October, 2004 marks 10 years that the Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart has been in India. The following are the reflections of the SCJ India District Superior. In the following weeks articles and photos will continue to mark the occasion celebrating our 10 years in India.
Dear Friends,
In October, 2004 the SCJ India District will be celebrating the fact that the Congregation has been in India for 10 years. There are many memories that come to my mind about these years. What follows are some of my thoughts:
On March 6, 1994, while Fr. Bressanelli was on his visitation in Kalirejo, Indonesia, he told me about his intention to send me to India. This was far from any expectations that I had at the time! He then told me to quickly come to Rome.
In Rome we spoke of what I was to do in India, that is, to make our Congregation present there. But many questions came to my mind: How should I go about it? What must I do? Fr. Bressanelli assured me that “The Holy Spirit shall guide you.”
The arrival in Cochin was on October 6, 1994, welcomed in the diocese of Cochin-Kerala (South India). After much listening to bishops and priests, and doing extensive personal research in New Delhi (Embassy of the Holy See), and in Mumbai, (with Cardinal Pimenta), and after visiting several formation institutions in Chennai and Bangalore, it quickly became clear that we, as foreigners, could not become involved in direct pastoral work. It was with this understanding that the late Bishop Kureethara advised us to begin our presence in India, with Formation. He was a wonderful help.
In June, 1995, we received our first students. It was an unusual beginning of a Mission, and it provided special experiences to our General Administration too! But Indeed the Holy Spirit guided us, and how happy was the day of the inauguration of our first house, Dehon Bhavan, in Kumbalanghy, Kerala, on March 18, 1997. We then opened Dehon Vidya Sadhan (philosophy), in Aluva, on March 25, 1999. On January 7, 2002, the SCJ Sacred Heart Novitiate was inaugurated in Nambur, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh, as well as a house of formation, in Gorantla, Dehon Prema Nilayam. Finally, on April 29, 2004, we inaugurated a community in the diocese of Eluru, A.P. for our theology students. So much has happened in these last 10 years, and so quickly!
From the first beginnings, we emphasized the building of community life at every stage of formation. Our candidates have been well aware that we are in India to be missionaries. Development of a missionary spirit has been implanted in the whole formation process, with special classes and courses. Regular conferences are conducted regarding the social orientation of our Founder, the social teaching of the Church, and “live-in” experiences in poor villages are scheduled every year for our students. Most recently some of our students spent 8 months of their regency time serving the very poor in Bhopal, and learning the Hindi language.
The SCJ India District Mission Statement expresses very clearly why our candidates are going to the northern part of India, where the poverty of the people is extreme, where the injustice suffered by millions of the population will provide the context for our future mission in India.
The Lord has blessed us with good candidates because of the diligent and faithful recruitment done by all the members of the district, and because of our dedicated formators. What we believe is an important value is the international composition of our communities.
Now we have SCJs from Brazil, USA, Poland, Netherlands, Italy, Indonisia, Portugal, England, and Germany. In India we realize the “We, the Congregation .....on Mission.” We are also strengthened be the presence of brothers from the different states of India itself. We believe in our common mission in India which is built up through prayer and dialogue. Our regular community meetings, zonal get-togethers, and yearly assemblies have guaranteed that our plans and decisions are made together. The on-going attention and support of Fr. General and his Council, from the beginning, gave us strength and faith.
There are challenges which we are now facing. An important challenge comes from the great values of Indian culture and its vast religious inheritance. How do we prepare our candidates to be effective SCJs in such variety and conflict? Also, our dependence on other provinces for personnel and finances is always in our awareness. How deeply we still grieve at our great loss with the sudden death of Fr. Tom Garvey, on December 2, 2002.
Our grateful thanks to each of the brothers and fathers who gave the best part of his life, with full commitment and the Ecce Venio spirit needed for this type of mission. Thank you to all the provinces and benefactors. The Lord blessed us with the first Indian brothers in vows, temporary and final, and the first 2 Indian SCJ priests. Thank you to Fr. Generals Bressanelli and Ornelas with their Councils, who guided us through the “jungle” of Indian uniqueness. But we are sure of “the Spirit who guides us.”
Love and prayers,
Fr. Martin van Ooij scj
TO CONTINUE (Click HERE)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment