JAMSHEDPUR DIOCESE

                                                 

 

Yes, the Lord is risen,

And death’s gloomy prison,

Stript of bolt and bars, lies robbed

Of all its power to harm;

And the blood is speaking

Peace to spirits breaking

With the dreadful sense of sin’s

Unconquerable charm.

[J. Boyd]

 

Wish you a Glorious and Grace filled Easter. May the Peace, Joy and Love of the Risen Christ be with you !

           

Engagements of Bishop Felix Toppo, S.J. – April, 2004

 

02.Fri.  Meeting, Ranchi                                         08.Thur. Evening Liturgy, Cathedral

09.Fri. Good Friday Liturgy,St. Mary’s, Bistupur 10.Sat. Easter Vigil, Cathedral

14.Wed. Confirmation, Siadih                               17.Sat. Ordination, Chakradharpur

25.Sun. Parish Day, Toklo                                     30.Mon. Final Profession, Lohardaga                                 

 

                                                   Congratulations :

Msgr. Andrews Thazhat                                 Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Trichur

Fr. Joseph Kallarangat                                   Apponted Bishop of Pala

Fr. Jose Porunnedom                                     Appointed Bishop of Mananthavady

 

 

Catholic Charities, Sundernagar  :    On 1^st March, 2004 Bishop Felix Toppo, S.J. inaugurated the vocation training center at the Vikas Bharati . Deputy Director, Fr. David Vincent gave an introduction on the need for skilled training for the of youth today to opt for jobs at the present time. The trade trainings are for both boys and girls and the first batch will continue for six months. Director, Fr. Bipin Pani flew to Hydrabad to attend the Caritas India National Meeting as Director of Bijhan Social Forum. Recently Fr. Bipin got elected as Bijhan- Director and this will take him to many more countries on  Caritas business. He will be back in Jsr. in the 1^st week of April from Sri Lanka.

 

Holy Cross , School, Chowka:  The magnificent Holy Cross school building was blessed and inaugurated by Bishop Felix Toppo on 2^nd March during the solemn Santhali Liturgy at the forecourt of the new building at 9.00 a.m. Fr. Manu Horo, our Santhal  expert and padayatra  neta was the master of ceremony. The Hindi-Santhali programmes went on even after most of the guests left the scene. Sr. Daya welcomed the guests and requested all to support their mission in Chowka. Later all shared the sumptuous meal prepared by the Sisters. Priests and Sisters from the town reached Chowka to be part of the big celebration with the Holy Cross family.             

 

Kripa Sadan, Bhilai Pahari :  Bishop Felix Toppo, S.J. blessed and inaugurated  the newly constructed de-addiction center  on 23^rd February at 12.30 p.m. in the presence of 80 plus Priests, Religious and friends. It was the birthday of Director, Fr. Cyprian Lobo. Immediately after the blessing Cyprian had to cut 2 cakes to celebrate the day. He gave a beautiful presentation of the purpose of the center and how people can be encouraged to get disciplined by being at Kripa Sadan for a program. This was followed by a family meal with all home production. Congratulations to Fr. Cyprian and we wish him the best for the programs on de-addiction.

 

 

Prabhu Marshal Parish, Goilkera : On 4^th March, Bishop Felix Toppo visited Goilkera together with the Canadian couple- Rita + Francis. The school extended them a very warm welcome with dances and songs. Frs.Tobias and Ajay made sure that the guests  return from Goilkera with  sweet memories . During the Lenten season every village / mission station of the Parish will have retreats and confessions arranged and the catechists are at work with the Priests to reach out to all. 

St. Mary’s Church, N. Road :  Pastor, Fr. Edwin Eoelho falls  3^rd time from his Hero Honda on 4^th March at the far end of  Gurudwara road. This time he was knocked down by a car and the driver took him to the nearby dispensary and reached him home. A good Samaritan reached the motorbike to the presbytery. Edwin was taken to Mercy Hospital for further check up and rested home for a couple of days without any long ride on his bike. The 45^th birthday of Fr. Elvius Dungdung was celebrated on 14^th March with Mass and solemn family meal for the clergy of the town at the Presbytery at 8.00 p.m.

