vol 1no 2

8/7/2019 vol 1no 2

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Divya Kripa ChurchKasturi Villa, Plot – 44A, Sector 20, Kharghar,

Navi Mumbai - 410 210.

Vol-1 / No.1

FROM INSURRECTION TO RESURRECTION :

A curious way to introduce a reflection on a subject

of a serious nature. We need reverting options.

For us Christians the week preceding Easter known

as Holy week is replete with high-drama, excitement,

chivalry and the reverberations of the annual Paschal

celebration. Amidst this atmosphere of mirth, laughter,

fun, entertainment, punctuated with religious fervour,

one senses a rising crescendo of violent verbal

denunciation from a motley crowd. “If you release this

man, you are not Caesar’s friend”.

The mumblings of an insurrection-people’s power

against Roman governance, baying for the blood of Jesus.

An outward display of the rabble-rousers anger, revealing

an inner insurrection of seething passions, unbridled

desires, and swerling impulses churching with human

heart, self-righteousness, prejudice, arrogance, power,

jealousy. In every insurrection some goals are achieved,

but there is a fall out as well. The rabble rousers put

Jesus to death, and with this died the tremors of the unsurrection.

Roman supremacy remained intact, religious conservation unscathed, but out of

this residue, by a strange logic, the one they killed arose from the dead.

He was resurrected. Mens knowledge catapitulates before God’s wisdom.

“ Unless a grain of wheat dies, it cannot give rise to new life”.

In dying Christ buried our unruly passions, and seething desires and arose offering

us a new life of Joy, Peace and Love.Happy - Easter

– Fr.Gerry Fernandes

DOWN MEMORY LANE – DIVYA KRIPA PARISH

Looking Back – 2

During the latter months of 2004 the Indian economy

improved and building activity restarted in Kharghar.

Since then an average of 40 to 50 catholic families have

moved in. In 2006 we had 120 families. We then decided

to split the E zone into 3 smaller communities and

numbered them E1, E2 & E3.

Community E1 included Sectors 3, 4, 5. Community

E2 included Sec. 7, 11, 12 & 15. Community E3 included

Secs. 14, 20 & 21. Sector 2 & 8 were still under development. The construction of

Kharghar Railway Station, and Spagetti Complex was a lso underway.We organized the first Nativity Novena to our Lady in September 2004, and with

the exception of a year we have continued this tradition. All 3 communities joinedtogether to put posters of the theme for each day of the Novena. Since there wasonly one priest at St. Jpseph’s we could not have a mass each day. On the feast day we had a get-together for the community. One year we had only vegetarian dishes,as is done in many places on the Nativity feast day of our Lady, this every oneenjoyed the variety prepared by our ladies. The get-together not only helped buildup the community but also facilitated the newcomers too in making newacquaintances and friends.

Since it was becoming very difficult for the Kharghar community to commute toSt. Joseph’s Church at Belapur, we had discussions with our parish priest, Fr. RyanFernandes, regarding formation of a separate parish at Kharghar. Fr. Ryan agreedthat it needs to be done, we therefore decided to talk to Bishop Agnello Gracias, theregional bishop of Navi Mumbai. We started a signature campaign and got preparedan appeal. Three of our Kharghar parishioners met him when he came for institutingthe rite of confirmations at St. Joseph’s Church in April 2005. At that time BishopAgnello wasn’t in favour of a separate par ish for Kharghar since a sum of nearly Rs1.10 crore had been spent on the St. Joseph’s Church building. He told us to sendthe appeal to Archbishop’s house and he would go through it. We then decided thatthe next time Bishop Agnello visited Belapur, he should be taken around Khargharto keep him abreast with the development taking place and the difficulty of travelingto the church in Belapur. The next time Bishop Agnello came directly to Khargharand asked us to meet him at Prem Dan. After he was taken around Kharghar by usaccompanied by Frs. Ralph and Ryan Fernandes and Sunder Albuquerque, his outlookchanged. He called the animators present for a meeting immediately and informed

us that we should work towards formation of a separate parish in Kharghar. Ourlong cherished dream became a reality on June 1 st 2009.

