June 2015 / VOL. 19 NO. 06 The important Lesson sanitation and hygiene materials.” It Rabbi Harold Kushner lives, all our complicated structures added, “They are also looking to shares this beautiful we spend so much time and energy address the need of trauma personal experience: I creating, are built on counseling for people was sitting on a beach sand. Only our who are out in open spaces one summer day, relationships with other and some in temporary watching two people endure. Sooner shelters around children, a boy and a or later, the wave will Kathmandu." The Team Pastor’s Corner girl playing in the sand. come along and knock from Caritas India that They were hard at work, by the water's down what we have worked so hard went to Nepal included a trained edge, building an elaborate sand castle to build up. When that happens, only counselor. Counseling, we have with gates and towers and moats and the person who has somebody's discovered is as important as medical internal passages. Just when they had hand to hold will be able to laugh. aid, food and shelter. It forges nearly finished their project, a big ('Stories for a Man's Heart') relationships and helps people wave came and knocked it down, Connecting with people is an manage trauma better. And that is the reducing it to a heap of wet sand. I important element even in moments important lesson! +Lumen, CSC expected the children to burst into of disasters. We know the recent tears, devastated by what had th LEARN KOKBOROK happened to all their hard work. But Nepal earthquake on 9 April killed thousands and displaced tens of Kokborok Language Learning Program for they surprised me. Instead, they ran up Priests and Religious will be held at Don the shore away from the water, thousands in a 7.9 magnitude quake. A Press Release from Cartias India Bosco Peace Centre, 10-22 (both days laughing and holding hands and sat inclusive) June 2015. Interested candidates down to build another castle. said, “The international Caritas network has begun procuring may contact 9436126649 or 9856240802 at I realized that they had taught me an the earliest. important lesson. All the things in our tarpaulins, shelter kits and water, The Ground beneath our Feet population is yet quite unclear. The just concluded ADC They have seldom been expressly against We would be foolish to dismiss these as elections in Tripura were the demand for separate state by sections insignificant matters especially in Tripura in many ways just another of indigenous people; they where most of the Christians belong to round of elections. The have set up of numerous indigenous communities. The hype, the hope and finally, English medium schools in reticence and lack of passion we knew it would be so, the indigenous-inhabited we Christians are known for, thank you very much. But could make it a cakewalk for Editorial areas of the state and now a great deal of Post- there is the possibility of fascist entities. The election analysis focused on the indications Kokborok language finally indigenous communities of of change that election results seemed to being included in the 8th Tripura, beset as they are with have showed. schedule. problems on all fronts, cannot Absence of palpable changes perhaps be censured if they notwithstanding, we are aware, elections Judging by the recent anti-minority, anti- warm up to the BJP for the sake of the seldom merely say who wins and who loses. Christian events that have been happening goodies they seem to offer. That would be They reveal lessons. The government at the in India with alarming regularity after the portentous for us who have implicitly and Centre was a factor in this elections much coming into power of the BJP government complacently considered certain domains more than it was a factor in the earlier in the Centre, one may conclude that the as 'our sure turf'. editions. For the first time perhaps, it was a party in question has little interest in the factor, even more than the government at plural tradition of this great nation. A party For us Christians, perhaps, it's not so much Agartala was a factor. that believes in and propagates the 'one about trying to stop this party or support There is no doubt the Bharatiya Janata Party culture, one religion, one nation' theory that party. It's more about engaging even (BJP) is desperate to make inroads in to ADC cannot be expected to have a great deal of more urgently and passionately with areas of Tripura inhabited mostly by sympathy for small but distinct religious communities and peoples we serve. It's indigenous people. In the past months, and cultural groups. Why they have simply about not taking things