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TTIIMMEE--YYEERRCCAAUUDD PPRROOVVIINNCCEE PPAAGGEE 11

[FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION ONLY] December 2014

LLEESSTT WWEE MMIISSSS HHIIMM……


BRO.PROVINCIAL'S MESSAGE3

NEWS FROM COMMUNITIES...5-33

ST.ANTONY'S ELEMENTRAY SCHOOL, COONOOR

LATE BRO.ABRAHAM PRALEL

34

YOU WHO WAKE UP THE WORLD - Pope Francis' Appeal to Consecrated Men and Women

37

CONSECRATED LIFE: A PROPHETIC WITNESS

BRO.PAUL JONI

38

THE GRADUATE WANTED A CAR NOT A BIBLE!40


Some time back one of our Brothers narrated to me a touching story of an elderly single

woman! The woman shared her sad story with the Brother, as she was travelling from

Erode to Coimbatore in a Passenger train… Her husband died long ago, her sons and

daughters abandoned her as she had no more material possessions to share with them!

She was left to herself to mend her ways. Every day, she took the passenger train early

in the morning to Coimbatore, went over to the nearby hills to gather some herbal plants

and later in the afternoon she took the same train back to Erode to sell her herbal

collections in the market. She would buy some eatables mainly consisting of two small

buns and a banana for her main meal before she went to sleep in the Railway platform!

So goes the story and her lonely life..! As the train was about to reach Coimbatore

Station, the Brother asked her, “What will you do when you cannot work or travel

anymore to earn your daily living?” She went in to a melancholic mood for a while…

and woke up to respond saying, “I will… … …” I leave it to the imagination of the

readers to complete her emphatic response of trust in herself and the God who still

accompanies her! The story of this valiant woman should teach us many lessons. After

narrating the story of the old woman, this particular Brother told me, “Ever since then, I

have decided to do something for the poor, the destitute and the lonely!”

The story of the “Christ Event” is a perfect response of God who wouldn‟t close His

eyes and remain in Heaven without being connected to the sufferings and the misery of

humans down below! Phil. 2/6f. Though the purpose of His subsequent „coming‟ year

after year is the same as His first coming, every year at His birth, He has a different

message for us! He has a new message and a personal invitation for each one of us,

whether we are young, seniors, superiors, administrators, sick or old! He is born again

and again to tell us to do „as He did… to become the incarnate love among His people.‟

He comes unceasingly for millions of helpless victims of the vicissitudes of life, the

exploited and abused children, the orphans, the migrants, the homeless, the martyrs of

Religious fundamentalism and chauvinism and those rejected by the Society. He will

continue to come every year and suffer with the above category of His sons and

daughters, whose numbers are increasing all around us. He may not be born anymore in

Churches and Temples but in the thick of conflicts amidst abject poverty, among sinners,

prostitutes and those who fall among the thorns of life and bleed. I cannot close my eyes

and walk away like the Priest or the Levite in the story of the Good Samaritan! If I close

my eyes and became insensitive to the above realities, I will miss the New born at this

Christmas!

LLEESSTT WWEE MMIISSSS HHIIMM……


Recently, Pope Francis has amplified these sentiments beautifully in his concluding

message at the Third extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.

“And this is the Church, the vineyard of the Lord, the fertile Mother and the caring

Teacher, who is not afraid to roll up her sleeves to pour oil and wine on people’s

wound; who doesn’t see humanity as a house of glass to judge or categorize people. This

is the Church, One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic and composed of sinners, needful of God’s

mercy. This is the Church, the true bride of Christ, who seeks to be faithful to her spouse

and to her doctrine.

It is the Church that is not afraid to eat and drink with prostitutes and publicans. The

Church that has the doors wide open to receive the needy, the penitent, and not only the

just or those who believe they are perfect! The Church that is not ashamed of the fallen

brother and pretends not to see him, but on the contrary feels involved and almost

obliged to lift him up and to encourage him to take up the journey again and accompany

him toward a definitive encounter with her Spouse, in the heavenly Jerusalem.”

As we are approaching the birth of the One who became all things to all people, let us

pray to Mary, our Mother to open our eyes and remove the blocks from our ears, lest we

miss Him and fail to recognize him where He is actually born!

The Brother in the story, who decided to do something positive and different for the

needy and those rejected by the society, has taken the right direction in finding the

New born and celebrating Christmas meaningfully beyond 25th December!

-Bro.George Kalangod

Provincial Superior

“He comes unceasingly for millions of helpless victims of the vicissitudes of life,

the exploited and abused children, the orphans, the migrants, the homeless, the martyrs of

Religious fundamentalism and chauvinism and those rejected by the Society …”


Greetings to all the readers of the TIME magazine from the High Ranges !

Under the leadership of our new Director and Principal, Bro.Joseph Thomas, many

important events took place after the re-opening.

The FA-1, FA-2 and SA-1, examinations for the various classes were conducted in July,

August and October. Now, we are busy preparing the 9th

and 10th

standard students to

appear for the PSA examinations.

Munnar with its picturesque beauty and angelic serenity gives a lot of joy and happiness to

all who come over here. No wonder, though there are not many places of interest, a lot of

tourists from all over the world come here to stay and enjoy the pleasant cool weather.

The weather is much better this year compared to the previous years. Though we had rain, it

was not too much. The month of October had a lot of rain. Winter is slowly setting in at

Munnar. The next three months will be quite chilly.

This year the Kurinji Plant had flowered all over the hills of Munnar. Our compound also

had some flowers. A lot of visitors came to Munnar to see the Kurinji flowers.

May God Bless our Institutions to do well in all the activities!

-Bro.Joseph Thomas

MMOONNTTFFOORRTT SSCCHHOOOOLL,, CCHHIINNNNAAKKAANNNNAALL

Teachers‟ Day and Onam celebrations

were conducted on 4th

September. The

students appreciated the good work done

by the teachers and also felicitated them

with flowers and citations. Cultural

programmes were arranged for the day.

Onam lunch was served for the teachers

and payasam was served for all the

students in the evening. It was a

wonderful and memorable day for the

staff and students.


Prayerful Greetings of the Advent Season

from Good News Welfare Society,

Kalghatgi !

After Bro.Thatha‟s sudden departure, we

are only two Brothers in the mission here.

He was a great Brother in GNWS and

especially to me. We miss him a lot. Still,

with his blissful blessing we are

recomposing ourselves.

We had a whole lot of showers. But at the end, it spoiled the crops of many farmers.

PU College: Selected students of NSS had a one week camp during their Dussera holidays.

They had ventured into one of the villages

and enriched the lives of the villagers. It

was a thrilling experience for all of them.

At the Taluka level we won the overall

championship. This year there was better

participation too. At the District level too

many prizes were won by our students.

Twelve of them qualified for the State

Level Competitions in Athletics and our

students, both boys and girls also qualified for the State Level Competions in Volleyball,

Throw ball and Kho Kho.

Degree College: Few students got University Medals in Kusti. The Semester Exams for the

students of the Degree College began on 25th

of November 2014. Please do remember all our

408 students in your prayers. Preparation works are underway for NAAC inspection and

permanent affiliation.

Grahini Training: Our students participated in Krishimela at Dharwad- an exhibition cum

sale. It enabled them to learn a lot about marketing techniques and sell their handmade

products worth twelve thousand, though the expenditure was higher.

All of you are welcome on your pilgrimage to Goa (St.Francis Church) through our place.

We are not far away. This is the harvesting season and if you are in time and lucky, you will

be able to join us in our paddy harvesting. It is time to harvest and we begin with your

blessings.

May God bless you all to have a Blessed Advent Season!

GGNNWWSS,, KKAALLGGHHAATTGGII

-Bro.Niju Thomas


I. Guest Brothers at Montfort:

Bro.M.P.John, dropped in on 18th

September 2014 and stayed with us till September

25th

2014. The Community was happy indeed to have him with us.

Bro.James Roy, from Ranchi Province, along with his nephew were picked up from

Salem Junction on 11th

October 2014. Bro.James Roy comes to Vellore every year for a

checkup and of course makes it a point to stay with us for a couple of days. We are happy

indeed to take care of Brothers who really want to enjoy our hospitality.

