Wednesday, December 6, 2017




Catholic Diocese of Jamshedpur


Vol. 47 No. 12                      Private Circulation Only                  December– 2017

 
 


Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

First and foremost, I wish you all a blessed and joyful Christmas. Christmas brings a message of love and peace not only for Christians but also for the whole humanity. It is a story of an infinite love of a Father for His children. God sent His only Son to the world that the world may not perish due to sin and may Jesus, His Son, through his life, death and resurrection pay the price of our sin. In order to understand this unfathomable love of God we need to learn the purpose for the creation of humanity.
God is love and the source of all goodness. His heart is brimming with infinite love. It is to share this divine love that God created man and bestowed in him the ability to love and to be loved. God created man in His image and likeness that the he may experience love and share that love with his Creator. He filled man with an eternal soul and the ability to know and to understand the difference between good and evil. He blessed him with intelligence and gave him the freedom to choose. Anyone, with the use of his intellect and knowledge, acknowledges good and peruses it will be fulfilling the eternal design God has planned for him: to be with Him forever in heaven. And anyone who uses his abilities to peruse evil and turn himself away from the love of God will suffer eternal condemnation. 

Of all visible creatures, only man is "able to know and love his creator". He is "the only creature on earth that God has willed for its own sake", and he alone is called to share, by knowledge and love, in God's own life. It was for this end that he was created, and this is the fundamental reason for his dignity (CCC356).

William Shakespeare said,

“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances; …

But the earth we live in, is not merely a stage, it’s an altar; and our deeds are not acts, but sacrifices on this sacred altar, the earth. Whenever man offers an offering pleasing to God, he makes the altar more holy. Whenever the deeds of man corrupts the offering, he defiles the altar, the earth. The changes that we see around, the failing of eco-system, natural calamities unexpected disasters etc., are often the result of tarnished earth by the acts of hatred and violence.

But God does not abandon his children. Every Christmas is a reminder of that infinite love God has for us. We know, Christmas is the celebration of God becoming man; God in His infinite goodness and love send His only Son into the world. And He was born of a virgin. Fulfilling His Father’s desire, Jesus came to the world with a specific mission. His mission was: to teach the people of God, as a prophet and teacher, the rudiments of Divine Love and strengthen them spiritually; to guide and shepherd the flock of God; and to offer Himself as an atoning sacrifice for the salvation of souls. Thus, the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth was Jesus’ ultimate mission.      

Jesus’s mission that began at the manger, culminates on the cross. His resurrection is the testimony of the foundation of the Kingdom of God.  Jesus’ through his birth, life, death and resurrection animates the Church with the Life of God and we become the members of his body, the Church; Our faith is strengthened, hope is rejuvenated, human love is united with the Divine and peace permeates in our hearts.  It is thus, the mission of Christ is accomplished.

The world has changed with the change of times. There are tensions between nations, wars have created chaos; internal and external terrorism in our country have ruined our peace and harmony. Corruption has permeated even into politics. The people who vowed to serve are often living a luxurious life at the cost of the common man. Religious fanaticism and narrow mentality slowly corrodes the very fabric of society. In the name of development tribals and the vulnerable are exploited. In our state, Christians and their identity is being tarnished. It is now, more than ever, the message of Christmas is relevant: God loves everyone and wishes that man reciprocates His love. It is only in love we can find peace. Let love remain supreme.  

Incarnation is the explicit expression of Divine Mercy. Let our celebrations be simple and noble. Let us celebrate it with our fellow brethren who are less-privileged, share with them the joy and happiness of Christmas. Let us pay more attention to the spiritual dimension of Christmas, let us try to reciprocate the love God has for us. 1Jn.4:20 says, “We love because He loved us first.  If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen”. It is by loving others we can love God and it is only then, we can really receive the Lord in our hearts and be gracious recipients of His blessings. I wish all of you a Happy and Joyous Christmas.

