Catholic Diocese of Jamshedpur
Vol. 46 No. 2 Private Circulation
Only February– 2016
MESSAGE OF
HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS FOR LENT 2016
“I
desire mercy, and not sacrifice” (Mt 9:13).
The works of mercy on the road of the Jubilee
The works of mercy on the road of the Jubilee
1. Mary, the image of a
Church which evangelizes because she is evangelized
In the Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of
Mercy, I asked that “the season of Lent in this Jubilee Year be lived more
intensely as a privileged moment to celebrate and experience God’s mercy” (Misericordiae Vultus, 17). By calling
for an attentive listening to the word of God and encouraging the initiative
“24 Hours for the Lord”, I sought to stress the primacy of prayerful listening
to God’s word, especially his prophetic word. The mercy of God is a
proclamation made to the world, a proclamation which each Christian is called
to experience at first hand. For this reason, during the season of Lent I will
send out Missionaries of Mercy as a concrete sign to everyone of God’s
closeness and forgiveness.
After receiving the Good News told to her by the Archangel
Gabriel, Mary, in her Magnificat,
prophetically sings of the mercy whereby God chose her. The Virgin of Nazareth,
betrothed to Joseph, thus becomes the perfect icon of the Church which
evangelizes, for she was, and continues to be, evangelized by the Holy Spirit,
who made her virginal womb fruitful. In the prophetic tradition, mercy is
strictly related – even on the etymological level – to the maternal womb (rahamim)
and to a generous, faithful and compassionate goodness (hesed) shown
within marriage and family relationships.
2. God’s
covenant with humanity: a history of mercy
The mystery of divine mercy is revealed in the history of the
covenant between God and his people Israel. God shows himself ever rich in
mercy, ever ready to treat his people with deep tenderness and compassion,
especially at those tragic moments when infidelity ruptures the bond of the
covenant, which then needs to be ratified more firmly in justice and truth.
Here is a true love story, in which God plays the role of the betrayed father
and husband, while Israel plays the unfaithful child and bride. These domestic
images – as in the case of Hosea (cf. Hos 1-2) – show to what extent God wishes
to bind himself to his people.
This love story culminates in the incarnation of God’s Son.
In Christ, the Father pours forth his boundless mercy even to making him “mercy
incarnate” (Misericordiae Vultus, 8). As a man,
Jesus of Nazareth is a true son of Israel; he embodies that perfect hearing
required of every Jew by the Shema,
which today too is the heart of God’s covenant with Israel: “Hear, O Israel:
The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all
your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might” (Dt6:4-5).
As the Son of God, he is the Bridegroom who does everything to win over the
love of his bride, to whom he is bound by an unconditional love which becomes
visible in the eternal wedding feast.
This is the very heart of the apostolic kerygma, in which divine mercy
holds a central and fundamental place. It is “the beauty of the saving love of
God made manifest in Jesus Christ who died and rose from the dead” (Evangelii Gaudium, 36), that first
proclamation which “we must hear again and again in different ways, the one
which we must announce one way or another throughout the process of catechesis,
at every level and moment” (ibid., 164). Mercy “expresses God’s way of reaching
out to the sinner, offering him a new chance to look at himself, convert, and
believe” (Misericordiae Vultus, 21), thus
restoring his relationship with him. In Jesus crucified, God shows his desire
to draw near to sinners, however far they may have strayed from him. In this
way he hopes to soften the hardened heart of his Bride.
3. The works
of mercy
God’s mercy transforms human hearts; it enables us, through
the experience of a faithful love, to become merciful in turn. In an ever new
miracle, divine mercy shines forth in our lives, inspiring each of us to love
our neighbour and to devote ourselves to what the Church’s tradition calls the
spiritual and corporal works of mercy. These works remind us that faith finds
expression in concrete everyday actions meant to help our neighbours in body
and spirit: by feeding, visiting, comforting and instructing them. On such
things will we be judged. For this reason, I expressed my hope that “the
Christian people may reflect on the corporal and spiritual works of mercy; this
will be a way to reawaken our conscience, too often grown dull in the face of
poverty, and to enter more deeply into the heart of the Gospel where the poor
have a special experience of God’s mercy” (ibid., 15). For in the poor,
the flesh of Christ “becomes visible in the flesh of the tortured, the crushed,
the scourged, the malnourished, and the exiled… to be acknowledged, touched,
and cared for by us” (ibid.). It is the unprecedented and scandalous
mystery of the extension in time of the suffering of the Innocent Lamb, the
burning bush of gratuitous love. Before this love, we can, like Moses, take off
our sandals (cf. Ex 3:5), especially when the poor are our
brothers or sisters in Christ who are suffering for their faith.