II. The Visit of Students from St.Gabriel’s, France:

Seventeen Students accompanied by two faculty members and Bro.Arokiaraj visited

Demount on October 16th

2014. The School gave them a very warm welcome in the Eugene

Hall. It was a learning experience for the Guest and Host, Students and Staff. The inter-

active session with our Students of Std.X was an occasion of growth for the participants.

III. Diwali Break Outing:

Boys and girls who stayed back during the Diwali Break of four days, were taken to

Bangalore for an outing accompanied by Bro.Sunil, Sr.Jancy and 3 Staff members. They

were accommodated at the Spirituality Center, Bangalore. We are extremely grateful to the

Brothers‟ Community, for their warm hospitality and tremendous sense of patience.

Congratulations to Bro.Sunil in particular.

IV. SSGY Cultural Programme 2014

The SSGY (Social Service Guild, Yercaud) Cultural Programme organized every year by

the Religious Communities and Institutions for the Benefit of the Poor of Yercaud, took

place on October 24th

, 25th

, 26th

2014,in the Eugene Hall. We had 5 separate shows. The

rehearsal was on 16th

. Everything went off well. Thanks be to God.

V. Meeting of Principals/Correspondents of ASISC Schools:

Bro.Augustine participated in the special meeting convened on October 28th

2014 in

Madurai for Principals/Correspondents of ICSE Schools of Tamilnadu Region, against the

DDEESSHHAAYYEESS MMOOUUNNTT SSCCHHOOOOLL,, YYEERRCCAAUUDD


backdrop of the State Government GO directing ICSE & CBSE Schools to introduce Tamil

as a Compulsory Subject from 2016, in all the schools of the State. It was decided, during

the meeting to form an Association of Managements of ICSE Schools in Tamilnadu and file

a writ petition having identified an effective and efficient lawyer.

VI. House Picnic:

The Demount School Community walked up to the picnic venue, Vasampadi Estate

on 24th

November 2014. It was the picnic day for the 3 Houses. It was a House-wise

leisurely walk in a much disciplined manner, keeping ever in mind, the “Civic Sense” and

Sensitivity to the general public as well as the road users.

On reaching the spot, all the girls were grouped together for different games. The boys had

the same in their respective Houses. A sumptuous, well prepared lunch was brought to the

venue by 1 pm. All assembled together and enjoyed the lunch in a disciplined manner.

Being out of the class keeping aside all academic pressure, being in the open, in touch with

God, in the heart of the nature, was indeed a moving and touching experience to all

concerned.

The 57th

ASISC (Association of School for the Indian School Certificate) Annual

Conference in Delhi:

Bro.Augustine, the Correspondent, left for Delhi on 25th

November 2014, via

Bangalore to participate in the above Conference, held at “The Ocean Pearl Retreat”, Delhi.

There were over 1200 delegates apart from artists from ICSE schools of Delhi and

neighboring States.

The Theme of the Conference was “Commitment to Excellence”. The Inaugural

Session in addition to other elements witnessed the Oratorial skill of the Chief Guest,

Hon.Prof.Abhishek Misra. Eminent speakers dwelt on topics like the Essence of

Leadership, Innovation-Key to Excellence, the Excellence of being Unique, Commitment

beyond School Education, School‟s Role in promoting mental Health of Students, making

every School a more Joyful Place, Excellence with a Sense of Humour, Crucial Areas of

Holistic Development etc. Twelve different kinds of dances were staged on these three days

by the Students of ICSE Schools. The whole programme went off well. It was worth

attending the same.

“The quality of a person‟s life is in direct proportion to their Commitment to

Excellence, regardless of their chosen field of Endeavour” -Vince Lombardi.

The Sector Advent Recollection:

On 30th

November 2014 twenty two Brothers of the Sector assembled in the

Montfort Chapel for the above mentioned event. Rev.Fr.Jayaseelan, Principal, Salesians

College, Retreat, Yercaud, initiated us into the Advent Sprit by his reflective talk of half an

hour. This was followed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament by Bro.Augustine, who

guided the Adoration of an hour, by his scriptural reflections. The Sacrament of

Reconciliation followed. It was wound up by the celebration of the Eucharist by

Bro.Augustine. A simple but good lunch was relished by everyone present.

-Bro.Augustine Novello


The Birth of Karnataka:

Karnataka Rajyotsava was celebrated on November 01, 2014. Kannada Rajyotsava, also

called Karnataka Formation Day, is celebrated every year by Kannadigas in India and

overseas. This was the day in 1956 when all the Kannada language-speaking regions of

South India were merged to form the State of

Karnataka. The Rajyotsava day is listed as a

government holiday in Karnataka and is

celebrated by Kannadigas across the world. It is

marked by the announcement and presentation

of the honours list for Rajyotsava Awards by the

Government of Karnataka, hoisting of the

unofficial Karnataka flag with an address by the

Chief Minister and Governor of the State along

with community festivals, orchestra, Kannada

book releases and concerts.

In addition to this, our Lake Montfortians commemorated the Rajyotsava Day by putting up

a meaningful and thought provoking programme.

Principal’s and Vice Principal’s Day:

We celebrated Rev.Bro.P.J.George, the Principal‟s

birthday on November 03, 2014 joyously. On this

special day, we entertained him with a cultural

programme. During the programme we cut a cake

and as a token of love, the students presented him

with handmade cards made by each section and the

teachers gave him a gift. With heartfelt thanks,

Bro.Principal distributed the cake to all the students.

With God’s abounding blessings

upon us, we have started Term II

happily on October 9, 2014, with

Bro.P.J.George as our new Principal

and Superior.

LLAAKKEE MMOONNTTFFOORRTT SSCCHHOOOOLL,, BBAANNGGAALLOORREE


The Principal was very happy to celebrate his birthday with the Lake Montfortians. We also

celebrated the birthday of Rev.Bro.Christu Raja, the Vice Principal on November 24, 2014

in a meaningful way.

Football Tournament:

Our Lake Montfortian Football team

participated in the Kikers Cup Football

Tournament conducted by Deva Matha

Central School in Bangalore on

November 8, 2014 at Garden City

College. From the 24 teams that

participated, our team reached the finals

and played against Delhi Public School

and secured second place.

Children’s day Celebrations:

Bitter are the tears of a child: Sweeten them.

Deep are the thoughts of a child: Quieten them.

Sharp is the grief of a child: Take it from him.

Soft is the heart of a child: Do not harden it.

- Pamela Glenconner

We celebrated Children‟s day on two different days. On the first day, i.e. November 14,

2014, a fancy dress competition was held for the primary students. Out of 486 primary

students, 165 participated in the competition. The participants coloured the day with their

creative presentations. On the second day, Children‟s Day Celebrations were held for the

other students. Our teachers gave a thematic programme titled, “YOUTH, WE NEED

YOU”. Through the programme all the Lake Montfortins were invited to respond to the

social evils like corruption and child abuse in a positive and constructive manner.


Visit of Rev. Bro.Provincial:

Rev.Bro.Provincial made his official visit to

our school on November 14, 2014. His visit to

Lake Montfort always adds joy,

encouragement, happiness and support to us.

Bro.Provincial was the Chief Guest for the

Primary School Children‟s Day celebrations.

Primary School Picnic:

We organized a picnic for the little

Montfortians. The students were taken to Fun World which is located at a distance of 20

kms from Bangalore. All the kids enjoyed the entire day by playing nearly 20 games.

Later,they were dropped back to the school safely.

-Bro.Christu Raja

The School reopened for the II term with a Holy Mass. The regular class assemblies and

other activities went on as per schedule.

Visit of Students from France: On 13th

October, a group of students from France visited

our school. They were given a warm welcome. The School Band gave a presentation. The

guests were highly impressed with the warmth and hospitality shown.

Visit of Rev.Bro.Rene Delorme: The school was graced by the visit of our former Superior

General, Rev.Bro.Rene Delorme on 17th

October. Bro.Rene Delorme witnessed our

morning assembly and also addressed the gathering. He advised the students to make use of

every opportunity that is given to them and reminded them that the life in the school is the

best. The school is indeed blessed with visits of such spiritually inclined and simple

persons like Bro.Rene.

MMOONNTTFFOORRTT MMAATTRRIICC HHSSSS,, SSTT..TTHHOOMMAASS MMOOUUNNTT


Educational Tour: A group of 120 students from Stds. IX, X, XI & XII accompanied by

10 Staff members and the Principal went on an Educational Trip to Agra- Jaipur – Delhi

from 24th

October to 31st October 2014. The children greatly enjoyed the trip and visited

famous monuments and places. The Principal Bro.K.K Thomas took the initiative to get

permission to visit the Parliament House which was highly significant. The children had

the rare opportunity to see the Lok Sabha. They came

back with unforgettable memories.

