The Catholic Diocese
of Jamshedpur
Vol. 46 No. 5 Private Circulation Only May– 2016
Dear brothers and sisters,
Pope
Francis’s ground breaking new document “Amoris Laetitia” (“The Joy of Love”) asks the Church to meet
people where they are, to consider the complexities of people’s lives and to
respect people’s consciences when it comes to moral decisions. The apostolic
exhortation is mainly a document that reflects on family life and encourages
families. But it is also the Pope’s reminder that the Church should avoid
simply judging people and imposing rules on them without considering their
struggles.
Using
insights from the Synod of Bishops on the Family and from bishops’ conferences
from around the world, Pope Francis affirms Church teaching on family life and
marriage, but strongly emphasizes the role of personal conscience and pastoral
discernment. He urges the Church to appreciate the context of people’s lives
when helping them make good decisions. The goal is to help families—in
fact, everyone—experience God’s love and know that they are welcome members of
the Church. All this may require what the Pope calls “new pastoral methods”
(199).
Here
are ten things to know about the pope’s ground breaking new document.
1.
The Church needs to understand families and individuals in all their complexity. The
Church needs to meet people where they are. So pastors are to “avoid judgements
which do not take into account the complexity of various situations” (296).
People should not be “pigeonholed or fit into overly rigid classifications
leaving no room for personal and pastoral discernment” (298). In other words,
one size does not fit all. People are encouraged to live by the Gospel, but
should also be welcomed into a Church that appreciates their particular struggles
and treats them with mercy. “Thinking that everything is black and white” is to
be avoided (305). And the Church cannot apply moral laws as if they were
“stones to throw at people’s lives” (305). Overall, he calls for an approach of
understanding, compassion and accompaniment.
2.
The role of conscience is paramount in moral decision making. “Individual
conscience needs to be better incorporated into the Church’s practice in
certain situations which do not objectively embody our understanding of marriage”
(303). That is, the traditional belief that individual conscience is the final
arbiter of the moral life has been forgotten here. The Church has been “called
to form consciences, not to replace them” (37). Yes, it is true, the Pope says,
that a conscience needs to be formed by Church teaching. But conscience does
more than to judge what does or does not agree with Church teaching. Conscience
can also recognize with “a certain moral security” what God is asking (303).
Pastors, therefore, need to help people not simply follow rules, but to
practice “discernment,” a word that implies prayerful decision making (304).
3.
Divorced and remarried Catholics need to be more fully integrated into the
church. How? By looking at the specifics of their
situation, by remembering “mitigating factors,” by counselling them in the
“internal forum,” (that is, in private conversations between the priest and
person or couple), and by respecting that the final decision about the degree
of participation in the church is left to a person’s conscience (305, 300).
(The reception of Communion is not spelled out here, but that is a traditional
aspect of “participation” in church life.) Divorced and remarried couples
should be made to feel part of the church. “They are not excommunicated and
should not be treated as such, since they remain part” of the church
(243).
4.
All members of the family need to be encouraged to live good Christian lives. Much
of “Amoris Laetitia” consists of reflections on the Gospels and church teaching
on love, the family and children. But it also includes a great deal of
practical advice from the pope, sometimes gleaned from exhortations and
homilies regarding the family. Pope Francis reminds married couples that a good
marriage is a “dynamic process” and that each side has to put up with
imperfections. “Love does not have to be perfect for us to value it” (122,
113). The pope, speaking as a pastor, encourages not only married couples, but
also engaged couples, expectant mothers, adoptive parents, widows, as well as
aunts, uncles and grandparents. He is especially attentive that no one feels
unimportant or excluded from God’s love.
5.
We should no longer talk about people “living in sin.” In
a sentence that reflects a new approach, the Pope says clearly, “It can no
longer simply be said that all those living in any ‘irregular situation’ are
living in a state of mortal sin” (301). Other people in “irregular situations,”
or non-traditional families, like single mothers, need to be offered
“understanding, comfort and acceptance” (49). When it comes to these people,
indeed everyone, the Church need to stop applying moral laws, as if they were,
in the pope’s vivid phrase, “stones to throw at a person’s life” (305).