Many of our community members worked on Saturday’s and found it difficult toattend 7.00p.m mass at Kharghar. They attended the 8.30 a.m. at St. Joseph’s onSundays. This kept the community divided and planning various activities difficultWe therefore requested for the mass at Kharghar to be changed to Sunday morningat 10.00 a.m. We also said we would provide transport for the priest but Fr. Ryan wasnot in favour of the change due to activities of the church during the same time.

Mass at Kharghar was not celebrated on major feasts days, the two big holidayperiod, Holy Week and Christmas. The laity at Kharghar found it difficult to travelto Belapur due to lack of buses and rickshaws, especially in the morning. Many walked 10 Km. back to Kharghar even late at night. Hiring a bus was out of questionas no contractor was available at Kharghar. When the laity from Kharghar attendedmass at Belapur the crowd overflowed on to the road at the rear creating a trafficproblem. Soon only those having vehicles and a few staying near the bus stops wereattending mass at Belapur. Rickshaws charged up to Rs. 150 fr om Kharghar to StJoseph’s and back. Many of the laity decided to attend mass at Belapur only on bigfeast days.

We decided to speak to Bishop. Agnello regarding these problems and see if hecould help in getting the mass timing at Kharghar or appoint another priest atBelapur to help out at Kharghar. Bishop Agnello said that it will be difficult to appointa 2nd priest due to shortage but he will get the mass timing at Kharghar changed toSunday 10.00 a.m.

(to be continued...)

– Clifford D’Souza.

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WOMEN’S VOICE :

An Evening for Couples

On Sunday, 7 March 2010, the Women’s Cell organised a

special day for the couples of our parish. 35 couples came

together at 5.30 p.m. at Prem Dan to participate in the

special Eucharistic celebration. The meaningful liturgy

prepared with appropriate inputs from Fr. Gerry created

a beautiful ambience, and invoked in us a feeling of

nostalgia as we reminisced the special moments of our wedding day. The renewal

of our marriage vows also felt special as we gazed into the eyes of our beloved spouseand re-declared our love for each other. On the wedding day, we were overwhelmed

by the excitement and cheers of felicitation from friends and relatives. In the wake

of all the merriment some of the messages from the liturgy and homily were forgotten

as we left the Church hand-in-hand as one. But here, after years of togetherness,

we were blessed with an opportunity to re-affirm our feelings for each other and

acknowledge our appreciation. As the gifts of flowers, candle, incense, and bread

and wine were brought in procession during offertory we were reminded that family

life is made fragrant with the sacrificing love of couples. Appropriate hymns

centering on the theme of love between couples were chosen and they further added

meaning to our renewals and reflections. The Eucharist was followed by an

interactive session conducted by Fr. Gerry, who with the help of visual aids

highlighted the emotional differences between husbands and wives further widening

our vision. Enlisted below are the highlights of the session:

Six primary love needs of a woman/man-

She needs CARING/ He needs TRUST She needs UNDERSTANDING/ He needs ACCEPTANCE

She needs RESPECT/ He needs APPRECIATION

She needs DEVOTION/ He needs ADMIRATION

She needs VALIDATION ( feelings)/ He needs APPROVAL

She needs REASSURANCE/ He needs ENCOURAGEMENT

We left that evening feeling more enriched, and amidst gratitude and appreciation

a radiant hope sparkled in our hearts-a hope to witness and participate in many

more celebrations of the kind.

– Mrs. Fatima Godinho

Secretary (Women’s Cell)

COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS

My First Holy Communion The greatest and most momentous event of my life

was when I received my First Holy Communion on 28February 2010. We were 12 candidates-3 boys and 9 girls-

who stood before Fr. Gerry, the parish community, ourcatechists, parents, relatives and friends as we receivedthe Sacrament of Holy Communion. We are also proud tobe the first batch of Holy Communion candidates in ournewly formed Divya Kripa Church, Kharghar.

Our preparations started from June 2009. We were indeed blessed to be initiatedand prepared for our First Holy Communion by our catechists Fr. Gerry, Sr. Cresence,Sr. Elsa and Miss. Preethi. During our preparatory course we were helped, encouragedand supported by many people. We were often lovingly referred to as ‘the twelve disciplesof Jesus”. At home our parents guided and instructed us on the basic prayers.

