Messages

Archdiocese of Bhopal

Archbishop’s House

33, Ahmedabad Palace Road

P.B. 88, Bhopal -462 001

Pastoral Letter - Lent – 2018

Dear Fathers, Brothers, Sisters, Faithful in Christ,

Much before Alan Menken and Glen Slater made ‘Mother Knows Best’ famous through their song, everyone knew it to be true. Surprisingly, how she does it is also reflected in another popular song which says, ‘with love, with patience, and with faith she'll make her way’ (Natalie Merchant). Nevertheless we are well aware that there are exceptions to it as we are humans. But there is a Mother who knows always what is best for her children. This mother is none other than our Mother Church.

Church is the Sacrament of Christ - His visible presence in the world. So She wishes that all her children be truly the children of God, our Father. Hence, besides the daily nourishments that She provides for her children through Sacraments and other means, she also sets apart seasons, such as Lent, Advent etc - for a deep interior reflection on one’s life here on earth and its purpose as intended by the Creator. Recently we came across the so called ‘untimely’ death of a few celebrities. In the discussions that followed in the media almost everyone was analysing the cause of death as if death was the after-effect of some mistakes committed by them forgetting thereby the fact that one who is born must die one day. Hence what is needed is to become aware of the perishableness and brevity of our life in a context that somehow eulogises material prosperity as the purpose of human life. 

So the question – what are we to do? Holy Father Pope Francis in his Lenten message for this year speaks that ‘the Church, our Mother and Teacher, along with the often bitter medicine of the truth, offers us in the Lenten season the soothing remedy of prayer, almsgiving and fasting’ as means to rediscover our lost self and set right our relationship with God, with one another, and with oneself. Many years ago, St John Paul II called these as “infallible and indispensable” means for growth in the spiritual life. What I notice is that we often have a limited understanding of these means of our spiritual nourishment, which we need to change in order to grasp better the mind of the Church and to help ourselves. These means, understood correctly, are to set right our relationship with God, others and oneself.

Prayer is to do with our relationship with God. More than saying or reciting a few lines or sentences that we have heard or learned, prayer is becoming aware of our creatureliness and our dependence on God. It is   realising within us what St Augustine expressed centuries ago, ‘thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds rest in thee.’ Or living by what the Lord has said, ‘... apart from me, you can do nothing’ (Jn 15:5b). The fact is that this way of approach makes lots of demands on us – to change our attitudes and outlooks, our behaviour and life styles. It requires being at the feet of the Lord like Mary (Lk 10:39) and listening to him. It is letting God to take control of ourselves. As Pope Benedict says let us ‘let ourselves be led by Jesus’. Instead, we often settle for what is convenient and comfortable. As a result although we comfort ourselves by thinking that we have prayed much, we do not see the desired effect in our relationship with God. Instead let us surrender ourselves to the Spirit who alone can teach us to pray. (Rom. 8:26). As the Holy Father Pope Francis reminds us, ‘by devoting more time to prayer, we enable our hearts to root out our secret lies and forms of self-deception, and then to find the consolation God offers. He is our Father and he wants us to live life well.’

            It is also seen often that we limit the aspect of almsgiving to material things only, and comfort ourselves thinking that I am not rich to give. Although the aspect of material things is there very much, what is implied is much more - it is giving of oneself for the other. Its purpose is to reflect upon and amend, if needed, our relationship with others. One thing that we need to be painfully aware of is that our salvation is inextricably related to others. It is not the question ‘who is my neighbour’ (Lk 10:29) that is relevant but ‘where is your brother’ (Gen. 4:9). This question will haunt us not only during our life here on earth but hereafter as well as the criteria of Final Judgement tell us (Mt 25:31-46). The intent is to free us from greed and self-centeredness and help us to regard our neighbour as a brother or sister. What we possess, be it our wealth or talents or abilities, they are never ours but others’. It is sharing with others what God has given us out of his generosity. As St Paul tells us ‘God loves a cheerful giver’ (2Cor.9:7), and ‘it is more blessed to give than to receive’ (Acts 20:35). If through us God helps someone today, will he not provide for our own needs tomorrow? For, no one is more generous than God.

Fasting is to set oneself right in the proper perspective. It is not so much giving up or abstaining from food as it is often understood, but becoming aware of oneself. More than allowing us to experience what the destitute and the starving have to endure, it is expressing our own spiritual hunger and thirst for life in God. It is foregoing everything that prevents us from coming closer to God and to others. It is discovering our true self, our true worth. Consequently, it would weaken our tendency to violence motivating us to grow through what we go through. It would help us to be more attentive to God and our neighbour. It would revive our desire to obey God, who alone is capable of satisfying our hunger. It is, as St Paul tells us, ‘crucifying the flesh with its passions and desires, and living by and be guided by the Spirit (Gal.5:24-25). In the question by God ‘where are you’ (Gen. 3:9), do I see my own nothingness and accept my responsibility for my present state or do I blame others for it? Let us become conscious that God graciously seeks, confronts, and offers reconciliation to the sinner (Ez. 33:11), and waits for the return of every child of his (Lk 15:11-32).  

Hence I appeal to all of you my brothers and sisters, to reflect a little more deeply on the means of prayer, almsgiving and fasting that our Mother Church offers us as effective means of our spiritual nourishment during this holy Season of Lent so as to discover our true relationship with God, others and ourselves so that we too may die to self and rise with Jesus, our Saviour and Lord, so that we may be with him always.        

May Mary, our Mother and Mother of the Church, who stood by the Cross of Jesus accompany us.

With Easter blessings,

+ Leo Cornelio svd,

Archbishop of Bhopal

ARCHDIOCESE OF BHOPAL

January 27, 2018

Cir. 01/66

My dear Fathers, Brothers and Sisters,

Experience tells us that time waits for no one. The busier we are the faster the time runs! We are already a month through the New Year 2018! Let us wish and pray that the current year would bring greater peace, more joy and success for us.

On the day of the feast of St. Francis Xavier, Dec. 03, 2017, the Prefect of the ‘Congregatio pro Gentium Evangelizatione’ wrote to the Ecclesiastical Heads of the Catholic Church referring to a letter by Pope Francis reminding us of the promulgation of an Apostolic Letter “Maximum Illud” of Pope Benedict XV on the missionary activities being carried out in the world. The said letter of Pope Francis recommends the celebration of an Extraordinary Missionary Month in October 2019 to mark the hundredth anniversary of the promulgation of “Maximum Illud”.

Pope Francis indicates four dimensions or ways to prepare for and live out the Extraordinary Missionary Month of October 2019.

1.      A personal encounter with Jesus Christ alive in His Church: Eucharist, Word of God, personal and communal prayer.

2.      The witness of the Saints, the Missionary Martyrs and the Confessors of Faith, who are unique expressions of the Church throughout the world.

3.      Biblical, catechetical, spiritual and theological formation regarding the ‘missio ad gentes’.

4.      Missionary charity as a material support for the immense work of evangelization, especially the ‘missio ad gentes’ and Christian formation in Church that are most in need.

Well, many of you may wonder what we are to prepare for this so called ‘Extraordinary Missionary Month’ which is still so far off! This, in fact is our normally expected mindset. But then, let us touch on the above ‘four dimensions’ to which our Pope points out. Without going too far let us reflect on these in the context of our Local church, - the Archdiocese of Bhopal. All of us, especially priests and religious should ask ourselves some hard questions. At this point I would suggest that we reflect on just three of the important questions: 1. How do I realize my personal encounter with Jesus through the Eucharist, the Word of God and personal as well as communal prayers? 2. How do I bear witness and share this experience with my parishioners/community members? 3. How much interest do I take in my own formation and the formation of my faithful/community entrusted to my care? The Church provides us all the means sanctification. But it depends on each one of us how we make the maximum use of them. In the present context of increasing intolerance in our country we ought to be more conscious of our responsibilities towards ourselves as well as towards those entrusted to our care.

Unity Octave:

We appreciate the efforts of Fr. Jose Prakash, Fr. Alexander and their respective teams together with the pastors of several Churches, for successfully organizing the Unity Octave from January 18 to 25. The participation was reportedly better this year. Let us continue to pray for the unity of all followers of Christ as he himself prayed so intensely.

Archdiocesan Commissions, Events and Activities:

It is worth mentioning here that several of our Archdiocesan Commissions have been organizing events and seminars at different intervals. Within the past few weeks several events and activities were organized by different commissions through the initiative of our Commission heads; just to mention a few, - Catechism Teacher’s Day - Fr. Michael; Holy Childhood (‘Nanhe Prerit’) live in Seminar, - Fr. Stanlin,- animated by the Christine youth group from Delhi; Women’s Day (Mata Maria Samiti) - Sr. Catherine CHF and Sr. Matilda SJS; Parish level dance competitions jointly organized by Assumption Parish and Diocesan ICYM, Courtesy Parish Priest Fr. Antonius Toppo and youth animator Fr. Alexander. In so far as it was possible I have been trying to encourage them with my personal presence. However it has been often expressed by the parishioners of respective parishes that they would highly appreciate the active presence or at least a visit by their pastors and/or heads of institutions. I hope that our parish priests and heads of institutions will take note of it and make effort to encourage their faithful through their presence.

My thanks and appreciations go to our commission heads and Fr.Mathew V.C., the Coordinator of our Archdiocesan commissions.

New Bishop of Sagar Diocese:

Most of us may know that Most Rev. James Athikalam MST has been appointed as the new bishop of Sagar. He was until now the Priest in Charge of Syro Malabar Rite faithful here in Bhopal. We extend our hearty congratulations and good wishes to the Bishop elect. The Episcopal Ordination is fixed for April 17 at the Cathedral of Sagar.   

Incidents of Violence/Religious Intolerance:

In past couple of month the Catholic Church has witnessed several incidents of harassment against our institutions by the extremist elements. The most bizarre one took place in Satna when almost 30 Seminarians along with a couple of priests who went to a nearby village for Christmas carol singing, were rounded up by the extremists and detained in the Police Station. What was worse, right in front of the police station a vehicle of the Fathers was set on fire. We have expressed our shock and strong protest with the chief minister and other responsible officials in the government. We have demanded immediate action against the culprits and compensation for the damages caused.

Need for Greater Unity among ourselves:

In the above context of growing polarization the just concluded Unity Octave, emphasized so much by Pope Francis and his predecessors, has great significance. It is vital for us to realize that our own disunity can be easily exploited by those who nurse ill-will against Christians. We need to not only find but even create occasions to reach out to others, even those who are hostile towards us. As Pope Francis often mentions, we should try our best to break wall that separate us and build bridges that can unite us.

Let us remember in our prayers Sr. Stacia Francis CSJ, who left for her heavenly home on December 31 of last year.

Once again, I wish all of you a promising Year 2018 and abundant blessings from God for the success of your ministry.

Sincerely in the Lord,

+ Leo Cornelio, SVD

Archbishop of Bhopal

Pastoral Letter – Advent 2017

          The last two chapters of the Book of Revelation speak of the restoration of the whole of creation to God under the imageries of ‘new heaven and new earth (Rev.21:1-4) and a declaration by God himself that he makes ‘all things new’ (Rev. 21:5). The characteristics of this newness are the ever presence of God among the people, and the consequent removal of all pain and suffering from the life of all and the resulting perfect happiness for all. In other words, it is returning to that Garden from where we were evicted on account of our rebelliousness.   

          We have just entered into the season of Advent once again. Advent is not just the commemoration of the birth of Jesus in history, but an annual reminder and celebration of the loving attempt of God to restore his creation, especially the humanity, back to himself. However, the hitch is that in the restoration we are invited to be active players, as St Augustine had expressed some 15 centuries ago saying, ‘God who created you without you will not save you without you’. In other words, our response is a necessary prerequisite to God’s loving gesture of saving us. Being aware of it, the Church through the liturgical readings of the Season exhorts us to become mindful of our role in the act of our redemption.  

An important aspect of this response to God is that it needs to be carried out in and through our behaviour, interaction and encounter with others. It is in this context that the Holy Father Pope Francis asks us ‘to become aware of the tears and needs of our neighbours’ and ‘counteract the indifference and cruelty of the world’ by our commitment to Jesus. Often we think of developing or discovering by ourselves, forgetting the fact that genuine self discovery and growth needs a strong and deep relationship with the Divine. That is, as created beings we discover the meaning of our existence only when we are in contact with our Creator. Incarnation of Jesus is all about making us realise and rediscover that original relationship which was lost in the Garden of Eden.

For an adequate response to renew our contact with God we need to be of correct frame of mind. As a poem by an unknown poet titled, ‘Why did Jews miss Jesus?’ says, ‘they were looking for a lion but he came as a lamb; they were looking for a warrior but he came as a peacemaker; they were looking for a king but he came as a servant; and, they were looking for a liberator from the Romans but he submitted himself to the Roman cross’. What or whom do I really look for? As if to answer this question, the poem continues to say, ‘when we submit to the lamb, we will meet the lion; when we join with the peacemaker, we will meet the warrior; when we work with the servant, we will meet the king; when we walk with the submitted we will meet the liberator, and when we concern ourselves with the eternal, we will have the temporal as well’.   

Yet another question I wish all to ponder upon is, how do we need to prepare ourselves? Here I suggest a few simple things such as spending some time daily in his presence (‘could you not watch with me an hour’ - Mt 26:40), reading the Word of God (‘ .. the Word was with God, and the Word was God - Jn 1:1), doing some good deeds or being charitable to others especially to those who need it most (‘whatever you did it to one of the least of my brethren you did it to me ‘ – Mt 25:40), and, opening ourselves to God (‘I stand at the door, knock; ... – Rev. 3:20).

Dear Brothers and Sisters let us strive sincerely and earnestly during this holy season of Advent in order to meet Jesus as we celebrate his coming to us in history. Let me conclude with a question that was posed by the 18^th century English poet Alexander Pope, ‘What does it profit me if Jesus is born in thousands of cribs all over the world and He is not born in my heart?’

Let us allow Jesus to be reborn in our hearts and lives, not only during Christmas but every day of our life, so that He may radiate the light of his presence from within us. May we all experience the abundance of His love and compassion always.  