6.
What might work in one place may not work in another.
The Pope is not only speaking in terms of individuals, but geographically as
well. “Each country or region…can seek solutions better suited to its culture
and sensitive to its traditions and local needs” (3). What makes sense
pastorally in one country may even seem out of place in another. For this
reason and others, as the Pope says at the beginning of the document that for
this reason, not every question can be settled by the magisterium,
that is, the Church’s teaching office (3).
7. Traditional
teachings on marriage are affirmed, but the church should not burden people
with unrealistic expectations. Marriage is between one man and one
woman and is indissoluble; and same-sex marriage is not considered marriage.
The Church continues to hold out an invitation to healthy marriages. At the
same time, the Church has often foisted upon people an “artificial theological
ideal of marriage” removed from people’s everyday lives (36). At times these
ideals have been a “tremendous burden” (122). To that end, seminarians and
priests need to be better trained to understand the complexities of people’s
married lives. “Ordained ministers often lack the training needed to deal with
the complex problems currently facing families” (202).
8.
Children must be educated in sex and sexuality. In
a culture that often commodifies and cheapens sexual expression, children need
to understand sex within the “broader framework of an education for love and
mutual self-giving” (280). Sadly, the body is often seen as simply “an object
to be used” (153). Sex always has to be understood as being open to the gift of
new life.
9.
Gay men and women should be respected. While same-sex marriage is not
permitted, the Pope says that he wants to reaffirm “before all else” that the
homosexual person needs to be “respected in his or her dignity and treated with
consideration, and ‘every sign of unjust discrimination’ is to be carefully
avoided, particularly any form of aggression or violence.” Families with LGBT
members need “respectful pastoral guidance” from the church and its pastors so
that gays and lesbians can fully carry out God’s will in their lives
(250).
10.
All are welcome. The Church must help families of
every sort, and people in every state of life, know that, even in their
imperfections, they are loved by God and can help others experience that love.
Likewise, pastors must work to make people feel welcome in the Church. “Amoris
Laetitia” offers the vision of a pastoral and merciful church that encourages
people to experience the “joy of love.” The family is an absolutely essential
part of the church, because after all, the church is a “family of families”
(80).
+Felix
Toppo, S.J.
Bishop of Jamshedpur
Month
of May- dedicated to Our Blessed Mother
The month of May
is dedicated to Mother Mary. This is one of the occasions where the faithful
show their loving reverence to the Queen of Heaven and Earth in the Church or
in their families. In this month, faithful very devotedly offer their love and
devotion to Our Blessed Mother. The faithful receive innumerable blessings
through the intercession of Mother Mary.
God the Father
gave Mary as a loving mother and the Queen of Heaven and Earth to the world. So
as a mother and queen she can intercede on our behalf to her Son and fulfill
all our needs and desires. She is a mediator whose intercessions are never
refused by her Son. Therefore, let us humbly come to venerate her.
I invite all the
priests, religious and the faithful to partake in the veneration of Mary in the
Month of May with love and devotion. Let’s pray that God’s kingdom, love and
peace may reign in every family. (+Felix
Toppo, S.J)
Around
the Goble
Pope
Francis exhorts the Christians to be Merciful
Pope Francis
exhorted all the Christians to become messengers of Gospel through their acts
of Mercy. In St. Peter’s Basilica at Rome, on the occasion of Divine Mercy
Sunday, Pope Francis in his homily said: “We all are called to become living
Gospels and messengers of His mercy. It can only be carried out through our way
of life; corporal and spiritual acts of mercy. Acts of Mercy is the signature
of Christianity. It is through the least and ordinary acts of mercy we
experience and at the same time impart unfathomable love and mercy of God.
Gospel is the book
of God’s Mercy, which we should always read, because it contains the works of
mercy done by Jesus. It is through Jesus the disciples experienced the love of
God the Father.
In His infinite
Mercy all our human frailties and shortcomings are healed. To be an apostle of
God’s Mercy is to be men and women who comfort the comfortless and aid the
needy, even when we believe, they don’t deserve.
A growing trend in India shows tribal people embracing either
Christianity or Islam over Hinduism, said the latest government statistics.
