MISSIONARIES OF SAINT FRANCIS DE SALESVISAKHAPATNAM PROVINCE

SP Lr. No. 06 JULY 2010

STELLA MARIS, MSFS Provincial House,Chinna Waltair, Visakhapatnam-530 017,

Andhra Pradesh, INDIA.Provincial : (0891) 2710259 Fax : 2702589

E-mail : msfsvizag@yahoo.com, paicattsimonmsfs@yahoo.in

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My dear Confreres,

Cordial and affectionate greetings to each one of you. We have just began another newacademic year with the fond hope of achieving the great goals and targets we haveenvisioned. Let us with firm faith go forward. Let not any doubt blur neither our vision norour confidence. Let the challenges we face be not intimidate us, but rather re-affirm ourcommitment and goad us on.

The new places to which some of us have moved, I am sure, will receive a positive, renewedand desirable touch towards greater progress. Even those who continue in the same placescan do it with a renewed attitude. May god bless all our endeavours!

Catechists Meeting:

During the summer holidays, we had organized a meeting for all our catechists at St. AloysiusHigh School, Visakhapatnam, from the 24th evening to 28th noon, April 2010. The meetingwas organized by the Fransalian Seva Kendra. The accommodation and food was providedby the St. Aloysius School Community. The input sessions and sharings were animated byboth the MSFS and diocesan clergy. A trip around the city on one of the days provided achance to most of the catechists, who were new to the city, to have glimpses of the city ofdestiny. The general responses were very positive and they wished such coming togetherto be made a regular feature. My sincere thanks to all the organizers, especially to Rev. Fr.M. Anand Prakash, collaborators and participants.

No. of catechists attended: Palasa ñ 3, Pithapuram ñ 3, Tanuku ñ 9, Agiripally ñ 5, Nunna ñ4, Reddipalem - 3, Rajupalem -3, Khammam -9. [Total: 39]

National Seminar on Education

The Fransalian Education Forum - Regional organized the national seminar on educationat Nirmala Institute of Education, Alto ñPanaji, Goa from 03-05- 2010 to 07-05-2010.ìEMERGING TRENDS IN MODERN EDUCATIONî was the theme of the seminar. Rev. Fr.Magi Murzello of Mumbai Archdiocese was the resource person. There were sixty participantswho came from different provinces of India. The MSFS of African Continent was represented

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by Fr. Johnson Kallidikil. Rev. Fr. Mario DíSouza the Provincial of Pune Province gave theKeyñnote address. Fransalian schools of Goa, presented the participants with certain uniquecultural items of Goa during the Inaugural Ceremony. His Grace Archbishop Fillepe Neri, ofGoa Archdiocese joined the participants for the Holy Eucharist on 04-05-2010. Sixteenconfreres of our Province attended the seminar. The last day of the Seminar was devotedfor pilgrimage and sightseeing. The seminar was enriching and enlightening. We thank Fr.George Parampukattil, the General Councilor in-charge of the apostolate of education, allthe Pune Province Educationists, especially Rev. Fr. Johnson Gonsolves and Fr. Jerson,and all the participants for making this seminar a memorable one for everyone.

Reported by: Fr. George Alappatt

S.S.C. Results

All our educational institutions have done well in their performances in the GovernmentExaminations. The great achievements in the academic excellence speaks highly of ourachievements in the formation of our students to be persons of noble character and moralvalues enabling them to make a life rather than make a living. Our sincere congratulationsto the Principals and their collaborators.

Ordinations

Name Date ofOrdination Place Ordained by

Parappanattu Aneesh 09-01-2010 St. George Church Most Rev. JosephOdayamchal, Kasargod Dt. Pandarasseril

Pally Dilip Chakravarthy 10-03-2010 St. Joseph’s ChurchHuzur Nagar, Most Rev. Govindu JojiNalgonda Dt.

Payikkattu Lijo 10-05-2010 St. Mary’s ChurchThermala, His Grace GeorgeKannur dt. Valiyamattam

Pulianmackal Santhosh 10-05-2010 St. Mary’s ChurchThermala, His Grace GeorgeKannur dt. Valiyamattam

Thekkumkattil Shyju 11-05-2010 St.George ForaneChurch His Grace GeorgeChempanthotty, Kannur dt. Valiyamattam

Subhash Manjappallil 12-05-2010 Littl Flower ForaneChurch, His Grace GeorgeMarygiri,Therthally P.O, Kannur Dt. Valiyamattam

Joise Kuzhimattommyalil 15-05-2010 St.Theresa’s ChurchMalappuram, Most Rev. JosephKottayam dt, Kallarangatt

Jomon Palatty 17-05-2010 St. Sebastian’s Church, Marygiri, Most Rev. SebastianErnakulam dt. Adayanthrath

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These eight New Priests are the special gift to our Province by Providence during the yearof Priests. In the name of our province, I welcome them and congratulate them, and thanktheir formators and families. As they enter into their pastoral ministries, let us assist themwith our prayers and wish them a fruitful ministry.

Retreat / Renewal Team :The Pentecost vigil marked the official launching of our Retreat / Renewal team on the 22nd

May 2010 at S.F.S Church, Tanuku. The halfñday convention and the Holy Mass of the HolySpirit were the occasion during which the Team was officially launched. The convener, Fr.Kondala Joseph, and the members deserve our special appreciation and thanks. As I wishthem all the best, I request all our confreres to make profitable use of their services.

Annual Retat :The first spell of the Annual Retreat: Constitution Growth Retreat was animated by Rev.Frs. Jose Kumblolickal (S-W) and A. Christu Raj (SñE) at Ross Hill Shrine, Visakhapatnamfrom 24th to 28th May 2010.The following confreres attended it:

1. Fr. Nellikunnel George 14. Fr. Pullatt Thomas2. Fr. Paicatt Simon 15. Fr. A. Amalodhbhavi Raj3. Fr. Alapatt George 16. Fr. Savari Rajan4. Bro. Vellamattom Joseph 17. Bro. Ettackakunnel George5. Fr. Boddu Vijaya Raju 18. Fr. Vadakkumparambil John6. Fr. Francis Sales 19. Fr. Sesetty Mariadas7. Bro. Kanjirathingal Sebastian 20. Fr. Gorantla Joachim8. Fr. Velamparambil Ephrem 21. Bro. Edakarot Thomas9. Bro. Poovathumootil Job 22. Fr. Kola Prakash10. Fr. Mallela Joji 23. Fr. Kalapurckal Mathew11. Fr. Cheriyantharayil Jose 24. Fr. Arul Justin Diraviam12. Fr. Manalil Thomas 25. Fr. Bellamkonda Anil Kumar13. Fr. Manayathumarayil Mathew

Since the Constitution retreat is mandatory for each and every confrere in the Congregation,may I request all the others to attend the 2nd spell which would be animated by Rev. Frs.Abraham Vettuvelil and A. Christu Raj at Ross Hill from 11th October (5.00 pm) to 15th

October, 2010 (8.00 pm). In case if somebody is not able to attend, you need to write to theProvincial why you are not able to attend the same and what alternative arrangement areyou making to fulfill the constitutional requirement.

Year for Priests concludedOn 28th May 2010 a good number of our confreres, diocesan clergy of Vizag and religiousgathered at the Ross Hill Shrine. Rev. Fr. Jose Parappillil msfs(S-W) gave a talk on ìGrowingin Priestly Consecrationî which was followed by the Eucharist, Felicitations and Agape. Allthe participants appreciated and applauded the event.

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Ave Maria TowerThe Ave Maria Tower built in the vicinity of S.F.S Church, Shantinagar, Scunderabad, standsas a witness to the great devotion to our Blessed Mother of the parishners who contributedgenerously. Fr. Ganji Bala Joji Reddy and the other confreres deserve our thanks andappreciation for completing the work in record time. The Tower was blessed and inauguratedby me on the 30th May, the eve of the Visitation. Archbishop could not be present as he washospitalized.

Perpetual ProfessionOn 9th June 2010, during the Holy Eucharist presided over me and in the presence of ourconfreres, priests and religious from the Janampet campus, five of our confreres who werepromoted by the Provincial administration and Approved by the Superior General, madetheir Perpetual commitment in the Congregation of the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales.On behalf of the Congregation and in the name of our province, I welcome Adari Amarnath,Annem Joji Reddy, Chinthamala Joseph Thambi, Nagothu Ravi Prashanth and YeramreddyVijay Kumar Reddy to the family of MSFS to share the things in common with us as well asto fulfill loyally the mission and ministry entrusted to them by the church through ourCongregation, to be carried out in her name.