+ Leo Cornelio SVD,

Archbishop of Bhopal

ARCHDIOCESE OF BHOPAL

November 12, 2017

Cir. 6/65

My dear Fathers, Brothers and Sisters,

It is after a rather long spell of time that I write this circular. Of course, the necessary communication has been kept up through emails and electronic messages all the while.

“In St. Paul’s letter to the Romans (7:18 ff) we read: “though the will to do what is good is in me, the power to do it is not; the good things I want to do, I never do; the evil things which I do not want, – that is what I do!” Who will rescue me from this body doomed to death?” Then, he answers: “God – thanks be to Him, through Jesus Christ our Lord”. Well, a true realization of such a state one needs a well formed conscience and deep faith in God. On a different tone Pope St. John Paul II says: “A man who has a hardened heart and a degenerate conscience is spiritually a sick man, even though he may enjoy the fullness of his powers and physical capacities.” Everything must be done to bring him back to having a healthy soul”. But the question is: How could such people be made to realize their state? Certainly, prayers can do marvels.  

Beatification of ‘Servant of God’ Sr. Rani Maria FCC: An important event in the history of the Central and Northern India, the beatification of Sr. Rani Maria took place on November 04 at Indore. I believe that many of our priests, religious and lay faithful participated in this unforgettable event. The gathering was really large which included many Church dignitaries and prominent people. We congratulate the Diocese of Indore, particularly Bishop Chacko T.J. svd, and the Franciscan Clarist Congregation, particularly the FCC Amla Province of Bhopal, for their untiring effort in following up with the whole process and for organizing the beautiful event. May Blessed Rani Maria intercede for us!

Events and Programs in the Archdiocese: We should indeed be happy that our various commissions in the Archdiocese are actively organizing seminars, courses and events during the course of the year. These certainly reflect the life of the Church. You may remember that during the Diwali week and the weeks that followed, several important events were organized for priests, religious and lay faithful of the Archdiocese, depending on the target group. I appreciate the fact that many participate in and draw spiritual strength from them. A special mention of appreciation is to be made about our common annual retreat in which most of our priests participated with greater spirit of earnestness. Having said this, I also wish to bring to the attention of our priests, especially the parish Priests, that when they receive information about certain events in which people are expected to participate, the necessary information should be communicated to the faithful in good time. It would be great source of encouragement to them if the parish priests too join them on such occasions.

All Souls’ Day Celebration: Those who participated in the Eucharistic celebrations on All Souls Day in one of both our cemeteries might have witnessed the faith and devotion of our people as well as their respect for the deceased. There was a large gathering indeed. However, it is reported to me that many more would have liked to join the celebration but for the smoke and air pollution that we witness each year due to burning of ‘agarbatti’, which for many becomes a health hazard. I would like to ask the parish priests to advice our faithful that in future they should desist from burning any smoky substance except lighting of some candles and placing flowers at the grave of their dear deceased. Let us make a sincere effort to reduce environmental hazards.

Archdiocesan College of Consulters: As Fr. Richard Couto sfx and Fr. Louis Malieckel cmi are transferred out of Bhopal by their respective superiors, I, after due deliberation with the College of Consulters, have appointed Fr. Godwin Viegas svd, the Rector of KPRP and F. James M.L. cmi, Manager of St. Pauls Hr. Sec. School, as members of the College of Consulters for the remaining duration of the term.

Maintenance of Cemeteries: During the last Archdiocesan Pastoral Council Meeting an earlier decision was reiterated and reaffirmed. Accordingly, I would hereby ask the parish priests to announce to the parishioners the following and the same be put on the parish bulletin board, namely: 1. The Cemetery Committee that has been already formed will be responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the two cemeteries. 2. That all families of every parish are to contribute Rs. 10/- per month, or Rs. 100 per year (if given together in the beginning of the year) towards the maintenance of the two cemeteries. 3. That the amount thus collected would be deposited at the Archdiocesan Office and separate account will be maintained by this Office as it was being done in the past.

Readings for the Eucharistic Celebrations on Special Occasions:  On festive occasions or events in our parishes/institutions when I am to preside over the Eucharist, I would ask the organizers to provide me with the full text of the readings which they select, provided it is liturgically permissible.

Celebration of the Eucharist in Homes: This is to draw the attention of all our communities, especially the religious communities, that they should follow the norms of the Archdiocese regarding the liturgical celebrations, such as use of appropriate liturgical vestments, adaptations, place/location of the celebration, etc. However, for the celebration of the Eucharist in houses or work places, permission needs to be obtained from the Local Ordinary (me), having obtained due recommendation of the Parish Priests who must first ascertain the importance of the occasion and the suitability of the place where the Holy Eucharist would be celebrated. Suitable ambience and decorum would be a necessary requirement for such celebrations.

Office Bearers of the Pastoral Council: You may remember that during the last Archdiocesan Pastoral Council Meeting we had completed the election process for the post of secretary and joint secretary. Accordingly, Mr. James Varghese and Mrs Bency George, both from Queen of the Universe Parish, Kolar, are duly elected Secretary and joint Secretary respectively. However, for better functioning and in view of organizing the pastoral council more effectively, I consider it proper to include two more members who received the next highest votes to be the members of the committee. And these are: Mr. Boniface Ekka of St. Joseph’s Parish, Idhagh Hills and Mrs Maya George of Sacred Heart Parish, Ratanpur. This group, together with the President and Vice President is to discuss and organize all matters related to the pastoral council.

Birth Centenary of Most Rev. Eugene D’Souza: This is the Birth Centenary Year of our first Archbishop Most Rev. Eugene D’Souza msfs. As he has made valuable contribution to the growth and development of the Archdiocese during his tenure of 31 long years, we shall have a special Eucharistic celebration on November 15, his Centennial Birthday,… at 5.30 p.m, at St. Francis Cathedral Church Jahangirabad, to remember and pray for him. All priests, religious and three representatives of faithful from every parish are invited to participate in the Eucharistic celebration.

Kindly remember in your prayers Mr. Joseph, the father of Fr. Melvin C.J., who went to his eternal abode on Oct. 24.  

With greetings and best of wishes

Fraternally in the Lord,

+ Leo Cornelio SVD,

Archbishop of Bhopal

ARCHDIOCESE OF BHOPAL

Cir 5/2017 (64)

Dear Fathers, Brothers and Sisters,                                                                                         July 03, 2016

We are surely familiar with the advice of Jesus to his followers: "Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves" (Mt. 10/16). Similarly, he lauds the foresight of the five wise virgins (Mt/25/2). In the present scenario of our Country we need to give particular heed this advice of Jesus. You might have heard of the recent incident of harassment of a religious Sister and five ladies at Satna Railway Station by a radical/extremist group. Of course, it is a gross violation of their fundamental rights as citizens of India. But this is not an isolated incident. There has been a marked increase of similar incidents during the past three year. These, without doubt, are deliberate attempts to terrorise and intimidate the minorities, Christians in particular. The civil authorities do precious little to contain these extremist forces who act as moral police. The legal machinery becomes ineffective because they are protected by those who wield power. Having said this, it is essential that we also become more responsible, alert and proactive in our activities, dealings as well as relationships. All recognise that we render yeoman service to humanity through our many schools, hospitals and human/socio developmental institutions. While our basic goal in running these is love, compassion and mercy, we need to have greater consistency, transparency and professionalism in administering them. Let us avoid repeating the mistakes of the past so that we don't give occasions to the extremists to disrupt our mission of love.

Fresh Beginning: Our Educational Institutions have already reopened after summer vacations. Here I wish to express my appreciation for the good results obtained by most of our missionary schools and laud the efforts of the Management, Staff and students as well as the cooperation of the parents. In the current changing environment of our Country I wish to urge our Principals and Managers to be better prepared to face the realities by sharpening their administrative skills and by being alert to every situation. Kindly see that any untoward incident taking place in any institution, whether due to forces from within or without, should be promptly attended to and communicated to those who may be able to help. Kindly keep your line of communication with the proper authorities - Church as well as civil, so that timely assistance can be provided. When there is delay in reporting, the situation becomes serious and so also solutions become complicated. Seminar on Legal and Fundamental Rights: In order to better equip and acquaint ourselves with our rights as well as responsibilities, the Secretary of our regional Education Commission, Sr. Noreen A.C. in liaison with our PR Office ref Fr. Maria Stephen, will organize a seminar on August 4 and 5, guided by a competent legal expert, Sr.Jessy Kurian, who a Supreme Court Advocate. Kindly participate in this seminar for being more effective in your 'mission'.

Study Fund for the Poor Students: Information has already been sent to our parishes, inviting applications for financial assistance to poor deserving Catholic students. Parish Priests are expected to play a key role in arranging for and submitting the applications within the specified time span. Also, the school principals of our missionary schools should help our Catholic students to apply for aid from Government fund for the minorities. The PR Office will assist you in this regard, provided you approach their office.

Forthcoming CCMP, CRI and CBMP Meeting: All Bishops, Major Superiors and Representatives of lay faithful from the State of M.P are informed that we will have our annual/biannual meeting on 11, 12 and 13 of August 2017. Detailed information on the theme and time schedule will soon follow. Our new Apostolic Nuncio, Most Rev. Giambattista Diquattro is also expected to join us at 'some' meetings on those days and address the participants.

Pastoral Visits: In my last circular I had mentioned about the pastoral visits I planned to make at our established parishes. I have already initiated it but in a limited way. To some parish priests I have already orally communicated this matter. However, here is tentative schedule for the coming few weekend:

August 05-06 St. John M. Vianney Parish, N. Nagar; Sept. 31-, Oct. 01 Rosary Parish, Ashta; Oct. 07-08 - St. Joseph the Worker Parish, Barkhera; Oct. 14-15 - Inf. Jesus Parish, Ayodhya Bypass; Oct. 21-22 - Sacred Heart Parish, Ratanpur; The above dates may be confirmed or changed, if necessary, with due and mutual consultation.

Land and Property: With the new rules and regulations that are being brought in by the government on land and property, it is imperative that we put our documents/records in order. While this is by way of information to all, a separate letter regarding this matter will be issued to our diocesan priests shortly.

GST and Its Implications: Beginning from July 1, 2017 the whole country has come under the GST (Goods and Services Tax). Even though its full implications are not yet very clear, it is going to affect all sales & purchases and financial transactions. It is good for us to have better understanding of the full implications of GST. Hence, we shall arrange for a short seminar with the assistance of some of our financial experts and accountants.

Wishing you a very happy Feast of St. Thomas, the Apostle to India and a fruitful Academic Year 2017-18.

Devotedly in the Lord,

+LEO CORNELIO, SVD

Archbishop of Bhopal

Dear Fathers, Brothers and Sisters,
We just celebrated the Divine Mercy Sunday on April 23rd, with a 24-hour chain adoration concluded with Eucharistic celebration at our Assumption Church, Arera Colony. The Divine Mercy devotion itself dates back to 1930s with the writings of St. Faustina Kowalska, a simple Polish Nun who, in obedience to her spiritual director, wrote a diary of over 600 pages recording the revelations she received on God's mercy. Her writings focus on the idea that God's mercy is beyond human comprehension and is available to everyone, even to the greatest of sinners. The said devotion really grew during the papacy of St. John Paul II who is known for his merciful and compassionate nature, especially in his act of forgiveness to the one who had shot him. Mercy and compassion have always been the strength of the Church from her very inception, no matter how much her detractors have tried to deface the Church and her followers. Mother Teresa, in our own times has been a relentless champion of God's mercy. So also Pope Francis, who had declared the Jubilee Year of Mercy, is himself a testimony to the mercy of God through his life and action. We, the followers of Christ could well remember the simple ABC of Divine Mercy, namely, 1. Ask for God's mercy, 2. Be Merciful, 3. Completely trust in Jesus who is mercy and compassion personified.

Transfers and Appointments 2017

Here are a few 'Transfers and Appointments' which have been finalized at our last
meeting of the College concerned: of Consulters, after due consultation with the priests

1. Fr. George Stephen                   Year of Sabbatical Leave

2. Fr. lrudayaraj                             Continue at Suwartha' for two more years

3. Fr. Tobias Minj                           Farm and Spiritual In-charge, Tara Sevania

4. Fr. Edward Francis                     Bursar, Archdiocese

5. Fr. Vincent Suares                     P.P. Nagpurkala & Manager St. Mary's 'tarsi

 6. Fr. Prabhudas Tirkey                 Stn In Charge & Manager, Nasrullaganj

 7. Fr. Arokia Jerald                       Assistant Awalikheda

 8. Fr. Sebastian Tigga                   Spiritual Dir., KPRT, Ashta

9. Fr.Ronald Vaughan                     Manager St. Joseph Hr. S. School, Pipariya

10. Fr. Shijo John                           Stn Incharge, Timerni, with Res. at Harda

11. Fr.Clement HGN                       Rector, St. Theresa Minor Senn., Budgery

12. Fr. Vipin Tigga                          Prefect of Seminarians, Budgery

13. Fr Lancy Fernandes                  In-charge Constructions, Timerni (Additional charge)
14. Fr. Saiju Kollarackal                   Project in charge, Abp's House (Additional charge)

15. Fr Johney Kannikatt                 Asst. Retreat Centre, Gehukheda

16. Fr. Jeevan Kishore                   P.G. Studies in Bangalore

17. Fr.Dilip Minj                             Asst. St. Francis Cathedral

18. Fr. Hermon Khujur                   Stn in-charge & Manager, Babai

19. Fr. Soundara Rajan                  Sohagpur, School Staff

20. Fr. Parmanand Xalxo               Stn In-charge Sohankheda

21. Fr. Julius Kullu                        Asst. Infant Jesus Church

22. Fr. Dennis Tigga                      Asst. Sohagpur

23. Fr. Jose Kurian MST               Director, Karuna Sadan

I wish to express my appreciation and thanks to all above named priests for gracefully accepting the said Transfers and Assignments. These will become effective latest from June 15, 2017. Kindly remember that according to our accepted norms and common practice the formal 'handing over and taking over' should be carried out in the presence of the Deans of respective district together with a member from the College of Consulters or the Vicar General himself. Hence, the date and time of the handing over/taking over should be agreed upon by all concerned. The one to take up the assignment should initiate the process in consultation with Rev. Fr. Mathew V.C. the Vicar General.

