JAMSHEDPUR DIOCESE

Catholic Diocese of Jamshedpur

Vol. 47 No. 5                          Private Circulation Only                  May– 2017

 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Jesus,

The month of May is the "month which the piety of the faithful has especially dedicated to Our Blessed Lady," and it is the occasion for a "moving tribute of faith and love which Catholics in every part of the world [pay] to the Queen of Heaven. During this month Christians, both in church and in the privacy of the home, offer up to Mary from their hearts an especially fervent and loving homage of prayer and veneration. In this month, too, the benefits of God's mercy come down to us from her throne in greater abundance" (Paul VI: Encyclical on the Month of May, no. 1).

This Christian custom of dedicating the month of May to the Blessed Virgin arose at the end of the 13th century. In this way, the Church was able to Christianize the secular feasts which were wont to take place at that time. In the 16th century, books appeared and fostered this devotion.

The practice became especially popular among the members of the Jesuit Order — by 1700 it took hold among their students at the Roman College and a bit later it was publicly practiced in the Gesu Church in Rome. From there it spread to the whole Church.

The practice was granted a partial indulgence by Pius VII in 1815 and a plenary indulgence by Pius IX in 1859. With the complete revision of indulgences in 1966 and the decreased emphasis on specific indulgences, it no longer carries an indulgence; however it certainly falls within the category of the First General Grant of Indulgences. (A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who, in the performance of their duties and in bearing the trials of life, raise their mind with humble confidence to God, adding — even if only mentally — some pious invocation.

The Month of Mary and the Popes

The pious practice of honoring Mary during the month of May has been especially recommended by the Popes. Pius XII made frequent reference to it and in his great Encyclical on the Sacred Liturgy (Mediator Dei) characterized it as one of "other exercises of piety which although not strictly belonging to the Sacred Liturgy, are nevertheless of special import and dignity, and may be considered in a certain way to be an addition to the liturgical cult: they have been approved and praised over and over again by the Apostolic See and by the Bishops" (no. 182).

Paul VI wrote a short encyclical in 1965 using the Month of Mary devotion as a means of obtaining prayers for peace. He urged the faithful to make use of this practice which is "gladdening and consoling" and by which the Blessed Virgin Mary is honored and the Christian people are enriched with spiritual gifts" (no. 2).

In May of 2002 Pope Saint John Paul II said, "Today we begin the month dedicated to Our Lady a favourite of popular devotion. In accord with a long-standing tradition of devotion, parishes and families continue to make the month of May a 'Marian' month, celebrating it with many devout liturgical, catechetical and pastoral initiatives!"

This devotion had a profound impact on the devotional life of Pope Francis. As archbishop of Buenos Aires, he introduced and encouraged the devotion to Our Lady, Undoer of Knots. The devotion was so intensely popular throughout Argentina and Brazil that the British Guardian called it “a religious craze.”

The Prayer to Our Lady, Undoer of Knots is as follows:

“Virgin Mary, Mother of fair love, Mother who never refuses to come to the aid of a child in need, Mother whose hands never cease to serve your beloved children because they are moved by the divine love and immense mercy that exists in your heart, cast your compassionate eyes upon me and see the snarl of knots that exist in my life. You know very well how desperate I am, my pain, and how I am bound by these knots. Mary, Mother to whom God entrusted the undoing of the knots in the lives of His children, I entrust into your hands the ribbon of my life. No one, not even the Evil One himself, can take it away from your precious care. In your hands, there is no knot that cannot be undone. Powerful Mother, by your grace and intercessory power with your Son and my liberator, Jesus, take into your hands today this knot. (Mention your petition here.)

I beg you to undo it for the glory of God, once for all. You are my hope. O my Lady, you are the only consolation God gives me, the fortification of my feeble strength, the enrichment of my destitution, and, with Christ, the freedom from my chains. Hear my plea. Keep me, guide me, protect me, O safe refuge.”

This beautiful prayer, similar to the “Memorare,” moves us to invoke the compassion of our Blessed Mother. In her maternal care for each of us, she wants us to remain close to her Son, Jesus. Never would she want the burdens of life to cause us to lose hope or despair.

Devotion to Mary

The Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mother of the Church and therefore the example, as well as the guide and inspiration, of everyone who, in and through the Church, seeks to be the servant of God and man and the obedient agent of the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Wherever there is faith there is the example of Mary, because she lived by faith as the Scriptures remind us....

Mary and Our Spiritual Life

In our observance of the Marian month we should take into account the season of the Liturgical Year which largely corresponds with the fifty days of Easter. Our pious exercises could emphasize Our Lady's participation in the Paschal mystery and in Pentecost with which the Church begins. The pious exercises connected with the month of May can easily highlight the earthly role played by the glorified Queen of Heaven, here and now, in the celebration of the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist.

The following practices which are recommended by the Magisterium are offered as suggestions for honoring Our Lady during Her month.

The Regina Coeli

The ecclesial community addresses this antiphon to Mary for the Resurrection of her Son. It adverts to, and depends on, the invitation to joy addressed by Gabriel to the Lord's humble servant who was called to become the Mother of the saving Messiah.

The Rosary

Also called the Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Rosary is one of the most excellent prayers to the Mother of God. Thus, "the Roman Pontiffs have repeatedly exhorted the faithful to the frequent recitation of this biblically inspired prayer which is centered on contemplation of the salvific events of Christ's life, and their close association with the Virgin Mother."

Litanies of the Blessed Virgin Mary
These consist of a long series of invocations to Our Lady, which follow in a uniform rhythm, thereby creating a stream of prayer characterized by insistent praise and supplication.

Consecration and Entrustment to Mary
The Roman Pontiffs have frequently expressed appreciation for the pious practice of "consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary" and the formulas publicly used by them are well known.

Louis Grignon de Montfort is one of the great masters of the spirituality underlying the act of "consecration to Mary". He "proposed to the faithful consecration to Jesus through Mary, as an effective way of living out their baptismal commitment."

The Brown Scapular and other Scapulars

The scapular is an external sign of the filial relationship established between the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother and Queen of Mount Carmel, and the faithful who entrust themselves totally to her protection, who have recourse to her maternal intercession, who are mindful of the primacy of the spiritual life and the need for prayer.

Medals
These are witnesses of faith and a sign of veneration of the Holy Mother of God, as well as of trust in her maternal protection.

The Church blesses such objects of Marian devotion in the belief that "they help to remind the faithful of the love of God, and to increase trust in the Blessed Virgin Mary."

The Litany of the Blessed Virgin

The Litany of the Blessed Virgin–also called the Litany of Loreto–is one of the many Marian litanies, or praises of Mary, composed during the Middle Ages. The place of honor it now holds, in the life of the Church, is due its faithful use at the shrine of the Holy House at Loreto, which, according to tradition, was the small cottage-like home where the Holy Family had lived and which was miraculously transported by angels, in 1291, from the Holy Land to its present location in Loreto. It was definitely recommended by Pope Clement VII and approved by Sixtus V in 1587, and all other Marian litanies were suppressed, at least for public use.

Its forty-nine titles (fifty, or fifty-one, or even more, in some versions: with "Mother of the Church" and "Mother of Mercy" and being the 'official' 'newcomers' in recent times and which are included on the Vatican website version) and invocations set before us Mary's exalted privileges, her holiness of life, her amiability and power, her motherly spirit and queenly majesty. Reflection on the titles of the litany, therefore, will unfold before us a magnificent picture of our heavenly Mother, even though we know little about her life.