Initiation and First Professiona) Initiation into the NovitiateOn 8th June 2010, sixteen candidates were initiated into the novitiate by Very Rev. Fr. SimonPaicatt, Provincial, in a simple liturgical ceremony at Salesianum. Out of the 16, ten belongto the Visakhapatnam Province and six for the South-East Province. On the occasion,speaking to these young candidates, Fr. Provincial underlined the importance of the novitiatein the life of every person who aspires to be a religious priest. He also stressed the qualitiesof simplicity, humility, service, prayerfulness etc. that one needs to habitually practice. Heexhorted them to make the best use of the time and opportunities in order to discern theirvocation to religious life and to make good progress in spiritual life.

b) First ProfessionOn 10th June 2010, nineteen novices made their First Religious Profession at Salesianum.Of them 11 are for the Visakhapatnam Province and 8 are for the South-East Province.Very Rev. Fr. Simon Paicatt, Provincial, presided over the Eucharistic celebration whichbegan at 10.30 am and received the vows of all the novices. Welcoming them into theCongregation of the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales, Fr. Provincial also appreciatedthe efforts of the novitiate staff. Rev. Fr. A. Patric Jayaraj councilor ñ in ñcharge of formation(S-E) was also present at the celebration representing the Provincial of South-East Province,Very Rev. Fr. A. Lawrence. He preached on the meaning and demands of religiouscommitment. A large number of priests MSFS as well as diocesan, brothers and religioussisters and relatives and well wishers of the novices also graced the occasion. The agapeshared by all was hosted in honour of the newly professed.

Reported by: Fr. Baviri Suresh Babu

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Provincials of India ForumThe Provincials of India Forum (PIF) had its meeting from 13th to 15th June 2010 at MSFSProvincial House, Vinayalaya, Bangalore. Various issues and concerns of inter-provincialnature were discussed. The general spirit that guided all the discussions and deliberationswas the ìUnited Standî for ìOne Fransalian Identityî for all the confreres of these provinces,be it in India or in other countries of the world. As such common polices are being workedout. For us Frasalians, to have a national recognition, possibilities are being explored forour collaboration with the CBCIís Medical Project at Ranchi. In order to have commonformation programme and syllabus for all our minor seminaries and Novitiates, and in orderto implement ëSalesian Spiritualityí, a meeting of all the councilorsñin-charge of formationfrom different provinces is to take place along with the PIF Chairman, Directors of Novices,Rectors and Deans of all our minor seminaries at Trichy on 9th and 10th August, 2010.

The next batch of novices in all the Indian provinces would enter the Novitiate on 30th May2011 and the First Profession will take place in all the provinces on 31st May (Feast of theVisitation) from 2012 and onwards. From 2012 there is also a proposal for a short commonpost- novitiate programme for all the newly professed from all the provinces together beforethey go to Suvidya for Philosophy.

Miscellaneousï On 21st June 2010, the foundation stone was blessed and laid for the new building at

our Chinna Waltair ìwhite- houseî campus, and the work is progressing.

ï On 27th May, after the completion of the Novena in preparation, the Feast of SacredHeart was celebrated at Soldierpet. The celebration of the Parish Feast was markedwith a day of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Procession and Holy Eucharist inwhich many priests, religious and a great number of faithful participated. We thank Rev.Fr. Thomas Pullat, the Parish Priest, for revitalizing the parish community.

ï The Provincial Council which met on 2nd July has enlisted the Local Communities in ourProvinces, and those who are staying alone (due to pastoral demands) are also attachedto local communities, the basic constituent unit of the province. The same will beannounced after obtaining the approval of our Superior General.

Since some of the confreres are shifted to new places / assignments, I give below thenames of the confreres and the Forum to which they belong. If anyone feels, for validreasons, that you need to be changed to another forum, please do write to me stating yourreasons for such a request.

FORUMS FOR THE VARIOUS APOSTOLATES OF THE PROVINCEMISSION FORUM

1. PENTAREDDY Chinnappa Reddy 4. Bro. CHALAPAT Michael(Councilor in-charge of Mission) 5. Bro. THEKKUMTHOTTAM Joseph

2. ELANJIPURAM Varghese 6. NARISETTY Francis3. NELLIKUNNEL George 7. S. Ignatius

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8. Bro. POOVATHUMOOTIL Job 24. KUZHIMATTAMMYALIL Joise9. MANALIL Thomas 25. KODIGANDALA Julian10. IYRAMANA Paul 26. ALLAM Pratap Reddy11. KAVUNGAL Joseph 27. KIZHAKAYIL Thomas12. ANTHEENATT Antony 28. PULIANMAKKEL Santhosh13. CHERUVIL Luke 29. NELLIMALAMATTAM Joseph14. SOURIAMKUZHY Philip 30. PUTCHAKAYALA Sundar Rao15. OLICKAL Augustine 31. THEKKEKUTTU Jose Marie16. MOOLEPARAMPIL Thomas 32. AYILUKUNNEL Devasia17. KONDALA Joseph 33. MEENUGA Prabhudas18. VAZHAYIL Thomas 34. Bro. THUDIANPLACKAL Mathew19. KARACHIRA Joseph 35. PUTHUR Ignatius20. PAYIKATTU Lijo Jose 36. PAKUMALA George21. VETTUKATTIL Abraham 37. PUTHENVEETIL Jose22. MEKALA Sebastian Reddy 38. KOOVACKAL Varkey23. NAGOTHU Bala Joji 39. A. Savari Rajan

EDUCATION FORUM1. POTHIREDDY Inna Reddy 17. THENETH Paul

(Councilor in-charge of Education) 18. A. Arokia Samy2. ALAPATT George 19. CHITIKILA Vijaya Kumar3. XAVIER Michael 20. JONNALAGADDA L. Ravi Kumar4. CHERIANKALAYIL Kurian 21 CHERIANTHARAYIL Jose5. BONTU Prasad 22. PENTAREDDY Raja Reddy6. ARUL Justin Diraviam 23. VADAKUMPARAMBIL John7. Bro. OLICKAL Michael 24. PINNINTI Raj Kumar8. Bro. KANJIRATHINGAL Sebastian 25. MANNUKUZHUMPIL Mathew9. MALLELA Joji 26. SESETTI Mariadas10. MANNUKUZHUMPIL Zacharias 27. KUZHINJALIL Joy11. PINNINTI Babu Rao 28. MUNDAMATTAM Mathew12. GORANTLA Joachim 29. Bro. EDAKAROT Thomas13. PAKKI Devadas 30. PANTHANMACKEL Mathew14. KOLA Prakash 31. YERUVA Bharath Reddy15. JADDU Joseph 32. A. Savari Rajan16. ALAPATT Mathew 33. BELLAMKONDA Anil Bosco

FORMATION FORUM1. BAVIRI Suresh Babu 6. VELAMPARAMBIL Ephrem

(Councilor in-charge of Formation) 7. PULLAT Thomas2. KOTTAM Alexander 8. NUSI Konda Reddy3. VEDANAYAGAM John 9. A. Michael Prasad.4. PATHUPALLIL Jacob 10. KALAPURACKAL Mathew5. MADANU Vijaya Raju 11. M. Sinto George

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12. CHAKKALAKKAL Jolly 13. MAMPALLY Joy14. ANIKALA Thomas 15. CHIRAYIL Abraham16. VICHATTU Joseph 17. KOOTINAL George (S-E)18. K.V.S. Prasad (E-A)

STEWARDSHIP FORUM

1. CHIRAYATH Jose (Provincial Bursar) 11. Bro. ETTACKAKUNNEL George2. VELLAMATTAM Joseph 12. PATCHALA Hrudaya Raj3. MUTTATHUKATTIL Francis Sales 13. NARISETTY Joseph Kishore4. EDACHERRYPAUVATH Joseph 14. GADE Bhaskar5. PATHUPALLIL Manoj 15. THUMMA Showri Rayappa Reddy6. GANDAMALLA Shantha Kumar 16. MENDEM Joji Prasad7. NANNAM Ratna Swamy 17. POTHULA Guna Sekhar8. DEVUPALLI Jayaprakash 18. PARACKAL Philip9. BODDU Vijaya Raju 19. PANTHALANY Varkey10. NAGOTHU Amarnath 20. MENDEM Bhaskar

INNOVATIVE MINISTRY FORUM1. KOTTAM George (Councilor in charge 10. Bro. MALAPURAM Thomas

of Innovative Ministries) 11. YERAMAREDDY Rajani Kumar2. PARAPPANATTU Aneesh 12. KAREKATT Raphael3. Bro. VATTACHIRA Jacob 13. GATALA Nicholas4. MANJAPALLIL Subash Joseph 14. S. Arockia Manoharan.5. PULICKAL Joseph 15. POTNURU Dominic Savio6. GUNDAPUREDDY Sandeep Reddy 16. PALATTY Jomon7. PADANNAMACKAL Joseph 17. AMARLAPUDI Amalodhbavi Raj8. MUCHAKARLA Ananda Prakash 18. JERRY Louis9. THEKKUMKATTIL Shyju

Appointments

Rev. Fr. Patchala HrudayaRaj is appointed to Rajupalem, Guntur Diocese, as Asst. ParishPriest and Procurator.

