Pope Benedict XVI is using his Twitter account to spread the Good Word during this Lent season.
For the next 40 days, the pope will be sharing messages in various languages, including English, Spanish and German, through the Twitter account @Pope2YouVatican.
The account is managed by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.
It is using the Twitter handle in the pope's name to spread themes from the 2012 Lenten message, speeches and documents.
The account has been in use since before Ash Wednesday this year, featuring messages and photos that date back into last year.
The Pope has been experimenting with technology and social media since he sent his first tweet in June 2011.
February 27th marks the tenth anniversary of one the bloodiest chapters on Indian history ,Victims,survivors,activists have waged a relentless campaign against the horrors of the Gujarat carnage, They are now committed to make sure that these horrors are never repeated any where.
Yesterday, the program was held at Gulbarg Society,Ahmedabad. Rt. Re. Bishop Thomas Macwan, Rev. Cedric Prakash SJ (Director Of Prashant), clergy, Jesuit pre-novices and many media and known people were present at Gulbarg Society.
Please click on the video
The battle is not just against violence but a struggle to ensure that the survivor has access to livelihood, education, housing in his her pursuit of security and dignity. The violence of the riots has to be seen as a part of the violence of department, justice for the vulnerable.
Development has become a form of violence against marginal groups including the poor, the landless,dalits,tribals,farmers,women and fisher folk. These groups have been silent sufferers of a development
Insaf Ki Dagar Par (On The Path Of Justice)is a spectrum of more than 30 organizations who have worked together to create a common program. These efforts bring together people from all walks of life. Its is an invitation by victims,survivors,intellectuals,academics,artists and poets to highlight the grim realities of 2002.
આજે આણંદ-પાધરિયા વિસ્તારના અગ્રણીય યુવાનો અને વડીલો સ્વછતા અભિયાન માટે ભેગા થયા હતા
તા.૨૬-૦૨-૨૦૧૨
આજે સવારે યુવાનો અને વડીલો દ્વારા આણંદ દેવળથી માંડીને પુષ્પ વિહાર જવા માટેનો રોડ અને નજીકના વિસ્તારની આજુબાજુમાં ઉકરડા બનેલ ગંદકી દુર કરી હતી, આ પ્રવૃત્તિ દરેક માટે સ્વછતા રાખવાનું ઉત્તમ ઉદાહરણ બની રહી હતી . આજે આ પ્રવૃતિની પહેલ હતી. અગામી દિવસોમાં વધુ યુવાનો અને વડીલો ભેગા થાય તો પાધરિયા તથા સમગ્ર પંથકમાં સ્વછતાનું ઉદાહરણ બની શકશે તેવી લાગણી ભેગા થયેલ વડીલો પાસેથી સાંભળવા મળી હતી. એક હાથે તાળી ના પાડી શકાય ! આવો, સાથે મળી દરેક જગ્યાએ સ્વછતા માટે આપણું યોગદાન અને પ્રોત્સાહન યુવાનો અને વડીલોને આપી અપાવી સ્વછતા અભિયાનને આગળ વધાવીએ તેવી અપેક્ષા સાથે અભિયાન આગળ વધ્યું હતું.
BLESSED SACRAMENT ROBBED FROM SACRED HEARTCHURCH, VADTAL
Today 25th Feb 2012 morning at 5.45 am I, Fr. Anthony Cardoz sfx had entered the church for my meditation. No sooner I entered the church from the door adjoining my room, I saw the door that connects the church from the sacristy wide open. I got a feeling that Fr. Martin the parish priest must have gone in the church to pray. I went in the church and saw the tabernacle wide open, out of curiosity I went close to the tabernacle and saw that the Ciborium and two Lunettes were missing. Immediately with out delay, I rushed to the room where Fr. Martinho the parish priest resides. I called out to him and said about the missing Ciborium and Lunette. He came running to the church from the sacristy and we both were shocked to see the Ciborium and the Lunette missing. After sometime of search in the church, we saw the place where the amplifier is placed, and the locker below the statue of guardian angel was wide open.
In the mean time we called out to Kantibhai our sacristan and the warden who was accompanied by Amit our domestic staff. All four of us (Frs Martinho, Anthony Kantibhai and Amit) searched for the missing goods in the sacristy. As time elapsed we started to search for the missing things outside the church. Fr. Martinho saw the mass kit thrown in the nearby field which belongs to the parish. When we went close by we saw the entire kit emptied and all the sacred vestments, missals, lectionaries and other things required for the Mass emptied in the field from the kit.After a long search we could recover some things except the Ciborium in which the consecrated hosts were placed and the Lunette.
