FEASTDAYS BIRTHDAYS ORDINATION ANNIVERSARY REST IN PEACE. Feast of St. Sebastian, Kallady

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1 FEASTDAYS Bro. J. Dominic Savio, F.C 05 th, Sr. Maria Jasmine, A.C 17 th, BIRTHDAYS Fr. Lloyd Antony Lorio, S.J 10 th, Fr. T. Sahayanathan, S.J 10 th, Fr. Jeyanixon 18 th, Fr. J.I. Chandra 19 th, Fr. D. Saminathan 21 st, Fr. G. Alex Robert 24 th, Fr. Jino Sulaxshan 28 th, Sr. Maria Jasmine, A.C 17 th, Sr. Roshani, A.C 23 rd, Feast of St. Sebastian, Kallady The feast of St. Sebastian, Kallady was celebrated in a grand manner on April 26th, Bishop Joseph was the Chief celebrant at the Holy Mass. Congratulations to Fr. Ahil SJ who organized the feast in a fantastic way. ORDINATION ANNIVERSARY Fr. Joel Kulanayagam, S.J 01 st, Fr. C.V. Annadas 14 th, Fr. S. Emmanuel 20 th, Bp. J. Ponniah Epis. Ord. (Aux) 24 th, REST IN PEACE Fr. T. Ragel 01 st, Fr. Alosius Mary, S.J 16 th, Fr. I.O. Thambimuthu 23 rd, Fr. Felician Fernando 30 th, Yours in Christ, +Joseph Ponniah. Dear Reverend Fathers, Brothers and Sisters, After having celebrated the Solemnity of Resurrection, we are going to celebrate the Solemnities of Ascension, Pentecost and the Holy Trinity. However we quietly enter into a very precious month, a grace filled month, the month of May totally dedicated to Our Blessed Mother as Month of Mary. The Christian custom of dedicating the month of May to the Blessed Virgin Mary arose at the end of the 13th century. 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 honoured and the Christian people are enriched with spiritual gifts. I would suggest that we instruct our faithful to make use of this great opportunity to organize daily recitation of the Rosary in public or some other prayers in honour of Mary. Honouring Mary has begun from the time of Jesus is very clear from the following incident in the Gospel. It happened that as he was speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, Blessed the womb that bore you and the breasts that fed you! But he replied, More blessed still are those who hear the word of God and keep it! (Lk 11:27). St. Bonaventure said that God can create another world as the one we see. He can create another great heaven. But He cannot create another Mother like Mary. That is why Elizabeth who was filled with the Holy Spirit cried out Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb (Lk 1:42). When Mary spoke to the three children of Fatima, she was really talking to all the children of the world. Yes, she wants us to help save the world and sinners. Our Lady said, Pray the rosary. Do penance through doing difficult things for God. Love God very much. Would you like to help Mary save the world? Here is what you can do. Just pray the rosary and let it become a habit. As we have decided at the DPC, we are going celebrate the Feast of Pentecost at Thetatheevu. In preparation of the Feast we shall have special prayer services at eight parishes in the Diocese. Very Rev.Fr. Thevathasan, VG, will communicate to you all the details. I strongly recommend that let us unite with one heart and mind and cooperate with the programme envisaging a total Renewal in the Diocese. May God Bless you all. Hail Mary full of grace Page - 12 Ut Unum Sint Hail Mary full of grace Page - 01 Ut Unum Sint

2 Bishop s Diary May st FEAST OF ST.JOSEPH THE WORKER Minor Seminary Feast am Festive Mass 03 rd am Festive Mass at Our Lady of Holy Rosary Shrine, Periyapullumalai. 04 th & 05 th Monthly Recollection 10 th am Festive Mass at Thirukovil St.Joseph. First Communion & Confirmation 15 th am Mass at St. Joseph Vaz School. 16 th am First Communion & Confirmation at Mankerny. 17 th am Festive Mass at Igniyagala-Our Lady of Fatima Shrine. 20 th am Wedding Mass at Kallar. 23 rd Pentecost Night Vigil mass at Thetatheevu. 24 th PENTECOST SUNDAY am Confirmation at OLP Thandavanvely. 25 th 30 th India 31 st THE HOLY TRINITY SUNDAY am Confirmation at St.Ignatius Church, Ampara. Money can come and go, and fame comes and goes. Peace of mind and a relationship with God are far more important. Phil Robertson Holy Father's Prayer Intentions for the month of May Universal: CARE FOR THE SUFFERING/ That, rejecting the culture of indifference, we may care for our neighbors who suffer, especially the sick and the poor Evangelization: OPENESS TO MISSION/ That Mary s intercession may help Christians in secularized cultures be open to proclaiming Jesus. IS OUR GOD ORDINARY? In the gospels we find that people expected something more from Jesus and someone more exciting than him. But Jesus seemed very ordinary for such people. On one occasion, the people were saying, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? They were complaining that Jesus seemed too ordinary. They knew him. They knew his family. Their mistaken familiarity puts a roadblock in their relationship with Jesus. We, like these people, sometimes expect a God who is more exciting; who does more miracles, who displays power and signs. How often, do we miss the beautiful signs of God's presence all around us, simply because, we look for Super God. How many blessings from God have we missed, simply because, he delivered them to us in ordinary ways? Even in our spiritual lives, we sing the praises of radical transformation. We desire miracles. We want to hear the stories of exceptional and supernatural acts of God. We do not want to see the ordinary things that happen around us. Are we aware of God s blessings in those who are able to come for daily Mass faithfully or those who are able to get up and go to work each day? Do we see God s promptings in these persons who sincerely go to confession after years? Are we aware of God working through the persons who faithfully serve the poor, the homeless and the needy in our parish? Looking at such people we need to ask; am I grateful to God for his presence in the ordinary? God does work in ordinary ways! Sometime we need to stop and remind ourselves that God works many of his glorious wonders through things we would find to be ordinary. God did ordinary things to Prophet Elijah. He provided food and drink for the journey through an Angel. God never carried him from one place to the other with the help of the Angel. We need not expect God in a big and the extraordinary way. More often than not, God is to be found in the little things that are the majority of our experiences in life. No matter where we are or what we are doing there should be a time when we pause and look around us to see just how God is with us in our present ordinary circumstances. Have we missed God working in our lives because we shrugged them off as circumstance, luck, or some quirk of fate? Hail Mary full of grace Page - 02 Ut Unum Sint Hail Mary full of grace Page - 11 Ut Unum Sint Ahil, S.J.

3 Feast of St. Jude's Shrine, Tetatheevu The feast of St. Jude's Shrine, Tetatheevu was celebrated in a grand manner on April 19th, Bishop Joseph was the Chief celebrant at the Holy Mass. Congratulations to Fr. Nirmal JDH who organized the feast in a fantastic way. His maiden effort as the Pastor of this parish. Bp. Joseph laid the foundation stone for the Church at Pullumalai Bishop Joseph laid the foundation stone for a new Church at Pullumalai on Mar 31st, 2015 Easter Mass at Batticaloa Prison Bp. Joseph presided over at the Easter Mass at Batticaloa Prison on Easter Sunday. ROTARY CLUB OF BATTICALOA CELEBRATED ITS 55th, ANNIVERSARY 55 th, charter anniversary celebration of the Rotary Club of Batticaloa was held under the leadership of current president RNT. PHF. Thomingo George on April 18 th, 2015 at 6.30 pm at the Rotary Centre, Batticaloa. Rt. Rev. Dr. Joseph Ponniah, was the Chief Guest for the occasion. Easter get together for Priests Easter get together for the Priests of the Diocese of Batticaloa was held at the Clergy House on April 06th, 2015 Hail Mary full of grace Page - 10 Ut Unum Sint Hail Mary full of grace Page - 03 Ut Unum Sint

4 No. 2: Exercise combats health conditions and diseases 5 benefits of regular physical activity No. 1: Exercise controls weight Exercise can help prevent excess weight gain or help maintain weight loss. When you engage in physical activity, you burn calories. The more intense the activity, the more calories you burn. You don't need to set aside large chunks of time for exercise to reap weight-loss benefits. If you can't do an actual workout, get more active throughout the day in simple ways by taking the stairs instead of the elevator or reviving up your household chores. Worried about heart disease? Hoping to prevent high blood pressure? No matter what your current weight, being active boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good," cholesterol and decreases unhealthy triglycerides. This one-two punch keeps your blood flowing smoothly, which decreases your risk of cardiovascular diseases. In fact, regular physical activity can help you prevent or manage a wide range of health problems and concerns, including stroke, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, depression, and certain types of cancer, arthritis and falls. WINDOW AWARD 2014 Window award 2014 was held at Hisbullah Hall, Kattankudy on April 18th, students received the award from Bp. Joseph who was the Chief Guest at the function. The Window award is an annual event organized to facilitate students who excel well in windows examination which cover all four skills in English language. This year around 300 students from many parts of Batticaloa and Ampara districts were awarded with certificates and trophies. Mannar Bishop Rayappu Joseph celebrated his 75th birthday Mannar Bishop Rayappu Joseph celebrated his 75th birthday on April 16th, 2015 No. 3: Exercise improves mood Need an emotional lift? Or need to blow off some steam after a stressful day? A workout at the gym or a brisk 30-minute walk can help. Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed. You may also feel better about your appearance and yourself when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem. No. 4: Exercise boosts energy Winded by grocery shopping or household chores? Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance. Exercise and physical activity deliver oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and help your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you have more energy to go about your daily chores. No. 5: Exercise promotes better sleep Struggling to fall asleep? Or to stay asleep? Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep. Just don't exercise too close to bedtime, or you may be too energized to fall asleep. Hail Mary full of grace Page - 04 Ut Unum Sint Hail Mary full of grace Page - 09 Ut Unum Sint

