Provincial Office, Auxilium, P.B , Bandra, Mumbai

Transcription

1 Provincial Office, Auxilium, P.B , Bandra, Mumbai INB/VII/20/17 March 2017 Dear Sisters, Greetings from Provincialate Bandra! Salesian Sanctity St. Aloysius Orione March 12 On the 12 th March we celebrate the feast of St. Aloysius Orione, the Apostle of the underprivileged. Aloysius was born in 1872 in Italy. From a tender age he sought out the poorest and most miserable in order to bring them comfort. The time he spent with the Franciscans and the Salesians shaped him for his future apostolate. On 29 th January 1888, as Don Bosco lay dying, Aloysius was among the six boys who offered their lives to God in order to preserve the life of Don Bosco. As a Diocesan priest, he took special interest in the poor boys of his locality and began an oratory for them, trusting fully in Divine Providence which always rewarded him handsomely. He began the Little Work of Divine Providence to serve and to serve with love. Based on the Salesian principle of Seeking Souls, he once wrote: To be able to see and love in the world only the souls of our brothers and sisters.souls loved by Christ for all of them Christ died; all of them he wants safe in his arms and pressed to his transfixed heart. Let us learn from this Saint, a fruit of Don Bosco s Oratory, to reach out of ourselves to the least and the last in the world today and to bring to them the mercy of God incarnated in our very own beings. Blessed Artemide Zatti March 15 Of the many Salesian brothers that adorn the pages of the history of the Society of Salesians of Don Bosco, since its inception in 1869, Artemide Zatti is the first to be beatified in He accepted his vocation, lived it to the full and left an indelible mark on the people he served. Born in Italy during the period of economic crisis, he had to help his parents at a tender age to support the family. The whole family settled in Argentina for economic reasons, where, in the company of the Salesians, his vocation bloomed. After having tried in vain to revive a young Salesian from a strong bout of tuberculosis, he was left tied to his bed with the same disease. After recovery he dedicated his life as a Salesian Brother to the care of the sick. He cured not only with medicines but also with his very presence, his songs, kind words and his voice. He saw Jesus in each of his patients. Bro. Zatti used to season his charity with a serene and attractive joy. Even when he was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor, he continued to attend to his mission to the very end. May we, like Blessed Artemide, recognize in our brothers and sisters, suffering in mind and body, each day ever more clearly, the face of Christ.

2 Solemnity of St Joseph: On 20 th March, 2017, we celebrate the Solemnity of St Joseph the husband of Mary. He was an ordinary manual labourer, although a descendent from the royal house of David. In the designs of Providence he was destined to become the spouse of the Mother of God and the guardian of the Saviour Child. His high privilege is expressed in a single phrase, Foster Father of Jesus. The Scriptures rightly call him an upright man, an expression which indicates how faithfully he fulfilled his task of protecting and guarding God s greatest treasures upon earth, Jesus and Mary. St Joseph provides for us a perfect example of what it means to love and serve the Lord with great courage, by doing what He commands us to do immediately and whole-heartedly. Let us too arise like St Joseph denying ourselves, taking up our daily crosses and following the Lord as demanded of a true disciple. The Annunciation of our Lord 25 th March: Mary teaches us what it means to live by faith, and how to respond when God s providence disrupts the daily course of our lives, overturning its rhythms and expectations. Despite her fears and uncertainty over how this promise could be fulfilled, she still answered Yes. Are we able to respond to God this way? When we reflect on the Annunciation to Mary and her Fiat, we also reflect on our own vocation. In the Lord s Prayer we pray, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven an echo of Mary s Be it done unto me according to Your word. For the rest of her life, Mary pondered her extraordinary encounter with God, turning the weight of the angel s message over and over again in her heart. From the manger to the cross, Mary s life was radically changed her relationship with God profoundly deepened-the moment she said Yes. In our daily encounters with the Lord, He whispers to us a similar invitation. Will we respond to Him with our yes even when we can t see the path ahead? May Mary continue to guide and sustain us in our call of being the instruments of God s mercy to those around us. International Women s Day: Women s Day is celebrated on 8 th March across the world to provide respect to whole women fraternity, appreciate them for what they are and what they do, as well as to express affection for them. The story of women s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights, says world renowned feminist, journalist and social activist Gloria Steinem. The theme for International Women s Day 2017, Be Bold For Change focuses on women in the changing world of work. Let us celebrate our womanhood, recognize the potential God has given us and contribute towards making this world a little more humane and harmonious. Women s fest: To celebrate Women s day, A Mega-Women s Fest on the theme Women for Peace will be organized for the SHC women from the various Social Centres of our Province, by the SDO and her team in collaboration with Miss Ruth Dinshaw, from the 8 th - 10 th of April 2017 at MYC-Wadala. The celebration includes a Solemn Peace March, sessions on women empowerment, an outing and an 2

