SUBHAVNA. Diocese of Calcutta (CNI) Diocese of Calcutta (CNI) For private circulation only. Website: cnicalcutta.org Diocesan Newsletter Issue: 46

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1 SUBHAVNA Diocese of Calcutta (CNI) Diocese of Calcutta (CNI) For private circulation only Website: cnicalcutta.org Diocesan Newsletter Issue: 46 September - October 2016 Programme on Christian Leadership organised by Diocesan Youth Fellowship Committee The Diocesan Youth Fellowship Committee (DYFC) is a group of young people who represent the youth of the Diocese of Calcutta. They plan and run Diocesan youth events and work unitedly to make the Church a nurturing environment for the spiritual growth of young people in the Christian community. They seek to accomplish this through extending fellowship and hospitality with their fellow youth to all concerned. On 24th September, 2016 the DYFC held its first programme of the triennium at Bishop's House, 51, Chowringhee Road, Kolkata at 4 p.m. The invitation w a s e x t e n d e d t o t h e y o u t h representatives of the Pastorates in the Diocese of Calcutta for a session on Christian Leadership on the theme 'Chosen'... to love and serve. The session was conducted by Rev Argho Biswas, Presbyter-in-Charge of Church of the Epiphany. Rev Biswas shared the difference between a natural worldly leader and a Christian Spiritual leader. The programme commenced with a word of welcome, a prayer song led by the worship team followed by a prayer for the youth of the Diocese in English, Hindi and Bengali. During the programme the DYFC new logo was presented and explained. The logo defines the Youth of the Diocese and was designed prayerfully. In the concluding part of the programme there was a time for activities and interactions with the youth to enable the DYFC to plan more Church visits at the same time making them aware of the various programmes planned for the year by the DYFC spending time in fellowship, praising the Lord Jesus Christ. To begin with the DYFC has already visited CNI Wesleyan Church on 18th September 2016 where members were felicitated. The DYFC thanked The Rt Rev Ashoke Biswas, Bishop of Calcutta.CNI f o r h i s leadership in every sphere of the ministry of the DYFC and Making Disciples for Jesus DWFCS Seminar On 2nd October, 2016 the Diocesan Women's Fellowship for Christian Service organised a seminar on the theme 'Making Disciples for Jesus'. The Guest Speaker was Mrs. Bina Nathan. Mrs. Nathan gave the three fold meaning of the word 'Disciple'. 1) Those who are with Jesus 2) Those who work for His glory 3) Those who are in leadership working for Jesus and asked three pertinent questions 1) Why 2) What 3) How can we make disciples for Jesus. Mrs. Nathan emphasised that our biggest asset is our soul and mind to which we should cling on to rather than to the materialistic world. She highlighted the for his constant reminder to focus on faith formation and developing a richer understanding of God, to dedicate our time to building relationships with other youth and adults, coming together as one community to learn about how we can work together to impact the Diocese in a positive way to make our world a better world. The DYFC thanked the Executive Committee of the Diocese for their support, Mrs. Esther Thomas, Bishop's Secretary and Mr Charles Ringrow for making the logistics arrangements for the programme and Rev Shreeraj Mohanty, DYFC coordinator for his help and guidance. The programme came to a close with a time for fellowship and snacks for all present. Jacob Sarkar, Hony. Secretary, DYFC challenges most of us face daily and break the shackles of luxury and become a disciple of Jesus and in doing so we will teach differently, heal differently and preach differently and imitate our Lord Jesus who gave His life on the cross for us. The seminar was well attended by women from different pastorates of the Diocese of Calcutta. It was a wonderful, stimulating and challenging time of ministry. The seminar concluded with the feedback session and the fellowship was enjoyed by all present. 1 September - October 2016

2 EDITORIAL It is expected of the members of a congregation o v e r t i m e to mature into lay leader which helps in Church health and growth. However it is not enough just to hope and dream that the congregation will get involved in serving. A process of consistent communication will lead the c o n g r e g a t i o n t o d e e p e r commitment and greater service for Christ. A simple structure can be followed to mobilize the congregation for ministry. First, continually teach what the Bible says about the Church, about spiritual growth, about serving and about spiritual gifts. Next, set up a process for uncovering Send in your contributory articles along with photographs to: SUBHAVNA, Bishop s House, 51, Chowringhee Road, Kolkata or mail to: subhavna.cni@gmail.com The Editorial Board has