Interactive Session held at Don Bosco School, Park Circus

By Isaac Harold Gomes

Kolkata - On Saturday 25 April 2015, Christian parents of Don Bosco School, Park Circus had an interactive session (9.15- 11.15 a.m.) with the school authorities. This is a very good annual exercise meant to improve communication and the bonding between the two stakeholders of Value Education. The event assumed greater significance in the Bicentenary Year of the birth of Don Bosco, a friend of the youth.

Fr. Bikash Mondal, Vice Principal, began by welcoming all parents and dignitaries viz. Fr. Vincent Lobo, Fr. Gregory Monteiro, Fr. Babu Das, the Parish Priests of Christ the King, Our Lady of Vailankanni Church and Fatima Shrine respectively.  Fr M.C. Jose of Auxilium Parish,  Sam Mathews (Senior School Coordinator) and Mrs Fernando (Junior School Coordinator) were also present.
After the lighting of lamps, Fr Bikash set the tone with a Power Point presentation on The meaning of Christianity and Effective Parenting.

Fr.Joseph Pathickal – Rector and Principal, highlighted Don Bosco’s life, exhorted parents to instill self-esteem in their children and to make “Do as I do” the slogan to imbibe good habits. He said Prayer was the best form of communication and requested parents to conduct short family prayers regularly.

Fr Vincent Lobo emphasised on Faith Formation for,without it all the worldly gains would be meaningless. He urged well-to-do families to sponsor the education of at least one poor child in one’s parish. 

Fr Babu remarked many parents neglected their children’s Christian upbringing though they spared no pains in sending their children to different coaching classes. He urged parents to teach love, humility and forgiveness. 

Fr Monteiro said Christian means Christ is in us.  We must always thank God and inculcate faith in our children especially during the first five years.  He asked parents to appreciate their children’s good work without winking at their weaknesses.

The programme ended with a short question-answer session.

KRISHNAGAR MEDIA FEST 2015

- SIGNIS Bengal

Krishnagar, Nadia - The Krishnagar Media Fest 2015, the first of its kind in the vernacular in Bengal, was successfully organised by the Regional Commission for Social Commission, Bengal-Sikkim Region in active collaboration with SIGNIS Bengal.  The two-and-a-half days residential programme was held at Sanjeevani, Krishnagar, from 13th to 15th April, 2015.   A total of 55 participants, including priests, religious sisters and students from the diocese of Asansol, Baruipur and Krishnagar attended this fun-filled learning experience.

Fr. Devraj Fernandes speaks on Creative Education

The Festival was inaugurated by the Chairman of RCSC, Bishop Joseph Suren Gomes, Bishop of Krishnnagar, who invigorated the participants to take an active role in the world of Communication and Media.  Fr. Robin Gomes, Regional President, SIGNIS Bengal, in his welcome speech, stressed on the need for integrating Communication and New Media in our personal and pastoral life, especially in the backdrop of present environments. Fr. Prolay Boidya, Secretary to the Commission, also addressed the participants and encouraged them to take full advantage of the opportunity.

One of the groups in the Meme-making Challenge

The Media Fest aimed to update the participants with the challenges and opportunities offered by Social Communication Media of our times.  Some of the major topics covered were :
-    New Media – Challenges and Opportunities
-    Creative Media in Education
-    Media Convergence
-    Developing Communication and Public Speaking Skills
-    Applications of Media : Internet, Editing, etc.

The resource persons and animators for the various sessions included Fr. Robin Gomes, Fr. Devraj  Fernandez, Mr. Farrell Shah, Mr. Alexis Badal Gomes and Mr. Lawrence K. Gomes.

The highlight of the Fest was a Prak-Nabobarsho Adda on the evening of 14th April – a cultural programme to ring in the Bengali New Year, with performances by the participants themselves.
 

Communication with a dance!

The Media Fest concluded with an evaluation session, where the participants were divided into six groups to draw up an action plan for activating Communication cells and activities in their respective parishes and dioceses.  All participants were awarded Certificates for their valuable contribution to the success of the Media Fest.

New Media session group work

Fr. Vincent Aind, the new Bishop of Bagdogra

Kolkata - The Holy Father, Pope Francis has appointed Fr. Vincent Aind  as new Bishop for the Diocese of Bagdogra.  This  was made public in Rome on Tuesday, 7 April, 2015, at about 15:30 hours, Indian Standard Time.

