8. KNL-January-2021
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Bishop's Message Dear Fathers, Sisters and Brothers, Wish you all a happy New Year and God's choicest blessings! At the outset, I wish to express my sincere thanks to all those religious congregations ministering in our diocese who have contributed generously towards a project for the poor responding positively to our appeal at the time of Christmas. As you know, we have a good and longstanding tradition in our diocese that the religious, representing different congregations, meet the diocesan bishop and share the joy of Christmas on a particular day in the month of December. In the past, they used to bring a lot of cookies, cakes and other homemade eatables just to make the festival graceful. On our request to bring clothes for the poor instead of such edibles in the year 2018, they surprised us in their own way with their generosity. In 2019, we appealed to their goodwill to contribute their mite in view of a house for the poor as a Christmas gift. Adding little more money to what they contributed, the KSSS and the diocese jointly executed the project of a house to a poor Dalit widow proposed by the Commission for SC/ST. The contribution for this Christmas amounts approximately to two lakhs and we shall happily use it for the same purpose. A small deed of kindness but a great help indeed to a poor family! Thanks. As you know, Pope Francis has instituted a “Year of Saint Joseph” from 8th December 2020 to 8th December 2021 to mark the 150th anniversary of the declaration of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church by Pope Pius IX with an Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, “With a father's heart.” The Holy Father's love for St. Joseph became much obvious when he decreed on 1st May 2013 that the name of St. Joseph, the Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, be added in the Eucharistic Prayers II, III and IV. We need to read the present Apostolic Letter against the backdrop of the Covid -19 pandemic, which, the Holy Father says, has helped us see more clearly the importance of “ordinary people, people often overlooked” who exercise patience and offer hope every day. In this, they resemble Saint Joseph, “the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence,” who nonetheless played “an incomparable role in the history of salvation.” He calls St. Joseph “the special patron of all those forced to leave their native lands because of war, hatred, persecution and poverty” and insists that “every poor, needy, suffering or dying person, every stranger, every prisoner, every KOTTAR NEWSLETTER 2021 JANUARY 1 infirm person is 'the child' whom St. Joseph continues to protect.” Describing St. Joseph as a beloved, tender and loving father, an obedient and accepting father, a creatively courageous and working father and a father in the shadows, the Holy Father says, “the aim of this Apostolic Letter is to increase our love for this great saint, to encourage us to implore his intercession and to imitate his virtues and his zeal.” In celebrating the Year of St. Joseph, it may happen with some of us to fall into temptation to initiate or increase the number of devotional practices to the saint or to install or increase the number of statues of the saint in the church and in its vicinity or to coin different themes on the life of the saint for the parish feast and the like. Besides prayers and devotions this year, the text, I think, challenges us to an action-oriented reflection on several persons who are in need of our attention and assistance in our society and the Church. First of all, our attention should be turned to “those who appear hidden or in the shadows” like St. Joseph playing an incomparable role in the well being of the humanity. As the Holy Father says, “A word of recognition and of gratitude is due to them all.” Secondly, we need to think more on the rights and protection of our children this year as St. Joseph served “the person and mission of Jesus directly through the exercise of his fatherhood.” We must also remind ourselves of his “creative courage” in protecting the baby Jesus from the threat posed by King Herod. Thirdly, we should speak aloud of the rights of women this year as St. Joseph's unconditional acceptance of Mary and his decision to protect her “good name, her dignity and her life” which would certainly serve as an example for men today. As the Pope rightly points out, “today, in our world where psychological, verbal and physical violence toward women is so evident, Joseph