In the light of this love, which is strong as death (cf. Song 8:6), the real poor are revealed as
those who refuse to see themselves as such. They consider themselves rich, but
they are actually the poorest of the poor. This is because they are slaves to
sin, which leads them to use wealth and power not for the service of God and
others, but to stifle within their hearts the profound sense that they too are
only poor beggars. The greater their power and wealth, the more this blindness
and deception can grow. It can even reach the point of being blind to Lazarus
begging at their doorstep (cf. Lk 16:20-21). Lazarus, the poor man, is a
figure of Christ, who through the poor pleads for our conversion. As such, he
represents the possibility of conversion which God offers us and which we may
well fail to see. Such blindness is often accompanied by the proud illusion of
our own omnipotence, which reflects in a sinister way the diabolical “you will
be like God” (Gen 3:5)
which is the root of all sin. This illusion can likewise take social and
political forms, as shown by the totalitarian systems of the twentieth century,
and, in our own day, by the ideologies of monopolizing thought and techno-science,
which would make God irrelevant and reduce man to raw material to be exploited.
This illusion can also be seen in the sinful structures linked to a model of
false development based on the idolatry of money, which leads to lack of
concern for the fate of the poor on the part of wealthier individuals and
societies; they close their doors, refusing even to see the poor.
For all of us, then, the season of Lent in this Jubilee Year
is a favourable time to overcome our existential alienation by listening to
God’s word and by practicing the works of mercy. In the corporal works of mercy
we touch the flesh of Christ in our brothers and sisters who need to be fed,
clothed, sheltered, visited; in the spiritual works of mercy – counsel,
instruction, forgiveness, admonishment and prayer – we touch more directly our
own sinfulness. The corporal and spiritual works of mercy must never be
separated. By touching the flesh of the crucified Jesus in the suffering,
sinners can receive the gift of realizing that they too are poor and in need.
By taking this path, the “proud”, the “powerful” and the “wealthy” spoken of in
the Magnificat can also be embraced and undeservedly
loved by the crucified Lord who died and rose for them. This love alone is the
answer to that yearning for infinite happiness and love that we think we can
satisfy with the idols of knowledge, power and riches. Yet the danger always
remains that by a constant refusal to open the doors of their hearts to Christ
who knocks on them in the poor, the proud, rich and powerful will end up
condemning themselves and plunging into the eternal abyss of solitude which is
Hell. The pointed words of Abraham apply to them and to all of us: “They have
Moses and the prophets; let them hear them” (Lk 16:29). Such attentive listening will
best prepare us to celebrate the final victory over sin and death of the
Bridegroom, now risen, who desires to purify his Betrothed in expectation of
his coming.
Let us not waste this season of Lent, so favourable a time
for conversion! We ask this through the maternal intercession of the Virgin
Mary, who, encountering the greatness of God’s mercy freely bestowed upon her,
was the first to acknowledge her lowliness (cf. Lk 1:48) and to call herself the Lord’s
humble servant (cf. Lk 1:38).
His
Holiness Pope Francis
The
Pope decrees that not only men may be chosen for the washing of the feet in the
Liturgy of Holy Thursday
Vatican City, 21 January 2016 (VIS)
– The Holy Father has written a letter, dated 20 December 2014 and published on
21st January, 2016, to Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect of the
Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, in which
he decrees that from now on, the people chosen for the washing of the feet in
the liturgy of Holy Thursday may be selected from all the People of God, and
not only men and boys.
The Pope writes to the cardinal that
he has for some time reflected on the "rite of the washing of the feet
contained in the Liturgy of the Mass in Coena Domini, with the intention of
improving the way in which it is performed so that it might express more fully
the meaning of Jesus' gesture in the Cenacle, His giving of Himself unto the
end for the salvation of the world, His limitless charity".
"After careful
consideration", he continues, "I have decided to make a change to the
Roman Missal. I therefore decree that the section according to which those
persons chosen for the Washing of the feet must be men or boys, so that from
now on the Pastors of the Church may choose the participants in the rite from
among all the members of the People of God. I also recommend that an adequate
explanation of the rite itself be provided to those who are chosen".