In form, the Litany of Loreto is composed on a fixed plan common to several Marian litanies already in existence during the second half of the fifteenth century, which in turn are connected with a notable series of Marian litanies that began to appear in the twelfth century and became numerous in the thirteenth and fourteenth. The Loreto text had, however, the good fortune to be adopted in the famous shrine, and in this way to become known, more than any other, to the many pilgrims who flocked there during the sixteenth century. The text was brought home to the various countries of Christendom, and finally it received for all time the supreme ecclesiastical sanction.

Sixtus V, who had entertained a singular devotion for Loreto, by the Bull "Reddituri" of 11 July, 1587, gave formal approval to it, as to the litany of the Holy Name of Jesus, and recommended preachers everywhere to propagate its use among the faithful.

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)

Catholic Charities -Program Evaluation

This year too, Catholic Charities, Samekit Jan Vikas Kendra and Vikas Bharati organized a two days’ program from 25^th-26 April. It was conducted with the objective to do critical analysis of the entire programs for the period - April 2016-March 2017.

The program was inaugurated by Mr. Sidhartha Shankaran, District Manager, NABARD, East Singhbhum. In his speech he shared that he knew about the organizational activities but with the intention of being motivated by the activities he accepted the invitation. He motivated everyone to do their own analysis of Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat - for moving forward in right direction.

Fr. C. R. Prabhu in his welcome message addressed that it’s a time to think BIG with specific goals. He encouraged us to learn from challenges. He stressed upon changing our strategy from project mode to program mode.

In these two days, staff presented their work, based on specified format. The work mostly covered food security, livelihood, women empowerment, education and health. During the program, the President of the organization Most Rev. Bishop Dr. Felix Toppo SJ and Vice President Fr. David Vincent also motivated the staff by their encouraging words. The entire program was designed by Assistant Director Fr. Alwin C.V., Fr. Birender Tete along with the coordinators. 

The World Earth Day Celebration

It’s the perfect time to start thinking about the planet we live on – and how to save it. It is very necessary to maintain the natural assets of the earth in order to continue the life on the earth. In the rush of the crowd, the most intelligent creature of the God called human is slowly losing its humanity and forgot to take care of the planet that gave it life and started using its resources very ruthlessly. Therefore, the earth day is marked to make the human race get aware the importance of their planet. It also recognizes a collective responsibility to promote harmony with nature and the earth to achieve a just balance among the economic, social and environment needs of present and future generations of humanity. The United Nations has kept the theme for 2017 is “Environmental & Climate Literacy.”

Catholic Charities Jamshedpur, in collaboration with Jharkhand government and Dalma Rotary Club organized the World Earth Day in the premises of Golmuri Block on 22 April, 2017. The program began at Karandih chowk, where the students of five neibouring schools namely S.S. High School, Karandih, St. Jude’s Middle School, Sundernagar, St. Peter’s High School, Karandih, St. Xavier’s High School, Khasmahal, Holy Cross School, Ghasiajhopri gathered for a rally. The honourable chief guest Mrs. Parul Singh the BDO of Golmuri along with the Mr. Rajkuamr Singh the vice president of Zila Parishad flagged off the rally. The students of S.S. High School, Karandih drew the attentions of all with their mind blowing nukkad natak performance. There were around 1000 people present to mark this day. Fr. C.R. Prabhu in his speech highlighted the importance of the day and the necessity of doing something worthwhile for the earth our common home. On this great occasion Mr. Rajkumar the vice president of Zila Parishad, Mr. Suman the president of Dalma Rotary Club and many other distinguished guests were present. At the end the mementos were given to all the principals, guests and the head of the different institutions.

A Rally on World Earth Day

The Catholic Charities Jamshedpur organized a rally to mark the World Earth Day on 21 April in Tentla Panchayat of Potka Block, where three schools namely Primary School Tentla, Rajkiya middle school Gitilata and Tirildih participated. There were more than 500 students.  The main purpose of it was to create awareness among the students. It was very nice to see the students participating whole heartedly as they shouted slogans on preserving the natural assets and the earth. The mukhiya of Tentla Panchayat Miss Dipantari Sardar was the chief guest who in her speech made the students aware of the present situation of the earth and environment. She also congratulated the Catholic Charities for having organized it.

