November 2015 Issue

RIAN C SY AT A H R O THE MALANKARA SYRIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH A L I K C N A C L H A U R M C E H H T Trivandrum BULLETIN OF THE EXARCHATE OF ST. EPHREM KHADKI - PUNE VOL I | NO. 6| NOVEMBER 2015 Dedication of the Church - Qudos Eetho An icon according to the Maronite Syrian Tradition into which an icon of Servant of God Archbishop Mar Ivanios is added Most Rev. Thomas Dabre, Bishop of Pune Congratulated on His 70th Birthday Exarchial Commission for Faith Formation Meet 85th Reunion Day Celebration at Mumbai THE EPHREMITE The Malankara Syrian Catholic Church THE EPHREMITE Bulletin of the Exarchate of St. Ephrem, Khadki - Pune VOL I | NO.6 | NOVEMBER 2015 Exarchate of St. Ephrem 51 Bhau Patil Road Bopodi - 411 020 Pune, Maharashtra THE EPHREMITE CONTENTS THE MALANKARA SYRIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 1. Voice of the Exarch BULLETIN OF THE EXARCHATE OF ST. EPHREM KHADKI - PUNE VOL I | NO. 6| NOVEMBER 2015 2. Pope Francis' Letter on the 'Year of Mercy' PATRON 3. Exarchate News H.E. Thomas Mar Anthonios OIC The Exarch 4. Department News CIRCULATION 5. Circular - Commission for Faith Local Parish Priests Formation DESIGN LAYOUT Anita Printers 6. Exarchial District News TYPE SETTING & PROOF Mr. Jose Varghese, Ms. Joanne & Bro. Peter Paul l Pune CORRESPONDENTS l Mumbai Jeevan, Angel, Sojisha, Binu, Sijo, Cibi, Nithin, Sara Mani, Jerome, Lijo, Libin, Rex, Shibu, Beena, Jacob, Vitty, Anish, John, Jeffi, Tintu, l Bangalore Bincy, Lijo, Anil & Sijo l Chennai PRINTING Anita Printers, Wadgaonsheri, Pune l Hyderabad PUBLISHED BY THE CHANCELLOR from the Exarchate of St. Ephrem, 7. Days of Remembrance 51 Bhau Patil road, Bopodi - Pune Maharashtra, India 8. Bishop's Diary ©Copyright With Exarchate of St. Ephrem For private circulation only THE EPHREMITE THE VOICE OF THE EXARCH Greetings and blessings to my narrates the brethren in the name of Our Lord cleansing of and God Jesus Christ! the Temple As usual, I share with you a few by Jesus and thoughts on the spiritual, liturgical the discourse and ecclesial events of the coming of Jesus days. about the New Liturgical Year destruction As I have mentioned in the of the Temple previous message, the Malankara and its restoration in three days. Syrian Catholic Church begins the This is a call to renew our life in Liturgical New Year with the Feast the Church. The Church is the of the Sanctification of the Church communion of the faithful in (Qudos Itho) on 1 November Christ. We are called to sanctify 2015. For the sake of brevity, ourselves, cleansing us from our without mentioning the historical sins and renewing us through the background of the feast, I recall Holy Spirit as we enter the New the Word of God read on this day. Liturgical Year. Jesus, during his public ministry, Commemoration of Bishop established the Church on Peter Paulose Mar Philexinos the Rock after his proclamation We commemorate Bishop Paulose that Jesus is the Messiah. He, by Mar Philoxinos on 3 November the symbol of entrusting the keys 2015, the 17th year after his entry of the kingdom of heaven, into eternal life. He was the last in bestowed on Peter and the other the line among the reunited Apostles the authority to bind and Prelates, the Servant of God Mar loose, both on earth and heaven Ivanios, Mar Theophilos, Mar (Matthew. 16:18, 19). He Severios and Mar Dioscoros. He established the Church as a means had served the Thozhiyur Church to sanctify the world. We (Malabar Independent Syrian commemorate these ecclesial Church) as its Head for almost 10 events on the Qudos Itho Sunday. years before his reunion with the This is followed by Hudos Itho Catholic Church on 28 August Sunday, on which we celebrate the 1977. He served the Catholic Feast of the Renewal of the Church for more than 21 years. He Church. The Gospel passage was convinced that the Catholic 3 THE EPHREMITE Church is holy, one and apostolic 14th Ordinary General fostering communion of Assembly of the Synod of Churches. It was his earnest Bishops prayer and wish that the As I am writing this, the 14th Thozhiyur Church comes into the Ordinary General Assembly of the full communion of the Catholic Synod of Bishops discerning on Church. Let us thank the Lord for the theme, 'the Vocation and His wonderful gift of Philoxinos Mission of the Family in the Thirumeni to our Church. Church and in the Contemporary National Eucharistic Congress World' is coming to a close. It is The Archdiocese of Bombay is reflecting and exploring further on hosting the National Eucharistic the points discussed at the 2014 Congress from November 12 to Third Extraordinary General 15, 2015 at St Pius X College, Assembly of the Synod of Bishops Goregaon, Mumbai, in in order to formulate appropriate commemoration of the Golden pastoral guidelines for the pastoral Jubilee of the 38th International