celebrate the extraordinary mission month with...

IN VINCULO CHRISTI OCTOBER 20191

OFFICIAL

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

“This divine life is not a product for sale-we do not practice proselytism -but atreasure to be given, communicated andproclaimed: that is the meaning of mis-sion.” As Pope Francis released thetheme for the World Mission Sunday,October 20, 2019, he gives us a dynamicmeaning of mission in these words. Thisyear the theme is “Baptized and Sent:The Church of Christ on Mission in theWorld” and Pope Francis wants us toredefine our understanding of the mis-sion and the missionary. World MissionSunday instituted by Pope Pius XI in1926 wants a Catholic to think about themissionary character of his/her faith.

And this year being the centenary yearof the Apostolic Letter Maximum Illudissued by Pope Benedict XV on 30 No-vember 1919, the Mission Sunday ac-quires greater significance. PopeBenedict XV tells the missionary topresent himself/herself as an “ambas-sador of Christ not as a messenger ofhis own nation”. That is also what PopeFrancis is also telling when he says thatproselytizing has no place but we mustgive that treasure Jesus who can makea radical difference to peoples and na-tions. This Jesus will definitely bring dif-ference in the thinking of people andnations in favour of a humane world asVatican II says, the missionary brings “an

open mind and heart to men andwomen”.

The missionary activity today must beshared with the laity. According to theteaching of the Vatican II on Mission“The Church is not truly established nordoes it become a sign of Christ, unlessthere is a genuine laity existing andworking alongside the hierarchy” (AG#21). Just as the whole Church is mis-sionary, it is also ministerial. A ministryis the humble service for which Christ isour model and inspiration. Through herministry Church carries out her missionof ‘building up the Body of Christ” (Eph4, 12). Time has come that in our localChurch, we should encourage the layministries. Lay ministries are servicesrendered by lay persons in virtue of theirpersonal charisms. Ministries are thoseservices to which the members of theChurch commit themselves in a stablemanner. This is a kind of sharing for-mally in the Church’s responsibility tobring about Christ’s redemptive mission.All ministries are to be recognized bythe community and authenticated by thecommunity leader. This takes the formof ‘ordination’ in the case of priestly min-istry and ‘installation’ in the case of lay-ministry. The services that the lay per-son can render are based upon personalcharism. These ministries are to beroped in according to the needs of eachlocal Church.

CELEBRATE THE EXTRAORDINARYMISSION MONTH WITH JOY


The following lay ministries are identifiedback in 1976 during a Research Semi-nar at NBCLC. They are: Evangelist,Catechist, Preacher, Religious Teacher,Ministry for Liturgical Animation - PrayerLeaders, Acolyte, Lector, Cantor, Minis-try for Family Apostolate, Ministry of Heal-ing, Health Services, Counselling, Min-istry of Inter-Religious Dialogue, Minis-try of Social Concern, Ministry of Justiceand Peace, Ministry of Youth Apostolate,Campus Ministry, Ministry for DomesticWorkers, Ministry for Education, AdultLiteracy Programme, Animators of Ba-sic Christian Communities, Prison Min-istry, Ministry of Communication, MassMedia, Print Media, Ministry of PastoralService in the Parishes, Family Ministryetc. If one is innovative such ministriescan be given to the responsible andhumble laity.

What is the purpose of the ExtraordinaryMissionary Month? Pope Benedict XV,the extraordinary Missionary Pope wroteMaximum Illud in 1919 and he chal-lenged us to proclaim the Gospel with amore evangelical approach to the mis-sion work in the world. The purpose ofthis Extraordinary Mission Month is tokeep alive the universal mission-con-science of the Church, so that all may

carry in their hearts the proclamation ofthe Gospel and the mission conversionof our communities, so that the passionfor Christ and his people will grow. Howdo we live it out? Through Prayer, Proc-lamation of the Gospel, Bible and Theo-logical Missionary Reflection, Works ofChristian Charity and the Collaborationand Solidarity among Churches.

I request everyone to celebrate the Ex-traordinary Mission Month with joy andenthusiasm discovering the Missionmandate of Jesus to everyone who isbaptized. I met Holy Father PopeFrancis on Tuesday, September 17, andconveyed him good wishes from all ofyou. He said, ‘You are a big force andkeep up the good spirit. Please do notforget to pray for me.’ So let us pray forhim and for the success of the forthcom-ing Synod for the Amazon. I share withyou the Apostolic blessing he has im-parted upon all of us.

With good wishes and prayers,

+ Thelagathoti J. Raja Rao, S.M.M.

Bishop of Vijayawada

GRATITUDE

As you already know, Msgr. Mesapam Gabriel, Vicar General and Parish Priestof Rajarajeswaripeta underwent by-pass heart surgery on 7th September, 2019.The surgery was successful and Msgr. Gabriel is slowly recovering and regain-ing his normal health. He wholeheartedly expresses his gratitude for the prayersoffered by all the clergy, religious and laity of the diocese. Please do continue topray for him to regain his normal health and resume his ministry atRajarajeswaripeta parish and in the diocesan administration.

OFFICIAL


+ Thelagathoti J. Raja Rao, S.M.M.

Bishop of Vijayawada

The Ad Limina Visit of the bishops ofAndhra and Telangana regions tookplace this year from 10th-19th Septem-ber nearly after 8 years. 55 Latin bish-ops from the ecclesiastical regions ofTamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana,Karnataka and Kerala took part in thisvisit. The bishops had the opportunity tomeet and discuss with variousdycasteries in the Vatican on their re-spective affairs and express the con-cerns of the particular local churches.

On the 17th of September 2019, the 55bishops met the Holy Father in an audi-ence which lasted for nearly 2 hours.Archbishop George Antonysamy pre-sented to the Holy Father the variouspastoral concerns and challenges of ourdioceses on behalf of all the memberbishops present for the audience. In re-sponse to his presentation, the HolyFather also invited the floor for a free

RETREAT FOR THE PASTORAL CLERGY IN TWO GROUPS: The annualretreat for the pastoral clergy of the diocese will be held in two batches like lastyear. The retreat for the Senior Clergy (above 10 years of Priesthood) will beheld from the 14th to 18thOctober, 2019. It will start at 9.00 a.m. on 14th Octoberand conclude at 1.00 p.m. on 18th October. Fr.Selva Rathinam SJ, president ofJDV, Pune, is the preacher of the retreat.

The retreat for Junior Clergy (10 years of Priesthood) will be held6th-10thJanuary, 2020. Fr. Tony Menezes SVD will preach the retreat for theJunior Clergy.

All the diocesan clergy and the religious priests working in the parishes areexpected to attend this Retreat without fail. Express permission of the bishop isrequired for exemption from attending this Retreat.

OFFICIAL

A BRIEF REPORT ON THE AD LIMINA VISIT OF OUR BISHOPS10 - 19 SEPTEMBER 2019

and open discussion with him.

A few bishops registered their apprecia-tion to his Petrine ministry and presentedtheir pastoral concerns and challengesto the Holy Father. The Holy Father withpaternal concern and care respondedto all the queries raised by the bishopspresent for the audience. At the end, theHoly Father thanked the bishops whowere present for the Ad Limina Visit andassured of his love, prayers and apos-tolic blessing to all the clergy, religiousand the faithful in the respective dio-ceses. The audience came to an endwith the recitation of the Angelus, fol-lowed by a short moment of farewell in-dividually from the bishops present forthe visit.


OFFICIAL

October02 Wednesday : Priestly Ordination of Deacon Prathipati Kiran Kumar, Piarist Fathers,

Mylavaram, 10.00 a.m.03 Thursday : 175thJubilee FIHM Sisters, Kanchikacherla, Holy Mass 6.30 p.m.04 Friday : Vestition for Regents, St. Ambrose Minor Seminary, Nuzvid, 10.00 a.m.

: St. Francis of Assisi, CMSF Brothers, ITI-Gunadala, Holy Mass 6.45 p.m.05 Saturday : ITI- Gunadala, Lay Missionaries of Charity, Mass at 10:30 a.m.06 Sunday : First Communions & Confirmations at Telaprolu, 9.30 a.m.