Association for Men:

I am happy to inform you that after repeated efforts the idea of forming an Association for Men is showing positive results. In the meeting held on 18th April, 2017, our parishes were divided into six groups with certain members in each group entrusted with the responsibility to visit these parishes to talk to men of the need and purpose of such an association. Each group has a convener who would contact the Parish Priests for an appointment to meet men parishioners. Hence the Parish Priests may allow them to talk to men in their respective parishes as per their convenience and request of the group convener. Here below is the list of men:

Archdiocesan Properties:

Most of us are probably aware of the new regulations on lands and properties that are coming into effect. We need to be prepared to comply with the requirements. Hence, I have asked Mr. Neelesh Banthia, C/o Banthia & Co and his team to help us in organizing all our files and records. All Fathers who are responsible to administer the properties in their respective parishes/stations/missions are requested to cooperate in this effort of ours by providing all necessary papers/documents which you may have in your possession. Kindly search and check in your files. Besides, all those who have properties of the Archdiocese registered in their personal names, due to circumstances perhaps, should kindly follow the direction given by our experts so that we can rectify matters in good time. Do kindly cooperate in this effort since the matter is important and urgent.

Kindly pray

for Fr. Dilip Minj who developed a complication and is just out of the intensive care, for the mother of Fr. Shellmon who is in serious condition. May the Lord grant them a speedy recovery!

Vacations: Here again you are reminded that when you leave for your summer vacation you are expected to make adequate arrangements for the minimum spiritual care for the faithful of your respective parish/station. Also kindly note that the duration of vacation in 4 weeks, including journey.

I wish refreshingly fruitful vacations and abundant blessings of the Risen Lord on all of you and all your dear ones in the family.

Yours devotedly,

LEO CORN ELIO, SVD

Archbishop of Bhopal

ARCHDIOCESE OF BHOPAL               

                                                                                                                                           April 12, 2017

Cir 03/2017 (66)

Dear Fathers, Brothers and Sisters,

Sometime ago I came across a short article in one of the magazines titled ‘Post-truth’. I read it with interest and realized that the idea discussed in that article is fast becoming a reality. Now, what is this ‘post-truth’? We are living in an age in which media plays an important role. We are constantly bombarded with lots of information. How much of this information is objectively true or matches the reality? Our society is full of manipulative people who use media to spread the ideology that suits their agenda. This is so common in politics and business. Gossip, rumors and propaganda had been the bane of society in the past too. But the harm being done by these was containable. But the modern communication technology and media can change fast the mindset of people and the society at large to an extent where lies and fiction, repeated time and time again, becomes ‘post-truth’ and people begin to believe it as ‘truth’. This is certainly dangerous to humanity because our moral and ethical fabric or value system becomes relative. It is so common in our present age to believe that ‘end justifies the means’.

Holy Week and Easter: We are celebrating the Holy Week, commemorating the Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Lord who lived and died in order to liberate us from the bondage of sin. He taught that ‘truth will make you free’. But the fact is that lies and falsehood are ruling the roost today. Falsehood has many hues, colors and appearances, while truth is alone, naked and plain. We, the followers of Christ are called to be different. But how many are willing to resist the tremendous attraction to ‘flow with the currents’ of our modern world? The celebration of the Holy Week, the suffering and death of Jesus on the Cross culminating in Easter joy gives is a source of positive hope to the followers of Christ who strengthens our endurance (cf. 2 Tim.2/12).

Elections to the Priests’ Council:

In the elections held at the Pastoral Center on April 11, 2017, the following eleven priests, classified in three groups according to Ordination/age, have been elected to the Priests’ Council for the coming triennium. 

1.    Fr. Luis Malieckal CMI, Fr. Tomy Joseph. Fr. Francis Scaria , Fr. Solomon S.

2.    Fr. Johney P.J., Fr. Maria Stephen. Fr. Lancy Fernandes. Fr. Ronald Cardoza.

3.    Fr. Melvin C.J. Fr. Shellmon Anthony. Fr. Jomy Panithas.

Congratulations and welcome to the newly elected members and sincere thanks to the outgoing members who served in the Priest’s Council for the past years! My special thanks to Fr. Solomon S., who served as Secretary to the Priests’ Council.

Revision of Station and Personal Allowances:

This is to inform all the concerned that, as per the general practice in the Archdiocese, the Station allowances and pocket money for our priests and religious serving in the Archdiocese have been revised and will become effective from the current financial year. The details will be communicated to you by our finance office.

‘Easter Mahotsav’:

On Easter evening from 7.00 p.m. the Christian communities in Bhopal will join together for the ‘Easter Utsav’ at the BSSS College grounds. All are invited to the celebration.

New Apostolic Nuncio:

We have a new Apostolic Nuncio in the person of Most Rev. Giambattista di Quattro, titular Bishop of Giromonte and, until now, the Apostolic Nuncio to Bolivia, S. America. Though his name had been announced on Jan. 21, 2017 and he was even expected to join us here in Bhopal at the CCBI Plenary Assembly, certain unforeseen circumstances delayed his actual arrival in India. He conveys his greetings to all of us in Bhopal.

Adoration Chapel:

Most of you may remember that our new Assumption Church at St. Joseph’s Co-ed Campus was constructed with provision for an Adoration Chapel which was officially inaugurated just prior to our CCBI Plenary Assembly we hosted at our Pastoral Center from Jan 31 to Feb. 08, 2017. Under the guidance of Fr. Alexander J. and the youth of our Archdiocese (ICYM) we had continuous adorations there during those days. Now, beginning from April 23^rd, which is Divine Mercy Sunday, the ‘Divya Vani Sangh’ Sisters of Fr. Jose Prakash will take up the responsibility of organizing daily adoration from 7.00 a.m. (following morning mass) till around 6.00 pm. Kindly communicate this information in all our parishes and institutions; and encourage the faithful to visit and pray in the Adoration Chapel as and when time permits them so that they can obtain Divine blessing as well as favors for themselves, their families and this Archdiocese.

Beatification Cause of Sr. Rani Maria:

It is a matter of joy that the beatification cause of Sr. Rani Maria FCC as a martyr has been approved by Pope Francis. Congratulations to FCC Sisters and Indore Diocese!

Study Fund for the Poor Students:

Our principals and managers are again reminded that the Catholic Church, and so also the Archdiocese of Bhopal, strongly recommends that our Catholic children should be educated as well as catechized in our Catholic Institutions. No child should be prevented from studying in our institution due to financial constraints. Kindly see that our missionary schools give all necessary financial support/concessions to our Catholic Children. Like in past years, this year too, the Archdiocese will help the deserving Catholic children with financial support from the available resources. But much of this help may go for our youth who seek help for higher studies as the requests are on the increase each year. Kindly assist the students to seek other available sources as well.

Kindly pray for the deceased Sister-in-law of Fr. Arul Samy.

Thanks and Appreciation: We are aware of many events that have taken place during this past academic and financial Year. I wish to say ‘thanks’ to God and all of you for the  cooperation, support and initiatives taken by many of our priests, religious, laity and well wishers for the growth and progress of our Local Church. May the Lord always accompany us so that we continue to ‘walk in the light of the Lord’! (Is. 2/5).

I wish all of you meaningful Holy Week celebrations and a joyful Easter and abundant blessings from the Risen Lord.

Devotedly in Christ,

+ Leo Cornelio svd,

Archbishop of Bhopal

ARCHDIOCESE OF BHOPAL

March 03, 2017

Cir 02/2017 (65)

Dear Fathers, Brothers and Sisters,

It is already about three weeks since we successfully hosted the 29th CCBI Plenary Assembly here in Bhopal. All the participants, - Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops as well as the Commission Secretaries and Resource Persons, having returned to their respective dioceses have been unanimous in expressing their high appreciation for the excellent arrangements and great hospitality they experienced during their stay of over nine days in Bhopal. They were impressed with the efficiency, - even more, - the dedication, with which every committee worked hard to make their stay very comfortable. I, on my part, express my grateful thanks to the team work of our priests, religious, lay faithful and friends who left no stone unturned in order to make the participants 'feel at home'. My special thanks go to V. Rev. Fr. Mathew V.C., our Vicar General who coordinated the whole event, and so also my thanks to the heads of Committees for their full involvement in the proximate as well as remote preparations.

The Theme of the Plenary Assembly, - "Promoting the Joy of Love in our Families", was chosen in order to emphasize the importance of 'love' as the foundation for a happy family life (Amoris Laetitzia'). It goes without saying that the same is true for religious communities. The organizers had invited several couples from different walks of life to share their own experiences and to interact with the participants. The Assembly has communicated a message to the Church of India, in particular to the families in India. I enclose a copy of this message to all of you. The Parish Priests are encouraged to communicate the main contents of the message.

Expenses for the Event: Organizing such a mega event certainly involves a lot of finances. Having discussed this issue at the last Pastoral Council I had recommended that all our Parishes make a collection on a particular Sunday and financially well placed institutions contribute 1% of their gross income towards the expenses for this event. I am happy and grateful to all the Parishes and institutions which have generously contributed their share already, even if in many instances it was far below the recommended amount. At the same time, I would expect the remaining parishes and institutions for a similar spirit of generosity and make their contribution at the earliest so that we can finalize the account and close the files.

Forthcoming Synod: Pope Francis has proposed that the next Synod of Bishops will focus on 'YOUTH'. In his introductory address he states that proclaiming the joy of the Gospel (Evangelii Gaudium') is the mission entrusted by the Lord to the Church. He also mentions that the past Synods, - on New Evangelization and the two synods on family followed by the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia' — Joy of Love, focused on the compassionate love of God in the context of joy in the proclamation of the Gospel and joy in families. Now for the next Synod it is the young people who would be the center of the Church's mission of communicating and sharing the joy of the Gospel and their role in bringing joy in families.

Pastoral Visit: During the Lenten Season I intend to make pastoral visits to a few of our city parishes in Bhopal. The visit will start on Saturday afternoon/evening with the meeting with the priest's, parish council, Parishioners, religious community and will conclude with the Eucharistic celebration on Sunday. The Parish Priests are expected to update all the parish records and financial accounts.

Spirit of Lent: 'Rend your hearts and not your clothing (Joel 2/13) is a familiar call of the prophet to the Israelites whenever they distanced themselves from God. It is a call for 'metanoia' which is true always but more specifically at Lenten time. It is a time of grace and an invitation to all. But ultimately it depends on the disposition of each one to make Lent a time that is 'now' and a time that is acceptable' in every way. Let us all be led by the spirit of the Lord.

Chrism Mass and the Presbyterial General Body Meeting cum Elections: Our Chrism mass will be celebrated on April 11, Tuesday preceded by a recollection commencing on the previous evening. I hereby notify to all, that at around 12.00 in the noon we shall have the General Body Meeting of our Archdiocesan Presbyterium. There will be elections to the Priest's Council. All the priests of the Archdiocese as well as all other priests, - Religious or Diocesan, assigned for a specific apostolate in this Archdiocese by virtue of their appointment by the Ecclesiastical Head, are members of this General Body and have an active and passive vote in the election to the Priests' Council. We combine these two occasions so that maximum number of members would participate.

School for Excellence — Inauguration and Blessing: Our long awaited dream project, the 'School for Excellence' has taken shape and will begin to function from the coming academic year, - June 12, to be exact. The inauguration and blessing of the buildings and campus will take place on Sunday, April 02, 2017. The formal invitation with more particulars will follow in due time. I, hereby, extend a personal and cordial invitation to each one of you to this inaugural function.

The Academic Year 2017-18: As the current academic year comes to a close soon and the new academic year begins, parents are usually filled with anxiety for their children's admissions and fees. In this context our principals and managers are here again reminded that the Catholic Church, and so also the Archdiocese of Bhopal, strongly recommends that our Catholic children be admitted, educated and also catechized in our Catholic schools. No child should be prevented from seeking admission and studying in our institution due to financial constraints.

Hence, I would like to ask all our school managers and principals to objectively consider the economic constraints of the parents and help our children with the possibility of studying in our Catholic schools. They should be helped to seeking government subsidy that is available for minority students. Our PR Office will assist you in this regard.

The Archdiocese too, provides some financial help to the economically weak Catholic students. Their applications should come to this office through the respective parish priests at least till the end of April so that we can distribute the funds towards the beginning of the session following summer vacations. The methodology to apply for these funds is same as in previous years. In this context, while encouraging our principals and managers to be more sensitive to situation of the poor students they are reminded of their responsibility for the annual contribution toward the 'Education Fund' for our poor students. While a good number schools have been very regular in this regard others, sadly though, need to be reminded of it!

Remember our deceased in your Prayers:

Sr. Xaveria CSJ, Ashata,Tanmaya Province

Mrs. Theresammal, mother of Sr. Selvi OSM

Mrs. Prashanti Lakra, mother of Sr. Lilly SJS

Wishing you and fruitful Lenten Season and God's many blessings,

Devotedly in the Lord,

LEO CORNELIO, SVD

Archbishop of Bhopal

ARCHDIOCESE OF BHOPAL

January 20, 2016

 Cir 01/2017 (64)

Dear Fathers, Brothers and Sisters,

‘Ring out the old and ring in the new’ is a popular expression which not only refers to the bygone Year and the arrival of a New Year, but it has become a sort of attitude. There is a growing tendency in the society to do away with the old and set in the new. The adage old is gold is no more tenable. Ours is a fast forward age. ‘Start up India, Digital India, cashless India, clean India,…are some of the attractive and explosive slogans. But the fact is that no positive outcome is possible without one’s active commitment and sacrifice. This attitudinal change can only be the result of right motivation, deep conviction and strong faith.

