April 15th

, 2014 Newsletter Vol 14# 2

CONTENT

REDS Jubilee

Seminary Study

First Vows Ceremony

Thank You Note

Full-time Study

Solidarity Fund

District Assembly

Vocation Promotion in the

District

Naxalbari Land

Feasibility Study

St. Joseph’s Feast Day

UD Graduation

Further Community Visits

Birthday List

Easter Blessing

Today is the day of Easter Joy!

The Lord has appeared to men and women who

had begun to lose hope.

May the Risen Lord breathe on the Marianists

of India and open our eyes that we may know

Him in the breaking of bread and follow Him in

His Risen Life.

Alleluia! Alleluia!

The District Council

Bangalore, India.

Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people

and hallelujah is our song. Pope John Paul II

The light the pioneering

Marianists lit is still burning in

REDS

25th Anniversary of

our involvement with

REDS 1989 – 2014

The light they, the pioneering Marianists, lit in REDS, is still burning...

25th

Anniversary of our involvement with REDS

Dear Brothers,

We, as a District, have one more reason to thank the Almighty during this Lent-2014: we have

been associating ourselves with the ragpickers and child labourers through REDS, since March

1989! On Holy Thursday of 1989 (March 23 that year), the then Scholastics, Mullai Doss and

Santosh Tudu, with a few other Marianists and aspirants, led by the then Marianist Unit Co-

ordinator, Bro. Richard E. Joyal, SM and assisted by Fr. Florian, washed the feet of the

ragpickers and dinned with them, in the community! None could have imagined that evening,

that event would become mutual blessings!

From 1986 - 1991, the Marianist scholastics and a few aspirants lived on a rented floor at the

Holy Cross Brothers House, in St Mark’s Road, Bengaluru, under the guidance of Richard and

Florian. The scholastics were doing their degrees at the St. Joseph’s College, while the aspirants

had private tutors. On weekends, all were involved in different pastoral and apostolic activities,

besides cooking and super-cleaning and participating in recreational activities. From June 1988,

Brother Mullai Doss and a few aspirants from Tamil Nadu did their apostolic activities at the

ragpickers shelter, which was located at the Sacred Heart Church Campus. Fr. Santosh Tudu and

a few others taught music at nearby orphanages. Mr. Vincent, cook at Chaminade Nilaya, was

introduced by a spiritual friend of the Marianists, Fr George, SJ.

Some faithful from a pious group held prayer meetings in the community. The community also

held several seasonal programs for the religious and the youth and for themselves. The

community was known for its hospitality even to strangers. Mr Anumandha, a leprosy

rehabilitant, lived in the community, while several religious were directed by Richard and

Florian. Some of them still cherish the sweet memories and are grateful.

The community’s 3 Offices held meetings to observe the liturgical calendar activities and to

prepare the Sunday’s liturgy. Everyone shared their faith experience based on Sunday’s readings.

Surely, someone’s high-point would be low to the others, as usual, given the nature of individual

differences and the mixed socio-cultural background. In spite of the differences among them, all

agreed to observe the Holy Week-1989 in a unique way: “that they would wash the feet of the

ragpicking-kids and their friends, and serve them a good meal with the Lenten community

sacrifice, in the community!” And they did it! It became a turning point for the Marianists

(Trust), to undertake a new apostolate in the South, though the priority was to educate and to train

the Marianists, for the North.

None would have imagined that day’s evening prayer-service would become such a mutual

blessing. Through our involvement with REDS since then, we have become a hopeful-ladder for

the downtrodden; through the ongoing developmental programs in modified REDS we have

become a participatory-learning-center for novices, volunteers, trainees, professionals. Everyone

who has been involved in REDS acknowledges the blessings in their lives! Also, we have been

invited to different places to initiate REDS.

Brother Richard, the visionary of REDS, acknowledged that “Always working behind the scenes

are our benevolent supporters in the various agencies, the local and international contributors...

all of us at REDS are grateful for their personal interest and for their generous help” (REDS

annual report 2000).

Blessed John Paul II reminds that “You have not only a glorious history to remember and to

recount, but also a great history still to be accomplished! Look to the future, where the Spirit is

sending you, in order to even greater things.” And gives this advice: “ ...Be always ready,

faithful to Christ, the Church, to your institute and to the men and women of our time. In this way

you will be day by day renewed in Christ, in order with his Spirit to build fraternal communities,

to join him in washing the feet of the poor and to contribute in your own unique way to the

transfiguration of the world “ (Vita Consecrata,110).