: Parish Silver Jubilee, Satyanarayanapuram, Mass at 6.30 p.m.09 Wednesday : Adoration Sisters, Profession and Jubilees, St. Paul’s Cathedral, 10.00 a.m.10 Thursday : Secunderabad, Marriage 10.30 a.m.12 Saturday : Meeting with Provincial Team of ICM Sisters, 11:30 a.m.13 Sunday : Edara Parish: First Communions & Confirmations, 10.00 a.m.14 - 18 : Clergy Retreat16-17 : UCPI, Hyderabad19 Saturday : Mancherial, Adilabad, Mass. 10.00 a.m.22 Tuesday : Silver Jubilee of Fr. Praveen, OFM Cap & Sr. Jayasree DW,

Avutapalli, 10.30 a.m.26 Saturday : Final Vows, Holy Cross Sisters, Gudivada, 10.30 a.m.27 Sunday : Holy Mass, Kaikaluru Parish, 7.30 a.m.28 Monday : Sahayamatha Parish Jubilee & Silver Jubilee of Fr. Jojaiah, MSFS,

Ibrahimpatnam, 10.30 a.m.30 Wednesday : Extraordinary Missionary Month Celebrations, Gunadala, 9.00 a.m.-3.30 p.m.31 Thursday : O.L. Holy Rosary Feast, First Communions & Confirmations,

Gampalagudem, 7.00 p.m.

November04-07 : Bangalore at Montfort House09 Saturday : Silver Jubilee, JMJ College, Hanuman Junction, Holy Mass 10.00 a.m.12 Tuesday : Mass at St. Anthony’s Shrine, Nagarampalem, Guntur, 6.00 p.m.14 Thursday : First Professions and Jubilees, FCC Sisters, Nidamanuru, 9.30a.m.21 Thursday : Final Vows, Sisters of St. Ann-Phirangipuram, Bandlaguda, Don

Bosco Church, 10.00 a.m.23 Saturday : Jubilee Celebrations, Nirmala Sisters, 10.00 a.m.

Nirmala Convent (Auditorium).24 Sunday : Christ the King Feast, Mass at Christurajapuram, 10.30 a.m.26 Tuesday : Feast of Blessed James Alberione, SSP Fathers, Enikepadu, 6.00 p.m.

December02 Monday : Silver Jubilee Celebrations of Christ the King E.M.High School,

Christurajapuram, 6.00 p.m.03 Tuesday : Feast of St. Francis Xavier, Palvancha, 6.00 p.m.

BISHOP’S ENGAGEMENTS : OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2019

Day ProgrammeDate


The diocese of Vijayawada wholeheart-edly congratulates Fr. Dr. Kurma Tho-mas who successfully defended his doc-toral dissertation “The Significance ofAlternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)in the Code of Canon Law in Indian

Context” on 17th June 2019 at Pon-tifical Lateran University, Rome, Italy.He was awarded Doctorate in CanonLaw (JCD) marks 90/90, “Summa cumLaude”, with approval for total publica-tion of the thesis. He is teaching CanonLaw as resident professor at St. John’sRegional Seminary, Ramanthapur sinceAugust, 2019.

The diocese of Vijayawada wholeheart-edly congratulates Fr. Dr. Dasi SureshKumar who successfully defended hisdoctoral thesis, “The Literary andTheological Function of Exodus 19-24 in the Composition of the

Pentateuch” on 9th September, 2019at the Catholic University of Paris,France. He was granted the Doctoratein Sacred Scripture with Magna Cumlaude requiring the publication of com-plete thesis. He has been teachingScriptures (Old Testament) as residentprofessor at St. John’s Regional Semi-nary, Ramanthapur since June, 2017.

05 Thursday : Annual Day Celebration of St. Joseph’s E.M. High School, Gunadala,5.00 p.m.

07 Saturday : Final Profession of St. Ann’s, Luzern, Prasanth Bhavan,10.00 a.m.

08 Sunday : Mass at Rajarajeswaripeta parish , 6.00 p.m.21 Saturday : School Day Celebration of St. Francis E.M. High School,

Machilipatnam, 4. 30 p.m.27 Friday : Priestly Ordination of Deacon Velpuri Sunil, Salvatorian,

Vellaturu Parish, 5.00 p.m.28 Saturday : Final Profession of MSI, Gudivada, 4.30 p.m.

HEARTY CONGRATS TO OUR DEAR PRIESTS

While we congratulate both our priests, we also wish them a fruitful tenure ofteaching at our Regional Seminary.

OFFICIAL


CIRCULAR TO THE PARISH PRIESTSOFFICIAL


CIRCULAR TO THE RELIGIOUS OFFICIAL


VATICAN

INTENTION OF THE HOLY FATHER

OCTOBER, 2019

POPE’S QUOTE

“God forgets our sins afterconfession”

Evangelization – Holy SpiritA Missionary “Spring” in the Church

That the breath of the Holy Spiritengender a new missionary “spring”

in the Church.

Faith assures us that in a mysteriousway the Kingdom of God is alreadypresent here on earth (cf. Gaudium etspes, 39). Yet in our own time, we aresaddened to see the obstacles and op-position it encounters. Violent conflictsand all-out wars continue to tear human-ity apart; injustices and discriminationfollow one upon the other; economic andsocial imbalances on a local or globalscale prove difficult to overcome. Andabove all it is the poorest of the poorand the most disadvantaged who paythe price.

The most economically advanced soci-eties are witnessing a growing trend to-wards extreme individualism which,combined with a utilitarian mentality andreinforced by the media, is producing a“globalization of indifference”. In thisscenario, migrants, refugees, displacedpersons and victims of trafficking have

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCISFOR THE 105th WORLD DAY OF MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES 2019

[29 September 2019] “It is not just about migrants”

Dear Brothers and Sisters,become emblems of exclusion. In addi-tion to the hardships that their conditionentails, they are often looked down uponand considered the source of allsociety’s ills. That attitude is an alarmbell warning of the moral decline we willface if we continue to give ground to thethrow-away culture. In fact, if it contin-ues, anyone who does not fall within theaccepted norms of physical, mental andsocial well-being is at risk ofmarginalization and exclusion.

For this reason, the presence of mi-grants and refugees – and of vulnerablepeople in general – is an invitation torecover some of those essential dimen-sions of our Christian existence and ourhumanity that risk being overlooked ina prosperous society. That is why it isnot just about migrants. When we showconcern for them, we also show concernfor ourselves, for everyone; in taking


VATICAN

care of them, we all grow; in listening tothem, we also give voice to a part ofourselves that we may keep hidden be-cause it is not well regarded nowadays.

“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!”(Mt 14:27). It is not just about migrants:it is also about our fears. The signs ofmeanness we see around us heighten“our fear of ‘the other’, the unknown, themarginalized, the foreigner... We see thistoday in particular, faced with the arrivalof migrants and refugees knocking on ourdoor in search of protection, security anda better future. To some extent, the fearis legitimate, also because the prepara-tion for this encounter is lacking” (Hom-ily in Sacrofano, 15 February 2019). Butthe problem is not that we have doubtsand fears. The problem is when they con-dition our way of thinking and acting tothe point of making us intolerant, closedand perhaps even – without realizing it –racist. In this way, fear deprives us of thedesire and the ability to encounter theother, the person different from myself; itdeprives me of an opportunity to encoun-ter the Lord (cf. Homily at Mass for theWorld Day of Migrants and Refugees, 14January 2018).

“For if you love those who love you, whatrecompense will you have? Do not thetax collectors do the same?” (Mt 5:46). Itis not just about migrants: it is aboutcharity. Through works of charity, wedemonstrate our faith (cf. Jas 2:18). Andthe highest form of charity is that shownto those unable to reciprocate and per-haps even to thank us in return. “It isalso about the face we want to give toour society and about the value of each

human life... The progress of ourpeoples... depends above all on ouropenness to being touched and movedby those who knock at our door. Theirfaces shatter and debunk all those falseidols that can take over and enslave ourlives; idols that promise an illusory andmomentary happiness blind to the livesand sufferings of others” (Address at theDiocesan Caritas of Rabat, 30 March2019).

