VOL. 151 (CLI) NO. 41
7/-
INSIDE>>>
Christians oppose play
Christian
groups are up
in arms over
a play, Agn-
...
es of God...
pg. 2
News Capsules
Pope Francis to
Visit Mexico in
2016
Rome, (ZENIT): Vatican
spokesman Father Federico
Lombardi confirm-ed that
Pope Francis will be visiting
Mexico early next year.
In an interview with Mexi-
can journalist Valentina Alaz-
raki of Noticieros Televisa, the
director of the Holy See Press
Office said that the Pope is
expected to make the journey
in the early months of 2016.
Fr. Lombardi also said that
more details on the official
dates and schedule will be
released some time in
November.
Synod should
reflect on possibly
allowing female
deacons, says
archbishop
VATICAN CITY (CNS)
— Canadian Archbishop
Paul-Andre Durocher of Gati-
neau, Quebec, said the synod
should reflect on the possi-
bility of allowing for female
deacons as it seeks ways to
open up more opportunities
for women in church life.
Where possible, qualified
women should be given
higher positions and deci-
sion-making authority within
church structures and new
opportunities in ministry, he
told Catholic News Service
Oct. 6.
Turn to page 7 for
a special coverage
of Synod 15 ‘The
Extra-ordinary
Synod on the
Family
KOLKATA
Bible’s message is of
love
Message of Bible is
essentially one of “love and
compassion”
which runs
like a com-
mon thr-
ead .. pg. 4
Synod on family life gets underway in the Vatican
Vatican city: The first
working day of the Synod of
Bishops on the Family was due
to start at 9am on Monday, but
like every good host, Pope
Francis was in the hall, well
ahead of time, welcoming the
bishops, priests, religious and
lay people as they took their
seats for the opening prayer.
Philippa Hitchen reports.....
Listen:
In his greeting to the
gathered assembly, the Pope
recalled that a synod is not a
parliament or senate, where
people do deals and make
compromises, but rather a
journeying together of the
people of God, guided by the
Holy Spirit. He appealed for
courage, humility and prayer,
so that participants may not be
intimidated by worldly tempta-
tions, but at the same time that
they may not turn the Church
into a “museum of memories”,
unable or unwilling to respond
to the challenges facing so
many families today.
Synod secretary general
Cardinal Baldisseri outlined
India can’t afford spread of hatred in politics’ name: Archbishop
Kolkata: Asserting that
the country cannot afford hatr-
ed in the name of politics, the
Archbishop of Kolkata Thomas
D’Souza on Thursday called
upon political leaders to follow
footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi.
“In the name of politics the
country cannot afford spread of
hatred. The country’s leader-
ship always has to be com-
passionate towards the needs
of the poor, and endeavour
towards serving mankind.
“Gandhiji has left an indeli-
ble mark and his principles of
non-violence and truth conti-
nue to be relevant. He gave us
OCTOBER 09 - OCTOBER 15, 2015
Archdiocesan Pastoral
Plan
Inauguration report of St.
Damiens’s Church, Dum
Dum and
Church of
Queen of
Peace,
... pg.6
the previous steps on this
journey, from the much talked
about consistory of cardinals
back in 2014, right up to the
World Meeting of Families that
concluded in Philadelphia last
weekend. In between we’ve
had a year of reflections on
family life from the Pope at his
Two travelling Angels
If you have faith, you just
need to trust that every
outcome is alw-
ays to your adva-
ntage. You just
might not know it
until some time
... pg. 9
later....
weekly general audiences and
a new document making it
simpler and cheaper to obtain
annulments for those whose
marriages can be declared
invalid – both important parts
of the puzzle for those trying to
predict how this highly charg-
ed meeting will pan out.
Rs.
Pots And Pans
Chilli mushroom with bab-
ycorn an Indo-Chinese fusion
recipe, which
is a craze am-
ong the kids
and young-
sters. ...
p. 11
For the secular press inevit-
ably, the focus of the past wee-
kend has been on the ‘coming
out’ of a Polish monsignor
working at the Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith,
timed- as the head of the Holy
See press office put it – to
(continued on pg. 7)
a different kind of leadership
where human beings were
most important. He always
endeavoured for the welfare of
the needy and the poor,” he
said, adding today’s leaders
need to follow the footsteps of
Mahatma and spread love and
compassion and not hatred.
Organising a ‘National Day of
Prayer’ on the occasion of Gan-
dhi Jayanti, at the St. John’s
Church here, the diocese of
Calcutta also felicitated mem-
bers of security forces includ-
ing Border Security Force (BSF)
Inspector General S.
UCAN
Salunke.UCAN
 2
* OCTOBER 09 - OCTOBER 15, 2015
Vol.151 (CLI) No.41 Kolkata
October 09 - October 15, 2015
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Christians oppose play on virgin birth
Mumbai: Christian groups
are up in arms over a play, Agn-
es of God, which they claim
“belittles their religion.” In fact
it was their tone of protests wh-
ich saw its scheduled staging
at Sophia Bhabha auditorium
cancelled at the last moment.
When Kotwal heard that the
city-based Catholic Secular Fo-
rum (CSF) was calling the play
“anti-Catholic” and an attempt
to “make a fast buck at the cost
of Catholic faith,” he reached
out to CSF head Joseph Diaz.
“Dias said even if the play is
cancelled he will ensure that
me and my septuagenarian
mother will be put behind
bars.”
CSF general secretary
Joseph Diaz who admitted he
hasn’t watched the play told
dna, “We’re protesting because
this threatens the secular fabric
of India,” reported DNA
He said this was not only
about the Catholic nuns or
Christian clergy alone. He also
brushed it aside when told that
the Catholic Church of England
and Wales had endorsed a film
based on the same true story.
“Many countries in the West
are open to ideas of homo-sex-
uality and nudity but India is
not yet culturally or socially
Government inaction lead to starvation: Indian Jesuit
Kolkata – The Right to
Food (RTF) and Work network
has launched a campaign on
September 26 in West Bengal
to get the eastern Indian gove-
rnment to enforce the National
Food Security Act (NFSA) to
guarantee enough food for
everyone.
The network, which includes
a number of NGOs, also wants
the authorities to ensure adeq-
uate wages for workers, impro-
ve local food production, and
provide maternity benefits.
The RTF campaign is
designed to raise awareness
and will last until 9 October.
Jesuit Fr Jothi is its convener.
He is also the president of the
local unit of the Conference of
Religious India.
Speaking to AsiaNews, he
said, “In many districts, people
are starving, all the while the
media is failing to call it for
what it is. Instead, it is using
different names.”
“Since I started to work amo-
ng Adivasi* women in 2003 in
remote villages of Bengal, I
realized that they had to ask the
Church in India
ready for such freedoms,” said
Diaz who found nothing un-
Christian about threatening to
ensure a 70-year-old goes to
jail. “They have invited this
trouble.”
The Archdiocese of Bombay
too has frowned on the play
saying it had “serious reserva-
tions with regard to the promo-
tional bill board advertise-
ments and other ad-cam-
paigns of the play.” According
to the statement: “They distort
Catholic religious concepts
such as the Immaculate Conc-
eption and Virgin Birth and
government for food,” Fr Jothi
said. “With people I trained in
the villages, I coached them in
how to use existing laws and
government programs.”
“We want the government
to wake up and do something
for the coming months,” the
Jesuit clergyman explained.
“Flooding in 12 State districts
have wiped out the harvest,
creating food shortages that
will inevitably lead to hunger
and turn into famine if the
hence tend to ridicule tenets of
our faith – without under-
standing their meaning.”
It further says: “The claim
that the plot is based on a true
story does not absolve the pro-
ducers from their duty of being
vigilant not to create a gene-
ralised caricature of respected
religious persons.. This would
be a great disservice to society.
We strongly protest this.”
However unlike the stri-
dency of Diaz’s approach, the
statement points out, “While
the Catholic Church upholds a
broadmindedness towards
government does not take
appropriate measures.”
The RTF network wants the
authorities to activate the NFSA
to provide food to the popula-
tion. “If the State has money
for beautification works, it can
find money for something as
essential as food.”
However, “The lists of benefi-
ciaries published in August
were a complete farce,” What
is more, “They have not been
displayed in public places.”
literature and art, and hence
does not clamour for bans of
literary and artistic works,” and
adds, “she cannot but under-
line the responsibility of the
media to be sensitive to the
religious sentiments of people,
whatever be their religious
affiliation.”
In fact the Major Archbishop
Catholicos and President
Catholic Bishops Conference
of India has also written to the
Union Home Minister Rajnath
Singh on the issue asking for a
ban on the play.
WHAT”S THE PLAY ABOUT?
