MESSAGE OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS AT THE MEETING FOR FRIENDSHIP AMONG PEOPLES

MESSAGE OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS
AT THE MEETING FOR FRIENDSHIP AMONG PEOPLES

[RIMINI, 24 to 30 August 2014]

  

To His Excellency
Mons. Francesco Lambiasi
Bishop of Rimini

Your Excellency,

at the XXXV Meeting for friendship among peoples , I am pleased to convey to you, the organizers, the volunteers and all those who will participate in the cordial greetings and the blessing of His Holiness Pope Francis, along with my personal desire of all good for this important initiative.

The theme chosen for this year - Towards the margins of the world and of existence - echoes a constant solicitude of the Holy Father. Since its episcopate in Buenos Aires, he realized that the "suburbs" are not just places, but also and above all people, as said in your speech during the general congregations before the conclave: "The Church is called to come out of itself and to go to the suburbs, not just geographical ones, but also those existential those of the mystery of sin, pain, injustice, ignorance and the absence of faith, those of thought, that of all forms of misery "(9 March 2013).

So Papa Francesco thanked the leaders of the Meeting to have accepted and spread His invitation to walk in this perspective. A Church "output" is the only possible according to the Gospel; it shows the life of Jesus, who went from village to village proclaiming the kingdom of God, and sent his disciples ahead of him. For this reason the Father sent him into the world.

Fate did not leave man alone is the second part of the theme of the Meeting : an expression of the Servant of God Fr Luigi Giussani, who reminds us that the Lord has not abandoned us to ourselves, has not forgotten us. In ancient times chose one man, Abraham, and put him on a journey to the land that he had promised. And in the fullness of time he chose a young woman, the Virgin Mary, to become flesh and come to dwell among us. Nazareth was really an insignificant village, an "edge" on both political and religious; but God has looked right there, to fulfill his plan of mercy and faithfulness.

The Christian is not afraid to decentralize, to go to the suburbs, because it has its center in Jesus Christ. He frees us from fear; we can advance in his company safe anywhere, even through the dark moments of life, knowing that wherever we go, the Lord always before us with his grace, and our joy is to share with others the good news that He is with we will. The disciples of Jesus, after completing a mission, they returned enthusiastic about the successes. But Jesus said to them, "But do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you; rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven "( Lk  10.20 to 21). Are we not to save the world, it is only God who saves him.

The men and women of our time are at great risk of experiencing a sadness individualistic, isolated in the midst of a quantity of consumer goods, from which, however, many remain excluded. Often prevail lifestyles that lead to put their hope in economic security or power or success purely ground. Even Christians run this risk. "It's obvious - the Holy Father states - which in some places has produced a" desertification "spiritual fruit of the project companies that want to build without God" (ibid., N. Evangelii gaudium , 86) . But this should not discourage us, as we recalled Benedict XVI inaugurated the Year of Faith: "In the desert you return to discover the value of what is essential to life; so in today's world there are countless signs, often manifested in the form implied or negative, the thirst for God, the ultimate meaning of life. And in the desert there is particularly in need of people of faith who, with their own life, can point the way to the promised land, and so keep hope alive "( Homily at the Mass of the opening of the Year of Faith , October 11, 2012 ).

Pope Francis invites us to collaborate, even with the Meeting for Friendship among Peoples , this back to basics, which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. "Christians have a duty to proclaim without excluding anyone, not as one who imposes a new obligation, but rather as people who share a joy, signals a beautiful horizon, offers a banquet desirable. The Church does not grow to proselytize but "attraction" "( Evangelii gaudium , 14 ), that is, "through a personal testimony, a story, a gesture, or form that the same Holy Spirit can inspire in a practical situation" ( ibid . , 128 ).

The Holy Father points to the leaders and participants of the Meeting two special attention.

First, invites you to never lose touch with reality, or rather, to be lovers of reality. This is also part of Christian witness: in the presence of a dominant culture that gives top priority to the appearance, what is superficial and temporary, the challenge is to choose to love and reality. Don Giussani has left a legacy as a program of life when he stated: "The only condition to be always and truly religious life is always intensely real. The formula for the meaning of reality is to live the real no holds barred, that is, without denying and forgetting anything. It would not be human, that is reasonable, considering the limited experience to its surface, at the crest of its wave, without descending into the depths of his motion "( The Religious Sense , p. 150).

