MST World 01/'17 Easter 2017
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Contents MST World 01/’17 Easter 2017 News Contributors: MST Members Patron: Fr K. Ammanathukunnel Editor: Fr J. Aryankalayil Manager: Fr J. Kunnel Layout & DTP: Fr J. Aryankalayil (For private circulation only) CONTENTS I. Message from the Director General............................3 II. MST Golden Jubilee Programmes ............................5 1. MST Golden Jubilee Inauguration ............................5 2. Inaugural Address of the Major Archbishop .............9 3. Golden Jubilee Thanksgiving Mass and Celebration in Mumbai....................................15 III. News from the Generalate ......................................18 1. New Priests’ Day 2017............................................18 2. Vocation Camp ........................................................18 3. Visits by Dignitaries ................................................19 4. MST Seminarians from Kerala Seminaries Receive Sacred Orders ...........................................19 5. Monthly Allowance Raised .....................................19 6. Blessing of the New MST Minor Seminary at Thamarassery .........................................................20 MST WorldWorldWorld Easter 2017 01 Contents IV. Transfers and Appointments ..................................20 1. St Paul Region, Ujjain ............................................20 2. St Alphonsa Region, Sangli ....................................20 3. Mary Queen of Missions Delegation, Delhi ...........21 4. Outside the Regions ................................................21 V. Change of Contact Information...............................23 VI. News from Mission Regions ...................................27 1. St Paul Region, Ujjain ............................................27 2. St Thomas Region, Mandya ....................................31 3. St Alphonsa Region, Sangli ....................................45 4. St Mary Queen of Missions Delegation, Delhi .......47 VII. News from the Ministry of Formation .................54 1. News from Deepti Minor Seminary, Melampara..............................................................54 2. News from Deepti Minor Seminary, Moochankund.........................................................58 3. News from Jeevan Jyoti, Srirangapattna.................59 4. News from Ruhalaya Major Seminary, Ujjain ........61 VIII. News from Other Ministries................................67 1. Santhome Bible Centre, Pariyaram .........................67 2. Vishwadeepti Missiology Centre, Kolhapur ...........69 3. Karunyashram, Paithalmala ....................................70 IX. Initiatives and Achievements by the Members .....72 X. Beloved Ones Departed for Eternal Reward ..................................74 02 MST WorldWorldWorld Easter 2017 Message from the Director General I. MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR GENERAL “Alleluia… Alleluia… Christ has risen indeed… Alleluia.” Warm and prayerful greetings of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ! Easter is a season of happiness and joy. It is the time of a new beginning – a new life. Easter brings freshness to our mission work, our community life and our personal spiritual life- rejuvenated with the power and strength of the Risen Lord. As missionaries this Easter has a very special significance for our lives since the Society has begun to celebrate her Golden Jubilee year. Easter announces to each one of us our obligation to be filled with and be refreshed by the missionary zeal of Christ. The resurrection of our Lord is preceded by His passion and death. The gospel according to Luke presents in 9:51 “he set his face towards Jerusalem”. This clearly shows the determination of Jesus to embrace the cross at Jerusalem and thereby becoming glorified by God. Through his death on the cross Jesus affirmed his mission of redeeming the world for God. His resurrection from such a humiliating death is an affirmation of this mission by God the Father. The event of Easter transforms the humanity and the entire world. The disciples become apostles of a new era, new vision and a new way of life. They become His messengers to the ends of the earth (cf. Acts 1:08), because Easter ensured His continued presence with them for the mission of witnessing (Mat 28: 18-20) Becoming missionary is a challenge. Forfeiting ourselves in spite of the current attacks and accusations on the church and the priesthood, living a selfless life for the people of God is essentially radical. Our life is challenged to be persecuted and crucified. Our life is a challenge when we become His witnesses. This Easter season should be a time of renewal for the Society and for each one of us. As Jesus found time to be with the Father, MST WorldWorldWorld Easter 2017 