ÖçÅB«· \é« ""¶kì cºïÓÂzß ØÄV_kØ>_éVD ØÄF¥ºï^'' ¼BVkV[ 2:5 (FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION ONLY) Vol. 9 MARCH - 2013 No. 3 Dear Fathers, Brothers and Sisters, Let the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ be our salvation. We are deep into the days of lent and I am sure each one of us are close to the passion and death of Lord. This will certainly take us to resurrection. The Holy season of lent invites everyone of us to this experience. This is also the central point of celebration of faith which we call the new evangelization. In a way, we are asked this year to be close to the Church. The church is in a state of stroke as our Holy Father Benedict XVI announced his resignation. We thank the Lord for giving us Benedict XVI, at the same time we admire his courage and his faithfulness to the mission of St. Peter. He, shedding all selfishness and human consideration, courageously established the Petrine ministry in the proper light. His Eminence Cardinal Gracious writes, “ The Holy Father’s announcement of his resignation has taken all of us by surprise and brought us sadness. Pope Benedict XVI has proclaimed with clarity what God has shown to 1 the world in Christ our Lord; he has safe guarded the Apostolic faith; he has loved all of God’s people with the heart of Christ.” As we thank God for the gift of Pope Benedict XVI, we also thank him for the way he was steering the Church in these difficult times. We continue to love and pray for him. This situation puts on greater demand upon us to pray for the election of the new Pope. The Cardinals will soon meet in conclave to elect the new Pope. Five Cardinals from India will be there in the conclave. Let us all assist them with our prayers. We will soon be celebrating the central events of our faith. The Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. In our own Diocese, the Diocesan Way of the Cross will take place at Madha Hill in Chetpet on 5th Sunday, March 17, 2013. Let us all come together, to meditate, to pray and identify ourselves in this journey of the Lord. This certainly demands the needed conversion from all of us. These events are an opportunity of new evangelization. We are asked to deepen our faith in meditating the redemptive acts of the Lord through reading and understanding of the Scriptures. It is a privileged duty of Bishop, priests and religious to actively involve ourselves in this ministry. We will personally spend longer period of time in prayer especially with scripture. We also encourage our lay faithful in reading the bible and meditation. At the same time, we encourage our people to become the agents of conversion and spreading of the Gospel to non-believers. It is the duty of every faithful to become evangelizers. 2 Our Blessed Mother, who accompanied Jesus in this Journey, from Annunciation to the Resurrection be our mother and model. May our patron Mary Help of Christians, our Lady Lourdes stay with us, inspire us and guide us. Let all of us experience this Holiness of conversion and deepening of Faith. May we all accompany Jesus to Resurrection. +Most Rev. Dr. P. Soundararaju, SDB., Bishop of Vellore Bishop’s Programme 03 Sun Pastoral Visit, Boodamangalam 05 Tue Codep Meeting 07 Thu DM Sisters 08 Fri Women’s Day. SD Sisters. 09 Sat M Cathedral, Vellore E Arni 14-15 Sacred Heart Sisters 16 Sat Confirmation, Zamin Gudalore 17 Sun Diocesan Way of the Cross 18 Mon TNBC Meeting, Madurai 19 Tue Diamond Jubilee Celebration St.Joseph Home, Katpadi. 21 Thu Minor Seminary, Veppoor 24 Sun Palm Sunday 26 Tue Chrism Mass 28 Thu Holy Thursday 29 Fri Good Friday 31 Sun Easter +Most Rev. Dr. P. Soundararaju, SDB., Bishop of Vellore 3 Pious Association Dear Rev. Fathers, Brothers and Sisters, Praised be our Lord Jesus Christ! Love and greetings in the sweet name of Jesus. My predecessor Bishops introduced in our Diocese of Vellore, the Holy and pious practice of adoring the Most Blessed Sacrament everyday for one hour either in a parish church or in the chapel of a religious community by turn for the whole year so that the Eucharistic Lord is worshiped, glorified and praised and thanked everyday in our Diocese. Unfortunately this pious practice is in vain and I would like to revive it from this month of March 2013. This monthly Holy Hour prescribed for each parish and religious institution is to be strictly followed according to the calendar given below. Anyone who is unable to have the Holy Hour on the prescribed date is obliged to conduct it on the next earliest convenient day. This new date is assigned to you is in addition to the normal Holy Hour conducted on First Fridays and other usual days. The Eucharist is the “Source and Summit of Christian Life” (Lumen Gentium 11). “The other sacraments and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of apostolate are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely, Christ Himself, Our Pasch”. Worship of the Eucharist In the liturgy of the Mass, we express our faith in the real presence of Christ under the species of bread and wine by, among other ways, genuflecting, or bowing deeply as a sign of adoration of the Lord. “The Catholic Church has always offered and still offers to the Sacrament of the Eucharist the cult of adoration, not only during mass, but also outside of it, 4 reserving the consecrated hosts with the utmost care, exposing them to the solemn veneration of the faithful, and carrying them in procession”. (Paul VI, MF 56). “The Church and the world have a great need for Eucharistic worship. Jesus awaits us in this sacrament of love. Let us not refuse the time to go to meet Him in adoration, in contemplation full of faith, and open to making amends for the serious offences and crimes of the world. Let our adoration never cease”. (John Paul II, Dominicae cenae). “That in this sacrament are the true Body of Christ and his true Blood is something that ‘cannot be apprehended by the senses’ says St. Thomas, ‘but only by faith, which relies on divine authority’. Worship of the Eucharist can have 4 parts as in any form of prayer: 1. Adoration & Worship 2. Praise and blessing 3.Thanksgiving 4. Petition and Intercession I earnestly exhort you to give sufficient time for these forms and avoid preaching during the Holy Hour. Night Vigils could be conducted by a team of priests at least in vicariate centers once in a month and in parishes at least at the time of parochial feast. In this connection, I wish to thank, the Rev. Sisters of Adoration Monastery, Rangapuram for the perpetual adoration they conduct and pray for our Diocese. In this year of the Diamond Jubilee of our Diocese and the year of Faith, let us turn to the Eucharistic Lord and beg Him “to remain with us” (mane nobiscum Domine LK 24: 29) and to “increase our faith” (LK17:5) +Most Rev. Dr. P. Soundararaju, SDB., Bishop of Vellore 5 Time Table for Eucharistic Adoration in the Diocese of Vellore for Parishes and Religious Institutes Day 1 5. St. Mary’s Convent, Udayendiram 6. Our Lady of Lourdes Convent, 1. Bishop’s House Chapel, Vellore Tiruvettripuram 2. Assumption Cathedral, Vellore 7. Bon Secours Convent, Thusi Mamandur 3. Mary Help of Christians Church, 8. Grace and Compassion Priory, A.Kattupadi Thiruvannamalai 4. Don Bosco Centre, Jamunamaruthur 5. St. Joseph’s Institute Athipet Day 5 6. Medical Mission Secular Institute, Jamunamaruthur 1. Infant Jesus Church, Bagayam 7. Sacred Heart Convent, Athipet 2. Queen of Heaven Church, 8. Deepam Salesian Sisters, Boodamangalam Jamunamaruthur 3. St. John De Britto Church, Chengam 4. St. Benedict Convent, Adaiyur, Day 2 Thiruvannamalai 5. Mount St. Joseph’s Convent, 1. Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Church, Thiruvannamalai Alappakkam 6. Siharam, Adaiyur, Thiruvannamalai 2. Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Alliandal 7. Sacred Heart College, Tirupattur 3. John De Britto Church, Allikondapattu 8. Dominic Savio, Tirupattur 4. St. Francis Xavier Convent, Zamin Gudalore Day 6 5. St. Antony’s Convent, Viruduvilanginan 6. St. Aloysius Convent, Vettavalam 1. Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine, Chepet 7. St. Aloysius Home for Children, 2. Matha Hill Chapel, Chetpet Vettavalam 3. Queen of Angels Church, Christianpet 8. Holy Cross Convent, Veppoor 4. Don Bosco, Tirupattur 5. Mary Immaculate Convent, Tirupattur Day 3 6. Mary Mazarello Home, Tirupattur 7. St. Charles Convent, Tirupattur 1. St. Antony’s Church, Anthoniyar Nagar 2. St. Antony’s Church, Ambur Day 7 3. Sacred Heart Church, Arakkonam 4. St. Antony’s Convent, Veeralur 1. St. Joesph the Worker Church, 5. Sacred Heart Convent, Vandavasi C.Nammiandal 6. Sacred Heart Teacher Training Institute, 2. Our Lady of Good Health Church, Vandavasi Devikapuram 7. Don Bosco Boy’s Home, Sagayathottam 3. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, 8. Shanthi Sahaya Convent, Uriurkuppam Eleyankanni 4. St. Antony’s Convent, Tirumalpadi Day 4 5. Little Flower Convent, Tirumalai 6. St. Theresa’s Convent, Theresapuram 1. St. Antony of Padua Church, Arcot 7. Adoration Convent, Thandarampet 2. Our Lady of Presentation Church, Arni 8. Arockia Madha Adoration Convent, 3. Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, Avoor Malligapuram 4. Mazzaralo Home, Sagayathottam 6 Day 8 5. Don Bosco Agro-Tech, Polur 6. Sacred Heart Convent, Polur 1. Sacred Heat of Jesus Church, Gandhi 7.