Visit to Qutab Minar Visit to the Taj Mahal

Fancy Dress Competition for the Kindergarten: On 6th

& 7th

November 2014, a Fancy

Dress Competition was conducted for the Kindergarten. Children showed great enthusiasm

and depicted many abstract and thematic characters. It was indeed a memorable experience

for the tiny tots.

Patience is the companion of wisdom.

-St.Augustine


Astronomy Club: On November 12th

2014, the Montfort Astronomy Club was inaugurated

in the school. The club is led by

Mrs.Lavanya Raja, an enthusiastic

science faculty member. Thirty

students from Stds. VII & VIII

have been selected through a

written test. The students are

highly excited, energized and

involved in many activities such as

Star Gazing, Quiz competitions,

Crosswords, puzzles etc.

Children’s Day Celebrations: On 14th

November 2014, Montfort Chennai celebrated

Children‟s day. The children came in their colourful attires and made the campus glow. The

teachers entertained the children with songs, skits, dances and presentations. It was an

exciting day for the children. The Principal greeted the children and advised them to enjoy

their childhood, have lot of fun but be disciplined. He further said that obedience and hard

work at a young age will pave the way for success. He also congratulated the teachers for

taking time to present the children with a brilliant show.

Display of the Astronomy Club

Bro.K.K. Thomas, Principal,

Inaugurating the Astronomy Club

Astronomy Club Members making a

model of the Solar System

Children’s Day at Montfort Teachers entertaining the students


Cooking and Rangoli Competitions: On 17th

November 2014, a Cooking competition and

a Rangoli Competition were conducted for Std.XII and Std.X respectively. The children

showed a lot of passion, worked in a co-ordinated way with a lot of team spirit. They

exhibited innovative recipes and themes. The judges praised the students for their talent

and interest and congratulated them.

Vaccination Camp: On November 18th,

a Typhoid Vaccination Camp was conducted by

Sri Senthil Nursing Home in the School and more than 400 students were vaccinated. This

was part of the awareness programme which is annually conducted in the school.

Life Skills Programme: On 20th

& 21st November one of our Science teachers attended a

Life Skills Orientation Programme conducted by the Kanchipuram District and on 24th

&

25th

November, the Training programme was conducted in the school for the students of

Stds. IX & XI. The students greatly benefitted by the programme and were educated on

basic Life Skills.

Young Chefs of Std.XII & their presentation Prize Winners of the Cooking Competition

Rangoli Competition for Std.X Prize Winning Rangoli Display

Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror. -Kahlil Gibran


Internal Inspection of Teachers: On 1st & 2

nd December 2014, an Internal Inspection of

teachers was conducted in the school by a panel of 9 teachers- both in-service and retired,

headed by Bro.David, the Vice Principal of Santhome High School, Chennai. The Panel

individually assessed every teacher by observing their classes. The panel gave a positive

feedback to the Principal at the end of the inspection and highly appreciated the

knowledgeable teachers and their dedication.

Visit of the Provincial Superior: On 4th

December 2014, our Provincial Superior,

Dr.Rev.Bro.George Kalangod came on an

official visit to our school. He was

welcomed with a Special Assembly.

Bro.Provincial deeply appreciated the

students and advised them to be smarter

and develop distinctive qualities and

prepare themselves to face the challenges

in future. Later, the Provincial Superior

addressed the staff and expressed his

admiration towards their commitment.

He also asked the teachers to update themselves to keep pace with growing needs of the

current generation.

MGA: Every month periodical MGA prayer meetings are conducted for the Montfort

Associates. The Month of October being the month of the Holy Rosary, the Montfort

Associates offered Holy Rosary in procession in the school campus. A similar procession

in prayer was organized in the month of November. On 08th

December 2014, to

commemorate the feast of the Immaculate Conception, a 1 hour prayer service was

conducted during the „Hour of Grace‟, during which intercessory prayers were offered. The

Montfort Associates are deeply involved in effective spiritual activities.

Half Yearly Examinations: On 8th

December 2014 the Half -Yearly examination started.

The Christmas celebrations for the students are scheduled on 19th December 2014. Std. V

is engaged in preparing a meaningful Christmas programme. The school will close for

Christmas Holidays on 20th

December 2014.

-Bro.Thomas K.K.


October and November were activity-filled months for St.Joseph‟s Hr.Sec.School,

Susaigiri. Meetings with Parents of 10th

, 11th

and 12th

were held on 6th

and 7th

October. The

parents showed keen interest in the studies and other activities of their children.

A one-day Seminar was organized for the senior students on 10th

October. Two

priests, Fr.Christopher and Fr.Raja from Chennai were the resource persons.

The programme concluded with the celebration of the Holy Mass. The students

benefited a lot from the above.

A Science Exhibition was held in our School premises on 17th

October, to develop

the scientific skills and talents of the students.

Students were very eager and

enthusiastic in the preparation of

innovative exhibits of working

models. A District Level Science

Exhibition was held at Little Flower

School, Salem. Master Dinesh of Std.

VI was awarded First Prize for his

working model about Road Safety in

transport. Two other two students of

Std. XII won the 3rd

place for their

exhibits.

SSTT..JJOOSSEEPPHH’’SS HHRR..SSEECC..SSCCHHOOOOLL,, SSUUSSAAIIGGIIRRII

Be less curious about people and

more curious about ideas. -Marie Curie


-Bro.Britto Lourdhusamy

From 24th

to 26th

October, the

students of Std. X went for an outing- a

sight-seeing cum pilgrimage to

Velankanni. Bro.Britto, the Headmaster

and many teachers accompanied them.

The Train travel was a first time

experience for many students.

Students of Std. VI celebrated Children‟s Day

on 13th

November afternoon. It was an

opportunity for the students to show their

talents through various cultural events. The

highlight of the programme was a play by the

students about the ill-effects of Electronic

Gadgets.

Bro.Provincial visited the school and the

Community on 25th

November. He

addressed the students during the school

assembly and also interacted with the

teachers. He promised to look into the

infrastructural needs of the School and

Hostel favourably.

Our Senior Volley Ball and Beach

Volley Ball Teams did us proud by

winning the Divisional Level Tournament

and qualifying for the State Level

Tournament to be held in Pudukottai in

January.

Our Super Seniors were the

Runners-Up in both the above matches.


“ Arise..Awake..Create your Destiny..”

The month of September bloomed with

fragrance as we continued to reflect and

ratiocinate on the chosen theme. Our

Teachers‟ day celebration was extraordinary

because of the joyous occasion of

Rev.Bro.Varghese, our Principal, receiving

the State Award for the Best Teacher -

Dr.Radhakrishnan award. As a Principal and

a Religious person he made all Montfortians

and the Brothers‟ Community proud by

receiving this prestigious award through his

dedicated service to curricular, co curricular

and religious streams.

Exchange Programme:

Twenty four students accompanied by 4 staff members from Montfort School, Chiangmai,

Thailand visited our school, initiating an exchange programme and interacted with the

students, revealing their talents in sports. They played Football, Basketball, Badminton and

Tennis matches and left with fond memories.

We had another opportunity to meet 17 students and 3 staff accompanied by Rev.Bro

Arockiya Raj, St. Gabriel College, San Laura, from Western France who visited India as a

part of their course to learn about the Indian culture and traditions. Our students enjoyed

their melodious songs in French as they enjoyed our cultural programmes and interacted

with our French students.

Bro.Varghese Koonamavu, Principal

receives Dr.Radhakrishan Award for the

Best Teacher

MMOONNTTFFOORRTT AAII HHRR..SSEECC..SSCCHHOOOOLL,, YYEERRCCAAUUDD

Congratulations to Bro.Varghese Koonamavu, for being honoured

with the State „Dr.Radhakrishan Award‟ for the Best Teacher!

-Provincial Superior


SUITS: The School toppers of IT programmes under SUITS (School University Industry

tie-up Scheme 2013-14 Examination held in our school and conducted by Bharathidhasan

University, Trichy) were honoured with special certificates. The examination was evaluated

for 300 marks consisting of Theory, Practical and Project. The First 3 toppers in each

programme were awarded with special certificates.

