Pune Voices

UNE

PVoices

“The Joy of Formation: living, learning and leading.”

The Official Newsletter of St. Joseph's Formation Centre - Pune

Editorial Happiness is a state of mind. It cannot be bought or sold, but it is achieved or attained by the way we live our life together as the members of a community in the formation. It is a great joy walking together/journeying together as a community and learning from one another. We have chosen the theme for the magazine 'Pune Voices': “The Joy of Formation: living, learning and leading.” The purpose of 'Pune voices' is to share our experiences of joy, love, challenges and the bond of friendship that we cherish together as a community which unites us to live, learn and lead as missionary disciples of Jesus Christ.

Oct. 2021, we entered into a synod. Pope Francis opened the synod in Rome and every diocese is called to celebrate the opening of the synod at the local level, the theme being 'For a synodal Church- Community, Participation, Mission'. From 2021 to 2023 it will be a journey of sharing, reflecting, and listening at all levels across the entire Church. So what is a synod? It's a gathering traditionally of Bishops coming together to share important issues of the Church. Synodality means journeying together- listening to one another in order to hear what God is saying to all of us. Synodality is a call to be a new way of being Church- i.e., walking together in the footsteps of Jesus.

The synod invites us to march as people of God, as one Church along with diverse people.

It is true that we the community in Pune, come from different places, cultures, languages and countries and live together as a community that unites us. The Synodal process is a “spiritual process” that requires listening to the Holy Spirit, as well as to each other. While listening and sharing our faith, we begin to have a dialogue with the other faiths so as to read the “signs of the time in order to discern what God speaks to all of us.Holy Eucharist is an internal bond that unites us as a family and that's how we form the living body of Christ which is the Church.

It is true that we witness the joy of journeying and walking together as a community in all the aspects of the formation and its dimensions. Especially, we witnessed this bond of togetherness during the outbreak of Corona Virus, Pandemic. We were all affected by Covid -19 except a few. But the care and support we had for one another was a great bond of friendship, understanding and love especially from the Formation staff and the students. In other words, our formation house is a place where we have plenty of learning experiences of coming together to participate in the spiritual activities, cherishing friendship, sharing responsibilities, fellowship, celebrations/socials etc.… on a daily basis.

Our sincere gratitude to Fr. Tomvenki, the Rector for correcting the manuscripts/articles and for giving valuable suggestions to complete this magazine “Pune Voices”. We also thank all the students of Pune for writing articles and for their support in co-operating whole heartedly towards the success of “Pune Voices”.

Editorial Team: Jayaraju, Rahul & Fr. Tomvenki

Christmas: God's greatest sacrifice testifies that he is in the Father and the Father is in Him (John 14: 10). The apostle Paul refers to Christ as the indescribable gift of God. The birth of Jesus is a reminder that God has not forgotten us. It is a token of how much God loves us. “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that everyone who believes in Him may not die but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16). Thus, Christmas is essentially the greatest sacrifice of God. There is no sacrifice without love. The divine motive for the incarnation is the unfathomable love of God for us.

How much it must have pained God to sacrifice His only Son for us, knowing well what life would hold in store for Him. If God was willing to make this sacrifice for our sake, we in turn have an equal responsibility towards Him. We must love God as Jesus loved us. Just as Jesus comes to us in a manifestation of love, so we can approach God through love. This is possible only with a profession of faith. Thus, Christmas is also a renewal of our affirmation of Christ as true God and man.

The ideal way to celebrate Christmas is to make room for the Savior in this world and in our lives. Angelus Silesius who was a German, Catholic priest, a

“ For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given" (Is 9:6).

Long ago there ruled in Persia a wise and good king who loved his people. He wanted to know how they lived and wanted particularly to know about their hard- ships. Disguised and dressed in the clothes of a worker or a beggar, he used to visit the homes of the poor. No one whom he visited ever guessed he was their ruler.

Once he visited a very poor man who lived in a cellar. He ate the coarse food the poor man ate, and he spoke cheerful, kind words to him and left. Later when he visited the poor man again, he disclosed his identity saying, “I am your king!” The king thought the man would surely ask for some gift or favour, but he did not.

Instead, the poor man said, “You left your palace and your glory to visit me in this dark dreary place. You ate the coarse food I ate. You brought gladness to my heart.

To others you have given your rich gifts.

To me you have given yourself!”

This is the true meaning of Christmas.

God could not give us a better and greater gift than Himself, i.e Jesus Christ. Jesus 1

physician and a mystic religious poet of the 17th century states: “Even if Christ is born a thousand times in Bethlehem, it is useless if he is not born in our hearts.”

For this we should let our whole worldview, our whole way of thinking, speaking and acting be permeated by the spirit of Jesus.

Christmas is not a time or season, but a state of mind. To have the real spirit of Christmas is to love, share and be at peace with God and others. When we open our hearts to the lonely and the frustrated and extend a helping hand to the poor and the sick, we will have the spirit of Christmas and experience the words of the angels who sang, “Peace to all of goodwill.”

Today we can welcome Jesus as the Saviour who came to redeem us, not to condemn us. We can embrace him as our Good Shepherd who has laid down his life for us. We can praise him as the King of kings and Lord of lords, who rules all creation from a cross of self- giving love.

Don't miss this opportunity! Don't let the demands or the excitement of the day reduce you to “ordinary” seeing. Don't let the challenge of the present or the fear of 2

the future or the pain of the past, cloud your vision. Jesus has come to restore not only Zion, but you and everyone around you. Come to him today and let his promise of restoration fill you with hope and gratitude.

What we are celebrating today is the birth of a Savior. While many say the world is in ruins, the pandemic has played havoc in the lives of thousands of people all over the world, and recession and turmoil will drive us into darkness, we know that we have the Christ as Savior and Prince of Peace. So let us all take up this journey anew with Christ as our guide and mentor.

