MSFS - MISSIONARIES OF ST.FRANCIS DE SALES SOUTH -WEST INDIA PROVINCE VINAYALAYA, MSFS Provincial House P.B.No.5557, Malleswaram West P.O Bengaluru 560 055, INDIA Tel. 080 23340379 Mob: 91 9739010026, Fax: 080 23341329 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.msfssouthwest.com [email protected] SWIP Circular BK/30 June 01, 2018 My dear Confreres, Fraternal greetings to you from Fr Benny. At the outset of this new Academic Year I come with my heartfelt best wishes and fervent prayers for each one of you. Let this academic year bring in a new wave of holistic renewal and development in the whole province. The beginning of a new academic year does not limit our attention to the ministry of education alone, instead it focuses on the fibre of all our ministries and commitment as Missionaries serving humanity. DISCIPLINED LIFE-STYLE: YARDSTICK FOR THE NEW ACADEMIC YEAR My dear Confreres, one of the specific remarks about Soldiers is that they are disciplined people. There is a sense of pride and respect when we meet with a soldier, because we are positively influenced and affected by the sacrificial natur e of his life through rigorous practices of discipline, such as, Punctuality, Consistency and Single-mindedness. We know that he is not for himself but for the nation and for every citizen of the country. Soldiers are disciplined men who have total control over their behaviour through rigorous training of their mental and physical faculties. Similarly, every Catholic Priest is called FATHER . He is a Father because he is a progenitor of thousands of children without the underlying conditions of sexual 1 relationship and co-habitation as married partner; instead, he becomes a Father, because like a soldier, his whole life becomes a symbol of universal service and availability through the yardstick of disciplined life-style of Punctuality, Consistency and Single-mindedness . This is the parameter that differentiates a Catholic Priest even from the leaders of other Christian Denominations. a) Punctuality Dictionary would define punctuality as the fact or quality of being on time . But a disciplined person is called to go beyond definitions of dictionary. Our former Superior General Agnelo Fernandez defines punctuality as a quality of being before time . Punctuality delineates the attitude and motivation of a person . When a person is convinced of his choices and the consequent tasks emerging from the choices, it is automatic that he/she is punctual. As we know when we have to board a bus or train we would arrive at the spot before time. But very often we fail to do so in the humdrum activities of our life. My dear Confreres, as soldiers of Christ we need to develop this noble quality of punctuality in our mundane lifestyle. It defines our motivation and commitment. Very often we notice that we are constantly late for our prayers, meals and even in the appointed tasks of our ministries. Does it not tell of our motivation? b) Consistency Consistency is the capacity of achieving a level of performance, which does not vary greatly in quality over time. Consistency in fact leads to certain inbuilt habits that can become pivotal in climbing further the ladders of life. Some of the greatest discoveries and inventions of history had been the result of nonchalant and highly invigorated efforts carved out of consistent attempts even at the face of certain defeats. Cancer patients beating the odds through consistent disciplinary measures, physically challenged people going around giving motivational talks, our own mothers fighting the qualms of life consistently remaining more than 90% of their lives within the four walls of the kitchen – these are all signs of great people who have been consistent in their lives. Consistency demands love for that which I undertake. My dear Confreres, as you begin the new academic year, do remember that the initial enthusiasm can die off as we face the challenges of the tasks. It is there that our true poise will be exposed. When you are convinced of the veracity of your responsibility 2 along with its credibility don’t be afraid to be audacious: Fight it with consistency of your possibilities. c) Character Character is generally understood as the mental and moral quality distinctive to an individual. One develops character in accordance with one’s vocation. A married person develops his character around his faithfulness to his life-partner; a priest develops his character around the integrity of his life based on the evangelical counsels of Chastity, Poverty and Obedience ; a teacher depicts his character through his academic excellence and the foundational dimension of his moral standard as a role-model to the students. In short, the measure of a man’s character is what he would do if he knew that he would never be found out. CHARACTER IS YOUR INTEGRITY, YOUR PERSONALITY – IT IS THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND YOUR ATTITUDE. My dear Confreres, at the outset of this new academic year I place before you the responsibility of a disciplined life. I invite you to depict your discipline through your Punctuality, Consistency and Character . Let us challenge the odds through our disciplined lifestyle. IMPLEMENTATION OF GRADED FORMATION PROGRAM AT THE POSTULANCY LEVEL The Formation Team of our Congregation under the leadership of Rev. Fr. Noel Rebello had been working vigorously to bring out a standardized common syllabus for a FRANSALIAN FORMATION from Postulancy through Ordination. Meticulous planning and constant discussions and meetings at various levels and forums have been 3 conducted through the past couple of years. Finally the core team has come out with a well-defined and scheduled curriculum at the initial/postulancy level, covering all the essential aspects to be implemented to orient the young candidate to Fransalian way of life. On the 22 nd of May 2018 all the Formators in India who are animating formation of the Postulants at the Minor Seminaries gathered together in SFS Seminary Ettumanoor to inaugurate, clarify and to launch out the newly prepared curriculum. Fr. Noel Rebello, the General Councilor in charge of Formation introduced the theme. Fr. Benny Koottanal, the Provincial of South West India Province, represented the PIF (Provincials India Forum) and gave the Keynote Address. Frs. Jolly Chakalackal and Isaac gave the directives regarding the application of the new curriculum. The curriculum includes the Intellectual, Human, Salesian, Spiritual and Social dimensions of the growth of the candidate. It shall come into effect in this academic year. I request all the Formators of our province at the orientation level to implement this new curriculum and evaluate its impact in the life of our Formees. ELECTION OF THE DELEGATES FOR THE GENERAL CHAPTER 2019 My dear Confreres, the Superior General has instructed that the election of the Delegates for the General Chapter 2019 has to be initiated. From the South West India Province there shall be an Ex-officio Member (the Provincial) and three elected members to participate in the General Chapter. I have appointed two of the Councilors, Frs. A. Jerome and Joy Vazhappillil, along with the Provincial Secretary, Fr. Santosh Pereira to co-ordinate the election process. The ballots shall be dispatched to you latest by the 15 th of June 2018. The cut off date for the return of the votes to the provincial house is 10 th July 2018. I request all the confreres who are eligible to vote to participate in the election of the Delegates and elect people who can represent our province worthily to set a new direction for our Congregation. CONGRATULATIONS TO FR. PENTAREDDY CHINNAPPAREDDY My dear Confreres, our Superior General has appointed Fr. P. Chinnappa Reddy as the Provincial of Visakhapatnam Province for a second term of three years. I congratulate Fr. Chinnappa Reddy on behalf of the South West India Province and wish him God’s 4 abundant blessings in his second stint as the Provincial of the Visakhapatnam Province. MY VISITATION TO TANZANIA – VISITING THE NOVICES AND SCHOLASTICS OF SOUTH WEST INDIA PROVINCE From the 13 th to the 19 th of May 2018 I had been on official visitation to Tanzania to meet our Novices and Scholastics. I visited five of our Novices in the MSFS Novitiate at Kibaha, Tanzania. These are our novices from the Chad-Cameroon Mission. I had the great opportunity to meet them personally and to evaluate with them about the progress of their religious life. Altogether there are 18 novices belonging to East Africa Province and the South West India Province. I also gave orientation talks to the novices and celebrated mass with them. I had personal meetings with the Novice Master Fr. Sebastian Antonysamy and Socius, Fr. Johnson Kallidukil. I have given to the Staff a written evaluation of the impressions of my visitation to the novitiate. I also visited Fourteen of our scholastics doing their philosophical studies in Arusha Tanzania. It had been a wonderful experience to meet each one of them personally and to evaluate their holistic formation program in the Lumen Christi Institute (LCI) of Philosophy in Arusha and to give them instructions for their further growth. I had also 5 the opportunity to personally meet Fr. Thomas Kochalumchuvattil, the Rector, and Fr. Abraham Mullenkuzhy, the Spiritual Director and Administrator of LCI. Our Novices and Scholastics are very happy about the Formation that they receive in the novitiate and LCI respectively. I had also the opportunity to personally meet Fr. Mathew Thazhathukunnel, the Provincial of East Africa Province, and to dialogue with him regarding various inter-province collaborative ministries. I thank Fr. Mathew Thazhathukunnel, the Provincial, for meticulously planning out my visitation. I thank Frs.