“But a Samaritan traveller who cameupon him was moved with compassionat the sight” (Lk 10:33). It is not justabout migrants: it is about our human-ity. Compassion motivated that Samari-tan – for the Jews, a foreigner – not topass by. Compassion is a feeling thatcannot be explained on a purely ratio-nal level. Compassion strikes the mostsensitive chords of our humanity, releas-ing a vibrant urge to “be a neighbour” toall those whom we see in difficulty. AsJesus himself teaches us (cf. Mt 9:35-36; 14:13-14; 15:32-37), being compas-sionate means recognizing the suffer-ing of the other and taking immediateaction to soothe, heal and save. To becompassionate means to make room forthat tenderness which today’s society sooften asks us to repress. “Opening our-selves to others does not lead to impov-erishment, but rather enrichment, be-cause it enables us to be more human:to recognize ourselves as participantsin a greater collectivity and to under-stand our life as a gift for others; to seeas the goal, not our own interests, butrather the good of humanity” (Addressat the Heydar Aliyev Mosque in Baku, 2October 2016).


VATICAN

“See that you do not despise one ofthese little ones, for I say to you thattheir angels in heaven always look uponthe face of my heavenly Father”(Mt 18:10). It is not just about migrants:it is a question of seeing that no one isexcluded. Today’s world is increasinglybecoming more elitist and cruel towardsthe excluded. Developing countries con-tinue to be drained of their best naturaland human resources for the benefit ofa few privileged markets. Wars only af-fect some regions of the world, yetweapons of war are produced and soldin other regions which are then unwill-ing to take in the refugees produced bythese conflicts. Those who pay the priceare always the little ones, the poor, themost vulnerable, who are preventedfrom sitting at the table and are left withthe “crumbs” of the banquet(cf. Lk 16:19-21). “The Church which‘goes forth’... can move forward, boldlytake the initiative, go out to others, seekthose who have fallen away, stand atthe crossroads and welcome the out-cast” (Evangelii Gaudium, 24). A devel-opment that excludes makes the richricher and the poor poorer. A real devel-opment, on the other hand, seeks to in-clude all the world’s men and women,to promote their integral growth, and toshow concern for coming generations.

“Whoever wishes to be great among youwill be your servant; whoever wishes tobe first among you will be the slave ofall” (Mk 10:43-44). It is not just aboutmigrants: it is about putting the last infirst place. Jesus Christ asks us not toyield to the logic of the world, which jus-

tifies injustice to others for my own gainor that of my group. “Me first, and thenthe others!” Instead, the true motto ofthe Christian is, “The last shall be first!”“An individualistic spirit is fertile soil forthe growth of that kind of indifferencetowards our neighbours which leads toviewing them in purely economic terms,to a lack of concern for their humanity,and ultimately to feelings of fear andcynicism. Are these not the attitudes weoften adopt towards the poor, themarginalized and the ‘least’ of society?And how many of these ‘least’ do wehave in our societies! Among them Ithink primarily of migrants, with theirburden of hardship and suffering, asthey seek daily, often in desperation, aplace to live in peace and dignity” (Ad-dress to the Diplomatic Corps, 11 Janu-ary 2016). In the logic of the Gospel, thelast come first, and we must put our-selves at their service.

“I came so that they might have life andhave it more abundantly” (Jn 10:10). Itis not just about migrants: it is about thewhole person, about all people. In Jesus’words, we encounter the very heart ofhis mission: to see that all receive thegift of life in its fullness, according to thewill of the Father. In every political ac-tivity, in every programme, in every pas-toral action we must always put the per-son at the centre, in his or her manyaspects, including the spiritual dimen-sion. And this applies to all people,whose fundamental equality must berecognized. Consequently, “develop-ment cannot be restricted to economicgrowth alone. To be authentic, it mustbe well-rounded; it must foster the de-


VATICAN

velopment of each man and of the wholeman” (SAINT PAUL VI, PopulorumProgressio, 14).

“So then you are no longer strangersand sojourners, but you are fellow citi-zens with the holy ones and membersof the household of God” (Eph 2:19). Itis not just about migrants: it is aboutbuilding the city of God and man. In ourtime, which can also be called the eraof migration, many innocent people fallvictim to the “great deception” of limit-less technological and consumerist de-velopment (cf. Laudato Si’, 34). As aresult, they undertake a journey towardsa “paradise” that inevitably betrays theirexpectations. Their presence, at timesuncomfortable, helps to debunk the mythof a progress that benefits a few whilebuilt on the exploitation of many. “Weourselves need to see, and then to en-able others to see, that migrants andrefugees do not only represent a prob-lem to be solved, but are brothers andsisters to be welcomed, respected andloved. They are an occasion that Provi-dence gives us to help build a more justsociety, a more perfect democracy, amore united country, a more fraternalworld and a more open and evangelicalChristian community” (Message for the2014 World Day of Migrants and Refu-gees).

Dear brothers and sisters, our responseto the challenges posed by contempo-rary migration can be summed up in fourverbs: welcome, protect, promote andintegrate. Yet these verbs do not applyonly to migrants and refugees. Theydescribe the Church’s mission to all

those living in the existential peripher-ies, who need to be welcomed, pro-tected, promoted and integrated. If weput those four verbs into practice, wewill help build the city of God and man.We will promote the integral human de-velopment of all people. We will alsohelp the world community to comecloser to the goals of sustainable devel-opment that it has set for itself and that,lacking such an approach, will prove dif-ficult to achieve.

In a word, it is not only the cause of mi-grants that is at stake; it is not just aboutthem, but about all of us, and about thepresent and future of the human family.Migrants, especially those who are mostvulnerable, help us to read the “signs ofthe times”. Through them, the Lord iscalling us to conversion, to be set freefrom exclusivity, indifference and thethrow-away culture. Through them, theLord invites us to embrace fully ourChristian life and to contribute, eachaccording to his or her proper vocation,to the building up of a world that is moreand more in accord with God’s plan.In expressing this prayerful hope, andthrough the intercession of the VirginMary, Our Lady of the Way, I invokeGod’s abundant blessings upon all theworld’s migrants and refugees and uponall those who accompany them on theirjourney.

From the Vatican, 30 April 2019

FRANCIS


COMMUNICATIONS

COMMUNICATIONSRETREAT FOR THE PASTORALCLERGY IN TWO GROUPS: The an-nual retreat for the pastoral clergy of thediocese will be held in two batches likelast year. The retreat for the SeniorClergy (above 10 years of Priesthood)will be held from the 14th to 18thOctober,2019. It will start at 9.00 a.m. on 14th

October and conclude at 1.00 p.m. on18th October. Fr.Selva Rathinam SJ,president of JDV, Pune, is the preacherof the retreat.

The retreat for Junior Clergy (10 yearsof Priesthood) will be held 6th-10thJanuary, 2020. Fr. Tony MenezesSVD will preach the retreat for the Jun-ior Clergy.

All the diocesan clergy and the religiouspriests working in the parishes are ex-pected to attend this Retreat without fail.Express permission of the bishop is re-quired for exemption from attending thisRetreat.

MISSION SUNDAY COLLECTION:Mission Sunday is to be celebrated inall the parishes and the institutions. Allthe Parish Priests should explain the roleof the faithful in mission activity and in-vite them to pray for the missionaries allover the World. Parish Priests andheads of the institutions should send theMission Sunday collections to the dioc-esan procure as soon as possible. Mis-sion Sunday material is ready and avail-

able. Kindly collect your packet from theBishop’s House.

The heads of the religious housesand institutions are requested tosend their Mission Sunday Collectionto the Procure’s office directly inde-pendent of parish collections.