The bygone year was certainly an eventful one, especially the last part of the year, for reasons that we all know well! Does the New Year make any great promise? While this too, once again, depends on our attitude, we certainly should hope for the best. Given the human nature and our Christian faith we tend to be people of hope which motivates us to move on, because hope does not disappoint us ((Rom.5/5) since we believe in Him (Jn 14/1). Our Pope Francis, since some time now, has been imparting series of catechesis on hope with such conviction that he has been leading the Church by example. A certain Hick Nhat Hanh writes: Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear the hardships of Today. But our Christian hope goes far beyond. All the same, ultimately what is necessary that we work assiduously to create a better tomorrow, taking a lesson from todays yesterday.

Forthcoming CCBI General Assembly in Bhopal:

With the above thought of positive outlook I wish to focus my/our attention on the coming mega event, namely, the hosting of the 29^th General Assembly of the CCBI (Conference of the Catholic Bishops of India) and to share relevant information so that you too could become actively involved in the program. We have already been praying and preparing for this event since several months. We have had meetings and discussions as well as remote preparations to welcome all ‘Shepherds’ of the CCBI.

The program, as visualized and planned is as follows:  

All the Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops and Commission Secretaries are expected to arrive in Bhopal by the evening of January 30.

Most of them will be accommodated at the Pastoral Center and at the Institutions within the campus.

About 25 of them will be accommodated at the Campion Campus and a few at the CMI Provincial House.

The CCBI General Assembly will commence with the inaugural function on January 31 with a solemn Eucharistic Celebration at the Assumption Church, Arera Colony. Priests and Religious from our Archdiocese are welcome to join the inaugural Holy Mass and the short inaugural program thereafter.

From then on the sessions and discussions will continue for the days until February 08, with four sessions of 90 minutes each day.

While the participants will start departing from the afternoon of February 08, a group of Archbishops/Bishops and Commission Secretaries will travel to Pachmarhi on the following day (Feb. 9), to visit Suvartha Kendra and will return on the same evening. 

The program of each day will begin with the Eucharistic Celebration at 6.45 a.m. at our Assumption Church. Priests, religious and lay faithful are welcome to participate in the Eucharistic celebration whenever they wish. Different parishes/Formation Houses are entrusted with the responsibility of conducting choir on specific days.

During these days of the Assembly four special programs have been planned:

-On February 01, at 7.00 p.m. there will be a cultural event to welcome the CCBI Participants and also to accord a special welcome to our ‘guests’ from the Vatican and the Nunciature. 

-On February 03 evening at 7.00 p.m. the BSSS College will host a cultural evening at the College Auditorium

-On the afternoon of February 05 at 3.30 p.m. we shall have a Solemn Eucharistic Celebration at our Assumption Church, presided over by His Eminence Cardinal Oswald Gracious, Archbishop of Bombay and President of the CCBI. This will be followed by a public function at which our Chief Minister Hon.Shivraj Singh Chauhan has consented to be the Chief Guest. All Priests, Religious and a sizable representation of faithful are welcome to join both the events of the afternoon. Parish Priests will be informed about this matter in detail.

-On February 06 afternoon the participants will be taken on a guided visit to some places of interest relating to mission, culture, history etc., which may be of interest to the participants.

More details about the programs, time table, etc. could be enquired from the organizers, - Fr. Mathew V.C and Fr. Ronald Cardoza.  I encourage and request all of you to cooperate with the organizers in order to make these days and events as successful as possible. While continuing with our prayers, now is the time for us to cooperate with each other by extending a helping hand and by joining different teams of volunteers in active support as well as to join the celebrations as and when you can. Parish Priest may kindly communicate this information to all our priests, religious and faithful.

Inauguration and Blessing:

On January 28 at 4.30 p.m. we intend to inaugurate and bless the new Adoration Chapel, the Parish House, the Archdiocesan Social Service Centre and the  Extended  School Building cum Auditorium of St. Josephs Co-ed. You are welcome to join this special event. Do consider this as an invitation, in case you don’t get one separately.   

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity:

We well know that every year January 18 to 24 is observed as a Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.  In Bhopal too, our Commission for Ecumenism and Dialogue, under the leadership of Fr. Jose Prakash organises prayer sessions in different Churches of Bhopal. The information about the same is communicated to all through leaflets and SMS. I would, highly encourage our Parish Priests, Religious and Heads of our Institutions to take more interest by joining these prayer sessions in a spirit of solidarity with our Christian brothers and sisters. It is also desirable that our parishes and religious communities organize such prayer sessions in parishes and communities during the octave and pray for unity and harmony among the different groups of Christians.

And finally, may the presence of all our Shepherds in Bhopal bring us many blessings from our heavenly Father and may our blessed Mother Mary intercede for us with her Son, Jesus!

Praying for God s blessing on all of us,

Sincerely in the Lord,

+ Leo Cornelio SVD,

Archbishop of Bhopal

ARCHDIOCESE OF BHOPAL

Dec. 18, 2016

Cir 5/2016 (63)

Dear Fathers, Brothers and Sisters,

We are people of hope “and hope does not disappoints us” (Rom. 5/5). As we are nearing yet another Christmas, we ought to note the marked difference in the tone of the readings of the Advent days from those of the week before Advent, namely, the last week of the Liturgical Year, which predicted doom, destruction and end of the world. Advent renews our hope and Christmas, — the birth of Christ-child, fill us with the assurance that God has not lost hope in human beings.

This is where the real meaning of the Jubilee Year of Mercy which we just concluded, becomes so pronounced. God's mercy is beyond human imagination. That is why the Psalmist can cry out, “If you requite justice Lord who would survive? But with you is mercy and full of compassion. Pope Francis has started a new series of catecheses about hope. First off, the pope warned that it should not be mistaken for optimism. He says: This is very important, because hope doesn't delude. Optimism does, but hope

doesn’t. When we are in the dark, in difficulty, a smile doesn’t come to us. It is hope that teaches us to smile in that path to find God. ...Christian hope helps us face the challenges of life decisively, because he who believes knows that God is by his side.

At the end of his catechesis, the pope underlined that fighting against corruption and protecting human rights goes hand in hand. Incidentally, December 9 was celebrated as the International Anticorruption Day, and December 10 as the ‘World Day of Human Rights.

Concluding of the Jubilee Year of Mercy and Canonization of Mother St. Theresa:

The celebration of the event on November 13 at the 8883 grounds was certainly a memorable one. Much preparations and organizing skills went into the whole afternoon program of two events, namely, the Solemn Eucharistic Celebration to conclude the Jubilee Year of Mercy and Canonization of Mother St. Teresa. My appreciation as well as heartfelt thanks to all those who have actively collaborated in making this event a successful one! Though the attendance was not as large as was expected there were

certain avoidable and perhaps some avoidable reasons for it, as far as the organizers reflected on the events ‘post factum’. All the same, I appreciate all the parish priests, principals, Heads of our Institutions and Well-wishers of Mother St. Teresa who actively cooperated in making the day. Let us continue to savor the significance of these events for our daily Christian life. '

Hindi Belt Bishops’ Meeting:

On Nov. 23 the Bishops of Hindi speaking Regions met at Agra with main objective of Revising and finalizing of the Hind Missal in compliance with the directives of Liturgical Commission, Rome. This has been already completed. The next step would be to get the text with the proposed changes approved by CCBI General Body which will meet in Bhopal in January-February 2017. Then we have to await the final approval from Rome for printing and distribution of the new Hindi Missal.

Christmas Gathering/Get-together and Chief Ministers lnvitation:

After due consultation with those concerned, I wish to inform all our priests and religious that our Christmas Party/Get-together this year will be held on Monday, December 26, 2016 at the Archbishops House between 10.00 hrs to 14.00 hrs. All our priests and religious in the Archdiocese of Bhopal are cordially invited to join the celebration. Our Jubilarians - Priesthood and/or Religious Profession, will be honored during this occasion. Hence, the Superiors/Heads of all our Religious institutions are requested to give the names of their Jubilarian members to Fr. Mathew VC, the Vicar General or to Fr. Reboni Asir, my Office Secretary.

On that same evening our Chief Minister, Hon. Shivraj Singh Chauhan, is organizing a Christmas Party and has extended an invitation to all the Christians of Madhya Pradesh. You are most welcome to join the celebration at the residence of the Chief Minister. More details will available from our PR Office- C/o Fr. Maria Stephen.

Meeting in Preparation for the forthcoming CCBI General Body Meeting:

In view of our preparations for the forthcoming CCBI General Body Meeting I hereby invite all major superiors of the Religious Congregations, having their Office in the Archdiocese, all Parish Priests along with the Secretaries of respective Parish Councils as well as those specially invited, for a meeting to be held on January 05, 2017 at 10.30 am at the Pastoral Center, Arera Colony. This is going to be an important meeting to discuss the organizational modalities that need to be considered for hosting this all important Conference of Bishops of India. While we prepare for this mega event, let us keep praying for its success.

Let us remember the Deceased:

Father of Fr. Francis Scaria; Father of Fr. Antony Shellmon; Sr. Basir CSSJ;

Mother of Sr. Roberta DSS, Ashta; Mother of Fr. Seby CMl, (Principal of St. Paul);

Nephew of Fr. Hermon Kujur.

Wishing each one of you a joyful Christmas and a promising New Year 2017!

Sincerely in the Lord,

  + LEO CORNELIO, SVD

  Archbishop of Bhopal

                                                                BHOPAL ARCHDIOCESE                                

                                                                                                                                                Archbishop’s House

                                                                                                                                            33, Ahmedabad Palace Road

                                                                                                                                                Bhopal 462001

                                                                                                                                                Sept. 08, 2016

Cir. 04/2016 <62>            

My dear Fathers, Brothers and Sisters,

May I wish all of you a very happy feast of the nativity of our Blessed Mother Mary! Well, this feast has assumed ever greater significance with the passing of years and the devotion to Mother Mary is ever on the increase, not only among Catholics but among the believers of other religions as well.  With increasing challenges which the modern world is facing the ‘miracles’ keep happening. Consequently there is a growing number of petitions and increase in devotion to Mother Mary, invoked under many different names! May she continue to fill us with her spirit of ‘faithfulness’ to the word and intercede for us with her son Jesus!

Canonization of Mother Theresa of Calcutta: The highly anticipated event, has just taken place in Rome in the presence of tens of thousands of people. Millions might have viewed it live on television. Certainly St. Teresa of Calcutta is a world renowned figure, recipient of many awards but greatly appreciated by all for her compassion/mercy to the ‘poorest of the poor’. She reached out of these with so much abandon and devotion that history has few such shining examples. Pope Francis at the canonization Liturgy in Rome on Sunday, September 04, said: “Mother Teresa, in all aspects of her life, was a generous dispenser of divine mercy making herself available for everyone through her welcome and defense of human life those unborn and those abandoned discarded…… Today I pass on this emblematic figure of womanhood and of consecrated life to the whole world of volunteers. May she be our model of holiness!”

Celebration in Bhopal – A public function in honor of ‘Mother’ St. Theresa of Calcutta and the celebration of year of mercy on Archdiocesan level is being planned to be for November 12 and 13, 2016 at Dussera Maidan and Carmel School grounds respectively. The committee for the public celebration includes well-Known personalities from the city as well. All of you are invited as well as encouraged to pitch in so that we can together celebrate this events with appropriate spirit of solemnity and devotion.

Liturgical Matters: It is important that from time to time we review our liturgical practices lest they become routine. Here are a few notes:  a. Prayers of the Faithfull: Parish Priest or the presiding liturgist should kindly see that ‘Prayer of the Faithful’ should be short, - like in our Breviary and Missal-, and are limited in number (5 or 6 maximum!). b.Singing/Choir: It is desirable that there is maximum participation by the faithful in singing. Since most parishes have your own hymnals kindly select/sing mostly hymns which can be sung by the whole community. c. Consecrating Hosts: Parish Priest should be responsible to ensure that at each Eucharistic celebration sufficient number of hosts would be consecrated so that they would suffice for the particular celebration and what remained could be preserved in the Tabernacle which too should not contain too much at a given time. d. Mass Intentions: I have observed that our faithful book Mass Intentions and offer prescribed amount of stipend. ‘Box Intentions’

Apart, all the other masses should be celebrated individually and not just by celebrating one mass for all them by announcing their names. The celebrant is entitled for only one stipend for the mass he celebrates. Rest of the intentions should be passed on, along with the stipend, to the Archdiocese which will ensure the celebration of these Masses by individual priests. In case of doubt kindly discuss this matter with me.

Finance:

Co-signatories: Although it may be a repetition, I would once again remind all our parish priests and heads of institutions to have two signatories for every bank account that is operated or opened. While for schools the co-signatories should be the manager and principal, for parishes these should be Parish Priest and Parish Council Secretary or Treasurer. Kindly follow this norm at your earliest if this not yet done.

CCBI General Assembly:  We are already moving ahead with the preparations to host the forthcoming CCBI General Body Meeting at our Pastoral Centre and Campus toward the beginning of February 2017. The Core Committee is already at work. You are welcome to join any of the committees/subcommittees of your choice and so, let us together contribute to the successful hosting of this important. A short prayer too has been prepared by Fr. Jose Prakash, to be recited daily, beginning from September 20, 2016 until the completion of the General Body Meet.

Imposition of Censure:

This is notify to all that Fr. P. Chinnappan, a priest incardinated into the Archdiocese of Bhopal, ordained to the priesthood in the year 1991, has been officially served with the canonical “imposition of censures” by me on August 27, 2016. He is prohibited from exercising all acts of the power of Order and functions as a Catholic Priest. Consequently, he is prohibited from administering Sacraments and Sacramentals which need the power of Order. Any act by him contrary to the above order, will be invalid as long as this suspension stands.