the full discretion of editing contributory articles Published by: The. Rt. Rev. Ashoke Biswas, Bishop of Calcutta (CNI), from Bishop s House, 51, Chowringhee Road, Kolkata St. Barnabas' High School Bicentennial Celebration In the year 1816, under the guidance and assistance of the Church Missionary Society, this school was founded near the Khidderpore port area. In 1854, this school came to be known as a High the members' gifts and talents and finding the best place for each one to serve. Then organize the structure of your Church in a w a y t h a t m i n i m i z e s maintenance and maximizes ministry. Let us strive to build a Church that is both balanced and healthy, not just large. The s t a r t i n g p o i n t i n l e a d i n g members to maturity, ministry and mission is to invest time in teaching members what the Bible says about these issues. We n e e d t o l a y t h e B i b l i c a l f o u n d a t i o n t h r o u g h B i b l e studies, sermons, seminars, home cell groups, and every other way we can emphasize it. School. And later was given the name C.M.S. High school, Garden Reach. Later the school shifted its location to Shonai Kalibari area and again to Dr. Sudhir Basu Road. In 1857, St Barnabas Church was founded. The Church Authorities funded another school with the name of St Barnabas M.E School. In 1930, these two schools became united and is now known as St Barnabas' High School. This year, 2016, the school celebrated 200 Years. The celebration started on the 24th of September at 9:30 am with a Celebratory Rally where many dignified guests, Parents and Guardians, present and ex- students of the school were present. A Thanksgiving service was held in the School Assembly Hall on 26th September, 2016 at 11:00am. The service began with the collective reading of the Psalm 100 followed by the beautiful song of the great poet Rabindranath Tagore's Let us never stop teaching on the importance of every Christian having a ministry. Jesus said, 'For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many' (Mark 10:45). Serving and giving are the defining characteristics of Christ like lifestyle. If we are going to be like Christ, we must learn to serve and to give. We must put the Word into practice, not just listen to it. To produce an entire generation of believers who are committed to serving and sharing the eternal purposes of God be our fond hope and c h e r i s h e d d e s i r e a s w e endeavour under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. 'Aguner Porosh Moni'. The Bishop of Calcutta Diocese Rt. Rev. Ashoke Biswas, delivered the sermon. The service ended with the hymn 'O God our help in ages past' (in Bengali) and the doxology offered by the Bishop. The Cultural programme began at 11:30 with the welcoming of guests with flower and memento. The guests took part in the lighting up of the lamps, releasing of the doves and balloons. Firecrackers were burst and the School Flag was hoisted to begin the celebration. A Memory Stone was inaugurated by the Bishop of Calcutta, C.N.I. and Janab Firhad Hakim, the Hon'ble Minister. On the event of the Bicentennial celebration, a School Newsletter 'Utsav' was inaugurated and released. The Rt. Rev. Ashoke. Biswas, the Bishop of Calcutta, delivered the opening speech. He recollected the pioneering work of the CMS Missionary and outstanding contribution of the Heads of the Institution and the other staff. Other honourable guests were Janab Farhad Hakim, the Hon'ble Minister of Urban Development, Dr. Kalyanmoy Gangopadhay, President, WBSE, Mr. Chinmoy Sarkar, DIS (Kolkata), Continued on : Pg.3 2 September - October 2016

3 Continued from : Pg.2 St. Barnabas' High School Bicentennial Celebration Prof. Dilip Kr. Sinha, Former Vice Chancellor of Viswabharati and Mrs. Shamima Rehan Khan, 77 No. Ward Councillor who all delivered special speeches for the day. Other dignified members of the school namely the Headmaster, Mr. Sukhendra Biswas, President School Committee, Mrs. Pauline Mukherjee, Former Headmaster Rev. Manoj Ghosh and the Secretary of the School Committee Rev. Biswajit Biswas delivered encouraging speeches. The programme was conducted by Mr. Debashish Dey. The main cultural programme began at 2:30pm. We are grateful to the Bishop of Calcutta, the Office-Bearers of the Diocese, the Diocesan Clergy, the Heads of the Institutions, our generous donors, guests, Ex-Teachers, Ex-Students and others for their valuable speech, presence and contribution. The yearlong celebration of the Bicentenary programme will continue till the School closes for the summer vacation in Rev. Biswajit Biswas, Presbyter, Diocese of Calcutta, CNI Background The Mulvany House was established in 1899 by the Calcutta Women's M i s s i o n a r y A s s o c i a t i o n, a n interdenominational Society for Lady Missionaries. The Home was opened for homeless and friendless Indian Women and girls and had a three-fold