The Congregation for Divine Worship
and the Discipline of the Sacraments has today published a decree on the
aforementioned rite, dated 6 January 2016, the full text of which is published
below:
"The reform of the Holy Week,
by the decree Maxima Redemptionis nostrae
mysteria of November 1955, provides the faculty, where counselled by
pastoral motives, to perform the washing of the feet of twelve men during the
Mass of the Lord's Supper, after the reading of the Gospel according to John,
as if almost to represent Christ's humility and love for His disciples.
In the Roman liturgy this rite was
handed down with the name of the Mandatum
of the Lord on brotherly charity in accordance with Jesus' words, sung in the
Antiphon during the celebration.
In performing this rite, bishops and
priests are invited to conform intimately to Christ who 'came not to be served
but to serve' and, driven by a love 'to the end', to give His life for the
salvation of all humankind.
To manifest the full meaning of the
rite to those who participate in it, the Holy Father Francis has seen fit to
change the rule by in the Roman Missal (p.300, No. 11) according to which the
chosen men are accompanied by the ministers, which must therefore be modified
as follows: 'Those chosen from among the People of God are accompanied by the
ministers' (and consequently in the Caeremoniale Episcoporum No. 301 and No.
299 b referring to the seats for the chosen men, so that pastors may choose a
group of faithful representing the variety and unity of every part of the
People of God. This group may consist of men and women, and ideally of the
young and the old, healthy and sick, clerics, consecrated persons and
laypeople.
This Congregation for Divine Worship
and the Discipline of the Sacraments, by means of the faculties granted by the
Supreme Pontiff, introduces this innovation in the liturgical books of the
Roman Rite, recalling pastors of their duty to instruct adequately both the
chosen faithful and others, so that they may participate in the rite
consciously, actively and fruitfully".
Presentation
of the book-interview with Pope Francis, "The Name of God is Mercy",
published in 86 countries
Vatican City, 12 January 2016 (VIS)
– "The Name of God is Mercy", the book in the form of an interview
with Pope Francis by the Italian journalist Andrea Tornielli, has been released
today in 86 countries and was presented this morning in the Augustinianum
Institute, Rome by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and the actor
Roberto Benigni during a conference moderated by the director of the Holy See
Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J. The event was also attended by Msgr.
Giuseppe Costa, director of the Vatican Publishing House (LEV), and Zhang
Agostino Jianquing, a detainee in the prison of Padua, Italy who has converted
to Christianity and received Baptism, the Eucharist and Confirmation last year.
An extract of one of the Oscar winner Roberto Benigni's readings dedicated to
"The Ten Commandments" was used by the Pope in the homily he
pronounced during the end of year Te Deum in 2014, in which he spoke of the
weakness of the human being, who at times tends towards slavery and sin for
fear of freedom.
The book, whose cover bears the
signature of the Pope in the Italian, Spanish, French, English and Portuguese
editions, is divided into nine chapters. It begins with "The Time of
Mercy" and concludes with "How to live the Jubilee well".
Throughout the other seven chapters Francis dialogues with Andrea Tornielli –
whom during a four-hour interview this summer, in the Domus Sanctae Marthae,
asked him forty questions on issues linked by the common thread of mercy,
described by the Pope as "God's identity card". Confession as
"neither a whitewash, nor a form of torture", based on listening
rather than interrogation, recognizing oneself as a sinner and the Church's
condemnation of sin and embracing of the sinner, the Pope's acknowledgement
that he too is in need of divine mercy, the need to get up again after a fall,
the assertion that God's logic is a logic of love that scandalises the doctors
of the Law and that formal compliance with rules leads to a decline in our
wonder at the salvation God offers are some of the issues that the Holy Father
considers. In Chapter 7 he notes that corruption is a sin raised to a systemic
level, and also reiterates that compassion overcomes the globalisation of
indifference, while shortly before the end of the book he emphasizes that
practicing works of mercy is the cornerstone of Christian life.
In the book, considered by many to
be a summary of Francis' teaching and papacy, the Holy Father explains to the
Vatican commentator of the Italian newspaper "La Stampa",
incorporating anecdotes from his youth and his experiences as a priest, the
reasons why he chose to convoke a Holy Year of Mercy, the key word of his
teaching.
Blessing
of Newly built Church at Maluka
25th January 2016 will be
marked in golden letters in the annals of history of St. Paul’s Parish, Maluka.
On this auspicious day multiple celebrations were held. The Newly built Church was
blessed by Rt. Rev. Bishop Felix Toppo S.J. and was inaugurated by Fr. C.R.