Rev. Fr. Jose Mullenmadackal is appointed as the Local Superior of our confreres workingin Papua New Guinea.

The ìRecollections 7 with St. Francis de Salesî (July2010- March 2011) is alreadydispatched to each confrere. In case anyone has not yet received please contact Fr.Aneesh, the secretary. Each one of you is highly exhorted to make maximum use of thisbook for personal renewal and for the monthly Local / Apostolic Community recollectionsfollowing the procedures suggested.

The Andhra Pradesh Bishops Conference has launched a new web site: www.apbc.in

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The Catholic Religious of India has also opened a web site: www.religiousindia.org

Hearty Congratulations to Rev. Fr. Maddineni Anand Prasad!! The Barry University inMiami, Florida, U.S.A., has conferred the degree ìDoctor of Ministryî to him on May 8,2010. The hard work that he has put in, has brought him this doctorate. As we congratulateyou dear Fr. Anand, we say, ìWe are proud of youî.

Attached to this letter, please find the Letter of our beloved Superior General (Sgmsfs-2af-12) dt. 29th June 2010 and also the Letter of Rev. Fr. Mario DíSouza, the chairman ofPIF, dt. 24th June 2010. Another letter of our Superior General, Very Rev. AgneloFernandes msfs (Sgmsfs-2af-13) was sent to all the professed members. If anybodyhas not received it, please contact Fr. Aneesh, the secretary.

New Appointments by the S. G.

Rev. Fr. Yves Carron is appointed as the new Provincial of the Franco- Swiss Province.We shall join the entire congregation in congratulating him and assure our prayers that hemay continue to lead our mother Province of Franco- Swiss. On behalf of our province Iextend also our thanks and appreciation to Rev. Fr. Jean- Paul Fournier, the out-goingProvincial, for his ministry of service for the past three successive terms.

Rev. Fr. Augustine Tharappel is re-appointed as the Regional Superior of USA Region.As we congratulate him, we shall assure him of our continued prayers that the efforts thathe takes in organizing and stabilizing the region may bear great fruits.

Rev. Fr. Thomas Olickal is appointed as the Superior Delegate of the Superior General forthe Lumen Christi Institute, Arusha. And Rev. Fr. Augustine Mangatt is appointed as thecoordinator for the Finance projects of LCI, Arusha. We assure both of them our prayerfulsupport and wish them all success in their additional responsibilities.

Rev. Fr. Luke Kalarickal has become a permanent member of the U.S.A. Region from the1st June, 2010. As we thank him for all what he has been to the province, we count on hiscontinued fraternity with us and wish him all the best in his endeavours to strengthen theU.S.A. Region.

Welcome !!

We are privileged as the ëMother Province in Indiaí to welcome the General Councilors tocome and reside as a Local community in our province area at Mermier Bhavan, Malkajgiri,in the Archdiocese of Hyderabad. We wish to thank His Grace Most Rev. Marampudi Jojifor granting us his permission to establish the Local community of our General Councillors.Rev. Fr. Thumma Mariadas is appointed as the Local Superior. We wish each of them ajoyful ministry with a pleasant stay and assure them our prayers, support and cooperation.

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Golden Jubilarians :

Archbishop K. Mriadas msfs: The son of Kagithapu Rayappaand Annamma born on the eve of the Nativity of the BlessedVirgin Mary and baptized on the Nativity day of Mother Marywas christened as Mariadas. This Mariadas grew in stature,knowledge and wisdom finding favour with God and all who cameacross his life. The elementary education that he got at St. Peteríselementary school in his own home town, Gnanapuram, madehim to pursue his High School education at St. Paulsís,Phiragipuram. The parental affection, his special association withpriests and religious enabled him to hear and respond to Godís

call to be a missionary in the Congregation of the MSFS. He did his minor seminary at St.Josephís Mission Home, Palai, Kerala; his Philosophical studies at Sacred Heart Seminary,Poonamallee (Tamil Nadu); and Novitiate & Theology at Pune (Maharastra). His FirstReligious Profession in the MSFS congregatin was on the 5th June 1958. He was ordaineda Priest on 10th June 1961 at Gnanapuram by Most Rev. Mummadi Ignatius, Bishop ofGuntur.

His excellent performance in academics made him to secure the Doctorate in Canon andCivil Law, a Licentiate in Theology and a Masterís Degree in Pastoral Theology. He servedas Parish Priest of St. Josephís Church, Bobbili and as a Professor of Theology at ST.Peterís Pontifical Institute, Bangalore, before he was appointed Bishop of Guntur by PopePaul VI. He was consecrated as a Bishop on 5th May 1977 by Archbishop Lourdu Samy(Rome) at Gnanapuram and installed as Bishop of Guntur on 31st May 1977. Then he wastransferred from Guntur and was installed as Bishop of Visakhapatnam on 26th January1983. The long history and heritage of the diocese of Visakhapatnam gained greater Apostolicrecognition when the Diocese and the Bishop was elevated as an Archdiocese and theArchbishop on 30th October 2001. Thus he was installed as the first Archbishop ofVisakhapatnam on 24th January 2002.

The linguistic, academic and inter-personal qualities in him have made him to be loved bythe faithful whom he is called and entrusted to serve. Before he was elected and consecratedas Bishop, and wedded to the Diocese / Archdiocese, he had served the Congregation invarious capacities as Rector, General Councilor, etc.

As he has already inaugurated the Golden Jubilee year of his Sacerdotal Ordination we,the Province of Visakhapatnam, together with the entire Congregation join him in thankingthe Lord for His favour to him, and Wish him our Sincere and Hearty Congratulations.

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Rev. Fr. Panthlanickal VarkeyRev. Fr. P.D. Varkey, son of Devasia and Theresia was born on26th August 1928 at Moozhoor in Kerala. After having completedhis primary education in St. Maryís Primary School, Moozhoor andHigh School education in St. Aloysius High School, Manalungal,he joined the St. Josephís Mission Home, Palai, for his minorseminary. He completed his philosophical studies at Sacred HeartSeminary, Poonamallee (T.N), Novitiate and Theology at Pune(Maharashtra). His First Religious Profession in the MSFSCongregation was on 5th June 1958. He was ordained a priest on10th June 1961 at Mount Mary Minor Seminary, Arumanoor, by Rt.Rev. Bishop Absalom of Vijayapuram Diocese.

After the Priestly ordination he went back to Pune to complete his theological studies andcame back to Vizag on 7th September 1962. He was then available for pastoral services, tobe in-charge of the postulants and the Farm at Philip Nagar from1964. In 1971 he wasappointed in Mermier Farm, Hebbagodi, Bangalore, and was in-charge of the constructionof Vinayalaya. It was during his tenure there that the land, where Suvidya College is builtnow, was bought. From 1975 to 1981 he was at the service of the church in Andhra Pradeshas Secretary cum Treasurer of Jyothirmai. Later in March 1981 he was called back to Vizagto be the Mission Procurator and the Superior and Correspondent of SFS School,Seethammadhara. In July 1986 he was transferred to Stella Maris to devout himself fully tothe work of the Mission Procurator. The need of the province forced him to be transferred toSt. Aloysius Non-Formal Technical School where he took charge as the Manager, whilecontinuing with the works of the Fransalian Seva Kendra, until he wished to retire fromactive ministry in 2005. Since July 2005 he resides at Mermier Bhavan, Vadakkumcherry,contributing his mite to the development of the centre and rendering his services as spiritualDirector to the MSFS Minor Seminarians.

Rev. Fr. Varkey Panthalany is a man for others. He has done a great deal to the missionaryworks undertaken not only by the MSFS but also by the Dioceses of A.P. As he has steppedinto his Golden Jubilee year, we, with gratitude and appreciation of him for all what he is tothe Province and the Congregation at large, wish him hearty congratulations. We joinhim in thanking the Lord and pray that God may continue to shower his blessings upon him.

