Editorial... THE WEEK THAT WAS

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1 Bulletin of Sacred Heart Parish, Vashi, Navi Mumbai. Vol. XXXVI - No.-1, April Fr Gerald Fernandes, Parish Priest A first look at this caption will reveal that it is not original. Is anything original, we are constantly borrowing and occasionally plagiarizing? Seldom do we create, invent, and innovate. You may realize by now the title of this reflection is lifted from many news channel, or published by them Which week am I alluding to? The week that laid the foundation of Christianity. It has all the elements of a socio-religio-political thriller, replete with contradictions, scandal, paradoxes, injustice, murder of truth and conspiracy. A writer grab for earnings that could cross the best-seller graph. All this surrounding one figure who walked like a colossus, across the world's theatre, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of God made man. Let us trek the sequence of events, of that week, that changed the course of history both secular and sacred. We hear the chants of Hosanna outside the city of Jerusalem. It is distant but grows louder and louder. Jesus, the cause celebre is mounted on a donkey, an amusing sight, royalty at its Editorial... THE WEEK THAT WAS lowest, but not with God, Royalty is the way of humility, the queen of virtue. Jesus is heaped with adulation, praise and voluminous cries of making him king. He was not flattered. The occasion the Passover festival. The atmosphere heavy laden, like a trade-fair, beating of drums sirens and loud chatter indicative of a celebration. The hollowness of empty rituals and ceremonials You have made my father's house into a den of thieves. 'Revenge' is ours secretly whispered the Pharisees. The lamb for ritual sacrifice for the Passover is easily available. Why search among the flock. Jesus, the lamb, is arrested while at prayer, truly made a scape goat. N o w b e g i n s t h e tortuous, long winded, trial by error. Alternative truth becomes the yard-stick of judgement. Post-truth becomes the mantra of the present scenario. Pilate w a s h e s h i s h a n d s, indifferentism another disease of modernism. The words of Lady Macbeth, all the perfumes of Arabia will not be able to wash away her blooded hands of murder. This could be said of Pilate. That day truth died. Pilate relinquished his authority of the upholder of governance. Street, justice was given free expression. (Continued on pg - 2) VASHI VISION - Sacred Heart Church, Vashi December January-2015

2 (Continued from pg - 1) The innocent Jesus is released into the hands of a violent frenzied mob. The sinister side of humanity is drawn in battle with the goodness of God-man. How is it played out? That week witnessed the depravity of men. What, the ugly side of man is capable of, words are inadequate to describe. Sadism, hatred, torture, cruelty, every possible viciousness was inflicted on Jesus. Nothing could stop the height of maliciousness of man even after they tattooed his body with the modern art of a painter's spiked brush, leaving him almost comatose; they forced him into a log bearer's job. Jesus carried it with quite resignation knowing fully well that it would be the instrument of men's salvation. The ultimate wretchedness of man. God silenced forever, but did it? End of an era? Secular history hardly sacred. Roman judicial system the best in the then known world collapsed soon after and with it the empire. God's sacred salvation THE WEEK THAT WAS... history survived, nay triumphed. How? When? The silence of the grave-yard, the burial ground of God, burst into life, in that moment death became a reality of the past, reserved only for those who live a life of selfconcern, self-advancement and self-fulfilment The chanting of the Hosannas which began at the beginning of the week, muted mid-week, now rises like a phoenix with greater intensity. Hosanna, Christ is risen from the dead. Death where is thy sting? Neutralized forever. Easter celebration is capping a life lived productively in fellowship with God and our brothers and sisters. Share Your Community News, Articles and Suggestions Do share your news, views, stories, achievements, inspirations and activities in various Church Groups and Associations which can be shared with the larger family of this Sacred Heart Parish through this News Letter Vashi Vision (It will be great if you can provide the articles as soft copy if not hard copy is always welcome). - Articles & Pictures for printing in the future issues of Vashi Vision should reach the editorial team latest by 15th of every preceding month of the issue. (Maximum 400 words per article) - your views & articles and photographs & advertisements to vashivision@yahoo.co.in - For Advertising in Vashi Vision kindly contact the Church office. VASHI VISION Parish Bulletin of Sacred Heart Church Vashi, Navi Mumbai EDITORIAL TEAM Fr Gerald Fernandes, George Thomas, Dr Maureen Lobo, Rita Pinto, Kimberly Rowe, Peter Quadros DESIGN & LAYOUT Felix Rodrigues SEND ARTICLES FOR VASHI VISION TO vashivision@yahoo.co.in PUBLISHED BY Parish Priest, Sacred Heart Church, Plot No. 67, Sector - 9A, Vashi, Navi Mumbai Tel.: Church sacredheartchurchvashi@gmail.com Web-page: FB Page: PRINTED AT Ryan Enterprises 704 AB, Ram Laxman Tower, Near Mafco Market, Sector-18, Vashi, Navi Mumbai