Achievements in academics:

Master Santhosh of class XI who made his Alma Mater proud by securing 495/500 in the

State Board Examination 2013-14, securing 5th

rank in the State and 3rd

rank in the District

was rewarded with cash and a merit certificate by Dhinathanthi, a Tamil Daily.

Master Vinudeep of class XI secured the first place in the District Tamil Elocution

Competition conducted by the Tamil Development Department of Tamil Nadu. He received

a cheque for Rs.10,000. This is the first time a Monfortian has won the first place in the

Tamil competition. He awaits to participate at the State level in January 2015.

Rhapsody-2014 was the nonstop cultural extravaganza conducted by Paavai group of

Institutions at Namakkal for the schools at Salem. Our students participated and won the

second position in “Karaoke “and got the prize money Rs.15,000 and certificates. Master

Rohith G.M.R and Master Simon Jacob Pollayil took part in the English debate and secured

first position. They were honoured with a prize money of Rs.10,000 and certificates.

House Picnic: Despite the heavy schedule, the three houses (Montfort,Gabriel and Patrick)

of our school went on a picnic to Vasambadi Estate and thouroughly enjoyed themselves

with games like Treasure hunt, Square ball, Kabadi, Tunnel ball, King of Quest etc and

later were served delicious food. That was a wonderful day for all the students and the

staff.

Students enjoying their House Picnic


Prize Day: To unveil the talents and potential of the students, the appropriate day is

November 14th

-the Children‟s day. It was celebrated with high spirits by the literary clubs,

the associations and the cultural committees, who conducted several competitions in which

all the students participated enthusiastically. The winners of the competitions were honored

on the Prize Day which was highlighted by the presence of Mr. Ashok Kumar, our Alumnus

- a young, energetic entrepreneur and administrator. An amazing cultural programme was

contributed by the teachers. The children were excited to see their teachers on the stage.

Trinity Music Examinations: 15 students appeared in the Rock and Pop Practical

Examination for various Grades and 35 students appeared for Vocals. Mr.Richard

Blanchard, an Examiner for Trinity College, London, conducted these examinations for the

candidates. 30 students who appeared for classical were examined by Mr.Geoffrey Coker

from Trinity college, London. 30 students from Grades I to VI have written their music

theory exams.

Montfort Interact Club: Montfort Interact Club was inaugurated in the presence of the

Rotary Assistant Governor, Zone-2 Dist-2980 Rtn. Hitesh Rathore and President of Rotary

Yercaud, Rtn.Roshan D‟Costa. 74 students were enrolled as Interactors to join hands to

create awareness among the people of Yercaud. The President and other office bearers were

installed with their positions.

Provincial Superior’s Visit : Our Provincial

Superior, Rev.Bro.Dr.George K.J visited our

school on 1st & 2

nd of December. “Superiors

are the Ambassadors of God, who bring joy,

peace and blessings to us”- Having these

words in mind, the Montfort family

welcomed Rev.Bro.George.K.J whole

heartedly. He interacted with the students

and the staff. He urged the staff members to

inculcate the Holistic Education, filled with

skills which can be identified and applied by the children in their life.


Christmas Prelude: “Christmas Past,

Christmas Present, Christmas Future” was

the theme chosen for our Christmas

prelude which was enacted by the students

in a programme filled with dance, skit and

carols. With the excitement of the birth of

Baby Jesus, the children exchanged joy

and peace among them and dispersed with

happiness and contentment.

The same joy and happiness will be shared among the teaching and non teaching staff with

their families and it will linger in their minds throughout this Christmas season. After their

Half-Yearly examination, the students will leave for their homes to enjoy their Christmas

vacation and to share their happiness with their parents.

Achievements in Co-curricular activities:

Swimming:16 boys and 8 girls are entering into the Tamil Nadu State Republic day Games

by excelling and getting 26 Gold medals, 18 Silver Medals and 10 Bronze medals in the

Divisional level. Master Sanjay Manikandan participated in the Chief Minister‟s Trophy

Swimming competition for men in 400m free style. We are also proud of Miss. Zoya

Vincent of Class XI who will be participating in the SGFI National level swimming

competition to be held in Gujarat.

Chess: The State Level Inter School-College Chess tournament was conducted by the

Students Chess Foundation and Salem Ladies Circle-28 at Knowledge Institute of

Technology at Salem. 10 Students participated and our school received the Best

Participating Institute Award.

JIU JITSU: The World Federation of JIU-JITSU National Tournament-2014 was held at

Navi Mumbai, Maharastra. 17 of our students took part representing Tamil Nadu State in

different categories. They won 4 Gold Medals, 4 Silver Medals,6 Bronze Medals and lifted

the overall Championship Cup, along with best DOJO award for the school and Best fighter

award for Master Vignesh.


Basketball: Master R.Hiritesh of Class VIII participated in SGFI National Basket Ball

tournament in the Under 14 category. Our Sub Junior Basketball team won at the District

level. Master Aaryan of Class X will be representing Tamil Nadu State at the SGFI

Nationals at Vijayawada during the first week of January 2015.

Hockey: The Senior Hockey team will be participating in the State Level meet to be held in

the month of January 2015. Master Raj Praveen of Std. XII participated in the Chief

Minister‟s Trophy - Hockey Tournament.

Billiards and Snooker: Tamil Nadu State Billiards and Snooker Ranking Tournament was

held at Chennai. All the 5 students who participated in the tournament were ranked.

Master K.K.R. Vengatesh is selected for the International Snooker tour to London.

Fencing: Nine Monfortians participated in the State Level Fencing Competition held at

Chennai. 7 of them received Bronze medals in different categories. We are proud of Master

M.S.Vijaya Ragul of Class XI who was selected in the SABRE event for SGFI in the Super

Senior category from among 1200 students from 23 districts who participated.

Handball: In the 60th

National SGFI tournament, held from 13th

-18th

November at Punjab,

Master Gokul Krishnan.G and Master Mijesh represented the Tamil Nadu team in the Under

19 category. Master Shree Hari Keshav is representing the Tamil Nadu team in the Under

17 category in the SGFI Handball tournament which is to be held at Delhi in January 2015.

Our Super Senior Handball team has participated in the Tamil Nadu State Bharathiyar

tournament.

Football: Master Mariya Micheal Antony of Class XII and Master Abishek Kamak of Std.

XII will be representing Tamil Nadu State Under 19 Football team for the SGFI games to be

held at Madhya Pradesh and Master Thanuj Manickam of Class X is part of the Tamil Nadu

State Under 17 Foot ball team in the SGFI games to held in West Bengal in January 2015.

JUDO and BOXING: Out of eleven students who participated, two won Bronze medals in

the Divisional Judo. In Boxing, among 29 participants 6 are selected for the State Meet,

bagging 6 Gold medals, 6 Silver medals and 8 Bronze medals. They will be participating in

the Tamil Nadu State Republic Day Games.

Cricket:5 Monfortians participated in the National power 20-20 Cricket tournament held at

Nagpur representing Tamil Nadu State.

Anglo Indian School Sports Meet: Anglo Indian Schools of Tamil Nadu State Athletic

meet-2014 for boys and girls was conducted at Coimbatore. 900 students from 33 Anglo

Indian Schools took part in it. Our students bagged 10 Gold Medals, 4 Silver Medals, 10

Bronze Medals and Master Gregary Lamare of Class X won the Individual championship

for boys.

Athletics: The Divisional Athletic Meet was held at Adiyamaan College of Engineering at

Hosur on 19th

and 20th

November. Our athletes bagged 14 Gold medals and 2 Silver medals

and Master Gregory Lamare won the individual championship in the Under-17 category,

All the winners of the Divisional meet in Athletics have qualified for the State Meet.


A Jewel in the Crown: Master Kiran, the School Pupil Leader won a Silver medal in

400m and a Gold medal in the medley relay in the South Zone Junior Athletic

Championship held at Hyderabad. At the Junior National Level Meet held at Vijayawada,

he was placed 2nd

in 200 mts and 3rd

in the relay. At the 57th

RDS State Level meet held at

Madurai, he got a Gold medal in 200 mts and 400mts and created a new meet record of

48.40 seconds in 400 mts. He will be representing the Tamil Nadu State team at the

National SGFI meet to be held at Ranchi during the third week of January 2015. We are

indeed proud of him and hope to see him win many more prizes and make his Alma Mater

proud.