However some see divisive political fodder in the data. Government figures
released in mid-April said the number of Christian tribal people has increased
from 6.3 million in 2001 to 10.03 million in 2011, recording a 63 percent
growth.
The number of tribal people who
profess Islam has grown 51 percent from 1.2 million to 1.8 million during the
period when the national census was last conducted. While the number of tribal
people following the Hindu faith is much larger, their percentage growth has
been comparatively less at 39 percent. The 60 million Hindu tribal people in
2001 grew to 84 million in 2011.
In contrast, total tribal
population growth was only 23 percent from 84 million to 104 million for the
period. The number of tribal people who do not belong to any religion or follow
animism decreased from 16.4 million to 7.8 million, indicating increased
religious conversions.
"There is nothing
wrong" if the data is interpreted to show tribal people have been
converting to Christianity, said Father Ranjit Tigga, head of the department of
tribal studies at New Delhi's Indian Social Institute. He said the Indian
constitution gives all citizens the freedom to profess and propagate a religion
of their choice. Bishop Vincent Barwa of Simdega said that if the data is to be
believed, then it is positive.
"It will give us a morale
boost to work hard for evangelization and also it gives us the satisfaction
that we are heading in the right direction," said Bishop Barwa who is the
convener of the national bishops' office for tribal affairs. (UCAN News)
Vocation
camp at St. Joseph’s Bhilai Pahari
Jointly organized
vocation camp for the boys by the Diocese and Province of Jamshedpur Jesuits
was held in St. Joseph’s Hospital Campus, Bhilai Pahari from 30th
March – 3rd April, 2016. 69 boys from the parishes of different
dioceses came to participate in the vocation camp with a desire to become a
priest. During these 3 days the boys were helped by the animators and various
personnel of the Province as well as the diocese to understand the choice of
life. Finally, they opted either for the diocese or Province. Thanks to Frs.
Linus Kindo, Niranjan Minj, S.J, Dileep Marandi and others organized the camp.
And a special thanks to all the priests, religious and laity who encouraged the
boys to participate in the vocation camp.
Easter Peace Rally – 2016
This year the
Christians of Jamshedpur organized the Easter Peace Rally on 28th
March, 2016 at Loyola School ground, Bistupur. People from various
denominations from the Steel City participated in this Rally in great numbers.
This Rally started with the opening prayer by Rev. Fr. David Vincent, the Vicar
General, Catholic Diocese of Jamshedpur. The Chief Guest of the Rally was the
Auxiliary Bishop of the Arch Diocese of Ranchi, Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas,
SFX. Fr. David Vincent, Fr. C. R. Prabhu, Fr. Camille Hembrom, Fr. Sebastian,
Rev. Shishir Kerketta, Rev. Manoj Kumar Charan, Pastor Jennifer Raja Mohan and
Rev. Madhu Naik inaugurated the programme by lighting the lamp. Before the
Rally, Saban Barla, President, Christians of Jamshedpur gave the welcome
address. Then the Chief Guest, Bishop Theodore few the balloons with the Easter
Message and Fr. Sebastian flagged off the Rally. The Rally started from the
Loyola Ground, through the main Road, circled the Gopal Maidan and returned to
Loyola Ground where it turned into a prayer assembly. After returning to Loyola
Ground, Miss. Alka Tigga, St. Anthony’s Church, Mango and Miss. Pushpa Topno,
St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Golmuri, read related verus from the Holy Bible. In
between the programme, pastor Rakesh Kandulna and his choir team performed
beautifual hymns and filled the atmosphere with devotion. Rev. Manoj Kumar
Charan, Beldih Baptist Church and Pastor Jennifer Raja, GEMS Church proclaimed
the Risen Christ through versus from the Holy Bible and gave Easter Messages.
