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 III | NO. 9 | January 2018 Denha - The Baptism of Our Lord Festal Greetings His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos 02 January His Excellency Thomas Mar Anthonios 17 January The Malankara Syrian Catholic Church THE EPHREMITE Bulletin of the Exarchate of St Ephrem, Khadki - Pune VOL III | NO.9 | January 2018 Exarchate of St. Ephrem 51 Bhau Patil Road Bopodi - 411 020 Pune, Maharashtra THE MALANKARA SYRIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH BULLETIN OF THE EXARCHATE OF ST. EPHREM KHADKI - PUNE VOL III | NO. 9| January 2018 PATRON CONTENTS H.E. Thomas Mar Anthonios OIC Apostolic Exarch 1. Voice of the Exarch EDITOR Fr. George Mathew OIC 2. Circular - The Chancellor Suviseshasangham CIRCULATION Local Parish Priests 3. Exarchial News DESIGN LAYOUT 4. District News Anita Printers l MCCL PROOF l MCA Mr Binu Daniel & Ms Bincy Daniel, l Vikroli MCYM DISTRIBUTION 5. Parish News Minor Seminarians, Pune 6. Institutional News CORRESPONDENTS Tom, Angel, Sojisha, Binu, Sijo, Cibi, 7. Upcoming Events Nithin, Sara Mani, Jerome, Lijo, Libin, Rex, Shibu, Beena, Jacob, Vitty, Anish, 8. Obituary John, Jeffi, Abraham, Preethy, Teeja, Joicy, Thomas, Shiju Thomas, Benson & Sabu 9. Matrimonial Coloumn PRINTING Anita Printers, Wadgaonsheri, Pune 10. Days of Remembrance PUBLISHED BY 11. Ockhi Relief Fund The Chancellor Exarchate of St. Ephrem, Contributions 51 Bhau Patil Road, Bopodi, Pune Maharashtra, India 12. Bishop's Diary ©Copyright With Exarchate of St. Ephrem For private circulation only THE EPHREMITE VOICE OF THE EXARCH I greet you once again, my dear brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord! Through Christmas God assured us that “He is with us” through Jesus Christ. Being filled with the good news of salvation and the peace of the divine Child of Bethlehem, we have crossed the threshold of the New Year 2018. Let us enter a new year of our life with renewed resolve. God bless us! The new year brings us new events in our ecclesial and spiritual life in our Exarchate. The love of Christ urges us to carry out mission to the world. Blessing of the First Chapel in BAPATLA Mission By the generous grace of the Almighty Lord and the sacrificial involvement of our active missionaries, the first ever Malankara Syrian Catholic Chapel will be blessed on 17 January 2017 at Mekhalavaripalam village, nearly 12 kms from Bapatla in Andhra Pradesh. It is a historical moment in the life of the Exarchate of St Ephrem, Khadki-Pune. The faithful in the villages around Bapatla are extremely happy about the spiritual growth rendered by the Exarchate in their lives. They are eagerly waiting for the blessed occasion of the consecration of the Chapel built for their Holy Qurbono and prayer gatherings. In this great time of the fulfillment of our long cherished dream, let me gratefully acknowledge the support you all extended for the establishment of the mission and the construction of the Chapel. May the Good Lord bless all those who have earnestly strived hard for the realization of this noble cause. Inauguration of 'Literacy for the Illiterate' by SEVA at Warje Malwadi SEVA Social Service Society is initiating a new programme, 'Literacy for the Illiterate' migrant workers and their families living in and around Warje Malwadi. The official inauguration of 3 THE EPHREMITE the Programme at St Mary's Church, Warje Malwadi was held on 25 December 2017. SEVA is attaining momentum slowly but steadily under the thoughtful leadership of Msgr Varghese Mattamana, the Executive Director of SEVA Social Service Society. Let us be united together in accomplishing the projects undertaken by SEVA in different parts of Pune. The service of SEVA has already been extended to the mission areas of Bapatla and Kamagiri. Sixth Batch of Suvisesha Sangham Formation in the Sabhathalam Formation of new batch of Suvisesha Sangham at the Sabhathalam is beginning on 18 January 2018 at the Catholicate Centre, Trivandrum. Even though we already have more than 100 members an the Sabhathalam and the Exarchial level combined together, I propose more faithful from the Exarchate to participate in the Formation Programme, since it helps to re-evangelize oneself and the community we are in and to spread the joy of the Gospel to the people we are interacting with. Those who are willing to be part of this Formation Programme, kindly forward your names through your Parish Priests to Fr Varghese Valikkodath, the Exarchial Director of Suvisesha Sangham. In the meantime, the Exarchate has decided to begin new batches of Suvisesha Sangham in Chennai, Bengaluru, Pune and Mumbai in the month of January 2018 itself. The Parish Priests are expected to send new members from the