Rev. Bro. Thomas MalappuramBro. Thomas was born at Mattakkara, Kerala, to Joseph and Annaon 06-10-1931. He had his primary education in St. Josephís School,Mattakkara, and his High School education in St. Johnís HighSchool, Kozhuvanal. The desire in him to be a missionary and areligious began to take shape into a reality when he finally decidedto join the M.S.F.S and reached Visakhapatnam in the year 1955.Then he stayed in different communities, learning about and living

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the life he is to embrace. During this period he supervised the construction of the hospital atMadugula. Later, along with Bro Jacob, he also looked after the construction of theSalesianum, where he did his novitiate in 1960- 61. He made his First Religious commitmentin Salesianum, Visakhapatnam, on 6th May 1961. The conviction of his commitment foundits way through and on 6th May 1964 he made his Perpetual Profession at St. AnneísCathedral, Visakhapatnam.

Bro. Thomas Malappuram, right from his early days of ministry, dedicated himself andperfected through hard work the art of construction works and supervision. The placeswhere various works were executed by him are 1961-62: Malakapuram Church, 1962-64:Philip Nagar, 1964-66: Nilambur, 1966-68: Ettumanoor, 1968-71: Stella Maris, 1972-77:SFS Seethammadhara, 1977-82: SFS, Nizamabad, 1982-83: Philip Nagar, 1984-88:N.V.S.C., Pune, 1988-91: SFS, Seethammadhara, 1991-95: SFS, Tanuku, 1995-2004:Vadakkumcherry, 2004-2005: Philip Nagar, 2006-07: Stella Maris, and from 2008 he issupervising the construction of the new church in Tanuku.

Bro. Thomas is a person who can adapt himself to any situations and people. His sincereand hard working nature, his meticulous going into the details of the work, and above all hisdealings with the members of the congregation and people outside, makes him to be aperson lovable and loving. As he is already in the Golden year of his Religious life, I, onbehalf of the entire Congregation, and particularly in the name of the Province, thank him,thank God for him, and say, ëHearty congratulations, dear Brother!! May God blessyou!!!î

Bon Voyage

Rev. Fr. Naidu Prakash would be leaving for Salzburg, Austria, on the 12th July to replaceFr. Ottaplackal Sylvester who would be moving to Germany. We wish him a happy and safejourney and a fruitful ministry abroad.

Please note:

Change of Addresses:

ï Rev. Fr. Rajani Kumar Reddy ï S.F.S SchoolInfant Jesus Church Medipalli P.OThallachruva po UppalAtchempeta madal Hyderabad -500 098Guntur dt. A.P. 522 409 Ph: 040/65742606

ï S.F.S Junior College, Nidudavole : Ph: 08813/222912

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Appreciation and Thanks to Rev. Fr. James Manjackal msfs

Rev. Fr. James Manjackal had been here in Visakhapatnam from the 12th to 17th April. Hehad come to visit his cousin Rev. Sr. Rollanda who is ailing and also to pay his respects tothe senior priests of our province, which is his mother- province. His stay with us wasinspiring and we cherish the sharings we had with him. As a mark of his respect andappreciation for the senior priests of our province, he has volunteered and proposed tosponsor the construction of a home for the aged confreres of the province. His thoughtfuland generous offer is indeed a welcome gift to us, and I, on behalf of the Vizag Province,wish to thank Rev. Fr. James Manjackal.

ìThank you Rev. Fr. James Manjackal !!î

Provincial Vicar

I would be leaving for U.S.A, Rome and Germany to visit our confreres, friends andbenefactors, in the early hours of 20th July, and would be returning towards the end ofSeptember. During my absence from India, Rev. Fr. George Kottam, the admonitor andcouncilor is appointed as the Vicar. Please do cooperate with him. May I request you topray for the success of my journey and visits.

Let us pray for the departed:

Rev. Fr. DíSouza Philip, aged 53 years, of Nagpur Province passed away on the 15th May2010 at Bombay Hospital due to cancer. On behalf of the province, I express our sincerecondolences to the Nagpur Province. May his soul rest in peace.

May I request all those who have not received the earlier information sent, to fulfill thesuffrages prescribed. (Const. No 118; General Directory No. 98)

Let us pray for the sick:Rev. Fr. Alexander Kottam was admitted to the ICCU at Apollo Hospital on 18th June dueto some heart complaints and blood motions. Though he has recovered from that, he nowsuffers from Rheumatoid Arthritis and urological problems, so he is shifted to St. JosephísNursing Home where he is gradually improving.

Rev. Fr. P. D. Varkey who was admitted into the hospital with certain ailments and nowrecuperating in Mermier Bhavan Vadakkumcherry.

Bro. G. Chinna Rao who is suffering with severe back-ache is undergoing investigationand treatment in St. Josephís Nursing Home.

Yours fraternally in Christ,

Rev. Fr. Simon Paicatt msfsProvincial Superior

LETTER FROM THE PROVINCIALS OF INDIA FORUM

Dear Confreres,

Greetings and good wishes to you as we celebrate the feast of St. John the Baptist. WhenJohn was asked as to who he is, ìI am A VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS,ëMAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD,í as Isaiah the prophet said, was his answer.John is considered to be the last of the Prophets a link between the Old and the NewTestament. We, as prophets of today, are called to be that link and vital link in the world oftoday without compromising our religious identity or missionary commitment.

On behalf of the Provincials of India Forum I am writing this letter to each of you my dearconfreres sharing with you some of our concerns and decisions, after our meeting heldfrom 13th to 15th June 2010.

Objective of the Forum: The Forum was constituted in December 2009 by the SuperiorGeneral with the consent of his Council. It is to attend to, organize, supervise, implement,plan and evaluate inter- province concern, institutions, programmes and undertaking. Inthe past we have been thinking probably more about province level and are forgetting thatwe are members of a Congregation. There are a number of issues that crop up from time totime that stand in the way of our common witness and mission. Our efforts as provincials isto put in place a common policy agreed upon by the Provincial administration within theframework of the Constitution that will bind us as members of a congregation rather than ofa particular province. Keeping this as our focus we deliberated on the following:

1. Organization of our Members in the Western World: Over the years we as Provincialshave been sending members to the western world, be it Germany, Austria, Holland,Switzerland, Australia or the USA, keeping in mind the needs of the province and the requestsmade to us by Bishops. But in the process we have overlooked certain constitutionalrequirements, which have been brought to our notice by our Superiors. Measures are beingtaken to put in place these constitutional directives. We are grateful to our confreres in thewestern world for their cooperation in allowing us to reorganize ourselves for our effectiveministry and mission and to set things right. As a follow up, we have already decided onsending common appointment letters to all members in the western world. We have alsotalked about having common administrative structures like forming communities which willbe the way of life and functioning for all members. Common policies with regard to communitylife, personal allowance, holidays, permissions and other such matters concerning sickness,

P R O V I N C I A L S O F I N D I A F O R U MP R O V I N C I A L S O F I N D I A F O R U MP R O V I N C I A L S O F I N D I A F O R U MP R O V I N C I A L S O F I N D I A F O R U MP R O V I N C I A L S O F I N D I A F O R U MMISSIONMISSIONMISSIONMISSIONMISSIONARIES OF SARIES OF SARIES OF SARIES OF SARIES OF STTTTT. FRAN. FRAN. FRAN. FRAN. FRANCIS DE SCIS DE SCIS DE SCIS DE SCIS DE SALESALESALESALESALES

msfspune@gmail.com09766324738

MSFS Provincial HouseSFS Church/School

Paanch Mile, Nagar RoadPune - 411014 INDIA

cm-pif-1 24th June 2010

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death, scandal and invalidity. The Provincials had a meeting with the confreres in February2010 in Germany where the congregation has 67 members either involved in pastoralministry or pursuing studies. Certain recommendations were made and have been attendedto at this meeting. The decisions thus arrived at would be communicated to all concernedat the earliest by the respective Provincials. Those decisions are made keeping in view theëOne Fransalian Identityí, as envisioned as well as to reduce the anomalies, if any, existamong the confreres of different Provinces living in a particular region/country.

2. Suvidya College Inaugural Ceremony: Suvidya College reopened on the 14th of June2010 with the Inaugural Eucharist concelebrated by all the Provincials with the Chairmanas the main celebrant in the newly constructed Chapel which was followed by a Key-NoteAddress given by Mr. David Selvaraj, Director of VISTAR an NGO. Suvidya College is acommon concern of the entire Congregation as declared in 1992 by the then SuperiorGeneral Fr. Emile Mayoraz Besides the scholastics of all the 6 Indian Provinces and of theEast Africa Province there are students (brothers and sisters) from other Congregationsstudying as day scholars. We have 13 resident Staff including Spiritual Directors who aredirectly responsible for the formation of our 190 scholastics. Suvidya College also hasnumber of visiting professors. The Indian Provincials form the Governing Body with theSuperior General as the Chancellor- cum- Patron and the Chairman as the Vice Chancellor.This year the MCTP (Masterís in Contextualized and Transformative Philosophy) has beenlaunched which is affiliated to Mysore University. The B.Ph /BA programme in Philosophyis at present affiliated to De Sales University, USA and Bangalore University. Efforts arebeing made towards a more personalized and holistic formation in the context of such alarge number of scholastics so that they can grow emotionally, spiritually and intellectually.We are grateful to the Staff of Suvidya for their dedication and commitment. Our specialthanks to Fr. Jose Tekkel msfs of the North East Province who served as Procurator for thelast 6 years at Suvidya College. We welcome Fr. Bhaskar Mendem new Procurator fromthe Vizag Province and thank him for accepting this responsibility. We welcome back Fr.George Panthanmackel after being with IGNOU for the past year.