The General
Secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India, Auxiliary Bishop of Arch
Diocese of Ranchi and the Chief Guest of the Easter Peace Rally, Bishop
Theodore said in his address that the real anti-nationals are those who play
politics in the name of religion and caste. Our country India will only
progress when our countrymen, whichever religion or caste they belong to, get
their legitimate rights. He said that today there are incidents of violence in
many parts of India, in the name of religion and caste. It is a big challenge
and worry for the country and the leaders should find appropriate solution to
this. He further said that Christianity is the religion of love, peace and
forgiveness. Hence, wherever, there would be the incidents of violence in the
country, we shall oppose them. We believe in forgiving any mistakes/
shortcomings and to march forward with love and peace. He blessed everyone
present in the rally. Rev. Shishir Kerketta blessed the offerings received
during the Rally. Fr. Camille Hembrom offered the closing prayer.
We record with
gratitude the active participation and contribution of Saban Barla, Rajan Rao,
Peter Bonnerjee, Harry Francis, R. F. Thomas, Raunak Das, Pastor Vinay Kahchap,
Rev. Madhu Naik, Pastor Rakesh Kandulna, Mrs. Maryanne Ekka, Miss. Pushpa
Topno, Mrs. Francisca Francis, Fr. Xavier Ekka and his teach of Altar Servers,
Fr. Sebastian, Fr. Leo D’Souza, Gossner Lakra Domnic Raj and his team, Patras
Tirkey, Hemant Kumar Roy, Alexandar Miz, Pastor Suresh Dhanna Kumar, ICYM
Youth, Ronal Rakesh etc., for the success of the Rally. Mrs. Arupudam Mary was
the Master of the Ceremony. Thus, with the grace of Our dear Lord, Easter Peace
Rally completes its 11 years (Mr. Peter Bonnerjee)
Sacred
Ordination of Dn. Birender Tete to Priesthood at Jamtoli, Simdega
Dn. Birender Tete
was ordained a priest by His Lordship Felix Toppo, S.J., on 12th
April, 2016. The newly blessed and inaugurated Don Bosco Church at Jamtoli,
Simdega was decorated by the parishioners for the ordination ceremony as it was
the first ordination in the Church after its blessing. The Ordinati, Dn.
Birender, accompanied by his mother and elder brother along with the Bishop,
were led by the tune of beating of drums by the youth of the parish from the
presbytery to the Church Entrance. There, the dancing girls to the traditional
adivassi tunes, led the concelebrants along with the bishop to the altar. The
parish priest welcomed the ordaining Prelate, priests and people. He gave a
very inspiring introduction on the meaning of priesthood and the duties of a
priest. The priest commentator explained so beautifully to the people the
meaning and significance of every aspect of ordination ceremony.
After the
ordination, a short swaagath was jointly
arranged by the Catholic Sabha, Mahila Sangh and Yuva Sangh of the Parish. The
entire ordination ceremony was made very solemn and meaningful by the melodious
singing of the choir. The entire crowd sang every hymn with gusto, which made
the entire ordination ceremony alive and meaningful. (Fr. Edwin)
One-Day
Orientation Programme at Charbandiah
One-day Orientation programme was
organized on the 2nd April, 2016 at St. Joseph’s School, Charbandiah
for the teachers of St. Joseph’s School, Charbandiah, St. Mary’s School Omra
and St. Paul’s School, Goilkera.
The teachers of above said
schools were fortunate to have Dr. Fr. Ignatius Topno, SJ, Principal of Loyola
College of Education, Jamshedpur, as their instructor. His interesting,
impressing and inspiring talks enhanced and boosted their spirits and
enthusiasm. They were also reminded of their commitment, dedication and
responsibilities to the institutions and to their profession. They were advised
as teachers and educators that they need to be active and creative. More emphasis
was given on the new and updated methods of teaching and learning. The best use
of technology and knowledge will always create an ‘Awe’ feeling in the
students; it is the responsibility of the teachers to instil that spirit that
would create a thirst for knowledge and thus, learning will become a life
itself.
The audio-visual presentation
that was shown by Dr. Fr. Ignatius was also very educative. We hope that the
outcome of the programme will be enriching and fruitful for everyone who
partook in it and in turn they will ignite the fire of knowledge in the
students.
Sincere thanks to Dr. Fr.