03 Message from the Director General to be “alone” with Him, to be strengthened to accept the challenges awaiting him in Jerusalem, we too should be finding time to be “alone” with Christ in our prayers. Resurrected Jesus found it a challenge to gather the dispersed, cold-hearted disciples, and strengthen them with the power of the Holy Spirit. So too we should be able to join ourselves with the fellow missionaries and be strengthened mutually through prayers and selfless services. Let us be ready to accept the challenge of accepting the mission in a more profound manner which cardinal Mar George Alencherry has put forward before us in his inaugural address on the occasion of the inauguration of our Jubilee Year. Dear fellow missionaries, in the season of Easter let us accept this challenge and let our lives be guided by his Spirit so that our hearts may be burning with the zeal for mission. Let this Easter prompt us to celebrate the Golden Jubilee Year with more commitment and enthusiasm. For this, the source and power comes from our celebration of the Holy Qurbana and meditation upon the Word of God. Let us be strengthened by the Holy Spirit to give Christ whom we have “tasted” in the Holy Qurbana and the Word to the people who are thirsting for HIM. Let our Blessed Mother and St Thomas, our patron, help and guide us in accepting our challenges. Let us be rooted in the mission of proclaiming the good news to the whole creation (cf. Mk 16:15). Fr Kurian Ammanathukunnel Director General, MST 04 MST WorldWorldWorld Easter 2017 MST Golden Jubilee Programmes II. MST GOLDEN JUBILEE PROGRAMMES 1. MST Golden Jubilee Inauguration [Reported by Fr Thomas Chenganariparampil] The Missionary Society of St. Thomas the Apostle (MST) entered into the Golden Jubilee year on 22nd February 2017. The inauguration of the Golden Jubilee of MST was a simple but historical event. It took place on Wednesday 22nd February 2017 at Deepti Bhavan on the 50th Foundation day of MST. 49 years ago, exactly on this day MST was formally inaugurated by its founder Mar Sebastian Vayalil in the presence of the prefect of the Oriental Congregation, His Eminence Cardinal Fürstenberg, and most of the bishops of the Syro Malabar Hierarchy. a. Pilgrimage to the Tomb of the Heavenly Patron As a spiritual preparation for starting the Jubilee Year, the MST organized a pilgrimage to the tomb of the heavenly patron of MST, situated at St. Thomas Basilica, Mylapore. Considering the past fifty years of our Society, 50 MST priests—representing the 44 batches— under the leadership of the Director General visited the tomb of St. Thomas, offered Holy Qurbana and prayed the Novena prayer and sought the intercession of the saint for all the members of MST and all their activities on 20th February 2017. Bishop Mar Sebastian Vadakel gave a touching homily on this occasion. After the Holy Mass very Rev. Fr. Director General lighted the lamp from the tomb of St. MST WorldWorldWorld Easter 2017 05 MST Golden Jubilee Programmes Thomas to be brought to Deepti Bhavan to light the jubilee lamp. b. The Jubilee Inaugural Mass In the morning on 22nd February a solemn Holy Qurbana was celebrated at Deepti Bhavan with Bishop Mar Sebastian Vadakel as the main celebrant and concelebrated by a good number of MST priests from across the world. A good number of neighbours also came to participate in this historic event. Our Director General, Very Rev. Fr. Kurian Ammanathukunnel, preached homily during the Holy Mass. He emphasised the importance and relevance of MST in the present missionary context of India. He also highlighted the contributions of MST and remembered the contributions of the members both for the mission of the Church and for the growth of the MST. c. Formal Inauguration of the Golden Jubilee The formal inauguration of the Golden Jubilee of the MST was done at 5:30 p.m. on 22nd February. His Eminence Mar George Cardinal Alencherry, the Major Archbishop of the Syro Malabar Church, formally inaugurated the Golden Jubilee Year. In the beginning the lamp brought from the tomb of St. Thomas the Apostle, the patron of MST, was solemnly received at 06 MST WorldWorldWorld Easter 2017 MST Golden Jubilee Programmes the Generalate. The reception was solemnised by the beautiful rhythmic Chendamelam by the students of Angel Home, Kadanad. Bishop Mar Joseph Kallarangatt, the bishop of Palai, presided over the inaugural function. Bishop Mar Sebastian Vadakel and Dr. Babu Sebastian, the Vice Chancellor of M.G. University, Kottayam were guests of honour. Very Rev. Fr. Director General welcomed all the dignitaries and the guests for the function. The Major Archbishop unveiled the new painting of St. Thomas (painted by Mr. Jinu George). He also lighted the Jubilee Lamp from the lamp brought from Mylapore. In his inaugural address he highlighted