Agnes of God, the John Piel-
meier play tells the story of a
novice nun who gives birth and
insists the child is born of virgin
conception. A psychiatrist and
the mother superior of the con-
vent clash during the resulting
investigation leading to several
questions on belief, faith,
religion and science. The play
was adapted for a movie by the
original playwright in 1985 and
starred Jane Fonda, Anne Ban-
croft and Meg Tilly. The Nor-
man Jewison directed film got
Oscar nominatons for best
actress in a leading role (Ban-
croft), best actress in a support-
ing role (Tilly) and best music,
original score. mattersindia
For the RTF leader, the State
should not just hand out food;
instead, it should take steps to
ensure that farming is
encouraged and farmland
protected from floods.
In India, the problem of mal-
nutrition is widespread and
the existing economic system
does not help to solve it. “The
reality is that government
policies turn millionaires into
billionaires whilst ignoring
millions of poor who are left to
endure hunger,” the priest said.
Such an “unjust and unbri-
dled crony capitalism is not a
solution for a country like India
where 73 per cent of household
lives in rural areas, most of
them with minimum basic
amenities,” Fr Jothi said.
The Multidimensional Pov-
erty Index (MPI) shows “that
half of the wold’s poor are in
South Asia (51 per cent or 844
million) and one quarter in Afr-
ica (28 per cent or 458 Mill-
ion),” however, whilst poverty
in Africa is often highlighted, in
India, it is swept under the
mattersindia
carpet.”mattersindia
 OCTOBER 09 - 0CTOBER 15, 2015
Philippine clergy join campaign for 'climate
justice'
Philippines: Catholic
priests and nuns in the Phili-
ppines have joined with faith
and civil society groups in
calling for "climate justice" and
for the care of the environment.
"We hasten, and there is no
putting off our initiatives when
it comes to acting for the care
of our common home," said
Franciscan Father Dexter
Toledo.
"We must work towards clim-
ate justice at once," said Tole-
do, executive secretary of the
Association of Major Religious
Superiors of the Philippines.
Hundreds of people from fai-
th-based groups and civil soci-
ety organizations marched
from different locations in Que-
Asian Bishops sign a petition on climate
Hongkong: Asian Bishops
have approved and signed the
petition promoted by the
Global Climate Catholic
Movement, a network that
connects a number of organi-
zations in view of the World
Conference of Paris on climate,
to be held in December 2015.
As Fides learns, the petition
was discussed and approved at
a recent meeting of the
Federation of Asian Bishops’
Conferences (FABC), held
recently in Hong Kong. The text
urges world leaders to adopt an
ambitious agenda to defend
the earth, to stop climate
change and, as reported in a
note of the FABC, support the
appeal launched by Pope
Francis in the encyclical
“Laudato sì” for an “ecological
conversion”, urging world
leaders to agree on a strategy
to keep the increase in the
average global temperature to
1.5 degrees Celsius.
During the meeting the
Church in the world
zon City to the national capital
in an Oct. 4 "climate walk."
The Ecological Justice Inter-
faith Movement composed of
various religious groups in the
country headed the march
called the "Ecology Walk for the
Care of Our Common Home."
"You'll notice that we are all
in a hurry," said Toledo. "The
pope himself is in a hurry," he
said referring to calls made by
Pope Francis to address the
phenomenon of climate
change.
Yoly Esguerra of the Philip-
pine Misereor Partnership Inc
cited the "dire situation" of
communities hit by typhoon
Haiyan in 2013 as one reason
to press for climate justice.
Asian Bishops expressed con-
cern over “the serious risk of
climate change”, citing unus-
ual weather events across Asia,
evident in recent years, which
especially affect the poorest
and most vulnerable. Among
them, the Bishops mentioned
heat waves and drought in
countries like India, Pakistan,
Cambodia, Indonesia, Viet-
nam and Thailand, which was
even forced to resort to water
rationing. On the other hand,
more and more powerful and
destructive typhoons hit
Southeast Asia, especially the
The march also marked the
feast of St. Francis of Assisi and
was the closing activity of
Manila Archdiocese's "Season
of Creation."
Father Edu Gariguez, execu-
tive director of the social action
secretariat of the bishops'
conference, said it is expected
that the Philippines will be at
the mercy of humanitarian aid
when disaster happens.
"This is the new normal,"
Father Gariguez said.
"Aggravated by destructive
mining activities, the ecosys-
tem will have difficulty recove-
ring, thus threatening people's
food sources, livelihoods, and
ultimately tearing apart the
social fabric that holds the
community together," the
priest said in a speech after the
march. "Together we can act
on it and protect our environ-
ment," Father Gariguez added.
The groups called for urgent
government action to demand
climate justice from rich
countries responsible for a
large percentage of green-
house gasses.
"The government should
exercise not only its power to
negotiate but also its moral
obligation to care and protect
its people from suffering,"
Hidalgo said. UCAN
Philippines.
The meeting stressed the
damage and human suffering
caused by the destruction of
the environment, citing phe-
nomena like indiscriminate
and irresponsible deforesta-
tion. All these phenomena,
concluded the Bishops, gene-
rate a mass of “environmental
refugees”, refugees who have
lost everything because of
natural disasters and seek safer
Mattersindia
places to live.Mattersindia
For cost-effective
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approach The Herald.
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email.
UNHRC adopts consensus
resolution on Sri Lanka
Colombo: The United
Nations Human Rights Coun-
cil, which is holding 30th
session in Geneva, on Thurs-
day adopted a resolution,
through consensus, on alleged
human rights violations during
the Eelam War in Sri Lanka.
Sponsored by the United
States, United Kingdom and a
few others, the resolution was
backed by Sri Lanka, The Hindu
reported.
The adoption of the reso-
lution marked a high point of
the current session of the
UNHRC which commenced on
September 14 and concludes
on Friday.
The resolution envisages
EU Churches call for unified
political response to migrant crisis
(Vatican Radio) Euro-
pean Church leaders are call-
ing for a unified political
response, supported proport-
ionately by all EU member
states, to find solutions for the
current migrant crisis.
A joint statement released by
Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Presi-
dent of the Commission of the
Bishops’ Conferences of the
European Community (COM-
ECE) and by the Rt Rev. Christ-
opher Hill, President of the
Conference of European Chur-
ches (CEC) calls for a concerted
political response and pledges
the support of the Churches.
Please find below the joint
COMECE-CEC statement :
The European family of
nations finds itself confronting
a humanitarian crisis on a scale
without precedent in its post-
war history. Civil war in Syria,
widespread political instability
in other areas of the Middle
* 3
the establishment of a Sri Lan-
kan judicial mechanism to inv-
estigate allegations of viola-
tions and abuses of human
rights and violations of interna-
tional humanitarian law. The
proposed mechanism will
include Commonwealth and
other foreign judges, defence
lawyers and authorised prose-
cutors and investigators.
There was no voting and
there were no last-minute
changes in the text of the draft
resolution, which was sub-
mitted by the sponsors on
September 24, according to a
spokesperson of the Office of
UN High Commissioner for
mattersindia
Human Rights.mattersindia
East and dire poverty in many
parts of sub-Saharan Africa
have forced upwards of two
million people, many trauma-
tised by war, others rendered
hopeless by poverty, to seek
asylum or the opportunity of a
better life in Europe. The mig-
rant crisis has received wide
media coverage, the political
world has scrambled to find
solutions, religious communi-
ties and civil society across the
EU have responded with some-
times amazing warmth and
generosity, especially to those
whose need is greatest. The
crisis risks over-whelming us
and the suffering of those look-
ing to Europe for refuge, asyl-
um and the opportunity of a
better life risks becoming more
acute - not least with the com-
ing of winter - unless a political
response, supported propor-
tionately by all EU member
states, is forthcoming.
 4
* OCTOBER 09 - OCTOBER 15, 2015

Editorial
Bible’s message is of love and compassion: Vice
president Ansari
New Delhi: Message of

Vol. 151 Vol.

(CLI)CXXXXV
No. 41 • No. • KOLKATA
KOLKATA

The Synod on the Family - what can we

• January
• October 16 - 22, 15,
09 - October 20092015
? Bible is essentially one of “love
and compassion” which runs
like a common thread through
all religious traditions, Vice
expect? President Hamid Ansari said on
Sunday.
The Second Vatican Council a half century ago opened the Ansari made the remarks after
windows of the Church, and now the Synod of Bishops on the releasing a one-volume com-
family is an acknowledgement that enough has changed and mentary on all books of Bible,
‘South Asia Bible Commentary’
it’s time to take note of the changes and act.