3 - P. RUFUS, Sec -10A God's Valentine always falls on a Friday. On this day, He showed the depth of His love. That's why this day is called Good Friday. Even beyond the gates of Eden, as between any two mortal lovers, His love story has its twists and turns. It was He who has been falling head over heels in love with man. Repeatedly! But the reciprocation, at best, has always been lukewarm. However, He never gives up. The earthly Valentine is romanticised for a week, with every day set on a love theme. The Holy Week leading to Valentine's Friday is replete too with enduring acts of love. If the washing of feet symbolised love's Gift of Service, the institution of the Eucharist was to guarantee Love's Assurance of His Presence with man till the end of time. Man's Valentine is red-themed and marked with romantic dates. Christ's is incomparable. He has held out no red boxes, heart balloons or planted momentary kisses. But He let his body bleed like His broken, wounded heart. He didn't opt for a candle-lit dinner by the river. Instead, he opted for a wooden tree and let himself be nailed and GOD'S VALENTINE FRIDAY hoisted up. By norms of man, it was a shame to be hung half-naked on a cross. For Him, it was Valentine's Day for His beloveds! No matter how long a relationship has been going, everyone looks forward to Valentine's Day because it is filled with special gestures. It may be a gift or gettogether, but it has to be special to signify how much love there is. Can there be a Valentine greater than giving up one's life? But He ensured that even this death wasn't ordinary. It was torturous, yet bleeding with love, without any qualm about His loving, especially those undeserving of that love! What after Valentine's Day? We usually go back to our daily routine. What after God's Valentine Friday? Would we delude ourselves to thinking that all His suffering got over with a glorious resurrection? Do we still see red or just the white of the Eucharist in which he continues pleading for our love? Does He still suffer? St Faustina's Diary is proof that He does. What more could He do beyond dying? He has been reassuring by His divine mercy. Will we respond? In a manner that may at least slightly alleviate His continued suffering? Let us not lose the opportunity for it in our lives beyond Easter! St PAUL'S COMMUNITY PICNIC (Sectors 11, 12, 28 & 29) - SYLVIA PINTO MENEZES, Sec-28 After weeks of excited anticipation, Sunday, September 25th 2016 dawned and the bus carrying 54 members of St. Paul's Community began the journey en route Enan' Farms, Panvel. Before the bus rolled out of Vashi, Randolph said a prayer for a safe journey and a blissful day brimming with fellowship. Soon after that, a lot of picnic songs were parodied and all of us sportingly lent our voices to the singing. After keeping our bags in the allotted room, we then proceeded for a quick breakfast eager to get down to the fun activities of the day, evident also in the way even the middle aged picnickers readily joined the kids and youth in kicking the football around in the corridor even before breakfast was over. Savio kicked off the games with the nomination of Linet, Salome, Sylvia and Kimberly as Captains who then selected their teams. What followed was a series of exciting outdoor games dodge ball, cricket and football - which were played before lunch. In the true spirit of fellowship and community bonding, almost all the picnickers participated actively in the games. Soon after the outdoor games, it was time for the much awaited entry into the swimming pool. It was a joyful sight to witness kids, youth, the middle-aged and even the Senior citizens enjoying in the pool and playing pool games together. After almost an hour of being in the pool, it was time for 'Rain dance' and the rockstar DJ ensured music of all genre was played and this got us dancing merrily. After a sumptuous and appetizing buffet lunch and a short break to allow for the digestive process, we began the indoor games. First was 3 rounds of dumb charades, followed by 'kicking the football' blind folded and the game of Housie. At the end of the day, Team Sylvia emerged as the overall winners with Team Salome as second. We then trooped back to the dining hall for light snacks. All good things must come to an end and that wonderful day was no exception, but not without thanking the wonderful team of animators who put in special efforts to make the day an organisational and fun-filled success with the whole-hearted participation by the community members who, as always, were just one big loving family.

4 PMI NAVI MUMBAI'S SERVICE AT TALOJA PRISON - FLAVIAN SANTARITA, Sec-29 On 4th October 2016, Prison Ministry India (PMI) volunteers of Navi Mumbai Unit visited Taloja Prison with Fr. Baptist, Assistant Parish Priest at Sacred Heart Church, Vashi and Sr. Sharmila, Principal of Sacred Heart School, Vashi to conduct prayer discourse for inmates and distribute drawing competition certificates to participants of PMI CHRISTMAS MASQUERADE BALL - ERIKA RODRIGUES, Sector 9 The Christmas Masquerade Ball by the Sacred Heart Youth Group was held on 25th December 2016 in the evening at Sacred Heart Church. It was a joyous night with friends after a wonderful day spent with family. The theme, this year, was a Masquerade! We were provided masks in accordance with our outfits. The girls spend time choosing their outfits since they were not allowed to wear the same dress the next day, while the boys just hopped into whatever they wore for the Christmas Eve Mass. The Masquerade Ball was a lot of fun because there were games and dancing. We played BINGO! It involved getting up and mingling with others to learn everyone's names. The next game involved spilling truths and - TRISHA SERRAO, Sec-6 On the day of our Baptism, our Parents and Godparents carried us to the altar and introduced us to our faith. Later on, Sunday school prepared us to receive Jesus in the first Holy Communion and over the period of time helped us in our faith formation. Finally, we have reached the most important stage in our spiritual journey, that is, CONFIRMATION. We had different mentors who through their teachings enriched our minds and spirits. We had camps and treks which helped us bond with a number of people and come together as a group. All these sessions and activities not only developed us spiritually but also prepared us to face the challenges of this world. On Sunday, 22nd January 2017, His Lordship SOARING IN THE SPIRIT led 'Clean India, Green India' programme. With an accommodation capacity of 2,427 inmates, Taloja Prison has quarters for staff, video conference facilities, security cameras, and a hospital, canteen and court room. As part of the outreach, we donated a wheel chair and stretcher to Taloja Hospital for the prisoners' use. We thank our Parish Priest, Fr. Gerald for his support and our parishioners for contributing funds generously towards this cause. secrets that had everyone roaring with laughter! The game that sent an adrenaline rush through everybody was Spoon & Marble. The youth were hysterical, bobbing up and down on their feet, cheering for their team! Finally, we had a couple game with a hoopla which was challenging, engaging and had spectators at the edge of their seats! While taking a breath and having refreshments, our youth band, 5 Empty Cans, played our favorite songs and gave professional dancers a run for their money. Then, the best part of the night came and it was our turn to dance! The DJ was awesome and we danced to our heart's content BOA NATALE!!! All too soon the party was over and we had to say goodnight. We clicked a lot of pictures at the Photo Booth with props and ate a delicious dinner. I am definitely coming next year. If you are a youth, you should come too! Bishop Dominic Savio Fernandes graced this occasion with his presence and confirmed us as well as the candidates of St. Francis De'Sales Church, Koparkhairane. Just receiving the sacraments does not make you a Christian but pledging your services to your church and to the will of God is definitely the first step to be taken. To conclude, I would like to say: I saw a cloud and thought it was the sky, I saw a bird and thought that I could follow, But it was you who taught that bird to fly. If I let you reach me will you teach me? For you know better than I, You know the way, I've let go the need to know why, For You know better than I VASHI VISION - Sacred Heart Church, Vashi April 2017