On the day we celebrate the birth of baby Jesus, perhaps Jesus looks around and cries for the earth, the crib he made so lovingly. Perhaps he looks and laments at the poverty of so many in our world amid the uncaring luxury of the rich, the plight of thousands of migrants searching for a place to lay their heads and weeps as he sees the violence in our world. He sees the brutal killings and the carnage on our roads and cries. He sees the violence we do to nature, resulting in harsh climatic conditions and cries. But the cold of the night is off-set by the warmth of his Mother's love and warm embrace. Let us too embrace our new- born King with the warmth of our love and faithful service.

Christmas calls us to look beyond our narrow selves and spare a thought and more for others.

What gifts do we bring him and His holy Mother? We can take our cue (sign) from the Wise Men who brought him precious gifts and sincere worship.

Fr. Tomvenki Yellavula, MHM The Rector

Refreshed & renewed spiritually healing I experienced and witnessed during the formation journey especially, in the annual retreat this year. It is said that “Experience is the best teacher, the guidepost to a rich life”. Sometimes, in the journey of formation, reflection, action and dialogue with self, others, God and nature are essential keys to one's life.

Because this helps to foster a spirit of self-awareness.

How much am I aware of myself? What are my strengths, weaknesses and who I want to be? It is very significant to check oneself what is my brokenness, emptiness and dryness etc. Jacob Boehme says that “the best treasure that a man can attain in this world is true knowledge; the knowledge of himself/herself.” The Annual retreat was more of an inward journey for me in quest of seeking wholeness in myself, others and God. It was a beautiful opportunity to make the retreat together as a community which was held on 25th to 30thOctober, 2021 at Atma Dharshan, Mumbai under the guidance of Fr. Gregory Arogyasami (SVD). Atma Dharshan is a very quiet place with beautiful gardens to have the retreat and walk around in the gardens seeking God in the nature. As human beings, we are imperfect. At times we are

Spirituality is one of the significant dimensions of Formation Programme.

Our founder, Herbert Cardinal Vaughan says “We need solid spirituality for missionary formation.” Our spirituality should be based upon conviction and commitment and this is what we are called to build up and grow in wherever we are.

We have several opportunities in our formation centre for spiritual nourishment both at the community and personal level. We spend time daily in meditation, praying the breviary, Holy Eucharist, Prayer Services, Adoration, Novena to St. Joseph, Holy Rosary, Feasts, Spiritual Direction, Recollections Annual Retreats etc. These are great resources of energy for one's spiritual nourishment. They are wonderful means of growth and wholeness of self. I truly feel restful and energetic, emotionally and physically.

It gives me immense joy to share the experience of spiritual renewal in the formation journey. First and foremost, I thank God for all the graces, blessings and 3

taken up with certain things and attachments in life. The root of suffering is attachments. But is it an end in itself? I say 'no' because a gem is not polished without rubbing, nor a man made perfect without trials. Everyone craves for a change and strives to seek for something higher and better. We all strive to become better human beings every day till the end of life. We see in the Bible Mt 18:10-14, “the parable of the lost sheep” and Lk 15:11-32, “the parable of the lost son” and how the Father runs for his son.

Therefore, the greatest love is that God loves us and He seeks for us.

God who won't let us go astray or get lost.

St. Ignatius of Loyola says “God's love is the foundation of everything.” God's love is as certain as the sunrise. God always gives us a second chance for conversion.

This retreat was one of the best times for me personally to reflect on my inner self such as strengths and weaknesses and to spend time with the Lord. As the hungry man seeks food, and the thirsty, water. So, it posed a question what am I truly seeking for? knowing that, God is power, love and

happiness. It was a time of healing my inner wounds/brokenness /sinfulness that I had been holding on, a time of seeking God in silence, a time of prayer, a time of repentance, time of refreshing and relaxing. It was a time of moving from self-centeredness to becoming other centeredness and God centered. It was a tremendous spiritual nourishment for me to place God at the center. It was a fruitful retreat and I would humbly recommend to all those who are seeking for deep experience of God. Missionaries are ambassadors of God's love. As Mill Hill Missionaries, we are called to celebrate God's love joyfully on a daily basis. God's love should be shared among us especially, in our families and in the community where we together, live, learn and lead. Because, God dwells in a compassionate and lovable person. I was able to experience the touch of Jesus and so feel healed from my brokenness and spiritual dryness. Let us be renewed and rejoice in the abiding presence of God. Kota Jayaraju, MHM 2nd Year B.Th.

Annual Retreat of the Students at Atma Darshan, Mumbai, faciliated by Fr. Gregory Arogyam, SVD 4

Reminisces of our first love becomes the master and boredom becomes our companion. Obedience to those in authority becomes negotiated and conditioned and mission becomes a career, seniority replaces ministry, simplicity becomes the term of the past, the apostolic fire is extinguished with shallow excuses of pending projects and many more. The servant is now a bureaucrat and the steward is a technocrat. We hide from the Lord like Adam not because we are naked but because we are shamefully one sided, and gone off the track. Yet we promise to follow and imitate the naked man on the cross, but don't want to materialize that promise.

Many people consider us as 'Men of God, who are successful, eloquent, admired, etc. But do we live up to that standard?

We can pray and follow all the rubrics of the liturgy but we are called for the Lord, like the Church in Ephesus in the book of Revelation that says “Your parish is not your first love, it is the Lord”. Your graduate school, new rectory, beautiful Church, huge parish savings, successful parish projects, popularity, medals are not your first love but the Lord and we have grown cold and forgotten our first love.