(SABC), during an event
Pope Francis is positioned squarely in the middle of all the
organised by Cathedral Church
new developments that have surrounded the world and have of the Redemption here.
become a threat to natural family as God willed and created. The Vice President said that
On one hand, Francis clearly upholds traditional Catholic publication of a collection of
teaching on marriage and the family. He believes those commentaries on “one of the
doctrines don’t make the Church the great “Doctor No” of the holiest texts” in the world is a and publishers for the com- authors to pen the SABC, idea
modern world, but rather mark out a path to genuine human reason to celebrate and mentary of the Bible, encom- of which was conceived in 2007
expressed happiness to know passing both old and new when some biblical scholars
fulfillment.
that over 90 learned scholars testaments. got together in Kolkata for a
He also believes strongly in religious freedom. At the same from India, Pakistan, Sri “I am sure the commentary meeting and were encouraged
time, Francis is also the pope of “Who am I to judge?” with Lankaand Nepal contributed in will make the text more acces- to consider writing it.
regard to gay people trying to live faithful lives, recoiling from compilation of the book. sible to large number of peo- The event was also attended
anything that makes Catholicism seem intolerant or merciless. In addition to commentaries ple, particularly in South Asia by Rajya Sabha member JD
In that light, Francis appears to want two things from the on entirety of Bible, the volume and enable them to imbibe the Seelam, SABC general editor
synod. First, he wants a balanced approach to hot-button issues also has essays and articles on message of love and com- Brian Wintle, Presbyter-in-
some of the challenges and passion that Bible has for all charge at Cathedral Church of
such as homosexuality and Communion for the divorced and
burning issues facing societies human kind,” he added. the Redemption Delhi Diocese
remarried, blending defense of tradition with new language in South Asia, he added. According to the organisers, Paul Swarup and other Church
and a new pastoral approach that emphasizes inclusion. Ansari also lauded editors it took eight years for the representatives. UCAN
Second, he doesn’t want synod debates to be consumed by
those issues. When he talks about threats to the family, he Journalists have an obligation in speaking up for
typically takes a much broader view, including many other
forces: unemployment, war, environmental calamities, a culture the voiceless, say media persons
of exaggerated individualism and consumerism, neglect of both their recent reports and their ir-
children and the elderly, and so on. responsible manner (in report-
ing news)," Janaranjana said.
Media should play a role in
The Synod on the Family - what can we expect?
bringing peace and reconcilia-
The Church in India is not far away as it is also facing deeper tion among people and give
and grave threat to family. The growing phenomenon of their voice for social justice
Catholics marrying outside the faith and the challenges that it "but today it is very rare to see
poses in India. The vast number of family opting for nucleus these qualities in the media as
family and using various methods and reasons for it has an organization or an
questioned the fundamental basis of marriage. The problem of individual," he said.
Sri Lanka media in recent
separation and the care and education of the children is a major
times has been criticized for
threat. The family is a domestic church and a foundation for allowing business or political
evangelization, so it’s crucial to promote family values but interest to interfere with inde-
diminishing family values due to several reasons has weakened pendent journalism and for
the Society at large. news either being concealed
Another reality that affects families is migration. Parents and Colombo: Journalists in Sri hers speaking Oct. 3 in Colom- from the public or deliberately
children migrating to other countries for education or better Lanka have a moral obligation bo at the 25th anniversary cele- exaggerated by vested
prospectus in life. What happens to their family and spiritual in fair reporting, speaking up brations of "Sadaranaya" (jus- interests.
for the voiceless and in tice)magazine produced by the Shantha Mahindapala, 58,
need?
empowering its readers, said Center for Society and Religion. editor of Sadaranaya from 1998
media professionals during a The center was founded by to 2006, recalled how he faced
Relevance of the synod function organized by the the late Oblate Father Tissa Ba- many problems during the
The Synod has become doubly important for lay people Oblate-run Center for Society lasuriya, a theologian and soc- decades-long civil war bet-
and Church leaders who are involved in the pastoral care of the and Religion. ial activist who Pope John Paul ween the Sinhalese govern-
families. It is very timely in the light of the recent developments "Media organizations and II excommunicated in 1997 for ment and the ethnic-minority
in issues relating to the family. journalists have a moral obli- promoting a greater role for Tamils.
gation when reporting for the women in the Church. After Sanath Fernando, present
We hope and look forward that this Synod will come up
voiceless and also follow a intense international publicity editor of the magazine, said Sa-
with an updated guide for marriage and family life that will be code of ethics," said K.W. Janar- and negotiations, the excom- daranaya will continue to seek
useful for Catholics to respond to recent developments anjana, chief editor of the Rava- munication was lifted in 1998. to empower readers to
concerning issues like same-sex unions, family, gay marriage, ya, a Sinhala-language weekly. "As a media person, I am question when their rights
divorce, re-marriage etc. Janaranjana was joined by ot shamed at our local media by have been violated.
 OCTOBER 09 - 0CTOBER 15, 2015
Rinsing of Hands After Distribution of
Communion
Answered by Legionary of
Christ Father Edward McNa-
mara, professor of liturgy and
dean of theology at the Regina
Apostolorum university.
Q: I am an extra-
ordinary minister of Holy
Communion in my parish.
What should I do after
having handled the host?
A: While practice might vary
widely, I would say that the
customs of extraordinary min-
isters of Holy Communion
should be guided by what is
prescribed for ordinary
ministers.
The General Instruction of
the Roman Missal (GIRM)
says the following regarding
the purification:
"278. Whenever a fragment
of the host adheres to his fin-
gers, especially after the frac-
tion or the Communion of the
faithful, the priest is to wipe his
Q: Can you explain the
liturgical relevance of
"gathering space" at our
church buildings?
A: I am supposing that by
“gathering space” you refer to
the narthex, vestibule or porch
at the entrance of the church
and separated from the body
of the church by a wall, railing
or screen. This space acts as a
buffer zone separating the
secular life from contact with
God.
In some places in ancient
times this space was some-
times called "paradysus" and
was frequently decorated with
images of Adam and Eve in the
Garden of Eden or painted with
evergreens symbolizing
eternal happiness.
During history it was used
for several purposes. One was
for catechumens and penitents
who were not allowed into the
church proper and who had to
leave before the prayers of the
faithful. In this case the narthex
usually consisted of a screen or
low wall that still permitted
hearing the Liturgy of the Word
and the sermon.
It was also used as a gather-
ing space for those in proces-
sion; as a place of judgment
and other civil purposes; and
later as a place of burial.
Over time, this space was
continually reduced. The first
to go was the outside portico
fingers over the paten or, if
necessary, wash them. Like-
wise, he should also gather any
fragments that may have fallen
outside the paten."
This refers to visible frag-
ments, even if small. The need
for such washing, how-ever, is
actually quite rare, and most
priests will use the first option
which formed an ample barrier
between the street and the
sacred space. Around the year
1000 it was transformed into
the great west porch found in
early Gothic churches. Little by
little the ancient vestibule was
often reduced to a simple
narrow space between the
main doors and the church
proper and used primarily as a
windbreak and a notice board.
The restoration of a proper
gathering space in some
modern churches can be of
great benefit, especially in
cutting out more effectively the
noise of urban traffic and
promoting an ambience of
spiritual recollection that can
benefit all.
In modern churches it can
also serve other practical
purposes as illustrated by the
U.S. bishops' document "Built
of Living Stones":
"The Gathering Space or
Narthex
"§95. The narthex is a place
of welcome -- a threshold space
between the congregation's
space and the outside
environment. In the early days
of the Church, it was a 'waiting
area' for catechumens and
penitents. Today it serves as
gathering space as well as the
entrance and exit to the
building. The gathering space
helps believers to make the
transition from everyday life to
Liturgy
of rubbing the fingers over the
paten, occasionally with the
help of a purifier.
I would say, therefore, that
this would also be the general
rule for extraordinary minist-
ers. Should there be a real need,
then, the hands should be was-
hed. In most cases, however, it
is not necessary to do so.
the celebration of the liturgy,
and after the liturgy, it helps
them return to daily life to live
out the mystery that has been
celebrated. In the gathering
space, people come together to
move in procession and to
prepare for the celebration of
the liturgy. It is in the gathering
space that many important
liturgical moments occur: men
and women participate in the
Rite of Becoming a Cate-
chumen as they move towards
later, full initiation into the
Church; parents, godparents,
and infants are greeted for the
celebration of baptism; and
Christians are greeted for the
last time as their mortal
remains are received into the
church building for the
celebration of the funeral rites.
"§96. In addition to its
religious functions, the
gathering space may provide
access to the vesting sacristy,
rooms for choir rehearsal,
storage areas, restrooms, and
rooms for ushers and their
equipment. Adequate space for
other gatherings will be an
important consideration in
planning the narthex and other
adjoining areas." (Zenit)
Gift a copy of
to your friend
* 5
SUNDAY REFLECTIONS
Twenty Eighth Sunday: 11 - October 2015
Wisdom 7: 7-11 Heb. 4: 12-13 Mark 10: 17-30
“Letting go of everything and letting God be God of all
peoples!””
The first reading poses the question: Do we desire wisdom,
and how much do we value it? It also reminds us in the very first
verse that God is ready to give us this gift. “I prayed and
understanding was given to me; I entreated and the spirit of
wisdom came upon me.” The reading also reminds us that
wisdom is priceless, to be valued more than silver and gold. If
God were to ask us to name one thing that he could grant us, what
would we ask for? A good job, a beautiful house, a lucrative career,
to be number one, to be healthy? All these are good and perhaps
necessary. But is it what I have that is important or what I am that
is important to me?