Points following the consultation in Priests Council:

Jubilee … Year of Mercy and Reaching out to our poor Catholic Families: This point has its context in the Golden Jubilee Year of our Archdiocese. Most of you may remember that we had several discussions regarding our concern for the poor Catholics and the proposal to build 50 houses for the homeless Catholic Families. However, Parish Priest could not come to a consensus as to who should be considered for such benefits. At the last Priest Council meeting, this issue was discussed once again and the members felt that we should review this concern. I would, therefore, ask all our Parish Priests to identify all families which are below poverty line. They could take the help of our ICYM and Parish Councils. I invite all our Parish Priests for a meeting on Friday, Sept. 30, 2016, at 3.00 pm at the Pastoral Centre to discuss various pastoral issues. Kindly be prepared to share certain general pastoral concerns of your parish.

Some more points which were discussed will be shared at our Assembly on Sept. 10.

Regional Education Secretary: Following decisions at the recent CDES as well as CBMP Annual meetings Sr. Nora AC has been appointed the new Education Secretary for the Region as well as for CDES. Fr. Thomas Attumel, who served the Region until now, has received a fresh assignment in his home diocese of Sagar. On behalf of the CBMP, CRI and CDES I express our sentiments of appreciation and thanks to Fr. Attumel for his dedication and service to our Education Apostolate in the region.

Let us remember the deceased: Sr. James, SMMI; mother of Sr. Jancy, SSpS, father of Fr. Biju T, Dy Secretary of CBMP.

Wishing you peace and joy and blessings from the Lord,

+Leo Cornelio, SVD

Archbishop of Bhopal

BHOPAL ARCHDIOCESE

Archbishop’s House

33,Ahmedabad Palace Road

Bhopal 462 001

June 25, 2016

Cir. 03/2016 <61>

My dear Fathers, Brothers and Sisters,

Probably as children many of us have read stories. Most of these stories begin with “Once upon a time…” and end with “lived happily ever after”…! Well, in reality hardly anyone has a perfect life whether in the ‘beginning’ or at the ‘end’. Our life, as a wise man has said, begins with “welcome to the struggle” and ends with “You are lucky to have survived the journey”. If you wait for happy moments you will wait forever; but if you start believing that you are happy, you will make success of your life. Well, happiness, ultimately, is God’s gift.  A great thinker was once asked, “What is the meaning of life?” He replied, “Life itself has no meaning. Life is an opportunity to create/make meaning”. I was recently asked at a TV interview what I thought about our Governments proposal to constitute a sort of ‘commission’ called in Hindi “Khushi Mantralaya”. My response to the question was something similar to what I have noted above. For a Christian to be happy, first and foremost, we need to cultivate a balanced vertical and horizontal relationship – relationship with God and our fellow human beings. Love is the glue for this relationship. Of course, it is easier said than done! Needs deep faith and clean conscience!

Resumption of Academic Activities: After this exceptionally warm summer break most of you, I believe, are relaxed and refreshed; and are back to your assigned responsibilities, including those who have been transferred or newly assigned. Welcome to another year of toil in the vineyard of the Lord, Welcome also and very specially, to our priests and religious who have been assigned to some ‘mission’ in this Archdiocese.

As most of the schools have reopened, I, hereby, wish to express a word of appreciation to all our academic institutions for their good performance and excellent results. It is not so much the success, name or fame that our schools are known for, which is the ultimate measure in the eyes of God, but the dedication with which we commit ourselves to the given mission. Whether we are engaged in a parish, institution or mission, let us assume our responsibility with renewed enthusiasm, and commit ourselves to the task wholeheartedly, but always trusting in God’s plan for us (Jer. 29/11) and doing our best by utilizing to the fullest our God-given talents.

Education Mission:

Our Education Mission has relevance only as long as we make it our ‘mission’ with true missionary zeal. Commitment and dedication is the hallmark of so called ‘Missionary Schools’. Our School Managers and Principals, with particular reference to those of our Archdiocesan Schools, have to ensure that our schools comply with the basic norms and directions of Education Board but, at the same time, be conscious to implement the recommendations of “All India Catholic Education Policy 2007” formulated by the CBCI.  There are also practical guidelines as given by our Education Manuel. All our Archdiocesan school managers and Principals in their respective schools are expected to consult the Office of the Education Board (Chairman and/or Secretary) before taking any major decision that could significantly effect the institution, such as fee structure, revision of pay for staff, CBSE Affiliation, computer programs and package for accounts, etc. Kindly do not arbitrarily introduce or decide on anything that has a long term implication on personnel infra-structure and finances without first consulting the lawful local authorities in the Church.  

Ordinations & Assignments: I had the privilege of ordaining to the priesthood our three deacons, Dennis Tigga, Julius Kullu and Paramanand Xalxo, in their respective places/parishes. We extend our congratulations to them and also our appreciation to their parents as well all those who have contributed in their long journey to the priesthood.   They are assigned for a year-long pastoral work in rural missions in the dioceses of Jabalpur and Khandwa.

Celebrations Linked with the Year of Mercy and Canonization of Mother Theresa:

While the Catholic Church awaits the official canonization of Blessed Mother Theresa in Rome on Sept 04 followed by a National level celebration by the Catholic Church at Kolkota on October 02, we in Bhopal too propose to have a moderate celebration in honor of Mother (Saint) Theresa on convenient days following the above two events. The proposal is to have a spiritual event on the level of the Church which could be joined with event of the ‘Year of Mercy, and social/civic events/functions involving all people of good will including dignitaries from all walks of life.  More information will be shared with you after the core committee has met and discussed the details. Kindly be willing to join one of the committees and contribute with your active involvement as well as with your prayers towards the success of all that may be planned.

CCBI General Body Meet 2017:

As I had already informed, it is now decided that the next CCBI General Body Meet will be held Bhopal at our Asha Niketan Campus, Arera Colony. The approximate dates are January 31 to February 08, 2017. Of course, that would mean much planning and preparation. I appeal to all our priests, religious and faithful to cooperate and actively get involved in making this event a success.

Home Mission – A Pastoral Initiative in the Jubilee Year of Mercy:

After having experienced, even if in a few parishes, the positive response of the our faithful to the pastoral effectiveness of the ‘Home Mission”, about which I had already briefed you in my last circular, I now believe that we must carry it out in all our parishes in the Archdiocese. Hence, our Vicar General, Fr. Mathew V.C, will contact the parish priests of remaining parishes to discuss the ways and modalities for Home Mission in their parishes so that this pastoral outreach could be completed before the end of the Jubilee Year of Mercy. The Parish Priests are highly encouraged to extend their full cooperation to him and the team.

Committees to Manage our Two Cemeteries:

In accordance with the proposal and suggestion of our last Pastoral Council, a meeting of a few Parish Priests and Secretaries of parish councils was held on June 14 at the Pastoral Center. The participants decided to constitute two committees of eight members each to be responsible for our two cemeteries with the Vicar General, Fr. Mathew V.C., as the over all Convener and Fr. Tobias Minj as the Finance In-Charge. The Committees will present their findings and proposals at the next Pastoral Council Meeting for further deliberations and guidance. All were of the conviction that we owe a debt to our deceased faithful and we need to take better care of our two Cemeteries. 

Kindly note that I will be away for a few weeks from end of June, during which time Fr. Mathew will attend to the required official responsibilities while being in regular communication with me.

Remember the Deceased: Brother of Sr. Maggie CMC

Wishing you the very best and God’s blessing on your mission,

+ Leo Cornelio SVD,

Archbishop of Bhopal

Dear Fathers, Brothers and Sisters,

Greetings of joy and blessings of the Lord!

Christmas is the celebration of a unique historical event. It is not just an echo of a long past ‘Holy Night’. Rather, it is the fulfillment of a promise of God coming down and living among us human beings!  It is a celebration of God’s self communication with the intent to build communion with us human beings. So, it is both a challenge and a responsibility for us to communicate this love and build communion with our brothers and sisters. In short, it is a feast of joy, love, fraternity and peace.

Christ lived and preached the path of love, non violence and tolerance towards all. This, in fact, is the path the leaders of other religions too have taught. The father of our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, followed this path in his struggle for the freedom of our Country. This is the spirit in which Pope Francis in his Encyclical ‘Laudato Si’ has reminded humanity of our responsibility towards each other and towards the whole creation and has declared the Jubilee Year – the Year of Mercy.  In this Jubilee year of Mercy, let us live our life accepting our community members with their gifts and limitations. May the mercy of God be with us and enhance us to love everyone and share the joy and happiness with one another.

I wish to express my sincere appreciation to each one of you for the mission you are carrying out in the Archdiocese of Bhopal and spreading the values of God’s Kingdom. May you as well as your dear ones be abundantly blessed by the Lord born in a Manger for us!

A very happy feast of Christmas, a blessed Season of joy and a promising New Year 2016!

Fraternally in the Lord,

+Leo Cornelio SVD

Archbishop of Bhopal

BHOPAL ARCHDIOCESE

Archbishop’s House

33,Ahmedabad Palace Road

Bhopal 462 001

April 22, 2014

Cir. 03/2014 <48>

Dear Fathers, Brothers and Sisters,

As we have just entered into the Easter Season of joy I take this occasion to convey my greetings to each one of you and wish lots of blessings of the Risen Lord. Yes, we have lived through the Lenten season, a time of fasting, penance and sacrifices; and thus uniting ourselves with the Lord, more in spirit than by the letter of the law. The Resurrection of the Lord is an assurance and encouragement for Christ’s believers to continue in hope, in spite of the many trials and misunderstandings we may constantly face. As St. Paul writes: “We are often troubled, but not crushed; sometimes in doubt, but never in despair; there are many enemies, but we are never without a friend; and though badly hurt at times, we are not destroyed”(2 Co. 4/8-10). The ‘Times of India’ newspaper of April 19, in the ‘Sacred Space’, quoting Basil Hume writes: “The great gift of Easter is hope – Christian hope, which makes us have that confidence in God, in his ultimate triumph, and in his goodness and love, which nothing can shake.” Furthermore in the same page “The Speaking Tree” encourages us not to fear death but to begin to live, since Christ has said ‘whoever looses his life for my sake will find it’ (Mt. 16/25). Easter, thus, is a feast of hope, love, light and life.  

Transfers and Appointments:

Following a long but systematic process in which the whole College of Consulters were also much involved, I officially communicate here below the list of Transfers/Appointments which will become effective latest by June 15, 2014. Since practically all of you have been already consulted this may not come as a surprise. However, with this list all uncertainties would be cleared.

 Names                                                                  Transferred/Appointed to:

Fr. Abraham Michael                                            P.P, Infant Jesus Church & Part-time teach. BSSS

Fr. Abraham V.P                                                  Stn in Charge & Principal St. Jude’s, Khirkiya  

Fr. Ajay Ekka                                                       P.P, & Manager, Lourd Mata, Sehore

Fr. Antony Samy                                                  Stn in Charge, Handia

Fr. Antonius Toppo                                               P.P, Assumption Church & Manager St. Joseph                                                                                                                           Hindi Medium School, Arera Colony

Fr. Arokia Gerald                                                  Asst, Sohankheda Stn

Fr. Arul Samy                                                       P.P, Christ the King Church, Bairagarh

Fr. Cyriac James                                                  P.P, Holy Family Church & Finance Administrator BSSS, Habibgunj

Fr. Dilip Minj                                                        Fatehpur Village Mission, Res.Fatehpur Presbytery

Fr. Francis Maria                                                  Stn in Charge, Seoni-Malwa

Fr. George Vazhakala                                          Stn in Charge & Manager V. Jyoti School, Icchawar

Fr. George Jacob                                                  P.P, St. Joseph’s Church, Idgah

Fr. Hermon Kujur                                                   Asst Director, Pastoral Center, Arera Colony

Fr. J. Alexander                                                    Youth & Communication, Res. Archbishop’s House

                                                                            Part time Secretary to Archbishop

Fr. Jeevan Tirkey                                                   Asst P.P, Infant Jesus Church, Ayodhya Nagar

Fr. Johney P.J.                                           .          Director, BSSS College, Habibgunj

Fr. Jonedius Toppo                                               Director ANWC, Res. Pastoral Center

Fr. Jose Prakash                                                  Program Coordinator, Retreat Center (adnl Charge)

Fr. Joseph P.P.                                             Cont. as Principal of BSSS for another Year, with special charge of College expansion at Ratibad

Fr. Joseph Thannipilly                                           Stn in Charge, Rehti with res. at Nasrullagunj          

Fr. Joy Thomas                                                      P.P, St Patrick’s Church and Principal

Fr. Lancy Fernandes                                             Principal, St. Mary’s School, Harda

Fr. Leo Babu                                                        Stn in Charge & Manager, St. Joseph’s School, Pipariya

Fr. Maria Stephen                                                 Principal St. Theresa’s School, Ashta; Stn in Charge Namonia

Fr. Michael Sebastian                                            P.P, St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral, Jahangirabd

Fr. Reboni Asir                                                     Stn In Charge Babai and Manger St. John’s School

Fr. Ronald Cordoza                                              Director Pastoral Center & Manager St. Joseph’s Co-Ed School, Arera Colony

Fr. Ronald Vaugan                                               Stn in Charge, Nadan (Res. Icchawar)

Fr. S. Solomon                                                 Cont. as Principal, St. Joseph’s Co-Ed Kolar for another year & PRO and to assist in our Edu. Office

Fr. Saiju Kolarikkal                                               P.P, Holy Cross Church, Lambakheda

Fr. Sebastian Tigga                                              Co-pastor, St. Francis Assisi Cathdral, Jahangirabad

Fr. Shaji Stanislaus                                               Asst. PRO, Res. at Seva Sadan

Fr. Shellmon Antony                                            P.P, Infant Jesus Church, Hoshangabad

Fr. Sibi Joseph                                                     P.P, Queen of the Universal Church, Kolar

Fr. Soosai P.                                                       Principal, St. Joseph’s School, Pipariya

Fr. Stanlin A.                                                        Asst. St. Patrick’s Church and School, Sohagpur

Fr. Suman K. Tirkey                                             Res. and Assist at Divine Retreat Center, Kolar

Fr. Tobias Minj                                                     Bursar, Abp’s House & Asst. St. J.Church, Idgah

Fr. Tomy Joseph                                                   P.P, Sacred Heart Ch., Ratanpur, & Manager, Barrai

Fr. Varghese Shiju                                               Principal, St. Joseph’s Co-ed, Arera Colony

Fr. Antony Akkanath                                            Doctoral Studies, Rome

Fr. Vipin Tigga                                                     Mission Pastoral, Mandla, Jabalpur Diocese

Fr. Carmel Alexander                                           Mission Pastoral, Mandla, Jabalpur Diocese

I appreciate and thank the members of the College of Consulters for their active collaboration in this process, Of course, even the best of efforts cannot give total satisfaction to everyone. All the same, most have gracefully accepted this change/transfer in good spirit. My sincere thanks to all you! Surely, the Lord will help everyone to live up to His call (cf Jn. 15/16)

The modalities of the transfers/appointments are as follows:

1.      You may kindly assume your new responsibility/office latest by June 15, 2014.

2.      Since we do not have Deans appointed as yet, the responsibility of facilitating the ‘handing over’ and ‘taking over’ the charge is assigned to the members of the College of Consulters. They are: i. Hoshangabad-Harda Deanery: Fr. Tomy Joseph and Fr. John Benito ii. Sehore and Part Bhopal Deaneries: Fr. Davidson V.M and Fr. Ishwardas Minj; Bhopal Deanery: Fr. Mathew V.C. and Fr. Richard Couto  

3.      You may mutually agree on the date of assuming your new Office and communicate the same to the ‘Facilitator’ regarding the day and time when this handing/taking over can be conveniently carried out. I recommend that the whole process, as far as possible, may be completed between the 5^th and 15^th of June 2014. Thanks to all of you for your cooperation.

