Catholic Diocese
of Jamshedpur
Vol. 46
No. 10 Private Circulation Only October– 2016
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
& the Devotion to Sacred Heart of Jesus
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, a Religious of the Visitation Order
and an apostle of the Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus was born at
Lhautecour, France, 22 July, 1647.
Her parents, Claude Alacoque and Philiberte Lamyn, were
distinguished less for temporal possessions than for their virtue, which gave them an honourable position. From early childhood Margaret
showed intense love for the Blessed Sacrament, and preferred silence and prayer to childish amusements. After her first communion at the age of nine, she practised in
secret severe corporal mortifications, until paralysis confined
her to bed for four years. At the end of this period, having made a vow to the Blessed Virgin to consecrate herself to religious life, she was instantly
restored to perfect health. The death of her father and the injustice of a relative plunged the family in poverty and humiliation, after which more than ever
Margaret found consolation in the Blessed Sacrament, and Christ made her
sensible of His presence and protection. He usually appeared to her as the Crucified or the Ecce
Homo, and this did not surprise her, as she thought others had the same
Divine assistance. When Margaret was seventeen, the family property was recovered, and her mother besought
her to establish herself in the world. Her filial tenderness made her believe
that the vow of childhood was not binding, and that she
could serve God at home by penance and charity
to the poor. Then, still bleeding from her self-imposed austerities, she began to take part in the pleasures of
the world. One night upon her return from a ball, she had a vision of Christ as He was during the scourging, reproaching
her for infidelity after He had given her so many proofs of His love. During her entire life Margaret mourned over two
faults committed at this time--the wearing of some superfluous ornaments and a
mask at the carnival to please her brothers.
On 25 May, 1671, she entered the Visitation Convent at Paray, where she was subjected to
many trials to prove her vocation, and in November, 1672, pronounced her
final vows. She had a delicate constitution, but was gifted
with intelligence and good judgement, and in the cloister she chose for herself what was most
repugnant to her nature, making her life one of inconceivable sufferings, which
were often relieved or instantly cured by our Lord, Who acted as her
Director, appeared to her frequently and conversed with her,
confiding to her the mission to establish the devotion to His Sacred
Heart. These extraordinary occurrences drew upon her the adverse criticism of
the community, who treated her as a visionary, and her
superior commanded her to live the common life. But her obedience, her humility, and invariable charity towards those who persecuted her, finally
prevailed, and her mission, accomplished in the crucible of suffering, was
recognized even by those who had shown her the most bitter opposition.
Margaret Mary was inspired by Christ to establish the Holy Hour and
to pray lying prostrate with her face to the ground from eleven till
midnight on the eve of the first Friday of each month, to share in the mortal
sadness He endured when abandoned by His Apostlesin His Agony, and to receive Holy Communion on the first Friday
of every month. In the first great revelation, He made known to her His ardent desire to
be loved by men and His design of manifesting His Heart with all Its treasures of love and mercy, of sanctification and salvation. He appointed the Friday after the octave of the feast of Corpus Christi as the feast of the Sacred Heart; He called her "the Beloved Disciple of
the Sacred Heart", and the heiress of all Its treasures.
The love of the Sacred Heart was the fire which consumed her,
and devotion to the Sacred Heart is the refrain of all her writings.
In her last illness she refused all alleviation, repeating frequently:
"What have I in heaven and what do I desire on earth, but Thee
alone, O my God", and died on 17 October, 1690, pronouncing the Holy Name of Jesus.
The discussion of the mission and virtues of Margaret Mary continued for years. All her
actions, her revelations, her spiritual maxims, her teachings
regarding the devotion to the Sacred Heart, of which she was the
chief exponent as well as the apostle, were subjected to the most severe and
minute examination, and finally the Sacred Congregation of rites passed a
favourable vote on the heroic virtues of this servant
of God. In March, 1824, Leo XII pronounced her Venerable, and on 18
September, 1864, Pius IX declared her Blessed. When her tomb was canonically opened in July, 1830, two
instantaneous cures took place. St. Margaret Mary was canonized by
Benedict XV in 1920. Her body rests under the altar in
the chapel at Paray, and many striking favours have been
obtained by pilgrims attracted thither from all parts of the
world. Her feast is celebrated on 16 October.
+ Felix Toppo, S.J
Bishop of Jamshedpur
The Celebration of
the Canonization of St. Mother Teresa, Golmuri
The Catholic Diocese of Jamshedpur
joined rest of the world in rejoicing at the declaration of the Sainthood of
Mother Teresa on 18th of September. A grand celebration was held in
her honour at the St. Joseph’s Welfare Centre, Golmuri. Various religious
leaders were present at the celebration. Most Rev. Bishop Felix Toppo S.J. was
the Chief Guest. In his speech, he highlighted the unique qualities of Mother
Teresa and pressed for the need of such personalities in this contemporary
society. The programme commenced at 4:00 O’clock in the evening. Mrs. Arpudam
Mary was the Master of the Ceremony. The programme began with a beautiful
devotional prayer dance by the students of Gyandeep School. Mr. James Davis,
Vice President of the Parish Council cordially welcomed all present. Rev.