Sarhul festival was celebrated on Tuesday, 23^rd March beginning with a solemn high Mass presided over by Fr. Oscar Horo, S.J at 3.30 p.m. in the Church. This was followed by cultural programmes and high tea at the school hall .  Mr. Gosai Oraom , SDO, Dalbhum was the Chief Guest for the cultural function.

 

St. Anthony’s Church, Dhanbad :  Bishop Felix Toppo was the Chief celebrant of the Mass on 7^{th March} , the day of ‘Holi’ at the Parish Church. He congratulated the people for their courage to face ‘Holi’ and be present for the Mass. Bishop did visit most of the institutions in the deanery before returning to Jamshedpur  .

Dean Fr. Edward Kongari made several visits to Ranchi to get the clearance for the culvert to the land at Titichapari. Catechist Augustine Horo attended the Santhal colloquium at Jesu Bhawan from the 9^th to 13^th. Fr. Norbert Kindo did visit Jamshedpur for medical check up at the Mercy Hospital. He is back home hale and hearty – looking 25 years younger!

 

Jisu Marsal Ashram, Hatikunder : The construction work of the 4 class rooms, office and living room is progressing very well .The water  in the unfinished well is used for the construction work . The land problems are settled properly. Admission in the school has increased 300% this time. The catechists are doing a good job in contacting people and guiding them to educate their children.  Wish you Junas the very best for your Santhal mission work at Hatikunder.

 

Catholic Ashram, Purulia:  The Church repair work got over by the middle of March. It took time to break and make the damaged parts of the building. The new coat of colour attracts more visitors to the campus. Dr. Hilary Lobo has got the school campus tip-top and walls are colour- washed for the new academic session. Meantime Pastor Henry Sequeira attended the “Stewardship Skills for Priests’” program from the 1^st to 6^th at XLRI. Other Priests who attended the sessions were – Gerry Martin D’Souza, Chonas Xalxo, Leo Pais, Bernard Surin and Paul  Mathew. Thanks to Fr. P.D. Thomas and the XLRI Faculty for the initiative. The 52^nd birthday of Pastor Fr. Henry Sequeira was celebrated on 31^st March with  solemn Mass , felicitation and special dinner for the clergy and religious.

 

St. Robert’s Church, Parsudih :  Fr. Felix D’Souza conducted  one day recollection for the parishioners on 14^th March. 350 faithful took part in the day-long sessions. Msgr. John Bodra was on hand for confessions in the afternoon.

 

St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Golmuri :  Fr. Leo D’Souza returned on the 7^th after the funeral and 7^th day Mass for his father at home. The Mahila Sangh had a day out to distribute clothes and grains to the needy at the Neeldungri village with the Parish Priest on 14^th March. It was an enriching experience for all the people who got involved with this noble task during the Lent. The Sarhul festival was celebrated at Mercy Chapel on Sunday, 21^st with a high Mass presided over by Fr. Fabian Bhuinyian S.J. Mr. Gosai Oraom was the Chief Guest at the cultural program immediately after the Mass. He not only gave a message but sang to the dancing spirit of the audience. The celebrations concluded with lunch for all. Mr. Ephrem Kispotta was the Master of Ceremony. Fr. Dhiraj IMS and team from Delhi conducted the Youth retreat at St. Joseph’s Cathedral on the  26^th, 27^th and 28^th March. 226 boys and girls participated.

 

St. Mary’s English School, Bistupur :  Fr. Elvius Dungdung organized a week long catechism /faith formation/Moral lessons for the catholic/Christian students of the school from the 8^th to 14^th .It was well appreciated by the parents and guardians.

 

Recollection/ Chrism Mass -2004 :  On 18^th March, the clergy and religious gathered at the Cathedral for  recollection, sacrament of reconciliation and Benediction. Dr. John Mundu, S.J. inspired the community with his simple and thought provoking message. It is up to each one to look into one’s lives and bring in the needed change to experience the Lord.Bishop Felix Toppo, S.J. presided at the solemn Chrism Mass on 18^th March at 5.30 p.m. 84 Priests joined the Bishop at the altar and renewed their priestly commitment. Fr. Valerian Lobo was the master of ceremony and gave meaningful commentary while conducting the liturgy. Immediately after the Mass the clergy and religious gathered at the Welfare Centre Hall and felicitated Frs. Cyprian Lobo and Gilbert D’Souza, the silver jubilarians of the year. Bishop Felix presented shawls and congratulated them. The three  guests from Canada, Mrs. Frans,  Mrs. Florence and Mrs. Joan were  welcomed with tribal shawls by the Bishop. Later all shared for the family meal with the Bishop. This year there were 280 priests and religious for the Chrism Mass and meal.