Ignatius Topno for having spared his time, leaving aside his busy schedule, and
making the event a life-changing experience in the institutions. We sincerely thank and appreciate
the hard work and the commitment Fr. Alex Dodari, the Principal of St. Joseph’s
Charbandiah for organizing and facilitating the programme. (Mr. Isidore Surin)
Sacred
Ordination of Dn. Alfred Bernard Balmuchu to Priesthood at Jhinkpani
20th April, 2016 will
be considered as a historical day for St. Theresa’s Parish, Jhinkpani. On this
auspicious day the first Priestly Ordination in Jhinkpatni took place at St.
Theresa’s Church, Jhinkpani. This parish was founded in 1st October,
1978. During the last 38 years this parish has developed in many fields but the
ordination of Dn. Alfred Bernard Barlmuchu gave a new vigour and enthusiasm to
the people at Jhinkpani to walk close to the Lord.
The Ordination ceremony began at
8.30 am. The women by their beautiful entrance dance led the ordinati, the
bishop Felix Toppo, S.J and the other priests to the altar. The offertory and
the other dances were performed by the students and youth of St. Theresa’s
Parish. Though it was a very hot day, the Ordination ceremony went on with lots
of devotion and fervour. The choir group by their melodious songs made the
ordination ceremony more meaningful and alive. For the faithful, the ordination
ceremony was a wonderful experience.
The wonderful cultural programme
that followed the ordination to felicitate the newly ordained was performed by
the students of St. Theresa’s School. Then all proceeded for the sumptuous
lunch.
Congratulations to the Fr. Bipin
Barla, the Parish Priest, and the sisters of CMC, Jhinkpani for their tireless
efforts to make this day a memorable day in the annals of history of St.
Theresa’s Parish, Jhinkpani.
Sad
Demise
Cicilia Xalxo (72),
beloved mother of Dn. George Ekka, passed away in the Lord on April 4, 2016 at
her house in Ambatoli, Rajawal. We express our sincere condolence to Dn. George
Ekka and the grieving family and extend our prayers. May her soul Rest In
Peace!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
MAY
|
|
Date
|
Name
|
07
|
Alwin C.V.
|
13
|
Fr. Robert Toppo
|
JUNE
|
|
Date
|
Name
|
14
|
Fr. Prince Dibash
|
16
|
Fr. Halan Bodra
|
16
|
Fr. Baldeo Hembrom
|
22
|
Fr. Georage Ekka
|
24
|
Fr. Michael Jojo
|
30
|
Fr. Roque Cardoza
|
BISHOP’S ENGAGEMENTS
MAY 2016
|
|||||
01
|
Sun
|
AM
|
Feast
of St. Joseph the Worker, Mass in Cathedral
|
Golmuri
|
|
PM
|
Taking
Over by SSH New Provincial : Mass
|
Pardih
|
|||
02
|
Mon
|
06.15
am
|
Mercy
Convent House Blessing
|
Baridih
|
|
05
|
Leave
for Madurai
|
||||
07
|
Sat
|
05.30
pm
|
Deacon
Jayraj, Priestly Ordination
|
Madurai
|
|
09
|
Mon
|
Return
to JSR
|
|||
13
|
Fri
|
04.30
pm
|
DSWC
Governing Board Meeting
|
Govindpur
|
|
14
|
Sat
|
AM
|
Jubilee
of Fr. Elvius Dungdung
|
Govindpur
|
|
18
|
Wed
|
09.00
am
|
Meeting
on Romi Missa Granth, SDC
|
Ranchi
|
|
19
|
Thur
|
06.30
am
|
Priestly
Ordination of Deacon George Ekka
|
Rajawal
|
|
24
|
Tue
|
A.M.
|
Final
Profession of M.C. Sisters
|
Kolkata
|
|
31
|
Tue
|
A.M.
|
Siadih.
Handing over. Farewell
|
Siadih
|
|
The XIV national meeting of the Conference of the Diocesan Priests of India (CDPI) was held from April 5 to 8, 2016 at Old Goa. Bishop Udumala Bala, the Bishop of Warangal and the Patron of CDPI, has requested the CDPI delegates at the meeting to publish the conference statement in their own diocesan newsletter. The conference statement is as follows:
STATEMENT OF THE XIV NATIONAL MEETING
OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE DIOCESAN PRIESTS OF INDIA (CDPI)
April 5–8, 2016
St. Joseph Vaz Spiritual
Renewal Centre, Old Goa
We, the 235
members of Conference of the Diocesan Priests of India (CDPI), under the
patronage of the CCBI, gathered from 62 dioceses of our beloved country at St.
