Sr Sylvia Fernandes, FMA, passes away in Mumbai

Sr Sylvia Fernandes, FMA, passed away yesterday after a long fight with cancer. She was just 34 years old or so.

She bore her suffering with great forbearance and even cheerfulness. I guess that's a great example for all of us: it's not how long you live, but how you live, that's really important. Someone might live for 80 years, but be a pain both to him/herself and to others. Someone else might have such a brief life, and yet have lived it in happiness and in spreading joy....

Sr Sylvia did her novitiate at SHTC and so was a member of our parish was two years. Sr Sushma, who is at present on the staff of SHTC, was her novitiate companion.

The funeral is this afternoon at Mumbai. Sisters from the two FMA communities have gone down.

RIP, Sr Sylvia.

Welcome Fr Joaquim

Fr Joaquim D'Souza, former Rector Divyadaan, Provincial of Mumbai, and Regional of South Asia, and currently Provincial Superior of the Salesian Pontifical University, Rome, is at Divyadaan these days for an MPh course. He will be here for about a week, I think. So welcome, Fr Joaquim, and have a nice stay with us.

Sick and ailing

Fr Nelson has just gone to Nirmala Home to give the Anointing to Clotilda. Let's pray for her.

Two days ago Sr Renata, UMI, had to be rushed to Holy Family Hospital, Bandra. She fell down (in the house, I believe) and suffered a fracture. In the meantime, Sr Cristina seems to be recovering.

Quincy Monsorate met with a bike accident more than a week ago and damaged his knee ligaments; he is recovering at home, but was spotted both at the morning mass and at the Marian Academy in the evening.

Prakash Roham from Satpur also met with an accident and had to be hospitalized.

John Borde, our sacristan, is back at his job, though he limps a little.

Jonathan is still recovering.

Marian Academy: Mary and the Way

The Marian Academy began exactly at 1930 hours last evening, and ended at around 2140 hours - a solid 2 hours and 10 minutes.

There were 16 items in all! Some of you might be interested in the list:
1. “Gentle Woman”: Band Piece: Divyadaan (4 m.).
2. Prayer Dance: Maria Vihar (4 m.)
3. Welcome speech and felicitation: Fr Nelson Falcao, Parish Priest
4. “The Assumption of Our Lady”: Skit: Nirmala Home (8 m.)
5. “How Can This Be?” Skit: STI (10 m.)
6. Medley: Zone A (7 m.)
7. “A Celebration of Life at Divyadaan”: audio-visuals and dance presentation: Divyadaan (23 m.)
8. “O Ma Mariam”: Song: Satpur Youth
9. “Immaculate Heart of Mary”: Song: Zone B (Sean and Sanjay) (3 m.)
10. “My Queen works miracles”: Incidents from the life of Bl. Maria Romero, FMA: SHTC (9 m.)
11. Instrumental music: Bosco Monsorate and Fr Nelson (8 m.)
12. “Mother Dearest Mother Fairest”: Hymn: Zone C (4 m.)
13. “Maria Shat Shat Namah.” Song and dance: Nirmala Convent
14. “The Lamp of the Madonna”: skit: Catechism children
15. “I Love Him”: Song by Don Bosco Youth (5 m.)
16. Thanks: Fr Ivo Coelho

Our youth did a marvellous job, assisted by Bro Johnson Bhuriya and Ms Sushma Srivastava. Annette Thomas was the compere for the occasion, Jackson and Philbert managed the stage curtain beautifully, and all pitched in to put up the backdrop, clean the stage, and manage the backstage - besides practising for their item, the very lively "I Love Him," from Sister Act II.

Being Vianney Sunday, Fr Nelson also took the occasion to offer flowers to all the priests who help in our parish, as well as to some of our long standing lay leaders: Mr Robin Susainathan, Mr Rocky D'Silva, and Mr Agnelo D'Souza.

The Divyadaan brothers put up 4 dances - Goan mando, Gujarati garba, a North-Eastern Garo dance, and a Tamil war dance and the pot dance. Though the item was very long - 23 full minutes if I am not mistaken! - the people enjoyed the dances immensely. We were given a glimpse of the multi-cultural community that is Divyadaan.

The senior citizens of Nirmala Home also put up a creative skit, enacting the scene of the Assumption of Our Lady as described in the visions of Maria Valtorta. The energy and enthusiasm of our seniors is amazing!

It was wonderful to see also all the Zones of the parish putting up well-prepared and rehearsed items. Zone A made a splash of blue! And then there was the Satpur youth group on stage after a long absence.

