Monthly newsletter of the Diocese of Durgapur Donation: � 5/-Vol.: One Hundred and Forty Nine September 2019

Bankura Pastorate

Abijita Chowdhury :

Bankura Mission High

School was honoured by

the Bankura District

officials for the great

w o r k t h e y h a v e

accomplished in the

field of Education. The

school had received

approval to run from the

state government in

1952. It grew from being

a middle school to a high

school.

Miss Suel, a British

Missionary, entrusted

the responsibility of

running this school to

the late Yotsna Singh.

Her sister, the late

Arunabha Sarkar took

over this responsibility

later on and received

the President’s Award

from the then President

Jail Sinh in recognition

of all her efforts and the

results they yielded.

In 2005, Mrs Abijita

Chowdhury joined as

the headteacher of the

school. Mrs Chowdhury

has not only maintained

the reputation of the

school but raised it

despite various setbacks

and difficulties. Her

efforts for the children

of the region and in the

field of Education have

been recognized by the

government and she has

received the Best School

Award and the Second

Best School Award.

Without the infinite

blessings of our most

merciful Father, none of

this would have been

possible. Al l g lory,

thanks, and praise to our

Lord Jesus. The Diocese

is proud of the school's

g r o w t h a n d m a n y

achievements and the

Diocese prays that the

school and its staff

continue doing the good

work they have. g�

Success Story of Bankura Mission Girls High School

Durgapur Pastorate

Education Sunday in St. Michael’s Cathedral

Karen Alias: Schools of t h e D i o c e s e ca m e together on the 8th of September, 2019 to celebrate International Literacy Day. Teachers from the many schools of the Diocese such as St. Peter’s, Durgapur and Purulia, attended the service. Out of the 16 schools of the D i o c e s e , r e p r e s e -ntatives from 13 schools were able to attend the s e r v i c e . F r. J i m m y Francis Keepuram S.J., the Principal of St. Xavier’s High School, D u rga p u r wa s t h e speaker with Revd. Samuel Halder as the priest-in-charge for Ed u cat i o n S u n d ay. Te a c h e rs f ro m S t . Michael’s Durgapur performed a lovely duet while the children of the Durgapur Child Study a n d D e v e l o p m e n t Center and Hoste l performed a wonderful

song, recited and read out some meaningful poems and pieces they d e d i c a t e d t o t h e teachers in their lives.

Fr. J. F. Keepuram's s e r m o n b e g a n b y remembering John the Baptist. He understood the struggle of being a teacher. He embodied the compassion, humi-lity and commitment a teacher requires. He was able to teach the people and thereby prepare them for Jesus’s coming and identify him as the son of God. He fought for his ideals and principles by creating open minds which paved the way for Jesus. The great Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the second president of India and the man whose life the country honours each year by celebrating Teacher’s Day is another great example of a teacher, an

individual who saw his contribution to society i n h i s w o r k w i t h c h i l d r e n . A n o t h e r president, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam was an amazing man who the country knew as a r e m a r k a b l e a n d dedicated scientist. H a v i n g h a d t h e opportunity to sit in during some of his seminars with students, Fr. Keepuram noticed how at the end of every session the president would ask the students to take an oath. The oath itself varied from session to session such a s c o m m i t t i n g t o protect the environ-m e nt , b e i n g m o re courageous, honouring one’s parents etc. were more than a simple p ro m i s e f ro m t h e students to do some-thing; these oaths were a way for the next generation to partic-

i p a t e a n d c o m m i t themselves to the country and the world. Which is what teachers prepare their students fo r a s t h e y e n te r adulthood.Mothers are the first teachers in a child’s life as was Mary to Jesus. She nurtured and brought up the child whose example we strive to follow. Closer to home, we have the example of Eklavya and Dronacharya. A tale which i l lustrates a student’s love and his respect for his teacher. Both were able to stand by their dharma and do what was expected of them. In this day and age of the Internet, Fr. Keepuram continued, the teacher as the source of knowledge has been replaced by computers and smart-phones. However, the internet and the many tutors in a student’s life cannot replace the role of one’s teacher. If teachers focus on the chi ldren and their needs, especially those children who need that extra encouragement; a difference is made. Students coming back

and expressing how that extra attention from a teacher made an impact on their lives. The Teaching profession is a m u l t i f a c e t e d r o l e requiring one to know a variety of subjects irrespective of one’s specialization; stories, my t h s , l a n g u a g e s , cultures and much more should be a part of one's r e p e r t o i r e . T h e Teaching profession g o e s b e y o n d t h e c l a s s r o o m a n d payment, it is when a child grows into the person they are meant to be that a teacher finds fulfilment.

Fr. Keepuram ended his s e r m o n a n d t h e cat h e d ra l a n n o u n -cements began during which all the attending t e a c h e r s w e r e p r e s e n t e d w i t h a beautiful bookmark to show appreciation for the work they do. After service, the teachers a n d a fe w o t h e rs gathered in the parish hall to play a few fun games after which the gathering enjoyed a wonderful lunch post w h i c h e v e r y o n e returned home.. g�

2

ditorialE- K.S. Elias

This month celebrated not only Teacher’s day but also World charity which is celebrated on the 5th. The date was chosen to honour Mother Teresa, an i n d i v i d u a l w h o i s celebrated globally for the selfless life she lived. Charity is the act of giving to those in need. It’s a virtue that many faiths emphasize on. What better way to remember Charity day than remembering the life of the one who inspired it.

Mother Teresa’s story is a well-known one in our corner of the world. Born in Skopje, the c a p i t a l o f N o r t h Macedonia. From a young age Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu was fascinated by the lives and service of miss ionar ies in Bengal. Her life as a nun began in Ireland in 1928 and arrived in India the next year.

For years, she taught in Loreto Convent School, Entally and served there for nearly 20 years and was even made headmistress of the institution. In 1946, Mother Teresa had a vision or ‘ a call within a call’ in which she was asked to serve the poor, which i s how the Missionaries of Charity came to be founded.

From 1950 till the end of her life in 1997, Mother Teresa devoted her life to the poor and destitute. Missionaries of Charity caters to the poorest of the poor- the ones society has cast out such as lepers, the mentally ill, AIDS patients and many others. They also have schools which teach the slum children and run soup kitchens.

Her devotion and love for all people is what drew so m a n y t o h e r. H e r compassion without j u d g m e n t o r condescension is world-r e n o w n e d a n d acknowledged having won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. Mother Teresa followed Jesus’ example and love all and t r e a t e d t h e downtrodden and weary who came to her with respect and dignity, something many don't receive because of their circumstances.

There is no doubt that Mother Teresa’s time, e f f o r t , k n o w l e d g e without thought of personal gain was given to others. Charity may be performed by donating items, money, time but what is often forgotten that Charity is also performed in thought which is what we can all learn from the Saint of Calcutta. g

newsletterdeep@gmail.com

Chief Editor: Karen Smriti EliasEditorial Board: Atin Chakraborty, Tarun Pal, Prosenjit ChowdhuryPublished by Diocese of Durgapur, CNI, Diocesan Bhavan, Dr. Martin Luther King Road, Bidhan Nagar, Durgapur - 713212,District Burdwan, West Bengal, India., Ph. & Fax: +91-343-2536220

September 2019 Vol.: One Hundred and Forty Nine

Raja Moses : On 31 August 2019, seven students from St. Mary's S e w i n g S c h o o l , Durgapur, sat for the S e w i n g D i p l o m a Examination. When

their results are out, they will be awarded a certificate in Sewing and they can start their own businesses or apply for jobs as tailors in shops. It validates their skills as

sewing and des ign p r o f e s s i o n a l s . I t educates those who have an interest in the sewing profess ion , critiques and evaluates the product thereby improving quality and aids in the development of skills. Finally, it helps to build self-reliant individuals who are capable of providing skills at par with industry standards. g

Sewing Diploma Exams inSt. Mary's Sewing School, Durgapur

Raja Moses : Teachers’

Day was celebrated with

immense zea l and

happiness in the schools

and colleges across

India on the 5th of

September each year. It

is a day to pay respect to

teachers and thank

them for their efforts

and the hard work they

put in every day, all year

round to nurture them.