The Lord's rebuke to the Church of Ephesus was that they forgot their first

First impressions are normally priceless and lasting. For e.g., seeing a new born babe in the family, watching his first steps, his first day of school, his first communion etc. The first is always beautiful to remember. The first thought of wanting to be a priest, first time as a seminarian, being in a community, teaching catechism and a host of first time encounters these first memories are very uplifting especially when I am hurting, bored and lost. They always light a spark and create a glow in me. Bless the Lord for the first things, and for the gift of remembering.

As time goes on many other experiences crisscross our lives. These can be positive or negative. But they cannot be compared to what we experienced for the first time.

They somehow remain etched in our memories. We continue to do the work of God in our capacities. As years roll by new acquaintances, projects, study etc. can grab our first love and get buried and forgotten under these. Our Christian life becomes tasteless and bitter, routine 5

love and he is now echoing it to us. We have forgotten our first love. We have been swallowed up by pride, prejudice, titles, swimming in success, no more time for our first love. The Lord seems to complain silently to us. We have time for everything else like the internet, social media and for business meetings etc. but we do not find enough time to be with the Lord in prayer. The bank books and cheques are more open than prayer books and this has made our souls to become weak and sick. We have not given enough time to the Lord to speak to us. Our first love has been forgotten. He told the Church in Ephesus to remember, to repent and to return. We must remember our first love who is God Himself and never again forsake him. The Lord wants us to repent

and abandon all other false love and we need to be sorry for putting the Lord on equal standing with other secular things.

There is a costly price to pay, when we forget our first love, but there is also a unique fire and love when we keep our first love always burning in our life.

“LORD OUR FIRST LOVE, CHANGE US EVEN IF WE ARE NOT READY, DO NOT WAIT FOR US TO BE READY WHICH MIGHT NOT HAPPEN. LORD BRING US BACK TO YOU. YOU ARE OUR FIRST LOVE, OUR ONLY LOVE, RESTORE TO US THE JOY OF LOVING YOU ALONE”.

Paul Kato, MHM 1st Year B.Th.

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Vocation to missionary calling and establish my personal vision. It has strengthened my personal development my abilities like leadership, teaching and training, to build self-confidence and to accept the challenges.

Strengthening the small Christian communities was one of the major and core apostolates of my Mission Experience Program in the Parish. I feel this, as a great path to execute my responsibilities for the greater growth of the spiritual nourishment of the faithful.

Through the Christian community gatherings, I have learned to help the people to see and to experience the light of Christ in them. With all these learning experiences I look forward to the future to be a missionary who is guided by the Holy spirit, to be dependent on the providence of God and grow with perseverance to develop more immensely my strengths and weaknesses.

My few months of stay in Pune formation has been great. Staying in the formation with the other companions has really helped me to see the love of the neighbor.

Praying together has become an important role for my future missionary service. Besides, it has strengthened my ministerial ability of praying with the community. Staying in the community has taught me to know people better and it

The role of the Word of God is extremely a joyful experience to deepen my relationship with Christ and with the faithful as well. As Heb:10: 24-25, says that we are all called “to stir up one another to love and do good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Perhaps it is a call for me to reform myself to have a deeper relationship with God. I am sure the various activities in the formation and in the MEP, which I got involved in, have taught me to be more competent to face challenges in future.

These ten years have been a time to become familiar with the unfamiliar, known to the unknown. I have experienced the challenging times when things haven't gone so well. I have also learned from them to be more resilient, to confront the challenges with the help of prayer, for prayer is a solemn request for help and a strong means to integrate me into God's plan. Through my exposure to various missions, I am able to recognize 7

has deepened my relationships with them.

This is one of the easy ways through which I have learned and practiced the people's languages. I have experienced the joy of praying with them, listening to them and experiencing their cultural heritage. These few months of my stay here in the formation, has given me a unique experience of life and an atmosphere filled with challenges.

Nevertheless, I continue to pray that I may act in persona Christi Capitis, in the person of Christ the Head. This is what

gives me the power to be one with Christ and to become an instrument of His divine grace. I would like to conclude this article with a quote of an Irish Christian missionary, who worked in India namely, Amy Beatrice Carmichael:“Lord, give me the love that leads my way, the faith that nothing can faze, the hope no disappointments tire, the passion that'll burn like fire. Let me not sink to be a clod.

Make me thy fuel, flame of God”.

M. Prudhvi, MHM nd 2 Year B.Th.

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“An eye for an eye will only leave the whole world blind” In the same light, the teachers of the Anglo-Saxon system of education called for a sit-down strike. I still remember going to school that fateful Monday and there was no class. That day a young man called Manchu took a coffin to the streets to protest on the bad roads in town. In the process of these things, instead of Anglophone Cameroon, the name Ambazonia was given to mean the same thing. An interim government was set with the president and things were fast happening.

When these things were happening the President Paul Biya was not in the country. On his way back from his visit, he declared war on the “separatists”. By then there was no one to be called an Amba-Boy (Ambazonian fighters). The military therefore came for war but there was no one found fighting with them.

They went to the village of the interim president and burnt it down. In retaliation, young men took up arms to fight the military in that village. By this time only hunting guns were used. The interim government was abducted from Nigeria and put in prison in Cameroon. It therefore resulted in young men all over the Anglophone region asking for their “president” to be released or they would also be killing the military personnel.

A Reflection Of The Anglophone Region Of Cameroon.

Gandhi's policy of non-violence during the campaign for independence in India is attributed to the phrase: “An eye for an eye will only leave the whole world blind”. This is a contradiction of the phrase; an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But where is the origin of: An eye for an eye? This phrase originated in the ancient Mesopotamian Empire during Hammurabi's rule in the 18th century BC. “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” was part of Hammurabi's code. The full quotation from Hammurabi's code reads: If a man has destroyed the eye of a man of a high class, they shall destroy his eye. We also see the phrase appearing in Deuteronomy 19:21 and in Exodus 21, 24.