MONTH OF OCTOBER, PRAY THEROSARY: As we all know, the month ofOctober is dedicated to Our Lady of theRosary. I request all the parish prieststo see that the rosary is recited daily inthe parish headquarters and in the sub-stations! In a special way encourage ourcatholic families to pray the rosary dailyin the family and in person. Organizeprocessions and prayer services to ex-press special devotion and venerationto Our Blessed Mother. These occasionsare good for the ongoing catechesis ofour people.

NEW ORDO-2020: As the new Ordo isbeing prepared, all the priests and thereligious are requested to make surethat their personal names, dates of or-dinations and the feast days of the con-gregations are rightly indicated in theOrdo. If anything has to be rectified fromthe previous Ordos of the diocese oranything to be added newly, please con-tact: Rev. Fr. N. David Raju, Coordi-nator, Diocesan Liturgy Commission,Parish Priest, Kankipadu. Cell no:9849925526


TRAINING FOR NEW CATECHISTS :This is to inform all the Parish Prieststhat the Pastoral Centre takes initiativeto train the new catechists as it is theneed of the time because some of ourcatechists are becoming very aged andretiring. The target number is 50 and thetime and duration of the training is onemonth (30 days). The trainingprogramme will be in the month of June2020.Therefore, I request all the parishpriests to inform to the Director of Pas-toral Centre if there are any aspiringcandidates for this training.

PROGRAMME SCHEDULE OF THE DIOCESAN CHARISMATIC TEAM FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER, 2019

2nd - Intercessory Day. All night prayer at St. Paul’sCathedral from 9pm-5am

11th-13th - Three days village retreat at Edupugallu Village ofUppaluru parish

12th - Monthly meeting at Avutapalli Parish27th - Full day prayer at Chandarlapadu Parish.

Qualifications:• Practicing Catholic• Minimum 10th class. Pass/fail• Service oriented

JYOTIRMAI BIBLE EXAM: As alreadypublished in the previous IVC,Jyothirmai Bible Exam will be conductedon 3rd November, 2019. Note: The Cou-pons with details of the candidates whoare writing the exam are to be returnedto the Pastoral Centre before 15th of Oc-tober.

SEMINAR FOR THE CATECHISTS ON “THE EXTRAORDINARY MISSIONARYMONTH: OCTOBER”One day Seminar is arranged by the Pastoral Centre for the Catechists on “TheExtraordinary Missionary Month: October” at Vicariate level. Therefore, all parishpriests are requested to inform the catechists about the seminar and send themwithout fail. The details:

COMMUNICATIONS


CONTRIBUTIONS TO DIOCESE IN SEPTEMBER, 2019

SECOND SUNDAY COLLECTIONS

S.No. PARISH CONTRIBUTION1. St. Paul’s Cathedral 12,3452. St. Peter’s Co-Cathedral 16,7403. Agiripalli 3674. Ajithsinghnagar 2,3105. Arugolanu 6316. Assisi Nagar (Konkepudi) 1,2107. Avanigadda 1,7808. Avutapalli 8,5489. Azzampudi 97410.Bantumilli 52711.Bhaskaraopeta 34412.Bhyravapatnam 81013.Bodavada-Jammavaram 1,00914.Bommuluru 95115.Carmelnagar 83616.Challapalli 2,23517.Chandarlapadu -----18.Chanubanda 31019.Chatrai 74520.Chillakallu 49021.Christurajapuram 2,06022.Edara 2,08523.Edulagudem 64824.Enikepadu 87025.Gampalagudem 35426.Gannavaram 1,82027.Gollapudi 2,06028.Goodmanpeta 1,73829.Gudivada 3,50030.Gudlavalleru 2,74031.Gunadala 48,54332.Guntupalli 1,45333.Jagannadhapuram 48434.Jaggayyapeta -----35.Jakkampudi (Jeevan Nagar) 43736.Joji Nagar 4,714

S.No. PARISH CONTRIBUTION37.Jyothinagar 2,31538.Kaikaluru 2,06839.Kalidindi 1,54640.Kambhampadu 44041.Kanchikacherla 2,45642.Kankipadu 2,92343.Kanuru 4,10044.Keesara 56645.Kesarapalli 6,29546.Koduru 58347.Kondapalli 5,14048.Kondapavuluru 92749.Korukollu 52150.Kotapadu 30551.Kothapalli 16452.Kuchipudi -----53.Labbipeta 4,22054.Lourdunagar 1,05755.Machilipatnam -----56.Mallavalli 48657.Manginapudi 37158.Mariapuram (Lakshmipuram) -----59.Mucchintala 1,02160.Mudinepalli 1,11061.Mulapadu 96562.Munagalapalli 57863.Musunuru 62364.Mylavaram 2,17865.Nagayalanka 95566.Nandigama 3,55767.Nawabupeta 72768.Nehrupeta (July -1,384 (Aug. 1,342) 2,52769.Nunna 1,22070.Nuzvid-Town 3,00671.Pamarru 53672.Pedda-Mustabad 1,187

COMMUNICATIONS


S.No. PARISH CONTRIBUTIONS.No. PARISH CONTRIBUTION

FAMILY CARDS

29.09.2019 St. Peter’s Co-Cathedral 6,500

30.09.2019 Gunadalamatha Shrine 6,470

Total 12,970

MASSES

29.08.2019 Gundalamatha Shrine @Rs.100/- 566 56,600

05.09.2019 Gannavaram @Rs.100 50 5,000

11.09.2019 Siluvagattu @Rs.100 05 500

11.09.2019 Uppaluru @Rs.100 10 1,000

23.09.2019 Kesarapalli @Rs.100 70 7,000

25.09.2019 Gudivada @Rs.100 15 1,500

27.09.2019 St. Peter’s Co-Cathedral @Rs.100 73 7,300

30.09.2019 St. Paul’s Cathedral @Rs.100 44 4,400

30.09.2019 Gundalamatha Shrine @Rs.100/- 622 62,200

Total 889 88,900

73.Pedana 81774.Penamaluru 2,02775.Penugolanu 27176.Pezzonipeta 6,15077.Polukonda 84278.Pydurupadu 36279.Rajareswaripeta 91080.Ramanakkapeta 70081.Ranigarithota 88582.Sahayanagar (Ibrahimpatnam) 1,00883.Saradhanagar 1,02884.Satyanarayanapuram 3,24185.Siluvagattu 17686.Siluvagirinagar 37287.Telaprolu 88588.Thukkuluru 736

89.Tiruvuru 82090.Uppaluru 1,38091.Vanukuru 95192.Vatsavai 18593.Velagalagudem 42094.Vellaturu 1,17095.Velpur 61496.Vennanapudi 67597.Ventrapragada 43598.Vissannapeta 94299.Vuyyuru 2,406100. Yesupuram 350

TOTAL 2,14,099

COMMUNICATIONS


NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE

Feast Day Celebrations ofNandigama Parish

The Christian community of Nandigamaparish witnessed divine assistance andblessings as we celebrated the parishfeast on the birthday of Our BlessedMother on 8th September, 2019.The cel-

ebration began with the procession ofthe statue of Our Lady of Velankani ledby a band of musicians and followed bythe faithful.

“They all joined together constantly inprayer and Mary, the mother of JesusWAS WITH THEM” Acts 1:14.The Holy

Mass was celebrated by Fr. Valle VijayaJoji Babu who exhorted people to findGod in little events and simple circum-stances of our lives as God did in the

person of Mary and all through salva-tion history. After the Eucharistic celebra-tion, felicitations and gratitude momentsmade the evening more memorable.The cultural events too added joy to thegathering. Later on, the dinner wasserved. Over 2000 people took part inall these events along with 55 priests,nuns and religious brothers. Theevening was more like a family get-to-gether exchanging pure smiles and trueChristian love as we shared our meal.

Thanks to the divine providence andGod’s abundant blessings for the cel-ebration was memorable and spirituallyelevating. And we gratefully acknowl-edge the intercession of Our BlessedMother Mary!