Since it was time up for the Mass which is at 7 am, the parish priest informed this happening to the parishioners who too were upset and empathized with us.
In the course of time the Parish Priest informed the Bishop of Ahmedabad Rt Rev Thomas Macwan, the Vicar General Rev Fr Rocky Pinto, and Dean of Nadiad Deanery Fr. Arul, the Provincial of the Pilar Fathers Mumbai Province Rev Fr Sebastian Mascarenhas were immediately informed. Fr Arul the dean of Nadiad Deanery came to Vadtal along with his parishioner Mr Basilbhai, Ashok Vagela, Anil Macwan, Samuel Vagela, Ambrose Yakub Parmar, Fr. Tony the parish priest of Mariampura church from Petlad was accompanied by Baldevbhai G Parmar and others had come, the sisters of the Helpers of Mary our collaborators and some concerned parishioners came and did spend a lot of time in the parish campus giving moral support to the Parish Priest and his assistant.
Since the seriousness of this incident was felt the manager of the RC Mission School, Rev Fr Martinho Alvares sfx, told the Headmistress of the school to send the children home. The sisters along with the Hostel children and the parishioners kept on praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament which was brought from the sister’s convent.
After some time it was decided to lodge a complaint in the police station. The same was done by the parish priest and the complaint was substantiated by some photographs that were clicked by Fr. Anthony Cardoz.
At the police station a complaint was lodged, and all that was spoken was recorded in writing. It was told to the concered Police who was writing what had been told to give us a copy of the said matter to which he told that the same would be given later after doing some formalities.
No sooner we reached the parish campus, another police man came and once again he wrote the entire incident that was told to him and he told Frs Martinho and Anthony and Kantibhai and Amit to sign the report. He told that the copy of the same would be given after further inquiry at about 4 pm.
Till the mean time the Priests, Sisters, Parishioners and the Hostel children are continually praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament while some of our parishioners are frantically searching for the Ciborium and Lunette which contains the CONSECRATED HOST.
News and photos By
Rev. Fr. Anthony SFX, APP Vadtal Church.
વહેલી સવારે આ દુષ્ટ કૃત્યની વધુ ચકાસણી કરતા જાણવા મળ્યું કે ખ્રિસ્તયજ્ઞ માટેની બેગ તથા બાઈબલ ખેતરમાં કોઈ અજાણ્યા ચોર દ્વારા ફેકી દેવામાં આવ્યા હતા. આ બનાવમાં ચોર દ્વારા પવિત્ર ખ્રિસ્તપ્રસાદ (Blessed Sacrament)ની ઉઠાંતરી કરેલ છે. તપઋતુની શરૂયાતના આ સમયે બનેલી ઘટનાથી વડતાલ તથા વડતાલ તાબાના લોકોએ સમગ્ર ઘટનાને વખોડી કાઢી શ્રદ્ધાને ઢેસ પહોચાડવાનું કામ કરેલ છે તેવો વિરોધ વ્યક્ત કર્યો છે . આજે આ દુઃખદ પ્રસંગે દૂતના તંત્રીશ્રી થોમસ પરમારે મુલાકાત લીધી હતી અને આ ઘટનાને વખોડી કાઢી હતી .
At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert, and he was in the desert forty days,being tempted by Satan.He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.
After Johnwas put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee,proclaiming the good news of God.“The time has come,”he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believethe good news!”(NIV)
IN THE MIDST OF CONFLICTS AND TEMPTATIONS
José Antonio Pagola
Before beginning to tell the story of the prophetic activity of Jesus, Mark writes these short verses: “The Spirit sent him out into the desert, and he was in the desert forty days,being tempted by Satan.He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.”These few lines are a summary of the basic experiences Jesus had until his execution on the cross.
Jesus did not have an easy and untroubled life. He was driven by the Spirit, but he experienced the forces of evil in his own flesh. His passionate commitment to the project of God led him to live an existence torn apart by conflicts and tensions. We, his followers, have to learn from him to live in times of trial.
”The Spirit sent Jesus out into the desert.” It’s not a comfortable life he leads him out to. He puts him through trials, risks and temptations. It’s always fraught with risks to seek the kingdom of God and his justice, to make God known without distorting his image, to work for a more humane world. It was so for Jesus and it will be so for his followers.
“He was in the desert forty days.”The desert will be the setting in which the life of Jesus will unfold. This inhospitable and scarcely homely place is a symbol of trial and purification. It is the best place to learn to live stripped to essentials, but also the most threatening for those left to their own strength.
“Tempted by Satan.” Satan means the “adversary”, the power hostile to God and to those working for his kingdom. Through temptation we discover how much there is of truth or lies in us, of light or darkness, of fidelity to God or complicity with injustice.