It is exactly five years since the Anglophone crisis started. It all started when common law lawyers were not happy and took to the streets in protest. In reaction, the Cameroon police threw teargas and some of them were wounded.

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It has resulted now up to the level where evil is just ordinary. Killing people by either the Amba-fighters or the military gives joy to any of them. Killing is like any normal human activity. We are at the level where human life does not matter.

An eye for an eye is what the two parties are practicing. If the Amba-fighters kill the military in a particular village, the military goes for revenge and if they don't see them, they easily start burning down houses in that village.

We see the words of Gandhi clearly in Cameroon. When a military man kills, someone in revenge may join the Ambafighters to kill the military. Jesus tells us in Matthew: “You heard that it was said: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you: do not resist anyone who does something wrong to you, but if someone hits you on the right cheek, then hold out the other one too.” (Mt 5:38f.) We are at the level where the words of Gandhi in his policy of non-violence need to be applied.

Ndenyuy Blaise, MHM 1st Year B.Th.

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My experience of on-line modules do my theological studies online, I was very excited and at the same time felt nervous too. It has been very convenient and flexible in a way that helped me to learn how to be independent, manage time, and to be self-disciplined. All my professors of theology are trying their best to clear all my doubts. After explaining the lesson, our professors provide us with notes on the chapters and assign us online homework. Another brilliant thing about online learning is that I could pause the recorded video/audio and re-listen to the lecture, which of course cannot be done in a physical classroom. The exams are held online too.

In the online mode, one of the most challenging experiences is to be selfdisciplined. When I say self-disciplined it means a lot because the professors won't constantly be there to remind you of the deadline for assignments. It will be up to individuals to make sure that you are keeping up with all the works instructed during the class hours. A couple of times, there are some issues relating to poor quality of internet connection, and break down of the system. An online class for me is sometimes stressful when internet connectivity is not good. Sometimes, I felt virtual class is like looking for a black

Online classes have become the order of the day. As we are all aware, the last two years have been unprecedented in recent human history with the outbreak of Covid-19. The Theology Formation center at Pune was also not spared from disruption. In a developing nation, everything is online. But there are advantages as well disadvantages. Online education is safe in the present situation as we can stay safe at home and can attend classes without skipping.

The Corona virus pandemic has affected the education system worldwide.

Institutions had to adjust their teaching methods through online modules.

My theological studies too started online and my experience of online learning has been quite a different scenario and a unique one than to the one I am used to in a physical classroom. Online education allows learning something beyond the norms. With the emergency and spread of Covid-19, the online mode of learning is no more optional, but it has become necessary. When I first heard that I have to 11

cat in a dark room, and we lack practical knowledge. I really miss the physical classroom, and interaction with my professors and classmates. The experience of the physical classroom is much more effective than an online mode of learning. But all these classes have helped me to keep up with my studies and be disciplined towards self-learning.

This has also inspired me to explore new digital learning tools. Now I am happy that I am able to discipline myself towards

studies and slowly gain familiarity with digital learning to keep up the pace with the new set up of learning. It would have not been possible, but for the formators and the Society who at every point, creatively made arrangements to ensure the program continues during the ongoing pandemic. Hats off to them.

Albis Tirkey, MHM 2nd Year B.Th.

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The joy of spending my time with my loved ones During the pandemic I also saw people enjoying in their own way, though they were having so much fear. They decided to keep all their worries and problems aside to enjoy life to the full. There were no restrictions in the village as people think that it is the safest place to meet anybody, anytime. That's how I was able to move from one village to another freely. There was only fear of police because the police were very strict due to the government's protocol. As I finished my 2nd year B.Th. I was asked to do the course CTP (Contextual theology project) on the ground level for which the college has divided the students into different groups having 7 to 8 members in each group. We were given a few questions to reflect upon and to use for our data collection. The questions were based on the theme of CTP selected by JD staffs. We were asked to interact with people and to find out the problems and difficulties they were facing. The questions were mostly related to pandemic, especially their faith struggles and strengths during that time.

Apart from that, I found time to be with my parents, relatives and near and dear ones and spend valuable time with them. I play a major role in my family. Since I am a seminarian, they value my advice and give me a lot of respect and love me as I

The joy of going home is completely different from any other joyful moment because when we go home, we meet our loved ones especially our parents, brothers, sisters, relatives, near and dear ones. I also had the same experience of joy when I went home on 8th April for summer holidays. But prior to going home, I had a lot of fear because of the Pandemic Covid19, since everybody was affected with the Corona virus in the formation house at Pune except 3 of us. It was everywhere and I could have easily been affected since I was serving those affected companions. I was tested negative when I went for another checkup. Having that negative report in my hand I started my journey home. I reached in the evening around 7 o clock, my parents prepared a special room for me to be quarantined.

When I reached home, I could see the fear of Corona in the face of people. After three days of being quarantined, I went to meet my Parish Priest to ask if he needed my help in the Parish. I was warmly welcomed by the Parish Priest and the people of my Parish.

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am. It was also a time for me to help my parents in their work especially working in the field and helping my mom in the kitchen. I cherish the people I met during my holidays and appreciate their valuable time they spent with me. I hope many felt at home with me too as I was very friendly

towards them. The people I met never hesitated to approach me for any help especially their family struggles and dryness in prayer. It was indeed a wonderful time to be with my parents and loved ones.

Rahul Nayak, MHM

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Covid - 19 experience people who are left alone. During the quarantine, I used to read Ps 91 every day which strengthened and encouraged me.

