JAMSHEDPUR DIOCESE

                                                                                                                   

 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness with which the Lord, the just judge, will reward me on that day; and not only me, but all those who have longed for his glorious coming.( 2 Tim. 4,7-8)

                                 The End of an Era: On the night of May 8, 2009 at 08.45 p.m. Msgr. John Berchmans Bodra passed away in the Mercy Hospital, Baridih, Jamshedpur. Msgr. John Berchmans Bodra was born to Mr. Joseph Bodra and Mrs. Salome Purti on February 12, 1922 in the village Matagara, in Bandgaon Parish, under the Archdiocese of Ranchi. He was baptized in February 22, 1922 in the Catholic Church, Sarwada. He had a brother Mr. Maurice Bodra and a sister who became an Apostolic Carmelite nun and who is at present in Sacred Heart Convent, Bistupur – Sr. M. Kenny, A.C. He did his high school from St. John’s High School, Ranchi (1940-1944) and his graduation from St. Xavier’s College, Ranchi in (1944 -1946). He entered the Minor Seminary, in Ranchi. Later on he joined the Major Seminary – St. Albert’s College, Ranchi in 1947. He was sent to Rome for his Philosophy and Theology. After his studies, He was ordained a priest on December 21, 1952 by Cardinal Fumasoni Biondi in Rome.

 When he came back to India as a priest he worked in Sarwada, under the Archdiocese of Ranchi for long ten years! To comply with the request of Bishop Lawrence T. Picachy, S.J. he joined the Jamshedpur Diocese. He did his ministries in various places of Jamshedpur Diocese: St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Golmuri, Jamshedpur, Chaibasa, Maluka, Chakradharpur and Toklo.  He also had done special studies on Canon Law from Ranchi and Management Course from Bhubaneswar, Orissa.  He had dedicated his whole life in the love of God and service of people. He was deeply interested in the people and in their wellbeing. No wonder besides his relatives, scores of people came to bid him good-bye in the hospital. He was a pioneer missionary. He founded the well known mission – Toklo.

 He was not only a great missionary. He was also a writer. He was quite for some time the editor of diocesan Hindi booklet – “Meshpal”. In his last appointment in Bishop’s House, Golmuri, Jamshedpur, he began to translate the Holy Bible in the dialect called – Mundari. He has completed both the Testaments of the Holy Bible – the Old Testament and the New Testament. And it is waiting to be published.

Jamshedpur Diocese has lost one of its finest priests. He was an exemplary, hardworking, holy and happy priest. May God bless him and grant him eternal life for his faithful service to Him and His people in the rural as well as in the urban missions. (Vijay Kachhap, S.J)

                                                                                                             

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S !

Bishop Joseph Kariyil (Punalur)          Appointed Bishop of Cochin

Fr. Sylvister  Pnuumuthan                    Appointed Bishop of Punalur     

Fr. Devprasad John Ganawa S.V.D.     Appointed Bishop of Jhabua

Fr. Arockia Sebastian Durairaj S.V.D.  Appointed Bishop of  Khandwa

 

D I O C E S A N  R O U N D – U P !

 

ST. JOSEPH’S CATHEDRAL, GOLMURI:   The feast of St. Joseph the Worker, the Parish Day was celebrated on May 01. Fr. David Vincent presided at the solemn Con-celebrated Eucharist in the Cathedral at 5.30 p.m. Frs. Vijay Kachhap, S.J., Sanjay Kujur, C.Ss. R and Florence Dungdung concelebrated.  The scourging hot summer indeed discouraged many to be present for the Parish Day. Immediately after the Mass, all assembled at the Welfare Centre Hall for the cultural extravaganza which lasted for an hour. Fr. David Vincent, the Chief Guest addressed the gathering urging them to be humble and generous so as to become models of St. Joseph. The cultural items were presented by St. Joseph’s School, Gyandeep Vidyalaya and Mercy Chapel. Congratulations to the Parish Council for the simple but meaningful Parish Day.

The newly constituted Parish Council Members took Oath of Office and Secrecy during the Mass on May 03 presided over by Fr. Amatus Kujur, the Parish Priest.

 

BISHOP’S HOUSE, GOLMURI: Msgr. John Bodra was administered the sacrament of the sick by Fr. C.R. Prabhu on May 02 at 2.30 p.m. as his condition deteriorated. He was shifted to Cabin No. 107 on May 05 to facilitate visitors. His condition became critical on the 8^th of May. Bishop Felix Toppo, S.J. and the Fathers from Bishop’s House rushed to his side and began praying for him. Bishop blessed him with the Blessed Sacrament and all continued praying. At 8.45 p.m. he slowly and peacefully breathed his last. Later in the night the body was shifted to the TMH and the funeral was announced for May 11 at 8.00 a.m.