Throughout his life, Jesus will remain alert to discern the activity of Satan in the most unexpected circumstances. One day he will reject Peter with these words: “Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” We have to go through testing times as he did, being wary about whatever can turn us away from God.
“He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.” Wild beasts, the most violent creatures on the earth, evoke the dangers that will threaten Jesus. Angels, the best beings in creation, suggest the nearness of God who blesses, cares for, and sustains him. In this way will Jesus live: defending himself against Herod Antipas whom he calls a “fox” and seeking strength from the Father in nights of prayer.
We must live in these difficult times with eyes fixed on Jesus. It is the Spirit of God that is driving us into the desert. A Church more humble and more faithful to her Lord will one day emerge from this crisis.
Spread the example of Jesus
Source:URL of José Antonio Pagola's Buenas Noticias Web site:
Please click on the video for Annual SOCOM Meet-2012
Devdan Sanchar Kendra, Chanda
February 18th and 19th, 2012
The Annual Meeting for Social Communications (SOCOM) of the Western Region Catholic Bishops Council (WRCBC) was held at Devdan Sanchar Kendra (Pastoral Centre), Diocese of Chanda on February 18th and 19th, 2012. This was the 12th consecutive Annual Regional Meeting.
There were 26 participants (including Archbishop Stanny of Gandhinagar, Bishop Godfrey of Baroda and Bishop Vijay Anand of Chanda) representing the Dioceses of Ahmedabad, Amravati, Baroda, Chanda, Gandhinagar, Kalyan, Nagpur and Sindhudurg. (App. I – List of Participants)
In keeping with the Pope’s message for World Communications Day 2012, the theme of our Annual SOCOM Meeting was: “Silence and Word: Path of Evangelization”.
This year being the Golden Jubilee Year of the Chanda Diocese, Bishop Vijay Anand Nedumpuram CMI, Bishop of Chanda presiding over the Inaugural Eucharistic Celebration, warmly welcomed all the participants to his Diocese and felt it was a privilege that so many had come to the remote corner of the region.. Communications, he said, is key to the ministry of evangelization in the Church and this is what the Holy Father exhorts us to do in his message for the year. Bishop Vijay Anand also referred to the CBCI Statement “The Church’s Role for a Better India” and felt that Catholic Communicators also have a special responsibility in this.
The Eucharist Celebration was in the Syrian rite, in Hindi and meaningfully interspersed with dances and songs.
This was followed by the Inaugural ceremony with the lighting of the lamp and a lovely prayer dance. The host, Fr. Tomy Chittinapilly, Director of SOCOM Chanda, then welcomed the participants saying that they were all happy that Chanda was chosen as the venue in the Golden Jubilee Year of the Diocese. All the participants were then felicitated.
Fr. Tomy then introduced the speaker Mr. Balhungud, the President of the Chandrapur Shramik Patrakar Sangh who delivered the keynote address on “The Role of Media Today”. Drawing from his years of experience as the print journalist in the remote areas of central India, Mr. Balhungud highlighted the important role that media plays in keeping people informed of the reality of society. He gave the participants, the example of a little newsletter ‘Kesri’ published by Lokmanya Tilak from Pune in pre-Independent India and the tremendous impact it had on the minds and lives of the people at that time. On the other hand, he said, media personnel are also very vulnerable and often get co-opted by powerful vested interests. He elaborated of how “paid journalism” literally rules the roost in several areas today.
Responding to Mr. Balhungud’s address, Bishop Godfrey de Rozario sj, the Chairman of SOCOM (WRCBC) felt that the need of the hour was authenticity and integrity for all Communicators. He cited instances of how because of the stand of the media, several ills of society and also the failings of the Government have been highlighted. Thanks to the media he said, civil society members are also engaged in several important issues but all of us have to remain vigilant for a better society in India.
The participants next gathered for the working session. At the outset, Fr. Cedric Prakash (Secretary of SOCOM WRCBC), explained the dynamics / programme of the meeting and why it was important for each one of us to be very Communicative, Participative and Unafraid (CPU) during these two days. Fr. Prakash next presented a paper entitled, “Challenges to Catholic Social Communicators of the Western Region” (App. II). Some discussions then followed.
Diocesan SOCOM Reports were then presented by the Directors / Representatives of each of the Dioceses present. While four of the Dioceses did give elaborate presentations of the voluminous nature of work undertaken in Social Communications during the year, the four other Dioceses presented very superficial Reports. However, the general feeling was that much good work was being done in many parts of the Western Region but much more needs to be done.