“May the Lord, Mother Mary and Blessed Father Chaminade continue guiding us as a Marianist

Unit dedicated to the poor in India and in world today.” Very Rev. David Fleming SM, letter to

the Region of India, on 23rd

Aug 2002

Pope Francis also worked for the welfare of the ragpickers, years back, and continually invites

the church to do many things for the welfare of the poor and the needy.

Pray brothers, that may this Lent 2014 help us to turn to God to experience the goodness of the

Lord, however /wherever we are and bear witness to that in all our apostolic activities. We thank

God for the anniversary, we bless the memory of Bro.Richard whose 1st anniversary of death is

also this month and we look with energetic hope to the future of God’s kingdom.

The Marianists, District of India

Seminary Studies

After consultations with communities, the District

Council has appointed Bro. Sebastian Bara

and Bro. Raj Mohan to seminary studies

beginning June 1, 2014. Bro. Suman Dungdung

also received a positive response from the

community but the District cannot afford three

seminarians in one year. So we plan to send Bro.

Suman to the seminary next year a little early so

that he has more time to learn Italian, the

language of the seminary community and some

of the professors. Congratulations to our

brothers, and our prayers for very fruitful studies

and preparation for the Marianist priesthood.

First Vows

Upon the positive

recommendation of the staff of

the novitiate, the District Council

and the Provincial Council have

approved the profession of first

vows for Bro. Antony Casimeer

Joseph Raj and Bro. T. Arul

Ambeth (Anbu). The profession

of First Vows will take place at

Nirmal Deep on May 1, 2014,

Feast of St. Joseph the Worker.

We welcome these young men to

the professed Marianist life and

pray for many happy years of

ministry and community in

alliance with Mary!

Bro. Casimeer Bro. Arul Ambeth

THANKS for Collaboration

Many thanks to the dozens of brothers of the District

who participated in the consultations for perpetual vows,

seminary, first vows, and renewal of temporary vows!

This is an essential part of the communities’ role in the

Marianist Formation process.

Bro. Sebastian Bara Bro. Raj Mohan

Full-time Studies

Three additional brothers will be commencing

full time studies this year to prepare

themselves better for their mission in the

District.

Bro. Ashok Dungdung will be pursuing his

Bachelor’s in Education; Bro. Renny Markose

will be studying at Dharmaram College for a

diploma in philosophy with residence at

Infant Nilaya community , and Bro. Jyoti

Prakash Minj will begin Master’s work in

Rural Development at the Xavier Institute in

the Social Sciences in Ranchi as a member of

the Gyan Deep community. We wish them

well and look forward to their enhanced work

in the mission.

Correspondence Degrees

Correspondence studies were recently approved

for Bro. Sanjay Ekka (MA English), Fr. Xavier Raj

(MA English), Bro. Santosh Savarimuthu (MA

English) and Bro. Kerobim Xalxo (MA). Enjoy your

work!

Solidarity Fund

At the February 5th meeting of the Extended General Council, the District of India

was approved for the following grants:

Generator for REDS Ranchi/Gyan Deep Community: $2,000

Vehicle (Bus) for REDS Skill Training Centre, Deepahalli: $10,000

(This bus money is in matching funds which means we cannot

access the money until we raise an additional $10,000 from other

sources, a project we are pursuing.)

Jakob Gapp School, Fire Safety equipment $7,500

Formation Fund: Deepahalli Nilaya Repairs $20,000

The District is very grateful for this assistance from the rest of the Society of Mary!

District Assembly

Members of the Assembly committee have

been meeting in the north and south

preparing for the Assembly in December.

Bro. Steve Glodek, Bro. Erik Otiende of the

region of Eastern Africa and Fr. Marty

Solma are major speakers for our

gathering.

Arrival day will be December 28. Work

begins on December 29 with community

reports and displays (more later). This

work concludes on New Year’s Eve,

December 31. The new Council will be

installed on January 1 and perpetual

profession will be held on January 2. Mr.

Savio Franco will be the principal facilitator

assisting co-chairs Bro. Basant and Fr. Jack.

Everyone is responsible to make their own

train reservations, and the normal

reimbursements to the communities will be

made for bills submitted. The next

Assembly Committee meeting will be held

at Nirmal Deep on May 2.

Bro. Steve Glodek Bro. Erik Otiende Fr. Marty Solma

Vocation Promotion

The District wants to support and thank

brothers for their work in promoting our

Marianist vocation. Bros. Raj Mohan,

Peter Paul, Santhosh and Raiappen

recently conducted a “Come and See” in

Tamil Nadu for 19 young men. Fr. Chitti

Babu and Bro. Showrry Ravulapalli spent

some recent days following up contacts

in Andra Pradesh, and Fr. James

Dungdung made trips in Jharkhand and

Odisha, enlisting the assistance of

community members in the process.