St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Golmuri

May 1^st was a remarkable day for the parishioners of St Joseph’s Cathedral, Golmuri. The Parish Day was celebrated with lots of joy, pomp and glory. The festivity began with the solemn Eucharistic celebration presided by Ret. Rev. Bishop Felix Toppo, S. J. at 5.30 P.M. In the Eucharistic Celebrations the faithful prayed for all the workers and sought blessings on everyone. Bishop blessed all the workers and their tools in the Mass. Cultural Programme at the welfare center presented by the parishioners was appreciated by all. In this function, many parishioners were honored for their service to the Parish.  Congratulations to Frs. Camille Hembrom, Fr. A. Alphonse and Fr. Maria Charles for the successful Parish Day Celebrations.

Vocation Promotion Camp-2017

Vocation Promotion Camp was held in the month of April 2^nd to 7^th at Vianney Niwas in Sundernagar. There were 56 boys from different dioceses all around Jharkhand. Resource persons for the Vocation Camp were Rt. Rev. Bishop Felix Topp, S.J and Frs. David Vincent, Jerry Cutinha, SJ, Dileep Marandi, Joseph Surin, SJ, Jerome Sequeira SJ, C. R. Prabhu and Sr. Sushila SCJM. All the resource persons instilled in the minds of the young men the seeds of vocation.

One day was set aside for Jamshedpur Darshan. The candidates visited Jubilee Park, Loyola School, XLRI, St. Mary’s English School and Bishop’s House. After many interviews the diocese selected 15 boys and the province selected 41 boys for candidacy. Congratulations to Frs. Michael Deogam and Ranjit Minj SJ for their meticulous arrangements and planning for the success of Vocation Promotion Camp-2017. (Bro. Balaji)

Chrism Mass

This year Chrism Mass was celebrated on 11^th April, 2017. The day began with the Clergy meeting proceeded by a talk and Benediction. There were many priests and religious for the Mass and the Cathedral was packed with the faithful. The celestial choir by the Cathedral parish added beauty to the liturgical celebrations. On this gracious occasion, four priests, namely, Frs. John Sumbrui, S.J, Fabian Bhuinya, S.J, Xavier Ekka, S.J and Ranjit Beck CsSR were felicitated for their 25 years of service to the Church as Priests of the Lord.

Rev. Deacons Fabian Toppo and X. Darwin Alex will be elevated to the Order of Priesthood on 10^th May, 2017 at Sacred Heart Church, Kurdeg, Simdega and 21^st May, 2017 at St. Mathew’s Church, Pallam, Tamil Nadu respectively. Kindly pray for the ordinati and attend the ceremony if possible.

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 2017
01		Mon	06.30 am	Mass: Feast of St. Joseph the Worker	Golmuri
02		Tue	AM-PM	JSR to Ranchi to Bangalore
03-05		Wed..	AM-PM	CBCI Standing Committee Meeting	Bangalore
06		Sat	AM-PM	Bangalore to Ranchi to Dhanbad
07		Sun	07.00 am	Confirmation. St Anthony’s Church	Dhanbad
			PM	To Delhi
08		Mon...	AM-PM	Meeting in Delhi, CBCI Commission of Tribal Affairs	Delhi
09		Tue	AM-PM	To Ranchi to Simdega
10		Wed	06.00 am	Sacerdotal Ordination of Dn. Fabian Toppo	Kurdeg
14		Sun	07.00 am	Confirmation, St. Joseph’s Church	Gua-Kiriburu
16		Tue	09.30 am	Diocesan Consult/JDC Governing Board Meeting	Golmuri
18		Thurs	07.30 am	Jubilee of Fr. Fabian Bhuinyan, S.J in Keduda Villa.	Omra
21		Sun	07.30 am	Confirmation, St. Joseph’s Cathedral	Golmuri