4.      If there are serious reasons for being not able to keep to the above date and mutually decide to go beyond the deadline of June 15, kindly inform me about the same.

Our Missionary Outreach: All, I am sure, are aware that we have been speaking about the need to reach out to the rural missions with the Gospel message. It is certainly a great challenge, especially in the present times when the idea of ‘mission’ is being interpreted according to our convenience. But the real meaning of ‘mission’ has to be seen from the point of Christ’s mission and what St. Paul time and again reminds us through his own life mission. Hence, it is for us, those who are ‘sent’, to respond to the challenges of our times. The message of the good news has to be proclaimed ‘whether the time is right or not’ (2 Tim 4/2).

Letter from the Congregation for the Evangelization of People: Following up the ‘Apostolic Visitation’ suggested by the above mentioned Congregation and undertaken by Most Rev. Thomas Menamparambil, the emeritus Archbishop of Guwahati, we have received two letters from the Prefect of the “Congregatio pro Gentium Evangelizatione’, Rome, of which one is personal. Of the other letter, which is addressed to all of us (Archbishop and Brother Priests of the Archdiocese of Bhopal), I am enclosing a copy to all the priests of this Archdiocese. I would recommend that each one attentively read it and meditate upon it. Though the letter is short, the contents are important for our reflection and follow up. The letter, while appreciating the “ecclesial sense and priestly communion that you displayed during the Visit,” also mentions that “disunity within the clergy as well controversies between the bishop and the clergy, and within the clergy itself, have disfigured the face of the Church with lasting consequences”.

Now, we have gone through a lengthy, even if rather painful, process and have come to the understanding as well as acceptance of the problems being faced by this Archdiocese since long. The challenge for all of us is to accept the responsibility and make a serious effort to repair the damage by “giving common testimony to the Gospel values, as well as to the Gospel message of universal love and brotherhood” before all, especially before our religious and faithful who have suffered the most. Let us realize that maintaining and building up our presbyterial unity should be the top priority and a God given responsibility for every member in the Archdiocese. The lawful ecclesial authorities can only facilitate the occasion, just as a horse can be led to the water but cannot be made to drink. The spiritual thirst cannot be induced or forced from elsewhere, much less by the authorities. It should be felt by everyone from deep within; and that is the basis of our call (Ref. Jn. 15/16) which we have freely and voluntarily accepted. Our response to this call too should be sufficiently adequate if not intense. The Church has a clear hierarchical structure around which the communion should be built and realized. “Indeed, there can be no genuine priestly ministry except in communion with the supreme pontiff and the Episcopal college, especially with one’s own diocesan bishop, who deserves that filial respect and obedience promised during the rite of Ordination.” (Bl. Pope John Paul II in his Ap. Exhortation ‘Formation of Priests’,1992). The Word of God and Sacraments, especially the Eucharist, are the most effective sources of our sanctification. Priests are called to be the ministers of these sacraments for the sanctification of the faithful. Hence, we as pastors should give high priority to these as well as to our pastoral and missionary outreach.

Ordinations to Priesthood: We are happy that the Archdiocese is blessed with two deacons this year, who will be ordained to the Priesthood in their respective native parishes in the next month.  Dn. Carmel Alexander will be ordained on May 06 at Mount Carmel Church Eleyanganny, Tamilnadu,  and Dn. Vipin Tigga on May 11 at Bedaag Ish Mata Church, Ambikapur, CG. Let us accompany them with our prayers as they prepare for the great day and wish God’s blessings on them.

Logos Magazine: Indore Diocese has taken the responsibility of publishing a quarterly magazine which contains good informative Biblical and catechetical material. The price is Rs. 15 per copy. Those wish to subscribe for this magazine may contact Fr. Joby Anand, (Mob. 9425945190) or Fr. Babu Chirayath (Mob. 9414101640).

CMI School and Hostel Facilities to the Physically Challenged Children: The director of the newly established “Integrated” School (Christ School) at Patel Nagar has invited applications for admissions of physically challenged children. These will receive free education with hostel facilities.

Visitator for the Syro-Malabar Rite Catholics – His Excellency, Bp Mar Raphael Thattil, the Auxiliary Bishop of Trichur has been officially appointed by the Vatican as the Apostolic Visitator for the Syro-Malabar Rite Catholics residing outside the “territorium proprium” in India. In this official capacity he is planning to visit our Archdiocese within the next couple of months. We welcome His Excellency to the Archdiocese at a suitable opportunity.

Ordination Silver Jubilees: Three of our priests, Fr. Solomon S. Fr. Soosai P and Fr. Francis Scaria are in the ‘Silver Year’ (25^th Year) of their Priestly Ordination. While we extend our felicitations and thank God for their years of service to the people of God, we shall specially remember them in our prayers as we pray regularly for the priests of our Archdiocese.

Kindly pray for the Deceased: Sr. Delphine CSSJ, Sr. Francis Xavier CSSJ, -both from Tanmaya province; Br. Joseph MMB, Brother of Fr. Vincent Suares, Uncle of Fr. Mathew V.C. We pray for the dear departed. RIP

Once again, a very happy Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord! May the Risen Lord continue to inspire you and guide all your missionary endeavours.

Devotedly in the Lord,

+Leo Cornelio SVD,

Archbishop of Bhopal

BHOPAL ARCHDIOCESE

Archbishop’s House

33,Ahmedabad Palace Road

Bhopal 462 001

June 29, 2013

Cir. 04 <43>

My dear Fathers, Brothers and Sisters,

St. Augustine, after much search and varied ‘experiences’ had said “Our hearts are restless O Lord, until they rest in you”. Yes, today our world offers us many and exciting experiences. God has endowed human beings with an insatiable desire to acquire/achieve. Many crave for these so called ‘desirable goods’– money, pleasure, name and fame. People, especially the youth, seek opportunities to build their career and fulfill their ambitions. The truth is that one’s ‘needs’ can be satisfied but not the ‘greed’ and ambition! For such people ‘end justifies the means’ - fair or unfair, just or unjust! Often this attitude, coupled with absence of God in their life leads to discontentment and rebelliousness. Even priests and religious are not free from this contagion of the modern world. It is in this context that Pope Francis, at the 65^th Assembly of the Italian Bishops’ Conference on May 24, encouraged the Church leaders, - bishops, priests and religious to be on guard against “temptations towards distraction, laziness and, above all, careerism!”

Meeting of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrant and Itinerant People: It was held in Rome from May 22 - 26 of May in which I too participated. While it is true that the reasons for migration of people are many, the volume of migrants in general, as statistics clearly show, is on the increase. A good portion of these are led by the lure of ‘greener pastures’ and to make their carreer/future. At the same time, it is also a fact that ‘forced migration’ which was the principal theme of this meeting, has become one of the serious concerns in our age due to the disturbances and calamities, natural or induced, which occur more frequently. But when people, especially women and children, are forced to migrate, they become vulnerable to the greedy and ambitious people who take advantage of these situations for their selfish end. The Church makes every effort to stand by the side of these ‘marginalized’ and tries to alleviate their pain through direct support as well as through advocacy with the respective government.

At the end of the meeting we had a special Papal Audience where Pope Francis addressed the participants voicing his great concern for the hardships of the migrant people, especially the ‘refugees and forcibly displaced persons’. Some photos of my meeting with the Pope are available for those who wish to have one!

Disaster in Uttarakhand: Since a number of days we have been flooded with news about the nightmarish situation of millions of suffering people due to rains, floods and landslides in Uttarakhand. There have been many horror stories of death and destruction as well as miraculous escapes. While we extend our prayerful support to the suffering, we should also do something in action. Your suggestions, together with concrete steps in this direction, are most welcome.

Transfers and Appointments: As mentioned in my earlier circular here are just a few essential transfers/appointments done after due consultation with the fathers concerned. These will become effective before Mid July 2013:

Fr. George Stepen                                         - Proclamation Center (residing at Abp’s House for now)

Fr. Thomas Panackal                                     - P. Priest Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Seva Sadan

Fr. Antony Akkanath                                    - P. Priest & Manager, Lourd Mata Church, Sehore

Fr. Shellmon Antony                                    - A Year of Spiritual Renewal & Updating

Fr. George Payattikkatt svd                          - Station-in-Charge, Shyampur

Fr. Hans Puthiakulangara mst                       - Co-pastor, O. L. Lourdes Church, Seva Sadan and

                                                                         Priest in Charge of the Syro Malabar Catholics

Fr. Jonney Kannikatt                                   - P. Priest & Manager, Nasrullagunj

Fr. Jomi Panitas                                            - Studies in Rome

Fr. Tobias Minj                                             - A Year of Pastoral Mission in Mandla Dist.

Fr. Arokia Jerald                                          - A Year of Pastoral Mission in Mandla Dist.

Fr. Alexander Jesudasan                              - In-charge, Navdeep Communications& Bhopal Link

Regent:                                  

Br. Roshin Antony                                       - Fatehpur

Kindly assume your office till the end of the first week of July with mutual understanding.

SSC and Higher Secondary School Results: I am informed that most of our Schools have obtained ‘good to very good’ results in SSC and Higher Secondary Board Examinations. We appreciate the hard work put in by the Principals, management, staff and students as well as the cooperation extended by the parents for their contribution and involvements.

Inclusion of the name of ‘St. Joseph’ in the Canon of the Mass: It is officially communicated through our Apostolic Nunciature that the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of Sacraments, by virtue of the faculties granted by Pope Francis, has decreed that in the Eucharistic Prayers II, III and IV of the Roman Missal after the name of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the name of ‘St. Joseph, her Spouse’ should be included. Kindly follow this instruction and announce the same to the faithful of your respective parishes (enclosed is a copy of the decree in English).

New Initiatives: I am happy to welcome to the Archdiocese the congregation of Ursuline Franciscan Sisters (UFS) from Lucknow Province, who will join the teaching mission at Lambakheda. The CMI Province, Bhopal has initiated a mission in Budhni and SVD Central province has pitched in to develop the mission at Shyampur. We welcome the initiatives of the respective congregations and view it as part of God’s plan in this Golden Jubilee Year.

Feast of St. Thomas – July 03: India is specially privileged to have been evangelized by Jesus’ own disciple – St. Thomas! We specially felicitate our Syro Malabar brothers and sisters who celebrate this day with great solemnity due to their rich historical link with St. Thomas.

Autonomous Status to BSSS: You may perhaps know that our BSSS College already had A grade NAAC accredited status. But due to questions of academic standard, timings of examinations and other inconveniences, it was found preferable to apply for an autonomous status to the BSSS. After much effort, paper work and an elaborate inspection from the UGC, the State govt. and University, the BSSS has been approved the autonomous status from the Year 2013 onwards. It is certainly a major step forward for our college. On behalf of the Archdiocese of Bhopal I extend our hearty congratulations to the Principal, Fr. Joseph P.P, and his whole staff as well as students for the team work and the hard work they have put in. We wish the College much progress and blessings of the Lord. 

Prison Ministry: Sunday August 11 will be observed as Prison Ministry Sunday by the Church in India. As described by Most Rev. Peter Remigius, the Bishop of Kottar and Patron of Prison Ministry, India, the sorry state of Indian prisons is that there are almost twice as many ‘under trials’ as there are convicted prisoners in 1382 prisons of India!  The following Sunday, Aug. 18, will be observed as “Justice Sunday” with the theme ‘Peace on Earth in Justice’.

Remember the Deceased: mother of Fr. Antony Akkanath and Father of Fr. Sylbirius Tigga.

Remember the Sick: Fr. George Stephen, undergoing treatment for stomach ailment; mother of Fr. Johny Kannikatt and Sr. Smitha MSMI, Bankhedi Community.

Wishing you God’s blessings, inspiration of His Spirit and intercession of Sts Peter and Paul,

Sincerely in the Lord,

+LEO CORNELIO, SVD

Archbishop of Bhopal

CHRIST HAS RISEN INDEED.... ALLELUIA!

My dear Fathers, Brothers and Sisters,

We are in the Easter Week! We have observed the Lenten Days of prayer and various penitential as well as charitable acts in our own ways, keeping in mind the spirit and recommendations of the Church as per the tradition of our Catholic faith. At the Easter Vigil service the priest lights the candle from the new fire, saying: “May the light of Christ, rising in glory, dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds”. Rightly so, as followers of Christ we believe that the Risen Lord is our light and he alone can dispel the darkness of sin/evil from every human heart and mind. Hence, the Word of God should always be a ‘guide to our feet and a light to our path’ (Ps. 119/105). I wish all of you as well as those under your care, a very HAPPY EASTER Season, and abundant blessings of the Risen Lord!