The STI novices staged an imaginative 'vocation story' item modelled on the call of Our Lady, full of grace, with the father of the boy asking 'how can this be?' I wonder who wrote the skit. Very creative.

The SHTC novices staged two scenes from the life of Bl. Maria Romero, FMA, great devotee of Our Lady.

The catechism children's item was in crisis after the main actor, Linus, decided to opt out the day of the rehearsal. It seems one of the sisters trained Charles Kevin Anthony, but did not communicate that to anyone. I happened to meet Charles on the playground just before Sunday School, and he fought with me: Father, you have cancelled our item. I said, Charles, I don't even know you have an item. But the enthusiasm of the young boy just could not be ignored, and so the item was rescheduled. They did a good job, our children! Though I still can't remember what exactly the skit was about.

The theme of the Academy was Mary Knows the Way, Shows the Way. And the Way is, of course, Jesus.

Welcome Fr Aloysius!

We welcome Fr Aloysius Hemrom, SDB, to our Parish. Fr Aloysius belongs to the Gauhati Province of the Salesians, and holds a Master's degree in Philosophy from Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pune, as well as a Doctorate in Liturgy from Rome. He has been professor at Sacred Heart Theological College, Shillong, and has very recently published his doctoral thesis about the liturgical practices of the Salvatorian Missionaries in the North East. (The Salvatorians were German missionaries; when they had to leave the country at the time of World War I, the Salesians were called in).

Fr Hemrom resides in Divyadaan and is in charge of liturgy there, besides being a regular professor for the brothers.

So welcome, Fr Alu! We look forward to seeing you in our parish, and benefiting from your liturgical expertise.

Parish notices, Sunday, 9 August 2009

Today is 19th Week of the Ordinary Time of the Year. Today we celebrate Vianney Sunday and today’s collection will be made for the Clergy Fund. The feast days in the coming week are as follows: 10th St. Lawrence, 11th St. Clare, 14th St. Maximilian Kolbe and 15th the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

On 9th august Sunday after the evening Mass we will have the Marian Academy. All are welcomed.

BCCs: On 11th and 14th august between 5.30 to 7.30 pm, Fr. Ivo along with the zonal and area leaders will visit St. Jude Community of Zone A; on 12th Fr. Nelson along with the zonal and area leaders will have Lectio Divina, i.e., Divine Reading or Reflection on the Word of God, for Holy Family, Sacred Heart and Perpetual Succour communities of Mahatma Nagar.

The Sunday Animation of the various masses should be prepared in advance and done well. We are in need of musicians for accompaniment for the Sunday evening masses. Mr. Bosco and Mr. Gordon are ready to train people in learning the key-board and the guitar. Those interested, kindly, contact the parish priest.

We are in the process of binding the hymn books and putting new and stronger plastic covers. At the end of the mass kindly, put all the hymn books in front of the main altar.

The Brothers of Divya Daan will be staging a three-act comedy play – “Uncle’s Walking Stick” which will be staged on 14th (religious institutions) and 15th Aug. (DB parishioners) at 6.30 pm at the Divya Daan Auditorium. Entry passes will be available from next Sunday onwards. The morning mass on 15th aug. Saturday will be at 6.30 am and the evening mass at 5.00 pm.

Bible Diaries with daily readings of the whole year are available at the parish office at the rate of Rs. 50/-.

The forthcoming events are as follows: 15th Aug. to 15th Sept. the Marian Month; on 17th Aug. Monday, the three statues will start moving zone-wise; 15th aug. confirmations at St. Dominic Savio Church, Satpur by our Bishop; 22nd August Vocation Sharing Day for the youth of our parish.

Thank you for your generous contribution towards last Sunday’s collection which amounted to Rs. 2,902/-.

Happy feast of St John Mary Vianney

A very happy feast of St John Mary Vianney to our parish priest, Fr Nelson, to Fr Diego, our assistant, and to all the many priests who minister in our parish!

This morning some of us participated at the Day of Prayer for Priests organized by Archbishop Machado at Bishop's House, Nashik Road. The Archbishop gave a long exhortation about the priesthood, and an inspiring homily on the life of St John Mary Vianney, who has been declared Patron not only of diocesan Priests but of all priests.

It is amazing to learn that, in his 41 years of ministry, over 2 million people made the pilgrimage to the remote mountain village of Ars, to see the famous Cure' and to make their confessions to him - among them also bishops and cardinals.

As Pope Benedict says, we should not assume that our age is worse or more difficult than the age John Mary Vianney lived in. But he managed to reach the hearts of people, and so can we - following his example of prayer, humility, dedication and trust in the grace of God.