NORTHEAST INDIA PROVINCE, MSFS PROVINCIALATE
GPO Box No. 308, GUWAHATI – 781 001
Tel: 0361 2648507 / Fax 0361 2648510
Website: www.msfsnortheast.com
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GPA/10 – Circular- January 2015
Dear Confreres,
During this Year for Mission, declared by Superior General, and Year of the Consecrated, declared by the Universal Church, it is fitting that we reflect on the life and ministry of St Francis de Sales, our patron. More particularly, it is important that we turn our attention for a while to St Francis de Sales’ Chablais experience as he began his ministry there. It will help us to ‘form our method’ (Cf. Constitution No. 9) of missionary engagement following the spirit of our Founder and the spirituality of St Francis de Sales.
Duke Charles Emmanuel, a fervent Catholic, begged Bishop De Granier to send some priests to Chablais which followed Calvinist faith. The Duke wanted all his states to be of Catholic faith. He called a meeting of all priests in the town, read his Highness’ letter to them and asked if there were any volunteers for the mission. No one showed readiness. Francis de Sales got up and said: “My Lord, if you think I am capable and will command me, I am ready to obey and will go most willingly.” As soon as Monsieur De Boisy, the father of Francis de Sales, heard of this he became angry and objected to his son’s plan. However, Francis realized that it was God’s will that he should go to Chablais. Thus, he set out towards Chablais, along with his cousin Canon Louis, on September 9, 1594. Francis’ father had forbidden anybody to accompany them. So they carried their own bags and decided to walk all sixty miles. When they were a little further along, a friend of Francis lent them horses on which they could cover the distance. Out of all the thirty thousand inhabitants of Chablais, there were only less than a hundred Catholics. At this thought Francis shed bitter tears (Henry Couannier, St Francis de Sales and His Friends, London: Scepter, 1964, pp. 63-70).
Francis preached his first sermon on Sunday at St Hippolyte’s church. His subject was the Church’s authority. When the people of Chablais heard about his sermon, they said that this papist was subtle, eloquent, and dangerous that he was a sort of false prophet, and that the only sensible thing to do was to shun him. A meeting of the four councillors of the town took place and they swore an oath that neither they nor the people would ever go to hear him preach. They then hurled hundreds of insults at him calling him idolater, false prophet and canting humbug. After that Francis and his cousin had only the small group of Catholics as their sole congregation (ibid., p. 72).
They met with difficulties one after other. An attempt was made on Francis’ life. On two or three occasions a man lay in waiting for him by the roadside, and would have killed him with one shot had his aim not missed. This fanatic was then convinced that the provost was protected by some mystic power. On another occasion the two cousins were far from the fortress when night suddenly fell, and they knocked in vain on every door of a village. It was a bitterly cold night and they huddled up close against each other, and awaited the dawn of the day. Another night Francis was alone in the middle of a wood where the wolves were howling, so he climbed a tree and attached himself with his belt to a branch. This motionless, half-frozen man was found in the morning by some passersby who, feeling pity for him, brought him to their home to be near the heat. The year of his arrival in Chablais was a long, cold winter, and snow covered the roads. With crampons fitted to his shoes, Francis covered great distances throughout the countryside. As a result, he got chilblains and his swollen feet became
very chapped and split. His suffering doubled when evening came and he arrived back at the foot of Allinges after hours of walking. The stony, uneven path which climbs steeply for about three-quarters of a mile became practically impossible when it was frozen. Francis felt the blood soak, little by little, into his socks and sometimes the snow was tinted red with each step he took. In the end, unable to continue like that anymore he reached the top on his hands and knees (ibid., pp. 73-75). In all his difficulties he was confident that God would one day make them bear fruit. Amidst all his pains, he was never seen disheartened or complaining about his troubles, but always in a gentle and peaceful mood. He was ever ready to lend a helping hand, to open his loving heart to his neighbour, holding himself in God’s presence with saintly gravity and openness of mind (E. J. Lajeunie, St Francis de Sales: The Man, The Thinker, His Influence, Vol. I, Tr. by Rory O’Sullivan, Bangalore: SFS Publications, 1986, p. 340). He made himself all things to all. As a consequence, the whole of Chablais was converted to Catholic faith.