- Fr. K. Mariyadas, Parish Priest,Nandigama

NEWS


NEWS FROM THE RELIGIOUSMissionary Mandate and Apostolic

Sending of Sr. Rosilla MSI

I have to go to other towns also, forthis I came (Lk4:43)

The congregation of the Missionary Sis-ters of the Immaculate (Nirmala Sisters),driven by its Charism and the mandateof Jesus, the Apostle of the Father, theSower and the Seed, strives ever to pro-

claim the Gospel to all peoples. Beingaware that there is still a great mission-ary task to be accomplished, our con-gregation is striving towards the realiza-tion of the theme of XI General Chap-ter, “Prophetic communities that an-nounce Gospel in the Peripheries of theWorld.” Every member is invited to com-mit herself to enter into the dynamismof mission of Jesus who focused Hisattention from Centre to the peripheriesof the world.

Vatican II Document AG6 is resonatedin the missionary mandate and the ap-ostolic sending of Rev. Sr. RosillaVelamparambil MSI who readily ac-cepted to be sent out to proclaim theGospel and to plant the church in theother parts of the world. The historical

event of call of Abraham who left every-thing in faith and travelled to the un-known land despite his age and health,is repeated in the life of Sr. Rosilla whenshe accepted the mission mandate ofJesus during the Holy Eucharist offici-ated by the newly consecrated BishopMost Rev. Vijaya Kumar Rayarala PIME,the Bishop of Srikakulam, on 6th Sep-tember, 2019 at Nirmala High SchoolAuditorium, Vijayawada.

“Take up your cross and follow me.” Thisfocal point of cost of discipleship is re-sounded when she was given a crucifixwith interpretation that cross is a sign ofinseparable companion of her apostolicwork. A Missionary is the herald of theGospel by the witness of life, proclama-tion and making evangelized to be evan-gelizers. ‘Go into the whole world, andpreach the Gospel to every creature (Mk16:15) is mission command of Jesus.This mission command of Jesus is en-trusted to her by the local church as she

was given a Holy Bible by the bishop. Itwas a touching moment for all who as-sembled when the parting missionary,made an Act of offering of her life to Godfor mission through a prayer which was

NEWS


composed and prayed by blessed JohnMazzucconi, the first martyr of PIMEwhen he left for Oceania, the same landto which Sr. Rosilla is sent.

The province of Vijayawada rejoices insending missionaries to the peripheriesof the world specially Sr. Rosilla toPapua New Guinea to make Christknown. We are ever grateful the localchurch for the co-operation and supportwe receive from the diocese in carryingoutthe mission in the diocese ofVijayawada. We congratulate Sr. Rosillawho goes to the periphery of the worldin faith and with missionary passion. Wejoin our hearts ingratitude to Most Rev.Bishop Joseph Raja Rao whose timelyguidance we receive and Most Rev.Bishop Vijaya Kumar Rayarala PIME forhis availability. We remembergratefullyall the fathers whoconcelebrated and all others who par-ticipated in the apostolic sending of Sr.Rosilla and prayed for her.

It was indeed a moment of pride for usto felicitate the newly ConsecratedBishop Most Rev. VijayakumarRayarayala PIME and the parting mis-sionary Sr. Rosilla MSI

- Sr. Jerry, MSI, Nirmala Niketan,Vijayawada

Visit of Kerala Youth to the Mis-sion stations.

23 youth members of Tellicherry Arch-diocese of Kerala made a visit to Andhraand Odisha States to have a firsthandexperience of the evangelical activitiesof Nirmala sisters who are working far-away from Kerala in view of the extraor-

dinary missionary month of October. Soa group of 23 Youth members including2 priests – Frs. Jomish and Sony and 2nuns led by Sr.Vandana MSI fromTellicherry diocese visited few missionstations of Odisha (Berhampur diocese),Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada dio-ceses of Andhra Pradesh. They stayedat Gudivada where the MSI began theirfirst missionary apostolate in India in1948 and still continuing their villageapostolate in rural areas of Gudivada.

Another im-portant rea-son for theirvisit was topromote vo-cations formission re-gions. Theyfelt their visitto different ar-eas of Odishaand AndhraPradesh were

very successful. After having seen andwitnessed Odisha Mission they felt theneed to pray for that Missionary Churchevery day. As they visited Odisha, theycould find a sprawling National parkknown for its verdant land scrapes, pic-turesque waterfalls and abundant floraand fauna which totally differs from thefrenzied paces of city life in Kerala.

Those youngsters who came to visit theinterior villages of Gudivada in order tosee and experience how the Gospelproclamation is done by the priests andNirmala sisters felt quite satisfied. Theyouth were guided by Fr. Ganta Praveen,

NEWS


the vibrant parish priest of Gudivada andthe Nirmala sisters. They went in groupsto various villages accompanied by thesisters and priests. The youth interactedwith the people of the villages with the

assistanceof sistersand prieststranslatingtheir words.The villag-ers werevery happyto seethem, whoput forwardv a r i o u squestions.The youthfelt it was agood placefor them toengage inconversa-

tions and spent quality time with the vil-lagers to know about the evangelicalworks done by the priests and sisters inGudivada area .

Regarding Orissa Mission, they felt thenewly converted Christian communitiesneed to get more spiritual and materialassistance from the Catholic Church it-self. According to them, they should beempowered by social service teams,Insurance and so on. The youth alsorealized that in our missionary activitiesin Gudivada, Fr.Praveen, the parishpriest and his assistant Fr. TamalamRavi Kumar do encourage, support andstrengthen the sisters and parishionersto face the challenges vigorously to carryout the proclamation of the Word of Godfruitfully. The youth wholeheartedlythanked the parish priest and the sis-ters for their services and also for theircooperation in fulfilling their purposesand interests. The visiting Kerala youthleft Gudivada at 4.00 p.m.to Vijayawadawith elated spirits having successfullycompleted their mission. They felt thatthe church in India

- Sr. Treasa Joseph, Sacred HeartConvent, Gudivada

NEWS FROM THE CENTRES / COMMISSIONSYouth Meeting at Guntupalli Parish

Youth Meeting was held at Guntupalliparish on 25th July, 2019. The youth fromfive parishes namely, Guntupalli,Kondapalli, Mulapadu, Paidurupadu,Ibrahimpatnam came together for thisbig meeting. It started at 9.30 a.m. withHoly Spirit song followed by lighting ofthe lamp in the presence of Fr. JayarajuGudise, the parish priest of Guntupalli

and Fr. John Babu, the diocesan Youth

NEWS


Director along with the youth. Then,there was an icebreaking session andaction songs animated by Sr. Rosy andher team. There were almost 155 youthwho attended the meeting. Fr. JohnBabu spoke the introductory words ex-plaining about the YOUCAT. Fr. SureshSDB, the principal of Don Bosco CBSESchool, Guntupalli, gave a talk on “howyouth should be in the Church today andtomorrow” and Mr. Jayaraju gave talkon the theme, “the personality develop-ment skills at present”. The meetingended at 4.00 p.m. with Holy Eucharis-tic celebration.

Youth Meeting at Jakkampudi Par-ishOn 20th September, Youth Meeting wasconducted at Jakkampudi parish at St.Benedict School. In this meeting theyouth from the parishes ofSatyanarayanapuram and Vellaturu toojoined. It began with the invocation of

the Holy Spirit song and followed by thelighting of the lamp. Fr. James, OSB, theProvincial Superior, and Fr. John Babuthe Youth Director lighted the lamp. Theinaugural address was given to theyouth by Fr. James, OSB. There wereabout 75 youth in the meeting. There

are two resource persons who gavetalks on different themes. There was agreat emphasis given on four parts ofYOUCAT by Fr. John Babu, explainingthe contents of YOUCAT to the youngpeople. Fr. Bala Joseph SAC, the par-ish priest of Mustabada, encouragedyouth to be active participants in theChurch today and tomorrow and hemade the entire group to understand therole of youth today in the Church.Mr.Jayaraju, who is known for person-ality developmental skills, explored theskills of the individuals and offered tipsondeveloping skills. There was a greatresponse from the youth and their at-tentiveness was very well marked in themeeting. The meeting ended at 4.00p.m. with the Eucharistic celebration.