Being the Golden Jubilee Year of the Chanda Diocese, the participants were then presented with a very meaningful docu-dance drama “Discovery of Chanda” directed by Fr. Tomy Chittinapilly. All were very appreciative of the efforts that were put in for this unique performance.
After supper, “Parzania” (directed by Rahul Dholakia) a very powerful film on the Gujarat Carnage 2002 was shown to the participants.
On the second day (February 19th) Archbishop Stanislaus Fernandes presided over the Eucharistic Celebration and in an inspiring homily to all the participants urged them to do more, to bring God’s grace and healing to the world we live in.
In the first session of the morning following a prayer in Konkani led by the Sindhudurg group, the participants spent some time on a feedback session of the previous day. There was a general feeling of a day well spent in meaningful interactions and learning. The movie also had a profound impact on many!
Fr. Cedric then highlighted certain dimensions of Social Communications. He said that the “Social Communications first found expression in the Vatican II document “Inter Mirifica”. Social Communications, he said, is the need and importance for the Church to respond / take a stand on the realities of our times bringing into this response a specifically Christian and Prophetic dimension.
The participants next spent some time in groups reading the reflecting on the Holy Fathers Message for the 46th World Communications Day on the theme “Silence and Word: Path of Evangelization”. They then shared with one another the highlights of this message by ways with which they could internalize it and possible activities which they could undertake in their respective Dioceses to mainstream this message and to create greater ownership of this message among all stakeholders.
The Report of the previous SOCOM meeting held in Sindhudurg on February 5th and 6th 2011 was then read out. Each of the Dioceses present at that meeting and (and present now) were given copies of their respective ‘Plans of Action’. Dioceses then spent sometime formulating their Plan of Action for the next one year. These were shared with the wider group (App. III).
The final session was devoted to a feedback / evaluation:
most were very appreciative and grateful for the meeting
they learnt much from the activities done in the other dioceses, the content of the meeting and the process
there was a great bonding among the members
most regretted the absence of the Dioceses that did not participate and also felt that all should come on time for such meetings and should not leave before the conclusion of the meet
In his concluding remarks, the Chairman Bishop Godfrey expressed his happiness at the positive feeling that this meeting had generated among the participants. He referred to the challenge made by Cardinal Peter Turkson, President of the Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace who urged the Bishops of India to lead Social Transformation in the country. Bishop Godfrey thanked Fr. Tomy, Bishop Vijay Anand and the Diocese of Chanda for their welcome and hospitality and also thanked all the participants for this wonderful meeting. He was also grateful that Archbishop Stanny participated. He promised to contact all the Bishops of the region to ensure 100% for the next meeting.
Report By Rev Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ (Secretary of SOCOM WRCBC)
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A Catholic nun gang-raped during sectrian violence in Orissa in 2008,has won the right to cross examine a lower court judge in the supreme court for “misrepresenting facts”.
The bench headed by Justices Altmas Kabir and J. Chelameshwar posted the matter for hearing on February 13.
“We had to file the special leave petition before the apex court to challenge the Orissa High Court’s dismissal of her plea to cross-examine Prashant Kumar Das, a sub divisional judicial magistrate,” said Manas Ranjan Singh, one of the lawyers of the nun.
He said that Das had conducted the test identification (TI) parade to identify the accused in the rape case.
The nun had identified one Santosh Pattnaik as one of the accused but Das “erroneously and with mala fide intention” recorded that the former had slapped the nun and misbehaved with her and did not commit any other overt act, Singh added.
“It is misrepresentation of facts on the part of the judicial magistrate before the court,” he said.Singh said that they had approached the high court as the trial court had rejected the same appeal on the ground the case has been filed by the government and the complainant has not asked for it.
The Supreme Court also asked the standing counsel of the state government to be present during the hearing. Sister Justine Senapati, human right activist in the state capital Bhubaneswar said, “This is a welcome ruling as the state government is not ready to even file before higher judiciary.”
She said that justice has become a dream for the victims of the communal violence.
The nun was attacked, raped and paraded semi-naked through the streets on August 25, 2008 in Kandhamal, the epicenter of the sectarian violence.
News Courtesy
By Ajay kumar singh, UCAN News
Orissa, February 10, 2012
There is something so nice about daydreaming. There, our dreams can come true and we attain that one-in-a-billion specialness that we ache for. In our daydreams, we are the superstars: We write the songs, score the goals, dance the ballets and are so successful, beautiful, great and impressive that all our critics are silenced and all the persons we desire most fall in love with us. It is no accident that we so often escape into the world of daydreams because there we can live life without tears, without limits and without failure. In fantasy, we achieve salvation, consummation and vindication.