Give me your spirit of…
A story is told of a poor beggar who lived on alms he received
from begging. One day on his begging rounds, he came upon a
holy man, who was lost in prayer, sitting in seclusion in the forest.
Approaching the holy man the beggar asked for alms. Without a
second thought the holy man put his hand into his pocket took
out a large precious stone and gave it to the beggar. The beggar
could not believe his eyes. Before the holy man could change his
mind the beggar disappeared from the scene holding on to the
jewel for dear life. He clutched it so tightly his hands hurt. All
along the way, he was suspicious of every one and reached his
hut tense and worried. Once inside his hut he locked himself and
was sure that some would come to attack him. He could not sleep
at night for a moment for fear of losing the stone. He got up in the
morning a mental wreck, exhausted, tense and worried. What
was he going to do with this precious stone? He could not mix
with others even of his own family lest they ask for it. Finally, he
hurried to the holy man in the forest and quickly gave back the
stone. The Holy man asked him why he was returning the precious
stone. The beggar replied. “I don’t want the stone it is ruining my
life. But I want something else from you. When I asked you for
alms, without a second thought you parted with that precious
stone. Can you give me that spirit of detachment? Then I will be
happy whether I have or don’t have anything!”
The Gospel tells us of the encounter of the rich young man
who comes to Jesus saying: “What should I do with my life? What
should I do to be happy?” Questions we have often asked in the
silence of our hearts. Jesus gives the young man the expected
answer of his times. “Keep the commandments and you will be
happy”. But this good young man really wanted more. He had
kept all the laws, and yet he was not happy. Maybe we have
sometimes experienced the same in our lives, we have been law-
abiding citizens, but there seems to be something missing in our
lives. The Gospel tells us that Jesus looked at the man with love,
he appreciated what he had been doing, then he went to the heart
of the matter, he confronted him with what was really missing in
his life. “There is one thing you lack. Go sell all you have and
come follow me.” What is Jesus challenging him to do? To be
really happy he invites the young man to forget the minimum -
keeping the law, and go for the maximum- go for it! Isn’t keeping
the commandments and living a good moral life enough? Yes, it
is good but not good enough! To merely keep the law is a negative
approach to life. What have we done positively with our lives?
This is the challenge and the invitation of Jesus to the young
man, this is the challenge and the invitation to you and me. To
live in love! To go beyond the demands of the law to the demands
of love! The last point of the gospel is the question that Peter
asks: “ What about us? We have left everything to follow you?”
Jesus gives us his pledge: There is no one who has left house,
brothers, sisters, father, mother, children, land for the sake of the
Gospel who will not be repaid a hundred times over in this life
and in the next!”
Fr. Jude Botelho
 6
* OCTOBER 09 - OCTOBER 15, 2015
Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan Inaugurated in the Parishes. Part: 50
Inauguration at St.
Damien of Molokai
Church, Dum Dum
Sunday, 9 of August, was
very special of all the other
Ordinary Sundays of the
Liturgical year. Guided by the
instruction of the Archdiocese,
we celebrated the Inauguration
of the Parish Pastoral plan of
the Archdiocese of Kolkata on
this day.
On this day, the parish com-
munity gathered half hour
ahead of the usual Sunday
Mass timing at the main entr-
ance of the chapel. The celebra-
tion kicked off with a very
solemn procession, complying
with the general instructions of
the Archdiocese, with the
banners that were provided. A
representative from each cell
was carrying the banner
signifying their role of standing
with the cell for its growth and
fruition in the life of the faithful
of our parish. Like the people
of Israel triumphantly entering
Jericho, we entered the chapel
with great solemnity holding
high those beautiful and
capturing banners. We had
singing and beating up of
drums with few adivasi and
Bengali hymns of praise as we
entered the chapel. Upon
entering the chapel the banner
bearers held high the banners
in front of the Altar facing the
assembly till everybody was in
and the celebrant was at the
Altar. Followed by that the
By Sudhir Kisku
Kolkata: ‘Adivasi Diwas’,
The most awaited program of
Adivasi Yuva Chetna Manch
(AYCM) under the banner All
India Catholic University Fed-
eration(AICUF),was celebrat-
ed on 4th October 2015 on the
theme “Badalte Yug Ke Badalte
Adivasi”.
The day began with the
Holy Eucharistic at 8.30am at
St. Xavier’s College Chapel.
The main celebrant Fr. Veeren-
dra Xalxo SJ, AYCM national
Convener preached an inspir-
ing homily seeking God’s bles-
sings on the Tribal community
and Fr. M. S. Arockiasamy SJ,
the State Animator of the West
Bengal AUCUF Unit, welcomed
the main celebrant and the gat-
hering of the Tribal students
and parents. The melodious
From Archdiocesan News Network
banners were placed on the
decorated pews at both sides
of the isles in front of the Altar
facing the congregation.
The significance of the day
was heightened by the pre-
sence of Rev. Fr. Arockia Swami,
the principal of Morning Star
College who presided over the
Mass. In his homily he, very
briefly, touched upon all the
cells of the Parish Pastoral
Plan. He encouraged the
faithful to be participative in
building up the church
contrasting the older notion
that the work of a devout
Christian is to “pay, pray and
obey’. He also appreciated the
initiative of the Archdiocese’s
attempt to involve the lay
faithful in running up of the
church and their empower-
ment to a great extent.
AICUF Celebrates Adivasi Diwas 2015
singing of the choir by the first
year students made the Eucha-
rist more inspirational.
The Adivasi Diwas function
was held at St. Xavier’s School
Primary section. The program
began by traditional tribal
welcome dance and washing of
feet of the Chief Guest Mr. Bijay
Hansda, a Member of Parlia-
ment of Rajmahal constituency
and other guests of honor
performed by the Santali Unit.
Archdiocesan
As per the instruction we
had composed the prayer of
the faithful for each cell and
sought help from the Almighty
Father for the success of this
endeavour under taken by the
Fr. M. S. Arockiasamy SJ
welcomed the chief guest and
the other guests of honor for
accepting the invitation to
grace the occasion. The Loreto
AICUF unit enthralled the
audience with a tribal dance
according to the western musi-
cal beat. The chief guest an Ex-
Xaverian himself expressed his
joy of attending a college
function where he himself was
a student. He appreciated the
Archdiocese.
The Mass was over around
10:00 a.m. As the parishioners
were leaving the church we
distributed the brochures and
encouraged them to go throw
them and deepen their
understanding of the meaning
and intentions of these cells. So
that, one could be an active
participant and contributor
towards the success of the
Parish Pastoral Plan.
The Parish has established
twelve cells for each of the
concerns. The parish also has
planned several animation
programmes with the cells to
animate the process of parish
pastoral plan.
Queen of Peace Church
Inaugurates Pastoral Plan
The Inauguration of the
Pastoral Plan at Queen of
effort the AICUfers for organiz-
ing such a wonderful program-
me for the preservation of
tribal culture which is now
under threat of being eroded
by the western culture.
The main highlight of the
programme was a Debate
competition comprising five
teams, representing five paris-
hes in Calcutta. The Motion for
the debate was:Is Religion a
dividing force among the Tri-
bal? The debate was moderat-
ed by Mr. Innocent Soren, the
General Manager of Reserve of
Bank of India and Mr. Chandani
Tude, the Managing Director of
the W.B.T.D.C.C. Ltd. Summing
up the debate Mr. Innocent
Soren threw a challenge for
further reflection as to whether
an individual could practice
more than one religions.
Peace Church, 9 August, 2015
was a grace-filled day for our
Parish. The enthusiastic
Parishioners gathered around
the altar for the inauguration of
the Pastoral Plan. Here below
we are giving a blow-by- blow
presentation of the same.
1. The commentators of
Bengali and English Masses
respectively give a brief
description of the Pastoral Plan
and invite people to be actively
involved in the same to make
the Parish a vibrant Christian
Community.
2. The Banners of each
concern of the Pastoral Plan are
being carried in procession to
the altar by the Parishioners
along with one each candle, to
be placed in front of each
CONCERN.
3. The Banners are
planted in earthen vases facing
the Parishioners for their
perusal and understanding of
the same.
4. After the homily the
Parishioners inaugurate the
Pastoral Plan by lighting the
candle placed in front of each
Pastoral concern banner.
5. After the Mass the
banners are being taken in
procession to the hall for
exhibition and interaction.
6. The interaction of the
concern-cell with the Parishio-
ners interested in join any con-
cern of their choice is being dis-
cussed. Reported by: Fr.
George Joseph
To bring back the audience
to some entertainment and fun,
the North East tribal comm-
unity gave a melodious singing
in different tribal languages of
the North Eastern provinces. A
play “We Know No Bounda-
ries” portrayed the story of an
Adivasi boy who goes against
the wishes of his parents to
become a successful entrepre-
neur, was also staged by the NE
tribal community.
The College Band made the
audience to dance to the tune
of adivasi western songs. After
the lunch break the audiences
were enthralled by the Adivasi
Ethnic fashion show by
different parish groups, Bihu
dance and Nepali songs. The
final and the climax of the day
was a fusion dance perfor-
mance by the AICUFers.