In addition, calls to keep his eyes fixed on the essentials. The most serious problems, in fact, arise when the Christian message is identified with secondary issues that do not express the heart of the ad. In a world in which, after two thousand years, Jesus has returned to being a stranger in too many countries of the West, "it pays to be realistic and do not assume that our interlocutors know the full background of what we say or they can connect our discussion with the core of the Gospel that gives it meaning, beauty and attractiveness "( Evangelii gaudium , 34 )

For this reason, a world in rapid transformation so asks Christians to be willing to seek forms or ways to communicate in a language understandable to the perennial newness of Christianity. Again, be realistic. "Many times it is better to slow down the pace, put away the anxiety to look into my eyes and listen, or give to the urgent needs to accompany those left at the roadside" ( ibid. , 46).

His Holiness offers these reflections as a contribution to the week of the Meeting , to all those who participate, in particular managers, organizers and speakers who come from the suburbs of the world and of existence to testify that God the Father does not abandon his children . The Pope hopes that many can relive the experience of the first disciples of Jesus, who, meeting him on the bank of the Jordan, were heard to ask: "What do you seek?". May this question of Jesus always accompany the journey of all who visit the Meeting for Friendship among Peoples .

While asks us to pray for him and for his ministry, Francis Pope invokes the maternal protection of the Virgin Mother and the heart sends to Your Excellency and to the entire community of the Meeting Apostolic Blessing.

In pray Your Excellency to ensure even my personal wish, take this opportunity to confirm with distinct treat

Your Excellency Excellency
most devoted Pietro Card. Parolin

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Xaviervani - ઝેવિયરવાણી August 2014

Xaviervani is a news letter of St. Xavier's Parish Gamdi-Anand.

Please click on the below given image to read the August 2014 news letter

ઝેવિયરવાણી સંત ઝેવિયર્સ  ચર્ચ  ગામડી-આણંદ તાબાનું મુખપત્ર છે.  

ઓગષ્ટ  મહિનાનો અંક વાંચવા માટે નીચે આપેલ ફોટા ઉપર ક્લિક કરશો.

સૌજન્ય:   સંત ઝેવિયર્સ  ચર્ચ  ગામડી-આણંદ

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RIP - Ignas S. Macwan died in Hinduja Hospital - Khar - Mumbai

Late Ignas S. Macwan

Mr. Ignas S. Macwan died in Hinduja Hospital - Khar - Mumbai on 23-08-2014. 

He was born in July 1933, and studied in St. Stanislaus - Mumbai. He became the Prothonotary Master (Highest non judiciary position) at Bombay High Court.

The funeral prayer took place in Bandra and was buried at St. Peter's Cemetery at Mahalaxi, Mumbai on 24-08-2014.

The prayer service will be held at Navchetan Building, Bandara on Wednesday, 27th August 2014.

And at Mogri (Anand) on Sunday 31st August at 10 am.

Address:  Prathmesh, Divya Darshan Society, Jitodiya Road, Mogri - Gujarat.

- Mr. William Prakash 

The below given photos were clicked by BBN last year at Mogri - Gujarat. The last two funeral photos clicked at St. Peter's Cemetery at Mahalaxi, Mumbai by Mr. William Prakash

Please click on the link for more Photos

Photos - Late Ignas S. Macwan's last visit of Mogri

 - BBN

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Dharmsetu - ધર્મસેતુ - August -2014

Please click on the below given image to read Dharmsetu - August - 2014

ધર્મસેતુ - ઓગષ્ટ -2014 અંક વાંચવા માટે નીચે આપેલ ફોટા ઉપર કરશો.

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Twenty First Sunday of the Year A - 24 August 2014

Even today Jesus asks us Christians the same question  he one day put his disciples: “and you, who do you say I am?” He does not ask us only so as to have us declare what  we think about his mysterious identity, but also so that we make up our minds about our relationship with him. What answer can we give him from within our communities? Have we come to know Jesus increasingly better, or do we have him “eternally depicted in our usual old boring sketches”? Are we living communities, seeking always to place Jesus in the centre of our lives and our activities, or do we live stagnated in routine and mediocrity? Do we love Jesus passionately or has he become for us a worn out personality whom we keep on invoking while indifference and only occasional remembrance keep growing in our hearts? Do people who come into contact with our communities feel the force and attractiveness he has for us?

Do we feel ourselves disciples of Jesus? Are we learning to live life the way he lived it in the midst of modern

society, or do we allow ourselves to be dragged along by any tempting slogan that catches our fancy? It is the same to us to live any way we please, or have we turned our community into a school to learn to live like Jesus?

Are we learning to regard life the way Jesus looked at it? Do our communities regard the needy and excluded sectors of society with compassion and responsibility, or do we enclose ourselves in our festivities, indifferent to the suffering of the most underprivileged and forgotten: those that were always the beloved of Jesus? Are we following Jesus by collaborating with him in the humanizing project of the Father, or do we continue to think that the most important task of Christianity is to be worried exclusively about our salvation? Are we convinced that the way to follow Jesus is to live each day making life more human and happy for all?