Guidelines from Superior General for the Celebration of Year 2015 as Year of Consecrated Life and Year for Mission
1. The theme for the Year is: “OUR CONSECRATED LIFE FOR THE MISSION” (MSFS Constitutions: Chapter 3). Please make sure that the theme of the Year is displayed in all our communities and centres
2. We inaugurate this Special Year in our Congregation with an hour of Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament on January 23, 2015. Please advise the Local Superiors to animate the adoration with readings from our Constitutions Chapter 3 and praying for the Congregation and for our confreres all over the world. Have a formal inauguration of the Year in our communities
3. Confreres who are not living in communities be advised to spend one hour before the Blessed Sacrament, reading from Constitutions Chapter 3 and prayers for the entire Congregation (January 23, 2015)
4. Be advised that every Community and Confrere will spend (during the year of Mission from January 24, 2015 – January 24, 2016) half hour in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament preferably in the morning with the morning prayers/meditation or in the evening with evening prayers/rosary/Salesian devotions.
Pointers for Celebration of Consecration and Mission Year 2015 in our Formation Houses
1. Each Province or PIF (Provincials of India Forum) with the General Secretary for Formation prepare a program of accompanied exposure of all the students at all formation stages. They also organize a training session for the Formators for such accompaniment.
2. Organize at PIF level, or Province level essay competition on Mission issues, mission history of the Congregation, our Founder, and the Missionary Beginnings of the Congregation in India at different stages of formation. Entrust this work to a group of formators.
3. Each formation house organizes various competitions like quiz competition, skit competition, drawing competition, declamation competition, song competition based on a given missionary data among the seminarians and gives them encouragement by giving prizes , especially books on Salesian spirituality or life or sayings of Fr. Mermier.
4. Each of our theologates conducts a symposium on mission and MSFS.
5. Entrust each formation house to write lyrics on the missionary zeal of Fr Mermier, and compose a song. Collate the songs from all the houses of formation in the Province and make a recorded tape.
6. Each PCIC for Formation supervises the Implementation in earnestness the Action Plan of the Provincial Congress/Chapter concerning Formation.
7. Each Formation house ensures all the recollection themes for the Year as sent by the Superior General are attended to with proper preparation for the same.
Policy decisions for study and discernment
Appointment policies
1) Appointment of some confreres with greater competencies and abilities (as needed in institutions), in some missions/parishes.
2) Rotation of appointments from institutions to missions /parishes and vice versa after a certain period of time in particular ministry.
3) The appointment of the newly ordained priests to missions for three years as part of their formation in mission. First three years is part of pastoral formation in the missions.
4) After completion of their terms in General or Provincial Administrations, their appointment for a certain period of time in mission centers before taking any other assignment.
5) Requirement of pastoral exposure and ministry as one of the requirements for those appointed /elected in General Administrations or as Rectors and Formators in formation houses.
Formation
6) Compulsory adequate knowledge of one of the province pastoral languages, the standard of which is specified by the Province and evaluated by a competent body. Without clearance of the same, the administrations cannot promote the candidate to the next stage of formation
Mission Solidarity Programme in Northeast India Province
After receiving reports from the Local Communities with responses to the “Pointers for Plan of Action” in the year for “Our Consecrated Life for the Mission”, the Provincial Administration has envisaged a Mission Solidarity Programme for the Province. The programme includes the following pointers:
1. Mission Solidarity Learning: Every confrere is encouraged to learn one more new mission language during the year.
2. Mission Solidarity Stay: Every confrere will spend at least 7 days in one of the “Missions with Least Infrastructure.” This will not apply to the sick and those already working in such missions.
3. Mission Solidarity Contribution: Every confrere will make a symbolic contribution of at least 5 % of his monthly pocket money to Province towards construction of essential infrastructure in “Missions with Least Infrastructure”.
4. Mission Solidarity Visits: Every community will increase the number of family visits and intensify pastoral care.
5. Mission Solidarity Recollection: Every Apostolic Community will organize one recollection on “Year for Mission and Consecrated Life” preached by competent persons.
6. Mission Solidarity Animation Programme: Every community will have a day set apart for animation programme on “Our Consecrated Life for the Mission” organized by Provincial Administration.
7. Mission Solidarity Annual Retreat: All confreres of the Province will participate in the forthcoming annual retreat of the Province in 2015 (First Retreat: from June 29th evening to July 4th evening;
Second Retreat: from July 13th evening to 18th evening), which will be on the theme: “Our Consecrated Life for the Mission”.
8. Mission Solidarity Symposium: A two-day-Symposium on “Our Consecrated Life for the Mission” will be organized by Provincial Administration and the Papers presented at the Symposium will be published as a book.
Appointments and Transfers
· Fr Jose Karipadam has joined the Provincial House Community since December 18, 2014, after successfully completing his term of assignment at Don Bosco University, Guwahati, as Professor. Now he is working on his PhD Thesis.
· Fr Jose Thenganakunnel is appointed to the Provincial House community with effect from January 19, 2015.
· Fr Jose Chettany is appointed Associate Priest at Christ the Bearer of Good News Cathedral Church, Rukminigaon, with effect from January 31, 2015.
· Fr Panii Paul is appointed Associate Priest at St Francis de Sales Church, Tening, with effect from February 20, 2015.
· Fr Roshan Kanjirathinkal is appointed Hostel Warden of SFS Boys Hostel and Associate Priest at St Mary’s Parish, Aalo, with effect from February 25, 2015.
· Fr Sawma Stephen is appointed Associate Priest at St Joseph’s Church, Manikbond, with effect from February 5, 2015.
· Fr Donsuk Lyngdoh is appointed Associate Priest at Ka Syiem Jingsuk Church, Amlarem, with effect from February 16, 2015.
Additional Responsibilities
· Fr Peter Parankimalil is designated to be Priest-Incharge of Sacred Heart Parish, Likabali, with effect from December 26, 2014.
· Fr John Barman is appointed Director of “Friends of Fransalians” in Northeast India with effect from January 24, 2015.
· Fr Stephen Marayikulam (Senior) is appointed Local Superior of Christ the Bearer of Good News Cathedral Church Community with effect from January 31, 2015.
· Fr Athnas Kerketta is appointed Incharge of Judicial and Canonical Processes in the Province with effect from February 4, 2015.
· Fr John Kuttikottayil is appointed a member of Land Purchasing and Construction Committee with effect from February 4, 2015.
· Fr George Poovathunkal is appointed a member of Finance Committee of the Province with effect from February 4, 2015.
· Fr Praveen Kumbattu is appointed Information Feeder of the Province for Website of the Congregation with effect from February 24, 2015.
Southern African Region:
· Fr Devasia Manalel is designated to be appointed Director of Formator's Training Programme cum Retreat Ministry at LCI, Arusha, Tanzania, with effect from June 2015.
· Fr Jijesh Palattyis designated to be appointed Parish Administrator of Christ the King Parish, Luderitz, Namibia, with effect from May 2015.
· Fr Libin Chiraparambilis designated to be appointed Associate Priest at Our Lady of Help of Christians Parish, Keetmanshoop, Namibia, with effect from January 26, 2015.
· Fr Noble Nakathingalis designated to be appointed Associate Priest at Christ the King Parish, Luderitz, Namibia. Currently his visa application is being processed.
Communication from the Advisory Committee for Administrative Unit
As I wrote to you in my last Circular, following the directives of the joint-meeting of General Curia and Provincial Curia at our MSFS Provincialate, Guwahati, on October 13-14, 2014, a process of creating an administrative unit (Delegation/Region) in Northeast India Province was initiated. Accordingly, a Consultation Paper was circulated among all the members of the Province on October 23, 2014. In all, the Provincial’s Office received 134 Consultation Papers back by November 19, 2014, of which 130 were for an administrative unit, and most of the respondents preferred a new Region including Arunachal Pradesh, Upper Assam, Nagaland and Manipur.
An advisory committee – consisting of Fr Emmanuel Uppamthadathil (Convenor), Fr Athnas Kerketta, Fr Benoy Veliyath and Fr Reji Kizhakethalackal – was set up to study further and speed up the process of establishing a Region. The Committee has already formulated a few propositions and questions, which should be studied and discussed at the Apostolic Community level in order to arrive at maximum clarity and optimum fairness on the modalities of establishing of a Region and its functioning under the Province. Kindly send the Apostolic Community Reports to the Advisory Committee Convenor, Fr Emmanuel Uppamthadathil (), latest by March 5, 2015.