Our New Pope - Francis: Generally the idea of ‘new’ signifies some difference or change which, in turn, fills human beings with fresh hope, expectation, demands, etc., even to the extent of belying reality! These have become common attitudes of human beings in our seemingly ‘restless’ modem world. By and large, people tend to look at the past more with regret than with appreciation; and look to the future with hope and expectation. More often than not, we tend to forget that what really matters is the present!

Well, we are happy and grateful to God that we have a new Pontiff, 266th in line in the history of the Catholic Church. There are a number of ‘firsts’ in him — he is the first Latin American, though his roots are in Italy, he is the first Pope who has taken the name of Francis after the great Saint Francis of Assisi, who, incidentally, is the patron our Cathedral Parish as well as that of our Archdiocese. He is the first Jesuit in the history of the Church. He hit the head lines in the world news media by his small breaks from tradition that attracted the attention of many all over the world. He celebrated the Maundy Thursday by ‘washing of the feet’ of prisoners. But the question is: Will he, or can he live up to the expectations of the world in an enduring manner? At this juncture it may be premature to speculate. All the same, our faith should teach us that God chooses the right person at the right moment for the right responsibility. Pope Francis is the need of the time for us today and let us hope and pray earnestly that through the instrumentality of our newly elected Pope the Spirit of the Risen Lord would continue to guide the Bark of Peter in spite of the many ups and downs of our present age even as the Church has faced many similar situations all through the History. Let us trust in God and entrust ourselves to him in faith.

Let us also pray for Pope Benedict XVI who surprised the world by freely relinquishing his office. Only those with faith would understand that an office in the Church is a call to service and not an office to be craved for out of one’s selfish ambition. Hence, when one has done “all those things which are commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do” (Lk 17/10). Pope Benedict has felt that he has done his lot for the Church as long as his health and energy permitted him and now has said like Simeon: “Now, Lord, you may let your servant go in peace (Lk. 2/29). Let us all continue to support the outgoing Pope Benedict XVI and our newly elected Pope Francis through our prayers and intercessions.

Visit of the Ist Councilor from the Nunciature:

In the context of the prevailing confusion and ‘complaints’ in this Local Church I happy that Mons. Romanus Mbena, the First Councilor from the Nunciature visited us and stayed with us for some days. He not only heard many of you, including our lay people, but he also gave us a recollection conference and joined us at the Chrism Mass as a sign of solidarity and communion with this Local Church. On behalf of our Archdiocese I sincerely thank our Apostolic Nuncio, the Most Rev. Salvatore Pennacchio, for his concern and interest in us.

Priestly Ordinations: Following the proposal of the Archdiocesan Golden Jubilee Committee, we plan to organize the celebration of Sacraments in different churches on different occasion. Now, on Sunday, April 21, two of our deacons — Dn. Tobias Minj and Dn. K. Arockia Gerald, -will be Ordained to the Priesthood at the Infant Jesus Church, Ayodhya Bypass, All are cordially invited to participate in the celebration. I wish to express my appreciation to our two deacons for consenting to be Ordained in the Archdiocese in our Golden Jubilee Year.

Regarding the Transfer and Appointments:

During our last consulter’ s meeting it was proposed by some consulters that in view of the Golden Jubilee Year of the Archdiocese we could think of minimum changes or transfers in the Archdiocese. Hence, taking this suggestion into consideration as well as viewing the present situation of the Archdiocese, I may as well inform you that only essential transfers/appointments will be affected for this year.

Vacations and Absence from the Archdiocese: While wishing you refreshing vacations in May-June 2013, you are highly encouraged to kindly see, as per our usual norm, that you arrange your vacations, taking the pastoral good of the faithful as well as the well being of the institutions into due consideration.

Remember the Deceased and the Sick:

Father of Fr. Johney P.J,

Fr. Jose Paul, CMI, former Provincial Superior of this CMI Province,

We shall pray for the above departed and all the souls of those we want to remember.

Once again, wishing you a joyful season of Easter and peace as blessing of the Risen Lord,

• +LEO CORNELIO, SVD

Archbishop of Bhopal

Dear Fathers, Sisters, Brothers & Faithful,

Peace of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Once again we are in the holy season of Lent wherein the Mother Church reminds us in a special way of the Paschal Mysteries of our Lord and our need to respond to it adequately. Coincidently, this Lent is remarkable in more than one way – the universal Church celebrates this year as the Year of Faith, while for us this is a year of the Golden Jubilee of our Archdiocese. Hence it is opportune that we make a short reflection on these two events and their implications on us as disciples of Jesus.

1. Year of Faith: The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI through his apostolic letter ‘Porta Fidei’ (Door of Faith) has asked all Catholics to prepare for the ‘Year of Faith’ that began in October 2012 and will conclude in November 2013, with the Feast of Christ the King. The Holy Father invites us all ‘to set out on a journey of faith that lasts for a lifetime’. In fact, the ‘Year of faith’ marks the end of 50 years of another journey that began with the Vatican Council II which resulted in the opening of the doors of the Church to the modern world. Hence it is fitting that we, as individual followers of Jesus, and as families as well as  communities open our lives to reflect on what we must be, and do in our context during this ‘pilgrimage of faith’.

Faith is a personal relationship with the Son of God, Jesus who ‘came down’ to be with us so that we can rise up from every failure, sin and pessimism. Jesus is ever present with us as our friend and co-pilgrim. It is also the certainty that God loves us unconditionally as unique persons with name, face, vocation and destiny. Hence faith in Christ should make us new people with a renewed perception of everybody and everything, and enable us to see everything with the eyes of Jesus. This would shape our attitudes and results in behaviour that is truly Christian (Phil. 2:5). Consequently, we come to recognize Jesus in our neighbour and that makes all the difference in our life as we keep on encountering Jesus in our daily lives. Once we ‘meet Jesus’, our life would never be the same. We would be transformed by having in us a ‘holy restlessness’. That is, deep down in our hearts we will feel ‘sent’ to proclaim the ‘good news’. In other words, we become ‘missionaries’ in the true sense of the word.

Like a pilgrim preparing oneself before the pilgrimage, a life of faith too requires preparation and perseverance. Although faith is a gift’ from God, (‘No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father’ Jn 6:44), a gift is no gift unless one opens it and makes use of it. So faith is both a task and a responsibility; for, God neither forces anyone to convert, nor compels anyone to be his friend. Hence it is necessary not only to persevere in faith but also to grow in it and bear fruit. This growth in faith, which is indispensable for a happy and healthy life, is possible only if we meet Jesus daily in Word (Scripture) and in the Eucharist. These two ‘sources of nourishment’ must never be neglected. A person deepens one’s faith by talking to Jesus (prayer), by listening to him (scripture), by being nourished by his body and blood (Eucharist) and by finding him in one’s neighbour and in all that takes place around the world.

It is true that it is not that easy to live a life of faith in today’s materialistic and consumerist world that denies the existence of God and seeks to destroy all religious expressions. A person of faith must take a stand against godlessness, materialism, consumerism, corruption and irreligiousness in one’s own home and family, in one’s workplace, neighbourhood, school, college, etc. This is where groups like BCC, Jesus Youth, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, Neo-catechumenal way, St Vincent de Paul societies, Mata Maria Samiti etc. are of great help and value. Such groups provide a forum to reach out to others in faith, hope and love to others. 

2. Archdiocesan Golden Jubilee: Jubilee, in the Christian understanding, is more than a looking back to the past with the intention of taking stock of one’s achievements and failures or a celebration of a milestone. It expresses the idea of God’s intervention in the every day human affairs and our response to his intervention. So, Jubilee is a time to reflect on the will (law) of God so as to ensure that his will is freely followed within the community, bringing about thereby the ‘God’s Kingdom’ in our midst. Hence, Jubilee is, primarily, a spiritual exercise that seeks to include every aspect of one’s existence so that one may refresh, and, if needed, reform, oneself under the continuous providence of God.

Leviticus (cha. 25) stipulates that in the Jubilee year those who are held in bondage like slaves and debtors be liberated, the land be left fallow, and the ancestral property be returned to those who were forced to sell it because of their poverty. These demands are aimed at restoring the rights of the poor which are often overlooked in every socio-economic order devised by humans. This biblical concept of a God who intervenes is an excellent model that can be used as a pattern for life in every community. Because, there is a need to extend liberation to those in bondage of every kind as they have a right to experience freedom at some point in their lives which is derived directly from God. In the Old Testament, ownership of land was a manifestation of God’s generosity and every Israelite had a right to ownership of a part of that land. Jubilee therefore becomes a response to the conditions of landlessness and seeks to reverse these conditions.

Again, Prophet Isaiah’s notion of Jubilee proclamation in 61:1-2 speaks of the total salvation of God’s people: bodily, spiritual individual and social. Therefore the call for Jubilee is a call for a change in social conditions. This is the context in which Jesus’ proclamation, yet again of a Jubilee, in Luke 4:18-19 must be understood. It indicates his ministry as an experience of Jubilee: a breaking in of the kingdom of God – that is, justice and righteousness in the face of oppression and hopelessness. So, throughout Luke’s gospel, we see Jesus constantly intervening in the lives of the poor and drawing them into the experience of the Kingdom of God as part of his ministry. This treatment to the poor and outcast by Jesus becomes their experience of Jubilee, a foretaste of the experience in the Kingdom of God.

Now, here in our Archdiocese our resolve to provide a pilgrim centre, a shelter for the abandoned and the homeless, to educate the less privileged etc., in the Jubilee Year is nothing but the continuation of its biblical understanding and an appropriation of it in our context. However, the question is how shall we make them a reality? Certainly, everything is possible if all of us put our hands and hearts together. In this context I wish to draw your attention to the OT concept of ‘tithing’. Tithing as it is traditionally understood as giving of the one/tenth of one’s income is an expression of one’s solidarity with the work of the Kingdom by supporting it financially or sharing by those who have received from the Lord with those who haven’t. Hence the attitude in tithing is not ‘I give that I may receive’, but ‘all that I have is from the Lord and it belongs to the Lord’. And certainly God will bless a cheerful giver (2Cor.9:7). I would like to communicate to all that at our last Pastoral Council meeting it was proposed and has been agreed upon that in this Jubilee year at least we will contribute our tithes twice – once for the Jubilee celebration and once for the construction of our new Church at the Asha Niketan campus. So invite all of you priests, religious and faithful to be generous towards these noble ventures.

Hence during this Year of Faith and of the Golden Jubilee of our Archdiocese, each of us must ask oneself: how deep is my faith? Do I know-love-serve Jesus? How do I give witness to the ‘good news’ of Jesus? Would anybody who meets me feel that I am a follower of Jesus? What more can I do to deepen my faith (personal level) and to spread the ‘good news’ to all people (communitarian dimension)? 

You may be aware of some unfortunate incidents taking place in the Church in Bhopal. A true believer should not get affected by such happening instead they should strengthen our faith. As Jesus became transfigured while in prayer (cf Mt 17:1-8), in times of difficulties we too need to approach God in prayer for consolation and strength. As Christians we may have to face many trials and misunderstanding in the world but we must follow the path of the Lord abiding by the teachings of the Gospel and laws of the country. In this way, they can become means to strengthen our faith and experience the presence of the Lord in our lives in this year of Jubilee and of Faith.

A sublime model of faith is Mary, our Mother, who said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). Let us make Mother Mary’s prayer our own as we surrender to the will of God in our lives. Wishing all of you a meaningful Lenten Season culminating in Easter Joy.

Yours in the Lord,

+ Leo Cornelio SVD,

Archbishop, Bhopal

My dear Brothers and Sisters,                                                                                               Cir. 01 <40> Jan 18,2013

Peace and joy in the New Year 2013 !

Yes, we have welcomed a New Year with joy and new expectations! The past year has certainly been eventful and we can count our blessings from not just what we have experienced but what we have accepted as God’s gift in a spirit of faith. The Year 2012 ended with rather sad note, that of the gang rape incident in Delhi and yet earlier, that of the massacre of school children in the United States, Both of which, and many similar atrocities against humanity cannot be condemned by every right thinking person. The Delhi incident evoked a spontaneous but massive reaction of indignation resulting in widespread protests from all. In Bhopal too many of us joined our ICYM youth to protest such atrocities and to pray for the repose of the victims and peace for their parents and dear ones.

But then, as human as human beings we are generally more concerned about the visible and ‘outside’ events than what is inside of us that permit or cause such events to happen. As the Lord said, “it is what comes from within that makes us unclean” (Mt 15/11). The pain that human beings inflict on others is indicative of the frustrations and disappointment of their unfulfilled cravings. We have certainly heard of oft times that only by transforming ourselves we can hope to transform others and the world around us. But it is ultimately the grace of God that can bring about this transformation. The Christmas event that we celebrated a few weeks ago is a reminder as well as an invitation to every one of us to break the ‘walls’ that separate us and to reach out in love our brothers and sisters and recognize them as such even when there is ‘darkness’ around us.

Christmas program at CMs Residence: A word of appreciation is due – to the CM of M.P. Shri Shivraj Singh, for the invitation extended to the Christians to celebrate Christmas at his residene; and to all those who organized the program and participated actively. You may remember that the CM has declared to avail subsidies to senior citizens for pilgrimages to Goa and Vailankini. Kindly communicate this information to our people!

World Day of Peace: Pope Benedict XVI, in his message on the World Day of Peace states that “… our times, marked by globalization with its positive and negative aspects as well as the continuation of violent conflicts and threats of war demand a new, shared commitment in pursuit of the common good and the development of all”,-the whole person. He reiterated the fact that while peace is certainly God’s gift, it is the fruit of human effort. Hence, all of us are to become authentic peacemakers, for which it is fundamental to keep in mind our ‘transcendent dimension and to enter into constant dialogue with God, the father of mercy, whereby we implore the redemption achieved for us by his only begotten son. In this way mankind can overcome that progressive dimming and rejection of peace which is sin in all its forms: selfish and violence, greed and the will to power and dominion, intolerance, hatred and unjust structures. The attainment of peace depends above all on recognizing that we are in God, one family as taught in the Encyclical Pacem in Terris.”