D C S D C ' S s t u d e n t s

organised a Teacher's

D a y c e l e b r a t i o n .

Teachers and tutors

who come and give

t h e i r t i m e a n d

knowledge were the

guests of honour. The

children came up with

different activities to

show their appreciation

for their teachers. The

teachers sat comfor-

tably while the students

performed dances,

songs, a play, recited

poetry and more to

e n t e r t a i n t h e i r

audience and add joy to

this special day. They

ended the program with

a prayer by Revd.

Samuel Haldar. The

children and the guests

e n j o y e d s o m e

refreshments after the

program ended. g�

Teacher's Day Celebration In Diocese of Durgapur

Raja Moses : The 73rd

Independence Day of

o u r c o u n t r y w a s

c e l e b r a t e d w i t h

considerable dignity.

Every branch of the

C h i l d r e n ’s D e v e l -

opment Programme

celebrated Indepe-

ndence Day with great

e n t h u s i a s m a n d

patriotic zeal. The

n at i o n a l f l a g wa s

hoisted after which all

the attendees sang the

national anthem. The

many boys and girls of

our centres conveyed

their love for the

c o u n t r y t h r o u g h

dances, songs and

poems. At the end of

the function, all the

centres distr ibuted

s w e e t s t o a l l t h e

children and attendees

. g�

DCSDC Celebrate Independence Day

"Not all of us can do great things.But we can do small things with great love"

―Mother Teresa

Nelson Roy: For the past 16 years the D u r g a p u r U n i t e d C h u r c h h a s b e e n celebrating the ‘Festival of Light’. This year it was celebrated on the 8th September after the h o l y c o m m u n i o n s e r v i c e w i t h a l l worshippers present. Church members made

the announcement that the Festivals of Lights was beginning.

“Let the light shine t h r o u g h w i t h t h e promise of Jesus” with this hymn of praise, the p r e a c h e r s a n d conductors took an oath to carry the gospel of light to all the f a m i l i e s o f t h e

pastorate. Every day they will preach and visit a house, which can be about 10 to 20 km away to spread the light. We pray to the almighty God that this light reaches every house just as it has the past 15 years. The ministry has been successful and has even b e e n i nv i t e d i n t o homes which practice another faith to spread some of the peace and l i g ht w h i c h t h e s e families have witnessed i n t h e i r C h r i s t i a n neighbours. g�

3September 2019 Vol.: One Hundred and Forty Nine

Healing PrayerSanthal Mission Pastorate

Binod Hansda : Many

insulted Him, judged

Him, stabbed Him,

adorned Him with a

c r o w n o f t h o r n s ,

slapped Him and even

spit in His face. He

forgave them. He did

not count their crimes

and instead chose to

give us the greatest gift

ever. By saying, "Father

forgive them for they

know not what they

do.” Jesus taught us

what it is to forgive.

Bharati Hembram is a

widow in the Churku

c o n g r e g a t i o n o f

Santhal Mission. She

has long been suffering

from a var iety of

diseases. She visited

many doctors and

spent lots of money but

has been unable to find

a cure. When she was

v e r y i l l , s h e w a s

a d m i t t e d t o t h e

hospital. Doctors found

that her kidney was

infected. As a result,

her family brought her

to the Bankura Central

Church for healing

through Prayer.

The OSL team started

praying to God to heal

her. The team started

to sing and read from

Psalm 86. Revd. Soren

with Deacon Suniti

Hansda and the rest of

the team surrounded

the patient to place her

in the centre of the

prayer circle. After the

prayer began, her eyes

were bulging out and

s h e w a s m a k i n g

unintelligible sounds

and noises. It was a

terrible thing to see.

R e v d . S o r e n w a s

wearing his Cassock and

was praying aloud,

other members were

also praying. While the

prayers were being said,

Bharati would behave

strangely. Sometimes

she would start clapping

and laughing loudly or

she would move her

head and gesture as if

she were trying to call

someone. It was only

later that we realized

that she was trying to

get a hold of Revd.