Do we live Sundays as Christians by celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, or do we organize our weekends

devoid of any Christian meaning? Have we learnt to find Jesus in the silence of our hearts, or do we feel our faith dying out, drowned in the noise and the emptiness there is within us?

Do we believe in the Risen Jesus who journeys with us full of life? Do we live in our communities being filled

with the peace he left his followers as a legacy? Do we believe that Jesus loves us with an endless love? Do we believe in his power to renew us? Do we have it in us to become witnesses of the mystery of hope we carry in our hearts?

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Environmental Awareness program - Gamdi - Anand

SFPY (St. Francis Parish Youth Group) organized an Environmental Awareness program yesterday 18-08-2014 at St. Xavier Church Gamdi - Anand. 

Rt. Bishop Thomas Macwan visited the exhibition prepared by the youth. A lot of people bought the plants to grow the green world. The activity was a message for better green world for better rain, better environment.

Photos and news by Taral Parmar BBN

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The Salesians of the Gujarat region launch the bi-centenary of the birth of Don Bosco

 Don Bosco must have been rejoicing in heaven on 16 August, his birthday, because it was celebrated with the type of boys he loved most – the poor, the rejects, the ones who have been hurt most by society namely the street boys. Because of Don Bosco’s immense love for boys who lived on the streets, the inauguration of the bi-centenary year of his birth, was held at Don Bosco Snehalaya, Baroda which is a home where street children are helped to get back into the mainstream. The 16th of August, the birthday of Don Bosco, is also the day when we celebrate the birthday of all the boys in the home since almost all of them don’t even know when they were born.

The Salesian Fathers together with the different congregations of sisters and the Salesian Co- operators, who are guided by Don Bosco’s spirit and driven by his mission gathered to celebrate this event and to recommit themselves to working for the mission of Don Bosco. It was family affair where the members of the Salesian family gathered around the spiritual father of the diocese, Rt. Rev. Godfrey D’Rosario.

The Eucharist was considered by Don Bosco to be one of the pillars of his system and so the celebrations began with the celebration of the Eucharist presided over by the Bishop of Baroda, who in his homily compared Don Bosco to great visionaries who not only dreamt great dreams but with God’s help brought them to fruition. While praising the Salesians for all that they had achieved so far, he invited all the members of the great Salesian family to work towards continuing Don Bosco’s work and thus bring his dream to fulfillment. He also stressed that to do this we would have to become men and women of faith like Don Bosco, seeing God’s directing hand in every work and every moment of our lives.

The standard of the programme that followed, though short was really excellent and Bishop himself said so repeatedly. Many in the audience remarked that it was a pity more people were not invited, such was the quality of the items put up by the Don Bosco institutions of Baroda, Snehalya, Kawant and Chhotaudepur.

The high point of the programme was the release of the new magazine in Gujarati meant especially for the young, “BOSCO-G” prepared by a team comprising of Fr. Charles, Fr. Ashwin, Fr. Mayank and Fr. Jerome. The Bishop also released a booklet with three sets of novena prayers in honour of Don Bosco. This was crowned with a short video clip on the profession of faith in the Salesian mission followed by a personal commitment to the same mission by the Fathers, Sisters and Salesian Co-operators. They committed themselves to growing in love for and knowledge of Don Bosco, to being led by him, imitating him and becoming like him a saint, father, teacher and friend – a friend whose love young people see and experience.

The whole function ended with a grand fellowship meal that was enlivened by friendly conversation, laughter and joy after which we bade farewell to each other confirmed in our vocation to work for “poor and abandoned youth”

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Teachers seminar was organized at Mariyampura

Teachers seminar was organized at Mariyampura Petlad deanary on this Monday 18-08-2014 by the Parish youth and Rev. Fr Francisrex Parmar and Rev. Fr Vikram Mahida . Around 150 teachers joined the seminar. 

Respected Mr. Ratilal Borisagar, a well known writer, was called who addressed the gathered teachers He said that the value system of Jesus Christ 'Love and Peace' is to developed in every teacher for better world tomorrow.

Respected Mr. Pravin Pravashi was also invited to share his ideas about the duty of a teacher as a Catholic. 

It was really a successful program. 

All credit goes to Rev. Fr. Francisrex Parmar and Fr. Vikram Maida for organising such a knowledgeable seminar for the teachers.

Please click for more Photos:

Seminar Photos

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Anathoni Mata Scholarship was distributed at Khambhodaj

From Left: Rev. Fr. Arul, Rev. Fr. Anthonyraj and Rev. Fr. Bipin 

 Anathoni Mata Scholarship was distributed on Sunday in Khambhodaj. This Scholarship is the first Scholarship in Ahmedabad Diocese that covers the students from 10th and 12th  standard  from the whole diocese.  Over 150 students were given the scholarship with certificates at Khambhodaj.

