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OSFS INDIAN MISSION NEWSLETTER


Live Jesus ! Samarpanaram, October,2004 Dear confreres! “One old man had been sitting on a box and begging for money all his life. He was holding up his plate and passers-by would drop the one or other coin. One day a man stopped, looked at him and asked: What is in your box? The old beggar replied: I have no idea, I never looked inside, and I simply sit on it. Together they looked inside and found a large amount of money. Though never realizing it, the man had been rich all his life.” Whenever I speak with you, my brothers, I discover so many talents and qualities. I sure do wish that none of your talents remains undiscovered. I urge you to look at the many things within you, which make you prosperous. I thank you for revealing your riches to our community and sharing your talents with us. Let me again fill you in on the latest developments in the Region. The General Council has approved unanimously the nomination of Fr. Shaju as Superior of Samarpanaram. Here is a man with many unhidden talents. I am happy of his appointment. I kindly ask your support for his first steps as Superior of such a big community as Samarpanaram is. He will assume his office after the Christmas Celebration of the scholastics in Samarpanaram in December. His formal installation will take place while the Superior General is in India in January. Fr. Shaju will assume the responsibility for the theologians. With January 1st he will also be in charge of the deacons and regents. Fr. Shaju will not work alone. After discussion with my advisory board I assign Fr. Matthew Mukkath as the Regional treasurer, Local treasurer of Samarpanaram and Assistant Novice Master from April 1st onwards after having completed his studies in Pune. With him one more qualified man joins the staff in Samarpanaram. I do not want to miss the opportunity to thank Fr. John Dolan and Fr. Fred Smuda for their continuous hard work within our community. I do hope that the new team will work well together and I know that our brothers are in very good hands. The advisory board has asked me to assume for this year the position of Vocation Promoter. I request your continuous support in this matter. Our daily prayers, our daily attempts to contact one or the other young man will motivate young men to feel attracted by our way of living. I need your assistance in this matter and request it. I would like to inform you that Fr. John Sankarathil has changed residence and is now living in community together with Fr. Aregger. His new address is: Provincial Residence Thaddaeusheim Hauptstrasse 40 CH 3186 Duedingen Switzerland Phone: 0041 26 493 11 36 Email: jsankarathil@freesurf.ch I wish Fr. John Sankarathil all the best in his “new” community life. Don’t hesitate to write once in a while to John. I am happy to announce to the community that Br. Balaswamy Dande has requested to be admitted for final vows. According to our policy I make his request public and invite all professed members of the DeSales-Oblates in Asia to contact me in writing, if they would like to make any comment on Br. Balaswamy Dande’s request. Please do so until October 30th 2004 I am happy to announce that Fr. Baiju Puthussery has successfully completed his studies at Annamalai University and is now “Master of Arts in Sociology”. Congratulations! In our last meeting the advisory board decided to shift from the academic year 2005/2006 onwards the place, where our theology students study their theology. We intend to send Br. Albert and Br. John George together at a place that is to be determined after discussion at the General Meeting at the end of the month. Please consult for more details the areas for discussion for our General Meeting. What seems clear is that we will entrust our brothers into the care of others, at least we will not rent or construct at this moment of time. The proposals and areas of discussion for the General Meeting at the end of October are added to this newsletter. Please study them carefully and prepare yourself in a good manner for the General Meeting. The General Meeting will start on Saturday, October 30th at 9:00 AM in Samarpanaram. I am looking forward to see you there. Please pray to our Founders, that they may intercede for us. Let our meeting be a time of search as community. It is a spiritual process we are undertaking in community. Let us listen to one another, and let us together find out what God wants from us now. As personal preparation to this meeting I recommend you to pray this prayer: “My God and my Savior, grant us the help of your grace. We offer to your divine goodness all the good we shall do at this meeting. We promise you to bear, with peace and serenity, the pain and suffering which will be found in it as coming from your fatherly hand. We know that your most holy intention is to make us merit by such means so as to reward us afterwards out of the abundance of your love. Amen.” Fraternally yours Sebastian TOP \| HOME

Live Jesus !
Samarpanaram, October,2004

Dear confreres!