3. Deliberation on the Medical Project at Ranchi, CBCI Venture: A formal request hasbeen made by Cardinal Toppo inviting our Congregation to get involved in the Medical Projectat Ranchi. The Superior General has asked the Provincials of India Forum to study thismatter. Soon a delegation would be going to meet Cardinal Toppo. It is an opportunity for theCongregation to get involved at the National level in ventures undertaken by the Church.

4. Formation Concerns: Formation at the initial stages if taken care of will go a long wayin having men who are effective in (their) mission. It has been proposed that a joint meetingof all the Rectors and Deans of all our Minor Seminaries be held so that we can look intothe possibility of having a common curriculum for all our candidates entering the novitiatewho subsequently go to Suvidya College for their philosophy. At this meeting we will alsocall in the Directors of Novices, so that at the Novitiate stage too, we could all embark on acommon formation programme. The meeting is to be hosted by Fr. Lawrence the Provincialof South East Province in Trichy. More information about this meeting and the modalitieswill be communicated to all those concerned by the Councillor in Charge of Formation ineach province who will also be a part of this meeting.

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5. First Profession: We propose to have the first profession in all the Novitiates on the 31st

of May (Feast of the Visitation) beginning from 2012. This would mean that the candidateswill enter the Novitiate on the 30th of May from 2011. After the First Profession all the newlyprofessed from all the provinces together would attend a post-novitiate programme beforethey go to Suvidya, to be organized each year by turn in different provinces. It is highlyrecommended that all our important dates of celebrations (like ministries of reader, acolyte,diaconate, renewal or perpetual profession and others) be on some dates significant to ourCongregation.

The Provincials of India Forum meets twice a year and has decided to deliberate on issuesthat would help to contribute in the building up of that one MSFS Identity. We commitourselves to this cause and welcome suggestions from members of our congregation tofoster this belongingness and oneness.

Fraternally,

Mario Dísouza msfsChairman, Provincials of India Forum

IMPORTANT DATES FOR THE CONGREGATION

JULY ñ DECEMBER

08.08.1608 SFS Signs the Preface to the Introduction to Devout Life09.08.1846 MSFS arrive Nagpur21.08.1567 Birthday of SFS28.08.1790 Birthday of Peter Marie Mermier08.09.1845 First batch of 6 MSFS arrive India at Pondicherry30.09.1862 Death of Peter Marie Mermier24.10.1838 Approval of the MSFS Congregation24.10.1840 Mermier and 4 others make first Perpetual Profession for the msfs18.12.1593 Priestly Ordination of SFS28.12.1622 Death of SFS28.12.1661 Beatification Decree of SFS

CONGREGATIONAL MEETINGS IN INDIA

14th Sept ñ 5th Oct 2010 Visitation of Nagpur Province by the Assistant General08th ñ 31st Oct 2010 Visitation of the Pune Province by the Assistant General27th ñ 31st Oct 2010 Visitation of SW, Suvidya, Vinay Bhavan-by Superior General04th ñ 05th Nov 2010 Meeting of General Curia & Provincial Curia of Pune Province09th ñ 10th Nov 2010 Meeting of General Curia and Provincial curia of SW Province13th ñ 14th Nov 2010 Meeting of General Curia with Provincials of India Forum15th ñ 22nd Nov 2010 Triannual Meeting of All Provincials & General Curia22nd ñ 26th Nov 2010 General Council Meeting at Vinayalaya in Bangalore25th ñ 26th Nov 2010 Regional Stewardship forum India with General Bursar-Trichy

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CONGREGATION OF THE MISSIONARIES OF SAINT FRANCIS DE SALESMISSIONARI DI S. FRANCESCO DI SALES,

Via delle Testuggini 21,00143 Roma, Italia.Tel: (06) 99 70 91 47

Fax: (06) 99 70 69 57Email: agnelomsfs@gmail.com

Sgmsfs-2af-1229th June 2010

Feast of St Peter and St Paul

LETTER OF THE SUPERIOR GENERALTO ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE CONGREGATION

My Dear Confreres,

I wish you the blessing of St Peter and St Paul as shepherds of God’s people and wish youa very Happy Feast as we celebrate their Feast on 29th June . And soon thereafter on 3rd Julywe will celebrate the Feast of St Thomas , the Apostle of India. May the example of thisSaint strengthen our faith in Jesus and deepen our passion for His Mission.

Much has happened in the Congregation during the last six months and it is my joy toshare with you some news and informations that will strengthen our fraternal bonds andmutual encouragement .

APPOINTMENTS OF PROVINCIAL AND REGIONAL SUPERIOR

The Superior General with the consent of the General Council made some appointmentsafter the General Council Meeting of May 2010 held at Annecy :

Fr Yves Carron is appointed as the Provincial of Franco-Swiss Province

He has been appointed for the term of three years beginning from 1st August 2010.Fr Carron at the time of his appointment is 44 years old , 23 years a religious and 17 yearsa priest . He has been active in the ministry of preaching and animation of catecheticaltraining of students and teachers . He has been a Provincial Councillor of the Franco-SwissProvince and a delegate of the General Chapter .His youthfulness, salesian dispositionsand experience in ministry and administration will surely be God’s special blessings as heleads the Province .I assure him of my support and encouragement as he assumes chargeof our Mother Province of Franco-Swiss .

Fr Yves Carron succeeds Fr Jean-Paul Fournier who completes three successive terms asthe Provincial. His services were marked with reorganisation of the province life,communities and administration to adapt to the changing situation in the Province onaccount of advance in age of the members and on account of lack of vocations. Remaining

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focused on concrete realisable objectives, with clarity of mind and diligence of sustainedefforts Fr Fournier brought the Province to a new level of confidence and hope. The presenceof a number of confreres from other Provinces at the service of the mission of theCongregation in France-Switzerland is a legacy of fraternal cooperation in mission he hasestablished and for which we are indeed grateful. While thanking Fr Fr Fournier , I wishhim new strength and new joy in serving the Lord in days to come.

Fr Augustine Tharappel is appointed as the Regional Superior of USA Region .He has been appointed for the second term of three years beginning from 3rd July 2010.

Fr Augustine , as the first regional superior , with the cooperation of the members , has laidgood foundation of the USA Region , establishing local communities of confreres , organisingthe spiritual and salesian animation of the confreres and putting administrative structuresin place to attend to vocation promotion, formation, mission appeals and finances. TheRegion has new challenges to face as it discerns its future growth to have more stability inthe Church of USA as well as for welcoming candidates in formation. I assure of him ofmy confidence and encouragement in leading the Region to new stages of growth .

OTHER APPOINTMENTS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Fr Mario Dsouza , as the Chairman and Fr Simon Paicatt as Vice-Chairman of the IndianProvincials’ Forum

In my last circular I had informed you of the establishment of Indian Provincial Forum(IPF). Consequent to that decision, the Superior General has appointed Fr Mario DSouzaas the Chairman and Fr Simon Paicatt as the Vice-Chairman of the Indian ProvincialsForum with effect from 17th February 2010

Fr Mario DSouza as the Chairman of the Governing Body of Suvidya College

On the completion of the term of Fr Mathew Kozhuppakalam and on the advice of theGoverning Body of Suvidya College, the Superior General has appointed Fr Mario DSouzaas the new chairman of the Governing Body with effect from 17th February 2010

Fr Olickal Thomas as the Superior Delegate of the Superior General for Lumen ChristiInstitute, Arusha .

With Fr Augustine Mangatt, the General Bursar and the former Superior Delegate takinghis residence in Rome, it was necessary to appoint another person as the Superior Delegateto coordinate the growth and direction of the Institute of Lumen Christi in Africa. Fr OlickalThomas as the Major Superior and chairman of MSAF took charge as Superior Delegate ofthe Superior General for Lumen Christi Institute from 25th March 2010

Fr Augustine Mangatt , the General Bursar is given additional responsibility to coordinatethe work of preparing projects and procuring finances for the Arusha Project

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Fr Abraham Mullenkuzhy as a member of the local community of Arusha and to be onthe staff of Lumen Christi

With the consent of the provincial of North-East Province , the Superior Delegate will appointFr Abraham Mullenkuzhy as the member of the local community of Arusha with theresponsibility to be on the teaching faculty of the Institute.

