Greetings of peace and joy in the Lord! Sometime back
Fr. General had given his approval for the Acts of the
Provincial Chapter.
Please find his letter of approval printed here below.
My Dear Fr
Abraham and confreres,
As I greet
you in Jesus, I commend you for the openness of the
Province during the Provincial Chapter to respond to
what God is asking of you in the context of your life
and mission of North-East India Province. Going through
the Minutes of the Chapter, the Resource Papers, the
daily Time- Table, the Statement of the Chapter and its
Action Plan I was impressed by the sincerity of your
search, sensitivity to the challenges of the Mission,
eagerness to be relevant, determination to be renewed in
our Fransalian vocation and community life, and openness
in accountability and in joint responsibility. Let all
that has happened during the Chapter continue to be for
every member of the Province the visible expression of
God's Will. Let it be an assurance of each one to each
one that we are a Province firmly guided by the Holy
Spirit. Let our commitment to implement the Acts of the
Provincial Chapter be the new strength and new source of
life of the Congregation.
Therefore,
with great joy and trust in what God has achieved
through you, I grant my whole- hearted approval to all
the Acts of the Provincial Chapter 2002 of North-East
India Province. I ratify the election of the new
Provincial administration consisting of Fr Thomas
Aerathedathu, Fr Mathew Puthumana, Fr Athnas Kerketta,
Fr George Vettukattil as Provincial Councillors; Fr
Mathew Puthumana as the Provincial Admonitor; and Fr
Jacob Mattathil as the Provincial Bursar.
The theme
that you chose for the Provincial Chapter: "Fransalian
Charism at the Service of the Church and Society
-Regional Challenges and Global Perspectives” was very
apt and an effort to be a follow-up of the theme of the
General Chapter 2001. Through your deliberations you
have rightly identified the strands of the complex
situation that exists in the North East India - multi-culturalism,
ethnocentrism, regionalism, alcoholism, militancy,
poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, drug addiction, AIDS,
disintegration of family life, rampant corruption and
frequent violence. The Pastoral Plan that you intend to
have, the Diverse Ministries that you want to launch out
into, the Fransalian education thrust that you want to
give in our educational institutions, formation of our
students and our very living of religious life will have
to be a prophetic and divine understanding, insight and
answer to the context in which you live. Our presence in
North-East India in such complex situation is the
humble, faithful and creative responsibility of the
Congregation. The whole Congregation shares your anxiety
and at the same time is proud of your courage to be in
Christ's name, his leaven in the troubled dough of the
society.
May I
highlight to you some of the issues that may need urgent
attention from among those that you have chosen for
yourself:
1.
Pastoral Plan. Education and Social Works:
Pastoral Plan will have to integrate education and
social work in its wider ambit. While educational
institutions and social works will demand their own
functional space and independence, educational
institutions and social programmes will have to
implement the pastoral plan for children and youth and
the needy in the context of study, play, fun,
recreation, needs and other activities of the students
and the social needs of a place. While responsibility
for predominantly educational apostolate and pastoral
and social apostolates can be entrusted to different
competent persons, tendency for exclusivity, lack of
mutual concern and sensitivity and co-ordination can
prevent the team from building a faith community or a
kingdom community.
2.
Preaching Ministry, Counselling, Spiritual Direction and
Salesian Spirituality, and Ministry through Media:
I am extremely glad to see the keenness with which you
want to encourage this traditional Ministry of Preaching
in our Congregation. That there are already Centres and
groups that render effective service of preaching and
animation in the Province, speaks for the enthusiasm of
the confreres. North-East India is blessed with the
presence of Christian Communities wanting to know more
about Jesus and His Word and to live by it. Spiritual
renewal of such communities is surely our responsibility
by way of our charism. Presence of our trained personnel
at the Counselling Centre in Guwahati at the service of
the local Church and the desire to have more trained
spiritual directors will go a long way in authenticating
us as true MSFS. To share Salesian Spirituality as a way
of life with lay people and religious is another
commendable step of which North-East Province can be
very proud. The Province will have to ensure planned
growth and continuity of these very relevant ministries
today. It is heartening to note that the Province is
keen to launch into ministry through media of
communication and is set to train more people to use
this powerful instrument for evangelisation and building
up of God's kingdom.
3.
Commitment to Pioneering Missions in India:
I wholeheartedly endorse what you desire: namely,
greater response to the missionary call from Arunachal
Pradesh .God's Spirit is at work in the hearts of people
and nothing will stop them from going where He leads. I
appreciate therefore the concern and plan of the Chapter
to strengthen the organization of our missions in
Arunachal Pradesh.
4.
Commitment to Missions Abroad:
The Province of North-East, for the last three years has
taken missions in South Africa and Namibia .Already we
have four centres with 8 Priests .These are clear signs
of a confident commitment to implantation of the
Congregation in these two vast countries, I am happy to
note the desire of the Chapter members to form them into
a Region so that distance that separates them from the
Province headquarters need not delay planning and
implementation of various schemes to strengthen the
mission of the Congregation there. It will be for the
members in South Africa and Namibia to personalise the
proposal and to suggest modalities and parameters of
functioning of such a Region.