+ Felix Toppo, S.J
                                                                                             Bishop of Jamshedpur

The Annual Feast of Our Lady of Khuntpani

The annual Feast of Khuntpani in remembrance of the 145rd anniversary of the first baptism of tribals in Chotanagpur was celebrated with grandeur on 8th November 2017. From early  morning onwards faithful from far and wide began to fill the beautifully decked campus. A long queue of girls dancing to the melodious tune of mandar led the celebrants Most Rev. Felix Toppo, S.J. Bishop of Jamshedpur and over five dozen Priests to the altar after the traditional rituals were performed at the SmritiPathar. Bishop Felix Toppo, S.J, who resided over the Solemn Eucharistic celebration spoke to the crowd about Mother Mary and her deep devotion to her son Jesus. Fr. Camille Hembrom later translated his homily into Ho for the convenience of many faithful. The choir from Jhinkpani and Maluka parishes with their hymns led by Rev. Frs. Dileep Marandi and Michael Jojo and the occasional commentary in Hindi and Ho languages by Rev. Fr. Bipin Barla made the liturgy more meaningful and prayerful.

Hearty congratulations to Frs. Junas Purty, Halan Bodra and the local community who made wonderful arrangements for the Khuntpani Feast. (Fr. Valerian Lobo)

Nature Took Care of Us; now it’s our Time To Pay Back


The earth is not going to be green forever. The longer that we take care of it, the longer it will last. Taking small steps such as recycling, saving energy and plantations etc., will help the mother Earth to survive for a much longer time. The more we can teach the conservation and value of Mother Earth to others the more we are helping to save the environment. Since we only have one planet to live on, we need to start to invest in the environment and save it for all of our generations to come.

Keeping in mind the above objectives, the Catholic Charities, Sundernagar organized a “GO GREEN EXHIBITION” at Basic School in Anandpur block. A teacher and two students each of 25 schools of Anandpur block brought their models to exhibit which were based on various environmental themes. Honourable Mrs. Jobha Manjhi  MLA of Manoharpur was the chief guest who in her speech  highlighted the importance of protecting and preserving the environment and also briefed the gathering about the various projects being implemented to save the mother earth by the government. Prior to that Rev. Fr. C.R. Prabhu welcomed all and spoke about the objectives of the programme. On this occasion Mr. Manoj Tiwari the BDO of Anandpur block, BEEO, Fr. Camille Hembrom and Fr. Alex Dodrai encouraged and congratulated the teachers and students for their good works. There were about 200 people present for the programme. All the schools were given a memento and a certificate. After the programme five Ashoka plants were planted by the Chief Guest and others in the premise of the Basic school. Fr. Alwin, Fr. Birendra, Sr. Luisa, Sr. Eliani and many staff of the Catholic Charities were also present for the same. (Fr. Birendra Tete )

Krus Vir Convention, Dhanbad



On 19th November, 2017, Krus vir convention for Dhanbad deanery parishes was organised at Nirmal School, Govindpur. As per the schedule, children from different parishes gathered at the school campus with great enthusiasm. The krus vir children from Nirmal School led the opening prayer and welcomed everyone with prayer dance. The theme of the convention was “Krus vir –Parivar ka Anand” and Fr. Bipin Pani explained the theme through examples and stories. Quiz was another occasion to witness the enthusiasm and preparation of the children. Gomoh parish was the winner at the end. After lunch, children staged drama, dances and sang songs. At the end we had a “dhum-dham” Eucharistic Celebration presided over by Fr. Alex Sj. All the winners as well as the participants received gifts before they left for their respective destination. A big thanks to Frs. Bipin Pani, James Surin, Pascal Toppo, sisters and the dedicated staff of Nirmala School and hospital.

Catechetical Training programme at Divya Bharati, Chaibasa
On 22nd and 23rd Nov. 2017  a two-day ongoing training programme for the catechists was organised at Divya Bharati, Diocesan pastoral Centre, Chaibasa. The theme of the seminar was “The importance of family and how to accompany them in their journey”. The input sessions were based on Amoris Latetia – The joy of love. The various aspects and effects of Anti conversion bill too was discussed on second day. It was felt that many more catechists need to be encouraged to attend the ongoing formation.