With delighted mind and cheer, we the Montfortians, exchange Joyous Greetings of

the Season with each reader of TIME!

-Mrs. GLENNIE LAWRENCE

NCC Camp: The Combined Annual Training Camp for the NCC was held from

26.09.2014 to 05.10.2014 at Holy Cross Matriculation School, Salem. Fifty two Cadets

from our School participated in this camp, received special training and are using those

skills well. Mr.Irudayaselvam, senior Maths PG Asst. completed his Pre-Commission

Training course training for three months at NCC OTA KAMPATEE returned on 06.09.14.

N.C.C Day: The N.C.C day was celebrated

in our school on 23.11.2014, with

Commanding Officer Col.Ajay Kumar and

Bro.Antony P.J as our Special Guests.

Lt.Col.Ajay Kumar appreciated the School

and particularly the NCC cadets for their

disciplined turn out. Mr.Irudaya Selvam

who recently completed his training

programme organized the NCC day

celebrations.

MMOONNTTFFOORRTT CCOOMMMMUUNNIITTYY HHSSSS,, KKOOMMBBUUTTHHOOOOKKII

-Ms.Tamil Selvi


The SSGY (Social Service Guild, Yercaud):

The Annual SSGY Cultural Programmes were

organized in Montfort School, Yercaud on

25.10.2014. Our Students performed a dance

based on the theme “The day of the Judgment.” It

was greatly appreciated by all.

Parent-Teacher Meetings: On October 26th

, a

Parent Teacher Meeting was organized for the parents of Students of Stds.VI to IX. During

the meeting, the role of Education and

that of the Parents were discussed. Later,

the parents met the Class teachers and

Subject teachers to know about the

progress of their children.

Primary School, Parent Teacher Meeting

was held on 30.11.2014. During this

meeting, the parents were briefed about

the responsibilities of the students and

parents, the importance of education and cleanliness.

Literary, Art and Cultural Festival: The District level Literary, Art and Cultural Festival

took place on 28.11.2014 at Salem. Our boys and girls (a total of 78 students) took part in

various competitions such as Singing, Instrumental music, Dance, Essay Writing in Tamil

and English, Poetry, and Art. They won a number of prizes.

Art Competiton in Memory of Bro.Anselm: An art competition was organized in memory

of Bro.Anselm at Montfort A.I.Hr.Sec.School, Yercaud. Our student Satish from VII B won

the first prize and G.Kavimani from Std.VI A won the second prize in Handicrafts and

R.Naveen of Std.VI A won the third prize in Computerized Digital Art.

State level Open Athletic Meet: Six boys and four girls participated in the 28th

State Level

Open Athletic Meet held at Thanjavur. K.Manikandan, R.Karthik and G.Rajin took part in

the team relay and won the Bronze medal. S.Tamaraiselvi won the Bronze medal in the

1500m race. We are proud of these students.

Training for Scout and Guide Captains: Every year, the teachers in charge of the Scouts

and Guides are sent for various training programme. This year Ms.Sophia and

Ms.Marcelene underwent the Guide Captain training from 14th

to 20th

November. It was

very useful.

Dwitiya Sobhan Camp for Boy Scouts: The Indian Scout Movement held the Dwitiya

Sobhan Camp in Sankar Park, Salem from 20th

to 22nd

November. Twelve of our Scouts

participated in the camp and successfully completed the training.


Special Assemblies: Every Saturday, Special Assemblies are held in our school to bring out

the talents of the students. During these Assemblies, the students get an opportunity to share

their thoughts and exhibit their oratory, linguistic, singing and leadership skills.

District, Divisional and State Level Athletic Meet: Our student took part in the District,

Divisional and State Level Athletic Meets and won many prizes. The details are as follows:

Level No. of

participants Gold Silver Bronze Total

District 22 14 6 5 25

Divisional 16 12 8 1 21

State 14 - 4 5 9

State Level Athletic Meet: We won 9 medals in the State Level Athtletic Meet held from

3.12.2014 to 5.12.2014. In the Super Seniors category, R.Karthik, K.Manikandan, G.Rajin,

A.Shanmugam won the 2nd

place in the relay. In the Seniors category, K.Sunderaj won 3rd

place in 1500 mts. In the Juniors Category, K.Lakshmanan, K.Raman, G.Ajith,

C.KavinKumar won the 3rd

place in the relay. Congratulations to all our Athletes who have

brought laurels to our School!

You have done the School Proud!

Children’s Day:


The ‘Children’s Day’ was celebrated in our School on 13.12.2014.The Chief Guest was

Mr. Kumar, the Police Inspector of Yercaud who had happily accepted our

invitation. Many events were conducted in the School prior to this celebration to bring out

the hidden talents of our children. Prizes and Certificates were distributed for the winners

by our Chief Guest. Our School Teachers entertained the children with a Cultural

Programme. The Chief Guest in his address appreciated the children very much for their

performance. He also congratulated the teachers for entertaining the students with a

wonderful show. He concluded saying that the service of Montfort Community School is

the best contribution one can render to the poor tribals of Yercaud.

The Second year students had gone to

Thuthukudi in Tamil Nadu for the “Earn and

Live programme” on 29th

October 2014. It is

a unique academic programme we have in

the curriculum of Vidya Deep College. The

primary aim of this academic programme is

to help the students to contextualize and

theologize the theory that they learn in the

classroom by having a direct encounter with

concrete, life-situations of the people. They

are accompanied by a competent professor

who guides them daily with reflections and evaluations. The students themselves managed

to find the following jobs for their survival:

Weeding in the maze field, Chilly garden, Construction work and Painting.

Having gained rich experience for life, they returned to the Institute on 15th

November

2014. Though they looked physically weak, they were very strong in their experience and

convictions. After listening to their testimony and seeing their behavior after real-time

exposure, we feel that their attitude towards the less privileged has changed.

CCRRII IINNSSTTIITTUUTTEE,, BBAANNGGAALLOORREE


GAMES: The Inter Seminary matches, which involve all the Theologates and

Philosophates, began in the month of August in Bangalore. Students of Vidya Deep

College, CRI Brothers‟ Institute display tremendous aptitude in Sports and Games. Brothers

have been practicing vigorously to challenge the other seminarians in sports. As a result we

have entered the semifinals in Volley ball, Basket ball, and Cricket, but unfortunately we

lost out in the football. Now we are preparing ourselves to compete with the other zones.

We leave no stone unturned to bring victory to our Institute.

-Bro.Peter Rajan, 3rd

Yr Th.

“To live is to love and the rest is silence” (Walt Disney).

Greetings from St. Gabriel‟s House, Sitagarha. It is my pleasure to share our experiences at

the Novitiate through this write up.

We, the 22 Novices from six Indian Provinces, reached here on 15th

June 2014. The break-

up -Delhi-2, Hyderabad-5, Pune-7, Ranchi-2, Trichy-2, and Yercaud-2. There is no one

from the North-East in this batch. We were warmly welcomed by our Novice Master,

Bro.T.T. Mathew, Bro.Vincent M., the Socious, and Bro.Ajit Camil Toppo, the

Administrator. On 16th

June we had our inaugural Mass during which Bro.Clement

Kandulana, the Provincial of Ranchi, presented each of us with a New Bible and said, “It is

not to be kept in the desk; but it is to be read completely during these two years of the

Novitiate.”

“Life is an echo; what you send out, you get back; what you give, you receive. When you

bring out the best in others you bring out the best in yourself,” says Jack Hudson.

On 1st July, we celebrated the birthday of Bro.T.T.Mathew, our Novice Master, in a grand

manner. 14th

July was another joyous day as we celebrated the birthday of Bro.Ajit, our

Administrator. We had special prayer services, short cultural programmes and scrumptious

dinner on both the occasions. Our neighbouring Communities were also invited to join in

the celebrations.

SSTT..GGAABBRRIIEELL’’SS HHOOUUSSEE,, SSIITTAAGGAARRHHAA


The Novitiate is the temple of the Lord in which we feel the silence and His presence every

moment.

On 12th

July we had the monthly recollection on the theme, „Silence and Prayer‟. It was

animated by Bro.T.T.Mathew.

Bro.Vincent is teaching us the subjects related to the Bible. Bro.T.T.Mathew is nourishing

us spiritually with silence, meditation and prayer. At present he is dealing with the

Sacraments and also preparing us for Vipassana experience.