5 - EVELYN MENEZES, Sec-16/16A On 26th January morning, Box Cricket Tournament 2017 organized by the Sacred Heart Youth Group took place on the Sacred Heart School Quadrangle. It was a pleasure to see all 15 Communities participate in this tournament with great energy and enthusiasm. There was a spirit of healthy competition and sportsmanship with a challenge to compete in a knock-out format tournament and reach BOX CRICKET TOURNAMENT the semifinals and eventually, win the finals. It was a nail-biting finish to the final game. The Tournament Champions were St Jude (Sector 1), followed by St Francis Xavier (Sector 9) in 2nd place and St Francis of Assisi (Sector 6) in 3rd place. The Best Bowler was awarded to Joel Cyril from St Francis Xavier (Sector 9). The Best Batsman was awarded to Tejas Lawrence from St Jude (Sector 1). We thank Fr Baptist and hisyouth Group for taking the initiative to bring together all Parishioners to play and compete in this Tournament! ST PAUL'S COMMUNITY FEAST - Sectors 11, 12, 28 & 29 - Willma Rodrigues, Sector 29 On Sunday 29th January 2017, the members of St Paul's Community (Sectors 11, 12, 28 and 29) celebrated the feast of the Conversion of St Paul. During the Holy Eucharist, Fr Gerry preached the values of St Paul and its relevance in daily family life. At the Eucharist, the community also presented a short presentation on the life and history of their patron Saint including pictures of the Parish and Community activities that the community families were involved in. After the Eucharist, it was pleasant to witness the spirit of fellowship being built in the Sacred Heart School hall, as community members were conversing and asking the whereabouts of each other while having breakfast. The gathering paid homage for all those who passed away last year by maintaining a minute of silence. The host of the show Savio Menezes, then introduced the new comers of the community who in turn introduced themselves. While delicious snacks did the rounds, the fun and frolic continued as Savio played the game of 'Guess the Animators'. This was a fun game wherein the knowledge of the community members on how well they know their animators was tested through a PowerPoint Presentation. This activity involved calling out the 2 exclusive traits of the animator by which the community members had to guess the name of the animator. With this initiative, the PPC member, SCC co-ordinator and Animators were felicitated by Fr Baptist with a token of appreciation for their precious time, untiring efforts and talents. The merriment rose fourfold when Sandy and Lawrence Tavares hosted the games which were followed by group games. Music was arranged by Michael and Geeta Saldanha and many shook a leg, swayed and danced to the latest songs. The game session ended with all time favourite game of Housie which everyone participated in. After the sumptuous and lip-smacking buffet lunch, slowly and reluctantly people started to bid adieu taking with them delightful memories of a magical morning of togetherness. We would like to thank all the sponsors, volunteers and animators of St. Paul's for their untiring efforts in the arrangements and logistics; also thanks to the community members, who made time to come together, thus making this event a truly memorable one! - Penny Dlima ST JUDE'S COMMUNITY FEAST Sector 1 Everyone is so busy these days that even though our homes are a stone's throw away from each other's we scarcely see each other and sincerely looked forward to the celebration of our feast of our Patron Saint on the 6th of November. The Feast Mass was made more meaningful by the selection of apt hymns by Rita Dsouza and an account of the life of St Jude by Adrian Lewis. A Community celebration in the Conference room began with a prayer by Fr Baptist. The games were organised by our Youth members Andrea and Sameet. Antakshari revealed hidden talent and all participated enthusiastically. Winners were awarded their prizes. Fabian lobo, our PPC representative thanked all for coming and praised the youth for making the evening a memorable one. Dinner was served. All left with a word of praise for the animators, sponsors and all who made the evening a joy to remember! VASHI VISION - Sacred Heart Church, Vashi April 2017