 Rev. Fr. Arul the parish priest and Rev. Fr. Bipin (APP) worked hard to collect financial support for the scholarship.

 Rev. Fr. Arul said that this scholarship is to encourage our students for further and better education so that the young students may do well for the family and for the society. Rev. Fr. Bipin encouraged the students and parents by saying that the students are the future church and we all need to encourage in education and spirituality.

 Rev. Fr. Anthony Raj ( the principal of St. Xavier's School - Umreth) was the chief guest for the program. He donated Rs.11 thousands for next year Scholarship. He said that today the world is full of competitions. Our students have to go for higher education now. He also gave 3 computers for the Khambhodaj school.

 The staff and the parish council members of Khambhodaj Church were the people who organized this successful program on Sunday.

Please click the below given link for more photos

Scholarship Photos

- Vijay BBN

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Suppression of the Society & its restoration

Please click on the video

Suppression of the Society & its restoration

 In my humble opinion, the main reason behind the suppression of the Society of Jesus was that it (i.e. the Jesuits) was a disturbing element everywhere in the society around. They were as we would say now a days: ‘whistle-blowers’. It was because of this that they were inviting trouble, opposition and persecution, which by the way, according to St Ignatius, is the sure sign that the Society is moving in the right direction.

 

 There was hardly a day in Gandhiji’s life when he was not involved in any ‘satyagraha’, small or big. Unfortunately, his followers, the Gandhians abandoned his ‘sangharshatmak’ activities (satyagrahas) and opted for ‘rachnatmak’ (non-disturbing) activities. As a result they have now become sterile and totally ineffective.

 The Jesuits in India while they are reflecting now on this historic event in order to derive some fruit from it have much to learn from this. They should find out whether they are also disturbing elements or simply carrying out their myriad charitable activities (‘rachnatmak’) peacefully without, causing any disturbance anywhere. At least a dozen whistle blowers have been murdered by now proving that whistle-blowing is very effective! There is a vast scope for us to be ‘whistle-blowers’ in the country plagued by wide spread corruption and other evils whose first and immediate victims are the poor and the marginalized. 

Recently the Govt has decided to amend the ‘The Land Acquisition Act’ which will mostly benefit the corporate and deprive the poor of their daily bread. Have the Jesuits any role to play here? Then there are other issues that also adversely affect the poor and the marginalized: e.gr. The oppressive caste system, untouchability, gender discrimination; money and muscle power during elections etc.  Have we any role to play here?

 We are very much aware of the power of the media, especially its role in creating public opinion. There is no dirth of media gadgets with us. For what are we using them? And do we make use of our own media centres as well as that of secular media for this? What is our role regarding the implementation of RTI, RTE and RTF, which are very powerful means to better the lot of the poor and the marginalized?

William Macwan, S.J.     ASHADEEP, Vidyanagar (Gujarat)

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History of the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 The feast is celebrated every year on 15th of August. The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary commemorates the death of Mary and her bodily assumption into Heaven, before her body could begin to decay--a foretaste of our own bodily resurrection at the end of time. Because it signifies the Blessed Virgin's passing into eternal life, it is the most important of all Marian feasts and a Holy Day of Obligation.

History of the Assumption:

The Feast of the Assumption is a very old feast of the Church, celebrated universally by the sixth century. The feast was originally celebrated in the East, where it is known as the Feast of the Dormition, a word which means "the falling asleep." The earliest printed reference to the belief that Mary's body was assumed into Heaven dates from the fourth century, in a document entitled "The Falling Asleep of the Holy Mother of God." The document is written in the voice of the Apostle John, to whom Christ on the Cross had entrusted the care of His mother, and recounts the death, laying in the tomb, and assumption of the Blessed Virgin. Tradition variously places Mary's death at Jerusalem or at Ephesus, where John was living.

Important Information
• Date Of  the Feast: August 15.
• Type of Feast: Solemnity; Holy Day of Obligation. (For more details, see Is Assumption a Holy Day of Obligation?
• Readings: Revelation 11:19a, 12:1-6a, 10ab; Psalm 45:10, 11, 12, 16; 1 Corinthians 15:20-27; Luke 1:39-56 (full text here)
• Prayers: The Hail Mary
• Other Names for the Feast: The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary; The Assumption of Mary Into Heaven; The Dormition of the Theotokos; The Falling Asleep of the Blessed Virgin Mary Source: catholicism.about.com/

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Justice Sunday - Environmental Justice - 17 August 2014

Justice Sunday

17 August 2014

Environmental Justice

 Your Eminence/ Grace/ Excellency/Father/Sister/Brother in Jesus,

Warm greetings from the CBCI Office for Justice, Peace and Development!