Bishop Felix Toppo, S.J., garlanded the Picture of St. Mother Teresa. It was
followed by the Lighting of the Lamp by the different dignitaries. A video
presentation was shown on the life History of St. Mother Teresa highlighting
the significant moments of her life. Later, having recognized, the good work of
St. Mother Teresa, the dignitaries expressed their view where they said that
she not just fulfilled the physical needs of the least and the dying of the
society but gave them the dignity of a human being. Sr. Alma M.C., the superior
of Missionary Sisters in Jamshedpur, also shared her of unforgettable memories
of the most compassionate nature of St. Mother Teresa. At the end, the students
of St. Joseph’s school, Golmuri presented a melodious song. The programme
concluded with a vote of thanks by Fr. David Vincent V.G., followed by tea and
snacks. I am sure that this day will remain a most cherishable one for everyone
present. (Fr. Maria Charles)
New Trade Union Initiative’s Fourth General Council: Catholic Charities, Sundharnagar
Labour
is the source of all wealth and should therefore determine and shape economic,
political, and social life. It can do so only when workers are organized agaist
every site of exploitation and oppression, and is united to eliminate it. New
Trade Union Initiative organized its 4th general council meeting at Catholic
Charities from 23rd to 25th September, 2016. It is a Labour
Union which fights for the betterment and rights of the laborers. There were
300 labor delegates and 20 volunteers from different states of the country. Fr.
C.R. Prabhu welcomed all the participants and introduced the institutions and
place to the gathering. The chief secretary Mr. Gautam Modi highlighted the
problems and difficulties of the laborers and asked the people to fight for the
justice and equality. Prior to the meeting the president of the union Mr.
Nambiar Basudewan hosted the flag and inaugurated the meeting. The delegates vowed to act decisively and
militantly at all times and on all occasions to protect and expand the
interests of working class. It was a big challenge for the Catholic Charities
to organize it but many extended their helping hand and as a result it was a
big success as all were happy and satisfied with the arrangements. (Fr.
Birender Tete)
St. Paul’s Church, Maluka
September
had been a month of action for the St. Paul’s Parish, Maluka. The canonization
of Saint Mother Teresa on 4th September was solemnly observed during
the Eucharistic celebration where the faithful had an opportunity to witness
the life of Mother Teresa through some touching and heart-moving video clips.
As an effect and a resolve to follow her suit the parishioners collected 263 kg
of rice, other materials and Rs. 3,577/- to donate to the MC Sisters at Baihatu
on 27th of September. Indeed, a laudable effort of generosity on the
part of the parishioners.
The
Nativity of Blessed Mother Mary was celebrated with a candle light procession
and rosary; It culminated with a solemn Mass in the evening. Earlier that day a
special programme was organized by Sr. Ranjana, BS to observe Girl Child Day.
Fr. Dileep Marandi as the resource person spoke to the participants numbering
over 100 girls to have a goal in life and to be ever ready to sacrifice in
order to achieve it. Later they took out a rally to spread awareness how
blessed it is to be a girl.
Meanwhile
Fr. Manoj Tigga has resumed his driving lesions at TRTC after an accident last
year. (Fr. Dileep Marandi)
Inter-Faith
Tribute to St. Teresa of Kolkata, Little Flower School Auditorium, Telco
"Whatsoever
you do to the least of my brethren, you do unto me. When I was hungry, you gave me to eat; when I
was thirsty you gave me to drink and naked you clothed me" – Jesus Christ
Mother Teresa
helped these words become reality in the lives of the unfortunate, the leper,
the AIDS patient, the deprived. A generous dispenser of divine mercy, she made
herself available to everyone through her defense of human life, those unborn
and abandoned and discarded. She bowed
down before those who were spent, left to die on the side of the road, seeing
in them their God given dignity.
Mother
Teresa said "By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith,
I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I
belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus."
Therefore, it was only fitting that we pay tribute to this
legend of love and angel of peace, a true Indian citizen, belonging to the
world. The Parish Priest of the Church
of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Telco, organized an Inter Faith Tribute to St. Mother
Teresa of Kolkata on 17th September 2017.