respective Parishes according to the criteria sent from the Centre to choose members for Sabhathalam. The details will be communicated to you by the Exarchial Director. Unity Octave The yearly eight-day-prayer for the unity of all Christians is from 18 to 25 January 2017. At the parish and district levels our parish priests shall organize ecumenical prayer meetings and encourage the faithful to participate in the prayer meetings organized by our 4 THE EPHREMITE Sister Churches. New Admission to the Minor Seminary Admission to the Minor Seminary of the Exarchate will commence in the month of March 2018. I request the Parish Priests to suggest the names of those whom you think are eligible to join the Seminary this year to Msgr Varghese Mattamana the Proto- Syncellus, Fr Varghese Valikkodath the Vocation Promoter, Fr George Mathew OIC the Rector of Minor Seminary or personally to me. We will do the needful to motivate and guide the candidates to pursue his vocation. Vocations to Religious Life What is said above is also applicable to boys and girls aspiring to join religious life. The names of such boys and girls shall be informed to the Vocation Promoter of the Exarchate or to the respective members of the Religious Congregations serving in our Exarchate. Promotion of vocation to Religious Congregations are to be informed to the Exarch in due time, that is, before the candidates leave for admission. It is within my Episcopal solicitude that I whole heartedly encourage these vocations. Congregations of the Bethany Fathers, Bethany Sisters and the DM Sisters are to be promoted in every way possible. I urge the faithful to encourage in all possible manner vocations to women Religious Congregations. We all know that there is a fall in their vocations. The success of our future ministry in the Exarchate depends on the vocations we promote. Welcome to Fr Abraham Manalil to Goa Mission Rev. Fr Abraham Manalil from the Eparchy of Bathery has joined us to serve the Exarchate for some years. He was working in Germany for the last 12 years as a Parish Priest. He is appointed as the Parish Priest of St Ephrem Malankara Catholic Church, Cortalim, Goa and was installed in office during the Holy Qurbono on 26 November 2017. Let us wish him all the best and pray for a 5 THE EPHREMITE successful mission in Goa. Adieu to Fr Thomas Chaprath Fr Thomas Chaprath, the Vicar of Hennur and Singasandra Parishes in Bengaluru is going to Jamaica for mission work. He was relieved from his service in the Exarchate on 25 December 2017 to join the Jamaican Mission undertaken by the Eparchy of Bathery. Within the brief period of his service in the Bengaluru community, he has really won the hearts of the faithful and succeeded in bringing about spiritual growth in the Parishes. I wholeheartedly thank him for his selfless service and wish him all the blessings in his new ministry. Rev. Fr. Mathew Punakulam is appointed as the Priest-in-Charge of Hennur and Singasandra till further permanent arrangements. Welcome to Rev Fr Bitty Varghese Chathottu to the Malankara Catholic Church It was a very happy occasion for the See of our Exarchate when Rev. Fr Bitty Varghese Chathottu, an Orthodox priest residing at Vishrantawadi, entered into communion with the Catholic making his profession of faith before His Beatitude Moran Moran Mor Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos at the chapel of Thirusannidhi, Pattom Trivandrum on …. His priestly ministry will be in the Major Archieparchy of Trivandrum as he is settling down in Trivandrum. He was accorded a warm welcome by the Exarchate on 3 December 2017 on the occasion of the Malankara Day celebrated at the St Mary's Cathedral Khadi by the Pune Ecclesiastical District. Let us keep him in our prayers. Western Region Bishops' Council and Western Region Catholic Council The Western Region Bishops' Council (WRBC), which is composed of Bishops from the States of Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat, was convoked on 15 December 2017 in Goa. The western Region Catholic Council (WRCC) which includes the representatives of the Priests, Religious and Laity along with the 6 THE EPHREMITE Bishops of the region was also convoked on 16 and 17 December 2017 at Goa. The main agenda focused on the vocation of the Youth, the theme to be studied by the forthcoming Roman Synod in October 2018. From our Exarchate, apart from the Exarch, Rev. Fr Abraham Manalel, Re. Sr. Kripa SIC, Ms Julie (Borivli) and Ms Jensy (Goa) participated. The programme was very enriching. Malankara Catholic Children's League, Pune District, Arts Fest The Malankara Catholic Childrens League, Pune District, celebrated its arts F´fest titled 'JESUS FEST' on 10 December 2017 at the Holy Redeemers Church, Kalewadi.