Prabhu. Bishop and priests were led to the altar by the traditional entrance
dance by mahila sangh, school boys and girls. On this day 36 children received
the First Communion and 56 boys and girls received the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Around 50 priests witnessed the celebrations. Faithful came from far and wide
in big number to add beauty to the celebrations.
After the mass Bishop, Fr. C.R.
Prabhu and priests, who worked here, were honoured with shawls. Thereafter
sumptuous and delicious meal was served for all present. There was a small
cultural programme soon after the lunch, the audience were thrilled and
enraptured with the performance of the parishioners and school children. All
enjoyed and highly appreciated the event.
Thanks to catechists Junas Purty,
Camile Kerai and Joseph Purty for preparing the children. Thanks to students,
teachers, sisters and parishioners for their help and support. The credit of
the success of the programme goes to Fr. Junas Purty, the parish priest and
community.(Dn. Birendra Tete )
Priestly
Ordination of Dn. Baldeo Hembrom
It was a memorable day for Deacon
Baldeo and the whole diocese of Jamshedpur as Deacon Baldeo was ordained a
Priest at St. Antony’s Church, Dhanbad. The ordinandus along with the Bishop and priests were led to
the beautifully decorated stage by traditional tribal dance by the Mahila Sangh
and Nirmala School of Nursing students.
55 priests, numerous religious and
about 2500 people witnessed ordination ceremony and prayed for Fr Baldeo. The
choir sang beautifully and devotionally. There was a small felicitation
programme for the newly ordained. Frs.
Amatus Kujur, Sameer Soreng, and Norbert Kindo left no stone unturned for the
fruitful completion of this event. Every organization in the parish had a
specific role to play in the success of the function. The family of Fr Baldeo
presented a goat to the Bishop as the token of their love and gratitude.
On 17th January, Fr
Baldeo celebrated his first Thanks Giving Eucharist in his village, at
Paharpur. 17 priests, quite many sisters, relatives, friends and faithful
joined Fr Baldeo in thanking the Lord for His blessings.
The
Silver Jubilee in Religious Life of Sr. Nilima Ekka, DSA
The Silver Jubilee in Religious Life
of Sr. Nilima Ekka, DSA was celebrated on 15th January at St. Xavier’s
Girls’ Inter College at Chaibasa. Most Rev. Dr. Felix Toppo, S.J was the main
celebrant for the occasion. The Jubilarian along with the priests were led to
the beautifully decorated open stage by traditional tribal dance by the High
School students. The Bible procession-dance by the Middle School students and
the offertory procession-dance to the tune of drum beats added solemnity to the
liturgical celebration. The school choir sang melodious hymns which helped
everyone present to participate in the liturgy in an active manner. The
felicitation programme with Oroan and
Santhal dances along with the modern
dances made the jubilee celebration a memorable one. The programme ended with
an agape meal. (Fr. Edwin Coelho)
Silver Jubilee Celebrations of Sr. Nimmi Francis ASMI
The Jubilee bell rings Chime Chime!
‘What thanks can I render thee for His goodness showered upon mankind?’ It
indeed was a joyful occasion to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of Sr. Nimmy
Francis. Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate at Sini Parish were happy to host
this celebration. We had an inspiring and blissful celebration on 17th
January 2016. The Eucharistic celebration began with
welcoming the Vicar General, Rev Fr. David Vincent and all the celebrants in a
ceremonial way with Tilak and Aarti. A rare occasion to witness and a
rare chance to see! This was the expression that simmered in the minds of the
faithful of Sini Parish. All were led into the church with a solemn prayerful
dance and a procession. 10 Priests, numerous nuns and laity witnessed this
event. The Liturgical celebration began at 10 a.m and was
concluded at 12.00
p.m Rev. Fr. Edwin Coelho gave an inspiring message to be faithful and
exhorted ‘Be loyal to Lord who has called us to a state of life’. He also
stressed on the compassionate and merciful Love of Jesus. It was apt and
befitting to the occasion to surrender one’s life more joyfully: for the Lord have
done great things in our life. After the Holy Mass there was a small
felicitation. All of them congratulated the Silver Jubilarian and cut the cake.
The Programme came to an end by serving snack-packets for the parishioners.
St.
Mary’s English High School, Bistupur
The School valedictory function has all the charm
and grace of a curtain closing after a good play well performed. Our
dignitaries Mrs. Kaur from Jeevan and couple of parents witnessed one of the
most impressive graduation ceremonies. It was an occasion marked by both
triumph and sadness. The sweet joy of accomplishment and the sadness that comes
from having to say good bye to their beloved school. The messages of the
dignitaries were thought provoking and students were enlightened by it. Fr.