care of the person and the family. Eucharistic Congress held in the The Synod of Bishops concludes Archdiocese in 1964. Based on this Sunday, 25 October 2015 after the theme, “Eucharist: Nourished meeting in Rome since 4 October. by Christ to Nourish Others”, the The work of the Synod enters its 4-day programme will address the final stretch this week, with the challenge of this message in the most delicate issues at the centre Indian context. The Congress will of the discussion. Once the Synod be attended by the Papal Delegate Fathers present their final report to His Eminence Cardinal Albert Pope Francis, the Holy Father will Malcolm, Archbishop of issue a post-synodal exhortation. Colombo. Five representatives 25 Days Lent from each of the 171 dioceses, After a long interval the days of archdioceses and exarchate will lent are back. The 25 Days Lent in be the participants. Very Rev. preparation for Christmas begins Msgr. Varghese Mattamana, Rev. on 1 December. Christmas is a Sr. Kiran SIC, Bar Itho Kaseero miracle in which the Son of God Mr. PV Thomas, Mrs. Ponnamma became man in order to save us, Varghese, Dr. Arun Saji and I will despite all our unworthiness. We be representing the Exarchate in who moved away from God this Congress. through sins are called to return to His mercy through this lent and 4 THE EPHREMITE enjoy the fruits of the birth of during the papacy of Pope John Jesus. Lent is not merely the Paul II and was known as 'the abstinence from meat, fish and Great Jubilee'. The last egg but is a divine call for the Extraordinary Jubilee Year was in transformation of hearts coupled 1983 to celebrate 1950 years since with charity towards humanity the death and resurrection of Jesus. and added prayers. I exhort Holy years feature special everyone in our Exarchate to celebrations and pilgrimages, follow the prescriptions of the strong calls for repentance and Malankara Syrian Catholic conversion, and offer special Church on the 25 Days Lent with opportunities to experience God's the inner spirit explained above. grace through the sacraments, Extraordinary Jubilee Year of especially the sacrament of Mercy penance or confession. Celebrating the first Vespers for A detailed letter of the Holy Father Divine Mercy Sunday on 12 April to Archbishop Rino Fisichella, 2015, Pope Francis had formally President of the Pontifical Council delivered the 'Bull of Indiction' for the Promotion of the New (Misericordiae Vultus The Face Evangelization, concerning the of Mercy) or proclamation of the way to celebrate this Jubilee Year Extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy has been published. Our Exarchate from 8 December 2015 to 20 will take sincere initiatives to November 2016. December 8 is fulfill the vision of the Holy Father the feast of the Immaculate regarding the Jubilee Year of Conception and the 50th Mercy. anniversary of the closing of the Exarchial Apostolate and Second Vatican Council and Commissions November 20 is the Feast of the I am very happy to note that Christ the King in 2016. MCYM Day was solemnly A jubilee year is a special year celebrated in all the Districts of the proclaimed by the Church to Exarchate with much enthusiasm receive remission of sins and the and vision. The Yearly blessings of God. The Catholic Programmes you inaugurated, the Church proclaims Jubilee Year seminars you organized, the skits every 25 or 50 years since the year you played, the charity visits you 1300 and Extraordinary Jubilee arranged, the financial support you Year from time to time. The last extended; everything add colours Jubilee Year was held in 2000 to the well prepared canvas of 5 THE EPHREMITE MCYM. Let the flags you hoisted The Finance Officer of the on the Patron's Day fly higher and Exarchate Rev. Fr Varghese higher in the serene horizon of the Kaithon, along with the Exarchate. I congratulate Rev. Fr Protosycellus Rt Rev. Msgr Varghese Valikodath, the Co- Varghese Mattamana, has begun ordinator of our Exarchial to conduct meetings in the District Commissions and Apostolates, the level for the Vicars, Trustees and District MCYM Directors, Secretaries of the Parishes in order Animators and the Office-Bearers to standardize the way of and wish them all blessings. submitting the Account Statement It is nice to hear that the District and transferring various common Executive Committees of offerings to the Exarchate. All our Mathrusangham, MCA, MCYM future accounting and reporting and MCCL are getting ready to should be according to the launch their activities with the directions given in the above- vision and mission shared from the mentioned meeting. Exarchial Commission. Let all our May the Good Lord bless our efforts be oriented towards the Priests, Sisters, Seminarians, spiritual well being in the parents, youth and children Exarchate.

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