purpose - a Home for aged widows, a preventive Home for those in moral danger and a Rescue Home for those who had fallen. It is a charitable and non-profit making organisation. In 1970, the House became part of the Church of North India under the Diocese of Calcutta. It is located at 11, Dr. Kartick Bose Road, Kolkata Today the Mulvany House has become a safe haven for the aged and desolate women of our society. There are plans to better the place and provide a much wider array of facilities to the woman residents in future. We need all of your Joy of Mulvany House CNI Wesleyan Church Celebrate Women's Sunday and Service of Installation of Diocesan Women's Fellowship for Christian Service office bearers for the triennium On 25th September, 2016 CNI Wesleyan Church celebrated Women's Sunday and incorporated the service of installation of the Diocesan Women's Fellowship for Christian Service Office Bearers for the triennium The office bearers are as follows: President- Mrs. Bijoya Das, Vice President Mrs. Candida Pope, Hony. Secretary Mrs. Melody D' Rosario, Hony. Treasurer Ms. Amita Khan. The service was conducted by Rev Abir Adhikari, Diocesan Coordinator and prayer and support to better this home to serve the mothers of our society in a much better way in the coming years. Presbyter-in-Charge of CNI Wesleyan Church. Mrs. Melody D' Rosario shared a message on 'Compassion and Justice' and the role of DWFCS in context with her message. The congregation felicitated the DWFCS members and presented a special hymn to mark the occasion. After the service there was a time for fellowship and breakfast for all present. She is "Aunty Joy" to Prattlers (Students of Pratt Memorial School) who visit Mulvany House. Her story could make a great movie. She was rescued during the Bangladesh war. A young girl, scared, hungry, alone and traumatised. Mulvany House came to her rescue. She has been here since then. Lovingly cared for by the Diocese of Calcutta, CNI. Mulvany House is her piece of heaven. She is an energetic woman. She Loves dancing and is passionate about the colour red; so passionate about it that if another inmate gets a red coloured gift and she doesn't, she cries like a baby. She cannot speak at all but expresses her love through her tight hugs. She is a "joy" and the Lord's special gift to Mulvany House. For monthly rental and other queries contact: Mulvany House, C/o., Mr. P. Mukhuty, Bishop's House, 51, Chowringhee Road, Kolkata Ph.: / Priscilla Dawn Kerr 3 September - October 2016

4 CNI Wesleyan Church 150th Anniversary Thanksgiving Sung Eucharist Service The Sudder Street Church was formerly known as the Wesleyan Methodist Church and is now renamed as C.N.I. Wesleyan Church in Sometime in 1862 Rev. James Broodbent, who was the Chaplain at Fort William and a Wesleyan Methodist missionary, contemplated the erection of a Chapel in Sudder Street. He along with Mr. H.G. Highfield, set about the making of this Chapel which was to be used both by the military personnel as well as civilians then residing in Calcutta and Barrackpore. Since they were unable to raise the necessary funds from overseas for this purpose, they had to depend on a mortgage to help erect this Chapel. This Church, by their determined efforts was erected in 1866 for the worship of both civilians as well as the military garrison. The Church had two services on Sundays, one in the morning and one in the evening. The morning worship was mostly attended by the civilians and the evening service was attended by the military officers and soldiers who used to come from Fort William. The last Wesleyan Methodist Minister Rev. John Clapham's wife Sarah sacrificed her life in order to save a child in front of the Indian Museum. She was only 39 years old. The Church, during the India Pakistan war, took up an active role in rehabilitating the Bangladesh refugees. This was initiated by the Rev. John Hastings, the Rev Kenyon E. Wright, Rev John Clapham and Rev. Bilash Chandra Das. This was also the first ecumenical effort where the erstwhile Methodist and Anglican Churches came to work jointly for the refugees. In 1970, the Wesleyan Methodist Church joined the Church of North India, a United and Uniting Church. Since most of the British forces had left this Church, the congregation became thin with Indian members. Even though today, this is a small but vibrant congregation with a Mission to minister of the spiritual needs of the people, staying in the city of Kolkata and beyond and to visitors who come from overseas. As such, the Church had its association with the erstwhile Methodist Church in India ( British Conference ) until it became part of the Church of North India in 1970, a United and Uniting Church. Many a Methodist Missionaries and Chaplains have served this Church during these 150 years of its existence, notable among whom are Rev. John Hastings, Rev. John Clapham, Rev. G. W. Start, Rev. Edward