Our catechesis was arranged into four units. In the first unit, we learned aboutour loving Father, and on the feast of St. John the Baptist, we were accepted to the firsEucharistic programme. We were then presented ‘the Lord’s Prayer’ on 1st October, thefeast of the Guardian Angels, at the Community mass.

The theme of our second unit was ‘With Jesus in the Holy Spirit’. On the feast othe Presentation of our Lord we were presented ‘The Creed’.

In the third unit, we were introduced to the Sacrament of Reconciliation throughlessons from illustrious stories of the Bible such as that of the Prodigal son, the sinner

woman and the woman of Samaria among others.With the guidance and fatherly love of Fr. Gerry, we then entered into the fourth

solemn stage of preparation for our first Confession. Through his various inspiringsessions, he took away our anxieties and worries. And on 27thFebruary, we, the FirstHoly Communicants along with our parents made our confessions. We prepared ourhearts to receive Jesus.

And finally our most anticipated day, 28thFebruray, dawned. We awoke with greateagerness in our hearts and prepared excitedly for our Communion mass. All dressedserenely in garments of white, we entered the church in procession with our parentfollowed by the Eucharistic ministers and Fr. Gerry. The presence and activeparticipation of our parents, relatives, friends and our dear parishioners gave us afeeling of unity and acceptance. We participated whole-heartedly in the Liturgybeautifully prepared by Sr. Cresence. We took up various parts of the Liturgy whichincluded the Readings from the books of Exodus and 2 Corinthians, and an Offertoryprocession accompanied with reflective prayers on our symbolic gifts of offering.

And then that memorable moment arrived when we all received the consecratedHost in a ceremonious and symbolic manner from Fr. Gerry. Our hearts were bursting

with joy as we beheld our most sweet Jesus, our dearest friend who loves us ‘as we areand always walks besides us. We then professed our gratitude and love for Jesus bysinging the hymn ‘I just thank you Lord, for making me ME’. We are convinced thatthis Holy Sacrament of Communion constitutes a solid moral foundation for our futureand will always guide us to live a virtuous life.

– Joel Justine

Jeevan Jyoti Ashram –

A Beacon of Light in the Darkness of Human Suffering

At the mention of Jeevan Jyoti Ashram, we all envisage the Missionaries ofCharity Brothers, bearing expressions of joyous humility and tranquility, and livinglives of simplicity devoted to loving kindness. As parishioners of Kharghar, weourselves bear witness to the selfless service they offer to those who are oftenshunned and abandoned by family and society, thereby living the vision of theirfoundress Mother Teresa. These messengers of God’s love live a joyous adventureof charity and faith each day as they embrace and share the trials of those in misery

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and need. Their works of love and service are strengthened by their life of prayer, which includes daily mass and an hour of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.

We interview Brother Emmanuel, Superior of Jeevan Jyoti Ashram (Kharghar),to learn more about their vocation of service and love.

Brother Emmanuel, could you give us a brief idea of the history of yourOrder and also Jeevan Jyoti Ashram?

Inspired by a need to find men who would work among the poor with the samezeal and spirit, Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity Brothers in1963. She appointed a young Jesuit, Ian Travers Ball, whom she met when hecame to Calcutta for his Tertianship, as the Spiritual Director and Superior for theBrothers. With permission from the Jesuits, he joined the Brothers and humblyled this small group of men to serve the poorest of the poor. He took the name of Brother Andrew, a name that we now know him by. Under his leadership and Mother

Teresa’s gentle guidance, we grew in numbers, and have been able to reach out toour sick, lonely and rejected brethren. We seek to do small things, but infused

with love for our fellowmen.On 31 May 2009, we started Jeevan Jyoti Ashram at Kharghar, a home for

destitute persons (adults and children) diagnosed with HIV or tuberculosis, a place where they are loved and accepted, and where they can be cared for and nurtured.Most of them had the streets or railway stations as their addresses. They are broughtinto our care by the police, social workers, non-governmental organisations andthe Missionaries of Charity Sisters. We ourselves make regular rounds of railwaystations and major hospitals such as J.J. Hospital, Sion Hospital and KEM Hospitalto look for destitute persons living with HIV or tuberculosis who would need ourattention. Here at the Ashram we are able to provide them the security of a homeand an environment of love and peace. We are able to help them improve theirhealth by providing palliative care and assisting them to complete their course of medical treatment accompanied with access to routine medical examination atthe hospitals. We also run two dispensaries, one each for treatment of HIV andtuberculosis.