Rev. Fr. Vincent Aind was born on 30th January, 1955 at Kalchini, West Bengal, Diocese of Jalpaiguri. Since 2007  Fr. Vincent was serving as the  Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy of the Morning Star Regional Seminary and  Principal of the Morning Star College (BA Section) where he was a student as a seminarian. He is a Consultant and Member of the Diocesan Council for  Economic Affairs of the Diocese of Jalpaiguri and Regional Secretary of the Commission of the Clergy, Religious and Seminarians of the  Regional Episcopal Conference of West Bengal. He is also the Member, Executive Committee & Editorial Team of the  Association of Christian Philosophers of India (ACPI)

He has  B.A. Eco. Hons from St. Joseph’s College, Darjeeling, M.A. in English from North Bengal University, B.Th. from St. Joseph’s Seminary Mangalore and  Doctorate  from  Gregorian University, Rome.  He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Jalpaiguri in April 1984. He speaks and writes English, Hindi, Nepali, Bengali, Sadri, Mundari, Italian and also reads French.
 
As a ordained priest he has served the diocese of Jalpaiguri in different capacities. He was the  Asst. Parish priest of Christ the King parish, Damanpur, and was also the Parish priest of St. Lucy’s church of the same diocese. After obtaining a doctorate in Rome he was at the Morning Star Regional Seminary as Professor of Philosophy,  Spiritual Director and Rector.

The Diocese of Bagdogra (1997), suffragan of the Archdiocese of Calcutta, has an area of ​​1,200 square kilometers and a population of 1,015,000 inhabitants, of which 54,301 are Catholics. There are 19 parishes, served by 58 priests (28 diocesan and 30 religious), 34 religious brothers, 151 nuns and 15 seminarians.

The Diocese of Bagdogra was  vacant since March 12, 2011, following the transfer of Archbishop Thomas D'Souza of Calcutta.

With text from Vatican Radio/CBCI. Photos courtesy Isaac Harold Gomes.

CBCI hosts Communication Leaders’ Meet at Kolkata

Kolkata -The Annual Communication Leaders’ Meet, organised by the Catholic Bishop's Conference of India (CBCI) was  held at Nitika, Don Bosco, Kolkata, 23-25 March, 2015. The leaders chose to study the theme: Social Communications in the Church in India: Appraisal and Challenges, this year.

Sessions at the meet, by some of India's best Catholic communicators,  dealt with Communication Spirituality  (Fr. Sebastian V.), Public Relations and Strategies to Deal with Media (Fr. Savarimuthu Shekhar), Social Communication  and Current Scenario: Challenges and Strategies  (Fr. Cedric Prakash), Finance, Budgeting, Resource Mobilisation, Management (Bishop  Salvadore), Social Communication, New Evangelisation and Pastoral Efficacy (Bishop Chacko),  New Media and Internet (Farrell Shah),  Catholic Press (Fr. Alfonso Elengikal) and SIGNIS (Sunil Lucas).

National Communications Secretary, and Director of a national media training and research institute, NISCORT, Fr. George Plathottam talked on Formation of Clergy and Religious for the task of Communication.

Reports on Communication ministry in the various regions were also read out, interspersed between sessions. 

VG condemns fundamentalist forces on televison

Kolkata - On March 25, Fr. Dominic Gomes, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Calcutta was a panelist at a talk show on popular Bengali television channel, ABP Ananda, which was aired at 9:00 p.m.

The discussion revolved around the nuns of St. Capitaneo Higher Secondary School for Girls at Champaguri in Nagrakata block, Jalpaiguri, who had received five threat letters and a phone call, between March 11 and 21.

The other panelists were Professors Partha Pratim Biswas and Sunil Chattopadhyay, and Mr. Ashim Sarkar, BJP State General-Secretary.

 You can watch a video of the full programme here »
 24min 20 sec.| Contributed by Isaac Harold Gomes

Cardinal Cleemis, CBCI delegation visits Ranaghat

Kolkata - His Eminence Baselios Cardinal Cleemis, Major Archbishop of Trivandrum, today visited the Jesus and Mary School, Ranaghat, leading a delegation of the Catholic Bishop's Conference of India (CBCI) of which he is President. The Cardinal was accompanied by Dy. Secretary General of CBCI, Fr. Joseph Chinnayyan. The CBCI represents the 169 Catholic Dioceses all over India.

