribution of Rs.2,57,051/- for her treatment at
CMC–Vellore. At present she has been taken there. (Rita Sen)
DIVYA BHRATHI
There was a training
programme for the Lay Catechists from the 5-7th of November in our
Diocesan Pastoral Centre in Chaibasa. This Module was dedicated to “ADVENT
PREPARATION” and “HOW TO PREPARE FOR CHRISTMAS”. This being the Year of Faith,
this was an attempt to renew the faith of the people whom they serve and also
to prepare worthily for the forthcoming Christmas. On Nov. 7th , we had 37
parishners from Chandil Parish and also 3 Diocesan priests from Balasore Diocese and a Catechist as guests in our
place before they attended the programme of November 8th, Feast of
our Lady of Khuntpani. Our Dean, Fr. Edwin Coelho and team, with their
meticulous planning ensured that the programme went forward with a clockwork
precision and the devotional liturgy followed by colourful cultural programme
ended before 12 noon. As usual, we had a good sale of the HO Books (We also
sold Hindi Bibles and Hindi Prayer Books this time and all were sold out!!).
On the 13th,
I attended a Renewal cum Retreat programme in JDV PG Block, Pune (where Fr. Raju
Crasta of Jamshedpur Diocese is doing his studies). Fr. Paul Fernandes directed
the programme on PASTORAL LEADERSHIP helped by Fr. Vincent Crasta, SJ (KAR). From
our Province, Frs. Gulshan Kujur, Cornelius Lakra, Cyril Tigga, Rajesh Dungdung
and Amrit Kujur attended the Pastors’ Updating programme and also made their
Retreat. It was also a good opportunity to meet our Jam Wallahs and old friends
in the Campus. Frs. Alex G and Francis Ezha who made sure all the participants
had comfortable and fruitful stay with no complaints! All the participants
appreciated the inputs by Paul Fernandes, and found the entire programme
fruitful for their Pastoral Ministry.
I also attended a CCBI
Bible Commission Meeting in Mysore from the 26-30 November which was a good
opportunity to interact with people and scholars involved in promoting the Word
of God in various parts of India as well as the ways of promoting Bible Study
and Praying. Bible in every Family is our aim. (George Anthony, S.J.)
JHINKPANI
St. Teresa’s Convent, Jhinkpani
was inaugurated on 24th November, 2012 by Bishop Felix Toppo, S.J.
in the presence of large number of people, priests and religious. While Bishop
Felix Toppo was the main celebrant, Fr. C.R. Prabhu was the preacher. Melodious
singing during liturgy was led by Fr. Jonny P.D. There were many dances during
the liturgy and cultural programme. The Sisters were very happy with the
convent building which is quite large. Priests, religious and invited guests
were served sumptuous meal. Congratulations to Sisters of CMC and Fr. Walter
Crasta!
CRI: A Brief Report of the Jamshedpur Deanery
Level Meeting
The Jamshedpur Deanery
Level CRI meeting was held on 11th November
2012 in the MDP Conference Hall, XLRI. The number of participants
was 50 which included among other fathers, brothers and sisters, Fr.
Mike T Raj, the Provincial, Fr. C.R.Prabhu, the Vicar
General,C.L. Fr. George, the Superior, XLRI Jesuit Community. The
meeting began with an inspiring Bhajan and prayer by
Sister Kiran, JMJ. This was followed by the reading of the minutes
of the meeting held on 5th August
2012 in Loyola School by Sr. Sharel, A.C. the CRI Secretary.Fr
Hilary Lobo, S.J. the CRI President thereafter announced the theme”
The Year of Faith” of the conference. FR. S.Tony, the Odisha Mission Superior
and the resource person enlightened the gathering by an enriching
power-point presentation on the faith received at our Baptism which should be
appreciated, deepened and shared with others. Then Fr. Tony divided the
gathering after the coffee break into six groups with specific questions.
In the groups the religious shared freely their experience of faith with one
another. The reporting from each group enriched all with various action plans
to be implemented in every community. The meeting ended with a meaningful Eucharist
presided over by Fr. S Tony in the conference hall, who shared his faith
experience drawn from the gospel readings of the mass. Thereafter deep
appreciation and praises were showered by Fr. Alex Mascarenhas
upon XLRI Jesuit Community especilly Fr. Abraham, S.J. the Director,
Fr. George the Superior and Fr.Tony Uvari,who made all arrangements
for the meeting and an enjoyable and delicious lunch that gave all a true
feeling of generosity and hospitality.
P.S. The next CRI meeting will be the
Annual General Meeting on 9th & 10th February
2013 at Jan Vikas Kendra, Sundernagar, Jamshedpur. All are welcome. More the
merrier! (Hilary Lobo,S.J.)
JEEVAN JYOTHI
SCHOOL OF NURSING, TELCO
On 26th November 2012 Jeevan Jyothi School of Nursing braced itself to take 25th batch of students with a Lamp Lighting Ceremony. The theme chosen to vivify this auspicious occasion was “ Shine like a Candle never loose hope and every long journey needs first step.”
This solemn
occasion was graced
by the presence
of Chief Guest
Dr. M. L.
Ali Head, Medical
Service, Tata Motors
Hospital and the
Guest of honor
Dr. Mrs. Rekha
Chandra, Chief Consultant,
Tata Motors Hospital.
The
occasion began with
prayer dance by
the students which
moved everyone into
prayerful atmosphere. Then
it was tagged
to welcome the
distinguished guest staff,
parents and well
wishers of students.
The Main
lamp lighted by Dr. M.
L. Ali, Dr.
Mrs Rekha Chandra,
Rev Fr. Fdwin
Coelho, Dr. D.
K. Singh and
Sr. Heleena. Fr.
Edwin kindly blessed
the hands of
newly commissioned and Dr.
M. L. Ali
addressed the gathering.
Cultural event
followed after the
ceremony and concluded
with word of
appreciation and refreshment.
BIRTH DAYS (DECEMBER)
Date
|
Name
|
04
|
Ajay Tiru
|
04
|
Junas Bhengra
|
RIP
NEWS
The life and
death of each of us has its influence on others; if we live, we live for the
Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord, so that alive or dead, we belong to
the Lord. (Rom.14:7-9).
1999:
St. Joseph’s Church, Anandpur
2001:
Asst. PP. St. Paul’s Church Maluka
2002:
Asst. PP. St. Mary’s Church, Bistupur
2003:
Asst. Director of DSWC, Dhanbad
2007:
Asst. PP. St. Joseph’s Cathedral and Director of St. Joseph’s Welfare Centre,
Golmuri,
2011:
Director, St. Joseph’s Community College, Mango, till the date.
His Requiem Mass was on Wednesday, October 31st, 2012 at
3:00 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Golmuri, Jamshedpur. May his soul
Rest In Peace!
Fr. Abhay Tigga TOR: His father Mr. Elias
Tigga died on 1st November, 2012 in Barbil parish at the age of 71
years. He was sick for a long time. We wish you Fr. Abhay, a hearty
condolence.
DIACONATE ORDINATION
The
Diocese of Jamshedpur cordially invites all the Priests, Sisters and faithful
to the Diaconate Ordination of
Bro.
C. V. Alwin
Bro.
Sameer Soreng
Bro.
Nestor Soreng
By
Most.
Rev. Bishop Felix Toppo, S.J.
On
December, 2012, 5:00 PM
At
St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Golmuri, Jamshedpur.
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