His ways are ways of pleasantness,

And all His paths are peace.

His words are words of graciousness

And love which ne’er shall cease.

His works are works of holiness

And victory over sin .

His wounds are wounds of tenderness:

He only wounds to win.

02 Sun Mahila Sangh Rally, Chaibasa

03 Mon P.M. Tepasai

04 Tue Confirmation, Tepasai

08-09 CRI, JSR

11-12 Visitation of Seminarians, St. Albert’s College, Ranchi

15 Sat Pastoral Visit, Goilkera

22 Sat Blessing of Pratiksha, Needungri:

R.I.P. Fr. John Kennedy Bingham S.J. : [Born 19 May, 1927 ,Ordained on 25 March, 1958] Died on 14^th January, 2003 in Germany on his way back to Jamshedpur from USA. He is the founder missionary of "Santhal Apostolate’ in Jamshedpur Diocese from 1965. Most of our Santhal Mission Stations are the results of his pioneering effort. His Land drover , known as "Bhagavan Thera Sahara" is well known to all over and all the Parishes and Mission stations of Jamshedpur and even other dioceses. He was a true missionary fully committed to the spread of the Gospel and undivided dedication for the Praise and Glory of God. May his soul rest in peace and be an inspiration to all our missionaries. May we request our Priests to offer one Mass for Fr. John Bingham !

Month’s Mind Mass for the Late Fr. John Bingham will be celebrated at St. Joseph’s Cathedral on 14^th February, Friday at 5.30 p.m. All are invited.

St. Anthony’s Church, Dhanbad : The New Year brought much joy to all in the Parish. The excellent job of repairs and painting of the Church by the leadership of the Parish Council attracted crowds all through the Christmas –New year days. The construction work of the Hall and classrooms progressed much faster than anybody thought of. Pastor Edward Kongari is seen checking out the land papers to finalize the land deal at Monnidh. We have to be visionaries to achieve the evangelization mission of ours.The Parish Youth had a day of orientation on 11^th January by Fr. Venancius Kandulana and Mr. Oscar Aaron. All the 46 participants profited much from the day’s sessions and are willing to organize more such sessions for the deanery.

My Christmas and New year was really wonderful. I had a nice time in Germany. I was assisting at Mass in German. I finished my Semester Exams . Our Second semester will begin on 11^th February after a short winter break. My exams were quite alright. [John Crasta, Leuven]

Nirmala Hirday, Baradwari : The extension of Nirmal Hirday Home for the Aged and Destitute was inaugurated on 15^th January at 9.30 a.m. by Mr. A.N. Singh, Deputy Managing Director, TATA STEEL and Fr. George Manna offered the prayer of blessing. Sr. Alphonsina, the Regional Superior of Missionaries of Charity briefed the history of their ministry in Jamshedpur and the co-operation and support they receive from Tata Steel. Mr. A.N. Singh Congratulated the Sisters for their dedicated service for the poor and downtrodden of the Steel City and he expressed his happiness that Mother Teresa will be beatified in October, this year and she indeed has blessed the people of Jamshedpur by her simple presence among us

St. Mary’s English, School, Bistupur : The Graduation nite for the 12^thers were held on 30^th January at the School premises. The 11thers had a well planned cultural evening followed by a family means .Mementos and Awards were presented to the graduating group The selection "Mr. St. Mary’s" and "Miss St. Mary’s" was an enjoyable event. Congratulations to Fr. Elvius and the School Faculty.

St. Joseph’s School, Charbandia : The School Sports meet was held on 30^th January at the School Grounds . Mrs. Jobha Majhi , was the Chief Guest . She gave away the prizes and encouraged the children to be part of the School family for their own progress and that of the area. She also gave token gifts of Rs. 200.00 each to the 4 groups of the School children from her part. She promised to donate computers to the School and a road all the way to the School building immediately.

St. Mary’s Church, Bistupur : The CAJ[M] executive Body had a day of orientation at Jesu Bhawan on 12^th January by Fr. Joe Saldanha , S.J. There were 36 participants including Pastor Edwin Coelho to attend the day’s sessions/workshops. It helped the participants to evolve an action plan for the Parish -: [a] Spiritual renewal at the parish and family level leading towards building a Parish Community. [b] Work for greater co-operation/collaboration among Priests ,Religious and Laity. [c] Opportunities to be created in the Parish to understand the role, responsibility, rights of the laity in building the Parish community as community of believers.

On 19^th Sunday during the Mass the best Altar Boy and best Altar Girl awards were presented to encourage the altar servers. The awards were sponsored by Mrs. Elvira Athaide. On 31^st January the Parish Youth had a special Mass presided over by Fr. Edwin Coelho at the Parish Church. 42 youth too part . Thanks to Fr. Michael Raj for the initiative and guidance.