Quentin Snook, Rev. Paul Waterfield, Rev. Kenyon Wright, Rev. B.C. Das and so on. The Church from time to time has been undertaking several mission oriented small scale programmes to reach out to the Children affected/infected with AIDS, Blind children, Children of Sex Workers and Free Medical help to the needy people in the neighbourhood, Open Door Church Ministry (a comprehensive ministry of Prayer, Counselling and Evangelism for the people of the city and beyond) and plan to continue and expand the same to reach out to more people in their need. On 16 October, 2016 CNI Wesleyan C h u rc h c e l e b ra t e d i t s t h Anniversary in a Thanksgiving Sung Eucharist Service. The service was conducted by Rev Abir Adhikari, Presbyter-in-charge. The Diocesan Office Bearers, Presbyters, Heads of Institutions, representatives of Christian organisations, other guests and visitors were present at the service. The Rev Loraine N. Mellor, President, Methodist Church, UK preached the word of God as Chief Guest. The Church choir and the members of the Khasi congregation sang special songs to mark the occasion. The lone member of the Sunday School blessed us all with a beautiful song. Towards the end of the service, the guests were felicitated. After the worship service there was time for fellowship and a cake cutting ceremony. The celebrations came to a close with a sumptuous lunch in the Parish Hall. 4 September - October 2016

5 Report on the Clergy Family Retreat in Vizag, (Vishakhapatnam), Andhrapradesh, India 10th to 15th October, 2016 was present to celebrate the Holy Communion. He delivered an encouraging sermon about the importance of the fellowship of the clergy families. Special prayers were offered for the ailing mother of our Bishop. After the service, photos were taken of the entire group with the Bishop. Coffee and hands. Few enjoyed under the banyan tree to attain moksha! The Buses returned to the hotel at 1:00pm. Lunch was served at 2:00pm. At 4:00pm, the buses left for Kailashagiri, a hilltop park at about 360ft altitude, overlooking the Vishakhapatnam beach. Outside the park the highest point is called the 'Titanic Day 1: The journey towards Vizag started on 10th October 2016, from Howrah station. The East Coast express (18645 Up) departed from the station at 11:45 am. The clergy and their families were accommodated in coaches S3 to S12. The weather was exceptionally beautiful and pleasant with some amount of rain in the afternoon. Due to some unavoidable circumstances, the train was around 5 hours late. D a y 2 : T h e t r a i n r e a c h e d Vishakhapatnam junction around 9:10am on 11th October. Two buses were arranged to take everyone to the hotel, Dwaraka Inn. It was about 5mins from the station. All the families got their room keys, unpacked, got fresh and breakfast was served at 10:00 am. It was quite refreshing and nourishing with the South Indian flavour. After breakfast everyone was advised to take rest. Lunch was served at 1:00 pm. At 4:00pm everyone gathered in the conference hall where the Holy Communion service was conducted. The service began with choruses sung in Hindi, Bengali and English led by Rev. M. Pakhare, Rev. B. Biswas and Rev. N. Pope respectively. The service was conducted by Rev. A. Adhikari and Rev. P. Canning. The Rt Revd. Prakash D. Patole, Bishop of the Bombay Diocese biscuits were served as refreshments. From 6:00 pm onwards a special session with the clergy began. The Bishop shared his calling in the ministry and then dealt with the three questions: How God Calls Us? What is our Response? And How to become Faithful stewards in His Mission? Dinner was served at 8:30pm. Day 3: Bed tea and biscuits was served in each of the rooms at around 6:30am. Breakfast was served at 8:30am. A short devotion was arranged before the breakfast. The buses left for the Vizag city tour at 9:00am. First everyone was taken to a nearby beach, where everyone had a good time in the water, bathing, having fresh coconut water and taking pictures. From there the buses went to the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park. It covers around 625 acres of land and has different sections for primates, carnivores, reptiles, birds and herbivores. Due to extreme heat and blazing sun, many could not cover the entire area, given the fact it was to be done by walking. Yet enthusiasts could not be stopped. Special mention should be done of Rev. S. Nath's little two year old Reyaan, who walked the uphill zoo holding his father's and Grandma's Point'. The park had a beautiful garden with flowers and plants. Some also availed the cable car ride which provided with an expansive view of the entire city and the beach. After this, the buses went to the R.K beach where everyone visited the INS Kursura submarine museum. It was a thrilling experience of being inside the submarine for all. After spending considerable amount of time in