The General Councillors are designated to assist the Provinces in the process of Vision-Mission Plan of all the centres of the Provinces :

Fr Noel Rebello, to assist the Province of North-East

Fr George Parampukkattil, to assist the Province of South-West

Fr Abraham Vettuvelil, to assist the Province of Visakhapatnam and South-East

Fr Thumma Mariadas , to assist the Provinces of Nagpur and Pune

All the General Councillors, to assist the Province of East Africa in May 2011

Fr Thumas Mariadas is appointed as the local superior of the local community of theGeneral Councillors at Mermier Bhavan Malkajgiri, Secunderabad ,from the date he takesresidence at Mermier Bhavan.

LOCAL COMMUNITY OF THE GENERAL COUNCILLORS

By 1st October 2010 , we have planned to have the local community of the GeneralCouncillors constituted with proper understanding with the Provincial of Visakhapatnamand the Archbishop of Hyderbad.I had already mentioned to you in my previous circularsgmsfs-2af-11 the need for the General Councillors to stay together for administrativeeffectiveness, for urgent contact by the Superior General with the General Council and forpursuing common works entrusted to the Council.

The local community will be based at “Mermier Bhavan” a house of the VisakhapatnamProvince at Malkajigiri, Secunderabad and all the General Councillors will reside there asone local community with a local superior.

The local superior will be Fr Thumma Mariadas .

The address and other details of communication and contact will be sent to all the Provincialsby the new local superior after the local community takes residence at Mermier Bhavan.

I am deeply appreciative and grateful to the Provinces of Pune, Nagpur, South-West foraccommodating the General Councillors in the initial period of their ministry for the lasttwo years.So too I thank the Provincial of Visakh for placing the new house at the service ofthe General Council.

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TRIANNUAL MANDATORY MEETING OF THEPROVINCIALS AND GENERAL CURIA (TMM)

After convoking the Triannual Mandatory Meeting of the Provincials and General Curia inbetween two General Chapters in January 2010, I wish to give you more precise details tobe kept in mind .

Venue : Vinayalaya,House No 28/10; 18th Cross ,Near 13th Main, Malleswaram,Bangalore-560 055

Date and Time :

The Meeting will start at 08:30 hrs , on 15th November 2010 and conclude 13:00 hrs on 22nd

November 2010.

Organisers of the Meeting :

The Organising Committee consists of Fr Mathew Kozhuppakalam, Provincial of South-West, (Convenor ), Fr Noel Rebello, (Sub-Convenor) , Fr George Parampukkattil, Fr AbrahamVettuvellil, Fr Thumma Mariadas.

Preparation for the Meeting . The members of the Organising Committee will be in contactwith the participants to request their assistance in preparing for their active participation .

Your contribution to the Meeting:

As the Meeting is evaluatory of the Action Plan of 18th General Chapter held in 2001 andinitiating the first step of the preparation for the 19th General Chapter 2013, I kindly requestyou to feel free to send your personal suggestions and evaluations to the Sub-convenor ofthe Meeting, Fr Noel Rebello , latest by 1st September 2010 by email. His email address is :rebello.noel@gmail.com

Also the Meeting will address itself to a fitting and effective way of celebrating 175 years ofthe Foundation of our Congregation in 2013 and also the General Chapter. Your suggestionsand ideas will be valuable for the deliberations in the Meeting. Please direct your suggestionsto Fr Noel Rebello by email latest by 1st September 2010

CAUSE OF THE BEATIFICATION OF FR MERMIER

Time and again confreres make enquiries about the process of the Cause of the Beatificationof our Founder , Fr Mermier. There are obvious signs of the greatness and holiness of ourFounder, Fr Mermier in his life, writings and in his apostolic and missionary projects . Wethank God for giving us such a holy ,spirit-filled, missionary and salesian person like Fr.Mermier as our Founder. For us the Missionaries of St Francis de Sales, it is a matter ofpride as well as a source of inspiration and joy.

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To make his greatness and holiness better known and place it at the service of the growthof the Church, our Congregation with the collaboration of the Diocese of Annecy initiatedthe Cause of the Beatification of Fr Mermier as a juridical process , and appointed a memberof the Congregation as the Postulator of the Cause.

Such juridical processes begin at the Diocesan level with the appointment of a DiocesanCommission appointed by the Bishop of the Diocese . One of its first works is to submit aHistorical Document .It is a study of the writings and works of the Founder. This work onFR Mermier has been completed and we are awaiting the outcome of the Commission.

Meanwhile, I have received the following information from our Postulator of the Cause , FrClaude Morel. To carry on the Process, there is need to provide substantial evidence thatthe sanctity of the founder is known by the people and that there is popular devotion andprayer for favours from God through the intercession of Fr Mermier. It is not enough thatwe have love and devotion to our Founder within our Congregation but through our effortsand initiatives we have to start a people’s movement of prayer through Fr Mermier’sintercession. Besides, in the place of his origin the devotion has to be more intenselypropagated.

Therefore, this will be the second phase of the Cause of Fr Mermier that we have to beginvery soon. I hope and pray that TMM ( Triannual Mandatory Meeting in November 2010)will arrive at definite decisions on the implementation of this Second Phase.

Meanwhile, with the consent of the General Council, I have requested the Postulator of theCause, Fr Morel, to request the Bishop of Annecy to formally terminate the work of thepresent Commission . A new Commission will be appointed , following due canonicalprocedures, at the appropriate time.

MEETINGS OF THE GENERAL CURIA ANDOTHERS AT ANNECY IN MAY 2010

Three Important Meetings took place at Annecy in the month of May 2010 : Meeting of theGeneral Curia with the members of the Provincial Curia on 10th May 2010; the Meeting ofthe General Curia with all the Provincials superiors/Superiors of the Western world on11,12,13th May 2010 ; and the Meeting of the General Council on 14, 15,16,17,18 May2010

Annecy is a hallowed place for the Missionaries of St Francis de Sales. As our Founder, FrMermier has said: “Our Mother house will always be at Annecy.” It was the desire of theGeneral Curia to go to Annecy and pray at the tombs of St Francis de Sales, St Jane deChantal and Servant of God, Fr Peter Mary Mermier, while we were engaged in ourmeetings . The great occasion was on 14th May 2010 when all the Provincials and Superiorsof the Western world along with the members of the General Curia assembled in the Basilicaof the Visitation and celebrated the Lord’s Eucharist presided over by Fr Gilberto Bugnon,

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the provincial of Brazil . Fr Jean Paul Fournier , the Provincial of Franco-Swiss Provinceshared God’s Message with us.We prayed as part of the community of leadership in theCongregation imploring God to give us a big share in the same gift of the Spirit that Hegave to our holy Patron and Founder. Each of you were part of our prayer and we askedGod to keep us faithful to the vision and mission of our Founder in the spirit of St Francisde Sales.

The Provincial of Franco-Swiss Province, Fr Jean-Paul Fournier and the members of thecommunities of Franco-Swiss Province did their uttermost best to ensure fraternal andcordial spirit that we needed for the meetings. I thank them very sincerely.As the Provinceis not in a position to accommodate so many participants for the meetings, it arrangedaccommodation for us at John Paul II Institute overlooking the lake of Annecy . It is a placeof welcome for people who want to pray, to make retreats or to conduct courses and seminars.

The Meeting with the Provincial Curia of Franco-Swiss Province and later the Meetingwith the Provincials of England, Brazil and Franco-Swiss , Mission Superior of Chile andCoordinator of GAH were indeed an eye-opener to all the participants of the struggles andchallenges they face in a highly securalised world and some of the simple and yet authenticand salesian responses that they give in their given situation. Inspite of diminishing ofnumbers and lack of vocations, there is no hopeless despondency , but true salesian rootsand seeds of hope . A more organised way of getting the participation of laity in our ministryand sharing with them our fransalian charism will ensure a reasonable good climate forMSFS vocations to spring forth from among them. The confreres believe in living theirreligious vocation in joy and with intensity, whether young or old , trusting in God’sProvidence and His Plan for them. It is the duty of the Congregation first to come to theassistance of these units of the Congregation to walk the difficult journey and sustain thehope and where possible and in a measure possible to realise that hope.