Soren. Suddenly, a

member of the prayer

circle was possessed by

the evil soul that we

b e l i e v e i n h a b i t e d

Bharati’s body. He fell to

the ground completely

unconscious. Revd.

Soren then used holy

oil, touched the head,

hands and chest of the

u n c o n s c i o u s t e a m

member and made a

mark of the holy cross

on these places. Deacon

Suniti Hansda flicked

holy water on him and

he woke up. But then

again, another member

of the prayer circle

experienced the same,

and again after some

time and prayer, they

were healed. It was a

matter of surprise that

when the other two

members are healed.

Bharati was suddenly

attacked by this evil

spirit in spite of having

been cured just minutes

before.

T h e p r a y e r c i r c l e

continued but when it

was seen that it was not

producing the desired

resul t , the pr iests

decided to try another

method. They deduced

that perhaps something

was holding her back.

So, she was told to

accept her guilt or speak

of it so that it releases its

hold on her but she did

not say a word. Her

family members tried to

get through to her

saying that without

effort on her part and

without her confessing

her guilt or accepting it

even prayer would not

be successful. Despite

much effort and prayer,

Bharati was not healed.

B h a rat i t h e re a f te r

performed worship but

did not attend any

church services and she

slowly distanced herself

from all the other

members of the church.

.g�

Raja Moses : A free eye

screening camp was

conducted by the Good

Shepherd Eye Clinic and

Hospital at the Mankar

Grace Centre, which is

in a village in Purba

Burdwan District. The

camp was held on the

9th of September, 2019,

a n d f o c u s e d o n

refractive errors. The

team travelled to the

camp from the Diocese

headquarters with all

the necessary medical

equipment needed for

an Eye camp in the

mobile van. The timing

of the Out Patient

Department (OPD) was

from 2 in the afternoon

till 4:30 in the evening.

Administration of Grace

Centre had already

informed the parents of

M a n k a r C h i l d r e n

Development Centre's

in their community. As

the team was well

organized with all duties

h a v i n g b e e n p r e -

a s s i g n e d , t h e

registration desk and

examination rooms

were ready for patients

within minutes. After

taking the vision tests,

patients were referred

to Good Shepherd Eye

Hospital for an in-depth

doctor’s examination

for further treatment,

depending on their

requirements. A total of

4 5 c h i l d r e n w e r e

r e g i s t e r e d a t t h e

registration desk and

were examined for eye

diseases. After the

camp ended, it was

followed by a Parents

M e e t i n g w i t h t h e

Centre's Children.

g�

Eye Screening Camp

Festival of Light

Priyanka Chowdhury :

“ “The elders who direct

the affairs of the church

well are worthy of

d o u b l e h o n o u r ,

especially those whose

work is preaching and

teaching.” 1 Timothy

5:17,

O n t h e 5 t h o f

September each year,

we celebrate Teacher's

Day on the occasion of

Dr S. Radhakrishnan’s

birthday. On this day,

every Indian celebrates

Teacher's Day and pays

respect to the teachers

t h e y k n o w . O u r

c o n g r e g a t i o n a l s o

celebrates this day. So

on September 8th, the

Women's Association of

our church organized a

wonderful event for the

teachers in our church.

Mrs.Rita Dutt was in

charge of conducting

the event.

She said, ‘A teacher is

like a candle. They use

their own talent and

knowledge to light the

way for their students.”

Then Ratnadeep, a

member of our church

spoke of the beautiful

relationship student-

teacher. During his

speech he talked of

Jesus and how by

remembering him, his

words and actions, we

understand what it is to

be a teacher. Then

another member of our

church, Margaret, sang

a lovely song dedicating

it to all the teachers. The

Women’s Association

came forward after the

song to present all the

t e a c h e r s i n t h e

congregation with a

thoughtful gift. All the

c l e r g y w e r e a l s o

honoured similarly with

a beautiful gift as they

are considered our

teachers as well. Revd.