Yes, only when we become aware of our vertical as well as horizontal relationships, - with God and with each other, - we can overcome the tendency to exploit, dominate, overpower, subjugate and use people for our pleasure just as we are inclined to do with things.

Christian Unity Octave: Like every year the Universal Church observes Unity Octave all over the world from 18 to 25 January, 2013. All are encouraged to organize and celebrate these days meaningfully along with the collaboration of our brothers and sisters from other Christian denomination, whether in parishes, schools or institutions. Fr. Jose Prakash, our Secretary for Ecumenism and Dialogue has proposed programs for the Unity Octave.

Return of Fr. A. Akkanath: we welcome Fr Antony Akkanath, who returned to us after successfully completing his studies in Rome. Soon after returning from Rome he had a short vacation/break at home to be with his ailing mother and is now appointed to Budgery to help in teaching the seminarians and carrying out some other specific work.

Transfer of Jhabua Bishop: - Our hearty congratulations to Most Rev. Devprasad Ganawa, the Bishop of Jhabua, who has been transferred and appointed as Bishop of Udaipur Diocese, in Rajasthan State. His installation is planned for February 18. We shall keep him and the retired Bishop, Most Rev. Joseph Pathalil in Our prayers.

Elections of New Provincial Teams: - we know that several congregations, having their Provincial or Regional Centers in Bhopal and/or Madhya Pradesh have or are celebrating their ‘chapters and new administrative teams have been elected. Without naming any of them, I express, on behalf  of the Archdiocese of Bhopal, our hearty congratulations to the newly elected teams and thanks as well as ‘God be with you’ to the members of the outgoing teams.

Golden Jubilee Year of the Archdiocese:

a.       Celebration of Sacraments: As per our earlier discussion we intend to celebrate different sacraments in various Churches of the Archdiocese, particularly in Bhopal. Since our two deacons to plan their Ordinations in order that some of their relatives too can participate, we have tentatively fixed the Afternoon of Sunday, April 21^st as the possible date for their Ordinations. The celebration of other Sacraments will be spaced in the next academic year.

b.      Jubilee Projects: In view of certain clarity required for the execution of project visualized as well as for some relevant pastoral matters to be discussed, I have sent a letter to all the parish priests and Stations in charge, inviting them for a meeting on January 25 at 10 am. Though it is the eve of the Republic Day we had to squeeze in this meeting. All who have received my letter may kindly make an effort to be present and contribute through your valuable suggestions.

Kindly remember in your Prayers: Fr George Stephen who is hospitalized a second time, and the deceased uncle of Fr Mathew VC.

I will be away from the Archdiocese on- Jan 19-21: Episcopal Ordination/Installation; Jan 31-Feb 02: National Youth Meetings; Feb 03-12: CCBI General Body Meet; Feb 18-20: Ep. Installation.

With every good wish and united in prayers, Devotedly in the Lord..,

+Leo Cornelio, SVD

Archbishop of Bhopal

Christmas Message - MUSING 2012

Dear Brothers, Sisters, and Friends,

I feel privileged to wish all of you a very happy Christmas filled with much joy, peace and blessings, as well as a New Year equally blessed. As this is the “Year of Faith” declared by our Supreme Pontiff Pope Benedict XVI, our faith tells us that God became a human being and lived among us (ref. Jn. 1/14), thus becoming a ‘divine gift’ to humanity  in order that those who believed in him may have life, and life in its fullness (ref. Jn. 10/10). This is a long awaited promise that was fulfilled by God in the fullness of time (ref. Gal.4/4)  

John the Baptist, the precursor of Jesus practically repeats the words of the prophet Isaiah from Ch. 40/3-5 spoken almost 750 years before Christ!

A voice cries out, “Prepare in the wilderness a road for the Lord.

Clear the way in the desert for our God!

Fill every valley; level every mountain.

The hills will become a plain,

And the rough country will be made smooth...

Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed.              (Lk. 3/4-6)

Apparently this exhortation and preaching of John did make an effect on the people as a later passage indicates:

 People asked John: What must we do then?

His answer was: “Anyone who has two tunics must share with the one who has none. Those who have something to eat must do the same.” To the Tax Collectors he said: “charge no more than the appointed rate” To Soldiers: “Don’t take money by force or accuse anyone falsely”! Be content with your pay! (Lk. 3/10-14). Hence, objectively and effectively it means that every one should have a concern for the other. There should be no no cheating, no intimidation, no exploitation, no corruption!

Is this exhortation relevant to the world we live in today? Most of us would certainly respond with a vehement “yes”. Most of us know and believe that the above evils do exist in our world, perhaps to a greater degree than in those ages. But then, the question is: How are these exhortations to be applied to the so called ‘modern generation’? What is our attitude to such exhortations? Certainly we do see and experience evil around us. At the same time, we are conscious of moral and ethical principles that we are taught from our childhood.

But far too often than not, we tend to apply these principles selectively, namely, on others than on ourselves! Our subjective judgments lead us to set standards and/or categorize human behavior. We are much too tolerant about our own behavior and that of our friends, while we are highly critical and negative towards those who are distant from us, particularly towards those we do not love or those who apparently harm our interests. Thus, more often than not, we fail to apply the moral and ethical principles fairly and equally to all.

The Christmas event challenges us to turn and look into ourselves first, rather than making an assessment about others and about the society we live in. We need to set our heart mind and conscience right.

Christ came into the world and lived among us in order to transform us and to restore us to our pristine state that God had created us. He emptied himself and was born in a manger as a poor helpless babe to teach us lessons in humility and simplicity. He reached out in love those neglected people who were in the margin of the society. And he said:  “What you have done to these least of my brothers or sisters, you have done it unto me”. That is the root and basis of Christian Charity. Many have lived up to the challenge that Christ presented to us. For our modern times Mother Theresa was one of such a great examples who imitated Christ’s love to the fullest. She did not look for name, fame or success but her only wish was to be ‘faithful’ to the call of Christ.

Jesus, by becoming fully human taught us to look deep into ourselves so that we could level the ‘mountains’ and/or break down the ‘walls’ we have built in our hearts and minds in order to reach out with our helping hand those who suffer and are in pain; that the valleys of our hearts and minds would be filled up in order to see beyond ourselves to reach out to our brothers and sisters in their needs in a spirit of solidarity and partnership.  

We have heard the Scripture saying “Sabbath is for man and not man for Sabbath”. So also, religion is for man and not man for religion.  But far too often human beings make religion an instrument of their own selfish designs and try to accomplish their own personal agenda. Our religious faith should inspire us to build healthy and positive relationships with our fellow human beings. But this faith has to be nurtured through constant communion with God through prayer. Incidentally, this Year of Faith declared by our Pope Benedict the 16^th that coincides with the 50^th Year of the Historical Vatican Council II as well as the Golden Jubilee Year of our Archdiocese. May this year, therefore, be a special YEAR of grace and blessing to all of us!

The need of the hour for us - whether politicians, government authorities, or religious persons, - is that we become conscious of our existence in God as His special creation. We are vessels of clay in His hands and have our existence only in and through Him. When we stray away, it is He who can lead us to the right path. As human beings we need continuous conversion of heart and mind. Our prayer, then, should be directed to God in the true spirit of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron of our Archdiocese:

“Lord make me an instrument” of your love and peace, so that all darkness of evil – greed, envy, jealousy, corruption, violence against the weaker section of people, especially against women and children, may vanish before the light of the Word and the Spirit of grace and may the heart of Jesus born to BE with us live in our hearts and in the hearts of all people.

The message of Christmas, therefore, is that we listen to the voice of the Lord and follow His direction so that we live our earthly life in peace and harmony as human beings, in love, simplicity and humility and thus became pleasing in the eyes of our Creator.

May we experience abundant joy and blessing of the Child Jesus, born for us!

Cir. 06 <26>

My dear Brothers and Sisters,

Just a few days ago most of our countrymen/women were apprehensive about the outcome of the Ayodhya verdict that was to be pronounced by the Allahabad Court. Many were praying for a peaceful resolution to this issue. The postponement of the impending verdict from September 24 to 30 only increased the anxiety. Finally, when the verdict did come, it was welcomed, by and large, with a sigh of relief, though many felt the verdict itself rather ‘unusual’. The reactions, if any, were rather mild and rational. This is an indication, as many felt, of our Nations stride towards a more tolerant and mature approach to issues. We thank God for His guiding hand and pray that such spirit of tolerance and understanding may be a common experience among people of all religions here in our country which is such a rich mosaic of people with so many faiths, cultures, languages, races and philosophies of life.

Popes Visit to England and Scotland: This historic visit of Pope Benedict XVI was yet another positive chapter in the relationship between different churches. The Pope’s messages and discourse were well received. He also confronted the problems faced by the Church on account of certain moral issues linked with Church personnel, especially the Priests and religious, and apologized for the same as Head of the Catholic Church.  

Year of the Youth and National Youth Day (NYD), Shillong: From October 14 – 17 the National Youth Day will be held in Shillong, North East. It is expected to be a mega event and a unique experience for the participants. On the principal day close to 75000 youth are expected to gather together. Let us keep this event in our prayers while, at the same time, focusing our attention on our youth in parishes, schools and institutions in this ‘Year of the Youth’ for Bhopal Archdiocese and the whole of Madhya Pradesh.

CBCI Standing Committee meeting: This meeting, held at St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore in the last week of September, discussed several matters of which a couple of them may need attention:  

New Missal: After much discussion and prolonged deliberations the new English Missal is already published. It will be officially available for use from Advent 2011.  

Reorganization of the CBCI:  The reorganization of the CBCI has taken shape gradually and after many prolonged deliberations. The noteworthy points are that 1. The Commissions at the CBCI level are now streamlined. 2. Most of the full fledged commissions functioning at the CBCI level will be those which are of supra-ritual concerns, matters of National Interests and those which present the common face of the Churches. 3. The Sui-Juris Churches will take up the responsibilities for the concerns of their particular Churches by strengthening the present commissions or restructuring the necessary commissions. 4. Regional Commissions, and so also Diocesan Commissions, are expected to be strengthened so as to network with the National Commissions and among themselves.

Commonwealth Games: After lots of charges against the organizers negative publicity about the shoddy preparedness of our Country to host Commonwealth Games, a good beginning seems to have been made as far as the Opening Ceremony is concerned. India certainly hopes to perform better than ever since she is the host country and the expectations as well as good wishes of more than a billion people accompany our participants. Let us wish and pray that the Mega Event will conclude peacefully and successfully.

Bible Mahotsav: The Bible Convention (Pavitr Bible Mahotsav), organized for the faithful of the whole of Madhya Pradesh Region was held at St. Paul’s School Ground, Indore, between October 01 -03. Though a large crowd was expected for this Mahotsav, there was initial uncertainty due to the Ayodhya verdict to be pronounced on September 30^th. Consequently, the attendance on the first day was rather thin. But on the 2^nd and 3^rd day the crowd swelled to 5000 to 6000. While quite a number from Indore and the neighboring dioceses participated in the convention the participation from our Archdiocese was rather thin. Lost opportunities never return!

Legal Cell of Bhopal Archdiocese: On Saturday afternoon the Legal Cell of Bhopal was officially started at a small function held at the Pastoral Center. Right now it consists of several Cathlic practicing lawyers under the Chairman of the Archbishop of Bhopal. Right now it has a limited number and limited scope too. Of course, in time it may broaden its membership and scope as well. The aim of the legal cell is to make legal aid accessible and available to all deserving poor and needy, especially the Christians in the present context of the harassment and atrocities being witnessed against the minority community.    

Archdiocesan Golden Jubilee Committee: Kindly note the ‘Preparatory Committee’ of representatives to think and plan the programs for the forthcoming Archdiocesan Golden Jubilee will have its next meeting on October 22, 2010 at 4.30 p.m. at the Pastoral Center. This is a general information while the members will receive individual SMS or telephonic information. You are expected to attend this meeting since we may discuss concrete programs to be carried out and also form different committees to see to the implementation of the proposed programs.

Pray for the Deceased:

Mr Bartholomeo, the father of Fr. Isaac Ekka, Mr. Estelisav, the brother of Fr. Marian Miranda OFM Cap., Mr. Simon, the father of Fr. Hans, MST, Mr. George, the Father of Sr. Joshna CTS. – We remember them in our prayers. We also pray for all our sick and those recovering.

My Schedule:

Oct. 07 – 08  – Delhi

09                   -  Eve: Lambakheda – Confirmation and Feast

10                   -  Tanmaya – 400^th Birth Anniversary of the Founder of SJC Congregation

        12–17 –  Shillong – National Youth Day Convention

        --   22 -   Pastoral Center – Retreat; Eve:Meeting of Golden Jubilee Prep. Committee

        23 -     -   Morn: Idgah School Function: Eve: Blessing of New Construction at Divya Vani

        24 -     -   Kolar Parish Feast  - Confirmation and 1^st Communion

        27 -     -   Ashirbhavan Piory – Election of Prioress General

Oct. 28 -          Seva Sadan – Feast of St. Jude

        29 -        - Morn: Bagmugalia Sil. Jubilee of CMC Sisters; Eve: Fatehpur  - School Day

        30 -       -  Morn:Fatehpur -Parish Feast; Eve: Seva Sadan - Silver Jubilee of PSOL Sister

Nov. 02 -      -  All Souls Day – Eve: Mass at the Cemetery (4.30 pm)

        03 -      -   Morn: PACNI Meeting;  Eve: FCC Provincialate – Investiture  

        04- 05  -   Gwalior – Meeeting of the MP Bishops

        06 -           Indore – SVD Jubilarians’ Celebration

        07 -      -   St. Peter’s Mar Thoma Church - World Sunday School Program

        09 –18 -   Visit to and meeting with friends in Italy and Switzerland.

        20 -          St. Mary’s Seva Sadan, School Day

        21 -          Bairagarh – Christ the King Feast; - Confirmation and 1^st Communion

With all well wishes and God’s blessing,

Fraternally in the Lord,