During the Meeting ,Fr Emile Mayoraz, our respected former Superior General, gave avery touching address to the members entitled “”Une experience de gouvernament et desconvictions profondes” (An Experience of Governance and profound convictions ) .In thisaddress Fr Mayoraz shares the high and low points in the life of our Congregation duringhis tenure as a Provincial of Franco-Swiss Province and later as the Superior General of theCongregation for 24 years. In doing so he highlights his profound convictions that helpedhim to be at the service and growth of the Congregation. He is indeed a veritable preciouswitness .His address is a source of missionary and religious inspiration which in course oftime , with his permission , I intend to share with you.

The outcome of these Meetings will be shared by the Provincials and Superiors with thoseunder their charge and do the follow-up with their cooperation and sustained efforts.

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VISITATIONS BY THE ASSISTANT GENERAL

During the last six months the Assistant General, Fr Thomas Cherukat, on behalf of theSuperior General made visitations of Franco Swiss Province and the Inter-Province ApostolicCommunity (IPAC) of German Speaking Switzerland (GSS). Besides, being the MajorSuperior of Chile Mission, he makes annual visit to Chile to guide and lead the Mission . Iam glad to share with you his observations and insights after his visit to Chile, Franco-Swiss Province and the IPAC of GSS .The details he shares will enable you to see how thefamily of the Congregation fares in these parts of the world. I am grateful to Fr ThomasCherukat, the Assistant General , for his valuable and well-prepared visitations that givedirection and encouragement to the members .

Chile Mission

Chile Mission has just completed 15 years of its existence. It was on 30th August 1994 thatthe pioneering team arrived in Santiago de Chile. The Franco-Swiss Province and theProvinces in India had joined hands to initiate the new venture of implanting theCongregation in Chile. The past 15 years have been most difficult and a turbulent periodfor the Mission. But we have every reason to thank the Lord for the many blessings that wesee in this Mission today.

The Chile Mission has now 5 priests and 1 novice and all of them are Chileans. The LocalCommunity at Santiago has two units: one at Rinconada and another at El Bosque. Fr.Roberto Salazar is the Mission Superior and Fr. Patricio Aguayo is the Mission Bursar. TheMission is blessed with the necessary infrastructure and sufficient landed property forfuture development. The confreres render pastoral service to a number of parishes besideschaplaincies at several schools and convents. The Chapel of Saint Francis de Sales at ElBosque is a quasi-parish where a large number of people have become friends andbenefactors of the Mission.

Fr. Thomas Cherukat, the Assistant General has been appointed the Major Superior incharge of Chile Mission since June 2009. Fr. Thomas has since made two visits to the Mission:one in June 2009 and another in February 2010. The next annual visit to the Mission isscheduled for February 2011. The Mission is poised for a new phase of growth with arenewed vision and a concrete plan of action. Promotion of local vocations continues to bea priority. A contextual formation programme for Chile needs to be put in place. Formationof formators is another area that needs immediate attention.

Chile Mission is one of the smallest mission units in the Congregation. But it is the veryfirst and the only Mission of the Congregation in the Spanish-speaking world. Chile Missiontherefore symbolises the Congregation’s firm resolve and deep commitment to serve thepeople of Chile in the true spirit of Saint Francis de Sales and of Fr. Peter Mermier and ifGod willing to extend its mission to many more countries of the Spanish-speaking worldin the years to come.

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German-speaking Switzerland (GSS)

The visitation to the confreres in the German-speaking Switzerland was made by theAssistant General from 27 – 30 April 2010. It was the first ever visitation after the formalestablishment of the Inter-Province Apostolic Community (IPAC) in GSS by the SuperiorGeneral in January 2009. On 28 April, the confreres came together at Chur where Fr. CyriacNellikunnel, the co-ordinator of the IPAP is the Pastor of a large parish The IPAC in GSSconsists of 7 confreres from 4 provinces in India. The members have a genuine desire tocome together at least twice a year as proposed by the Superior General in his guidelinesfor the functioning of the IPAP. The community is in the process of evolving a concretemission-vision plan for its continued presence and growth in GSS. The pastoral servicerendered by the confreres are very much appreciated by the people and by the local church.

Franco-Swiss Province

The Visitation of the Franco-Swiss Province was held from 01-09 May 2010 by the AssistantGeneral. The province has a total number of 39 confreres consisting of 37 priests, 1 Brotherand 1 Scholastic. Out of the 37 priests, 7 are from three Indian Provinces. In spite of therapidly diminishing numbers, the province has been consciously promoting community-based ministries. The confreres are grouped into 6 local communities with local superiorsappointed to each of them. It is very gratifying to note that most of the confrerespainstakingly nurture a genuine sense of belonging to the community. Their keen interestand concern about the life of the congregation and the developments in the missions arequite remarkable. It is also very commendable that the province has made excellentarrangements for the care of the sick and the aged confreres.

A good number of confreres even in their old age are rendering full-time or part-timeministries in parishes or having chaplaincies, preaching, spiritual animation etc.. The 7confreres from the Indian Provinces are young and are fully active in ministry. They arewell integrated into the province and are much appreciated. The province has taken up 4parishes in the diocese of Annecy which indeed is a very positive development.

Florimont in Geneva and Ecole St. Francois at Ville-la-Grand are two important educationalinstitutions in the province. Both these institutions are now administered by lay peopleunder the close supervision of the provincial administration. Bonlieu at Fribourg continuesto be a formation house where students from other provinces are gladly welcomed. Thereare a number of invitations from dioceses in France. Expansion and growth are possible ifpersonnel are available. The fact that 23 confreres out of 39 are above 70 years of age isindeed a cause for concern for the immediate future of the province.

Franco-Swiss Province is the Mother Province of the Congregation. The province has alwaysbeen very generous and dynamic in its missionary ventures at home and abroad. It wasalways in the forefront to mobilize financial support to the missions overseas. Even in its

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present state of increased fragility, Franco-Swiss Province, continues to support theGeneralate, the Missions in India, Africa, Philippines, Brazil and Chile.

The Mother Province faced with a rapid decline in numbers is now making an earnestappeal to the Congregation at large to come to its help. The appeal is mainly directed towardsthe provinces in India where a large number of confreres from France and Switzerland hadgiven their lives for the missions in the first hundred years of its history. Today the provincesin India are blessed with an abundance of vocations. The General Administration and theprovinces in India are called upon to make a serious and collective discernment to respondto the cry for help that comes from the Mother Province. The Congregation as a whole iscalled upon to address this challenge and respond to this appeal without expecting anythingin return. Our spiritual roots are in Annecy and it is from Annecy that the Congregationhas grown into the stature of a Global Missionary Movement and it is certainly very vitalthat the Congregation continues to remain rooted in Annecy.

BOOKLET ON “ LOCAL COMMUNITY IN OUR CONGREGATION “

The Booklet on “Local Community in our Congregation “ was sent to each of the professedconfreres along with the Status for the Year 2010. This is a precious booklet , inspirationaland instructive on how to organise ourselves as religious communities in our Congregation.The book deserves to be carefully read and studied by the confreres. Once again I kindlyrequest the Provincials to ensure that a systematic study of this booklet is undertaken bythe Apostolic Communities/ local communities under the guidance of a confrere who willbe able to further explicitate the queries and doubts of the members. The services of theGeneral Secretaries are always available. In case of need , please contact them sufficientlyin advance.

This booklet is a concrete and visible commitment of the Congregation to theimplementation of one of the Important directives of the 18th General Chapter concerningmission in and through a local religious community. The commitment has to be a way oflife and exceptions are to be progressively reduced and given up.

TRIBUTE TO FR. A. GABRIEL ANDOTHER CONFRERES WHO DIED RECENTLY

Our confrere, Fr A.Gabriel ,of South-East Province died on 10th January 2010 at Chennaiafter prolonged illness, at the age of 61 years . We remain united in prayer for peace andrest in God’s love for Fr Gabriel. The General Administration has special reason to thankGod for giving him as the General Councillor for 12 consecutive years . His love for theCongregation and its Mission was visibly seen in the advice he gave and in creative andprofoundly gospel critique he offered over concrete human and missionary situations inthe Congregation. Blessed with a profound intelligence, erudite scholarship in Scriptures

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and Theology, creative passion for truth , simplicity in living, and fraternal attitude, FrGabriel was a mine of information, knowledge and inspiration. The memory of this confrerewill remain a blessing for us in the General administration and a source of inspiration toaim high and launch out into the deep .

The last few months have brought us the sad news of the death of Fr Peter Chakkulickal ofSouth-East Province , aged 66 years ,on 10th March 2010. He was one of the confreres whopioneered the mission of the Congregation in the state of Tamilnadu and promoted localvocations and was instrumental in buying infra-structure of land for the mission of theCongregation in that State .