 OCTOBER 09 - 0CTOBER 15, 2015
Synod 15 - Pope Francis’ Address to First
General Congregation
Vatican City, (ZENIT)
Pope Francis’ address to the
First General Congregation of
the Synod of Bishops on the
Family.
Dear Beatitudes,
Eminences, Excellencies,
Brothers and Sisters,
The Church takes up again
today the dialogue begun with
the convocation of the Extra-
ordinary Synod on the Family
-- and certainly also much
earlier -- to evaluate and reflect
together on the text of the
Instrumentum laboris, elabo-
rated from the Relatio Synodi
and from the answers of the
Episcopal Conferences and
the organism having the right.
As we know, the Synod is a
walking together with a spirit
of collegiality and synodality,
adopting the parrhesia, the
pastoral and doctrinal zeal, the
wisdom, the frankness, and
always putting before our eyes
the good of the Church, of
families and the supreme law,
the salus animarum (cf. Can.
1752).
I would like to recall that the
Synod is not a congress or a
“parlour,” it is not a parliament
or a senate, where we come to
agreement. Instead, the Synod
is an ecclesial expression, that
is, it is the Church that walks
together to read the reality with
the eyes of faith and with the
heart of God; it is the Church
that questions herself on her
fidelity to the deposit of faith,
which does not represent for
her a museum to look at and
even less so to safeguard, but
is a living source in which the
Church slakes herself and
slakes and illumines the
deposit of life.
The Synod moves necessarily
in the heart of the Church and
within the Holy People of God
of which we are part in the qua-
lity of pastors, that is, servants.
Moreover, the Synod
is a protected space where the
Church experiences the action
of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit
speaks in the Synod through
the language of all persons that
allow themselves to be guided
by the God that always
surprises, by the God that
reveals to little ones what he
hides from the wise and the
intelligent, by the God that
created the Law and the
Sabbath for man and not vice
versa, by the God that leaves
the ninety nine sheep to seek
the sheep that was lost, by the
God that is always greater than
our logic and our calculations.
let us remember, however,
that the Synod will be able to
be a space of action of the Holy
Spirit only if we, the
participants, are clothed with
apostolic courage, evangelical
humility and confident prayer.
Apostolic courage that does
not let itself be frightened by
the seductions of the world,
which tend to extinguished in
men’s heart the light of truth,
substituting it with little and
temporary lights, and even less
so in face of the petrification of
some hearts that – despite
good intentions – distance
people from God, -- “The
apostolic courage to bring life
and not make of our Christian
life a museum of memories”
(Homily at Saint Martha’s, April
28, 2015).
Evangelical humility that is
able to empty itself of its
conventions and prejudices to
listen to Brother Bishops and
be filled with God. Humility
that leads to not pointing the
finger at others to judge them,
but to stretch out our hand to
them to raise them up without
every feeling superior to them.
Confident prayer is the action
of the heart when it opens to
God, when all our moods are
silenced to listen to the soft
voice of God, who speaks in
silence. Without listening to
God, all our words will only be
“words” that do not satiate and
are of no use. Without letting
ourselves be guided by the
Spirit, all our decisions will
only be “decorations,” which
instead of exalting the Gospel
cover and hide it.
Dear Brothers, as I have said,
the Synod is not a parliament,
where to reach consensus or
common agreement recourse
SYNOD 15
it taken to negotiation, to
bargaining or to compromises,
but the only method of the
Synod is that of opening to the
Holy Spirit, with apostolic
courage, with evangelical
humility and with confident
prayer, so that it is He that
guides and illumines us and
puts before our eyes not our
personal opinions but faith in
God, fidelity of the Magiste-
rium, the good of the Church
and the salus animarum.
Finally, I would like to give
my heartfelt thanks to His
Eminence Cardinal Lorenzo
Baldisseri, Secretary General of
the Synod; His Excellency
Monsignor Fabio Fabene,
Under-Secretary; the Relator
His Eminence Cardinal Peter
Erdo and the Special Secretary,
His Excellency Monsignor
Bruno Forte, the delegate
Presidents, the writers, the
Consultors, the translators and
all those that have worked with
true fidelity and total
dedication to the Church: my
heartfelt thanks!
I also thank all of you, dear
Synodal Fathers, Fraternal
Delegates, Auditors and
Advisers for your active and
fruitful participation.
I address special thanks to the
journalists present at this
moment and to those who
follow us from a distance.
Thank you for your passionate
participation and for your
admirable attention.
We begin our journey,
invoking the help of the Holy
Spirit and the intercession of
the Holy Family: Jesus, Mary
and Saint Joseph! Thank you!
Gift a Copy of
* 7
Cardinal Gracias in synod
drafting commission
Vatican City: Cardinal
Oswald Gracias, archbishop of
Bombay, is among 10 mem-
bers of a special global commi-
ssion Pope Francis has no-
minated to draft the final report
of the bishops’ synod that
begins on October 4 in Rome.
The Vatican released the
synod’s schedule and metho-
dology with some novelties Semeraro of Albano, Father
ahead of its launch. There will Adolfo Nicolas Pachon, supe-
be no midterm report and a rior general of the Society of
heightened emphasis on the Jesus, representing the Union
small groups, reports of Superiors General.
catholicworldreport.com. The final synod document
Other members of the will be voted on paragraph by
drafting commission are Card- paragraph with a required two
inal Baldisseri, Hungary’s Car- third majority. However, the
dinal Peter Erdo as Rapporteur final approval of the report
General, Italy’s Archbishop depends on Pope Francis.
Bruno Forte, U S Cardinal The Pope will use the
Donald Wuerl, New Zealand’s conclusions from the synod
Cardinal John Atcherley Dew, discussion to draft his first
Archbishop Victor Manuel Post-Synodal Exhortation,
Fernandez, rector of the Pontifi- which can be expected in 2016.
cal Catholic University of Arge- Each day of the synod will
ntina, Bishop Mathieu Madega be divided into morning and
Lebouakehan of Mouila in afternoon sessions, similar to
Gabon, Italy’s Bishop Marcello last year. mattersindia
Synod15: Press Briefing
Oct. 5th
Archbishop of Paris: ”If You’re Here Expecting Some Radical
Change in Doctrine, You’ll Be Disappointed”. While
acknowledging the Church needs to pastorally accompany
struggling families, the Archbishop of Paris, Cardinal André Vingt-
Trois, says if people believe this means doing away with or
changing Church doctrine in the Synod, they are mistaken.
Oct. 6th
Fr. Rosica Speaks on Synod Delegates, Fathers Discussing
the Need to Embrace People Where They Are. ‘There must be
an end to exclusionary language and a strong emphasis on
embracing reality as it is. We should not be afraid of new and
complex situations.’ (Zenit)
Synod on family life...
(continued from pg. 1) heads around over the next
subject the Synod to “undue three weeks before a final
media pressure” on issues of document is drawn up and
celibacy and gay relationships. voted on. A couple of cardinals
In a lengthy introductory pres- I chatted with over coffee this
entation, Hungarian Cardinal morning said despite the huge
Peter Erdo touched on – in his workload, the atmosphere was
words - the “pastoral care of ‘serene’ with bishops convinc-
people with homosexual tend- ed that differing perspectives
encies”, but he also outlined so can enrich the discussion,
many other issues, from viole- rather than being a source of
nce, migration and unemploy- irreconcilable division, as the
ment to cohabitation, divorce media would so often have it.
or declining birth rates, often Other participants were a bit
stemming from the individua- more realistic perhaps, describ-
lism or fear of commitment ing a sense of tension and
often experienced by young awareness of just how impor-
people today. tant this meeting may prove for
In short, there’s a lot for the credibility of the Church
synod participants to get their over the coming years. (Zenit)
 8
* OCTOBER 09 - OCTOBER 15, 2015
The Mysteries of the Rosary
By Fr. Mervyn Carapiet
Trinity in the order of existence.
Ultimately there is only one
existence, that of the Holy
Trinity. God is pure existence:
“I AM”. What my uniqueness
will be like is none of my
business. I only want God. All my
anxieties vanish when I pray for
greater and greater confidence
in Jesus Christ, my
transcendent Lord.
