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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