We seldom admit to each other that we have daydreams and that we escape into them. We are ashamed of our fantasies, ashamed that, as adults, we resort to such a childish and egoistical escape. Imagine what others would think if they could tune into our fantasies! But a certain escape into fantasy and daydreams is natural and even healthy. Daydreaming can be a way of relaxing. There is little difference between a tired person inserting a musical cassette tape into a stereo and sitting back to forget life's problems and another tired soul inserting her favorite daydream into her imagination and sitting back to relax. Both can be healthy escape from over-intensity and there shouldn't be more shame in one than in the other. Moreover, a healthy fantasy life can positively help spawn creativity because our daydreams put us in touch with the goodness and potential that is inside us.
In our daydreams, we are never small petty persons, but heroes and heroines, special persons who change worlds, radiate specialness, are truly creatures in God's image and likeness, and are aesthetic and pedagogical incarnations of life's infinite potential. Nobody with a healthy fantasy life stagnates, because his daydreams make him too restless to simply vegetate.However, daydreams can also be bad, not because we should be ashamed that, like children, we resort to fantasy, or because at times our imaginings are erotic and sexual, but because too great a reliance on fantasy fixates us. Simply put, if we daydream too much, we become unhealthily self-preoccupied. Too much fantasy dulls full attentiveness to the present, to others, to prayer and to God. Too much daydreaming leaves us distracted and dissipated with too much of our perception and thought centred upon our own agenda and our own obsessions.
We become like a preoccupied and anxious man who takes a walk in a beautiful forest. Because his thoughts are obsessively fixed upon himself and his worries, he sees virtually nothing. All of nature's beautiful colors, its multi-scents and million sounds are blocked out. He is lost in his own world oblivious to the richness and beauty around him. He truly sees “as through a glass, darkly.” Our perception, too, is limited, dulled and dissipated when we daydream too much. What should we do about our daydreams and our fantasy life? To the extent that our daydreams are healthy, we may enjoy them. However, more and more as we mature in life and prayer, we must actively work at turning away from fantasy towards prayer. How do we do this?
First of all, we need to understand something about prayer: Prayer is more than just saying prayers. Radical prayer is contemplation and contemplation itself should not be understood simply as good feelings we have when we gaze at something which moves us. We contemplate every time we see something as it really is, nakedly, face to face. When we genuinely perceive, when we see, hear, smell, touch or taste anything that is other than ourselves and do not manipulate it, we are contemplating, we are praying. (This of course does not preclude other methods of praying.) When prayer is understood in this wide sense, then we see, too, how our daydreams can hurt us; namely, to the extent that when we daydream we, ultimately, focus our awareness upon ourselves thereby limiting how much we see, hear, feel, touch and smell. Daydreaming gets in the way of prayer. How concretely do we turn from daydreams to prayer?
You begin by avoiding the common misunderstanding that would identify contemplation with a blank state of mind. We contemplate when we let our perception and thought form and flow freely without the manipulation that our preoccupations and obsessions normally impose. Contemplation is stream of awareness and stream of consciousness. This is different from fantasy. When we daydream, we actively manipulate our thoughts and imagination. In effect, we play a program in our minds. Contemplation is awareness without manipulation. Such awareness, as great spiritual writers have always assured us, is prayer. It is enjoyable to daydream, but it is ultimately more enriching to pray.
- Author Unknown
From the mail of Bro.Agnelo Vaz S.J., Jordan
Photo:Google
આજે તા ૧૧-૦૨-૨૦૧૧ સવારે સેન્ટ ઝેવિયર્સ કોલેજ, અમદાવાદમાં સ્વર્ગસ્થ બિશપ ફ્રાન્સીસ બ્રીગન્ઝા એસ.જે. માટે પ્રાથના સભાનું આયોજન કરવામાં આવ્યું હતું. સ્વ. બિશપનું મૃત્યુ ડીસેમ્બરની ૨૧ મી તારીખે સેન્ટ ઝેવિયર્સ રેસીડન્સમાં થયું હતું અને તેમની દફન વિધિ તા. ૨૨-૦૨-૨૦૧૧ ને ૪ વાગે રોઝરી ચર્ચ, વડોદરામાં કરવામાં આવી હતી.
કોલેજમાં આજે આપવામાં આવેલ શ્રદ્ધાંજલિની ઝલક જોવા માટે વીડિઓ ઉપર ક્લિક કરશો.
