Dear confreres,
Easter Greetings from Salespuram.
As I write this letter I just have talked with Fr. John Sankarathil who is home for holidays. We are happy about it and do hope that he uses the time to visit his family, take care of his health and relax among his OSFS brothers in India. He will stay with us until after profession and I sure do hope you all make him feel at home!
Fr. Josef Koeltringer, who is in frequent contact with me is all over the place! His job might be interesting, but I understand that he would like to have something more of a home instead of permanently travelling. What we can do is to give him the feeling that he is at home in India, we keep in touch with him and we pray for him and the success of his undertakings in Europe, USA and South America, which are his next destinations.
Fr. Ceresko keeps permanently in touch with me and encourages us to keep going. I am grateful for having Fr. Ceresko in the Philippines. He helps to keep a broader perspective in mind and is working restlessly for the Congregation. Tony, you are a good example to us! Keep keeping in touch!
Br. Bruzily has safely returned from his regency in Gujarat. Thanks be to God. He uses the remaining time to evaluate his regency year and will take part in one more project with Jesus Youth before coming back to the Samarpanaram community and start his studies at Dharmaram along with Bosco who will end his regency on May 3rd. Both regents have gained according to my understanding a lot of experiences and grown considerably. I am happy about this. Now they will need some time to readjust to study life, oblate life as theologian, but I am sure they will do it!
For the coming year things are getting a clearer shape. After having dismissed Br. Johnson I am only able to send two brothers to Salespuram, Br. Bala and Br. Benny, so that they may support properly Fr. Baiju in his ministry at Salespuram. But I am sure that both will do well with their many talents which they only need to give wholeheartedly to the community.
The Archbishop of Bangalore, Ignatius Pinto, will ordain Br. Mathew deacon on June 16th in Samarpanaram. Mathew already has joined the Salespuram community in order to also support Fr. Baiju with his presence and his good example. After his ordination Mathew will be in Salespuram until the middle of July when he will join me for the meeting of Major Superiors in Germany. After the meeting we found a parish near Salespuram where Mathew will most probably be able to do his diaconate. His date of priesthood ordination is not yet finalized but we are now talking about the end of January (may be January 25th). As soon as I know more I will inform you!
Br. Jyothis decided to leave the novitiate, which means that we have now 10 faithful novices who are preparing themselves for first profession on May 31st. The final evaluation of the brothers will take place at the end of April, and so I kindly request you to keep them all in your prayers. As tradition says, they are the treasure of the Congregation and we should always be grateful for everyone who chooses to undertake this big adventure of becoming an Oblate. I know that Fr. Dolan is treating and teaching them well, and the rest is left to the Holy Spirit and of course to the novices themselves.
Fr. Smuda looks well after his big community in Samarpanaram, the philosophers are preparing for exams busily and still find time for the one or the other activity, sometimes it is even work! The theologians accomplished their exams one month back and continue to work on their talents and try to gain more experience in several areas: Vincent in his musical faculties, Maichael in his personality development, Reji and Xavier in Kolkotta in their village exposure program. I appreciate all efforts of trying to grow individually. I also appreciate everyone who dedicates some of his time to vocation promotion. You are serving the Congregation! Thank you! Fr. Shaju’s regular visits to the community are good for the community and I appreciate his coming despite a busy schedule. Many of good things are happening, and we need to focus on them.
I know, once in a while, may be too often, you will get some emotional outburst from my part, here and there are areas of improvement, but all in all I do give thanks to the Lord for every confrere who is part of our Oblate community in Asia. Problems should not scare us, should not make us unhappy. We should look at them as opportunities to grow, to mature, to develop. In this point of view I am also grateful for all problems that occur. They are chances. Let us take them.
Finally I kindly ask also for your prayers for the brothers here in Salespuram. Though construction is still not finished we remain optimistic. Not everything will be ready, but then who is ever? I try to push, but neither my weight nor my voice are always able to move things. And then I pray for patience. As usual. Salespuram will be empty soon. The candidates, next year’s novices, are leaving for holidays on May 3rd. But already on May 22nd we expect the first +1 badge here. In the middle of June we plan to start with the new 10th standard first year’s, and at the end of June we will start with the new PDC students. We are growing brothers, praise the Lord!
I will be travelling up and down between Samarpanaram and Salespuram in May and June, visiting the new candidates’ families, evaluating all brothers, celebrating, welcoming Fr. John Graden who will give the retreat to the scholastics. Don’t forget: May 29th: Reception into Novitiate, May 31st: First profession and renewal of profession; June 16th: Ordination to Diaconate of Mathew and October 12th: Inauguration and Dedication of Salespuram!
God bless you, brothers! Let us pray for each other!
Your Brother in St. Francis de Sales
Fr. Sebastian Leitner osfs