On 31st July, the Feast day of St. Ignatius of Loyola, we had played a football match with

the Jesuits. Both the teams were quite balanced. The final score was 01 – 01 and thus the

match ended in a draw.

In the beginning of August we had two weeks of paddy and ragi transplantation. We

enjoyed working even though it was raining. We have also cultivated varieties of

vegetables. Bro.Ajit is nourishing us with healthy food from our own field.

On 13th

August, we had a declamation competition on „Tryst with Destiny‟ by Jawaharlal

Nehru. We had 15 days to prepare for this. The judges were Fr.Ritesh, IMS,

Bro.T.T.Mathew and Bro.Vincent. They encouraged us with compliments. We will be given

the prizes on 28th

April, 2015.

Our present strength is twenty. We all are preparing ourselves for Vipassana experience

which is going to be held from 02nd

-13th

September.

We have the rainy season now and the climate is pleasant as it rains at regular intervals.

-John Britto P.

1st Year Novice

Novices entered into the Canonical Year of the Novitiate on 8th Dec 2014


-Naveen Selvaraj

Pre-Novice, Yercaud Province

“A Good day gives us happiness, whereas a bad day gives us experience- both are

essential for life.”

A very joyful greeting from Montfort Vidya Bhavan, Jabalpur !

The sweet experiences in the Scout Camp:

We had a seven-day Scout Camp at Karwai

in Bhopal, starting from 21st September

2014. We started our journey from Jabalpur

to Bhopal and reached our camp site,

travelling by the Montfort school bus. Our

Camp Masters were Mr. B.L .Sharma, Rev.

Bro.William Kerketta, Rev.Bro.Stephen

Xavier (Director) and Bro.Alex. They

stayed with us in the camp site during the camp. Every day we had an assembly, a campfire

and scout classes. The classes were taken by our camp masters. We had a one day hike

programme. The last day of the camp was a grand one. The Chief Guest of the day was

Rev.Bro.Mani (the Provincial Superior of the Province of Delhi). After the

camp,Rev.Bro.Stephan Xavier took us around Bhopal and we also did window shopping at

DB mall in Bhopal. During our Scout Camp, Brothers from (Delhi Province)Montfort

school and Provincial house helped us in many ways. On 29th

September we came back to

MVB.

The memorable days with Rev. Bro.Jeet Francis:

Rev. Bro.Jeet Francis of Delhi Province, reached MVB on 5th

October 2014. He took many

classes on personality development and taught us songs, dance etc. He also shared about

his life in Papua New Guinea which developed the desire for missionary dynamism.

MMOONNTTFFOORRTT VVIIDDHHYYAA BBHHAAVVAANN,, JJAABBAALLPPUURR

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papua_New_Guinea


The Visit of Pune Provincial:

The Football match and the joyful Depawali celebration

We took part in a Football Tournament organised by our Parish and held in St. Joseph

convent school- Ranjhi, on 23rd

October 2014. We lost in the first match of the tournament.

Then in the evening we celebrated Deepawali at MVB with a prayer. The theme of the

prayer was- “Jesus, the Light of the World.” After the prayer, we burst some crackers in

our school ground.

Visit of Bro.T.T.Mathew

On 24th

October 2014, Rev.Bro.T.T Mathew (Novitiate Master) visited us. We conducted a

morning assembly in order to welcome him. In his speech,he insisted upon the importance

of talking in English-Over all development is the most important aim of the Pre-Novitiate

life.

The Precious classes by Rev.Bro.John Bosco.

Rev.Bro.John Bosco from Delhi Province arrived

at MVB on 25th

October 2014. He stayed with us

for a week. He took many classes on creative

thinking, spoken English.He also taught us how to

make greeting cards and to improve our hand

writing. We made greeting cards for

Rev.Bro.Rene Delorme and presented the same to

him-he was moved him deeply.

The remarkable classes of Rev.Bro.Rene Delorme

We were extremely privileged to have Rev.Bro.Rene Delorme (our beloved former

Superior General) in our midst for a few days. He reached MVB on 02nd

November 2014.

The Pre-Novices welcomed him with their handmade greetings cards. On the first day of his

arrival, we had an interview session. The Pre-Novices and Brothers interviewed Bro.Rene

and asked him many questions on his life as a religious and as Superior General.

On 10th

October 2014, Rev.Bro.Franky

Norhona (Provincial Superior of Pune

Province) reached MVB. He stayed with

us for 2 days. He took classes about

personality development and psychology.

Later, we organized a programme in honor

of Rev.Bro.Franky Norhona who is also

the Chairman of the National Council.


The same day we also celebrated All Souls‟

Day at MVB. Rev.Bro.Rene Delorme joined

us in the prayer service. After a while

Fr.Thomas Machado, the Parish Priest

arrived and blessed the tomb of

Rev.Bro.Ambross. We had a small prayer

beside the tomb.

Rev.Bro.Rene Delorme took classes for a

week about Montfortian spirituality. He

taught some French songs etc. On the last

day of his stay at MVB, we organized an Indian cultural programme followed by an Indian

meal. We invited neighboring Brothers and Sisters for that marvellous programme. We then

had a photo session with Bro.Rene. We had a very nice time with Rev.Bro.Rene and

enjoyed his company a lot for a week. We learned a lot from his classes, which will be very

useful in future.

The Annual Sports Meet of MVB 2014-2015

We had the Annual Sports Meet on 9th

November 2014. The Chief Guest of the

day was Rev.Bro.Barnabas from

St.Gabriel school, (Province of Delhi)

and the Guest of Honor was

Bro.Mathew Montfort (from Lucknow).

We started with a beautiful prayer song

and the colorful March Past by our Pre-

Novices, playing the band instruments.

The Chief Guest‟s address was well

applauded. Then the Pre-Novices

participated in some events. The Sports Day was found to be very effective and enjoyable.

The Birthday Celebration of our Scholastic Brothers

The birthdays of our Junior Brothers namely Bros.Julius, Pradeep, Jino was celebrated with

great joy and we had a lot of fun.


Greetings from Eachinkadu Novitiate!

I wish you all A Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year -2015.

Yet another milestone in our Formative journey in the Novitiate. Life begins at the end of

your comfort zone. Leave all our comforts behind, to walk the path of Dhamma

(Vipassana). We started our journey with expectations of getting a spark of wisdom in our

life.

On the bright morning of November 17,we gathered in front of the statue of Mother Mary

to seek productive support during our journey and learning of Vipassana techniques. A

small prayer was conducted by the animator of the month. We then took a pledge in order to

be silent and benefit (personally) maximum from this course.

We started our journey around 10:30 a.m.

and reached the Universal Peace

Foundation Ashram at Coimbatore for

our Vipassana course. Experience is not

what happens to you, it is what you do

with what happens to you. We began our

ten-day course under the guidance of Sir

Aravid Veeraragavan. This experience is

the observation of our natural respiration

and sensations. That`s why we were asked

to do the course. Vipassana is one of

India`s most ancient meditation

techniques. It was rediscovered by Gautama Buddha. It reveals the universal truth of

impermanence in everything.

The first few days I found it very difficult

to sit for long durations in meditation. But

the everyday discourse gave me the

motivation to utilize each moment to

eradicate the suffering of this world. Each

day, my expectations of the technique

grew and it enabled me to be more patient

and kind to all. It also boosted my

memory level. The course ended on 28th

November. We spent the whole day happily in Black Thunder-the water amusement park.

EEAACCHHIINNKKAADDUU NNOOVVIITTIIAATTEE


The trips to Coonoor and Sathyamangalam Communities are still fresh in my mind. When

our mind perceives something beautiful, it instantly fills our heart with joy and triggers a

smile on our face. In those Communities, the Brothers extended a cordial welcome to all of

us. They were so kind and provided us with delicious meals and comfortable

accommodation. It shows their willingness and interest in their younger Brothers.

They did everything possible to help us. We also did some sight-seeing and enjoyed the

scenic beauty of Ooty and Coonoor, the memory of which will be cherished forever.

-Bro.Rahul Selvam. S

Camp fire with the Hostel Boys of

St.Antony. Coonoor

With the Brothers of St.Antony School,

Coonoor

Visit to Tea Estate & factory, Coonoor

The Church is called to draw near to every person, beginning with the poorest and those who suffer.

-Pope Francis


Montfort Brothers of

St.Gabriel took over the

management of the St.