My first symptoms were a mild sore throat, a little bit of back pain, and body pain. Tiredness and feverish feelings came after two days. I could hear my friends coughing and sneezing and after three days, I developed the same symptoms. This was at the topmost of the second wave of the pandemic so we didn't take it so lightly. We quickly isolated ourselves from each other and consulted a doctor. Our doctor quickly diagnosed all our symptoms to be classic Covid and advised us to isolate ourselves from others who were not affected and start treatment immediately. We also tried to schedule an RT-PCR test and they responded. We were tested at home on April 28th and our result was shared after two days which were positive but I got the result on 2nd May. The next morning though, I continued to feel feverish and slept throughout the day and night with just being woken up to eat or take medicines. On the fifth day, I woke up feeling fine except having a sore throat and cold, feeling awfully tired. My friends continued to serve me food.

Meanwhile, I wore a mask and came out for a little walk. I said to myself that

With heartfelt gratitude to God the Almighty, I bow down before him for granting me new life. During the pandemic, I was down with Corona. I was mentally and physically on a low key. The Constant news of death created fear and anxiety because at any time it could be my turn. The rapid growth of COVID was in the last week of April 2021 and was at its peak level. During that time, we have lost a maximum number of people all over the country. Especially in India, we have seen such a terrible thing that dead bodies were floating in the Ganges River and even numbers of dead bodies were kept in queue for funeral. The experience of Covid-19 led me to a spiritual experience. During my quarantine period nobody was there, with whom I could talk personally except God alone and share my feelings. Therefore, the cause of the Covid-19 led my faith in God become stronger and God brought me closer to him. I believe that he allowed this to happen to me, so that I may have a greater understanding of Covid patients and the 15

sitting idle in the room can lead me to another sickness. Personally, I felt that nothing is more important than my health as well as others' health therefore I kept distance from others. My experience has been good without hospitalization but scary nevertheless because there was a loss of smell and taste almost for a week.

My best companions were my guitar, books, the Rosary, and mobile to watch the IPL for as long as it was on. I avoided watching the news and social media as negative news were all around us, so that it may not have much impact on my thoughts of Covid-19.

As per my personal experience, the quarantine period was one of the most painful times that I ever had in my life. I felt like I was living alone in the desert and feeling like an untouchable. This reminded me of the lepers of the Gospel, where the lepers were completely kept away from society. They were not even

allowed to enter the village. Like that my utensils were kept separate; food was given from a distance etc. What a pathetic situation it was! One cannot meet the other person. Human beings were not treated like human beings.

If you had asked me last year, I would have told you how suspicious I was to come in contact with Covid-19 patients.

Last year, it was not so much about the fear of death but fear of abandonment and social ostracization that was disturbing me.

During the pandemic time being in formation with my companions helped me to realize the importance of health and what truly matters in life. So it has been an eye-opening experience, both pleasant and unpleasant during Covid-19.

Kapil Bara, MHM nd 2 Year B.Th.

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“Unity in diversity”

learn their values and vice versa. We can live with them and share their cultural and traditional values with interest and curiosity. The learning helps us to cooperate with our fellow brothers and sisters regardless of their background and it helps us to be one with them. It shapes our understanding, thought patterns, and perspectives.

I am very privileged to live in community where I get to live with people from different nations and states who have unique cultures, traditions, values, attitudes and behaviors. I am a student in 2nd cycle, rd Pune Formation and doing 3 year of theology in JD. I am privileged to live in a community where the students are from different backgrounds. My fellow brothers who live in the community with me are from the Philippines, Odisha, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Unfortunately, the students from Africa and Malaysia could not come because of the Pandemic. However, they are part and parcel of our community. My experience of living in a multicultural community is very enriching in my journey of preparing to become a missionary priest.

Due to the advent of technology and scientific innovation the world has become a global village. Nowadays one can interact with the other with a touch of a button. The advanced technology in science, software, physics and information has made the world accessible to all corners of the earth. Therefore, we cannot but think globally and act locally as the dictum goes. In the recent past, we have witnessed so much of migration from place to place. People migrate to other territories because of the ample opportunities, for a better life style, employment, education, abundance of resources and advanced technology and so on. Yet, some people do not fail to follow one's own cultural, traditional values and some people imbibe the other cultural and traditional values in order to fit themselves in that particular territory.

We live in a society where we interact with other people who come from different nations. We meet people and 17

We are ten of us including the Rector and Formator. Even though, it is a small community, we cherish in celebrating each other's cultures. Of course, we may be from different backgrounds but we live as one family under the umbrella of Gospel Culture.

Living in a multicultural community gives us a positive outlook of the world. It helps us to understand, embrace and learn what is valuable in the other cultures. nd Here, in 2 Cycle Pune Formation Center, we give due respect to each other. The last Saturday of the Month, we are encouraged to manifest our own cultures in food, attire, music, language and history. The Celebration starts in the evening from 6 'o' clock onwards. We begin with the

Eucharistic Celebration, followed by displaying one's own traditional and cultural values followed by a fellowship meal where we get to taste the food of other cultures and traditions.

It is not only about celebrating other cultural and traditional values in the community but living with them joyously and amicably. As I am aspiring to be a Mill Hill Missionary Priest, I am encouraged to learn other cultural and traditional values so that I may live with others as one of them.

The missionary life is characterized by the centrifugal movement which leads one to cross geographic and linguistic frontiers.

K. Anil Kumar, MHM rd 3 Year B.Th.

United in Faith

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God's gift of the journey in community release our tensions and are energized for mission.

Our community offers enormous opportunities for personal growth of each one of us here in the formation The spiritual activities like retreats recollections, daily Eucharistic celebration, adoration, rosary, and meditation are excellent means to grow in our friendship with the Lord and with one another. We get opportunities to celebrate different cultures, and we also have some important celebrations like Perpetual Oath, Diaconate Ordination, Christmas, and the feast of St Joseph. Along with all these the community annual picnic is one of the times we enjoy being together and interacting with each other. The formation helps us to gain knowledge and wisdom through the study of Theology.