for granted especially after that party came to power in picked on the Christian community which any longer. the Centre, we have seen them go overboard constitutes a mere 2.3% of India's J. Pulinthanath, SDB to please the indigenous people of Tripura. News from the Parishes [ 2 ] Santir Rani Parish, Mariamnagar each Sunday in which many gathered Immaculate Conception Parish, Confirmations at the Centre to pray and thank the Lord with the Moharpara rd children. Kudos to the Resource On Sunday, 3 May, the Catholic This month we had many parish Community at Mariamnagar had an Persons, Meena Marak, Meena Jamatia and Agnes Reang, the teachers activities. On 10th May we had our who spare their leisure time for Parish Council Meeting. Following mission work; and to Supriya and was Kanika Ronga our parish youth who discussed: collaborated with the Fathers in this In order to venture. Fr. Kitbok CSC keep a track of those St. Paul's Parish, Kumarghat come to the church, Youth Day- 2015 weekly experience of encounter with the The Parish of Divine, as some of our youngsters attendance Kumarghat register is received the Holy Spirit. Bishop Lumen organized 'Youth Monteiro CSC presided over the th th made compulsory for every mondoli. Day' on 9 and 10 Sunday Eucharist and administered the Financial accountability and of May 2015. The program was aimed Sacrament of Confirmation to seven transparency and the need to support at bringing together the catholic youth youngsters of our Parish. Using the the Church by way of tithes were also from different villages of the parish. occasion to convey his pastoral discussed. It was decided to have the Total number of youth participated in concerns the Bishop exhorted the Marriage Preparation Course in the this mega event are 145 from various community to live their call to month of October. Every young man mondolis of the parish. They day began evangelize, always cooperating with the and woman of marriageable age has to with football tournament for the boys Holy Spirit who provides life, strength enroll their names for the Course. and throw ball tournament for girls. nd and energy. Fr. Ronald, SDB On 2 May we gave a sendoff to Sr. Competitive Spirit, Team Spirit, unity Jeewanlata, SSpS, who rendered her etc were exhibited during the event. At valuable services at Notre Dame School St. Mary's Parish, Tuikarmaw the end Kanchancherra mondoli was Faith Formation Program and Parish. We wish all the best for her the winners of tournament and higher studies. This time of the year where the children Sunaimuri mondoli remained the th On 13th May we celebrated the 76 runners up. In the evening We had Birthday of Fr. Thomas Thengumpally, election of the new officers bearers that CSC, the pioneering and zealous followed a talk by Mr. Thomas missionary of Tripura. We wish him Darlong on the topic Carrier guidance. good health, joy, happiness and many He asked the youth to aim high and more returns of the day. have a personal goal to achieve in life. th On 13 May Fr. Hormis was invited to At the end of talk we had rosary in share a topic on Peace and Hharmony Church. After the supper cultural from the Biblical and Christian are in their holiday, the Parish took an competition were organised. Various perspective along with many other occasion to organize a faith formation Mondolis exhibited their skills and religious leaders Khowai on the program for the Children. The program talents through dances, singing, and occasion of the birth anniversary of was held in four different villages with skits. The Masli Reang Mondoli won Shri- Shri Ravisankarji. He spoke in children as the target group. The first the first prize of the cultural th th Bengali quoting the Bible, explaining program was from 8 to 10 of May at competition, Masli Garo Mondoli won the Beatitudes, and sharing the message three villages viz, Pottichery, Kalabon the second prize. The youth day was th of love and peace to a crowd of about and Duptoli. The second one was held successfully concluded on the 10 of th th 200 men and women. He ended with a from the 15 to 17 of the same month at May through the Holy Eucharistic prayer song “Make me a channel of Itchachara for its children and its other celebrations. It was parish mass your Peace----” We conducted 8 zonal four neighbouring villages. The attended by all the Mondolis of the youth leaders Meetings to youth from children came out in many numbers parish. During the Holy Eucharist Fr. Nelsi, Sirduk and Singlung who with their enthusiasm to learn. At the Agi Paul CSC stressed the role of the participated in the leadership end of the three days we could see the youth in the Church.