Also we had the unexpected death of Fr Philip DSouza of Nagpur Province , aged 54years and who died on 15th May 2010.He was the leader of the pioneering mission team ofthe Congregation in western Orissa State . Through hard work , persistence and endurancehe started new mission of the Congregation in the Diocese of Rourkela , Orissa.

Each of the departed confreres in death highlight the profound message of their life theyalways carried with them . I join you in paying my tribute of respect, love and gratitude tothe dear departed confreres and pray for them.

THANKSGIVING DAY FOR 25 YEARS OF THE PRIESTHOODOF FR VARGHESE CHETTUPUZHA

On 5th June 2010, the Apostolic Community of Rome along with friends, visiting confreresand well-wishers gathered in one of the chapels of the crypt of St Peter’s Basilica ,Rome tocelebrate the Eucharist and thank God for the gift of priesthood in the life of Fr Varghese.The local community of Rome organised a very meaningful service attended by about 100people .Later they gathered in one of the halls of the Jesuit Generalate to felicitate thejubilerean and to share a meal. Joyful Commitment , zeal in mission, loyalty, fraternalattentiveness , personal caring were the qualities that we collectively appreciated in FrVarghese as a priest and confrere and thanked God for him.

On this occasion I want to thank Fr Varghese for the service of hospitality and welcome heextends to all the members of the Congregation and for his multifarious exacting works atour house at Via del Mascherino . Special and hearty thanks to our local community ofRome that affirms our fransalian brotherhood on such beautiful occasions.

VISITATION OF EAST AFRICA PROVINCE

The Superior General completed the canonical visitation of the East Africa Province from27th January 2010 to 13th February 2010. Accompanied by the Provincial “at the wheels “allthe time for over 1900 kilometres ,I met the confreres in 4 apostolic communities atKibaha,(Tanzania), Morogoro(Tanzania), Lububu (Tanzania) and Nairobi (Kenya ) .My

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address to the confreres in the apostolic communities and later meeting them individuallygave me an opportunity to discover the beauty, grandeur , joy and sincerity with whicheach confrere lives his MSFS vocation . Also I sensed the pain, confusion and tiredness ofsome as they face the challenges of the Mission as well as of their own personal growth. Iam indeed grateful to God for all the blessings He has showered on our East Africa Province.If the Province is what it is , it is because of the Divine Providence that has so obviouslyguided it and for the generous cooperation by the members with this Divine Providence.Every Apostolic Community and local community exhibits a healthy level of missionaryand religious commitment. The mission centres are vast, works multifarious, personnellimited and yet everything is done with generosity and self-sacrifice. Rootedness in faithand prayer is very much seen. Love for the Congregation and dedication to its growth isobviously visible. I sensed in members as well as in the Provincial administration a urgentdesire to focus on consolidation of the Centres and strengthen the human resources of ourmembers. If the members continue in the same way as they are working, there is a possibilityof fatigue and exhaustion. Therefore the Province is very much aware of the need tostrengthen each centre with a viable religious community with sufficient members to attendto different aspects of the Mission there. Besides the province is planning to send for shortor long training sessions in the field of their competency. Also it is planned to see thepossibility of confreres who have completed a certain number of years in ministry to havean opportunity to have refresher courses .

The Province has diversified apostolates besides parochial and mission centres. TheVocational Training Centre at Nairobi, and VTC in Mwakata are efforts to help people togive skills that will enable them to stand on their feet .Both the centres are doingcommendable service. The Children’s Home at Ipuli, Tabora for the drop-outs and orphanchildren and the school for the orphans and destitute at Katani in Nairobi are examples ofthe Province reaching out to the uncared for and the most deprived. The Programmes forAids Patients at Dumila the medical services rendered by Fr Sebastian Kuzhuppil atMorogoro are engagement of the Province in health ministry and care for the people.

Great hope of the Province seen on the horizon is the groups of indigenous vocations thatare under formation at different stages of their growth. The new Pan-Africa Philosophateof the Congregation at Arusha which will start in Sept 2010 augurs blessings of unity andsolidarity in formation of MSFS for the challenges of mission in Africa as well as in theworld. The Province of East Africa is a constant reminder to the Congregation of the specialattention that the Congregation needs to give to all the Missions in Africa so that theCongregation may be rooted firmly into the African culture .

NEW SET OF SALESIAN RECOLLECTIONS FOR THE YEAR 2010-2011

7th SET of annual Salesian Recollections for July 2010 to March 2011 is ready .It is aprecious spiritual resource for every MSFS . Taking off from where the 6th SET halted, the7th SET takes us to another level of reflection and understanding of salesian spirituality. It

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takes core issues of human and Christian Life and attempts to offer a salesian perspectivewhich is so intergral, so realistic, so demanding and yet so encouraging, that it unfolds tous the psycho-spiritual salesian discipline needed to grow in the heights and depths oflove. I urge every community to use this SET faithfully and profitably in the coming monthsof the new academic year. It is the duty of every local superior of local/apostolic communitiesand of formation-houses to ensure that they make use of the common monthly directionof animation of the Congregation in salesian growth as prepared for by the Committee .Let us experience special solidarity and fraternity in unity of effort over the entireCongregation.

Rarely have I seen a simple, down-to-earth , and cajoling pedagogical approach inpresenting spirituality as a way of life, as I have seen in these SETS of Salesian Recollections.My heartfelt gratitude to Fr Devasia Manalel ( Convenor of the Committee), Fr AntonyMookenthottam, Fr Suresh Babu and Fr Armind Nazareth for their persevering sustaineddetermination to present to us this NEW SET 7 OF RECOLLECTIONS.

CONGREGATION STATUS

Preparation of the Status Details latest by 31st August 2010:I kindly request the Provinces and their offices to update the Status details and submitthe same to Fr Ebin Christopher , the Secretary latest by 31st August 2010. Please notethat there will not be a printed Status sent to you this Year. But the Status details will beupdated and kept at the Generalate office.

Confreres have brought to the notice of the generalate office ways in which the Statuscan be improved and errors can be avoided. As the Status is printed in India anddespatched from there , we need to have a person in India to assume full responsibilityfor proof-reading and ensuring that the work is according to a corrected proof. I haveasked Fr George Parampukkattil , the General Councillor to be responsible to monitorthis work in the future, with the assistance of other confreres.

THE PROGRAMME OF THE GENERAL ADMINISTRATIONIN THE COMING MONTHS

12th August to 31st August 2010 : Visitation of USA Region by the Superior General

14th Sept to 5th October 2010 : Visitation of Nagpur Province by the Assistant General

8th October to 31st October 2010 : Visitation of Pune Province by the Assistant General

27th October to 31st October 2010 : Visitation of SW Province , Suvidya College Bangalore,and Vinay Bhavan Minor Seminary Thamaraserry bythe Superior General

4th and 5th November 2010 : Meeting of General Curia and Provincial Curia of PuneProvince in Pune

9th and 10th November 2010 : Meeting of the General Curia and Provincial Curia ofSouth-West Province at Bangalore

13th and 14th November 2010 : Meeting of the General Curia with PIF (Provincials ofIndia Forum) at Vinayalaya , Bangalore

15th to 22nd November 2010 : Triannual Mandatory Meeting (TMM)at VinayalayaBangalore

22 to 26th November 2010 : General Council Meeting at Vinayalaya Bangalore

25th-26th November 2010 : Regional Stewardship Forum( India) Meeting with theGeneral Bursar at MSFS Provincialate,Trichy, Tamilnadu

CONCLUSION

Dear confreres, as I conclude this letter, let me remind you of the months ahead that willoffer opportunities of strengthening and deepening our Fransalian traditions , devotionsand days of communion as a Congregation. Let us take pride in celebrating them withgreat spiritual fervour , personal renewal , and distinct honour and thanksgiving for ourvocation as Missionaries of St Francis de Sales. 15th September will place before us the iconof Mary , the Mother of Compassion urging us to stand amidst the sufferings and povertyof people with the greatest confidence and hope that ultimately God and His Plan willtriumph, good will overcome evil, light will dispel darkness,life will destroy death. 30th

September will unite us around our Founder, Fr Mermier as we celebrate our Founder’sDay. This missionary icon’s secret of missionary zeal and vibrancy points to his affirmationand conviction “ I have totally dedicated myself to the work of the Missions of which Jesusis the first missionary and leader in every mission.” With our Founder let us remain alwayslearners in the missionary school of Jesus, our Master. On 24th October 2010 is the 172ndanniversary of the Foundation of our Congregation. We have much to thank God for thetrail of example left by good missionaries and confreres of our Congregation. History is inthe making .Let our united witness , fidelity and new love for the mission be our definingpresence at the service of the Congregation. I wish you the Peace and Joy of Jesus Christ .

Yours devotedly

Fr Agnelo Fernandes, MSFSSuperior General

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