The Sorrowful Mysteries
1. Agony of Our Lord
in Gethsemane
The Joyful Mysteries Jesus Christ, Son of God, Son
of Mary has come to us with
(Continued from last unspeakable closeness. In his
week) agony of soul, mind and body
4. The Presentation of the he in a real (not abstract)
Infant Jesus in the Temple manner shares our sadness
The word “infant” is from and distress like any human
“infans” – incapable of speaking. being who feels the pain of
The Baby Jesus could not utter loss, loneliness, abandonment
an intelligible word but makes and terror at the prospect of
the sounds a baby makes. But certain death. Once Christ has
the baby sounds of Jesus were of assumed the human condition
praise and delight: delight in the he will accept the conse-
Father and in his creation of quences with no desire or ploy
which the humanity of the Baby to escape. The pain of being
Jesus was a part. God and human is now played out on
creation coming together in a the stage of divine drama: God
little Child. Could anything be meeting man in terms of
more intimate than that? We excruciating pain.
must admire God for the lengths Now his divine love pours out
he goes to in order to come close into the crucible of human
to us. The parents of Jesus, Mary, torture. This is humanity at its
his Mother, and his foster father, excruciating depths and heroic
Joseph, surely sensed this and so heights. Why? Because if God
made their contribution to the has to know his rational
great project of divine-human creation he has to become
intimacy. And Simeon and Anna rational him-self. It is precisely
rejoiced to see it. in suffering together that we
The condescension of God, the become most intimate, and the
song (Mary’s Magnificat”) and memory of shared suffering
dance (John the Baptist leap) of makes us more loving. “We
man. You can imagine the dance went through it together. We
and prattling of the baby Jesus know each other better than
in the arms of Simeon, ever.”
summarizing the dance of the
universe. May we be permitted 2. Jesus is scourged:
to join the dance, drink the new As if mental pain were not
wine and eat the one and only enough our dearest Lord has
Bread? to undergo physical suffering.
Now he is close to us not only
5. The Finding in the rationally but also physically.
Temple The Child “I am with you” was not a flight
Jesus lost in the Temple. What of idyllic poetry but turns out
do you mean by “lost”? In God’s to be the nuts and bolts of our
Temple no one and nothing is relationship. A true friend is
lost. In fact, we want to be lost one who tells us, “I know your
in him completely, totally and pain. I went through it myself
absolutely, so lost in him as to be exactly as you are doing now.
indistinguishable from the Yet, courage, you will soon
Three Persons of the Holy overcome it as I did.” Jesus is
Trinity, sharing in the life of the in my very pain.
Focus
A Rosary in your Car!
Saturday 3rd October even-
ing was perhaps one of those
strangely ‘normal’ evenings
that one could experience in
Mumbai. It was hot and humid
and several of those I had
encountered that day were
complaining about ‘the terrible
weather’. I was at St. Andrews
Church early that evening for
the funeral mass of my dear
friend, mentor and guide
Bishop Ferdie Fonseca. After
mass, there were the happy
encounters with both friends
and strangers and then a visit
to the Sisters of the Holy Family
Hospital, just down the road.
When I finally left the hospital
around 7.00 that evening to
move towards Andheri, a
steady drizzle had begun. The
Sisters insisted that I carry with
me one of their umbrellas.
With great reluctance I accept-
ed their kind offer and walked
outside the gate hoping to
jump into an auto to my desti-
nation. There were several
autos outside but every one of
them was “full” with passen-
gers. I began walking down the
road in search of one but did
not meet with any success.
Suddenly, the skies broke open
and it began to rain not only
‘cats and dogs’ but ‘elephants
and rhinos’. In a matter of
minutes I was drenched to my
bones. That beautiful umbrella
could hardly withstand the on-
slaught of the torrential rains
leave alone protecting me!
In my bravado, I decided to
continue walking ahead and
not to turn back to the hospital.
I also felt that if I did not get an
auto, I would hail a taxi which I
thought would be much easier
to get. Well, that again proved
to be as elusive as a dream. The
rains had increased even more.
The going had become tough
indeed!
Suddenly from out of the
blue, there was a beautiful you-
ng lady in front of me asking
me in Hindi “Uncle where are
you going?” I am not very used
to total strangers asking me
such questions; however, I did
not even think of ignoring that
question; eager to be ‘rescued’,
I said “Andheri”. “What a pity”,
she said, “we are not going that
direction; but come along, we
can see what we can do”.
Guess I was totally helpless!
The rains did not seem to
relent. So like a drowning man,
clutching to the proverbial
By Fr. Cedric Prakash sj*
straw, I meekly followed the
young lady not knowing where
she was heading. She walked
ahead of me, a few metres up
the road, where a car was
parked. She opened the door
of the car and asked me to get
in: totally soaked I was just not
going to say “no” fully aware
that I was wetting the uphols-
tery of the class Volkswagen
Vento. There was a young man
behind the wheel; the lady in
the meantime took a seat
beside him and without even
batting an eyelid, they were
unanimous in their generosity
saying “don’t worry sir, we will
make sure to reach you to an
auto or a taxi to take you to your
destination.”
He started the car but it was
difficult for him to negotiate
the terrible traffic even as the
rains continued to pour. It was
then that I noticed it: hanging
on their inside rear view mirror
was a rosary! ‘My goodness’, I
said to myself, ‘ they must be
Catholics’. By nature, I am an
inclusive person. Some of my
closest friends are non-
Christians and even those who
do not believe in any God. I do
not think that one should wear
one’s religion up one’s sleeve.
So I took the next step and
asked their names. ‘ Andre
Lobo’, he said and she ‘Rhia-
nna Prabhu’; then like one of
those difficult puzzles we
began connecting the dots and
crosses. Small world indeed! I
asked them, “why did you have
to stop?” “So what if there was
a stranded stranger at the
kerb?” “Why were you willing
to take the risk?”; their answers
were not easily forthcoming
but basically they said, they
just felt that they just wanted
to do something for someone.
Andre very generously conced-
ed that “ it is Rhianna who is
touched and oozes with comp-
assion ”. They had to drive
quite a distance almost to the
highway before Andre could
step out and find an auto for
me. But all the way, they were
cheerful enough to make me
feel that I was not a bother at
all; I was aware though that
they were going out of their
way – to be of help to me!
That evening and even now
as I write this, I have been
reflecting ‘what if there were no
Rhiannas and Andres in
Bandra and Bombay, in India
and in the rest of the world?
They had the guts to share the
comfort of their luxurious car
with someone they really did
not know; all they saw was a
‘drenched stranger in distress’.
Rhianna and Andre, (though I
still know fairly little about
them) seemed to be doing well
in life, educated and more than
middle-class. They had a
choice that night. They chose
the harder option. I see the
rosary dangling in the inside of
their car in front of them both.
They surely need not have put
it up there; but once again, they
have made a choice! Was that
rosary a sign of their motiva-
tion; of them wanting to help
others! A reminder of Mary:
that all - embracing woman, the
Mother of Jesus – who reached
out to her kinswoman Eliza-
beth and ultimately reached
out to all? Is it a reminder to
them - and to all of us - that
little selfless acts of kindness
help in making our world a
better place?
October 7 th is the Feast of
Our Lady of the Rosary in a
month which has been dedic-
ated to the rosary. Many of our
families seem to have done
away with the time-tested prac-
tice of the daily recitation of the
rosary in the family; however,
there are still some who faith-
fully carry it in their pockets,
wear it around their necks and
even hang it out on their inside
rear view mirror of their car. I
am not one who is easily given
into ritual or religious props.
Some years ago, I had written
an article entitled “Is the Ros-
ary in my pocket?” Today, after
that memorable experi-ence
with Rhianna and Andre, I ask
myself, “ do I see a rosary in
your car? or if you don’t have a
car, is there one in your pocket?
And if so, does the rosary moti-
vate you to reach out to others?”
 OCTOBER 09 - 0CTOBER 15, 2015
INSPIRING STORY
Two traveling angels
stopped to spend the night in
the home of a wealthy family.
The family was rude and
refused to let the angels stay in
the mansion’s guest room.
Instead the angels were given
a small space in the cold
basement.
As they made their bed on
the hard floor, the older angel
saw a hole in the wall and
repaired it.
When the younger angel
asked why, the older angel
replied, “Things aren’t always
what they seem.”
The next night the pair came
to rest at the house of a very
poor, but very hospitable farmer
and his wife.
After sharing what little food
they had the couple let the
angels sleep in their bed where
they could have a good night’s
rest.
Driving down the road
recently, I had a flashback to
about twenty-five years ago.
We were on a vacation, driving
to see family in Pennsylvania.
Mom and Dad, looking for
ways to keep their two young
kids busy, borrowed a sign
about fifteen inches long and
three inches high. On one side
of the sign was painted "Smile"
and on the other side,
"Thanks!" The sign got a lot of
use on the trip. One of us
would hold up the sign, so a
car behind us could read
"Smile". If they did, we turned
the sign over and they got the
reward of "Thanks!"
We would be turned
around, pressing the sign to the
glass, hoping the following
vehicle would see the sign and
we could elicit a smile. Or we
would try to get passengers as
they passed us, pressing the
sign up to our windows. The
biggest scores came from
trucks who would often pun-
ctuate their smiles with a blow
of their airhorns!
These were the memories I
pondered as I drove last week-
end, with everyone else in the
car asleep. I wondered if the
exercise would build the same
kinds of memories for my kids
some day as it did for my sister
and I. I smiled as I drove and
started to realize that the sign
taught me much more than a
fun way to pass time in a car. It
taught me something about
Two travelling Angels
When the sun came up the
next morning the angels found
the farmer and his wife in tears.