appears as the figure of a respectful and sensitive man.” Fourthly, asthe text highlights poignantly the plight of the migrants in defense of their rights, we are called to reflect on our ministry to those migrants around us. Fifthly, the text touches upon the “burning social issue” of unemployment and the right of the workers to a life of dignity for themselves and their families. May the paternal protection of St. Joseph be with us always! I also wish you a happy Pongal. In the mind of Christ, Sd/- + Nazarene Soosai Bishop of Kottar 2 2021 JANUARY KOTTAR NEWSLETTER DIOCESAN CIRCULAR LETTERS No. Ch-144/20 02.12.2020 Dear Rev. Fathers and Sisters, Greetings of Peace and Joy! It is a delight for me to extend my greetings to you for a meaningful and blessed celebration of the Birth of our Lord. I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to you for the committed services your Community has been rendering to the people in our Diocese. Our Diocese thankfully acknowledges your commendable contribution in pastoral, educational, health and social services. I have immense appreciation for your solidarity with the poor and the deprivileged people whom you have been supporting in various ways. In a special way, I wish to thank you for reaching out to the people generously during times of crisis. Your intervention as a community of your own and in collaboration with the Diosese to provide relief to our people after the Okhi cyclone and during the total lockdown in view of Covid 19 pandemic is highly worthy of mention. It has been a joyous occasion for me to meet you every year before Christmas. Christmas invites us for a meaningful celebration by sharing what we have, especially with those who are deprived. I was amazed by your positive response to my request to make some contibution to provide housing for a widow last year. With your contribution, we could bring joy to a family. This year I wish to be available on Saturday 19th December 2020 to meet you and greet you. You may kindly contact Fr. Sahaya Antony, Secretary to the Bishop (9003775584) if you would wish to meet me. I request you not to bring any gift to me; but you may kindly contribute to support a few poor families in a substation of our Diocese. May the Season of Advent bring you abundant blessings. In the mind of Christ, Sd/- + Nazarene Soosai Bishop of Kottar KOTTAR NEWSLETTER 2021 JANUARY 3 No. Ch-156/20 18.12.2020 Ü¡¹ G¬ø ܼ†ðEò£÷˜è«÷! F¼õ¼¬è‚ è£ô‹ G¬ø¾ ªðø¾œ÷ Þˆî¼íˆF™ àƒèÀ‚° âù¶ ÞQò õ£›ˆ¶‚èœ. «è£M† 19 ªð¼‰ªî£ŸÁ‚ è£óíñ£è, Åö½‚° ãŸð ïñ¶ F¼õN𣴠ï¬ìªðÁ‹ º¬øJ™ Cô ñ£Áî™è¬÷ ªð£ÁŠ¹í˜¾ì¡ «ñŸªè£‡´ õ‰¶œ«÷£‹. àƒèœ ¹K°‹ 制¬öŠHŸ°‹ à÷ñ£˜‰î ï¡P. ð£¬îò Åö™ °Pˆ¶ ñ¬øñ£õ†ì Ý«ô£ê¬ù‚ °¿M™ Mõ£Fˆî H¡ùEJ™ H¡õ¼‹ õNº¬ø¬ò ÜPM‚A¡«ø¡. 1. F¼Mö£ F¼ŠðL ñŸÁ‹ Þø‰«î£˜ G¬ù¾ˆ F¼ŠðL CøŠH‚°‹ õNº¬ø °Pˆ¶ ܼ†ðEò£÷˜ ªð£¶‚°¿‚ ÆìˆF™ èô‰¶¬óò£®ò H¡ è£ôˆFŸ° ãŸø º®¾ â´‚èŠð´‹. 2. Hø õNð£´èœ ܬùˆ¶‹ «è£M† 19 î¬ì‚è£ôˆFŸ° º¡¹  H¡ðŸPò õNº¬øJ™ G¬ø«õŸøŠð´‹.  âF˜ð£˜ˆF¼‚°‹ APv¶ HøŠ¹ Mö£ Ü ¬ ñ F » ‹ ï ‹ H ‚ ¬ è » ‹ Ü ¼ O ì Ü ¡ ¹ ì ¡ õ£›ˆ¶A¡«ø¡. APv¶M¡ ñùG¬ôJ™, Sd/- + ïê«ó¡ Å¬ê «è£†ì£Á Ýò˜ 4 2021 JANUARY KOTTAR NEWSLETTER Reports from Diocesan Pastoral Commissions 1. Commission for the Laity (Mr. T. Pancras) µ Muttom Vicariate: Mr. Raphael delivered a talk on “The nature of Parish Councils” at the Vicariate Laity Commission meeting held on 29.11.2020. Mr. Eugene and Mr. Venish Louie spoke on the Rules and Regulation of Election related to the PPC. 49 members participated in the meeting. µ Kanyakumari Vicariate: The Vicar Forane of Kanyakumari Vicariate Rev. Fr. Joseph Romald gave a talk on “Political Participation” at the Vicariate meeting held on 1st November. 14 members participated. µ Devasahayam Mount Vicariate: 10 members participated in the Laity Commission meeting held on 13th November. Details related to formation of Parish Pastoral Councils in November 2020 Vicariate Parish Activity Date Kanyakumari Mylaudy Election for PPC members 29.11.2020 Ramanathichen- Election for PPC members 01.11.2020 puthoor Election of Office bearers 08.11.2020 D.S. Mount Election for PPC members 08.11.2020 Claret Mount Election of Office bearers 15.11.2020 Election for PPC members 01.11.2020 Midalam Election of Office bearers 08.11.2020 Alenchy Election for PPC members 22.11.2020 Alenchy Election of Office bearers 29.11.2020 Election for PPC members 01.11.2020 P.N. Colony Election of Office bearers 08.11.2020 Election for PPC members 15.11.2020 Kottar Pallavilai Election of Office bearers 22.11.2020 Election for PPC members 22.11.2020 Punnai Nagar Election of Office bearers 29.11.2020 KOTTAR NEWSLETTER 2021 JANUARY 5 2.