Devjit Das, who was

p r e s e n t f o r t h i s

4September 2019 Vol.: One Hundred and Forty Nine

Post-IndependenceFestive Bonanza 2019 Mrs. Priyanka Gosw-

ami : “Freedom in the

mind, Faith in the words,

Pride in our souls……”

St . Peter ’s School ,

Purulia celebrated its

f irst ‘Post-Indepen-

dence Festive Bonanza’

with much patriotic

fervour and zeal through

an inter-school cultural

programme held on the

17th August 2019. The

spirit of freedom was

vibrantly alive among

the participants of all

the schools.

The programme was

i n i t i a t e d w i t h t h e

speech of our Chief

Guest Dr Nachiketa

B a n d h o p a d h y a y ,

Registrar of Sidho-

Kanho Birsha University,

Purulia. The judges for

each event came from

Kolkata and the special

a t t r a c t i o n o f t h e

competition were the

celebrity guests from

Mumbai. Their l ive

performances received

much applause from the

audience.

It was indeed a proud

m o m e n t t o w a t c h

performances which

inspired pride in our

motherland and paid

tribute to our soldiers.

The entire competition

showcased the zeal,

warmth and emotion

which expressed ‘WE

ARE PROUD TO BE

INDIANS’. g�

Purulia Pastorate

Teacher’s Day in Ascension Church, Purulia

occasion, said that

teachers never retire.

So, teachers should be

respected every day.

The day is celebrated to

keep the relationship

between the teacher

and the student alive

and to pave the way for

the future. He then

t h a n k e d a l l t h e

m e m b e r s o f t h e

Women’s Association

who organized such a

beautiful event.

Teachers, Students and

the Guests enjoyed

some refreshments

after the program. May

G o d c o n t i n u e t o

increase the prosperity

o f t h e W o m e n ' s

Associat ion in our

church. g�

Sutapa Singh : A Revival

Meeting was held in

Raniganj Wesleyan

Methodist Church. The

meeting was organized

by the OSL team with

the aid of the Raniganj

Pastorate committee.

T h e r e w e r e 2 0 0

participants in all, many

w e r e f r o m o u r

pastorate and we even

had attendees from

other faiths present.

The main speaker for

this gathering was

Revd. Elisa Beracca

from Assembly of God

Church, Tribeni. Revd.

R a b i n d r a n a t h R a y

conducted the worship

at 9 o'clock before

everyone gathered for

the Revival meeting.

Revd. Elisa Beracca and

his team began the

second session at 11

a.m. Revd. Elisa taught

the congregation that

we should not only

listen to God's word but

also follow and believe

it. Then he prayed for

the ill and those people

were driven by evil. The

program ended at 2

o'clock. g�

Raniganj Pastorate

Revival Meeting

A r a b i n d o D a s :

According to the word

of God, if we are able to

make even one sinner

repent then God’s

messengers rejoice

(Luke 15:10)

The Order of St. Luke’s

under the direction of

Durgapur Diocese has

been doing their job

successfully. The OSL

Ministry of Raniganj

Pastorate is a fine

example of the healing

ministry being carried

out. On the 4th of

August, 2019, Bunji

Bhuiya accepted Lord

Jesus as her saviour. She

is the first of a new team

who has decided to

work and heal in the

L o r d ’s n a m e . G o d

himself chose her to do

great things. Please pray

for the OSL team, that

they can fulfil their

responsibility to the

people and to God. The

word of God again

reminds us that we

should pray to God so

that he sends a capable

person, who is capable

and can carry out all the

work that needs to be

done down on the

earth.

g�

Martha Das : India celebrated her 73rd Independence Day on August 15, 2019. The S u n d a y S c h o o l o f Wesleyan Methodist C h u r c h , R a n i g a n j celebrated Indepen-dence Day with great e n t h u s i a s m a n d patr iot ic zeal . Our Priest-In charge, Revd. R a b i n d r a n a t h R a y raised the flag at 8.30 a . m . T h e c u l t u r a l programme at our Church began after the f l a g h o i s t i n g w i t h e v e r y o n e s i n g i n g ‘ Va n d e M a t a r a m ’

together. The spirit of f r e e d o m a n d nationalism was well e x p r e s s e d b y t h e students of Sunday School through a variety of patriotic poems, speeches on freedom fighters, songs, and dances. Committed to the task of nation-

bui ld ing , everyone pledged to serve their motherland through education and serving the community. A group of students performed a dance followed by the National Anthem and t h e n s we e t s we re d i s t r i b u t e d t o a l l attending.. g�

God’s Work and his Labourers

Celebrating Independence Day

5

Ingredients1.5 cups grated apples1.5 tablespoons ghee, clarified butter¼ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar¼ + ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon powder¼ teaspoon cardamom powder⅛ teaspoon nutmeg powdersliced almonds, to garnishMethodWash the apples and peel them.Cut into slices and run them into a food processor till the apples are well grind. Few pieces are ok.In a pan heat ghee on medium heat. Once hot, add the apples. Cook the apples till all the water is evaporated, this took me around 7-8 minutes. Now add sugar and mix. Also add cinnamon powder, nutmeg and cardamom powder.As the sugar melts, the halwa will again become liquidy.Cook for 5 minutes stirring continuously till all water evaporates.Garnish with sliced almonds and serve hot.From Cook with Manali

RecipeDurgapur Diocese

Colour

Recipe for Apple Halwa

Answer the Question to this

Whatsapp No. 9064863735

94

BIBLE QUIZ

Konika PrasadMamata JhonBrajendra SanielNatasha RichardsMerry Bansriar

Dayud BiswasProf. S.C.MishraSwapna Mihar

Ans: 1) Hezekiah Ans:2) Ananias (Acts 9:10-18)Ans:3) Antioch (Galatians 2:11)

The name of those who have submitted their answers to the Quiz before the 20th of the every month has been published here. If you wish to see your name here, please send us your answer by the 15 of the next month

Answer of Bible Quiz 93

Name of those who submitted the Correct Answer

Mission Support Fund received: 15.08.19 to 18.09.19Raniganj Pastorate

Mr. Israil

All Saint's Church, Kharagpur

Mr. Jimmy BansariaAscensan ChurchMr. Bimal Goswami

Mrs. Monji DasMrs. Mitali Singh

Durgapur United ChurchMrs. Sorboni Dutta

St. Barnabas ChurchMrs. Urmila Hansda

Diocese of DurgapurRevd. Sandipan SinhaMartha Lina Hansda

Sovana Soren

Christ Church, BurdwanMr. Ratindra Kumar Pal

Christ Church, BurnpurMs. Poonam Kerketta

Mr. I.D. KachhapSt. Peter's Church-

ChittaranjanMr. Sushil Das

St. Michael's & All AngelsMrs. Archana Adhikary Dey

Mr. Daniel ThomasSeacoast United Church

Mr. Sambhu BiswasMrs. Krishna Rani Manna

Mr. Khokan JanaMrs. Sudipta MaityMiss. Kakoli Ghorai

Seacoast United ChurchMiss. Protima Das

Mrs. Purnima Ghorai

We would like to request our members to donate MSF for the development of Ministerial work for the current financial year 2019-2020 @ minimum of 500/- once a Year.

Question prepared by Revd. Pankaj Pande

September 2019 Vol.: One Hundred and Forty Nine

Raja Moses : I am very

proud to the Diocese

that Dr Avirupa Ghosh

is joining our hospital as

a V i t r e o - R e t i n a l

Surgeon in August

2019. She has 10 years

of experience as a

practising eye Surgeon

w i t h S a n k a r a

Nethralaya. She completed her MBBS from Calcutta Medical

College. She has also done her MS from Calcutta Medical College. Dr

Avirupa Ghosh is experienced in handling patients suffering from

ailments related to Vitreo-Retinal diseases. The management of our

hospital feels privileged to give the patients of the hospital the

opportunity to get treated by Dr Avirupa Ghosh. I strongly believe

that the patients of our hospital will benefit from our new doctor’s

knowledge and years of experience. Patients from Bangladesh and

Bihar have already started coming to our clinics to be treated by the

doctor. I hope that Dr Avirupa Ghosh has a long and successful time

with our hospital. g�

GSECH welcomes a New Doctor

1. Be___and ___; do __ __ frightened or_____, for____ word____ ____ is____you wherever ____ ____(Fill in the blank2. What did God cloth himself with ?3. Which opostle was killed by Herod ?