St. Paul’s Church, Maluka


The solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe was celebrated at St. Paul's Church, Maluka with great joy. The faithful gathered at the entrance of the school gate. The Holy Eucharist was a carried in procession. People welcomed the King of kings in loud music and hymns. They recited rosaries and shouted "Jesus, Our King". The procession proceeded towards the church. After few minutes of adoration and we had a solemn Eucharistic celebration.




St. Paul’s Church, Maluka celebrated Bible Sunday on November 12 this year to remind and encourage our parishioners to read and reflect on the Bible, the treasury of the Church's teachings and a major source of inspiration and comfort for all who believe.  It was indeed a great joy that all our parishioners actively participated with full enthusiasm. They delivered the Word of God through Biblical poster and Biblical acts.  The main objective of these activities was to inspire or encourage our parishioners and their families to read Bible; reflect more deeply on the meaning behind God's Words and learn how they can be applied in their daily lives. The complete Bible was delivered in a nutshell.  The Faithful benefited a lot from this exhibition. After the exhibition, the Holy Bible was carried in procession with full reverence and placed on the specially prepared Lector by the main celebrant Fr.  David Vincent. He exhorted in his homily the real value of the living Word of God and how a person can carry in one’s own life and reach it to others. After the mass, Tea and snacks were served to the all parishioners. Congrats to all who worked hard to make it successful. 

St. Joseph’s cathedral, Golmuri
A grand First Holy Communion Day was celebrated at St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Golmuri on 19th November, 2016. The ceremony began with the solemn Eucharistic celebration. St. Joseph’s schoolchildren escorted the First Holy Communicants and the priests with entrance dance to the altar. Rt. Rev. Bishop Felix Toppo, S.J presided over the Holy Eucharist and Fr. Hilarius Kongari S.J. preached the homily. The preacher beautifully explained the salvation history; God’s love is higher than the ocean. God’s love is unconditional and he forgives the sins of people unconditionally. He exhorted the children to be at the state of grace to receive the Lord, not just on the First Holy Communion, but for the rest of their life.

The choir created divine atmosphere with meaningful hymns and melodies music. 36 children received Jesus in their hearts in the form of bread and wine and their joy knew no bounds. Soon after the Mass, there was prize distribution ceremony for the bible competition held at Golmuri, Mercy Chapel and Gyandeep. The names of winners of quiz, slogan, essay and poem were called out and Bishop Felix Toppo, S.J and Fr. Hilarius Kongari, S.J gave away the prizes to the winners. A good number of the faithful turned up for the celebration. Thanks and congratulations to Fr. David Vincent, P.P., other priests, sisters, well-wishers and teachers. (Fr. Manoj Tigga)


Birthday Wishes - December
03
Fr Junas Bhengra
04
Fr Ajay Tiru



                                        BISHOP’S ENGAGEMENTS
                                                          
                                                                      DECEMBER 2017




02
Sat
05.00 pm
Closing of Diamond Jubilee St. Joseph’s School
Golmuri
03
Sun
07.30 am
Golden Jubilee. St. Xavier’s Church
Chaibasa
06.00 pm
St. Xavier’s School, Annual Day
Saraikela
05
Tue
09.00 am
Diocesan Consult/ JDC GB Meeting
Golmuri
06
Wed
05.30 pm
Diaconate ordination of Br. Mukesh Kerketta
Golmuri
09
Sat
10.30 am
Mass. Golden Jubilee of Sr. Alma, M.C.
Dhanbad
10
Sun
07.00 am
Parish Golden Jubilee
Mosaboni
06.00 pm
Golden Jubilee of Sr. Cabrini, SSH at Provincialate
Pardih
12
Tue
P.M.
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Mass
Telco
15
Fri
P.M.
Silver Jubilee of St. Xavier’s English School
Chaibasa
16
Sat
09.30 am
Christmas Milan
Golmuri
17
Sun
10.30 am
Jubilee Mass in the Parish
Sini
23
Sat
10.30 am
Christmas Milan at Catholic Charities
Sundernagar
05.30 pm
Christmas Milan at Cheshire Home
Sundernagar



 Catholic Diocese of Jamshedpur wishes 
you a Blessed Christmas
 & 
a Joyous New Year 2018


 


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