Are the medications aided or subsidised by the Government? Yes, the medicines specific for the treatment of HIV and tuberculosis are

completely Government-aided and we collect them from government centres atIrla and Vashi. However, we have to purchase medicines to treat other ailmentsthat affect our brethren.

What is the usual daily routine for the residents of Jeevan Jyoti Ashram?Dependent on their health, the residents are encouraged to participate in simple

daily activities. In the mornings, they engage themselves in making rosaries andcleaning. Time is dedicated in the early evening for outdoor games. This is followedby a session of prayer and devotion. We are also planning to introduce candle-making. Every Wednesday, we conduct awareness programmes in the form of oralpresentations to help clarify their doubts and misconceptions.

What is the response you receive from the residents under your care? Doyou witness any changes in their interactions?

Yes, each day, we are witnesses to small miracles of change and healing—not just of their bodies but also their wounded and bruised spirits. The constantassurance that there is somebody to look after them and care for their needs hashelped blossom their faith. The renewed faith gives them the courage to endurelife’s sufferings and tribulations. We are happy to notice a change in theirbehaviour—from one of indifference to a healthy participation in the activities atJeevan Jyoti Ashram and interaction with others.

How would you describe your mission of love?We believe in preaching the Word of God through works of love, reaching out to

those deprived of acceptance and companionship. To serve the poor, we believe infirst humbling ourselves and living a simple life. By being one with the poor, wecan identify with their sufferings, and they find it easier to approach us with theirinadequacies and broken spirits. We do not make distinctions based on religion,caste or creed; with our hearts open to people from all faiths, we embrace theminto the circle of our love. We give freely what we receive in abundance from God.

In what ways can we contribute to Jeevan Jyoti Ashram?

Our main sponsorship is from our Mother House at Kolkata. Your acts of charity,however, will definitely aid our work. Apart from volunteering time, you can alsosponsor the daily meals through our booking system, and provide monetarydonations, clothes and food supplies. We would appreciate enquiries regarding ourother immediate requirements before you volunteer to make further donations.

You can also help strengthen our mission by your simple act of encouraging yourfellow brethren to come forward to our aid. Most importantly, keep us always in

your prayersWe are indeed deeply touched by your works of reaching out to our less fortunate

brethren. You strive zealously to restore dignity to the rejected, abandoned and ostracised,transcending the barriers of race, creed, physical attributes, social class and health status. You feed their hunger for love, clothe them with acceptance and dissipate their loneliness. Thank you, Brother, for sharing with us your visionary ideals of doing the

smallest of things with the greatest of love.In order to contribute to Jeevan Jyoti Ashram, you may contact Brother

Emmanuel at Jeevan Jyoti Ashram. – Jacinta George

Prem Dan –

The Gift of Love that every Child Deserves and Yearns for

Nestled at the foothills around Kharghar lies a place that embodies the spirit of love, service and goodwill, a place where we gather together every Sunday to celebratethe Eucharist, a place that has carved a place in the warm niche of our hearts, a place

we all know as Prem Dan. Every visit to this home renews our appreciation of thebeauty and homely atmosphere of this wondrous place. We revel in the generosity ofthe Congregation of Jesus and Mary under whose guidance and administration thisinstitution has flourished. The grace and poise exuded by the resident girls duringprayers and daily interactions never fails to amaze us.

Yet, many aspects of their lives are unknown to most of us. And, so one evening,I sought the help of Sister to find out more about the institution and its work. With aserene smile and a warm embrace, she welcomed me to their home and humbly agreedto provide answers for my questing mind.

Sister, it would be wonderful if you could help us find out more about PremDan. I will commence by asking you to elaborate on the vision behind yourCongregation and the establishment of this institution.

In 1818, the Congregation of the Religious of Jesus and Mary was founded bySaint Claudine with the apostolic aim of providing young and deprived children affectedby the French Revolution with a solid religious and moral formation along withimparting elementary education and working skills. She always urged the Daughters

of the Congregation “to be mothers to the children, true mothers of body and soul”.And true to the visionary ideals of our foundress, Saint Claudine, Sister FelicityMorris, a Religious of the Congregation of Jesus and Mary, has been workingundauntedly towards the upliftment of the underprivileged girl child.

Prem Dan is the outcome of Sister Felicity Morris’ long-cherished and deep desireto gift the underprivileged girl child with the security of a loving, caring and appreciativeenvironment. She initiated the child care project in 1975 under a tree in Mumbai.Her small steps of embracing a few girls then took the form of a home, and the tree isthe now site of the Thévenet Garden School, Prem Dan at Fort, Mumbai. In order toprovide a full-fledged home where the girls could be cared for, in 1998, Prem Dan at

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Kharghar was conceived of and established. It provides a platform to the underprivilegedgirl child offering them a firm education, both formal and moral, and an opportunity toexplore and develop their potentials with the constant assurance of a safe and loving environment.

Our home is open to girls of all faiths. We offer them formal education and residentialfacilities till they complete their Secondary School education. We seek to impart a

value-based education to help the girls coming from disturbed environments developtheir inner selves and equip them with etiquette, poise and grace that would helpthem in their future. We hope they gain something worthwhile to take back throughour actions and teachings of Gospel-based values.

It gladdens our hearts to see many of our girls doing well in various careers. Theyonly need a little boost, small encouragements and an assurance of love and support toexcel in their unique fields of specialisation.

Was the Convent of Jesus and Mary High School an initiative to aid this cause? Yes. Though we founded the school in 2002 to ensure that our girls would receive

a continuous and impartial formal education, we also wanted to impart the sameeducation to the children of the parish and the society. This is in keeping with thephilosophy of Saint Claudine who believed in devoting our charism in service to thechurch and society at large.

We understand that congratulations are due to you and all the sisters for therecognition the school has gained in 2009.

Thank you, dear. It is indeed a joyous wait for us as we anticipate the meritoriouspassing out of our first batch of SSC students this year.

We have also heard about the Vocational Centre situated here at Prem Dan.Could you tell us more about the courses offered at the Centre?

The building adjacent to our residence on this campus is the Vocational Centre, where we offer courses of tailoring, catering and computer-training to women from the vicinity, school dropouts and those seeking help. Janashikshan Sanstha, Worli, agovernment-recognised organisation, provides tutors for these courses and conferscertificates at the end of the training period.

Your selfless and giving nature has impacted us all; your works of kindnessand unconditional love has touched us deeply. How can we contribute to your

mission?Financing of the institution and the education of our children is dependent on the

donations from our ardent supporters. Individual sponsoring is also beneficial andappreciated. Most of all, we seek volunteers who can help the children with theiracademic curriculum. Individual attention to each child will assist and improve theiracademic performances and promote their self-confidence. We have been fortunate toreceive support from people of various faiths residing in the vicinity of Kharghar, whofeel it is their social duty to encourage such works of service.

Oh, that is indeed wonderful. Thank you, Sister, for helping us understand andtruly appreciate your vision and mission.

And so, with a glow in my heart, I left Prem Dan that evening. My mind, however,continued to dwell on the charisma, dedication and tenacity with which the Daughters of the Congregation of Jesus and Mary strive to make a difference in the l ives of the underprivileged children, whose conditions of life deprive them of the opportunities to bloom. Their tender attention and appreciation provides the nourishment that would allow the children in their care to blossom and attain their full potential.

– Jacinta George

BREATH OF FRESH AIR

Come Saturday, my husband Brian and myself arein Kharghar.In fact we look forward to every weekend

when we can come to Kharghar to spend exclusivetime with each other and meet/worship with/ andserve the Kharghar Parish Community.