Besides, we have activities which help us to grow and become responsible to face the challenges of the mission. These are manual work, cooking, sports, shopping and social gatherings. These help us to be more open and thoughtful in our growing to be the disciples of Christ.

Having looked at all these activities, I would like to elaborate some activities that specifically help us to grow and mature in community life: Community Living:The moment I

We are all on a journey and we are to concentrate on this journey of life and not focus so much on its destination. When we reflect on the journey of life, we become aware of the persons we interact with, places and events we encounter.

Often times we forget that we are on a journey, and look forward to its destination. For e.g., a student has his eyes on the end results. A player on the field focuses on the wining of the game etc. We concentrate on end results rather than really enjoying our studies, games or whatever we do.

Life is Relationships. And in a relationship be it with persons in the community or those I encounter in my daily life, I do not see the end results of this relationship or what I gain from it, but I simply enjoy my being with the other, there is a difference between community life and communion. We come together and live in a community for a double purpose- to help each other to get closer to God and to fulfill the common mission.

The community is a place where we can 19

joined Mill Hill Society, I came across persons of different languages cultures and persons from other countries. As I began my life in this community of mixed cultures, I got to learn so many things from others. Now I am happy that I am living in an international community where I acquire inspirations and knowledge which will be helpful in my future ministry, since I will be working with people who are totally different from me, in language, and culture.

Manual Work: This activity helps us to remain healthy and strong. Daily we either do the house work or we work in our garden like digging, watering, planting vegetable seeds, taking care of flowers plants as well as planting fruit trees. This manual work brings us all together to learn, help each other and share our ideas for the betterment of this house.

Personally I feel that by doing manual work it benefits me to keep my mind fresh and physically fit, and it helps me to learn something new. It also helps me to be part of nature.

Sports: The formation provides a special time table for Sports. We play every day from 5.00 to 6.00 p.m. except on Saturdays and Sundays. Compared to last year, this year we take a lot of interest in playing games. Besides our Rector and Formator also encourage us by providing resources for the sports. Generally, by participating in the game a lot of things

take place like we gather together, shout aloud, enjoy the company of others, and just be ourselves. Above all we freshen our minds and bodies and thus maintain good health.

Social Gatherings: Every first Friday of the month we have social gatherings. It is a great occasion The students who are responsible for this event, organize it. It takes place around 8.30 p.m. after our dinner. We gather together, watch television and talk to each other, play some indoors games like caroms, cards and enjoying snacks. This particular event helps each of us to be relaxed, free from stress and from the busy schedules.

It provides an opportunity to come out of ourselves and be friendly with each other.

Conclusion: Living in a community has its ups and downs, its positive and negative aspects. One needs to face these, and to come out of difficult and negative situations and grow as healthy individuals.

“A true community is not just about being geographically close to someone of the same social web network. It's about feeling connected and responsible for what happens. Humanity is our ultimate community, and everyone plays a crucial role.” (Keith Powell) Pramod Kumar Nayak, MHM nd 2 Year B.Th.

“Alone we can do so little; together, we can do so much” - Helen Keller

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MEP and study during Covid-19 week and interacted with them. Through their sharing I could feel their struggles emotionally, physically and mentally.

Almost every day I visited those Catholics together with my seniors.

Through their sharing of the little they had, they remind me to be ever grateful for what I have.

The language was not really difficult for me. The thing that I really struggled with was the 'racism remark' by those who did not know me. They kept calling me mchina (Chinese) and I used to be chased away from the shops during the Corona Pandemic. I had come to realize that the skin colour determined the price of the product you want to buy. The price of the product was normal if you are dark, but if you have a different skin colour, the price would be doubled. But, thanks to those who helped me to sharpen my local language, I used to manage very well to get the groceries at a lower price.

There was an occasion where we were almost attacked by the 'Al-Shabab'. It was early 2020 when we had gone to Nairobi for MEP meeting. We managed to pass the place where the terrorist had attacked within the fraction of a second. We could see the bus behind us being attacked. Our bus driver drove the bus very fast at top speed where he didn't even mind hitting

My name is Cristiano Sumbat from St. John the Apostle Parish Tuaran, Sabah. I completed my mission experience Programme (MEP) at Kenya recently.

Now, I am attending online classes from home.

After taking the Temporary Oath in Philippines, I was sent to Kenya for MEP. With mixed feelings and emotions, I travelled to Kenya together with Christian Levi and Elvost. One week after our arrival, together with Christian and four other MEP students, we did our language course. We learnt kiswahilli for two months. After which we were sent to our designated places. It took almost one night and a day to reach Witu-Kipini Parish from Nairobi. I must say I was really lucky to be sent to this rural parish because I really like the environment of a village than the city. For me personally, serving in remote and rural areas is more satisfying than the city. I met many people from different ages, cultures and religions whom I found very interesting. I used to visit a group of HIV positive people every 21

the herd of cows.

During the pandemic, all the Churches in Kenya were closed. For us at Witu-Kipini parish, we went from village-to-village distributing relief items. It was also a blessing in disguise. We could not go out from the Church compound except for distribution.

After finishing my MEP last April, I came back to Malaysia for my holidays and started preparing my documents to go to India for studies. Because of the restrictions of the Indian government during the pandemic, I had to do online studies from my home here at Sabah. It was not really difficult, but at the same time it was also not easy. For everything I

had to search from the internet. The time frame between Malaysia and India is also different. The difficult part was when I had to manage alone without the support of my community. Luckily Fr. Herman has been around here. Hence, I have some consolation that at least one of our members is there to accompany and guide me.