6 NAVI MUMBAI DEANERY SPORTS DAY KIMBERLY ROWE, PPC Youth Representative The Navi Mumbai Deanery Sports Day 2017 held on Sunday, 5th February from 9 am to 6 pm at Carmel Convent School, Kalamboli saw more than 250 youth from 12 parishes of Navi Mumbai. The sports day began with a grand parade by all parishes. Every squad was led by the flag bearer and its participants. Each parish said their slogan in unison and cheered for their team. Post the march past, the 100 meter race for boys and girls followed by an obstacle relay took flight. The competition only got tougher with every race. It was a pleasure to see the swiftness and momentum of the athletes. Following the heats, began the Football tournament for boys and Dodge ball tournament for girls. The players were cheered on by the crowds throughout the game. Every team was at their best as they competed with determination and strength to win. To give everyone a chance to participate, Tic Tac Toe was introduced as an exclusive event for those not participating in any other The evening of 11th February started well with a meaningful Eucharist. Our spiritual needs being taken care of, we trooped up to the Conference room for some fun filled moments. The Family and Women's Cell did a great job of organising a wonderful get together for the Parish Couples. There were newly weds, Golden Jubilarians, and many of those in between! Everyone participated in the games and laughter rang out! The Anchors for the evening, Sylvia and Savio Menezes conducted the various games efficiently. Fr Gerry too joined in with his suggestions to make the games more interesting! There were prizes galore and even the little ones accompanying their parents were overjoyed. Eric and Lydia's Duet made everyone go awwwh!! The Programme ended with a delicious dinner. All went home with souls, minds and bodies nourished to journey forward with great expectations. - Thereza and Leo Gomes WORLD MARRIAGE DAY game. It added to the fun element! With the closure of games, points earned and tally of scores done, the winners for every event were felicitated with individual medals (bronze, silver and gold) followed by the presenting of trophies for the championship. The 2nd runner-up was Sacred Heart Church, Vashi. The 1st runner-up was Divya Kripa, Kharghar. The overall championship was won by Our Lady of Visitation Church, Nerul. The presentation ceremony included a special felicitation of the parish representatives for their hard work and dedication towards Navi Mumbai Deanery. The sports day proved to be a learning experience of team work and developing a healthy competitive spirit. Cheers to Fr Baptist Viegas, Deanery representatives, Parish representatives, participants and everyone who contributed to a successful Navi Mumbai Deanery Sports Day 2017! Very Creative Sermon by Fr Gerry on the occasion of World Marriage Day. Thereafter the games, activities and fellowship organised especially for couples was superb. We look forward for many more such events. Thanks to the Family and Woman's Cell of Vashi Parish. - Geeta and Micheal Saldanha The Eucharistic Celebration was a unique one which helped to rejuvenate the couples and understand each other's feelings better. Fr Gerry led us in prayer and his idea of getting everyone to answer his questions was a great experience. The entertainment later also brought us closer together. God bless each one who took pains to organise such a wonderful evening for us. - Sandy and Lawrence Tavares

7 CANCER AWARENESS PROGRAM - STELLA RODRIGUES, Sec- 9A You can beat cancer by how you live, why you live and the manner in which you live. Stuart Scott On Sunday morning, February 12, 2017, about 63 parishioners attend a talk on 'Cancer Awareness' organized by Sacred Heart Church, Vashi. The resource person for the session was Dr Donald John Babu, a Surgical Oncologist and Laparoscopic Surgeon, currently serving at the MGM Hospital, Vashi. After a round of refreshments, the talk began. With the help of an informative presentation, Dr Donald gave a clear distinction between facts and myths about Cancer. The audience was enlightened of how belief in myths could be risky, but disregard for facts could be riskier. The need for early detection and an overall approach towards the diagnosis of Cancer was emphasized upon by the speaker. The parishioners were introduced to a totally new concept of 'Cancer Screening' where an individual has to undergo certain tests to ensure early detection of any possibility of cancer one of the most important factors for cancer diagnosis. The audience, being a combination of cancer survivors and relatives of cancer patients, ensured that it was a highly interactive session to gain as much information as possible. A big thank you to the organizers of the session and all the parishioners for attending the session and making it a success! St. FRANCIS XAVIER'S COMMUNITY PICNIC (Sector 9) - ALOYSIA, Sector 9 Just like no trip is planned in one go, St. Francis Xavier's community had its fair share of planning and dropping a trip to Enans Farmhouse, Panvel. After a lot of contemplation, we finally had our first ever community picnic in a long time on Sunday, 12th February, The journey commenced at 8 am via bus to Panvel. A prayer for guidance was followed by a light sandwich to energize everyone. We were welcomed by the owner of the farmhouse with soft music playing in the background. The place was calm and serene with a lot of slides and swings to relax. We kept all our belongings in the rooms which felt no lesser than a home and then headed for our breakfast buffet which had everything from bread and jam to scrambled eggs. After the breakfast, some decided to explore the place while others decided to break a sweat by playing outdoor games. Then was the time most of us were looking forward to which was playing in the pool. Although there were no fancy slides or rides, the pool helped community members bond a little better by tossing each other in and making it more exciting. Everyone had a dip inside the pool irrespective of their age. A thirty minutes interlude from the pool was made for the rain dance where people danced and grooved to the peppy beats and songs. After a few hours of enjoyment, it was time for lunch. With an impressively delectable variety of dishes, the filling lunch made some drowsy in the first serve itself. What followed was a quick game of housie after which a few dived back in the pool and others decided to take a power nap to restore all the lost energy. An evening snack marked the conclusion of this remarkable trip which brought our community members together. We headed home with a prayer, reminiscing the happy memories made and moments captured. This picnic was one to be remembered and our community looks forward to many more trips in future!