On 28 April 2014, the national as well as international media was abuzz with the news of Indian environmental activist Mr. Ramesh Agrawal, 60, being honoured with this year’s $175,000 Goldman Environmental Prize, often called the “Green Nobel”, in San Francisco, for fighting for the cause of “jal, jungle, zameen (water, forest, land) for the past two decades in Chhattisgarh. He has been relentlessly battling against indiscriminate and senseless industrialization; and campaigning to educate the people about their rights in fighting pollution and land-grabbing by powerful mining and electricity companies. In 2012, he won a court case that blocked a major Indian company, Jindal Steel & Power Ltd, from opening a second coal mine near the village of Gare in the mineral-rich state of Chhattisgarh.

Environmental activism is not new to India. The Chipko Movement or Chipko Andolan of the 70’s is one of the first well known people’s movements that engaged in non-violent resistance to felling of trees in Chamoli district Uttarakhand. The Save Silent Valley Movement became the bedrock of Indian environmental activism. Other well-known environmental movements include: the Jungle Bachao Andolan, the Navdanya Movement and the Narmada Bachao Andolan of 80s; International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal (ICJB); Anti-POSCO Struggle Movement; People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy; and the Greenpeace India, etc.

Besides established social activist groups, there are thousands and thousands of people actively fighting different environmental issues like mining, dam construction, nuclear power projects, agricultural degradation, deforestation, pollution and so on and so forth. Their voices of dissent are forcing India to change. Their struggle involves confronting the unholy alliance of the politicians, the government juggernauts, and the moneyed and mighty business corporations. More often people’s non-violent protests are greeted with brute force by the police and the hoodlums hired by the companies to quell people’s resistance. The people who fight to safeguard the environment and the natural resources are branded as anti-developmental; as anti-national and, sometimes, as Naxals. False cases have been foisted. At this juncture, one cannot afford to forget the sacrifice of Sister Valsa John who led people’s resistance movement against coal mining and displacement in the Amrapara block of Pakur district, Jharkhand and was killed in the coal mine areas of Pachuwara on November 15, 2011.

India is said to have achieved rapid economic growth over the past decade. But the environmental impact has often been ignored, and the rural poor largely left behind. Experts say that over-exploitation of natural resources and economic disparity are the two factors causing the collapse of civilisations, and the modern civilisation, too, is similarly vulnerable. On the other hand, equitable access to natural resources and responsible and restrained use of those resources will surely save civilisations from collapse and humanity from extinction. Unless we safeguard the environment, there will be hundreds of thousands of people with nothing, no employment, no money, no farmland, no forests, etc. So it is clear that the struggle for environmental justice is also a struggle for social justice.

Enlightened by Biblical teaching, the Catholic Church has seen creation as the gift of God to humankind and has been always in defence of nature and the environment. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in his encyclical letter, Caritas in Veritate, no. 51 says: “The Church has a responsibility towards creation and she must assert this responsibility in the public sphere. In so doing, she must defend not only earth, water and air as gifts of creation that belong to everyone. She must above all protect mankind from self-destruction. There is need for what might be called a human ecology, correctly understood ... when “human ecology” is respected within society, environmental ecology also benefits.”

The Catholic Bishops of India has a clear grasp of the complex environmental issues plaguing the country and made a firm resolve to address those issues: “We stand for the protection of the environment. We are stewards of God’s Creation and we must use our resources for the good of all, keeping in mind also our duty to future generations. Illegal mining, deforestation, some mega projects, pollution of water, air and land are destructive of ecology. We will resist such moves and encourage greater use of natural sources of energy, promote organic farming, encourage proper methods of waste management and other such initiatives” (Final Statement of the 30th CBCI General Body Meeting, Bangalore, 2012, no. 8.8). Again in February 2014, the Bishops re-affirmed their commitment to the protection of nature when they declared: “We stand for sustainable development of peoples and human ecology” (Final Statement of the 31st CBCI General Body Meeting, Pala, 2014, no. 5.8).

Against this milieu, the CBCI Office for Justice, Peace and Development makes an appeal to all the Christian faithful in India to stand up for environmental protection and raise their voice for environmental justice. This appeal is in consonance with Pope Francis’ own call, which he made on 31 July 2013, during the World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, for “respect and protection of the entire creation which God has entrusted to man, not that it be indiscriminately exploited, but rather made into a garden (of life).”