Mr. S. B. Borwankar, Executive Director (Quality), Tata
Motors Ltd., Pune, was the Chief Guest, and Rt. Rev. Bishop Felix Toppo, S.J.,
D.D., and Mr. A. B.Lall, Head (Jamshedpur Plant), Tata Motors Ltd., were the
Guests of Honour. Mr. Krishna Kumar,
Head (HR), Tata Cummins, Mr. Harpal Singh (Sikh representative), Md. Riyazuddin
(Muslim representative), and Fr. C. R. Prabhu, S.J., Director, Catholic
Charities, were special guests at the event which was held in the Auditorium of
Little Flower School. It was heartening
to see people from the neighborhood gather to celebrate the life of Mother
Teresa, the living saint, who personally touched the lives of many in
Jamshedpur too. The packed auditorium
spoke volumes of the peoples’ love and respect for this magnificent
personality. The representatives of different religions shared their experience
of meeting Mother Teresa and the wonder of her work among the poorest of the
poor. The students of Little Flower
School, student nurses of Jeevan Jyothi School of Nursing, and teachers of S. K.
Public School, Telco, put up performances in honour of this legendary saint who
we had the privilege of meeting in our lifetime.
Thousands of words
have been spoken about Mother Teresa, what she has done for the downtrodden and
the unfortunate, and her unconditional love.
As Dylan Thomas once said that love is gratitude with a memory, to
Mother Teresa we can simply say, "thank you for the memories". (Sr.
Hilda SJC)
The Feast of St. Vincent De Paul, Gyandeep, Birsanagar
The
Feast of St. Vincent De Paul Patron St. of Sisters of Charity of Nazareth,
Birsanagar, Jamshedpur was celebrated on 25th of September 2016, at
7 A.M. in Gyandeep Mass Center. On this joyous occasion the people of
Birsangar, Gyandeep staff and students dressed in traditional attire danced to
the tune of beating drums and melodious hymns and song, through various parts
of the liturgy and ceremony. Rev. Fr. Camillee Hembrom, Parish Priest, presided
over the Holy Eucharistic celebration. He said – “to the troubled and abandoned
like sheep without a shepherd, like that of master, his heart was also moved
with pity for all the troubled and abandoned of his time which included not
only the rural poor but the poor in the cities as well as convicts and slaves.”
God
takes the side of the poor, the oppressed and the marginalized through the
works of mercy. The saints- like Vincent De Paul as well, show us that we too
can and must take their side. Fr. Camille said, that in the same way the SCNS
shared and carried out the same work in Jamshedpur diocese and all over the
world. He also said – that they are grateful to the SCNS who have brought
positive changes in the lives of the people of Birsanagar and wherever the
Sisters go. They are still reaching out to the poor and the needy. During the
mass the 7 Sisters renewed their vows. Fr. Camillee Hembrom thanked the Sisters
for their important role, which they play in the Parish. They had small programme
to felicitate them and a fellowship meal with the parishioners. Really it added
doubled the joy (Sr. Maxima SCNS)
St. Joseph’s School, Golmuri
It
has been an action filled month for the children of St. Joseph’s School,
Golmuri. They had various programmes and courses in this month. Fr. Jilson
T.L. conducted a seminar on ‘faith
formation’ for all the Christian children of the school on 13th
Sept. It was an enriching experience for them. It was a double joy for
participants as they actively involved in queries and responses and in games
and skits along with his inspiring talk.
Three
of our Std. 7th students received a ‘Jyoti Fellowship’ scholarship
by Tata Steel Rural Development of Rs. 3,750-/- each, a bag and an emergency
light. They will continue to get this scholarship till their +2 as they were
qualified for the entrance test.
A
meeting of alumni members held a meeting to plan out the Diamond Jubilee Year
of the school and its opening ceremony which is to be held on 11th
Nov. 2016. (Bro. Jacob DDS)
Sarva Dharm Sabha, Dhanbd
All
roads led to St. Anthony’s Church, Dhanbad, on Sunday, September, 11 when a
‘fist of its kind’ Sarva Dharm Sabha, in all religion meet, organized in honour of
Mother Teresa’s canonization, drew a conglomeration of people in the parish
hall. Sri. Raj Sinha, M L A, Dhanbad,
graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. He along with seven other speakers lit
the lamp and thus the programme kicked off.
It
his speech, the Chief Guest said, Mother Teresa, though a Christian, belonged
to the whole humanity. Her selfless service to the poorest of the poor cut
across all barriers of caste, creed and religion. It was in India, he said,
Mother showed the whole world, through her life of compassionate love, that in
the service of the lowest there is beauty beyond ugliness, wisdom beyond
foolishness and dignity beyond brokenness. He said, we all cannot become Mother
Teresa, but can certainly, through our genuine and concerted service, help
alleviate the pain of the poor.
The
seven speakers drawn from Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, and Jain Communities, including
one representing the RSS and another the Brama Samaj, held the audience spell
bound as they belted out their glowing tribute to Mother Teresa and her works
and extolled her elevation to the status of a saint as absolutely befitting.
The
programme, high on excitement, was interspersed with five dances and a song.