H.E Telesphore Cardinal P. Toppo presided at the Funeral Mass for Msgr. John Bodra on Monday, May 11 at 8.30 in the Cathedral. Bishop Binay Kandula, Bishop Stephen Tiru, Bishop Joe Rodericks, S.J, and Bishop Felix Toppo, S.J. concelebrated. There were 72 Priests and over 2000 faithful participating in the solemn liturgy. The body was brought to the Church by 7.30 a.m. by the Ambulance of St. Joseph’s Hospital.

After the valedictory prayer the body was taken in a solemn procession to the Beldih cemetery and Bishop Felix Toppo offered the final prayers at the grave and the body was interned into the special grave erected for the Diocesan Priests. The area was covered with shamayana and all were given flowers to put in the grave to wish Msgr. Eternal Peace and Joy. Thus all left the graveyard by 12.30 p.m. The people who came from far and the relatives were given lunch packets at the Sacred Heart Convent. The clergy and religious had their lunch at the Bishop’s House.

Fr. Alex Dodrai reached Bishop’s House on May 18 by the Purushotam Express for one month holiday. He made quick visits to many parishes-institutions in the diocese before home visit. He will return to Fort Wayne on June 18.

 

SEMINARIANS IN SUMMER PROGRAMME : 22 Seminarians joined the special Karate exercises, computer training as well as Personality Development and English Language classes from May 04 to 24. Bishop Felix Toppo, S.J. inaugurated the sessions on the first day at 7.00 a.m. Mr. Henry Sarky welcomed the Seminarians, guests and the bishop. Bishop Felix Toppo, S. J wished everybody the best and blessed the gathered members. The programs started daily with KARATE at 5.00 a.m. and computer classes at 7.15 a.m. Bishop distributed the certificate on the last day, May 23 at 11.00 a.m. Thus 22 seminarians enjoyed their summer program for 3 weeks residing in the Bishop’s House.

 

 

KRIPA SADAN, BHILAI PAHARI:  Fr. Casimir had to be over busy to take care of the 4 candidates on house guarding. The powerful and windy rain on May o3 for a hour gave the much needed relief and coolness for the campus though extra work to clean up the leaves and fallen branches. The mangoes were spared and hopefully for the boys who are at work.

 

ST. JOHN MARY VIANNEY CHURCH, DHOWATAND:  Theologian Bipin Barla reached Dhowatand on May 02 to assist the pastor for the Easter house blessings. Fr. Edward Kongari successfully  visited all the villages and families during the month and shared the Easter joy with all the members of the families. During the 1^st week of May marriage preparation classes were conducted at the Church campus for one week. Preparations are on to begin the construction of six classrooms for the Primary School block in the campus. The pond is deepened with JCB to collect all the campus water and first rain gathered enough water for the frogs. The summer catechism camp for the Parish children ended on May 24. Congratulations to Fr. Edward and his team for the great missionary effort.

 

RESULTS OF THE JAMSHEDPUR  DIOCESAN CATECHISM EXAMINATION – 2009
CLASS	1ST PRIZE  Rs. 500.00	2ND PRIZE     Rs. 400.00	3RD PRIZE  Rs. 300.00
X	Rohit Anand Toppo (St. Joseph’s, Golmuri)	Akash  Tiu (St. Mary’s, Bistupur)	Peter Raj Tirkey (St. Mary’s, Bistupur)
IX	Nilima Baxla (Gyandeep, Birsanagar)	Priyanka Minj (St. Anthony’s, Dhanbad)	Alisha Binjha (St. Joseph’s, Golmuri)
VIII	Eric Topno (SX Boys, Chaibasa)	Komal Xalxo (St. Mary’s, Bistupur)	Teresa Hembrom (SX, Gadi Tundi)
VII	Petrus Sanga ( Gyan Deep, Birsanagar)	Ankita Indwar (Amar Jyoti, Pardih)	Monica Horo (Amar Jyoti, Pardih)
VI	Shashilata Surin (SX Girls, Chaibasa)	Pratik Bilung (St. Joseph’s, Golmuri)	Sushmita Ekka (St. Anthony’s, Dhanbad)
V	Simrela Swamy (St. Mary’s, Bistupur)	Bishwasi Barjo (SX Girls, Chaibasa)	Stephen Bhengra (St. Paul’s, Goilkera)
IV	Richard Bhengra (SX Boys, Chaibasa)	Anjana Florencia Tirkey (SX Girls, Chaibasa)	John Purty (St. Mary’s, Bistupur)
III	Jeni Ekka ( St. Robert’s, Parsudih)	Somwari Boipai (St. Paul’s Maluka)	Archana Kujur (Gyandeep, Birsanagar)
II	Anie Tirkey (St. Robert’s, Parsudih)	Sumitra Sinku (St. Paul’s Maluka)	Abhay Xalxo (St. Anthony’s, Dhanbad)
I	Rishabh Sourabh (Gyandeep, Birsanagar)	Komal Bilung (St. Joseph’s, Golmuri)	Esther Rani Munduia (St. Paul’s Maluka)