8 - PRANEETA D'SOUZA, Parish Pastoral Councillor, Sec- 16/16A BIBLE Sunday was 'commemorated' on 26th February in a host of activities, one of which was the Bible Quiz Tournament, between the Communities of our Parish. Organised by the Bible Cell, 11 communities enthusiastically participated. The uplifting aspect was the participation of our young school-going and college youth. The event began with a Prayer by Gracey Babhale and encouraging words by Fr Gerry who reminded us that while the historical Word was important, the spiritual and the doing Word was imperative. The elimination round gave way to four teams that came in close to the finish line. They were named Matthew (St Theresa of Child Jesus' Community, Sectors 4 & 5), Mark (St Paul's Community, Sectors 11, 12, 28 & 29), Luke (St John Bosco's Community, Sectors 17 & 18), and John (St Peter's Community, Sectors 16 & 16A). The Quiz Master, Aldo Michael BIBLE QUIZ TOURNAMENT of Sacred Heart School fame, kept the contestants and the audience on their toes with a host of questions from the Bible. After a gruelling series of the General, Rapid Fire and the Buzzer Rounds, St. Paul's Community represented by Sylvia and Savio Menezes came in as victors, followed by St. John Bosco's Community represented by Annie George and Meena Lobo who came in 2nd and St. Peter's Community represented by Shirley Miranda and Naomi D'Souza who came in 3rd. The well-conducted and 'sporting' Tournament was an enlightening evening, drawing attention to the fact that the Bible is indeed a deep, voluminous and spiritually awakening manuscript. GROWING UP TO BE RESPONSIBLE AND HAPPY! - NAOMI D'SOUZA, Sec-16A On Sunday 5th March 2017, a session was conducted for the Sunday School students from the 5th to the 8th standard. The topic of this session was 'Growing up to be responsible and happy'. The speaker, Ms. Rachna Sabu, a consulting psychologist, began by asking what 'happiness' meant to us. Many children replied that their happiness comes from things like playing with friends, watching television, getting new things, reading, etc.. We then played a game of 'Simon Says', which showed us that instead of paying attention to the important things our parents say, we normally look for the little things we shouldn't do. Ms. Rachna then told us about the 'band-wagon effect' (i.e. to follow others in the way they behave) commonly seen in pre-teens and teens. The game was followed by a group discussion on what would we do if we saw a friend smoke, steal, etc. Ms. Rachna told us that a few things in life should be taken seriously. While doing things that give us happiness, we should also do the right things; we learned that along with 'good touch' and 'bad touch', there is also an 'emotional touch' that can either hurt someone or delight them. She concluded by telling the 8th standards to start being more active and responsible, so that, as the years go by, we may be successful in our lives. The vote of thanks was delivered by Svetlana Solomon after which we were given snacks. This was a much-loved programme and we will be looking forward for something like this next year as well.

9 - MICHEAL DeSOUZA, Sec-7 On 5th March, I was wonderstruck to see a huge gathering of women from all over Mumbai, assembled at St Joseph's School, Bandra to celebrate International Women's Day. The Theme was apt: BE BOLD FOR CHANGE, UNLEASH YOUR LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL. The session began with a Prayer dance by the Women's Cell of Vikhroli Parish followed by the recitation of the Women's Creed and Anthem. In Dr Almeides words, women take initiative,drive or strive for results and build relationships through Transformational Leadership. Dr Ruth Dsouza spoke of the seven 'S's. A woman has strength, self confidence, sits at the table and talks, seizes opportunities, is supportive, starts from scratch and is stereotype.s We men should celebrate, connect and collaborate with women. Man has come through a woman, so too has Christ. So let us strive and work like Christ did for women. At the foot of the Cross, he gave Mary his Mother to us. ' Son behold your Mother'. In Mary stood womanhood and all the virtues of a woman. GOD'S BEAUTIFUL CREATION LIVING IN THE DIGITAL AGE Women are ahead in teaching, influencing, inspiring,adaptability and team work. They are good at conflict management and are great achievers. The Chief Guest Bishop AllwynDsilva- Head of the Human Rights and Justice Commission spoke on how he has been touched by the work women are doing. Merlyn David from Chakala and Rajashree Victor from Gorai were felicitated for the tremendous work they are doing for civic and women's issues. The Programme concluded with the Eucharist. To all you beautiful women Your gentle touch rules our world. I praise and thank God for you. I will stand by you come what may. I will treat you with dignity, respect, honour and love always. - SCHILLACI SOLOMON, Sec-8 Technology is natural, how it is used is the will of the person. On Sunday, the 5th of March, The Youth of Sacred Heart Church were fortunate to receive a seminar 'Living in the Digital Age' on the use of technology by Fr Nigel Barrett. Fr Nigel did not give us a lecture, he didn't even criticise the use of technology. All he stated was that technology is the means to an end that the user decides. Along with this, he also cautioned that technology is to be used by a person and not vice versa. He further went ahead to explain how technology is being abused by individuals and that the addiction to technology is a new problem, a 21st century problem, which has to be addressed by young a n d s e n i o r individuals alike. F r N i g e l p r e s e n t e d f a c t s wherein more than 5 0 % o f p e o p l e between the ages of are addicted to their smartphone. This addiction has caused an increase in cases of children needing reading glasses as well as multiple back and neck problems. He also shared that the general non addict checked their phones 100 times a day on an average. In addition, Fr Nigel shed light on the matters of cyber crime and gave us, the youth, guidelines to use technology safely. He gave us words of wisdom and told us that our phone should not disconnect us from the people around us while connecting us to the world, and that the digital world was not meant to replace the real one. To conclude, our take away from this session is to pay attention to your loved ones in person than on your device and look at the world through your own eyes and not through a phone screen. We thank Fr Nigel Barrett for giving of his time and resources to share with us!