Antony's School from

Coimbatore Diocese and

later Mysore Diocese in the

year 1931. The School (Elementary and High

Schools) were accommodated in the building

adjacent to St. Antony's Church in Coonoor.

The Brothers were staying in a building

above Wannarapet. It now belongs to

Coimbatore Diocese. For some years the

Presentation Sisters of Coimbatore were

living there.

The Brothers bought the Coonoor club

building and shifted the High school there.

The Coonoor club moved to a new building.

Bro.Claudian (Gnanapragasam) was the

Headmaster of the Elementary school and

Fr.Morris was the Correspondent in 1944.

Very soon Bro.Claudian became a teacher in

the St. Antony's High school and Mr.

Sousaiappan became the Headmaster of the

Elementary School. When Bro.Gabriel Mary

finished his one year Teachers‟ Training

(during the war time, Teachers‟ Training was

for one year) in 1946, he was appointed as

the Headmaster of the Elementary school. He

was getting a lot of guidance from

Bro.Claudian. Bro.Gabriel Mary served the

school till 1954, when he was transferred as

Local Superior and Headmaster to St. Mary's

school, Agraharanattarmanglam. The author

of this article was appointed to take his place.

Thus, on May22, 1954 I became the

Headmaster of St. Antony's Elementary

School. Since I had a lot of experience, I

didn't have to depend on others regarding the

administration of the school.

My Correspondent was Fr.Hugh D' Souza,

the Parish Priest of St.Antony's Church. He

was assisted by Fr.George, a very young

priest. We had a very cordial friendship.

St Antony's High School, Coonoor and the

Coonoor Football club were very good in

football. St. Antony's, Coonoor was the best

in football those years. The boys had their

training in Antony's Elementary School

ground. The 4th and 5th standard students

were good in football too. During the lunch

interval I used to join them in their games.

The Parish Priest Fr.H.D'Souza was a

football enthusiast and whenever he could, he

would join us to play.

Due to the popularity of the school, there

were many seeking admission. Except for

Std.V, all other classes had two divisions. We

needed more classrooms to accommodate the

new students. Fr.D'Souza readily made

available the rooms meant for Legion of

Mary and other Sodalities and solved the

problem.

In 1955, there was an expansion of the Indian

Province in Hyderabad area.

Rt.Rev.Mgr.Beretta, the Bishop of the newly

created Diocese of Warangal, wanted the

Brothers to start a school in Fatima Nagar,

Kazipet. He also wanted the Brothers to take

over the R.C. Middle School,

Kanchanappally in Warrangal Diocese.

Rev.Bro.Vincent de Paul was entrusted with

St. Gabriel's High school in Kazipet and I

was to be in charge of the Community in

Kanchanappally. Bro.Eleazer had given me

my letter of appointment along with the

names of Bros.Dennis and Vitalis as my

SSTT..AANNTTOONNYY’’SS EELLEEMMEENNTTRRAAYY SSCCHHOOOOLL,, CCOOOONNOOOORR 55

TT

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’’

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-Late Bro.Abraham Pralel


assistants. My then Director, Bro.Charles did

not want me to be transferred from Coonoor.

Due to some problem, the scheme of

Kanchanappally was dropped by the

Provincial administration. Boys town,

Hyderabad and Little Flower High school

were the other Institutions that were started

that year. I continued in St. Antony's

Elementary School, Coonoor.

My Teachers‟ Training in Tindivanam was

non-basic. I had to undergo a short course in

basic training. I had to do that in Avinashi in

Coimbatore District. The trainers had to cook

the food and it used to be quite bad. Hence,

in the evenings I went to a hotel in Avinashi

for a cup of good tea. One day I saw three

Catholic priests entering the hotel where I

was and looking intently, I realized I knew

them. They were Fr.Antony Padiyara, Fr.

Stanislaus and Fr.Kurian of Ooty St. Mary's,

Salassi Church and St. Joseph, Wellington. I

went near them and started a conversation

with them. I told the waiter to serve them

whatever they wished and I paid the bill.

Fr.Kurian told me that Fr.Antony was going

to be the first Bishop of Ooty Diocese. They

thanked me for the Tiffin and tea. After my

retraining I went back to Coonoor.

In Coonoor when we had a grand function in

St.Joseph's Girls School ground to give a

reception to the Bishop, I was the main

person to conduct it. Many years after this,

Bishop Padiyara became the Archbishop of

Ernakulam and later Cardinal. As Cardinal he

came to Madras, after preaching a retreat in

Poonamallee Seminary for the priests.

Bro.Camillus and the Cardinal were from

Manimala. I was in Santhome School with

Bro.Camillus. He invited the Cardinal to

Santhome and he obliged. Bro.Camillus

introduced the Cardinal to me. The Cardinal

pretended that he did not know me. Hence I

asked Bro.Camillus in the presence of the

Cardinal, "Was he not the first Bishop of

Ooty who owed the Brothers Rs. 30

thousand?” and I told the Cardinal that I was

the one who bought Tiffin and tea for him

and his companions in Avinashi. I could see

the blushing and funny face of the Cardinal.

When I was in Avinashi, some unwanted

things happened in the Community.

Bro.Patrick (K.O. Joseph), the Procurator of

the Community went to the market and

bought vegetables for the week and

provisions for the month. He hired the usual

cart man and sent the provisions and

vegetables purchased with a note to the

Director, Bro.Charles, saying that he was

leaving the Congregation. The Headmaster of

the High School, Bro.James of Padua

(K.P.George) was not in good terms with

Bro.Charles. Bro.Charles seemed to have

believed that I had a share in those

developments as I was friendly with them.

Hence after my training when I came back to

Coonoor, Bro.Charles called me to his room,

took some money from the drawer, gave it to

me and said, "If you want to quit the

Congregation you can do so now." I was

taken aback, but I told him that he had no

authority to dismiss me from the

Congregation as I had professed my vows to

God Almighty through the hands of the

Provincial and he only could dismiss me

from my vows.I came away from his room

and he put the money back in the drawer.

After this incident his relationship with me

was not cordial.

Mr.Sousaiappan, my assistant in the school

had to also undergo the basic retraining in the

same training school, Avinashi, after I came

back to the school. Whenever he got a

chance, he visited his family in Coonoor. I

came to know about it from Bro.Charles as

Sousaippan used to visit him on such

occasions though he never came to the

Elementary School.


On Christmas day, I had to go to Tindivanam

for my annual retreat. Before I left I was told

by Bro.Charles that I should take my

personal belongings with me as I may get a

transfer. He also told me that he had

informed the Provincial about it. We had

started Santhome High School in Madras in

1954.To visit Santhome, I planned to go to

Tindivanam via Madras. In Santhome I met

Bro.Eleazer, the Provincial; we smiled at

each other and spoke about different topics

but never about my transfer. In the afternoon

all the Brothers who were to take part in the

retreat along with the Provincial and

Bro.Rambert Marie, General Assistant

travelled to Tindivanam.

Those years every retreatant had to meet the

Provincial in direction and share with him all

about oneself. That year we had to meet

Bro.Rambert Marie also in direction. When I

met Bro.Provincial I told him what

Bro.Charles had advised me. He told me,

"Bro.Charles did not inform me anything

about it and he had no business to tell you to

take all your personal belongings." When

Bro.Rambert Marie heard the story, he told

me, "Your cause is mine as well and I will

speak to Bro.Charles for you". He and

Bro.Charles were Canadians and I knew that

he was not going to do anything regarding it.

Bro.Eleazer told me to go to Kolathur and be

with Bro.Antony. After the retreat, I went

back to Coonoor to sign the registers and I

asked Bro.Charles why he wanted me to be

transferred from Coonoor. He told me that it

was the Parish Priest, the Correspondent of

the school who wanted me to go from the

school. Hearing this, I went to the Parish

Priest and asked him the same question. He

said he didn't have anything to do with it.

Bro.Gabriel Mary replaced me, Sousaiappan

saw to the transfer of Bro.Gabriel in a

month's time and he became the Headmaster.

Later, Bro.Antony of Padua became the

Headmaster in 1959. Fr.Cyriac became the

Parish Priest of St.Antony‟s Church,

Coonoor. He did not want any Brother to be

the Headmaster of his School. Hence

Bro.Sebastian Joseph (Joseph Raj) who was

to succeed Bro.Antony of Padua was

transferred to Pondur as my confrere.