Their only cow, whose milk had
been their sole income, lay dead
in the field.
The younger angel was
infuriated and asked the older
angel how could you have let
this happen? The first man had
everything, yet you helped him,
she accused. The second
family had little but was willing
Smile
human nature, sharing and
giving, and the power of a smile
and a thank you.
Have you ever noticed how
much better you feel when you
are smiling? Scientists can tell
us about real changes in our
body chemistry when we are
smiling, and most of us have
heard that it takes more
muscles to frown than to smile.
All that is interesting, but not
as important as the mental and
physical feeling we have when
we are smiling. It is very
powerful.
It is human nature to smile
when we are happy or when
things are going well, but did
you know how easy it is to just
smile (it is just a choice)? Also
do you know how easy it
usually is to make someone
else smile? I do this all the time.
Walking along, if you make eye
contact and smile, what
happens? Invariably people
smile back - regardless of how
sour they looked before that!
You don't have to say anything,
just smile. And what happens
to you when you do that little
test? You keep smiling long
after they pass. (And I suspect
so do they.) They have
benefited from your simple act,
but you have benefited at least
as much or more.
Food for Thought
to share everything, and you let
the cow die.
“Things aren’t always what
they seem,” the older angel
replied.
“When we stayed in the
basement of the mansion, I
noticed there was gold stored in
that hole in the wall. Since the
owner was so obsessed with
greed and unwilling to share his
good fortune, I sealed the wall so
he wouldn’t find it. Then last
night as we slept in the farmers
bed, the angel of death came for
his wife. I gave him the cow
instead. Things aren’t always
what they seem.”
Sometimes that is exactly
what happens when things don’t
turn out the way they should. If
you have faith, you just need to
trust that every outcome is
always to your advantage. You
just might not know it until some
time later.
The smile lesson is
important, but no more so than
the flipside, the thanks! Playing
this driving game was one of
the many ways my parents
taght me the importance and
value of gratitude, most easily
expressed with a simple thank
you.
The story goes that a farmer
took some of his corn to the
State Fair and won the prize for
the best corn. A reporter asked
him what he was going to do
with the prized ears of grain he
was holding. He said that he
would share the seed with his
neighbors. The reporter was
visibly surprised and asked,
"Why would you want to do
that?" The farmer calmly answ-
ered that his corn was only as
good as his neighbors. "Why
sir," said the farmer, "didn't you
know? The wind picks up
pollen from the ripening corn
and swirls it from field to field.
If my neighbors grow inferior
corn, cross-pollination will
steadily degrade the quality of
my corn. If I am to grow good
corn, I must help my neighbors
grow good corn."
So it is with smiling. You are
the wind. You can produce
smiling faces by spreading
your pollen. The cost to you is
slight, but the fruits of your
pollen will be felt all around.
So who are you going to smile
to today? (Right now?)
Smile! :) Thanks! That's
much better!!
MY FAVOURITE SAINT
St. Teresa of Avila
Teresa was born in 1515,
Teresa’s father was rigidly hon-
est and pious, Teresa’s mother
loved romance novels but beca-
use her husband objected to
these fanciful books, she hid the
books from him. This put Teresa
in the middle — especially since
she liked the romances too. Her
father told her never to lie but
her mother told her not to tell
her father. Later she said she was
always afraid that no matter
what she did she was going to do
everything wrong.
When she was five years old
she convinced her older brother
that they should, as she says in
her Life, “go off to the land of the
Moors and beg them, out of love
of God, to cut off our heads
there.” They got as far as the
road from the city before an
uncle found them and brought
them back.
When the time came for her
to choose between marriage and
religious life, she had a tou-
gh time making the decision.
She’d watched a difficult marri-
age ruin her mother. On the oth-
er hand being a nun didn’t seem
like much fun. When she finally
chose religious life, she did so
because she thought that it was
the only safe place for someone
as prone to sin as she was.
Once installed at the
Carmelite convent permanently,
she started to learn and practice
mental prayer, in which she
“tried as hard as I could to
keep Jesus Christ present
within me....My imagination is
so dull that I had no talent for
imagining or coming up with
great theological thoughts.”
Teresa prayed this way off and
* 9
on for eighteen years without
feeling that she was getting
results.
At the age of 43, she became
determined to found a new
convent that went back to the
basics of a contemplative order:
a simple life of poverty devoted
to prayer. This doesn’t sound
like a big deal, right? Wrong.
Once she had her own
convent, she could lead a life of
peace, right? Wrong again.
Teresa believed that the most
powerful and acceptable prayer
was that prayer that leads to
action. Good effects were bet-
ter than pious sensations that
only make the person praying
feel good.
At 51, she felt it was time to
spread her reform movement.
She braved burning sun, ice and
snow, thieves, and rat-infested
inns to found more convents.
But those obstacles were easy
compared to what she face from
her brothers and sisters in
religious life.
She was called “a restless
disobedient gadabout who has
gone about teaching as though
she were a professor” by the
papal nuncio. When her former
convent voted her in as
prioress, the leader of the Car-
melite order excommunicated
the nuns. A vicargeneral stati-
oned an officer of the law
outside the door to keep her out.
The other religious orders
opposed her wherever she went.
She often had to enter a town
secretly in the middle of the
night to avoid causing a riot.
In 1582, she was invited to
found a convent by an Arch-
bishop but when she arrived in
the middle of the pouring rain,
he ordered her to leave. “And the
weather so delightful too” was
Teresa’s comment. Though very
ill, she was commanded to
attend a noblewoman giving
birth. By the time they got
there, the baby had already
arrived so, as Teresa said, “The
saint won’t be needed after all.”
Too ill to leave, she died on
October 4 at the age of 67.
She is the founder of the Dis-
calced Carmelites. In 1970 she
was declared a Doctor of the Ch-
urch for her writing and teaching
on prayer, one of two women to
be honored in this way.
St. Teresa is the patron saint
of Headache sufferers. Her
symbol is a heart, an arrow, and
a book. She was canonized in
1622.
 10
* OCTOBER 09 - OCTOBER 15, 2015
Jesuit college seeks children’s voice ahead of
Bihar elections
Patna: A Jesuit college
organized an interactive sess-
ion to seek children’s views on
social issues as the eastern
Indian state of Bihar prepares
to elect its 243-member legis-
lative assembly.
Although children formed
one third of India’s popula-
tion, political parties neglect
them because they are not a
vote bank, noted officials of St
Xavier’s College situated at
Nobel medicine prize for new tools to kill
parasites
Three scientists from the
United States, Japan and China
won the 2015 Nobel Prize in
medicine on Monday for
discovering drugs to fight
malaria and other tropical
diseases that affect hundreds
of millions of people every
year.
The Nobel judges in Stock-
holm awarded the prestigious
prize to William Campbell, an
Irish-born US citizen, Satoshi
Omura of Japan and Tu You-
you - the first-ever Chinese
medicine laureate. Campbell
and Omura were cited for dis-
covering avermectin, derivati-
ves of which have helped lower
the incidence of river blind-
ness and lymphatic filariasis,
two diseases caused by parasi-
tic worms that affect millions
of people in Africa and Asia.
Tu discovered artemisinin, a
drug that has helped signifi-
cantly reduce the mortality
rates of malaria patients.
“The two discoveries have
provided humankind with
powerful new means to com-
bat these debilitating diseases
that affect hundreds of millions
of people annually,” the com-
mittee said. “The consequen-
ces in terms of improved
human health and reduced
suffering are immensurable.”
River blindness is an eye and
Digha, a western suburb of the
Bihar state capital of Patna.
The college held the sess-
ion nine days before Bihar is
scheduled to begin a five-pha-
se polling to elect its legislative
assembly. The current assem-
bly’s tenure ends on Novem-
ber 29, 2015.
The Jesuit college authori-
ties regretted that serious
issues affecting children such
as malnutrition, anemia in
skin disease that ultimately
leads to blindness. About 90
percent of the disease occurs
in Africa, according to the
World Health Organization.
Lymphatic filariasis can lead to
swelling of the limbs and
Miscellaneous
adolescents, quality and child
friendly education system do
not reflect in the manifestos of
political parties. “Importance
of pitching children’s issues in
the election discourse is imp-
ortant for the development of
Bihar’s children,” they added.
The session, they added,
aimed to draw key political
parties’ attention. Nearly 40
students of Mass Communica-
tion department participated in
the session that was facilitated
by UNICEF.
“It is hoped that through this
process we would be able to
highlight and share the issues
of children from marginalized
communities with key
stakeholders for inclusion in
election manifestos and wider
election discourse at this very
oppor-tune time when Bihar
elections are round the
corner,” a press note said.
Mattersindia
genitals, called elephantiasis,
and it’s primarily a threat in
Africa and Asia. The WHO says
120 million people are infected
with the disease, without about
40 million disfigured and
incapacitated. Radio Vatican
Italian Edition of book on
Gandhi released at Gregorian
University
(Vatican Radio) The
Italian edition of former
ambassador of India, Pascal
Alan Nazareth’s widely
acclaimed book ‘Gandhi’s
Outstanding leadership’ was
released at the renowned
Pontifical Gregorian University
in Rome, on Thursday, by its
distinguished Rector, François-
Xavier Dumortier SJ.