This pandemic really made our lives difficult but we should not lose hope in GOD. I believe there is always a bright side to every difficult situation. So, let us be people of hope and persevere till to the end.

Cristiano Sumbat, MHM 1st Year B.Th.

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Community outings: refreshing & rejuvenating There were plenty of visitors like us moving in and out throughout the day.

Around 2 pm we went to visit the Mahabaleswar Temple. As we finished visiting the temple, we had lunch in one of the restaurants nearby. On our way back we visited the strawberry farm and tasted the sweet strawberries. Strawberries are the most common crop grown as the weather is conducive to cultivate it.

Though tired, we truly had a very good time throughout the day and cherished the pleasant time we spent at Mahabaleswar.

By 10 pm we reached home. It was one of the most memorable picnics for all of us which has been etched in our memories. th Community meal - out : 15 August 2021 On the Independence Day of India, soon after Mass, we hoisted the Flag and shared sweets to celebrate the joy of Independence Day. Then we had an opportunity to go out for a meal together as a community at 'Reddy's Restaurant’ located a few streets away from our formation house. It was a wonderful time of being together.

Community Annual Outing on 27th and 28th of November 2021 : It has been a memorable experience as we went on community annual outing to Aurangabad, Shiridi and Nashik. on 27th of November we went to Aurangabad and

Community Picnic on 14th February 2021 : Mahabaleshwar is located on the mountainous Sahyadri range of the Western ghats that run North to South along The Western coast of India.

Mahabaleshwar is a vast plateau bound by valleys on all sides. It reaches a height of 1,439 m (4,721 ft) at its highest peak above sea level, known as Wilson/Sunrise Point. Mahabaleshwar region is the source of the Krishna river that flows across Maharashtra, Karnataka, Te l a n g a n a a n d A n d h r a - P r a d e s h .

Mahabaleaswar is 122 kms away from Pune city.

It was wonderful to visit Mahabaleswar th where we went on a picnic on 14 February 2021. We began our journey by van early in the morning. By noon we arrived at our destination and began to explore the beauty of Mahabaleswar. It is such a beautiful place and at the same time a breathtaking experience to stand on the cliff of the mountain and look around the vast area of mountains which are thousands of feet high above sea level.

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visited the mini Taz Mahal which is called Taj of Deccan and Daulatabad fort. It was a fantastic experience to climb up to the top of the mountain to look around the town of Daulatabad. It is indeed a spectacular sight to see. We really had good time to visit all over the fort as it is a living monument of architectural wonder.

Then we went to visit Ellora caves which is around one hour away from Daulatabad. Ellora caves were amazing and we had an enriching experience to see such ancient caves. We were all spellbound to witness such architectural wonder which is sculpted out of one rock.

From Ellora caves we went to the community of Montfort Brothers to stay that night. Next day early in the morning we went to visit the Shrine ofInfant Jesus shrinein Nashik. As we finished visiting the shrine on the way back to Pune, had a social evening in one of the restaurants.

On 28th, in evening at 10 pm we reached the community sound and safe. We wholeheartedly thank and appreciate our Rector Fr. Thomas for arranging such beautiful outing for all of us. We had

sweet memories throughout the outing and we will cherish them forever.

These are the major events in this academic year where all of us enjoyed together as a community. In both these events we were as one family, spending time together, sharing our happy moments and supporting each other with a word of encouragement. Time will pass by but such memories will remain forever in our hearts.

We as a community thank the formation staff wholeheartedly, the Rector Fr. Thomas, Formator Fr. Bhaskar and community members for the support and love which we shared in order to make these two events successful and memorable. As we continue to journey together in formation, we ask God the Almighty to bless all of us with his knowledge, wisdom and good health.

Thank you!

Varikuntla Manohar, MHM 2nd Year B.Th.

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M.E.P: A time of discernment Pune. I am currently at Divine Mercy Parish, Wadagaon Sheri, Pune for the 2nd year of MEP. I am grateful to God for having placed me in the hands of good MEP supervisors who gave me space to grow, encouraged me and boosted my self-esteem. My mission experience was very enriching. It was a blend of experiences: good and bad, even though life has its ups and downs, tough and very challenging at times. My mission experience was mostly reaching out to people at the grass root level in different communities. But, there were many other programs that helped me to appreciate cultures; that I don't have to be ashamed of my own roots. So in a way I developed self-respect and confidence in myself. As far as learning is concerned, I have learned a lot and I believe that learning too is contextual. I have learned to be involved in the daily spiritual journey of the people with love and service.

Journeying with people and being involved in different ministries of the parish, I have become aware of how crucial it is for me first of all to become a good Christian and a true missionary. One positive aspect of it is that it keeps me alert, thoughtful and creative. At the end

Formation as a pathway to grow in discipleship means a journey that begins with Jesus, knowing Jesus, immersed by the spirit, faith, love and hope. The mission is not the self-achievement of glory and honor but fulfillment of the will of God, who has called each one of us. The mission is the mission of God. And crossing borders and encountering our brothers and sisters is an opportunity for a mutual exchange of the joy that comes from living the Gospel. Therefore, our mission in the world is not merely at the level of lip service rather it should be lived out in our actions so as to bear fruit in plenty. Discerning one's vocation can be a challenge, especially in the light of misconceptions and prejudices.

Discerning one's vocation can be an adventure along the journey of life.

I must say I am very glad and grateful for the mission experience programme, especially in my first year of MEP in the parish of Our Lady of Fatima at Chakan, 25

proclaim the Good News to the ends of the earth” means to share the faith experience with the people I meet. Despite the various challenges that came up while I was discerning, I consider my entering the community as a great leap of faith. So, the key in discernment is being able to see if our motivation comes from the grace of God or from the evil one. As I continue on this amazing, grace-filled journey with God as faithfully as I can, I gratefully recall the words of St. Therese of the Child Jesus (Patroness of Missions): “There can be no love without suffering; God does not do anything without making us his Cooperators”.

of the day, it always boils down to one realization: we are all called to be missionary disciples of Jesus. Realizing this gift of vocation, I am motivated to carry on amidst the challenges I face.