 

 

St. Xavier’s Middle School, Basahatu :  24^th March will be inscribed in the history of the Church in Jamshedpur as a historic day . The new school building was inaugurated and blessed by Bishop Felix Toppo ,S.J. and  Provincial, Fr. James Kalapura, S.J. in the presence of the school children, parents , Clergy and Religious from various communities, and the local villagers. Bishop Felix Toppo, S.J. was the Chief Celebrant of the solemn Mass at 10.00 a.m. The school children performed entrance and offertory  dance and  the whole community sang at the Mass in loud voice to give praise to God. Immediately after the Mass there was the blessing of new school- floor took place followed by cultural programme by the school children.

 

XLRI, Jamshedpur: The 48^th annual convocation of XLRI was held at the Tata Auditorium on Friday, 26^th March at 5.30 p.m. Sr. Nirmala M.C., Superior General, Missionaries of Charity received the “Sir Jehangir Ghandy Medal for Industrial and Social Peace-2004” . It was presented by Mr. B. Muthuraman, M.D., Tata Steel. Dr. J.J. Irani delivered the convocation address.

The silver Jubilee of Priesthood of Fr. P.D. Thomas, S.J. was celebrated on 27^th March with a special Mass with the clergy at the Tome Bhawan . Fr. Theo  Mathias S.J. took shelter at Mercy Hospital for 4 days after his hectic visit to Loyola, Andhra during the 3^rd week of March.

 

Nirmal Hriday, Baradwari :  The Superior General of Missionaries of Charity, Sr. Nirmala, M.C. was given a rousing welcome at Nirmala Hriday on 25^th March. St .Mary’s English School, Cathedral Choir and the inmates of Nirmal Hriday presented  items to extend joyful welcome to Sr. Nirmala. Mr. B. Muthuraman, and Mr. Bailey Bodhanwalla addressed gathering and congratulated the Missionaries of Charity for their wonderful service to the people of Jamshedpur  and promised whole hearted support .

 

St. Joseph’s Convent, Chaira : The  Sisters of St. Joseph of Tarbes celebrated  the feast  of St. Joseph on 21^st March with Mass and a family meal. Fathers and sisters from Jamshedpur  rushed to Chaira to be part of the joyful celebration .

 

Gyan Deep Vidyalaya, Birsanagar :  The newly constructed ‘Extension Block’ of Gyan Deep was blessed by Bishop Felix Toppo, S.J. on 29^th  March, at 9.30 a.m. Sr. Teresa Kotturan, the SCN Provincial Superior inaugurated the building by cutting the red ribbon. The hour long inter-religion prayer service was witnessed by Fathers, Sisters, Executives of the companies , parents and well wishers from the town.. The school children welcomed the Bishop and Guests by dances and led them to the podium Sr. Blanche thanked every one and token gifts were presented to Mr. Ephrem Kispotta, the architect and the S.S. Constructions who executed the  building proper.

Felicitation of Sr. Nirmala, M.C. :   The citizens of Jamshedpur  felicitated Sr. Nirmala, M.C., Superior General, Missionaries of Charity on Sunday, 28^th March at 4.30 p.m. at  St. Joseph’s Welfare Centre Hall. Mr. Sunil Burnwal, I.A.S., Deputy Commissioner, East Singhbhum presided at the function. The hall was packed to capacity. The youth groups sang the welcome song and  Bishop Felix Toppo  welcomed all and congratulated Sr. Nirmala on behalf of the Diocese . The Cathedral choir mesmerized the gathering by a song on Blessed Mother Teresa. Mr. Sunil Burnwal congratulated Sr. Nirmala and the Missionaries of Charity for their humanitarian service in Jamshedpur and all over the country and world. Mr. Ronny D’Costa , Mr. Richard Sarky, Dr. S.R.Deb; Mr. Paravinder Singh Kapoor, and Mr. Sharique Mashhadi spoke on the occasion. Immediately after the reception all gathered at the Cathedral for the solemn concelebrated Eucharist presided over by the Bishop. Mr. Vincent Athaide was the M.C. for the felicitation function.

Class I                                                      Class  IV                                                 Class VII

1^st Prize Rs.350  *             2^nd Prize Rs.250  +            3^rd Prize Rs. 150 @

 

Jisu Marsal, Chandil : Pastors  Nicholas Kerketta and Manu Horo were kept busy with village tours and retreats. The construction of the compound wall has brought in many villagers to the campus. The 40^th birthday of Fr. Nicholas was celebrated on 31^st March with solemn Mass and felicitation by the hostel kids, teachers , sisters and friends.

 

St. Joseph’s Church, Kiriburu : Pastor Richy was on the move during the month of March visiting all the centers for confession, Mass and renewal programmes. Two weeks of faith formation sessions were conducted for the 20 plus catechumens at the Parish Church. Congratulations Richy !

 

 

Pope meets Brigittine abbess named in Indian novices’ complaint :  Pope John Paul II met with members of the Brigittine Sisters general chapter and their re-elected abbess, Mother Tekla Famiglietti, less than two weeks after news reports said some of the 600 member Order’s Indian novices complained they were mistreated. The Pope made no mention of the accusations but Mother Tekla told the Pope that closeness to him and fidenlity to the Church’s teaching had led to trouble. [Don Bosco,March]

 

At Mass marking feast of Presentation, Pope cites role of religious :  The nearly 1 million members of the Catholic religious orders have a vital role to play in modern evangelization, whether they be working among the poor or praying in monasteries, Pope John Paul II said on the eighth annual World Day for Consecrated Life. “In the intimacy of the monastic cloister or working next to the poor and marginalized, among youths or inside ecclesial structures, in the various apostolic activities or in mission lands, God wants you faithful to his love and completely dedicated to the good of others “, the Pope said. [Don Bosco]

 

Vote conscientiously and make a difference: NCCI “ The representatives we elect must be able to redirect the path of our nation to enhance democracy. They must be men and women of impeccable character and high moral values. They must respect all religions, all cultures, and all diversities, and must have a vision for India that every  Indian shares. We have a role to play in the future of our nation. So, take your right to vote seriously”. [ NCCI, People’s Reporter, 10-25.03.04]

 

Survey catches retailers cheating on weighs:  “ A recent survey has confirmed your worst fears. Many dealers are shortchanging you for that  LPG  cylinder that does not last as long as it used to and the fuel that your vehicle consumes faster than usual. The food and civil supplies department of the Delhi Government has caught petrol pumps and LPG agencies supplying less than what they claim to be in a recent survey of different retail outlets… The survey also proves wrong those who claimed that electronic auto meters can’t be tempered. Of the 1,673 meters checked in January, 392 were found to be faulty. Most of them were running 5-7 per cent faster”. [ Hindustan Times, 09.03.04]

 

Dial-a-rail ride : Tickets on cell :  “ Rail reservations will soon be available at your finger tips. By the end of this year, mobile phone users will have the additional option of booking tickets and paying for them by punching in the train number and destination on their handsets. Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation [IRCTC]  has already developed and successfully tested the software required to make rail reservation available on mobile phones. IRCTC has asked the cellular service providers to modify their software and integrate it with the railway software”. [ Nidhi Sharma, Times of India]

 

CBCI offers criteria for responsible voting :  Every voter has the responsibility to vote for a person who :

1.      Respects life from womb to tomb as a precious masterpiece of God’s creation;

2.      Stands for and is led by values that promote human dignity, social equality, religious harmony and national integrity;

3.      Will protect the fundamental rights of the citizens as guaranteed in the Constitution of India;

4.      Will work for the overall development of the poor and the marginalized;

5.      Will preserve and promote social cohesion, communal harmony and cultural plurality;

6.      Will genuinely address the social problems such as unemployment, discrimination against certain sections of society and religious fundamentalism;

7.      Will endeavor to remove corrupt and unethical practices in all levels of society;

8.      Will work for the integral development of his/her constituency, and at the same time keep the national perspective in mind;

9.      Will promote true religious values and will not exploit religion for sectarian and divisive purposes.

We wish and pray that God may guide us all as we together endeavor to build a nation where freedom, fraternity and progress become a reality. [UGAN]

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