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful people can make a difference, in fact it’s the only thing that ever has”, said Margaret Mead. We hope that our faith in a Creator-God will translate into a firm commitment to effectively living our ‘ecological vocation’ as stewards of God’s creation, promoters of human ecology, and defenders of environmental justice

Most Rev. Dr. Gerald Almeida                                           Most Rev. Dr. Abraham Mar Julios

Chairperson                                                               Most Rev. Dr. Abraham Viruthikulangara                                        

Member Bishops

Rev Dr. Charles Irudayam

Secretary

Office for Justice, Peace and Development

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India 

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Prayer Request for Mr. Danielbhai Morarjibhai Parmar - Retired Police Officer

Mr. Danielbhai Morarjibhai Parmar

પ્રાર્થના માટેની અરજ 

નવજીવન કોલોની, આણંદમાં રહેતા નિવૃત જમાદાર દાનીયેલભાઈ મોરારજીભાઈ પરમાર હાલમાં બીમાર હોવાથી જીવન દીપ હોસ્પિટલ આણંદ ખાતે દાખલ હોય આપ સર્વેને તેમની તંદુરસ્તી માટે પ્રાર્થના કરવા નમ્ર અરજ છે.

તેઓ ગયા અઠવાડિયે અશક્તિને કારણે ઘરમાં પડી ગયા હતા જેથી તેમને માથામાં ઇજા થઈ હતી. હાલમાં સારવારથી તેમની તંદુરસ્તીમાં ઘણો સારો સુધારો જોવા મળી રહ્યો છે.

આપની પ્રાર્થનામાં તેમને  અને તેમના કુટુંબીજનોને યાદ કરવા નમ્ર અરજ છે.

- BBN   

Please pray for Mr. Danielbhai Morarjibhai Parmar 

(Retired Police Officer, Navjivan Colony - Anand.) is admitted in Jivandeep Hospital - Anand.

He fell down in his house due to weakness last week and his head was injured. Now he is better in the hospital and needs your prayer for him and for the family.

- BBN  

    

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New Community Prayer Center inaugurated at Bakrol

તારીખ 10-08-2014 રવિવારના રોજ વિદ્યાનગર નજીક આવેલ ગામ બાકરોલ, કોલોની રોડ ઉપર કમ્યુનિટી પ્રાર્થના સેન્ટરનું ઉદ્ઘઘાટન કરવામાં આવ્યું હતું 

આ પ્રાર્થના સેન્ટર આ પહેલા ખંભોળજ દેવળના ઉપરના વિભાગમાં હતું જ્યાં ધર્મજન ત્યાના ગ્રુપ સાથે મળી આરાધના અને પ્રાર્થના જરૂરિયાતમંદ લોકો માટે કરતા આ સુંદર પ્રવૃત્તિ હવે પછી કોઈનોનિયા કમ્યુનિટી પ્રેયર સેન્ટર, બાકરોલ કોલોની રોડ ખાતે કરવામાં આવશે 

આ સેન્ટરનું ઉદ્ઘઘાટન માનનીય બિશપ થોમસ મેકવાન દ્વારા કરવામાં આવ્યું હતું 

આ પ્રસંગની વધુ તસ્વીરો જોવા માટે નીચે આપેલ લીંક ઉપર ક્લિક કરશો . Please click link for more photos

New Community Prayer Center inaugurated at Bakrol

News and Photos: BBN
  

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Scholarship Information Camp

ધાર્મિક લઘુમતી શિષ્યવૃત્તિ માટે માર્ગદર્શન કેમ્પનું આયોજન કરવામાં આવ્યું છે. દરેક વિધાર્થી ગણ ખાસ કરીને જે અંતરાળ વિસ્તારમાં રહે છે તે સર્વને જાણ કરવા વિનંતી.

Address and Timing

Place: Center For Youth and Senior Citizen Community Hall, Catholic Church, Gamdi-Anand 
Date: 15-08-2014  on Friday
Time: 10:00 morning 

Photo: S.F. P.Y.

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The Holy Father Pope Francis has appealed to the Church to pray for peace in Iraq - Rt. Bishop Thomas Macwan

Rt. Bishop Thomas Macwan

Dear all

Greetings and prayerful wishes from Our Rt. Bishop Thomas Macwan

 The Holy Father Pope Francis has appealed to the Church to pray for peace in Iraq. Our Rt. Bishop has received an email from Vatican forwarded by CBCI to all the Bishops of India. Pope Francis has asked all the clergy and people to pray for peace during every Mass and remember them in our personal prayers. 

Let us ask Mother Mary, the Queen Of Peace to intervene and bring peace through the devotion of the Rosary. 

Rt. Bishop Thomas Macwan

Diocese Of Ahmedabad

Pope Francis Tweets:
Please take a moment today to pray for all those who have been forced from their homes in Iraq...................Violence is not conquered by violence. Lord, send us the gift of peace.

1) An appeal to all families: when you say your prayers, remember all those forced from their homes in Iraq. #PrayForPeace

2) The news coming from Iraq pains me. Lord, teach us to live in solidarity with all those who suffer.