10 SUNDAY SCHOOL ANNUAL DAY CELEBRATIONS 6 MARCH, PRESSY MENEZES. Sunday School Catechist. Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it Proverbs 22:6. These 'Words of Wisdom' from King Solomon serve as the guiding precept for our Sunday School The Annual Day celebration of our Sunday School was held on 6th March 2017 by Fr.Baptist and the Catechist. The stage backdrop & hall was beautifully decorated by Sisters Nithya and Christel. A quality public address system with the beautiful backdrop gave the occasion a touch of class. The hall was filled with parents and guests. Students from various classes presented several cultural programs of grandeur. The kids from Stds 1 and 2 wonderfully presented the Story of the Good Samaritan while the children of Std 3 explained the important values they learn in Sunday School. What I would like to add here is that when the teachers tell kids a story about Jesus, we see eager eyes light up. Their hearts are open to the message. The Kids get it, and we can learn from them how to get back to that place of uncomplicated belief. The 4th Std children performed a welcome dance and the students of Std 5 explained beautifully what they mean when they say Jesus is my everything. The Heavenly Express performed by the Std 6 children said all that was required to get to heaven with those priceless tickets that you can't buy with money, on a train with no class distinctions and no special reservations, and takes you to a place where there is no sickness, sorrow, or death, and everyone is eternally joyous and happy. Students of Stds 7 and 8 beautifully presented a video enacted by the students on LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS. The outgoing Sunday School 9th Std student went down memory lane of the years spent learning Bible stories which were filled with funny and sometimes trying moments. The Sunday school Annual Day came to an end with the distribution of Gold plated Medals and Vote of thanksgiving The next academic year of our Church Sunday school starts during the month of June We request all the parents to kindly give priority to the spiritual needs of their children and encourage them to attend Sunday school regularly. And finally I would like to add that Every Sunday school teacher is a world evangelist in disguise, who carry the gospel to the Sunday school classroom Superman hides his true identity by living as a mildmannered reporter at the Daily Planet. In the same way, every unassuming Sunday school teacher is a hero in disguise. Thank you SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS: BUS PILGRIMAGE BY LEGION OF MARY, VASHI - VIOLET D'ALMEIDA, Sector 16 The Stations of the Cross is the most popular devotion of the passion of Christ for years. The Franciscans began with only 7 stations in the sixteenth century and later expanded to 14 stations. The Morning Star Curia of the Legion of Mary of our Parish planned a bus pilgrimage of the Stations of the Cross to all the Churches in Navi Mumbai from Airoli to Panvel with the theme: Stations of the Cross for Marriages and Families. The objective of the pilgrimage was to experience the presence of people around us, to help and engage more deeply with people and to resist the temptation of avoiding suffering. The cross reminds us that suffering is real and God works in the midst of suffering. We started from Vashi bus depot, with opening prayers, rosary and hymns reaching the Church of St Theresa of Child Jesus, Airoli for the 1st station followed by the 2nd station at Our Lady of the Forsaken Church, Ghansoli. We then moved to St Francis de Sales Church, Khoparkhairne and then to Sacred Heart Church, Vashi. We sang hymns in various languages on our way to Good Shepherd Church, Sanpada. At Our Lady of Visitation Church, Nerul, Rev Fr Moses welcomed and blessed the members with his inspiring words. There was an hour long halt at Nerul where the members of Nerul Presidium served delicious lunch. This was followed by the Catena prayer after which the pilgrims proceeded to St Joseph's Church, CBD Belapur for the 10th station and then to Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity Brothers Jeevan Jyoti Ashram, Kharghar instead of Divya Krupa Church.. The guest priest at the Ashram for the Lenten Retreat blessed us. We continued our pilgrimage to our 12th station at St Francis Xavier Church at Panvel. The last destination was the Holy Spirit Church at Kalamboli. We were welcomed by Fr Gonsalo Pereira who celebrated the Holy Eucharist for us. His homily inspired and encouraged us to follow Mother Mary and continue our service to Jesus through her. With vote of thanks and closing prayers by Sr Violet D Almeida, Rev Fr Gonsalo concluded the Holy Eucharist with blessings. Ave Maria!

11 - VANESSA ROSE, Sec-4 The need for blood is constant, so is the need for blood donation. A Blood Donation Drive was organized by the Youth Group in collaboration with Wockhardt Hospitals, Vashi on Sunday, 12th March, Every year, our Parish conducts a blood donation drive as a Christian spirit of giving, especially during the Lenten season. Blood donation is one of the most significant contributions that a person can make towards society. There was an excellent response to the drive. It was heart-warming to see more than 50 parishioners take time off on a Sunday morning to be a part of this noble cause. A few willing donors were unable to take part in the drive due to a low blood count, but that didn't stop them from motivating and cheering the other donors. While there are several physical benefits of donating blood, the most powerful health benefit is arguably in the psychological realm. It gives us the joy of saving human lives. It BLOOD DONATION DRIVE means that someone, somewhere, will be getting the help they desperately need. A big thank you to the Youth for their active participation in conducting the drive, and also to the parishioners for donating and making it a success! For the others who haven't donated, it's time to muster up the courage to overcome your fears as giving blood not only makes a vital difference in the lives of others, but also improves your emotional as well as physical health. A big thank you to the Youth for their active participation in conducting the drive and the Health Cell in assisting for organising it. A LENTEN OUTREACH: The Seat of Wisdom Praesidium of Legion of Mary, Vashi - JEYA JEYAM For I was Hungry and you gave me food: I was thirsty and you gave me drink: I was a stranger and you took me in. - Mathew 25: 35 In the spirit of Lent, the Legion of Mary Seat of Wisdom Tamil Praesidium Vashi, along with our Spiritual Director Rev Fr Gerry Fernandes, ten Active members, two Auxiliary members and two Community members made an effort to live the word of God mentioned above, by a visit to Prem Daan Home for Destitute & Dying at Airoli. It was also to prepare our hearts for Easter, to love not by words alone but with deeds. On 21st March, 2017, our journey to Airoli in three vehicles began in the afternoon. The sisters in charge welcomed and led us to the hall where about 150 destitute were gathered. Seeing us, they were overwhelmed and the young girls gave us a lovingly tight hug. With Tamil prayers and hymns, we began our program, many participating with us, clapping and joining their hands. After prayer, we individually interacted with the members, sharing with them and mostly listening to them. We served the inmates snacks of idli, wada, sambar and sheera which were prepared by our members. We experienced great joy to see the inmates enjoying the homemade food. We thank our Spiritual Director for encouraging and accompanying us to the Institute. May the Almighty bless us all to continue reaching out to the needy and the poor!