દક્ષીણ ગુજરાતમાં આવેલ કોરવી ગામે દર ફેબ્રુઆરીમાં મહા પુનમના દિવસે માતા મારિયાના ખાસ કરીને આદિવાસી ભક્તજનો દુર દુરથી આનંદભેર ભેગા થાય છે. તે અનુસંધાનમાં ગઈ ૭ તારીખે અહી મેળાનું આયોજન કરવામાં આવ્યું હતું. આ કોરવી માતાનો મેળો ખુબજ પ્રચલિત છે. ગુજરાતના દુર દુર ગામડાઓથી અને શહેરોમાંથી પણ ભક્તજનો આ સુંદર જગ્યાએ માતા મારિયાના દર્શને અને મેળામાં ભાગ લેવા ભેગા થાય છે તે વીડિઓમાં જોવા મળશે. આ જગ્યા એક નદીની બાજુએ નાના પર્વત ઉપર સુંદર કુદરતી દ્રશ્યોથી સજાયેલી છે. અહી આવતા દરેક શાંતિ અને કુદરતી જગ્યાનો લ્હાવો માણે છે.
વધુ માહિતી માટે વીડિઓ ઉપર ક્લિક કરશો.
આ મેળામાં જવા માટે અંકલેશ્વરથી ડેડીયાપાડા જવું ત્યાંથી કોરવી ગામ અમદાવાદ- મુંબઈના લોકો માટે નજીક પડે છે.
આ મેળાને તમારી સમક્ષ રજુ કરવામાં મદદરૂપ થનાર વ્યારાના શ્રી અરવિંદભાઈ તથા સલુણના સિસ્ટર સ્મિતા અને સિસ્ટર ઇન્દિરાનો ખાસ અભાર માનીએ છીએ.
વ્યારા-માંડળ ધર્મસભાની સુવર્ણ જયંતીની ઉજવણી તથા ઇસુ સંઘી પીઢ મિશનરીઓ રેવ. ફા.ગાલ્દોસ, રેવ. ફા. અરાના તથા રેવ. ફા. વેલી ડી'સોઝા ને નિહાળવા માટે વીડિઓ ઉપર ક્લિક કરશો.
તા. ૦૫-૦૨-૨૦૧૨ ના રવિવારના રોજ નાના બંદરપાળા ડુંગર ઉપર વ્યારા-માંડળ ધર્મસભાની સુવર્ણ જયંતીની ઉજવણી ધામધુમથી કરવામાં આવી હતી. આ સુંદર પ્રસંગે વ્યારા તથા માંડળ તાબાના આદિવાસી શ્રધાળુંઓએ મોટી સંખ્યામાં હાજરી આપી હતી. ઇસુ સંઘના પીઢ મિશનરીઓ રેવ. ફા.ગાલ્દોસ, રેવ. ફા. અરાના તથા રેવ. ફા. વેલી ડી'સોઝા આ સર્વ મહાન વિભૂતિઓની હાજરીથી આદિવાસી ભાઈ-બહેનો તથા બાળકોમાં ઊંડો આનંદ પ્રગટ થતો હતો.
આ ડુંગર ઉપર એક નવી પવિત્ર મારિયાની ટેકરીનું ઉદ્ઘાટન સુવર્ણ જયંતી નિમિત્તે કરવામાં આવ્યું હતું. આ ડુંગર પર આવેલ ગીધ માળાલી આયાના દર્શન કરવાથી પવિત્ર અનુભવ થાય છે તેવી લાગણીથી શ્રધાળુઓ દર વર્ષે ફેબ્રુઆરીના પહેલા રવિવારે હજારોની સંખ્યામાં ભેગા થાય છે. આ ડુંગર કેસુડાના ફૂલથી ભરપુર હોવાથી રળિયામણો લાગે છે જેનાથી મેળામાં વધુ જોમ અને સુંદરતા ઉમેરાય છે.
આદિવાસી સંસ્કૃતિનો ખ્રિસ્ત યજ્ઞમાં સમન્વયના પ્રેણતા રેવ. ફા.ગાલ્દોસ જેમણે ખ્રિસ્ત યજ્ઞ અર્પણ કર્યો હતો તે પહેલા ધર્મસભાનો ઈતિહાસ વર્ણવ્યો હતો. (તે વીડીઓમાં જોવા મળશે.)
આ મોટા પ્રસંગે રેવ. ફા. રોનાલ્ડ સલ્ધાના, ફા. કિશોર, ફા. ફ્રાન્સીસ ડી' સા તથા વડોદરા ધર્મપ્રાંતના વિકાર જનરલ ફા. જોએલ ની હાજરીથી તથા માંડળના બ્રધર્સ અને વ્યારા-માંડળ તાબાના સિસ્ટર્સથી આ પ્રસંગ વધુ ભક્તિમય બન્યો હતો.