3) Those driven from their homes in Iraq depend on us. I ask all to pray, and for those who are able, to give material assistance.

4) I ask all Catholic parishes and communities to offer a special prayer this weekend for Iraqi Christians.

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Pope Francis: Isis violence against minorities in Iraq must be stopped

Request you all to pray for peace and harmony in Iraq.

Pope Tweets: Violence is not conquered by violence. Lord, send us the gift of peace. 

Pope Francis prays at St Peter's Square, Vatican City, on 10 August. 

Photograph: Alessandro Di Meo/EPA

Pope Francis used unusually strong language to condemn the actions of Islamists in their continuing campaign against minorities in Iraq on Sunday and called for an end to violence in the name of God. A high-ranking special Vatican envoy is due to leave for northern Iraq on Monday.

In his traditional Sunday blessing, Francis said the news from the country had left him "in dismay and disbelief". Without referring by name to the Islamic State (Isis), whose jihadists are largely responsible for the persecution, the pope deplored reports of "thousands of people, including many Christians, driven from their homes in a brutal manner; children dying of thirst and hunger in their flight; women kidnapped; people massacred; [and] violence of every kind."

He added: "All this gravely offends God and humanity. Hatred is not to be carried in the name of God. War is not to be waged in the name of God."

Iraqi authorities have reported that Isis has kidnapped hundreds of women and girls from the Yazidi religious minority after seizing the north-western town of Sinjar. Up to 100,000 Christians are thought to have fled for their lives towards Iraqi Kurdistan.

In an apparent reference to the US-led air campaign to deliver relief to the civilians fleeing Isis, Francis said: "I thank those who, with courage, are bringing succour to these brothers and sisters, and I am confident that an effective political solution on both the international and the local levels may be found to stop these crimes and re-establish [the rule of] law."

On Friday, the pope named Cardinal Fernando Filoni as his personal envoy to Iraq. Plans are also being made for a meeting in Rome, probably in September, of all the Vatican's diplomatic representatives in the region. The aim is to organise support for those who have been forced to flee the jihadists.

The 68-year-old Filoni is a Vatican heavyweight who was considered a candidate for the papacy in the runup to the election last year at which Francis was chosen.

At an earlier stage in his career, he served for six years as the Holy See's ambassador to Jordan and Iraq during the final stages of Saddam Hussein's regime.

Filoni was among the few foreign diplomats to remain in Baghdad during the bombing of the city by US-led forces in 2003.

The pope's spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, said the cardinal would travel to Iraqi Kurdistan, where the majority of Christian refugeesare sheltering.

In an interview published in Avvenire, the daily of the Italian bishops' conference, Filoni appeared to blame the deterioration of the situation in Iraq on the US-led invasion 11 years ago. "Since 2003, the situation has never improved," he was quoted as saying.

"I believe [Pope] John Paul II was right when he warned the political leaders at that time to rediscover the paths of a peace that was not [found] and for [the lack of which] we are suffering these consequences today."

The pope also discussed the fighting in Gaza, which he described as "a war that cuts down innocent victims and does nothing but worsen the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians".

He also mentioned the battle against Ebola, which has killed close to 1,000 people in west Africa, calling on his followers to "pray for the victims of the Ebola virus and for those who are fighting to stop it".

Source: www.theguardian.com

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The International Indigenous People's (Adivasi) Day - Fr. Xavier Manjooran SJ.

Dear Adivasi friends and friends of Adivasis,

 9th August was declared the International Indigenous People's (Adivasi) Day by the United Nations in 1994

 12 October was celebrated in America as "Columbus Day" to commemorate the so called "discovery of America" by Columbus. In fact this so called "discovery" had caused great injustice to the original inhabitants of America. They were subjugated, killed and pushed out of their own land and made slaves. So the indigenous people and those who understood the real situation objected to the celebration of "Columbus day". They started celebrating "Anti Columbus Day" which was later (in 1992) termed as "INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY".

2 YEARS AFTER THIS EVENT, THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY DECLARED IN 1994, AUGUST 9 AS THE INTERNATIONAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY (ADIVASI DAY).

There is a misunderstanding, propagated and spread by some people, either knowingly or unknowingly, that the logo of the indigenous people (Symbol of Adivasi ) is a LEFT FOOT..

So even if any body accepts foot as the symbol, the adivasis will not accept it as their symbol. Some people say it was the symbol adopted by UN when it announced 9 August as the international Indigenous day.This was surely not the case. There must be some mix up or wrong understanding in this matter. If you search all over the net and all the portals you will NOT FIND anywhere even a mention of the LEFT FOOT AS ADIVASI (INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S) SYMBOL. 