Bro.Sebastian Joseph brought a letter from

Bro.Charles expressing his grief about the

happenings of St.Antony's Elementary

School. This gave me an opportunity to

express about the injustice he did to me. We

exchanged quite a few letters and finally he

apologized to me for what he had done to me.

My last letter to him about it was a post card

with two French words "C‟est tout” and

closed the Chapter. Though I can't forget the

incident I forgave Bro.Charles and we

became close afterwards.

-Bro.Abraham Pralel


“Wake up the world, illuminate it with

your prophetic and countercultural

witness!” Pope Francis appealed to

consecrated women and men in his

Message for the special Year which

opened on the First Sunday of Advent. The

following is a translation of the Italian

original.

Dear Consecrated Sisters and

Dear Consecrated Brothers,

It is with great joy that I

address you on such a meaningful

occasion as the Eucharistic Celebration for

the opening of the Year of Consecrated

Life. I would have liked so much to be

present among you personally, as I had

assured you, but the will of God has

provided otherwise.

In convoking this Year of Consecrated

Life, 50 years after the promulgation of

the Conciliar Decree Perfectae Caritatis on

the renewal of religious life, I wanted first

of all to propose again to the Church as a

whole the beauty and value of this special

form of sequela Christi, represented by all

of you who have chosen to leave

everything to imitate Christ more closely

through the profession of the evangelical

counsels. Through a multiplicity of

initiatives that will be implemented in the

coming months here in Rome as in every

part of the world, your luminous witness

to life will be like a light placed in a

candelabra to give light and warmth to all

the People of God. Thus I also renew to

you who are present here the urgent call

that I addressed one year ago to the

Superiors Generals: wake up the world,

illuminate it with your prophetic and

countercultural witness!

How can you implement this call in your

life, not only in this special Year

dedicated to you, but always? I shall

provide you with three programmatic

attitudes. By being joyful! Show everyone

that you follow Christ and put His Gospel

into practice, filling your heart with

happiness. Infect those who are near you

with this joy; and then many people will

ask you for the reason and feel the desire

to share with you your splendid and

enthusing Gospel adventure.

By being brave! Those who feel loved by

the Lord know how to place full trust in

Him, as your Founders and Foundresses

did, opening new ways of service to the

YYOOUU WWHHOO WWAAKKEE UUPP TTHHEE WWOORRLLDD


Kingdom of God. With the power of the

Holy Spirit that accompanies you, go out

into the streets of the world and show the

innovative power of the Gospel which,

when put into practice, works wonders

today too and can answer to all the

questions of mankind.

By being men and women of communion!

Firmly rooted in personal communion

with God, whom you have chosen as the

porro unum [good portion] (cf. Lk 10:42)

of your existence, be tireless builders of

fraternity, above all practicing among

yourselves the Gospel law of mutual love,

and then with all, especially the poorest.

Demonstrate that universal fraternity is

not a utopia but Jesus‟ very dream for the

whole of humanity.

Dear consecrated women and men, thank

you for coming here today to mark the

solemn opening of the Year of

Consecrated Life. I also thank Cardinal

João Braz de Aviz, Prefect of the

Congregation for the Institutes of

Consecrated Life and Societies of

Apostolic Life, who is presiding at the

Eucharist celebration on my behalf.

Likewise I wish to express my gratitude to

Archbishop José Carballo and to all the

members of the Dicastery, who are

working generously for the successful

outcome of the events planned for this

Year.

I entrust to the Virgin Mary, beloved

daughter of the Father, cloaked by the

Holy Spirit in all the gifts of grace and

your supreme model, the Year of

Consecrated Life which starts today. I

accompany you with my prayers and

willingly bestow upon you present here

my Apostolic Blessing.

As we are in the year that is dedicated to all Consecrated people, I

would like to share with you some reflections on the Consecrated life in

order to understand better, the life that we are called live. First and

foremost I would like to make clear the definition of Consecrated Life.

„Consecrated Life is a Gift which the Father has given to the Church by

means of the Spirit so that, in faithfulness to the Gospel, the most

characteristic traits of the life of His Son Jesus, the Chaste, Poor and Obedient.‟ We need to

understand that Consecrated Life is not another way or form of life, but it is a gift from God,

the Father to be a Prophetic witness. What do I mean when I say, “Consecrated Life means

to be a Prophetic witness?” Consecrated people are set apart for the work of God unlike the

Prophets mentioned in the Holy Bible. A Prophet is a sign of God to people, a sign of the

Mercy of God to people and a witness of Primacy of God by faithful and committed life to

God. Therefore, as Consecrated people, we are called to be channels between God and His

people in order to exchange the Words of God and the response of People to God. For this

reason Consecrated people are set apart, not as a model of separation but by transforming our

lives. Vita Consecrate says that it is challenging to be a Prophetic witness, but a radical

-Courtesy: L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO

CCOONNSSEECCRRAATTEEDD LLIIFFEE:: AA PPRROOPPHHEETTIICC WWIITTNNEESSSS

WWWWIITTNNEESSSS


nature of following Jesus of the Gospel will make our task easy to be a Prophetic witness.

The people around us should understand the Gospel by the very life of Consecrated people,

use words only if needed.

Consecrated life can be explained in the context of transfiguration. Normally we reflect the

transfiguration in the context of going up to the mountain for prayer, but it involves both

going up to the mountain to experience the splendour of the Trinitarian life and coming

down the mountain to face the realities of the world. It is not enough for us Consecrated

people to set apart time for prayer, but the life of prayer should reflect in our day-to-day

activities and in the lives of the people who are entrusted to us. Prayer is to get connected to

God and communicate the experience to people, like the mobile and the network. If you want

to communicate to people the mobile and the network should be connected; if one is

switched off the communication will be affected. The more the Consecrated persons allow

themselves to be conformed to Christ, the more Christ is made present and active in the

world. Consecrated life has an essential aspect of life that is dedicated to God and for the

service of humanity. Call to Consecrated life is not an absolute separation from the world but

rather it is to be in intimacy with the Lord to serve the humanity.

Consecrated life also includes an eschatological dimension, which all of us must understand.

Consecrated life declares to the world the transitory nature of the world and its comforts and

induces people to a life oriented towards the world to come. Therefore our lives are not

meant to save ourselves, but to save others in order to save one‟s own self. We have been

called from the people, so we need to be for the people.

-Bro.Joni Rajan.R. (SG)

Sanyasa, Bangalore


A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For

many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer‟s

showroom, and knowing that his father could well afford it, he

told him that was all he wanted.

As Graduation Day approached the young man awaited for

signs that his father had purchased the car for him. Finally on

the day he was to graduate his father called him into his private

study, told him how proud he was to have such a fine son and

how much he loved him. He then handed him a beautifully

wrapped gift box.

Curious, but somewhat disappointed the young man opened the

box and found a lovely leather bound Bible with his name

embossed on it in gold. He was angry so he raised his voice to

his father and said, "With all of your money you give me a

Bible rather than the sports car I wanted.” He then stormed out

of the house leaving the Bible behind.

Many years passed and the young man was very successful in the business he went in. He had a

beautiful home and a wonderful family but realized when he thought about his father that he was

very old. He then decided that perhaps he should go to see him because he had not seen him

since that graduation day.

However, before he could make arrangements to go he received a phone call from a funeral

home director telling him that his father had passed away and had willed all of his possessions to

him. He was told that he needed to come home immediately and take care of things.

When the son arrived at his father‟s house, sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search

through his father‟s important documents and saw the Bible his father had given him for

graduation. The Bible looked new just as it was years ago when he was given it.

With tears in his eyes he opened the Bible and began to turn through the pages. His father had

carefully underlined a verse which was Matthew 7:11 which reads, "And if ye being evil know

how to give good gifts to your children how much more shall your Heavenly Father who is in

Heaven give to those who ask Him.”

As the son read those words a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag on it with

the car dealer‟s name, the same dealer who had the sports car that he wanted so badly for his

college graduation. On the tag was the date of his graduation and the words written in large print

"PAID IN FULL.”

Many times during our lifetime we miss God‟s blessings because they are not packaged as we

expected them to be!

TTHHEE GGRRAADDUUAATTEE WWAANNTTEEDD AA CCAARR NNOOTT AA BBIIBBLLEE

WWWWIITTNNEESSSS

-Contributed by C.S.

or private irculation only - yercaud...

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