Daily prayers, Holy Mass, praying the rosary, regular study, ministry/pastoral etc., have kept me strong and committed.

Reaching out to people, getting involved in pastoral out-reach programmes and sharing my own faith experience with the people has enabled me to become one with them.

Lastly, there are many blessings and opportunities, challenges, obstacles, anxieties, difficulties, and struggles I have experienced during my ministry.

However, I have learned to be a missionary in the way of the Lord “To

Glenn Flores, MHM nd

2 Year MEP - Pune

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Year of St. Joseph (8th December 2020 8th December 2021) Each of us can discover St Joseph in usthe man who goes unnoticed, a daily discreet and hidden presence - yet becomes our intercessor, our supporter, and a guide in times of trouble. His patronage is particularly relevant in these times of trials when so many are in difficulties in finding hope for life, as well as to make us aware of how much we owe to ordinary people who made sure of our safety in this time of the Pandemic.

Our Mill Hill Society is dedicated to the Patronage of St Joseph. Let ask for the blessings of strength to be still, to listen, the fortitude to be patient amidst the trials and tribulations that confront us and the courage to say yes to the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

As we close this year that was dedicated to St Joseph, let us give thanks to God for the gift of St Joseph the protector of the Holy Family of Nazareth, a risk taker, and a deep listener.

Pope Francis says, "Like St Joseph, once we have heard God's voice, we must rise from our slumber, we must get up and act......!"

Let us ask St Joseph to protect us from every harm and danger, guide our steps so that we don't move away from his Son Jesus Christ. May he hold us in his arms and close to his heart as he lovingly held Jesus close to his bosom.

The devotees and admirers of St Joseph must have been elated to hear Pope Francis dedicating the year of St Joseph from the 8th of December 2020 to 8th December 2021. It was a wake-up call for the church to engage herself in understanding, acknowledging and portraying the personality and contribution of St Joseph before he is totally lost and forgotten. This was to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Blessed Pius IX declaring St Joseph as the Universal Patron of the Catholic Church, and on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Joseph's spouse.

The year called every member of the faithful to follow his example, to strive to strengthen their life of faith daily in complete fulfillment of God's will.

Our world is facing realities which pull at our heart's strings. The aftermath of Covid-19 and now the threatening new variant- Omicron- fearful and threatening to take away more lives. In these critical times St Joseph teaches us to remain steadfast and to live with integrity as he did, trusting in his faithful God.

Dn. Pulagam Ravi, MHM 27

“You Matter” Reflections on Synod & Synodality of Christ''. As our Founder Cardinal Herbert Vaughan would put it as, 'working for the salvation of souls.'

These aspirations set the tone for Participation. Therefore, given the opportunities for learning, we take an active part in the mission of the Church.

My experience of Communion, Participation and Mission in Pargi Mission as an MEP student. The aim of this mission is to build communities of faith. Each village has a community to be attended to. Each community gathers on a particular day for BCC meetings and other occasions. These include visiting the sick, needy etc. Participation- the communities here take an active part in the affairs of the Church in helping their members to express and deepen their faith. Mission- these communities also share in the ministry of the Church. They reach out to the people who are in need of help, not only financially but also cater to their spiritual and moral needs.

We pray and hope that the vision of Pope Francis be achieved through this Synod on Synodality and that the whole Church be inspired and led by the Holy Spirit in this beautiful journey of faith.

Thank you

Dear friends, today, the buzz in the Catholic Church is the Synod on Synodality. So we ask ourselves: What is a Synod? The word Synod comes from the Greek word syn-dos meaning 'same way'. It's a gathering of bishops convoked by the Pope where issues concerning faith and morals are discussed. On Oct 2021, the entire Church entered into a Synod with the clarion call of Pope Francis. The duration of this journey is from 20212023. The theme of the synod is “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission.” It will be a journey of sharing, reflecting, and listening at all levels across the whole Church. In short Synodality is a new way of being Church.

How is the aspect of Synodality Communion, Participation and Mission lived out today? As a student of St. Joseph's Formation Centre, Pune, India and a student of an International community, I have come across these Synodal dimensions in the formation.

Communion- the formation house is the place where communion is fostered and love is shared 'being missionary disciples

Satya, MHM 2 Year MEP - Pargi nd

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VOCATION CORNER Devadas Sannakki, MHM Vocation Director Mill Hill Missionaries - India St. Joseph’s House #3-4-97/FQ/2, Ramanthapur, Amberpet (PO), Hyderabar - 500 013. T.S., Indian Email: mhmindiavocationdirector@gmail.com Youtube: millhillmissionaries.com website: www.millhillmissionaries.com Mobile: +91 9182256781 / +91 8519800980

FRIENDS OF MILL HILL Poulson Pasala, MHM Director, Mill Hill Family - India St. Joseph’s House #3-4-97/FQ/2, Ramanthapur, Amberpet (P.O), Hyderabad - 500 013. T.S., India Tel.: + 91 9908739600 / 9949130500 Email: paulsonpasala@yahoo.com / millhill.familiesindia@gmail.com Acknowledgment We thank Sr. Susanne, SU and Fr. Tomvenki Yellavula, MHM for proof-reading through the articles and giving positive suggestions. May the Good Lord continue to bless them abundantly.

MHM

St. Joseph's Missionary Society

Amare et Servire

MILL HILL MISSIONARIES Second Cycle Formation Centre - Pune