Roberto Catalano, of the
centre of the Focolare
Movement for interreligious
dialogue, presided over the
Programme and highlighted
the importance of the book.
Friday, October 2, is observed
as the birth anniversary of
Mohandas Karamchand Gan-
dhi, the leader of the Indian
freedom movement.
While releasing the book,
‘La straordinaria leadership di
Gandhi’, Dumortier, lauded
the book as a great effort in
propagating the Gandhian
values, which he said are so
similar to the non-violence
preached and practiced by
Jesus Christ.
Speaking of its importance
in the present world, Dumor-
tier said that it echoed the beati-
tudes of Christ. Noting that
violence is always deadly and
enslaving, he said “Without
peace, national or internatio-
nal society will not last long.”
He expressed great joy in
knowing Ambassador Naza-
reth as a Jesuit Alumnus and
wished him success in his
efforts to spread the message
and popularize the leadership
style of Mahatma Gandhi.
Ambassador Nazareth
spoke of the great and humbl-
ing honour he felt that the
Italian Edition, the ninth
foreign language edition of his
book, had been released on
the sacred soil of the Vatican.
He focused on the practical
impact that the great Indian
soul has had on the world and
its policies.
Referring to Gandhi’s great
reverence for Christ and of his
dedicated effort to actually live
the Sermon on the Mount,
Nazareth cited concrete
instances of Gandhi’s respect
for the teachings of Christ,
quoting the words of the
Mahatma. (the great soul, as he
is known in India) . He also
narrated anecdotes related to
the theme, which one can find
in his volume.
“Both have fought for truth
and love,” said Nazareth,
adding “Gandhi used the
expression ‘non-violence’, but
on many occasions stated that
the ‘non-violence’ is another
way to understand the love.”
Nazareth, who was one of
the few Christians Ambassa-
dors of India, said that the
political and spiritual teaching
of Gandhi is still very relevant
and is essential for global
justice and development.
“What the world needs most
today is justice, non-violence
and the abolition of war,” he
said.
Nazareth offered his
manifold thanks to the
distinguished Rector of the
University for having released
the Italian edition, and as a
mark of esteem and gratitude,
draped him with an embroi-
dered Indian shawl.
 OCTOBER 09 - 0CTOBER 15, 2015
Vatican launches digital library on Church and
communications
(Vatican Radio) At a press
conference in the Vatican on
Wednesday, a new online
digital library was launched,
offering access to over a
thousand papal documents on
communications from the first
to the twenty-first century. The
initiative, known as the Baragli
Project, features papal teach-
ings on communication, tran-
slated into different languages,
and is geared especially to
those working in Catholic
education and training centres.
Listen to our report:
The Project is named after
Jesuit Father Enrico Baragli,
who died in 2001 and was in
the forefront of research into
the way the Catholic Church
has communicated its
message over the centuries. It
is being promoted by the
Pontifical Council for Social
Communications , together
with the Faculty of Social
Communication at the
Pontifical Salesian University,
as well as the Vatican
Publishing House and
Answers of Last week Quick Bible Crossword III. Across: 1 Streets, 8 Fear, 9 Apostle, 10
Spoken, 12 Exhort, 14 Balaam, 15 Throne, 16 Silent, 17 Treads, 19 Cleanse, 21 Obey, 22 Present.
Down: 2 Two, 3 Enthroned, 4 Toes, 5 Necklace, 6 Grandmother, 7 Lamentation, 11 Pharisees, 13
Hardened, 18 Scar, 20 Nun.
Vatican.va website.
The digital library features
a “navigator” which helps to
explore available online
sources. It offers a platform for
reading and personal study, as
well as an open environment
for collaboration with other
users. The beta version in
Italian went live on September
Media
30th and can be found at
www.chiesaecomunicazione.com.
But the archive will be
continuously expanded to
include new documents, as
well as other material from
individual Church leaders,
from bishops conferences and
from other Christian churches
and communities.
MOVIE REVIEW
‘ Singh
Another Prabhu Deva film
that operates on the principle
that the world is still inhabited
by Neanderthals, Singh is
Bliing goes all out to redefine
cinematic trash.
A blundering hero in search
of a mission in life, a kickass
female protagonist who packs
a mean punch, a sleepwalking
interpreter who is more than
just an English-to-Hindi
translator and a whole bunch
of turbaned men run riot
i n Singh is Bliing.
But what on earth does Singh
is Bliing mean? Whether on
paper or in the context of the
film, it means nothing at all.
The title itself is a dead give-
away. Do not expect any sense,
logic or finesse from anything
t h a t Singh is Bliing h a s o n
offer.
The onus is entirely on the
audience to figure out what is
POTS AND PANS
Chilly Mushroom with Babycorn
Serves
Serves: 3-4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
Mushrooms- 1 cup (chopped)
Babycorn- 1 cup (sliced)
Onion- 1 (diced)
Garlic- 2-3 cloves (chopped)
Ginger-garlic paste- 1tbsp
Green chillies- 4 (sliced)
Pepper powder- 1tsp
Soy sauce- 2tbsp
Tomato sauce- 1tbsp
Cornflour- 1tsp
Salt- as per taste
Spring onion stalks- 2
(chopped)
Oil- 2tsp
Water- ½ cup
Procedure Wash and clean
the mushrooms properly
removing all dirt. Wash the
* 11
is Bliing’
going on the screen.
Like its confused male prota-
gonist, Singh is Bliing drifts
along from one brainless scene
to another, making an unbear-
able amount of noise in the
process.
Singh is Bliing is director
Prabhu Deva’s first Hindi film
that isn’t a remake of a hit from
down South. And it is his
second film with Akshay
after Rowdy Rathore.
In narrative terms, Singh is
Bling is a free for all. One sce-
ne follows another without thr-
owing any meaningful light on
the previous one or the next.
One cow tells another: Yeh
insaan bahut zyada bolte
hai (Human beings talk too
much). What is irretrievably
amiss with the film is that
nothing it says manages to drift
anywhere near some degree of
coherence.
babycorn and slice them into
halves. Heat oil in a pan and
add the chopped garlic and
onions. Fry until they turn
translucent.
Now add the babycorn and
fry for 2 minutes. Add mush-
rooms, ginger-garlic paste and
green chillies. Fry for 5-7 minu-
tes on low flame. Now add the
soy sauce, tomato sauce,
pepper powder and salt. Add a
little water. Cover and cook on
low flame for 2 minutes.
Take the cornflour and mix it
well with half a cup water.
Remove the cover and add the
cornflour mixture to the pan.
Add the spring onions stalks
and switch off the flame. Serve
as starter or with rice or
noodles.
12
* OCTOBER 09 - OCTOBER 15, 2015

The Herald Classified

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Almighty Arms of Jesus
before you, I with all my faith 2217-4032 / 9831701085 / 9830917617
beg you for comfort. In my
difficult situation do not
forsake me Good Jesus. Open
Eight Gifts that Do Not Cost A
your doors in my way that your
Almighty Arms will open and
close as you desire to give that
tranquility that I so desire. (
Make your Petitions).
O my God, receive that
supplication from a wounded
NOTICE heart that is always fighting for
me. With your divine power 1) THE GIFT OF LISTENING...
Dear readers and all the faithful, never let me scramble for want But you must REALLY listen. No interrupting, no
of help. Almighty Jesus assist daydreaming, no planning your response. Just listening.
The proposed Faith Convention 2015, to be held at St. Paul’s me to find a shelter in your
celestial country forever. 2) THE GIFT OF AFFECTION...
School Ground, on 20, 21, and 22nd October 2015 is
Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back
POSTPONED. Thanksgiving Prayer and handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love
you have for family and friends.
The new date and venue will be announced as soon as the
place is confirmed. 3) THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER...
Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories. Your gift
Please, continue reciting the prayer provided in the prayer will say, "I love to laugh with you."
card which will enable the committee to prepare meticulously
4) THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE...
for the convention. It can be a simple "Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet.
A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime,
Fr. Dominic Gomes and may even change a life.
O Holy St. Anthony,
gentlest of Saints, your love for 5) THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT...
God and charity for His crea- A simple and sincere, "You look great in red," "You did a
tures, made you worthy, when super job" or "That was a wonderful meal" can make
on earth, to possess mira- someone's day.
culous powers. Encouraged by
this thought, I implore you to 6) THE GIFT OF A FAVOR...
obtain for me ( request). O Every day, go out of your way to do something kind.
gentle and loving St. Anthony,
whose Heart was ever full of 7) THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE...
human sympathy, whisper my There are times when we want nothing better than to be left
petition into the ears of the alone. Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude
sweet Infant Jesus, who loved to others.
to be folded in your arms; and
the gratitude of my heart will 8) THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION...