Saturday, November 4, 2017

Catholic Diocese of Jamshedpur

Vol. 47 No. 11            Private Circulation Only                  November– 2017
In the past kings ruled over all the countries. He used to be the supreme authority in the whole country. People held him at the highest esteem and major affairs in his kingdom had to have the consent from the King. Apart from all glory and glamour, he had the toughest job in his kingdom, to cater for the welfare of his subjects, to uphold justice in the kingdom and to protect them from internal and external enemies.

However, the people of Israel believed that there is only one King, Yahweh, for Israel. He is the Alpha and Omega, omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient; He is the creator of us all, merciful and just. The image of this king is actualized in the Second Person of the Trinity, Jesus, the Christ.

The Feast of Christ the King was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925 as an antidote to secularism, a way of life which leaves God out of man's thinking and living and organizes his life as if God did not exist. The feast is intended to proclaim in a striking and effective manner Christ's royalty over individuals, families, society, governments, and nations.

Pope Pius XI hoped the institution of the feast would have the following effects. They were:

·    That nations would see that the Church has the right to freedom, and immunity from the state (Quas Primas, 32).

·      That leaders and nations would see that they are bound to give respect to Christ (Quas Primas, 31).

·    That the faithful would gain strength and courage from the celebration of the feast, as we are reminded that Christ must reign in our hearts, minds, wills, and bodies (Quas Primas, 33).

Today, the same distrust of authority exists, although the problem has gotten worse. Individualism has been embraced to such an extreme, that for many, the only authority is the individual self. The idea of Christ as ruler is rejected in such a strongly individualistic system. Also, many balk at the idea of kings and queens, believing them to be antiquated and possibly oppressive. Some even reject the titles of "lord" and "king" for Christ because they believe that such titles are borrowed from oppressive systems of government. However true these statements might be (some kings have been oppressive), these individuals miss the point: Christ's kingship is one of humility and service.

 Jesus said:You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to become great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:42-45).

Pilate said to Jesus, "Are you the King of the Jews?"... Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here." So Pilate said to him, "Then you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth (John 18:33b, 36-37).

Thus, Jesus knew the oppressive nature of secular kings, and in contrast to them, he connected his role as king to humble service, and commanded his followers to be servants as well. In other passages of Scripture, his kingdom is tied to his suffering and death. While Christ is coming to judge the nations, his teachings spell out a kingdom of justice and judgment balanced with radical love, mercy, peace, and forgiveness. When we celebrate Christ as King, we are not celebrating an oppressive ruler, but one willing to die for humanity and whose "loving-kindness endures forever." Christ is the king that gives us true freedom, freedom in Him. Thus we must never forget that Christ radically redefined and transformed the concept of kingship.

This year, on 26th of November we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King, the Second Person of the Trinity.  This feast establishes the titles for Christ's royalty over people: 1) Christ is God, the Creator of the universe and hence wields a supreme power over all things; "All things were created by Him"; 2) Christ is our Redeemer, He purchased us by His precious Blood, and made us His property and possession; 3) Christ is Head of the Church, "holding in all things the primacy"; 4) God bestowed upon Christ the nations of the world as His special possession and dominion.

Mt. 25:31-46 states, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. All the nations will be assembled before him and he will separate men one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats. He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right hand, “Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.” Next he will say to those on his left hand, “Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels… Then he will answer, “I tell you solemnly, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me.”

If you wish to be His subject, let us share his love and compassion to our brethren. Let us be a sparkle of hope to the hopeless. Let us be strengthened by Faith, Hope and Charity and march towards his kingdom and pray, O! Christ the King, Thy Kingdom come!

Your Friend and Servant,
+Felix Toppo, S.J

Beatification of Sister Rani Maria
The Catholic Church in India rejoices on the occasion of the Beatification of Sr. Rani Maria and gives thanks to God for giving the people of India another Saint as a model to imitate and as an intercessor in Heaven. Sr. Rani Maria will be beatified on Saturday, November 4, 2017, at Indore. Cardinal Angelo Amato, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, is coming down specially from the Vatican to preside over the Ceremony. All four Indian Cardinals, the Apostolic Nuncio to India, nearly 50 Bishops and hundreds of Priests, Sisters and lay faithful will participate in the Solemn Ceremony.

Sister Rani Maria Vattalil, a member of the Franciscan Clarist Congregation, was slain on 25th February, 1995. According to the Police she was stabbed 54 times in front of more than 50 bus passengers in a jungle area near Udainagar (Madhya Pradesh) allegedly at the behest of moneylenders affected by the nun's social work among village women, who were organizing self-help groups.

The Beatification of Sister Rani Maria is a declaration by the Pope as head of the Church that the deceased Sister had died a martyr's death and is now dwelling in heaven. As a process, the beatification consisted a long examination of the life, virtues, writings, and reputation for holiness. Sister Rani Maria will now be called “Blessed” and may be venerated by the faithful in India and some other specific places.

Samandar Singh, the man who served a prison term for the 1995 murder of Sr. Rani, told Asia News in 2010 “I accept full responsibility for my heinous murder of Sr. Rani Maria. I cannot say that I was instigated, because my own hands stabbed her repeatedly and for this, I will regret my actions till the day I die.”  He went on to say In my own small way, I try to follow her example, helping those who are less fortunate than me, like Tribal Christians and all those who are marginalised.”

The whole Catholic Church, while being filled with joy also looks upon Blessed Rani Maria as a model of sacrifice and selfless witness; May the Blessed Rani Maria intercede for us in our work for the deprived and marginalized sections of our society.

St. Paul’s Church, Maluka


This year, St. Paul’s Church, Maluka celebrated the World Mission Sunday with great joy and lot of fun. The faithful were instructed and educated that Mission Sunday is a moment for all Catholics in the world to support spiritually and materially the evangelising activities of the Church in the mission territories. As one family, the Parishioners of Maluka came together to raise fund for this noble cause. The day was a remarkable one in the diary of 2017. Mission Sunday was celebrated on 22nd October at St. Paul's church, Maluka. The day began with the Holy Eucharist. Fr. Dileep in his homily exhorted to share concerns of the universal Church and appreciate the work of catchiests and to generously support the Church to fulfil the duty of spreading the Good News. This year the parish had organised Food fest in the school campus. Soon after the mass, people actively participated and shared their love and joy. There were few games conducted and awarded with prizes. We also had special snacks, jal jeera in the menu. It was a great joy to see the women, men, children, youth, Sisters and Fathers going about doing their bit to raise fund for the missions Sunday. We could collect a handsome amount of ₹15000. Thanks to all who put their efforts​ to bring the day a memorable one. (Fr. Alex Darwin)

CDPI, Jharkhand Region Annual Convention at Catholic Charities, Sundernagar.


A two day CDPI (Conference of Diocesan Priests of India) JHAAN regional convention themed ‘Imbibing the spirit of Mother Theresa of Kolkata in the life and mission of a Priest’ was held at Catholic Charities, Sundernagar on 18-20 October, 2017. Priest delegates from all over Jharkhand region participated in this convention. The Convention was inaugurated by Rev. Sr. M. Sebastiano  M.C, the Regional Superior, Rev. Fr. David Vincent, the Vicar General, Rev. Bro. Shaji, M.C, Rev. C. R. Prabhu, Rev. Fr. John Crasta and Rev. Fr. Robert Dungdung. Sr. Sebastiano in her inaugural address emphasised the value of Prayer in our life and portrayed the life of Mother Theresa as ever shining example. Fr. Jerome Sequeira, S.J, the resource person, spoke at length about the importance of virtues of Mother Theresa in the life and ministry of a priest. Sincere thanks to all the office bearers for successfully organizing such an enriching event. It was unanimously felt that such programs should be organized at regular intervals. We look forward to next CDPI event. (Fr. Dileep Marandi)

Carmel Junior College, Sonari

Carmel junior college has been organizing BIBLICA, Believe in Bible Live in Christ Alone, an inter-school get together of all Catholic and Christian students of catholic and Christian schools, of Jamshedpur Diocese. It began as a thought of a student of standard seven and came into existence because of the support of management and faculty of the school. It aims at bringing the Christian youth of Jamshedpur schools together that they may know each other.  It gives the students a platform to showcase their talent.  This is not a competition. The programme aims at spreading the GOOD NEWS and get the youth into the habit of reading spiritual books. Various activities are conducted related to bible. Till date Gospels of Mark, Luke, Mathew and Acts of the Apostles has been covered.  The other topics covered through this programme were about Saints, Mother Veronica, and Mother Mary.  Schools like St. Mary’s English School, Loyola, Little Flower, Sacred Heart Convent School, and Carmel Junior College have been participating.

The 5th ANNUAL PROGRAMME OF BIBLICA was conducted on the 28th of November 2017.  It was inaugurated by Rt. Rev. Bishop Felix Toppo. The programme began with the lighting of the lamp.  Fr. Pius Principal of Loyola school, Fr. Jilson, Secretary of the Bishop Fr. Valerian Lobo, in- charge of all religious activities of Jamshedpur diocese were present for the programme. The faculty, staff and the students along with the teachers and students representative took part in and sang the BIBLICA anthem.  Rt. Rev. Bishop Felix Toppo spoke on the topic ‘Virtues  of Mother Mary’. The talk was indeed enlightening and effective.

The  first event of the day was a quiz on “Mother Mary” students learnt from the material provided. The winners of the quiz were the students of Carmel Junior College, in the second place was Loyola and the third place was backed by Little Flower School. 

Other events of  were: • A skit on the Virtues of Mother Mary, • Compose and sing with ‘UNITY ‘as the theme, • Action songs, • Treasure hunt. 

The students were provided with snacks and lunch. Every student and teacher who participated in the programme received a memento and a participation certificate at the end of the programme. We congratulate Sr. Lini A.C, the principal, Staff and students for this wonderful programme. 

Diwali Celebration


Diwali, the festival of lights was celebrated in Catholic Charities, Samekit Jan Vikas Kendra and Vikas Bharati on 17 October 2017.  The main objective was to spread the message of ‘Sustainable Development Goals’.  The Director Fr. Alwin C.V shared the objective of the celebration and Fr. C. R Prabhu stressed that even in Sustainable Development Goals, the first goal is to ‘eradicate poverty”.  We should focus on lighting the lives of poor people.

The program further continued with lighting of Sustainable Development Goals made in the form of ‘Rangoli’. Further guest speaker Mrs. Ritu Kalipa representing Bharat Soka Gakkai, a Buddhist organization focused on cherishing every individuals. She highlighted on importance of eradicating negativity from one’s own life in order to understand the positivity in others.

The Vicar General of Jamshedpur Diocese, Fr. David Vincent shared that light is wisdom, light is positivity and one should focus on lighting own inner self. Among guest speakers, Mr. Rajkumar, Vice President, Zila Parishad appreciated the objective of diwali celebration. He was overwhelmed by the Rangoli on Sustainable Development Goals. 

The students from St. Peter School, Parsudih presented a classical dance and Skit on Save Earth. The Brothers from Pratisha presented a song. The program ended with vote of thanks by Sr. Luisa Joseph. The entire program was designed and implemented under the guidance of Fr. Birendar Tete. All Staff  of CCJ/SJVK and Vikas Bharati  made this event a grand success.

UCPI Prays for India

On 19th Oct. 2017 the United Christian Prayer for India (UCPI) team from Jamshedpur gathered together in St. Robert’s School hall to pray for India. Around 80 people from different denominations took part in it. Fr. John Ottapalakal, the Parish Priest of St. Robert’s Church, Parsudih led the community into prayer followed by praise and worship. Through different prayers and short messages from selected people made the whole atmosphere really serene and holy. At the end, the Valerian Lobo thanked everyone present and concluded the prayer service with a prayer. At the end, tea and snacks were served to everyone.

Dhanbad Deanery Youth Convention
On 21st and 22nd October 2017, Nirmal School/Hospital campus was vibrant due to the presence of 61 youths of Dhanbad deanery. Incessant rains on 21st morning could not dampen the spirit of these youth. The day began with prayer and the first session was animated by Fr. Bipin Pani, the Director of DSWC, Govindpur on the theme: Apne Apko Jano” through Jowari Window. Later on Fr. Valerian Lobo continued the session, closing the day with a short cultural programme. The following morning, Fr. James Surin led everyone into prayer and meditation. After the breakfast, the pros and cons of addiction of any kind were highlighted in detail with various thoughts and examples from our own society. The day concluded with a solemn Holy Eucharist presided over by Fr. Bipin Pani along with 5 concelebrants. During the Mass instead of homily, the meaning and the adverse impact of “Bhumi Adhigrahan Bill” And “Anti Conversion Bill” was explained by Fr. Valerian Lobo. The programme concluded with thanking one and all for whole-hearted co-operation. A special thanks to Fr. Bipin and his vibrant team.   

Jamshedpur Deanery Krus Vir Convention


On 29th Oct 2017 was a day of celebration for all the Catholic children of Jamshedpur deanery. The venue for the convention was St. Mary’s English School, Bistupur. The day began with lighting of the lamp, Bible reading and a short prayer. Fr. Ranjit Minj S.J. was the main speaker of the day who in a simple but meaningfully explained the theme “Krus Vir: Parivar ka Anand”. Thereafter, the quiz competition kept the participants on their toes. After the lunch, a short film “Kirdar” was shown in order to bring out the meaning of the theme. The Holy Eucharist presided by Fr. Edward Saldana, the parish priest of St. Mary’s Church, and lovely homily by Fr. Jilson brought a bountiful blessings on everyone. At the end, everyone left for their respective parishes with hope that next year we will meet again. Thanks to all the people who generously helped to organise the convention so meticulously. (Fr. Valerian Lobo)

National Conference of Council of Catholic Women in India

The 24th National Conference of Council of Catholic Women in India (CCWI) was held in Mumbai from 10th to 12th of October, 2017. The theme of the conference was ‘Women Builders of Bridges’. 250 women from all over India attended the conference. Mrs Nikunjbala Francis, Mrs Sushila Kipota , Mrs Manisha Topno, Mrs Emelda Jojo, Mrs Namlen Tirkey, Mrs Lusy Singh & Mrs Madhulika Toppo attended the programme from our diocese. An action plan was given at the Conference for 3 years. They are:
·         Building bridges in one’s family.
·         Building bridges in one’s unit and Church.
·         Building bridges in one’s community.
·         Start propagating Climate Change.

The New Committee of CCWI was elected on the last day of the Conference. Mrs Manisha Topno of Jamshedpur diocese has been elected as the Vice- President of CCWI. (Mrs Manisha Topno)

Bible Quiz -55 Mat.:20: 23-40
For us, the Christians, the Resurrection is very important. Our faith is based on the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus, in his teaching categorically emphasises, the importance of it and invites us to reflect and take part in this priceless gift. Let us thank the Lord for this generous gift and prepare ourselves for the new life.

  • 1 The Sadducees did not believe in the Resurrection. Right or wrong?
  • 2.      Who said that if a man dies childless, his brother must marry the widow and raise up children for his dead brother?
  • 3.      Who said to whom : “Neither you know the Holy Scripture, nor the power of God?
  • 4.      In the Resurrection, what will happen to men and women?
  • 5.      Complete the sentence: “I am the God of Abraham, the God of  ________and the God of_______.
  • 6.      Our God is not of the dead! Then whose God is He?
  • 7.      According to Jesus, which is the greatest commandment?
  • 8.      Whose feast is celebrated on December 03rd ?
  • 9.      What do you know about St. Francis Xavier? Explain in five sentences.
  • 10.  Among the seven sacraments which are the sacraments received only once?


Dates to Remember
18th November: Meeting of the Heads of Diocesan and Religious Schools at Bishop’s House, Golmuri at 9.30 am
25th November: Meeting of the Superiors of the Religious Houses at Bishop’s House, Golmuri at 9.30 am
21st November, to 24th: Catechists’ Seminar at Divya Bharati Diocesan Pastoral Centre, Chaibasa.

Marriage Preparation Course
At Divya Bharati Diocesan Pastoral Centre: December 4th Morning to 8th evening. (₹800 for residents and ₹ 600 for non-residents (per person). The Recommendation letter from the Parish Priest is a must.
At St. Joseph’s  Welfare Centre, Golmuri: 28th November to 2nd December. For details, please contact Fr. David Vincent.

BIRTHDAY BABIES – November
Date
Name
01
         JILSON T L
10
JONDKO KANDEYANG
11
VALERIAN LOBO
21
MOST. REV. FELIX TOPPO, SJ
                                                     

BISHOP’S ENGAGEMENTS
                                     NOVEMBER 2017
02
Thur
03.00 p.m.
Mass at Beldih Cemetery
JSR
04
Sat
10.30 am
Golden Jubilee of Sr. Gerardine Lobo, Holy Child
Purulia

05.30 pm
DSWC GB Meeting
Govindpur
05
Sun
03.00 pm
Mass at Divya Jyoti
Sundernagar
08
Wed
08.00 am
Annual Feast and Eucharistic celebration
Khuntpani
09-10
Thur..
 09.00 am
Meeting on Tribal Affairs at SDC
Ranchi
11
Sat
09.30 am
Fr. Faustin Lobo at Cath. Charities
Sundernagar
12
Sun
10.00 am
Silver Jubilee of Sr. Tessy, H.C.
Pramathnagar
14
Tue
10.00 am
Meeting of the JHAAN RBC with Delegates at SDC
Ranchi
15
Wed
09.00 am
Meeting of the JHAAN RBC till 01.00 p.m.
Ranchi
18
Sat
09.30 am
Meeting of the Heads of the Dio. And Rel. Schools
Golmuri
19
Sun
08.00 am
First Communion and Confirmation
Khuntpani
20
Mon
09.30 am
CBCI- SME-NI Governing Board Meeting
Mandar
25
Sat
09.30 am
Meeting  with the Superiors of the Rel. Houses
Golmuri
26
Sun
01.00 pm
Feast of Christ the King. Mass/ Procession,
Telco
28-29
Tue…
AM-PM
RBC/CRI/CDPI Meeting
Ranchi






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