 

Diocesan Youth Programmes held at Vikas Bharti, Patel Bagan, Sundernagar: Like other years this year also two camps were organized by the ICYM (Indian Catholic Youth Movement), Jamshedpur. The camps were organized in the Vikas Bharti, Patel Bagan, Sundernagar, Jamshedpur.  This year too the Junior Youth and Senior Youth from different parishes of the Diocese partook in the Summer Camps and benefited for themselves. The Junior Youth Empowerment Programme was held from May 16 to May 19, 2009. The programmes conducted were: - Youth Spirituality, Planning for the Future, Career Guidance, Goal Setting, and the Cheshire Home Visit – a place of special people.  The Resource Persons who contributed in the programme were – Fr. Valerian Lobo, Fr. Sanjay Kujur, CssR, Mr. Michael Francis and Diocesan Youth & Programme Coordinator Mr. Richard Sarkey.  Similarly just after the Junior Youth Programme, for Senior Youth, Advanced Leadership Programmes were held from May 20 to May 23, 2009.  The programmes conducted were: Youth Spirituality, Planning for Future, Career Guidance, Social Awareness, Personality Development and there was an exposure visit to the local Cheshire Home – a place of the mentally and physically challenged people.  For the senior youth, the Resource Persons were – Fr. James Quadros, Fr. Sanjay Kujur, CssR, and Diocesan Youth & Programme Coordinator Mr. Richard Sarkey.  Altogether 103 youth from different parishes participated in the Junior Youth Empowerment Programme while 85 youth had taken part in the Senior Youth Advanced Leadership Camp. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all those parish priests who collaborated in the diocesan Training Programmes for the Youth by identifying them, selecting them and sending them to participate in the camps. (Vijay Kachhap, S.J.)

 

ST. XAVIER’S SCHOOL, PURULIA:  The ISC results were out on 20^th May. Our ICSE students numbering 58 scored cent present results and the ISC Science stream obtained cent present results while the Commerce section had one failure. The ISC marks in English are unbelievably very high, the highest being 94. (Hilary Lobo,S.J.)

 

LOYOLA SCHOOL, KUMARDHBUBI: It is a perfect Jai Ho! for the Loyolains here at Taldanga after the ICSE and ISC 2009 results were declared. Razia Galaria has topped the ISC Commerce with 94% and Avishek Dey in Science with 84%. There are 5 students above 90% in the ICSE section. There has been outstanding performance in Accounts, Commerce and Economics in the ISC section and fabulous performance in History, Computer, Mathematics and Economics in the ICSE section. The school celebrated May Day on 1^st May. (Rita Sen)

 

N A T I O N A L  - I N T E R N A T I O N A L – R O U N D U P !

BLESSED FR. DAMIEN TO BE CANONIZED ON 11.10.2009:  Blessed Fr. Damien who served the lepers of Molokai and became a leper himself will be canonized on 11 October 2009. Damien was born in 1840 and for 16 years he served the lepers in Molokai. He died in 1889. In 1995 he was made ‘Blessed’. (Vatican)

 

PLENARY INDULGENCES FOR THE YEAR OF THE PRIESTS: According to a decree made public and signed by Cardinal James Francis Stafford and Bishop Gianfranco Girotti, O.F.M., Banedict XVI will grant priests and faithful Plenary Indulgence for the year for Priests, which is due to run from 19 June 2009 to 19 June 2010 and has been called in honour of St. Jean Mary Vianney.

The means to obtain the Plenary Indulgence are :

·         All truly penitent priests who, on any day, devotedly pray Lauds or Vespers before the Blessed Sacrament exposed to public adoration or in the tabernacle, and ....offer themselves with a ready and generous heart for the celebration of the Sacraments, especially the Sacrament of Penance, will be granted Plenary Indulgence, which they can apply to their deceased confreres. If in accordance with current norms they take Sacrament of Confession and the Eucharist and pray in accordance with the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. Priests are furthermore granted Partial Indulgence, also applicable to deceased confreres , every time they devotedly recite the prayers duly approved to lead a saintly life and to carry our the duties entrusted to them.

·         All truly penitent Christian faithful who, in Church or oratory, devotedly attend Holy Mass and offer prayers to Jesus Christ, supreme and eternal Priest, for the priests of the Church, or perform any good work to sanctify and mould them to His Heart, are granted Plenary Indulgence, on the condition that they have expiated their sins through Sacramental Confession and prayed in accordance with the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. This may be done on the opening and closing days of the Year for Priests, on the 150^th anniversary of the death of St. Jean Mary Vianney, on the first Thursday of the month, or any other day established by the ordinaries of particular places for the goof of the faithful.