Adivasi are noble people, people of nature. They do not fall in any caste system. And hierarchical discriminations were not part of their culture. (Now unfortunately this attitude has got into adivasi communities also) .Let us not add "THE FOOT" also and aggravate the matter and insult adivasi community.

I am enclosing the actual and official symbol for adivasis (indigenous people) declared and adapted by UN indigenous peoples forum. In fact the art work was done by Mr. Rebang Dewan, a Chakma boy, of Bangladesh. Communicate to people and spread the right information and idea about Adivasis and Adivasi day.

HAPPY ADIVASI DAY.......... JAI ADIVASI.........JAGO ADIVASI........FEEL PROUD OF BEING AN ADIVASI......

with best wishes and in SOLIDARITY,

Xavier Manjooran,SJ

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BOOK LAUNCH “Federalism in India: Towards a Fresh Balance of Power“

BOOK LAUNCH function organized by CCD

Photo courtesy: FB of Fr. Lancy Lobo

    In the presence of intellectuals, social activists and eminent retired college professors Lord Bhikhu Parekh on 7th Aug evening released “Federalism in India: Towards a Fresh Balance of Power“, a learned book prepared by CCD (Center for Culture and Development) under the able guidance of Dr.(Fr) Lancy Lobo, S.J. The book contains articles by eminent scholars who throw light on the federal structure of our government. The venue was the VasviK Auditorium on the Race Course, Vadodara. The auditorium was packed to capacity with very distinguished personalities from different branches of sciences. After releasing the book Lord Bhikhu Parekh kept the audience spell bound for nearly an hour, offering valuable insights in the federal structure of our government that has eminently succeeded in ruling a nation consisting of multiple variety: cultural, ethnic, linguistic and religious. As he lauded our federal structure he also made the audience aware of the dangers that may destroy the healthy characteristic of our democracy and lead the nation to the doom our neighboring countries are sunk in. He also reminded us of our duty, as responsible citizens, to oppose vigorously any such moves by the extremists. 

At the beginning Fr. Lancy Lobo welcomed Lord Bhikhu Parekh and the invitees and also informed them about the activities as well as the function of CCD; Fr. Provincial, Francis Parmar, monitored the question hour that followed Lord Bhikhu Parekh’s speech and we, the few Jesuits who attended the function, returned home feeling extremely proud of the Jesuit intellectual apostolate carried out through CCD. 

By William Macwan, S.J.

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Sunday Gospel Reflection - 10-August-2014

Nineteenth Sunday of the Year A – 10 August 2014

Matthew 14: 22-33

Photo: Google

 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” 

IN THE MIDST OF THE CRISIS

By José Antonio Pagola

 It is not difficult to see in the boat of the disciples of Jesus , battered by the waves and tossed about by a contrary wind, the image of the Church today, threatened from the outside by all kinds of adversities and tempted within by fear and little faith. How do we read this Gospel story from the angle of the crisis in which the Church seems today to be floundering? 

 According to the evangelist, “Jesus approaches the boat walking on the water.” The disciples are not able to recognize him in the midst of the storm and the darkness of the night. He seems to them some kind of a ghost. Fear keeps them terrorized. That powerful storm is the only reality. 

 This is our first problem. We are going through the crisis in the Church by transmitting to each other discouragement, fear, and lack of faith. We aren't able to see that Jesus is coming to us precisely on account of this strong crisis. We feel more than ever alone and defenseless. 

 Jesus speaks three words to them: “Courage. It is I. Do not fear.” Only Jesus can speak to them in this way. But their ears only hear the crash of the waves, and the strength of the wind. This is our mistake too. If we do not listen to the invitation of Jesus to place our unconditional trust in him, to whom shall we go? 

 Peter feels an inner impulse and sustained by the call of Jesus, he leaps from the boat and “goes towards Jesus walking on the water.” This is how we must learn today to walk towards Jesus in the midst of the crisis: relying not on the power, prestige and securities of the past, but with the hope of meeting Jesus in the midst of the darkness and the uncertainty of the present times. 

 It’s not going to be easy. We too can hesitate and sink like Peter. But just as he did we can feel that Jesus stretches out his hand and saves us as he says to us: “Men of little faith, why do you doubt?”

 Why do we doubt so much? Why is it that we are learning hardly anything new from the crisis? Why do we look for false securities to “survive” within our communities, without learning to walk with renewed faith towards Jesus in the very midst of the secularized society of our times? 

 This crisis is not the end of the Christian faith. It is the purification we need to free ourselves from worldly interests, deceptive and distorting desires for the kinds of success that have been distancing us from Jesus in the course of centuries. He is at work in this crisis. He is leading us towards a more evangelical Church. Let us revive our trust in Jesus. Let us banish fear.

Translated by Rev. Fr. Valentine de Souza S.J.

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