David Vincent, Principal led the graduates through meaningful oath taking
ceremony. The grand finale was a moving scene as this batch of proud St. Marians,
the class of 2015-16 trooped out with measured steps to take up the challenges
of life in the high world out there. Principal’s address sparked with his
inimitable brilliance. The graduation ceremony was a fitting finale of an
eventful year.
Caring and sharing week was observed from 11th
to 18th of January 2016.The assemblies for the above week were based
on the theme to show the children the
meaning of Caring and Sharing. They were told that it does not mean only
sharing or giving clothes and food, it also means spending time with others,
caring for the old, sharing a smile etc. However, children were asked to bring special
tiffin on those days and they shared and enjoyed themselves. One hour was
allotted for each class and class teachers played an important role by making
all the children to share their tiffin with each other. In short, it was not only enjoyment for them but they
also learnt what sharing is all about.
KG parents nite
was held on 22nd January with much grandeur and fanfare. The Chief
Guest for the Function was Mr. Ashwini Kumar Jha Second In Command of the RAF
.The KG teachers took lot of trouble to
make the programme a grand success and this was proved by the way the little
ones performed as they received a lot of appreciation and applause from the
audience. Their costumes were spectacular and the entire programme was based on
the theme ‘LOVE’. Our Principal Fr. David Vincent praised the effort of the
teachers and the performance of the children. (Sr. Mariam)
The Golden Jubilee in Religious life of Srs. Rosalia Lakra,
Carmelita Bage and Nirmala Minj
The Bible Procession, offertory
dance and the recessional dance made the liturgy more prayerful and lively. The
melodious hymns sung by the school choir added more solemnity to the
celebrations. After the liturgy a small cultural programme was conducted to
felicitate the Jubilarians. The festivities were concluded with a lunch for all
present and then a common dance in the playground to mark the Jubilee
Celebrations. (Fr. Edwin Coelho)
BIRTHDAY Babies (February)
09
|
Johny Vithayathil
|
14
|
Alex
Dodrai
|
20
|
Augustine
Kullu
|
21
|
Vernon
D’Souza
|
22
|
Camille
Hembrom
|
23
|
Cyprian
Lobo
|
25
|
Junas
Purty
|
BISHOP’S ENGAGEMENTS
FEBRUARY 2016
|
||||
02
|
Tue
|
09.30
a.m.
|
Golden
Jubilee of Fr. C. R. Prabhu
|
JSR
|
04
|
Thur
|
09.00
a.m.
|
CBCI-SME-NI
Governing Board Meeting
|
Ranchi
|
05
|
Fri
|
Youth
and Crus Vir Directors Meeting
|
Golmuri
|
|
07
|
Sun
|
08.00
a.m.
|
Parish
Feast and Confirmation
|
Tepasai
|
08
|
Mon
|
05.00
pm
|
UCPI
Envisionign Meeting
|
Golmuri
|
10
|
Wed
|
Ash Wednesday
|
||
13-14
|
Sat…
|
08.30
a.m.
|
Meetings
of Eastern Regional Seminary Rectors
|
Ranchi
|
15
|
Mon
|
09.30
am
|
Diocesan
Consult
|
Golmuri
|
02.30
pm
|
Priests
Senate Meeting
|
Golmuri
|
||
20
|
Sat
|
08.00
a.m.
|
Minor
Seminary Recftors’Meet at SAC
|
Ranchi
|
24-25
|
Wed..
|
Sacerdotal
Silver Jubilee at SAC
|
Ranchi
|
|
28
|
Sun
|
Confirmation
|
Telco
|
|
The Call to the priesthood… Can you
hear it?
The Diocese of Jamshedpur and Society of Jesus,
Jamshedpur province have programs such as vocation seminar and meetings for
prospective candidates for priesthood. The Vocation camp for the diocese and
Jesuit province of Jamshedpur will be held from 30th March to 3rd
April, 2016 at St. Joseph’s School, Bhilaipahari, Jamshedpur. 10th
and +2 students are invited to join the vocation camp. Contact to the Vocation
Offices for more informations at:
Fr.
Linus Kindo
Bishop’s
House
P.O.
Golmuri
Jamshedpur-831003
Jharkhand
Phone
No.: 09572752429
Fr.
Niranjan, S.J.
Inigo
Niwas, Candidate House
St.
Xavier’s High School
P.B.
No. 10, Chaibas P.O.
W.
Sighbhum-833201
Ph. No.: 09931207008
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