“One old man had been sitting on a box and begging for money all his life. He was holding up his plate and passers-by would drop the one or other coin. One day a man stopped, looked at him and asked: What is in your box? The old beggar replied: I have no idea, I never looked inside, and I simply sit on it. Together they looked inside and found a large amount of money. Though never realizing it, the man had been rich all his life.”

Whenever I speak with you, my brothers, I discover so many talents and qualities. I sure do wish that none of your talents remains undiscovered. I urge you to look at the many things within you, which make you prosperous. I thank you for revealing your riches to our community and sharing your talents with us.

Let me again fill you in on the latest developments in the Region.

The General Council has approved unanimously the nomination of Fr. Shaju as Superior of Samarpanaram. Here is a man with many unhidden talents. I am happy of his appointment. I kindly ask your support for his first steps as Superior of such a big community as Samarpanaram is. He will assume his office after the Christmas Celebration of the scholastics in Samarpanaram in December. His formal installation will take place while the Superior General is in India in January. Fr. Shaju will assume the responsibility for the theologians. With January 1st he will also be in charge of the deacons and regents.

Fr. Shaju will not work alone. After discussion with my advisory board I assign Fr. Matthew Mukkath as the Regional treasurer, Local treasurer of Samarpanaram and Assistant Novice Master from April 1st onwards after having completed his studies in Pune. With him one more qualified man joins the staff in Samarpanaram.

I do not want to miss the opportunity to thank Fr. John Dolan and Fr. Fred Smuda for their continuous hard work within our community. I do hope that the new team will work well together and I know that our brothers are in very good hands.

The advisory board has asked me to assume for this year the position of Vocation Promoter. I request your continuous support in this matter. Our daily prayers, our daily attempts to contact one or the other young man will motivate young men to feel attracted by our way of living. I need your assistance in this matter and request it.

I would like to inform you that Fr. John Sankarathil has changed residence and is now living in community together with Fr. Aregger. His new address is:

Provincial Residence
Thaddaeusheim
Hauptstrasse 40
CH 3186 Duedingen
Switzerland
Phone: 0041 26 493 11 36
Email: jsankarathil@freesurf.ch
I wish Fr. John Sankarathil all the best in his “new” community life. Don’t hesitate to write once in a while to John.

I am happy to announce to the community that Br. Balaswamy Dande has requested to be admitted for final vows. According to our policy I make his request public and invite all professed members of the DeSales-Oblates in Asia to contact me in writing, if they would like to make any comment on Br. Balaswamy Dande’s request. Please do so until October 30th 2004

I am happy to announce that Fr. Baiju Puthussery has successfully completed his studies at Annamalai University and is now “Master of Arts in Sociology”. Congratulations!

In our last meeting the advisory board decided to shift from the academic year 2005/2006 onwards the place, where our theology students study their theology. We intend to send Br. Albert and Br. John George together at a place that is to be determined after discussion at the General Meeting at the end of the month. Please consult for more details the areas for discussion for our General Meeting. What seems clear is that we will entrust our brothers into the care of others, at least we will not rent or construct at this moment of time.

The proposals and areas of discussion for the General Meeting at the end of October are added to this newsletter. Please study them carefully and prepare yourself in a good manner for the General Meeting. The General Meeting will start on Saturday, October 30th at 9:00 AM in Samarpanaram. I am looking forward to see you there. Please pray to our Founders, that they may intercede for us. Let our meeting be a time of search as community. It is a spiritual process we are undertaking in community. Let us listen to one another, and let us together find out what God wants from us now.

As personal preparation to this meeting I recommend you to pray this prayer:

“My God and my Savior, grant us the help of your grace. We offer to your divine goodness all the good we shall do at this meeting. We promise you to bear, with peace and serenity, the pain and suffering which will be found in it as coming from your fatherly hand. We know that your most holy intention is to make us merit by such means so as to reward us afterwards out of the abundance of your love. Amen.”

Fraternally yours

Sebastian

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