રેવ. ફા. અરવિન એસ. જે. (ઝંખવાવ) રેવ. ફા. જેમ્સ વાઝ એસ. જે. (દઢવાળા) રેવ. ફા રોનાલ્ડ સલ્ધાના એસ. જે. (વ્યારા ) તથા અન્ય ફાદર્સ-સિસ્ટર્સ અને આદિવાસી ભાઈઓએ જેમણે BBN ને આ કાર્યક્રમ સફળ બનાવવા માટે ઉત્તમ ફાળો આપ્યો છે તેમનો અહી અમે અભાર માનીએ છીએ.
નોંધ: અગામી કાર્યક્રમ "કોરવી માતાનો મેળો" રજુ કરવામાં આવશે
Please click on the video for Nana Bandarpada Medo_ A religious get together on a mountain at the Shrine of Mother Mary. This video contains the procession
મોટી માનવ મેદની તથા ડુંગરોમાંથી પસાર થતું સરઘસ માટે વીડિઓ નિહાળશો
તા.૦૫-૦૨-૨૦૧૨ ના રોજ નાના બંદરપાડા ગામે એક રળિયામણો, કેસુડાના ફૂલોથી છવાયેલો ડુંગર આવેલો છે ત્યાં માતા મરિયમના મેળાનું અને વ્યારા-માંડળ ધર્માંસભાની સુવર્ણ જયંતીના સમાપન કાર્યક્રમનું પણ સુંદર આયોજન કરવામાં આવ્યું હતું.
અહી આદિવાસી ભાઈ-બહેનોનો માતા મરિયમ પ્રત્યેનો અપાર પ્રેમ માનવ મેદની જોઇને રજુ થતો હતો . લગભગ ૬ હજારની આસપાસ શ્રધાળુઓએ ભક્તિપૂર્વક ભાગ લીધો હતો. આ ડુંગર "ગીધ માળાલી આયા" તરીકે ઓળખવામાં આવે છે. દંત કથા પ્રમાણે આ ડુંગર પર ગીધનો વાસ હતો અને ત્યાં ટોચ ઉપર પવિત્ર મારિયાનું તીર્થ ધામ બનાવવામાં આવ્યું તેથી ગીધ માળા આયા તરીકે ડુંગર અને માતા મરિયમ પ્રચલિત થવા લાગ્યા.
૧૯૭૧ માં નાના બંદરપાડાના લોકોએ ફા. કોરલ એસ. જે. આગળ તીર્થધામ બનાવવાની વાત મુકેલ, લોકો અને માતા મરીયમ માટે સર્વ કઈ કરી છુટનાર રેવ, ફાદરે લોકોની મદદથી એકજ દિવસમાં ડુંગર ઉપર જવાનો માર્ગ તૈયાર કરેલ અને ડુંગરની ટોચ ઉપર તીર્થ ધામની સ્થાપના કરી હતી. સમય જતા આ ડુંગર પર માતા મરિયમની ભક્તિ પ્રચલિત બની અને દર ફેબ્રુઆરીના પહેલા રવિવારે લોકો દ્વારા મેળાનું આયોજન થવા લાગ્યું. આ મેળામાં ગામડાઓમાંથી આદિવાસી ભાઈઓ તથા બહેનો અને ઘણા ખરા દુર શહેરોમાંથી પણ શ્રધાળુઓએ આ દિવસે મોટી સંખ્યામાં મુલાકાત લે છે.
ગઈ કાલે આ મેળાની શરૂયાત ડુંગર નીચેથી ગુલાબમાળા અલગ અલગ ગામોની ટુકડીઓ દ્વારા કરવામાં આવી હતી અને સરધસ રૂપે ડુંગર મધ્યે મંડપમાં પહોચ્યા હતા ( વધુ માહિતી માટે વિડીયો નિહાળશો) જ્યાં ભવ્ય ખ્રિસ્ત યજ્ઞ અર્પણ કરવામાં આવ્યો હતો. ખ્રિસ્ત યજ્ઞ દરમ્યાન અર્પણ વિધિ સુંદર આદિવાસી સંસ્કૃતિ નૃત્ય દ્વારા કરવામાં આવી હતી. અહી આદિવાસી સંસ્કૃતિનો સમન્વય ખ્રિસ્ત યજ્ઞમાં જોવા મળતો હતો જેનો શ્રેય રેવ. ફા. ગલ્દોસ એસ. જે. ને જાય છે.