The elderly, sick and all those who for any legitimate reason are unable to leave their homes, may still obtain Plenary Indulgence if, with the soul completely removed from attachment to any form of sin and with the intention of observing, as soon as they can, the usual three conditions, “on the days concerned, they pray for the sanctification of priests and offer their sickness and suffering to God through Mary, Queen of the Apostles”.

Partial Indulgence is offered to all faithful each time they pray five Our Father, Ave Maria and Gloria Patri, or any other duly approved prayer “in honour of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to ask that priests maintain purity and sanctity of life”.(VIS)

OFFICIAL TRANSFERS/APPOINTMENTS

Fr. C.R.Prabhu	Vicar General (July 09,2009)	Bishop’s House,Golmuri
Fr. George Manna	Director ( July 09,2009)	St. Joseph’s Hospital, Bhilai Pahari and Patamda Mission Outreach
Fr. Casimir Vas	Minister, Treasurer	Pratiksha, Neeldungri
Fr. Vijay Bhat	CBCI Medical Project ( Aug. 3, 2009)	SDC, Ranchi
Fr. Leo D’Souza	Asstt. Parish Priest	St. Anthony’s Church, Dhanbad
Fr. Halan Bodra	Director	Catholic Charities, Sundernagar
Fr. Tobias Kujur	Deputy Director	Catholic Charities, Sundernagar
Fr. Cornelius Tigga	Asstt. Parish Priest	Prabhu Marsal, Goilkera
Fr. Junas Bhengra	Asstt. Parish Priest	St. Mary’s Church, Omra
Fr. Jonny P.D.	Asstt.P.P. & Headmaster	Mother Teresa’s Church, Siadih
Fr. Valerian Lobo	Parish Priest	Jisu Marsal, Chandil
Fr. Junas Purty	Parish Priest	St. Paul’s Church, Maluka
Fr. Paul Mathew, S.J.	Asstt. P.P., CBSA and Priest-in-Charge	St. Xavier’s Church, CBSA Pilgrimage Centre, Khuntpani
Fr. Augustine Topno	Asstt. Parish Priest Principal	Our Lady of Assumption Church St. Xavier’s English School, Purulia
Fr. Linus Kindo	Director	Kripa Sadan, Bhilai Pahari
Fr. Vernon D’Souza	Asstt. Parish Priest and Vice Principal	St. Mary’s English School, Bistupur
Fr. Pradeep Marandi	Asstt. Parish Priest	Jisu Marsal, Chandil
Fr. Raju Felix Crasta	Asstt. Parish Priest	St. Joseph’s Church, Anandpur
Note:  All the changes will take place between 20th and 28th of June 2009 (both days inclusive), unless otherwise agreed and informed to the Bishop or the Vicar General.
Bro. Alwyn C.V.	Theology	St. Albert’s College, Ranchi
Bro. Sameer Soreng	Theology	St. Albert’s College, Ranchi
Bro. S. Stephan	Theology	Khrist Premalaya Theologiate, Bhopal
Bro. Nestor Soreng	Theology	Morning Star College, Barrackpore
Bro. Paschal Toppo	Regency/Studies	Pratiksha, Neeldungri
Bro. Sandeep Minz	Regency	St. Joseph’s Church, Charbandia
Bro. Manoj Kujur	Regency	St. Jonh’s M.V. Church, Dhowatand
Bro. Manoj Tigga	Regency	Jesu Marsal, Hathikunder
Bro. George Ekka	Regency	St. Teresa’s Church, Sindri
Bro. Michael Deogam	Regency	St. Ignatius Church, Rengra
Bro. Maria Charles	Regency	Velankani Mata Church, Chandankiyari
Bro. J.S.Rosario	Philosophy	Pallotti Institute of Philosophy, Goa
Bro. J. Praskah Benedict	Philosophy	Pallotti Institute of Philosophy, Goa
Bro. Michael Mundri	Philosophy	Khrist P.Reg. Philosophy, Bhopal
Bro. Jyotish P. Murmu	Philosophy	St. Charles Seminary, Nagpur
Bro. Walter Purty	Philosophy	St. Charles Seminary Nagpur
Bro. Ajay Kujur	Propaedeutic Course	Pratiksha, Neeldungri, Jamshedpur
Bro. Amrit Kerketta	Propaedeutic Course	Pratiksha, Neeldungri, Jamshedpur
Bro. Cornelius Kerketta	Propaedeutic Course	Pratiksha, Neeldungri, Jamshedpur
Bro. Habil Tigga	Propaedeutic Course	Pratiksha, Neeldungri, Jamshedpur

 

May 27, 2009                                                                                +Bishop Felix Toppo, S.J                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

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