Youth Meeting at Gollapudi ParishYouth Meeting was held at Gollapudiparish on 22nd September, 2019. Itstarted at 10.30 a.m. with the Holy Spiritsong followed by lighting of the lamp inthe presence of Fr. Pamiti John Stephen,the parish priest and Fr. John Babu theYouth Director along with the youth.

Then, there was ice-breaking sessionwith action songs animated by Sr. Rosyand team. 75 young students were

NEWS


present for the meeting. The introduc-tory words were addressed by Fr. JohnBabu in which he gave a brief illustra-tion of YOUCAT for the youth, and alsoemphasized the importance the fourparts of Youcat in the lives of the presentyouth. There were two resource per-sons. Ms. Mrunalini spoke on “Don’t al-low one’s life to be controlled by fivethings in the life.” It was very enrichingtalk where youth showed a lot of inter-est by interacting with the questions andanswers. There was a lot of interest andenthusiasm expressed by youth and ap-preciation to their active participation.Mr. Jayaraju gave a talk on “the person-ality development skills.” The meetingended at 4.00 p.m.

- Fr. Ch John Babu, DiocesanYouth Director

CSR initiative of V-Guard foundation:Certificates and Cash Prizes Distri-bution Ceremony at BantumilliMandal on 13th September 2019.

The Social Service Centre, under cap-tion “E-learning for better tomorrow”distributed 10 computers and printers to

rural village schools of Bantumilli andKruthivennu mandals. Under this

programme, the social service centreappointed two computer teachers toteach 300 school children the basics ofcomputers for two months. After thecompletion of the basic computercourse, anexam was conducted for allthe children at Village level. The childrenwho scored well in the exam wereawarded with certificates by Social Ser-

vice Centre and 30 more merit studentswere given cash prizes of Rs.300 eachon 13th September 2019.

For the Certificate awarding function, thefollowing guests were present, V-GuardIndustries General Manager, Mr. Rajesh,Sri Jogi Ramesh, MLA, Pedana constitu-ency and Sri KVS Prasad, MEO, Fr. Tho-mas Pasala, the Director of Social Ser-vice Centre and Fr. Anil Francis, ParishPriest, Pedana. We wholeheartedlythank all the school teachers and MEOfor supporting to make this programmea successful one, and we thank V-Guardfoundation for their generous financialsupport.

- Fr. Pasala Thomas, Director, SocialService Centre, Vijayawada

NEWS


NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL NEWSOdisha girl nominated for Interna-tional Children’s Peace Prize 2019September 19, 2019 Matters India

Kendrapara: Subhasmita Tripathy, a vil-lage girl from Odisha, eastern India, hasbeen nominated for InternationalChildren’s Peace Prize 2019. The eighthgrader of Upper Primary School in seaerosion-hit Pentha village is among 119child leaders from across the globenominated for the prize.

The 13-year-old Indian girl has beenbestowed the honor for managing tobring 22 dropouts back to the school andprovide support to continue their edu-cation with the help of villagers, schoolauthorities and social organizations.Thripathy’s noble work was supportedby teachers. She first identified the 22children who had dropped out of schoolsowing to various reasons and then con-

vinced their parents to send them backto school, said headmaster of the schoolBiranchi Narayan Tripathy.

“We educated the children and theirparents about the importance of educa-tion. Most of the dropouts were workingin the fields with their parents and catch-ing fish in the river and creeks near thevillage,” said Subhasmita. The winner ofthe International Children’s Peace Prize

New BCC VillagesI am happy to place on record that we

have started BCC Programme in twonew villages of the diocese: Kothapudi

of Manginapudi Parish and Bodaguntaof Pedana Parish.

- Fr. Damala Vijay Kumar,Director, Pastoral Centre

NEWS


NEWS

receives a study and care grant and aworldwide platform to promote his/herideals.

Philippine Church releases logo for500 years of Christianity

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of thePhilippines (CBCP) has released theofficial theme and logo for the 500thanniversary of the arrival of Christianityin the country which will be marked in2021. The theme and logo of the cel-ebration, dubbed “500YOC”, was ap-proved by the members of the perma-nent council of the CBCP on Sept. 18.

“Gifted to Give”, taken from Matthew’sGospel (10:8), is the theme for the cel-ebration. In a statement, Father MarvinMejia, secretary-general of the confer-ence, identified the various elements ofthe logo, including a cross, a ship, thesun, a rosary, among others.

The cross planted by Portuguese ex-plorer Ferdinand Magellan on the islandof Cebu signifies Christianity and servesas the mast of a ship. The ship repre-sents the navigators of the expeditionthat brought the faith to the island. It alsosignifies the Church and its sacraments.

A dove symbolizes the Holy Spirit, whichshares the “Divine Life” in the sacramentof baptism. It also looks like a cloud thatmanifests the presence of God. “It is alsoslightly attached to the cross or the mastas a sail of the ship, significantly tellingus that through the Holy Spirit the mis-sionaries were led to our country, bring-ing us to Christianity,” read Father

Mejia’s statement.

“The circular pattern of the Holy Spiritshows that it navigates all around theworld as God is a missionary God whocommissioned the Church for world mis-sion,” it added. The central figure on thelogo is taken from national artistFernando Amorsolo’s “First Baptism inthe Philippines” painting.

The sun, a trademark of Amorsolo’s vari-ous artworks, was derived from the Phil-

ippine flag, suggesting the idea that thecountry is “the pearl of the orient sea.”“It also signifies new life, a new begin-ning, the risen Christ, the hope of oursalvation,” added the statement.

The “ichtus” or the fish, which symbol-izes Jesus, is a reminder that the faithwe professed is the same faith as thatof the early Christians. Its red color sig-nifies the blood of the martyrs, the “seedof Christian faith in imitation of Christ.”

Manila Auxiliary Bishop BroderickPabillo, chairman of the Episcopal Com-mission on the Laity, earlier said the2021 observance “is a reminder of howFilipinos embraced the Catholic faith.”


NEWS

“It is not a reminder of how we werecolonized but of how Filipinos embracedCatholicism,” said the bishop, addingthat “colonization and the arrival ofChristianity in the country are two dif-ferent things.”

Christianity was brought to the Philip-pines in 1521 when the Portuguese ex-plorer, Ferdinand Magellan, landedthere. He was leading a Spanish expe-dition in his bid to reach at the EastIndies, sailing west. The Philippine ar-chipelago, which was named after KingPhilip II, became a colony of Spain until1898.

Since 2012, the Catholic Church in thePhilippines has been on a 9-year prepa-ration for the 500 years of the arrival ofthe Gospel in the country, with each yearassigned a specific theme and aspectof the Church and Christian life. Withabout 81 percent of its estimated popu-lation of some 100 million identifyingthemselves as Catholics, the Philippinesis home to Asia’s largest Catholic popu-lation. (Source: UCANEWS)

Pope urges Indian bishops to workwith courageSeptember 19, 2019 Matters India

Vatican City, September 19, 2019: PopeFrancis has told a group of Indian bish-ops that he was aware of the challengesconfronting the Church in their countrybut they should continue their work withcourage and enthusiasm. The Pope onSeptember 17 met with bishops of Indialed by Archbishop Peter Machado ofBangalore, who were in Rome for their

Ad Limina visit.Pope Francis listened to the bishops,encouraged them to continue their workwith courage and enthusiasm, whileasking the bishops to be close to Jesus,to their priests and to their people.

The pontiff also told the prelates that hewas aware of the challenges facing theChurch in India. He told them not to bediscouraged with the challenges butcontinue their service to people and so-ciety with faith in God and patience. ThePope assured the bishops of his prayerswhen they told him about a Missionar-ies of Charity nun and other churchpeople languishing in Indian jails.

The bishops prayed at the tombs ofSaints Peter and Paul and at the otherbasilicas in Rome. A week earlier, an-other group 38 bishops from India hada 90-minute meeting with the Pope.Some 200 bishops from India, in threeseparate groups, are conducting their AdLimina visits between September 13 andOctober 3.