આ સુંદર પ્રસંગે ઇસુ સંઘના રેવ. ફા. વેલી ડી'સોઝા, રેવ. ફા ગલ્દોસ , રેવ. ફા.અરાના. ફા, રોનાલ્ડ સલધાના ફા.કિશોર, ફા.ફ્રાન્સીસ ડી'સા, અને વડોદરાના વિકાર જનરલ રેવ ફા જોયેલ અને સંત આન્નાના સાધ્વી બહેનો, સેન્ટ અર્સલાના સાધ્વી બહેનો તથા બીજા ફાદર સીસ્ટરોની હાજરીથી અને ખાસ કરીને મોટી માનવ મેળાની થી આ પ્રસંગ સુંદર રીતે ઉજવવામાં આવ્યો હતો.
આ સુંદર કાર્યક્રમને તમારા સુધી રજુ કરવા માટે ફા. રોનાલ્ડ સલધાના એસ. જે. દ્વારા વ્યારામાં ખાસ સુવિધા બી. બી.એન ને આપી છે અને આજે તેમનો હ્રુદયપૂર્વક બી. બી. એન. ખાસ અભાર માને છે.
ભક્તિ મેળો અને પવિત્ર મારિયાનો અનુભવ થયેલ વ્યક્તિની સાક્ષી સાંભળવા માટે વીડિઓ ઉપર ક્લિક કરશો.
ઝંખવાવમાં માતા મરિયમનો ભક્તિ મેળો
ઇસુનાથ મંદિર, ભક્તજનોની માનવ મેદની
તા.૦૨-૦૨-૨૦૧૨ ના રોજ ઝંખવાવ મિશનમાં માતા મરિયમના ભક્તિ મેળાનું આયોજન કરવામાં આવ્યું હતું . છેલ્લા ૩૫ વર્ષથી અહીં આ સુંદર મેળો ભક્તિ અને એકતાનું માધ્યમ બની રહેલ છે. આ તાંબાના ગામડાઓમાંથી વહેલી સવારથીજ લોકો દર્શનાર્થે મોટી સંખ્યામાં ઉમટી પડે છે
સૌ પ્રથમ આદિવાસી કન્યા છાત્રાલયની વિદ્યાર્થીનીઓ તથા આશાદીપ આશ્રમ શાળાના બાળકો .આદિવાસી કુમાર છાત્રાલય અને લોયોલા બોયસ હોસ્ટેલના વિદ્યાર્થીઓ દ્વારા પ્રાર્થના કરી મેળાનો પ્રારંભ કર્યો હતો.
ઇસુનાથ મંદિર, ઝખવાવ
આ મેળામાં આદિવાસી ભક્તજનો પોતાના ખેતરોમાં થયેલ પાકનું અર્પણ કરે છે અને પોતાના તથા પાડોશીના જીવનમાં માતા મરિયમનો પ્રેમ સદા વહેતો રહે તે માટે વિનંતી કરે છે. દરેક ગામથી મોટી સંખ્યામાં બધા ભેગા થઇ મોટી કતારોમાં સરઘસમાં જોડાય છે સ્ત્રી,પુરુષ તથા બાળકોમાં ઉમંગ અને ઉલ્લાસ જોવા મળતો હતો અને આજે આ માનવમેદનીએ માતા મરિયમની પાલખી સાથે સરઘસરૂપે ફરી ખ્રિસ્ત યજ્ઞમાં જોડાઈ હતી. રેવ. ફા.ઈશ્વન ગામીતે ભક્તિ અને બોધથી લોકોને પવિત્રતાથી તરબોળ કર્યા હતા.
ખ્રિસ્તયજ્ઞમાં ભક્તજનો
આ મેળાના સુંદર આયોજન માટે અહીના સભા પુરોહિત રેવ. ફા.અરવિન એસ જે અને ઝંખવાવની જેસુઈટ કોમ્યુનીટીનો ખાસ શ્રેય હતો. ડોટર્સ ઓફ ધ ક્રોસના સાધ્વી બહેનો તથા ઝંખવાવ તાંબાના ધર્મજનોના સાથ સહકારથી પવિત્રતા અને સુંદરતા મેળામાં ઉમેરાયા હતા.
સાચેજ, આવા ભક્તિ મેળાથી આપણા તથા બાળકોના જીવનમાં પ્રેમ અને શ્રધાનું સિંચન થયા કરે છે. અહીના આદિવાસી ભાઈઓની સંસ્કૃતિ સાથે માતા મરિયમની ઊંડી ભક્તિ રજુ થતી હતી આ ઇસુનાથ મદિરમાં ઘણા લોકોને માતા મરિયમનો અનુભવ થયેલ છે તેમન એક બહેનનો સાક્ષાત અનુભવ સાંભળવા તથા મેળાને માણવા માટે વીડિઓ ઉપર ક્લિક કરશો.
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Hello, my name is Jack Sparrow. I'm a 50 year old self-employed Pirate from the Caribbean. 