12 A STEP TOWARDS AN ENRICHED MARRIAGE - THELMA SERRAO, Sec 9. When I heard about the session on The Joy of a Life giving Marriage, I wasn't sure if it was for newlyweds or will it be helpful for Francis and me, who are in the 10th year of our marriage. But we are happy that we decided to attend the session. The speaker, Dr Yolande Pereira, is a very experienced speaker, who helped us to identify ways to make our marriage happier and meaningful. We began with a group discussion session, where every group had to answer different questions related to marriage. It was an informative exercise where we could understand other's point of view on marriage and we could relate to it. Dr Pereira talked about the goals of marriage, possible factors that lead to unhappy marriages, internal and external factors, the bright spots and shadows that influence our marriage. With the help of a meaningful case study, we understood the true meaning of LOVE, RESPECT, TRUST and APPRECIATION in marriage. We were introduced to the 3 Cs in marriage COMMITMENT, COMMUNICATION and COUPLE PRAYER. Dr Pereira stressed on the importance and power of Couple Prayer, by giving her own life experience. In the final exercise, we were asked to identify few skills and that could help us build a life giving marriage and decide on how to implement it in our married life. I had two main takeaways from this wonderful session. One was Introducing Couple Prayer in our daily routine the other was Being honest with your spouse helps in building Trust. I would thank the Fr Baptist, PPC and the organizers for arranging such an enlightening session for the married couples of our marriage. It will be good to have more such sessions where more and more couples can participate and make their married life happier and enriched. St TERESA OF CHILD JESUS COMMUNITY FEAST (Sectors 4 & 5) - ELIZA REBELLO, Sec-4 Modern technology leave us with no time for others; but we ensure we come together as a community to celebrate our patron saint's feast St. Teresa of Child Jesus. A warm welcome by Thomas Dsouza, our Parish Pastoral Councilor and a novena prayer by Eliza marked the beginning of the celebration, followed by refreshments served by our youth. A surprise guest Fr. Baptist, with his prayer and blessings, made everyone happy. A detailed minutes of the annual year was read by Eugene. Fun filled games by Santos and Nolin made everyone enthusiastic to win the prizes. It was a great joy to honor our community students who achieved excellence in their academics. Tokens of appreciation were presented by our senior citizens. Young and old alike were very excited and enjoyed each other's company. New members were introduced to the community post which, a delicious dinner was served to all. This get together filled our hearts with joy and satisfaction. A big thank you - to our compere, Melvin, who organized the event and entertained everyone with his fun filled speech,- to Mabel and Henry for handling overall responsibilities of the event, and special thanks to our priests who have given great opportunities for communities to come together in fellowship for a celebration! Most importantly, we, animators, thank the members of our community and pray that we stay happy, healthy and safe in the hands of our Lord, with our patron saint St. Teresa of Child Jesus to intercede for us.

13 TWO HOURS LENTEN RECOLLECTION WITH MASS - Delilah Pereira Sect. 8 During Lent, we think of fasting, abstinence or extra moments of prayer; but we do all of this every year without having any transformation in us and our surrounding. To help us achieve this, a Recollection service was organized in our church on 19th March Fr. Andrew Aranha, Dean of Studies, St. Pius X College and Seminary, Goregaon, also a Professor of Scripture Greek &Latin, was the speaker for the Recollection service. Fr. Andrew began the service by asking us, How many have attended a Recollection? We were then asked whether we believe that God is present and if yes, where? Fr. Andrew's next question was What is your image of God the Father? We have always given importance to the Son who went astray and far from his father, but, Fr. Andrew gave us the insight that in this parable the most important person is the father and not the sons. The father accepted his son with open arms and had a grand reception to welcome his son back, though he had squandered all the money he took from his father. Therefore, God our Father is like this who is ever loving, forgiving and always welcomes us in his fold, regardless of the wrong / sins we have committed. The words of Jesus were brought to our mind. Through this parable, Fr. Andrew also brought out the human tendency of questioning why me. We too sometimes say that, I regularly pray, go to church, do social activities, yet, God never blesses me, never hears my prayers. At this, we were reminded of Jesus praying in SENIOR CITIZENS GET-TOGETHER - KUMARI SEQUEIRA, Sec-10A The senior citizens of Sacred Heart Church Vashi, celebrated the twelfth anniversary of the Elders Together Club on nineteenth February The function started with the 9:15 a.m. mass during which Fr. Baptist gave an inspiring homily about loving our enemies in peaceful and non-violent ways. After the mass the seniors citizens, about thirty in number, assembled in the conference hall. Our Parish priest Fr. Gerry warmly welcomed us. Soon the ever enthusiastic Mr. Diogo kick started the show. He entertained us with his witty humour and jokes, as we were having our breakfast. After wishing everyone a Happy Twelfth Anniversary he handed over the mike to the young and vibrant compere, Ms. Delilah. She made us sing, dance, recite poetry, walk up the garden of Gethsemane. So we too must not lose hope, but surrender ourselves to God just as Jesus did with trust and faith. The next topic taken by Fr. Andrew was the BIBLE. The Old Testament brought out a different dimension of God and His relationship with his people, whereas the New Testament is all about the events in the life of Jesus and His works. Therefore, we have to understand the Bible, study the teachings and the 8 Beatitudes given by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. Fr. Andrew then touched upon how our relationship grows through the Sacraments mainly the Eucharist and Reconciliation. With regard to reconciliation, we have the impression that why we have to go for confession to the priest only, we can directly confess by talking to God. Fr. Andrew then focused on the Church, saying it is not a building with priest who offers mass. He said actually WE are the church. He spoke about the activities that we can do to build a good relationship with the church and community. Lastly, Fr. emphasized on Pope Francis' Laudato Si Caring for creation. If we care for the environment in return the issue of global warming can be resolved to an extent. Pope Francis in a recent Press Conference had said God always forgives, human beings sometimes forgive, but when nature is mistreated, she never forgives. So, let us through this wonderful Recollection service by Fr. Andrew, bring some changes in our thoughts, words and deeds which will be a blessed Lent for all of us. and down, move in circles and play housie too. She was so encouraging that every one forgot they were senior citizens. Some were even ready to rock and roll. The winners of the games were given prizes too. Soon it was lunch time. All of us thoroughly enjoyed a sumptuous plate of steaming hot delicious biryani. The celebration was concluded with a vote of thanks to the organizers. Our sincere thanks to Fr. Gerry, Fr. Baptist and all the organizers for their commitment and dedication to make the senior citizens feel special and happy.