I recollect that when we decided to invest in asecond home, Kharghar became a right choice not onlyin terms of what the place has to offer but also in termsof the emerging Parish Community. And the fact thatKharghar was declared a Parish in June 2009 and

having Fr.Gerry Fernandes in charge of the Parish has made us more eager to behere every weekend. The various initiatives for Community building and bondingfund raising drive has been inspiring. The breaking of the WORD at the Eucharisthelp us through the week in our desire to live a Christian life, the Choir helps lifour hearts in praise and offering to God.

Truly each weekend stay at Kharghar fills us with breath of fresh air to livefor Him and serve all those God brings our way.

– Janet PintoBhumiraj Woods- Christ the King Community.

BIBLE QUIZ FOR KIDS – NEW TESTAMENT1. Where was Jesus born?

0 Nazareth 0 Bethlehem0 J er us al em 0 Capernaum

2. How many disciples did Jesus have?7 10 12 20

3. What is the name of the disciple who betrayed Jesus?Simon Peter AndrewBar th ol omew Judas I scar io t

4. How did Jesus die?He was flogged to deathHe was crucifiedHe was stonedHe was burned outside the city wall

5. Who gave Jesus gifts when he wasborn?

The wise men The shepherdsMary The innkeeper

6. With what d id Jesus feed 5000people?

Loaves and fishesCorn and roast lambAlmonds and figsHerbs and fruits of the fields

7. Wh at i s th e n ame o f the p raye rJesus taught to his disciples?

The Prayer of Jesus The Prayer of Peace The Lord’s Prayer The Righteous Prayer

8. Who was the religious leaders whocontinually tried to trap Jesus withtheir question?Stoics PhariseersEpicureans Ga lileans

9. What is the name of Jesus’ mother?Mary SalomeJoanne Martha

10. What did Jesus do for Lazarus?Cooked him dinner

Took him for a walkHealed him from a feverRaised him from the dead

11. What job did Jesus’ earthly father,Joseph, do?Fisherman Carpenter

Tent ma ker Shepherd12. Who wrote a lot of letters to churches

in the New Testament?

Joseph JesusJairus Paul

13. What is the collective name of thestories Jesus told?Miracles PoemsParables Psalms

14. Who wanted to kill Jesus when he was born?Caesar Herod

John the BaptistThe wise men15. What did Simon Peter do for a living?Fisherman ShepherdBaske t maker T rade r

16. What happened to Jesus after theresurrection?He went to l ive with Mary andMarthaHe made himself king He went to live in JerusalemHe ascended to heaven

17. What did the holy spirit look like when the disciples received it ?A rushing wind Tongues of fireWh ite doves B il lowing cl ouds

18. Who went on missionary journeysto preach to the Gentiles?Peter PaulJames Jude

19. How did Paul escape from

Damascus? Through a tunnel under the cityDisguised as a soldierOn horseback through the reargateIn a basket down the city wall

20. What is the last book of the New Testament?Acts CorinthiansRevelation Romans

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UP LIFTING FINGERS

It is surely worth making the 5 fingerprayer a part of our lives.

1. Your thumb is nearest to you. Sobegin your prayers by praying for thoseclosest to you. They are the easiestto remember. To pray for our lovedones is, as C.S. Lewis once said, a “sweet duty”.

2. The next finger is the pointing finger.

Pray for those who teach, instruct andheal. This includes teachers, doctorsand ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the rightdirection. Keep them in your prayers.

3. The next is your tal lest finger. Itreminds us of our leaders. Pray for thepresident, leaders in business andindustry and administrators. Thesepeople shape our nation and guidepublic opinion. They need God’sguidance.

4. The fourth finger is our ring finger.Surprising to many is the fact, thatthis is our weakest finger, as anypiano teacher will testify. It should

remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. Youcannot pray too much for them.

5. And lastly comes our little finger- thesmallest finger of all which is where we should place ourselves in relationto God and others. As the Bible says,“The least shall be the greatestamong you.” Your pinkie shouldremind you to pray for yourself. By thetime you have prayed for the otherfour groups, your own needs will beput into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself moreeffectively.

“I asked God for strength that I mightachieve-

I was made weak that I might learnhumbly to obey”

Please send us your views, suggestions on the issue of this bulletin.

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