Joseph Vaz Spiritual Renewal Centre, Old Goa from April 5 to 8, 2016, year of
the extra-ordinary Jubilee of Mercy, awed by the spirit of evangelization that
blossomed in this very sacred place of both St. Francis Xavier and St. Joseph
Vaz, have studied, reflected and prayed together under the guidance of our
patron His Excellency Most. Rev. Udumala Bala together with 11 other bishops,
on the theme: Priest as Minister of God Mirrored in the Person of Pope Francis.
As the fruit of the deliberations at the four day-conference, we find Pope
Francis an exemplary model to us pastors.
His
Holiness Pope Francis is a special gift chosen and given by the Holy Spirit to
the Church to lead her courageously yet with love and mercy in this difficult
time of her history. Pope Francis has shown to the Church the servant model of
his leadership. This is humble, joyful and merciful service. His earnest desire
to have a Church of the poor for the poor originates from the depth of his
being that is drenched in the spirit of his Master Jesus. Pope Francis has also
emerged as a pastor par-excellence after the heart of the Good Shepherd Jesus.
His communication springs forth from his heart where he meets our Lord Jesus
every day when he spends long and intense hours in prayer. This brings about a
special quality of his profound communication: genuineness, which is noted and
appreciated even by the people of other faiths. In the short span of three
years of his pontificate, Pope Francis has emerged as a powerful icon of mercy
to a world that is torn apart by indifference, individualism, inhuman poverty
and imbalanced development that serves only the rich and powerful.
Every
Christian is one who is empowered by Christ whom one meets in the celebration
of the sacraments and is guided by the light of faith. It is the light of faith
that can lead a Christian to be a witness of the Joy of the Risen Lord.
Christian is one who rejoices always and in every situation. “Rejoice in the Lord
always. I say it again: rejoice” (Phil 4:4). Priests are
called to radiate the joy of the Gospel in their lives and ministry. The Pope
exhorts the priests to be genuine shepherds, who have the smell of the sheep
for effective and fruitful ministry. The pedagogy of homily includes
interpretation of people’s lives in the light of the Word. Effective homily can
only be given by those priests who know their sheep. Like St. Francis of
Assisi, his patron, Pope Francis treats nature as God’s creation and his own
brothers and sisters. The Pope envisages an integral approach to ecology in the
service of the Kingdom of God seeking to establish peace, justice, equality and
thus promoting the common good of our universe. In her mission, the Church sees
Pope Francis as a ray of hope for families, religious minorities, refugees,
homeless people and the least.
Hence we,
the diocesan priests, resolve to:
1.
Be another Christ in order to give
Christ to others.
2.
Be in close communion with the Lord
through regular personal prayer.
3.
Be contemplatives of the Word
before we proclaim.
4.
Be nourished by the sacrament to
nourish others.
5.
Be joyful ministers of the Gospel.
6.
Be the “Human Face of the Divine
Mercy” by being merciful to all whom we meet.
7.
Be friends to the poor, the
homeless, the refugees, strangers, and the least.
8.
Be defenders of the human dignity
and rights of the Dalits and Tribals.
9.
Be instruments of peace and unity
making constant efforts to avoid divisions based on caste, class, language and
region.
10.
Be an understanding and
compassionate pastor to the families by making regular pastoral visits and
accompanying them in their struggles.
11.
Be agents and facilitators of unity
and fraternity among the clergy and the people.
12.
Be care-takers and promoters of “our
common home” especially by forming green teams at the parish and school level.
13.
Be witnesses to the simplicity of
the Gospel by adopting a simple life style.
14. Be faith formators, constantly accompanying the faithful by
instructing them in faith through catechesis at the parish as well as school
levels.
Prepared
by Rev. Fr. Derek Fernandez, Rev. Fr. John Crasta and Rev. Fr. John Ponnore