14 WE TAKE NO ADVANCE F The Official Undertakers & Funeral Directors for all faiths. F We supply all types of coffins (regular, polished and polished floral coffins), brand new hearse, ambulance, imported lowering device, church truck (coffin stand), wooden cross, gloves and socks, floral tributes, rosary beads, etc. F Dispatch of mortal remains within the country and abroad. F We also supply Portable Refrigerator Coffins, a very compact piece, which can be kept at home using regular power-supply. F We understand your need to spend as much time with your loved one in these last moments and hence ther is no need to visit the shop. F We are just a call away. F All arrangements will be made through that one call. K.A.S. Homes, Survey No. 0495, Shop No.3, Juhu Village, Sector 11, Besides C.I.S.F. Quarters Vashi, Navi Mumbai F We have a very professional and considerate team to assist you in all your requirements. Mr. Bellar Britto , Mr. Ludgar Britto , Mrs. Anita Britto , Mr. Kailash Gutale brittoundertakers@gmail.com VASHI VISION - Sacred Heart Church, Vashi April 2017

15 SEASON OF LENT 2017 THE WAY OF THE CROSS - RANDOLPH ROWE The Parishioners of Sacred Heart Church, Vashi, walked with Jesus through the streets of Jerusalem to Calvary, every Friday evening, empathizing in his agony, ridicule and the rejection that he encountered. This year, the Church organised the conduct of the Stations of the Cross with Amoris Laetitia, the Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis as the setting. To create awareness of the richness and the contemporary relevance of the document, the Church called upon the 15 Small Christian Communities (SCC) to work together to conduct the Way of the Cross with reference to selected chapters on each of the Fridays. After the Seventh Station, there were crisp presentations with reference to the selected chapters. The Way of the Cross was well attended each Friday and a perception emerged that the reflections, prayers and presentation content were thoughtful, inspiring and relevant. The congregation was able to easily relate to issues such as the spirituality of marriage, experiences, challenges and vocation of families, love in marriage and love made fruitful, pastoral perspectives and accompaniment and family as an educational setting. The SCC have truly enriched the lives of the Parishioners who were in attendance. You can download the pdf of Amoris Laetitia from: o s t _ e x h o r t a t i o n s / d o c u m e n t s / p a p a - francesco_ esortazione- ap_ _ amorislaetitia_en.pdf Baptism - Born in Christ Evan D'Silva child of Bonaventure & Pearl D'Silva Rianna Mendonca Child of George & Lilly Mendonca Aaron Sheldon Fernando Child of Leni & Su-ellen Fernando Mieah Purkayastha Child of Tathagata & Muriel Nysa James Aware Child of James & Grace Aware Aiden Antonio Child of Peter & Doris Astrea Sequeira Child of Pradeep & Shirley Sequeira Joel Menezes Child of Wency & Mariya Menezes Aiden Kenneth Lobo Child of Avinash & Nisha Lobo Keya Xena Lobo - Child of - Gaurav & Shweta Lobo Lukas Fernandes - Child of - Madhuri & Shawn Fernandes Paris Manyal - Child of - Chandan & Kareena Manyal Raynell Mascarenhas - Child of - Cedric & Yashoda Mascarenhas Marriage - United in Christ Raisa Lazar with Stanley Reuben Wilson Marcos with Deepa Acharya Melvyn Santarita with Rachna Gurnani Roger D'souza with Veronica D'Souza Charmaine Fernandes with Parimal Mehta Kevin Monteiro with Rashmi Bora Aneesha Lobo with Vinay Fonseca Johan with Gail Gomez Edlyn Ann with Joel Carmo Cabral Sushma Katherine Ekka with Jijith NJ Sneha Leonora Fernandes with Amod Londhe James Elias Fernandes with Christabel Dorothy Charlet Joyce Gonsalves with Camilo Francis Barretto Death - Resting in Christ Marceline Mascarenhas - age 85yrs. - sec John D'Souza - age 81yrs. Sec M.C. Thomas - age 89, Sec Philomena John Barretto - age 74 yr - Sector 15,Vashi

16 On Friday, 30th December 2017, 12 children of our Parish received Jesus for the 1st time in the Sacrament of Holy Communion. May their Communion with Jesus give them the courage and wisdom to follow his teachings with humility and may the future always bring the very best of everything to them. God bless Anisha Clayton, 2. Annie Clayton, 3. Channon D'Souza, 4. Gwyneth Serrao, 5. Jaden Desa, 6. Joman Nadar, 7. Joel Wadagle, 8. Keith D'Souza, 9. Kimberly Martins, 10. Rayana Rodrigo, 11. Shanelle Barretto, 12. Wilbur Furtado.