I am
thankful to the Provincial Chapter for being sensitive
to the needs of our Western world Provinces that are
lacking in vocations and personnel and welcome its
decision to place its confreres at the service of these
Provinces.
5.
Formation and Vocation Promotion:
It is but natural that when you evaluate the challenges
of mission today, you feel critical of present
formation. It is a healthy sign. The Provincial Chapter
has rightly pointed out basics that are needed to be
stressed in formation: skills to be in touch with
people, the first and foremost being proficiency in
local language; exposure to and reflection on pastoral
experiences .Men who come from our formation houses must
be men of enthusiastic missionary solidity, deep
interiority, and joyful, human and humble Salesian
availability.
New priests
over a period of 4 to 5 years need accompaniment by
senior experienced priest/s to help them to sift through
their initial ministry experiences that often leave some
surprised and dazed, some discouraged and disheartened
by the harshness of ground realities of life and
mission, some with a washed-out feeling and sense of
inadequacy. I welcome very heartily the implementation
of this Action plan suggested under Ongoing Formation.
6
Religious Life:
Our apostolic life is part of our religious life and our
religious life is part of our apostolic life (
Constitution No. 69). The more we engage in apostolic
endeavours the more we are called to deepen our intimacy
with the Lord, for Jesus says, " Without me, you can do
nothing".
"If you
abide in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit …
fruit that will last.” The fruit that lasts is the reign
of God seen in a way of life that is marked with peace
justice, unity, love, attentiveness, sharing. I am
deeply touched by your self-confrontation with this
truth and for taking concrete collective measures to
improve and enhance the quality of religious life. May
the Spirit whisper this secret of your authenticity and
effectiveness in your inner ears every-day. The
realisation of all your planning is founded on this
foundational resolve of your life.
Conclusion:
Once again, I extend to you my deep appreciation for the
direction, and orientation that you have given to the
Province through the Acts of the Provincial Chapter
2002. You have a long road to travel. Be confident. He
who has called you is your fellow-traveller. He will
open your minds and hearts. He will explain to you the
Scriptures. He will break the bread, feed you and
strengthen you. He will make your hearts burn with the
fire of His Word. I assure you and all the confreres of
our North East India Province my fraternal love and
confidence. Human as it may be, may it remind you of
God's own love for and confidence in each of you.
Yours
devotedly in Jesus and Mary.
Sd/-
Fr. Agnelo
Fernandes msfs
Superior
General
Acting Provincial
I am planning to visit the confreres in Namibia and
South Africa from 7th August to 5th September.
During this period Fr. Mathew Puthumana will be the
acting Provincial. His phone Numbers are: 0361-201285 (SFS
Bhavan) and 0361-603477 (Office in Peace center).
Three Provincials Appointed
The General Council in its meeting held in Rome in
August has finalised the appointment of three
Provincials.
-
Fr. Joseph Pullopillil has been appointed as the
Provincial of Nagpur Province. He will assume his
office from 15th September 2002.
-
Frs. Thomas Kochuparampil and Jerson D’Souza have
been re-appointed as Provincials of East Africa
Province and Pune Province respectively for one more
term.
On behalf all the confreres of North-East Province I
offer good wishes and congratulations to them and wish
them a very fruitful term of service to the
Congregation.
Fr. Salu Thattamparampil
Fr. Salu who has been waiting for his work permit and
other documents is all set to leave for Namibia. If
everything goes well he will leave from Mumbai on 9th
August. The province wishes him a safe journey and a
very fruitful ministry in the new place.
New addresses
-
From 1st week of July 2002 Fr. General has
shifted his office and residence to:
Via del Mascherino 46/2, 00193 Roma, Italy. e-mail:
sgmsfs@fransalians.com
-
Fr. Tomy Thekkel who is doing his B. Ed in
St. Xavier’s College Kolkata resides at: Our Lady of
Dolours Church, Boitakhana, 147 B.B., Ganguly
Street, Kolkata – 700 012, Tel: 033-2271822 &
2279156
Transfers and Appointments
-
Fr. Saji Tharayil has completed his studies
in MA.He has been appointed as assistant priest in
SFS Church Dhemaji. I thank Fr. Saji for the
service he has rendered to the community at MSFS
Study House, Mawroh during the past few years.
-
The regional office of YCS/YSM has been shifted from
SFS Bhavan to Peace Centre in the Archbishops House,
Guwahati. This took place as a part of the
restructuring of NERYC (North Eastern Regional Youth
Commission). Henceforth Fr. Jimmy Mathirampuzha,
who is the Regional Chaplain of the YCS/YSM will be
functioning from this office. He will also be
serving the NERYC, as it’s Assistant Director.
Office Address:
YCS/YSM Regional Office
Peace Centre, P. B. No. 130
NERYC
GNB Road, Ambari, Guwahati – 781 001
Tel: 0361-524455/603643.
With every good wish.