The visit ad limina (literally, the thresh-old for) technically means an obligationof members of the hierarchy of visiting,at stated times, the “thresholds of the


NEWS

Apostles,” Saints Peter and Paul. Theyalso present themselves before thePope to give an account of the state oftheir dioceses. The object of the visit isnot merely to make a pilgrimage to thetombs of the apostles, but to show theproper reverence for the successor ofSaint Peter, to acknowledge practicallyhis universal jurisdiction.

20 years after Staines murder CBInabs an accused in OdishaPosted on September 23, 2019

Two decades after the ghastly killing ofAustralian missionary Graham StuartStaines and his two minor sons inOdisha’s Keonjhar district, CBI has ar-rested one of the accused persons inthe triple murder case.

The CBI sleuths arrested BudhadebNaik (45), a close associate of DaraSingh who was convicted in the case,from his house at Nischitapur villageunder Thakurmunda police station inMayurbhanj district, the sub-divisionalpolice officer of Karanjia, NarayanChandra Nayak said.

Naik was allegedly among those whohad set fire to the station wagon in whichAustralian Missionary Graham StuartStaines and his two minor sons - Philip(10) and Timothy (7), were sleeping infront of a church at Manoharpur villagein Keonjhar on the night of January 22,1999. The three were burnt to death inthe incident, which rocked the country.

Naik was absconding since the incidentand the CBI, acting on a tip off raided

his house and apprehended him, theSDPO said. Dara Singh, the main ac-cused in the triple murder, was convictedand sentenced to death by the CBI courtin 2003. The Orissa High Court com-muted the death sentence to life impris-onment in 2005, which was upheld bythe Supreme Court in 2011.

Mehendra Hembram, another accom-plice of Dara Singh, is also serving lifeimprisonment in the case, while 11 otheraccused were acquitted by the High

Court due to lack of evidence. Stainesand his wife Gladys worked inMayurbhanj Evangelical Missionary or-ganization at Baripada caring for leprosypatients.

Gladys Staines, who was awarded thePadmashree in 2005, had said that shehad forgiven the killers of her husbandand sons and that she holds no bitter-ness against them.

This secular Franciscan lived amonglepers. Could he become Zimbabwe’sfirst saint?Harare, Zimbabwe, Sep 26, 2019 / 04:00am (CNA).- British-born JohnBradburne, who died in Zimbabwe 40


NEWS

years ago, could be on his way to be-coming the country’s first canonizedsaint.

Bradburne is a revered figure among theCatholic community in the landlockedsouthern African country of Zimbabwe.According to reports, Bradburne wasshot in the back after he was abductedfrom his hut in Mutemwa in the north-east of Zimbabwe.

Who was he? Born in 1921 to Anglicanparents in Cumbria, England, Bradburneconverted to Catholicism in 1947 whileliving with Benedictine monks, after hehad a religious experience during WorldWar II. He lived after his conversion asa pilgrim, shuttling between England, theMiddle East and Italy, living out of onebag. He was a prolific poet. Bradburnejoined the Secular Third OrderFranciscan in 1956.

He later made contact with Fr. JohnDove, a Jesuit friend living in Zimbabwe.Bradburne asked whether there was a“cave in Africa” where he could pray.Dove encouraged him to move to Zim-babwe, where he arrived in 1962. In Zim-babwe, he told a Franciscan priest thethree desires of his life: “to serve lep-rosy patients, to die a martyr, and to beburied in the Franciscan habit.”

In 1969, seven years after his arrival inthe country, Bradburne’s desire to carefor leprosy-afflicted patients was fulfilled,when he was appointed the lead care-taker at Mutemwa Leprosy Settlement,a center that cared for leprosy patients.

Bradburne spent hours with patients. Herose at 3:00 each morning, and washedpatients, bandaged them, ate with them,and talked with them. Some of them hecarried to Mass. But he clashed withleaders at the center over the conditionsin which patients lived, and eventually,he was fired.

He was allowed to live in a desertedsingle-roomed tin hut in the settlementcompound. His house had no runningwater, but he was glad to be within thevicinity of the lepers, whom he contin-ued helping in whatever way he could.

During Zimbabwe’s civil war, which

lasted from 1964 until 1979, Bradburneprotected the lepers from exploitation,something that raised suspicion, espe-cially, locals say, because he was a for-eigner, and his motives were frequentlysuspect. Locals became hostile towardshim, but he refused offers from otherChristians to take him to safety.

Bradburne died on Sept. 5, 1979 whenhe was shot dead at age 58. He wasburied in the Franciscan habit, as he hadhoped to be. During his burial, three


NEWS

unexplained drops of blood were foundbelow his coffin, reports say. For hiscompassion toward the afflicted,Bradburne has been called the “Damienof the 20th century” in reference to St.Damian of Molokai who cared for lep-ers in Hawaii.

Mariam Thresia canonization matterof pride for India: ModiSeptember 30, 2019 Matters India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ex-pressed happiness that an Indian isamong five Catholics who will be canon-ized by Pope Francis next month. “It is amatter of pride for every Indian that, onthe coming October 13, his holiness PopeFrancis will declare Sister Mariam Thresiaa saint,” the prime minister said on Sep-tember 29 during ‘Mann Ki Baat’ (Heart’sVoice), his monthly radio program.

Sister Mariam Thresia ChiramelMankidiyan (1876-1926) founded theCongregation of the Holy Family to im-part Christian values to families on May14, 1914, at Mannuthy, a village near

VATICAN NEWS

Pope Francis condemns euthanasiaas utilitarianism, not freedomBy Hannah BrockhausVatican City, Sep 2, 2019 / 07:13 am(CNA).- Euthanasia is a way of treatingthe human person as an object; while itmay appear to give freedom, it is really

a rejection of hope, Pope Francis toldan oncology association Sept. 2.

“The practice of euthanasia, which hasalready been legalized in severalcountries, only apparently aims toencourage personal freedom,” he saidSept. 2. “In reality,” he continued, “it is

Thrissur town in Kerala state, southernIndia. The Indian nun will be canonized

during a Mass along with Cardinal JohnHenry Newman from England, ItalianJosephine Vannini, Swiss MargueriteBays, and Brazilian Irm Dulce Pontes.The canonization will take place at St.Peter’s Square.

Modi said Mariam Thresia’s canoniza-tion is a matter of pride for India. “I payheartfelt tributes to Sister MariamThresia and congratulate the citizens ofIndia, and especially our Christian broth-ers and sisters, for this achievement,”the prime minister said.


NEWS

based on a utilitarian view of the person,who becomes useless or can beequated to a cost, if from the medicalpoint of view, he has no hope ofimprovement or can no longer avoidpain.”

“If one chooses death, the problems aresolved in a sense; but how muchbitterness behind this reasoning, andwhat rejection of hope involves the

choice of giving up everything andbreaking all ties!” he declared. PopeFrancis stated that medical technologyis not being used for its right purpose,the service of the human person, whenit “reduces him to a thing,” or makesdistinctions between who is notdeserving of treatment because ofsupposedly being “a burden” or “awaste.”

The contrary approach is a commitmentto accompany a patient and his lovedones at all stages, trying to alleviatesuffering through palliative care, or thefamily environment of hospice, heargued. This “contributes to creating aculture and practice more attentive to

the value of each person.”

The countries with legal euthanasia arethe Netherlands, Belgium, Colombia,Luxembourg, and Canada. Assistedsuicide is legal in the Netherlands,Switzerland and Germany, and in theU.S. states of Washington, Oregon,Colorado, Hawaii, Vermont, Montana,Washington, D.C., New Jersey,California, and Maine (starting January1, 2020).

Pope Francis spoke about euthanasiaSept. 2, to a group of about 150members of the Italian Association ofMedical Oncology, in an audience at theVatican. He encouraged the medicalpersonnel to “never lose heart for themisunderstanding you might encounter,or before the insistent proposal of moreradical and hasty roads,” adding thattheir work includes raising awarenessin a society “which is not very aware andis sometimes distracted.”