St. Xavier’s English School, Chaibasa : The School Annual Day was celebrated on 12^th January, Sunday at 2.00 p.m. at the School Grounds. Sri. Bagun Sumbrui , Deputy Speaker, Jharkhand Vidhansabha, was the Chief Guest and Shri Amrendra Pratap Singh, I.A.S [Deputy Commissioner , West Singhbhum] , Shri Ashok Kumar Jain, Fr. C.R. Prabhu and Fr. Cyril Fernandes as Guests of Honour. The two hour long superb cultural events gave the parents, guests and villagers a beautiful and enriching evening by the School Children. Congratulations to Sr. Corona and her dedicated team.

St. Xavier’s Parish, Chaibasa : After having graduated in flying colours, Pastor Walter Crasta returned to Chaibasa for a rousing welcome by the parishioners,School staff and students. Walter reached Chaibasa well in advance to welcome Fr. Cyril Fernades of Fort Wayne. Cyril hardly had few days to meet all his friends in and around Chaibasa before he left for Bombay..

St. Xavier’s Schools, Chaibasa : The Annual Sports Meet of St. Xavier’s Boys and Girls Schools was held on 17^th January, at the Parish grounds. Shri Laxman Giluwa,, M.P. was the Chief Guest and Shri Amrendra Pratap Singh, I.A.S as Guest of honour. The ground was packed to capacity to witness the Olympic Scene of Kolhan.

Our Lady of Nativity Parish, Sini : The Fransalians at Sini celebrated the Feast of St. Francis de Sales on 24^th January with a solemn Mass with the Parishioners and a meal with the clergy and religious of the neighborhood. The construction of St. Francis School Seraikela is in progress and Pastor Cyriac is seen whole day at the work site supervising the job. The inauguration can be expected at the beginning of the new session.

St. Teresa’s School, Jhinkpani : The School Annual Day was held at the School Campus on 19^th January, Saturday at 2.00 p.m. Shri Ajith Niral Sanga, the District Welfare Officer, West Singhbhum was the Chief Guest. The School children put up an excellent entertainment program and it was enjoyed not only by the invitees, Parents but all the villagers around. Congratulations to Fr. Johny P.D., Staff and Students of St. Teresa’s School !

St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Golmuri : Pastors Jerome, Leo and Cyril were kept busy visiting the various areas of the parish to conduct the election to the Parish Council . On 12^th January, Sunday the elected ,nominated and ex-officio members assembled at the Welfare Centre Hall and elected the office-bearers – Mr. Peter Bannerjee as Vice President and Mr. George Amantius – Secretary. The Divine Mercy team visited all the Mass Centres and Institutions to spread the devotion. The new Parish Council team will take "Oath" on 2^nd February, during the 2^nd Mass. Congratulations to one and all.

St. Joseph’s School, Golmuri : The 54^th Republic Day of our country was solemnly commemorated in the School on 26^th January. Mr. James Davis, Sr. Personnel Manager, Tinplate Company of India hoisted the National Flag. He cautioned the audience to accept the thoughtful guidance of the leaders of our country who made our constitution and uphold their motto to work for peace and harmony at all levels of life. He congratulated the School management for the wonderful growth of the School He was a student of St. Joseph’s in late 60’s when classes were conducted at the Church varanda The patriotic presentation by the School students was well appreciated .

Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Telco : Pastor Cyprian was grounded after having punctured the ligaments of his right leg angle while conducting training exercises for his famous pet – Chigoo. He was in plaster for 21 days and under house-arrest. Thanks to the Telco Hospital and Jeevan Jyoti students and staff for taking care of their pastor . The Christmas meal for the 86 senior citizens of the parish was a major event in which the Parish Youth took active part to entertain and prepare food . Repairs are under way of Lupita Hall and soon it will have a fresh coat of paint.

St. Anthony’s Church, Kutkudungri : As soon as Pastor Vijayan returned from his Christmas trip to Mangalore-Bombay , work on the new Church building and the residence has moved on to the completing stage. The construction work on the classrooms by the PWD, Jharkhand ,is slowly progressing. The Campus has brightened up in life with many children, workers, teachers and parents always around.

St. John’s Centre, Tepasai : A week long training programme was organised for the Parish representatives from all the units of the Parish from 21^st to 26^th January at the Centre by Fr. Valerian Lobo and Sr. Michael. All the 16 leaders participated in the seminar with great religious fervor and interest so that they can be effective leaders in their respective areas. Congratulations to Fr. George Anthony for the initiative to empower the laity.

St. Joseph’s Church, Kiriburu : Inspired by Pastor Richy the villagers of Chota Nagada , Kudilibad, and Holongholi participated in the Agriculture Training session in their own villages by the Catholic Charities Team from the 6^th to 11^th January, 2003. More than 200 farmers profited much from the trainings and are hoping to know more during the next sessions. These villages are deep inside the Saranda Forest.

Marriage encounter seminar was held at St. Joseph’s Church, Kiriburu on the 25^th and 26^th January by Fr. Vincent Toppo, S.J. Over 160 married persons took part in all the sessions and the youth of the Parish prepared meals for them . It was a unique experience for our people on the hills. Congratulations to Fr. Richy and his team of dedicated leaders in the Parish..

Catholic Charities, Sundernagar : Fr. David Vincent, the deputy Director invited all the staff members of Catholic Charities/Semket Janavikas for a special celebration of the New year on 2^nd January . It was an occasion to thank and encourage the members of the family and exchange New Year pleasantries.

Fr. Bipin was seen in Varanasi in deep mediation at the banks of Ganges during the 1^st week of the New Year. Later he rushed to Kolkata and Bruipur for the CRS advisory Board meetings. Meanwhile Catholic Charities is given a project for the Handicapped by the Deputy Commissioner of Seraikela- Kharswan for 8 Blocks of the district.

St. Mark’s Parish, Toklo : Bishop Felix Toppo visited Toklo parish on 6^th Monday and on 7^th he blessed the foundation for the New School at Jomro in the presence of the whole village community. Bishop had a fruitful meeting with the villagers regarding the functioning of the school. The villagers are really interested and happy that our missionaries are taking much interest in the education of their children and the development of the village. Fr. Nocholas is busy settling the land deal at Jomro as well as Jojoro. Congratulations Nicholas, keep up the great mission work.

Divya Bharati, Chaibasa : The Catechists seminar on " Living a victorious Christian Life" was conducted at Divya Bharati for 34 catechists from Kolhan Deanery. The resource persons were Frs. John Deeney, S .J. Vernon, Valerian and Sr. Michael . Among other topics discussed in the seminar were : Experiencing Christian life in and through the Sacraments ;through Religious and Secular/Tribal feasts; through the power of the Holy Spirit. The catechists returned home filled with New Year Joy and having experienced the Power of the Holy Spirit through their active participation at the seminar and hoping to have further enriching encounters.

Prabu Marsal, Goilkera : Fathers Tobias and Ajay are seen at close intervals in Chandmari hospital either admitted or taking medicines. They are busy taking care of the vast areas of the mission as well as the School and supervising the construction work. The Parish feast was celebrated solemnly on 6^th January with Fr. Edwin Coelho presiding over the Eucharist. The people from every area brought offertory gifts and contributed towards the Agape that followed. Congratulations to Pastors Tobias and Ajay and their dedicated team of catechists and area leaders.

St. Xavier’s Middle School, Lupungutu : January 18^th and 19^th the Krus Vir children of the school had orientation conducted by Fr. Valerian Lobo and Sr. Michael to guide them experience God’s love in their life. Thanks to Srs. Basanti and Saleth.

Inter – religious group presents gift to Archbishop Telephore Toppo : The distinctive gift that Archbishop Telespahore Toppo received on Christmas eve is a large scroll displaying the words " Happy Christmas" in 14 languages, written by 10,000 people representing eight religions.

Carolers arrested, spend Christmas in jail : A group of Catholic carolers, arrested on charges of robbing Hindu youths, was released on 26 Dec. after spending five nights, including Christmas in Mangalore Jail. The carolers, aged 12-26, were arrested on the night of 21 Dec. after some youth belonging to a rightwing Hindu group complained to police that the Christians had attacked them and forcefully took money from them. Simon, who was guiding the carolers, said the Hindu youths riding motorbikes yelled at the Christians for "singing Christian songs on public roads". Simon recalled the Hindus shouting, " This is a Hindu rashtra", and telling the carolers not to visit Hindu families.

Pope recognizes miracle needed to beatify Mother Teresa on Octo.19 : Pope John Paul II and top Vatican officials formally recognized the miracle needed for the beatification of Mother Teresa . Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, postulator of her cause, said the beautification ceremony would take place at the Vatican on Oct. 19, Mission Sunday, "the closest Sunday to the 25^th anniversary of the Holy Father’s pontificate and the end of the Year of the Rosary". The miracle attributed to the intercession of the Macedonia-born founder of the Missionaries of Charity was recognized formally Dec. 20 during a ceremony attended by Pope John Paul and members of the Congregation of Saints’ Causes. Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, addressing the pope at the beginning of the meeting, said, " In Calcutta, she discovered the face of the suffering Christ in the faces of the most abandoned poor".

Priest Drain : The Vatican’s congregation for the evangelization of Peoples recently expressed its concern about the number of priests and religious from the poorer countries who are transferring to richer ones for reasons which are not motivated by the needs of mission. Several dioceses in Africa and Asia have over one third of their priests abroad. This ,the Vatican document pointed out is often due to the need of the First World countries for younger personnel and the better material conditions.

Christians 1,999,564,000

Muslims 1,188,243,000

Hindus 811,336,000

Buddhists 359,982,000

Zoroastrian 2,544,000

Jainists 4,218,000

Baha’ 7,107,000

Jews 14,434,000

Sikhs 23,258,000

Masons 7,500,000

Agnostics 768,159,000

Atheists 150,090,000

[Bosco News, January,]