the museum and in the beach, everyone returned to the hotel at 8:00pm. Dinner was served at 9:00pm. Day 4: A short devotion was arranged before the breakfast. Breakfast was served at 8:30am. The buses left for Araku valley at 9:00am. The buses reached at Padmapuram Garden at 1:00pm. After having a nourishing lunch, everyone was taken to the Coffee Museum nearby. The sudden strong smell of fresh coffee enthralled everyone. Coffee flavoured chocolates, cakes, biscuits and candies and coffee powders were in everyone's buying list. At around 3:30pm, the buses left for Borra Caves, located around 38kms from Araku. The buses reached the cave's entrance at 5:00pm. Since the closing time was at Continued on : Pg.6 5 September - October 2016

6 Continued on : Pg.5 Clergy Family Retreat 5:30 and it was getting dark, the cave was hurriedly seen by many. Some also enjoyed the exotic Bamboo chicken that was being sold on the streets. The downhill journey in the dark was little frightening for many but everyone sang gospel songs in the bus to overcome the fear and keep faith on God the Almighty. A special surprise dinner was arranged for Mr Bruce Bucknell is the new British Deputy High Commissioner in Kolkata. He represents the UK in the 13 Indian states of West Bengal, B i h a r, J h a r k h a n d, O d i s h a, C h h att i s ga r h, A s s a m, S i k k i m, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Tr i p u ra, N a ga l a n d, A r u n a c h a l Pradesh and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. On 29th September, 2016 Mr. Bucknell paid a courtesy visit to The Rt Rev Ashoke Biswas, Bishop of Calcutta. Bishop informed Mr. Bucknell about the life and mission and the various social service activities of the Diocese. The meeting was held in a warm and cordial atmosphere everyone in The Royal Fort hotel where the Bishop of Bombay thanked everyone and prayed for the food. Dinner was of a delicious menu of veg dum biriyani, kadai chicken, dal, vegetables, yogurt, icecream. Golap jamun. The day ended with this good surprise. Day 5: It was a day for resting, shopping for souvenirs and packing up for departure. A short devotion was arranged before the breakfast. Breakfast was served at 8:30am. After breakfast a small group planned a short trip to the Ross Hill Church, dedicated to Lady of Immaculate Conception. The hill overlooked the Vishakhapatnam port also capturing a picturesque surrounding. Another speciality of the hill was that in the same hill stood a Hindu Temple, a Mosque and a Church, a wonderful example of the peaceful coexistence of multiple religions in India. Lunch was served little early at 12:30pm. At the request of many, the tour manager arranged for another trip to the beach. The buses left at 2:30pm for Yarada Beach, a secluded virgin beach. The buses reached the beach at around 3:30pm. Everyone enjoyed the beach though it was a bit risky area due to the sloping beach, high tidal waves and big rocks. The buses left the beach at 5:30pm and reached the hotel at 6:30pm. Coffee British Deputy High Commissioner for Kolkata courtesy visit to The Rt Rev Ashoke Biswas, Bishop of Calcutta, CNI was served for all in the dining room. It was quiet refreshing after the bath in the sea. Dinner was served at 8:30pm. After everyone had left their respective rooms with their luggages, the buses left for station at 9:10pm. The Coromondal Express (12842 Down) left the Vishakhapatnam junction at 10:00pm. Day 6: The train reached Howrah station at 12:30. Everyone departed for their respective pastorates and thanked God for this wonderful trip and safe journey to Vishakhapatnam and back to Kolkata. We expressed our sincere thanks and gratitude to our beloved Bishop Ashoke Biswas, who made it a reality through the co-ordinators: Revd. Paritosh Canning and Revd. Abir Adhikari. We were fortunate enough to have the Bishop Prakash Patole's company. We are grateful to Mr. Pradip Kumar Mitra, the Diocesan Treasurer (the ever-green person) for financial arrangements and definitely the Tour Designer 'The Prabir Holidays'. We also thank all the participants and the people who extended their hands for our safe journey, stay and happy return. Revd. Biswajit Biswas, Presbyter, Diocese of Calcutta, C.N.I. 20th October, 2016 Sister Florence College of Nursing Sister Florence College of Nursing under the Diocese of Calcutta, CNI, offers 4 year B. Sc Nursing Degree, affiliated to the West Bengal University of Health Services. For further enquiry contact: Sister Florence College of Nursing Oxford Mission Campus, 81 Diamond Harbour Road (Near Shanti Nivas), Barisha, Kolkata Ph: Trained and efficient NURSES and AYAHS, available on call, 24 hours a day. BOARDING FACILITIES available, exclusively for Christian Working Girls, at Maniktola, Kolkata. CALL TODAY: LADY ROGERS INDIAN NURSES' BUREAU September - October 2016

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