A Big thanks …….

A Big thanks to Fr.Chris msc for being in India for all most four and half months, spending his time with us in giving retreat, classes and celebrating Mass for different communities, so we Indian MSC pray for his good health and ministry…

Father Tyson Doneley MSC needs Prayers

                                       

 KENSINGTON, Australia – Father Tyson Donely is looking quite weak. He uses a frame to help him get around and he moves quite slowly. He injured his back towards the end of 2008 trying to play tennis and he said, his back is still in bad shape and causing him pain. He lives now at the MSC Monastery in Kensington, Sydney. He is in need of prayers for his health.

 

 

Fr. Albert Yelds says ‘hi’ to Indian Union

 

Rev. Fr. Albert Yelds MSC

Dear Friends!

Fr. Albert MSC is the first MSC to come to India. He is currently working in Kiribati. Please find below his note to all the members of the Indian Union.

My heart is still in India because of the multitude of people whose poverty is extreme, but whose patience in the wisdom of God gives them endurance.

The MSC Sisters made me welcome despite their disappointment. They said: “We prayed often for MSC priests and Brothers, and now they send us an old man of 60.”

My Provincial Fr Frank Quirk, and Fr Dennis Murphy from Rome asked me to stay as long as possible, and the Sisters said that I must not leave after three months in an effort to renew my visa, because I would be refused a re-entry.

The man responsible for Immigration in Bangalore advised me each month to stay. He said that as long as I was doing some work with the street boys – as I was doing – I would have no problem. After 14 months it was New Delhi who proved him wrong and I left.

The Bishop of Madras welcomed me, and offered me a school for disabled children, but an MSC Sister from Rome advised me against that, saying that it was better we work together in Bangalore.

Mother Teresa’s Sisters in the Leper Station near Bangalore offered me work, and it would have been inspiring , but I needed another priest to do it, because Fr Vin was absent in ashrams.

I was giving a retreat to the Bishop and priests when the nearby gas complex broke: it affected them deeply, and I realised the suffering involved only when I returned to Bangalore and followed the newspapers.

Gangapuram: the dream comes true

Consecration of a New Church in Thellur (substation of Gangapuram) in Tamil Nadu

As an expansion to our rural parish ministry, we took up the second parish in the diocese of Vellore.  Bishop Chinnappa Malayappan (now the Archbishop of Madras-Mylapore Archdiocese) met Fr. Malcolm Fyfe at the ordination of Fr. Charles Babu and requested us to take up a parish in his diocese and sent us a formal invitation on 31st of December, 2003. Fr. Tijo John was appointed as the Union Superior at that stage, thus Fr. Tijo followed it up. We met the bishop of Vellore in March 2003 and discussed about the possibility of our missionary work in Vellore Diocese.  The Bishop was very pleased to welcome us and suggested to us to take Gangapuram (one of the many substations of Kolappalur Parish).

Gangapuram is known as ‘Katteri’ also. Kolappalur Parish is the home parish of the present bishop Rev. Soundar raju SDB. It was on 27th February, 2004 we expressed our desire to take up the mission and in June 2004, St. Anthony of Padua Parish was entrusted to us. This parish has Gangapuram as the main station and has Vinnamangalam, Randam, Thellur, Murukannadal, Samathuvapuram and Konniyur as its substations.

Gangapuram only had an old, damaged church surrounded by barren land. It had about 70 Christian families who belonged to low castes and were very poor. These people did not even know Mass prayers and basic catechism. Fr. Jaya took the challenge in educating the poor people in their spirituality. He put up a large hut near the church for the children to come and study in the evening. He appointed teachers to educate the children who came for the evening school. He also gradually developed the place to hold sewing machines so that sewing can be taught in the campus by the professional teachers. Many young girls benefited from that informal course.

Fr. Jaya then with the help of the Mission office built a small presbytery attached to the church. It was a great witnessing that the Missionaries could live in those conditions. He also had Br. Antony Prem Kumar doing his college studies living with him so that they could make a community. Fr. Jaya took all the initiative to bring the people together for parish feasts. He had five substations and all the substations need his direct care in renovating the churches, meeting the spiritual needs of the people and unifying them as one parish. Fr. Jaya was the Parish Priest of Gangapuram St. Anthony of Padua Church till May 2006.

The VG of Vellore Diocese celebrating the Mass of Consecration

Once Fr. Jaya was needed in the formation, he was asked to take up the role of the Director of the Pre-Novices in Bangalore. Fr. Charles Babu Narcitti was appointed as the Second Parish Priest of Gangapuram in June 2006. Fr. Charles is known for his untiring service and a generous heart. He immediately saw the need of the people and their poverty. With the help of the Mission Office, Australia and other sources, he sent many young children to good schools to get good education. Many of them study at St. Don Bosco Higher Secondary School, Katpadi (a well-known Salesian School with Hostel facility). He took special interest in renovating the main church and raised funds to build one of the Substations.

On December 20th Thellur (one of the substations of Gangapuram) saw its New Church. It was consecrated by the Vicar General of the Diocese. It is named after St. Joseph. Fr. Charles was able to collect more than 1,500,000 rupees to construct the church. His family is known for its generosity also. Thellur has about 55 Christian families. There are many more miles to go and many promises to keep. We wish Fr. Charles and his people all the best and we pray that Gangapuram may see many more glories in the near future.