3 exhibition cum sale of the co-operative and income generating products produced by the SHG women. We wish them all a fruitful experience and a successful Women s Festival. World Gratitude Day: The Vicar General, Sr. Chiara Cazzuola has announced in her circular, the theme for the Feast of World Gratitude Day, which will be celebrated in the Province of Mother of God, Cotonou (Benin), - West Africa, on 26 th April The theme chosen for the feast is summarized in the slogan We Proclaim Joy, with all our Hearts. A Marian prayer has been proposed to unite the entire Institute in preparing for this Annual Family Fest and bring down the blessings of our Blessed Mother, upon our dear Mother Yvonne Reungoat. The English translation of Sr. Chiara s letter and the Marian prayer are awaited and they will be forwarded to the Communities. From the 26 th March onwards let us begin to pray as a Community, the Prayer for our Mother General, from the FMA prayer book. Holiness in the Salesian Family With joy we welcome the news that on 27 February, 2017 our Holy Father, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decrees concerning the: i. Martyrdom of the Servant of God Tito Zeman, ( ), a Salesian priest from Slovakia; ii. Heroic virtues of the Servant of God Ottavio Ortiz Arrieta, a Salesian, Bishop from Peru ( ). We rejoice and thank God for the signs of Sanctity in our Salesian Family. Hearty Congratulations to Oswald Cardinal Gracias who has been appointed Advocate of the Roman Rota by Pope Francis. (supreme ecclesiastical and secular court of the Roman Catholic Church). Communications: The Province Annual Evaluation and Planning (PAC) Meet will be held from the 21 st 23 rd April 2017 at MYC Wadala. All the animators and PAC members are kindly requested to be present at the venue by 9.00 a.m. on the 21 st April 2017 and may leave by 4.30 p.m. on the 23 rd April The sisters in charge of the various sectors are requested to send their reports to the General Co-ordinator and forward a copy of the same to the Province Secretary by the first week of April. The Second Phase of the Second Novitiate for the sisters preparing for Final Profession will be held from the 19 th April 2017 to the 16 th May 2017 at SHTC Nashik. Sr. Wilma de Souza will accompany the sisters during this intensive period of preparation. The Provincial Council has decided to have the Final Professions at two venues this year. On 25 th May 2017 at Laura Vicuna Niwas - Ahmednagar at a.m and on 27 th May 2017 at St. Sebastian Parish Church Kasarkod at 5.30 p.m. The Temporary professed sisters will have a day of Recollection on the 22 nd May 2017 at SHTC Nashik and will renew their vows at the end of the Eucharist on the 23 rd May All the 3

4 temporary professed sisters are requested to be at SHTC Nashik by the evening of 21 st May 2017 and may leave only after lunch on the 23 rd May Sr. Meera Dias and Sr. Sandra Fernandes will attend a Course entitled Sadhana of Jesus: Fully Human, Fully Alive from the 19th - 25th March 2017 at Sadhana Institute in Lonavala. We wish them a fulfilling experience. Sr. Cecilia Crasta and Sr. Josephine Fernandes will attend a Seminar on Various Prayer Methods from 3rd - 8th April 2017 at NBCLC - Bangalore. Sr. Lavita Sequeira, Sr. Melissa D'Souza and Sr. Antonette Rebello will participate in a Course in Media Communications at St. Paul's Media Centre - Bandra from the 6 th 27 th May We wish them a fruitful learning experience and look forward to their valid contribution to the Province Media Sector. Sr. Meena Fernandes, Sr. Sangeeta Salve and Sr. Maria Shirshath will attend a Course on Training for Value Education in Schools and Colleges from 24th May - 30th May 2017 at Don Bosco Renewal Centre Bangalore. We wish them an enriching experience. Sr. Alka Almeida, Sr. Sushma Solanki, Surekha Gabru, Preethi Mathias will be Participating in the Hybrid programme on the Ethics of Child Protections to be held at the Centre for Pastoral Management - Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth Pune from the 27 th - 31 st March We wish them a fruitful experience. Sr. Moksha Antonappa will be participating in a YaR Seminar at SDB Provincial house Hyderabad from 27 th - 28 th March Sincere appreciation and thanks to: Sr. Melissa D Souza and team for organizing the faith fest for the youth of Maharastra region and to Sr. Joanita Antao and the Community of Dahanu for hosting the event. Sr. Magdeline Sequeira and team for organizing the CPP meet at Caranzalem. Sr. Nayana Vankar and Community for organizing the months mind Mass for Sr. Christina Galus on 25 th February 2017 at Pansora. Heartfelt Condolences to: Sr. Jyothi Pinto at the loss of her dear mother aged 62 on 16 February Sr. Catherine Fernandes at the loss of her paternal aunt Pia Fernandes on 4 th March. Prayers requested for: Our elderly and sick sisters All students of Standard X and XII who are appearing for their board exams. 4

5 I conclude with the beautiful recommendations of our Holy Father Pope Francis, who directs us to a more practical way of fasting during this Holy Season of Lent. Fast from HURTING WORDS to KIND WORDS Fast from SADNESSS and be filled with GRATITUDE Fast from ANGER and be filled with PATIENCE Fast from PESSIMISM and be filled with HOPE Fast from WORRIES and TRUST IN GOD Fast from COMPLAINTS and contemplate SIMPLICITY Fast from PRESSURES and be PRAYERFUL Fast from BITTERNESS and fill your heart with JOY Fast from SELFISHNESS and be COMPASSIONATE to others Fast from GRUDGES and be RECONCILED Fast from WORDS and be silent so you can LISTEN May this season of Lent find us all committed to our journey of conversion. A Happy feast of St. Joseph and of the Annunciation of Our Lord. Affectionately, Sr. Ritha Dora Thomas Provincial

6 Itinerary of the Provincial MARCH Baroda (PV) 6 8 Provincial Office 9-10 Uttan PV Provincial Council Meet Provincial Office 18 Koparkhairane PV 19 Provincial Office Nandgad PV Provincial Office am SHTC Nashik PV 26 pm-28 am Maria Vihar- Nashik PV 27 Meeting with Bishop 28 Provincial Office MYC, Wadala PV APRIL 1-2 Koregaon Park PV 3-4 Keshnand PV 5 6 Kune PV 7-9 Provincial Office 8 Women s festival, Wadala Dahanu/Sindoni PV Holy Week (Provincial House) Auxilium Centre, Bandra PV Annual Planning and Evaluation (MYC-Wadala) Provincial Council Meet, Bandra Provincial Office 6