Francis described a sort of “Pandora’sbox,” in which everything is explainedexcept hope. “And we have to go lookfor this,” he said. “How to explain hope,indeed, how to give it in the most limitedcases.”

In the audience, the pope praised theassociation’s focus on providing the bestcare for each individual patient,according to his or her unique biology,calling it “an oncology of mercy,”because personalizing care puts one’s


NEWS

attention on the individual, not only theillness, he argued.

He encouraged the medical workers totake Jesus as their example, alsostressing the importance of Christ forthose who are sick. Jesus, he said,“helps them to find the strength not tointerrupt the bonds of love, to offer theirsuffering for brothers, to keep friendshipwith God.”

“Inspire everyone to be close to thosewho suffer, to the little ones above all,and to put the weak in the first place, sothat they can grow a more humansociety and relationships marked bygratuitousness, rather than opportunity,”he urged.

Pope Francis: ‘Canon law is essentialfor ecumenical dialogue’By Courtney GroganVatican City, Sep 19, 2019 / 07:30 am(CNA).- Pope Francis said Thursday that

canon law is essential for ecumenicaldialogue with Orthodox and OrientalChurches.“Many of the theological dialogues

pursued by the Catholic Church,especially with the Orthodox Church andthe Oriental Churches, are of anecclesiological nature. They have acanonical dimension too, sinceecclesiology finds expression in theinstitutions and the law of the Churches,”Pope Francis said Sept. 19.

In an audience with members of theSociety for the Law of the EasternChurches, Pope Francis said: “Canonlaw is essential for ecumenicaldialogue,” adding that “ecumenicaldialogue also enriches canon law.”Canon law is the Church’s legaldiscipline, it gives expression toconcepts like natural and divine law, andorders the Church as an ecclesiasticalsociety. It explains and safeguards therights and duties of the faithful of allorders of church life: laity, clergy,bishops, and religious.

As the Society for the Law of the EasternChurches marks its fiftieth anniversarythis year, Pope Francis remarked thatthe society’s founder, Father Ivan •u•ek,made significant contributions to theCode of Canons of the EasternChurches. The pope met with PatriarchBartholomew I of Constantinople the dayprior for lunch in Vatican City.Bartholomew, to whom Pope Francisgifted relics of St. Peter earlier this year,was the law society’s first vice president.

Pope Francis said that the Church canlearn from the synodal experience of the


NEWS

Eastern churches. “Synodalityexpresses the ecumenical dimension ofcanon law,” Pope Francis said,explaining: “the commitment to build asynodal Church - a mission to which weare all called, each with the roleentrusted him by the Lord - hassignificant ecumenical implications.”

“How much we can learn from oneanother in all areas of ecclesial life:theology, the experience of spiritualityand liturgy, pastoral activity and,certainly, canon law,” he said.

“Based on the common canonicalheritage of the first millennium, thecurrent theological dialogue between theCatholic Church and the OrthodoxChurch seeks precisely a commonunderstanding of primacy and synodalityand their relationship in the service ofthe unity of the Church,” Pope Francissaid.

Cardinal Gracias in Amazon Synodparticipants’ listVatican City, September 21, 2019:Cardinal Oswald Gracias, head of theCatholic Church in India, is amongparticipants the Vatican has listed for theSpecial Assembly of Bishops for thePan-Amazon region. The Vatican onSeptember 21 published the list ofparticipants for the October 6-27 to beheld in Rome.

Pope Francis on October 15, 2017,convened a Special Synodal Assembly

on the Pan-Amazon. Its main objectiveis “to find new ways for theevangelization of that portion of thePeople of God, especially theindigenous, often forgotten and withouta perspective of a good future, also forthe cause of the crisis of the Amazonianforest, lung of fundamental importancefor our planet.”

The Pan-Amazon is made up of Brazil,Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru,Venezuela, Suriname, Guiana andFrench Guiana. The list includes all thediocesan bishops of the nine countriesfrom the Amazon region.

The list also includes representatives ofthe indigenous peoples of the Amazonregion, 12 top officials of the RomanCuria offices, and 15 members electedby the Union of Superiors Generals ofthe men’s religious orders, most ofwhom work in the Amazon region. TheVatican has listed 25 experts (includingat least four women) who will collaboratewith the Special Secretariat of the Synodand 55 auditors.

The list also includes six “fraternaldelegates” from the Evangelical,Anglican and Presbyterian ChristianChurches in the Amazon region.

Among the 32 members nominated byPope Francis are Cardinals ChristophSchonborn (Austria), Angelo Bagnasco(Italy, president of the Conferences ofEuropean Bishops), Jean-Claude


NEWS

Hollerich (Luxembourg). In addition toO’Malley the other members of theCouncil of Cardinal Advisors: Oscar

Rodriguez Maradiaga, Reinhard Marx,Oswald Gracias and GiusseppeBertello.

Twelve “special” guests have beeninvited to the synod, including Ban Ki-Moon (Korea), former Secretary Generalof the United Nations; René CastroSalazar (U.S.A.), assistant director ofthe FAO department on Climate,Biodiversity, Land, Water at the UnitedNations; Josianne Gauthier (Canada),Secretary General of CIDSE, theinternational Catholic Alliance ofAgencies of Development; Carlos AlfosoNobre (Brazil), winner of the Nobel Prizefor Peace in 2007, Jeffrey Sachs(U.S.A.), professor of sustainabledevelopment at Columbia University,and Hans J. Schellenhuber (Germany),professor of atmospheric physics andemeritus director of the PotsdamInstitute for Climate Impact Research.The pope had already appointedCardinal Claudio Hummes (Brazil) to thekey position of chief relator, and two

special secretaries: Jesuit FatherMichael Czerny, who will be made acardinal later this month, and BishopDavid Martinez de Aguirre Guinea, aDominican from Peru.

The three president delegates who willchair the plenary sessions and were alsonominated by Pope Francis are:Cardinals Baltazar Porras Cardozo(Venezuela), Jesuit Pedro BarretoJimeno (Peru), and Joao Braz de Aviz(Brazil and the Vatican).

The Amazon Synod is a great ecclesial,civic and ecological project that seeksto overcome the confines and redefinethe pastoral lines, adapting them tocontemporary times. Amazon region isan important source of oxygen for thewhole earth, where more than one thirdof the world’s primary forest reserves arefound. It is one of the largest biodiversityreserves on the planet, containing 20percent of the not frozen freshwater.

The first time the Pope visited theAmazonian territory (in Peru) on January19, 2018, he expressed his concern forthe indigenous people affirming: “Thenative Amazonian peoples haveprobably never been so threatened ontheir own lands as they are at present.The Amazon is being disputed onvarious fronts.” On that occasion heofficially opened the preparation for theSynod.


REMEMBRANCES

HAPPY BIRTHDAY : MANY RETURNS OF THE DAY

OBITUARY : MAY THEY REST IN PEACE

15th Fr. Rimondi PIME (1985)

16th Fr. Gioanni B. Calderaro PIME (1985)21st Fr. Kavalam Francis (2004)23rd Fr. Kudilungal George

ORDINATION DAY : HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS

21st Fr. Jada Joji Chiranjivi SJ

26th Fr. Kothana Arogyadas SAC

31st Fr. Peter Anthony Kishore SJ

DAYS TO REMEMBER IN THE MONTH OF OCTOBER

1st Fr. Mocherla Balayesu

2nd Fr. Bandi Maria Sagar Babu

5th Fr. Maddala Vinay Kumar

12th Fr. Polimetla Jacob

13th Fr. Mannala Peter

14th Fr. Arava Bruno Jesu Stephen

15th Fr. Mathangi Suresh Babu

17th Frs. Kondru Simharayalu, Darsi Jeeva Kumar, Kama Anil

23rd Fr. Neeluri Mariadas

24th Fr. Gone Joseph Thambi

25th Fr. Teneti Yesupadam

26th Fr. Amire Ajay Kumar

27th Fr. Gunturu Don Bosco

celebrate the extraordinary mission month with...

Documents