5 Bishop encounter with the Sunday School teachers The local ordinary of the Diocese met with the Sunday School Teachers on April 11th, During this encounter, together with the Diocesan Director, the whole community anticipated the celebration of the 35th Ordination anniversary of the Bishop too. 25th anniversary of the Sri Lankan Holy Childhood association was celebrated in a grand manner at Batticaloa, St. Mary's Cathedral on April 14th, Bishop Joseph presided over at the Holy Mass New Year cultural programs at Sivananda grounds This year the annual Tamil/Sinhala New Year cultural programs for the Eastern province were held at Batticaloa, Sivananda grounds. BP. Joseph was there to grace the occasion. Somascan Youth Convention 2015 The annual Youth Convention for the youth of the Diocese was organized at Miani House, by the Somascan Fathers on April 14th, Bishop Joseph was the Chief Guest and Mr. Alex (Manager - World Vision) was the Guest of Honour. 25th anniversary of the Sri Lankan Holy Childhood association was celebrated on a grand scale at Kalmunai on April 13th, Bishop Joseph presided over at the Holy Mass.it was followed by a cultural program at both deaneries. Rev. Frs. Hyruthayaraj CRS, Mahimaidoss CRS, Antony CRS and Rammesh were present at this occasion. Batticaloa World Vision is the main sponsor for this 3 days convention. The main resource persons and finance were sponsored by them. The Diocesan EXCO Meeting Tamil Spiritual Secretariat of Germany The Tamil Spiritual Secretariat of Germany, in the presence of the Local Ordinary, volunteers to help 5 children who are very badly in need of educational assistance in our Diocese. Under this program, they deposited some money in each student's bank account. The financial support will continue till they complete their advance level. The Diocesan EXCO Meeting of the DPC was held at Charles Hall on April 11th, BP. Joseph presided over the meeting. Hail Mary full of grace Page - 08 Ut Unum Sint Hail Mary full of grace Page - 05 Ut Unum Sint

6 Chrism Mass Good Friday Maundy Thursday Hallelujah The Lord is Risen.. Hail Mary full of grace Page Ut Unum Sint Hail Mary full of grace Page - 07 Ut Unum Sint

7 ROSARIUM VIRGINIS MARIAE A VIEW POINT BY FR. T. VALDMAN ODIGITRIA (Misprints, howlers pardon if your slip is showing) An icon of Mary, Mother of God usually, shows her with Jesus in her arms. It is called Odigitria, which in Greek means: she who shows the way, the WAY which Mary indicates with her hand is none other than Christ Himself. In the Bible, in several places Christ calls himself, the WAY. Eg: as the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIGHT, as the WAY to the Father and as the GATEWAY to the sheep-fold. In his apostolic letter, ROSARIUM VIRGINIS MARIAE St. John Paul II invites the clergy and the people of God to focus on this WAY. It was of this WAY St. Paul says, I live not I, but, Christ lives in me (Gal 2:20), for me to live is Christ (Phil 1:21). Therefore, the Pope proposes to focus on this personal spiritual dimension of Christ life in us by reviving the recitation of the Rosary, considering it as a prayer so easy and yet so rich (no:43). The aim of such a proposal is to counter certain crisis of the Rosary (no: 04) and to respond to a new call for spirituality, due also to the influence of the other religions (no:05). PULLUMALAI SPECIAL The spirituality, of this ceaseless prayer that brought into evidence by the very fact that this prayer isn t a part of the liturgy, because to respond to the exhortation to pray incessantly. We read in the letter ROSARIUM VIRGINIS MARIAE the Spiritual life is not limited solely to the participation of the liturgy. Christians, while they are called to prayer in common, must also go to their rooms to prayer to their Father in secret (Mat 6:6), indeed according to the teaching of the apostles they must pray without ceasing (1 Thes 5:17),(no: 13). In as much that it is a continuous prayer, the rosary becomes meditative and leads to contemplation, i.e., to see and know God and to unite themselves to Him. The Apostolic Letter affirms that this prayer offers a familiar yet fruitful spiritual and educational opportunity for personal contemplation (no: 03). The Rosary is found in the most practical tradition of Christian contemplation, thus making it a typical contemplative prayer (no: 15). It is important to underline that it is the contemplation of the face (or icon) of Christ, which opens to us to receiving the mystery of Trinitarian life, experiencing ever new the love of the Father and delighting Joy of the Spirit (no: 09) To be cont We shall be meeting on Wednesday Apr 11 th, when the subject will be: Heaven, how do we get there? Transport is available at 7.55 pm from the bus stop, opposite Cheap Side. It being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs. Reeta to come forward and lay an egg on the Altar Please place your donation in an envelope along with the deceased person you want to be remembered. The rose-bud on the altar this morning is to announce the birth of David Alan Joy, the sin of Mr & Mrs Winston Joy This afternoon there will be a catechism class in the south and north corridors of the church. Children will be baptized at the both ends. 02. Limericks There was once a pious Priest Who lived almost wholly on yeast He said for it is plain We must all rise at Easter again And I wanted to get started, at least A precocious young lady named Lilian Protruded her tongue at an old Cecilian Reverend mother, said pleading Remember your breeding That trick is distinctly reptilian