Naxabari (Siliguri)

In a trip in early March Bro. Basant and Bro.

Alex surveyed our property in Naxalbari. We

paid the revenue tax and arranged for the sale

of bamboo on our property. Of the total of 7.7

acres, two acres are excellent for Cultivation.

Only three kilometers from Nepal, the

population of Siliguri is made up of Tribals,

Gorkas, Bihari and Nepalis.

Feasibility Study for an English Medium School in Deepahalli

The University of Dayton has offered the District of India to support a feasibility study “for an

English Medium School in Deepahalli”. The District of India was very happy to say yes because

we were at that very moment planning exactly that same thing. Our work is now progressing

well, and the feasibility study is about to begin. The work will be done by an Indian Consulting

Firm called SANNEM s4. We are working with the offices in Bangalore and Delhi. There are also

offices in London and Los Angeles. Our main contacts are Mr. Krish Kumar and Mr. John Philip.

In a phone conference of seven people several nights ago, the firm told us how their study

would be conducted by experts in 4 fields for the 4 parts of the study: Market Analysis,

Affiliation requirements (how the schools around us operate, plan, develop and obtain

recognition), Government Rules and Relations, and Financial Analysis. Mr. Krish Kumar has

already visited the Faustino Community and met with Fr. Bhaskar and Fr. Jack. The next

conference call is scheduled for May 2.

St. Joseph’s Feast Day

On 19th of March 2014 St. Joseph (REDS)

Community celebrated St. Joseph’s

Feast. All the Marianists in Bangalore

came to Deepahalli to mark the day

special. REDS-Skill Training Centre was

lighted bright and stood glorious. The

car procession started near the black

Madonna while the children danced in

front of the decorated chariot and

ended in front of the REDS main

building. Fire works on the sky marked

the very beautiful and meaningful event.

REDS children leading the procession with dancing Brothers pushing the car chariot of St. Joseph

REDS children giving pose with the Brothers in front of the chariot

Further Community Visits

April 27 -28 Singhpur Community

April 29 – 30 Nirmal Deep Community

May 06 – 07 Maria Nilaya Community, Patna

Mary 09 – 10 Barh Marianist Community

UD Graduation at Deepahalli

“Come! Live in the light! Shine with the joy and the

love of the Lord!” With a glad song scholastics sang

the opening music to the UD Graduation on April

12, 2014 at Deepahalli. Dr. Joseph Saliba, Ph.D.,

Provost of the University of Dayton, presided and

conferred the degrees. Also leading the ceremonies

were Dr. Rani, Dean of UD Deepahalli and Fr. Ignase

Arulappen, Executive Director.

Prayers and Bhajans were offered in the Catholic,

Buddhist, Hindu and Mulim traditions, and Dr. Rani

introduced the faculty. Especially honored was Dr.

Patricia Johnson, one of the founders of UD

Deepahalli for her long years of dedication, deep

knowledge and commitment to personal education

of our students. She gave a moving address on

what education means. Dr. Joseph Saliba also

addressed the graduates eloquently on the

importance of movement and growth in education

as well as service and transformation.

Two of the graduates with distinction, Bro. Jyoti

Prakash Minj, SM and Bro. Santhosh Savarimuthu,

addressed their fellow graduates with reflections

and thanks about their UD Education. Professor of

Education, Bro. Tom Oldenski, S.M. likewise spoke

to the graduates with great articulation and humor

on the mission of education.

The ceremonies ended with the rousing singing of

the UD Anthem, cake cutting and High Tea.

The following are the graduates who were present:

Marianists: Jyoti Prakash Minj, Antony Xavier, P., Raj

Mohan,C., Renny Markose, Suman Dungdung, Anup

Ranjan Kullu, John Paul,L., Kumaraswamy, K., Libin Tete,

Sudhir Kumar Soreng, Balaswamy, A. , George Hans,

Peter Paul, K., Pratap Guria, Prince, A., Santhosh

Savarimuthu, Montforts: Mervin Louis, & Antony Sunil,

Non-Religious: Cyprin Soreng & John Arulanandu.

Birthday

April - 2014

16 Sylverius Kerketta

21 Mariandu Belevendiran, A.

Peter Paul, K.

23 Joseph Barla

27 Alexius Toppo

May - 2014

01 Varghese Manooparampil

Balaswamy, A.

02 Pragasam, T.

03 Britto Murmu

06 George Majhi

10 Pratap Guria

12 Ashok Kumar Dungdung

Kumaraswamy, A.

20 Dulare Lal Lucas

24 Nabin Lugun

25 Dilip Kumar Tirkey

26 Albert Xalxo

28 James Dungdung

30 Sebastian Bara