The visit was to express solidarity of the Catholic Church in India with the sisters of Jesus and Mary School, Ranaghat. The group also visited the sister who is recuperating at the sub-divisional hospital, Ranaghat.

His Eminence, along with Bishop Joseph Gomes, Bishop of Krishnagar, Fr. Dominic Gomes, Vicar General Calcutta Archdiocese, Fr. Panneer Selvam, Dy. Secretary - BRBC and Fr. Moloy D'Costa, Regional Secretary for Education also called on the Hon'ble Chief Minister, Ms. Mamata Banerjee, to express gratitude for ordering a CBI probe into the incident. They also conveyed the concerns of the Christian community in the country.

The CBCI said it "is humbled by the spirit of forgiveness and love shown by the sisters of Jesus and Mary Convent, Ranaghat, even in the face of such grave aggressions against them." They also clarified that His Eminence Baselios Cardinal Cleemis, was solely representing the Indian Bishop's Conference (CBCI) and not the Vatican, as was rumored in certain sections of the media.

The Cardinal also addressed a press conference at the Archbishop's House, Calcutta, and interacted briefly with the media. Video of the press conference is available on the Archdiocese homepage (Click on Video 2).
 

The Cardinal at the Press Conference

Interacting with Media in Calcutta

Solidarity Rally and Vigil

Against the culture of rape - Solidarity Rally and Vigil, Allen Park, Kolkata
#ranaghat

Standing against the culture of rape and in solidarity with Ranaghat’s “Sister Mary” over 3000 Christians and people of other faiths joined the Archdiocese of Calcutta in a Solidarity Rally and Vigil at Allen Park on Kolkata’s Park Street, March 16, 2015.

The event was scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m., but over 500 people were already assembled at the venue much earlier. Neighbouring parishes came in organised processions, while those further off came individually or in small groups. Young and Old. Catholic and Protestant. Lay and religious. Christian and those with other beliefs. All were there to lend their support in solidarity… this incident has sent shock waves through the fabric of Bengal’s society. 

A short summary of the events and an appeal to the administration swiftly deliver justice, was made by Archbishop Thomas D’Souza, with Bishop Ashoke Biswas of the CNI Diocese of Calcutta beside him on the podium. The Superior General of DSA who had met the victim, (in hospital recovering from surgery,) also said a few words, and shared that the Ranaghat nun had said that she forgives her attackers. 

The people were then invited write messages on the huge flex set up for the purpose, with the archbishop and bishop writing the first words. Afterwards, those who had candles stepped outside the park, following the prelates, to light them around the statue of Mother Teresa. Inside the park, hymns of solidarity were sung led by the Vicar General, Fr. Dominic Gomes. The crowd participated with fervour, holding aloft lighted candles.

At the scheduled 6 p.m., the last hymn was sung, and the Archbishop gave his blessing. The crowd was then requested to disperse in a solemn, dignified manner.

A video of parts of the Solidarity Rally and Vigil can bee seen on the Archdiocese Homepage.

 

 

Sister “Mary” – an overview
In the wee hours of Saturday, 14 March 2015, a group of men broke into the Convent of Jesus and Mary, a prominent school at Ranaghat town, close to the metropolis of Calcutta, and assaulted the sisters, raping one of them - an ailing 74 year old nun.
While the horror of this crime numbs the senses, we see this tragedy playing out so often in the country today. We take a stand. RAPE IS UNACCEPTABLE. In Delhi. In Kolkata. In Ranaghat. Anywhere.

Photos from the rally
  

 

The crowd begins to enter Allan Park

Placards with the message

The eldest rallyist!

MC introduces the agenda

All the prelates...

Archbishop speaks

Sister speaks

The prelates inaugurate the flex message board...

Prof. Maria Fernandes writes her message

Crowd moves towards candle lighting

Archbishop  is interviewed

Surrounded by microphones

Literally crawling with camerapersons

Solemnly lighting a candle

Some light candles within the park

Solidarity posters everywhere

The Christian message

Vicar General leads the hymns

People are still adding to the flex...

Fr. Robin leads the crowd

The crowd responds with fervour

... Barry, too.

Dean of Calcutta participates

Last scenes as the Solidarity Rally grew to a close...