While De Nobili School, CMRI, girls’ prayer dance sparked grace and elegance,
the mellifluous song sung by the parish youth kept the audience foot- tapping.
But the Govindpur Nirmala School girls were at their best, they not only
regaled the audience with four enthralling thematic dances but also touched a chord
with everyone drawing thunderous applause.
The
vote of thanks was followed by the singing of the National Anthem and thus was
the programme appropriately wrapped off on a high note. Overheard from the
dispersing crowed “good programme.” (Fr. Ammatus Kujur)
New Nursing College, Mercy School of Nursing at Baridh
The blessing
ceremony of Mercy School of Nursing, Baridih, Jamshedpur was held on August, 21st,
2016. Bishop Felix Toppo, S.J, blessed the building, the class rooms and the
hostel in a simple yet a well-organized function. It was attended by Frs. David
Vincent, C. R. Prabhu, Sr. Lilly Pallipurath, the Provincial Superior of Sister
of Charity of Jesus and Mary; Officials of Tata Steel and TSRDS; Doctors,
Nurses and Sisters of Mercy Hospital, several priests and other dignitaries. In
her welcome address, Sr. Jessy, administrator of Mercy Hospital, gave a brief
account of the history of the hospital and how it has been serving the poor
people of Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal by addressing their health care
needs, for over 50 years. She said that Mercy School of Nursing was the result
of a much felt need to empower women from the weaker section of the society by
enhancing their employability. She added that the school had obtained all
necessary approvals from the concerned authorities and the classes for the
first batch would commence soon. She further said that the foundation of the
school was laid in 2012- during the Golden Jubilee celebration of the Hospital
by the then MD of Tata Steel, Mr. H. M. Nerukar and also thanked Tata Steel who
had part-funded the project. Sr. Jessy appreciated the hard work put in by Sr.
Grace- who has taken over as the first Principal of Mercy School of Nursing and
also Mr. Lawrence Francis who had architected and built MSN. After the vote of
thanks by Mr. James Davis, the GM of the hospital, the function ended with a
light refreshment. (Sr. Grace SCJM)
Congratulations
We congratulate Sr. Lucius, SCJM, and Sr. Cecilia Tumma
JMJ, as they complete 50 years and 25 years of their consecrated life
respectively. May the Lord continue to bless the people of God through your
consecrated life.
Notice
One day Cruz Veer Programme is being organized for the
Catholic Children of Jamshedpur Denary on 30th of October, 2016, at
St. Mary’s English High School, Junior Block Campus, Bistupur. Kindly ensure
that all Catholic Children from classes 3rd to 12 of your parish and
school participate and benefit from this one day programme. Kindly send the
names of the students to Fr. David’s office at the earliest. (Fr. David Vincent,
Vicar General)
BIRTHDAY WISHES –OCTOBER
Date
|
Name
|
06
|
Michael Dogam
|
07
|
George Mannarakam
|
14
|
Bipin Pani
|
23
|
Pradeep Marandi
|
23
|
Puthumai Raj
|
|
OCTOBER
2016
|
||||
|
02
|
Sun
|
10.00
am
|
Thanksgiving
Celebrations: St. Teresa
|
Kolkata
|
|
04
|
Tue
|
09.30
am
|
Diocesan
Consult
|
Golmuri
|
|
06-07
|
Thur..
|
09.30
am
|
RBC/CRI/CDPI
Meeting at St. Anne’s Generalate
|
Ranchi
|
|
08
|
Fri
|
AM&PM
|
CBCI-SME-NI
Meeting in Mandar
|
Mandar
|
|
09
|
Sat
|
AM
|
To
Hazaribagh
|
Hazaribagh
|
|
10-11
|
Sun
|
PM
|
SCC
Convenction
|
|
|
12
|
Wed
|
AM
|
Return
to JSR
|
|
|
15
|
Sat
|
05.30
pm
|
Governing
Body Meeting, St. Joseph’s Hospital
|
B.
Pahari
|
|
16
|
Sun
|
08.30
am
|
Confirmation
|
Jhinkpani
|
|
19
|
Wed
|
06.00
pm
|
Grih
Pravesh, Mr. S.P. Toppo
|
Ranchi
|
|
20
|
Thurs
|
09.00
am
|
Inaguration
of 41st Annual Philosophy Seminary, SAC
|
Ranchi
|
|
22
|
Sat
|
10.30
am
|
Eucharistic
Celebration at Nirmal Hriday in honour of St. Mother Teresa
|
Sakchi
|
|
23
|
Sun
|
AM
|
Confirmation
and Blessing of Multi-Purpose Hall
|
Chandil
|
|
30
|
Sun
|
11.00
am
|
Mass:
PDDM Congregaton Feast
|
Mango
|
|
03.00
pm
|
Eucharistic
Celebration for Krus Veer Children
|
Bistupur
|
||
