Leadership, A Power To Serve

COMPANION

SANGATI

Konkan Salesian Bulletin Province of Panjim (INP)

Oct - Dec 2016 | Volume - 09 | Issue 04

Leadership

a Power to Serve Leadership: A Ministry of the Head, Heart & Hands

Youth Get Ready to Lead!

Pope Francis “Walks the Talk”

Editorial Editor Joaquim Lobo, sdb Editorial Team Francis Xavier, sdb Ralin De Souza, sdb Jason Pinto, sdb Layout & Cover Design Joaquim Lobo, sdb Consultants Fr Felix Fernandes, sdb (Provincial) Fr Avil Rodrigues, sdb (Vice Provincial) Fr Jose Sequeira, sdb (Economer) Distribution Lazar Vaz Printed at James Arts Crafts, Sivakasi Published by Boskon Communications Don Bosco Provincial House Odxel, Goa University P.O. Goa 403206 Ph : 0832 2451449

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None of us want to fail; failure is always taught to be shameful, degrading and disgraceful. The winner takes it all! Thus, all strive to win at any cost, even through the use of unethical means.

I am very pleasantly surprised that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2016 went to Colombia’s President, Juan Manuel Santos for his role in signing a peace deal with Farc rebels to end Colombia’s 50-year civil war, even though the deal in a referendum was rejected by the Columbian people.

Will we unlearn then what we have learnt? Will we applaud genuine efforts made towards peaceful coexistence of the people of different castes, creeds, sex and nationality? And real upliftment and the respect for the people of the world?

We elect our leaders who are adept at telling people what majority wants to listen. They won’t jeoparadize an opportunity of getting re-elected by doing something noble and upright that will decrease their coffers and hamper the chance of winning the next election in their constituency.

Politicians failed APJ Abdul Kalam a second term as a President of India but that did not deter him from inspiring millions over the world, neither the world love him any less.

Jesus’ end was a dramatic failure! Does anyone remember the inflictors of this punishment as winners? He made fools of their wisdom by rising from the tomb. If every leader of the world models his/her leadership on the lessons from the Gospel, the world will blossom into the Kingdom of Heaven!

Joaquim Lobo, sdb This is a Salesian Panjim Province Bulletin, and is directed towards the Salesian works in the regions of Sindhudurg, Goa and Karnataka.

For private circulation only.

COVER STORY Fr Tony D’Souza SDB

The Gospel Leadership of

Jesus Christ

the only answer for all times Modern manuals on Leadership point out repeatedly, that the great leaders of history are those with a vision, persons who have been open to life, who immersed themselves in it and come face to face with their own vulnerabilities.

Such indeed is the Biblical pattern of leadership described as the “suffering servant” in Isaiah 42, and repeatedly exemplified in the Gospels.

The inauguration of Gospel Leadership takes place at the river Jordan. Jesus Christ enters into a real human setting, for his baptism.

He chooses to become part of his people, to immerse himself into the community with its need for repentance and expectation of a Messiah. At the Jordon, attested by his heavenly Father, as “My beloved Son”, Jesus achieves the status of a ‘Messiah”, a leader because he deeply experiences the heart of sinful and suffering people. The temptations in the desert that followed, tried to distort his Messianic leadership by offering him the lure of wealth, power and glory. But Jesus remains true to his identity as the Faithful Word, the Obedient Son and the humble Servant of God’s Kingdom. He embarks on a new path of leadership, as Isaiah points out, to become one with his people in

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order to lead them to eternal Life. It is this Gospel Leadership of Jesus, the Way, the Life and the Truth that is the perennial answer to the challenges of changing times.

Gospel Leadership is Power to serve When Jesus preached on the Kingdom of God, he defined the role of leadership as a power to serve and not to dominate. To the ambitious sons of Zebedee He said: “You know that among the gentiles, their so-called rulers lord it over them, and their great men make their authority felt. This is not to happen among you. No; anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be a slave, to all. For the Son of Man himself did not come to serve but to give his life as ransom for many” (Mk.10, 42-45). It is a power which has an enormous influence in the lives of people who benefit from the service.

The Leadership ministry of Jesus is characterised by the release of God’s power in service as He instructs his disciples, expels demons and heals those who believe. The woman with the issue of blood touches Jesus and power goes out from him. When Jesus

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sends out the disciples two by two he confers power on them. “Receive the Holy Spirit to heal and cast out demons”. Today, genuine Church leaders should feel empowered by the same Spirit and develop ways of making decisions, organizing life and harmonising gifts in our Christian communities. Sad to say, like the disciples competing for primacy and positions, not a few in the hierarchy keep mixing up the two types of power, wanting to rule and lord it over others, instead of releasing the power of service to others. “This is not to happen among you”, Jesus still insists.

The Catholic Priest is a leader ordained for Servant ministry If the Catholic Priest is essentially an Alter Christus who may say with St. Paul: “I live not I, but Christ lives in me,” then his first responsibility is to proclaim the mystery of God and his Kingdom. The clergy participate in the messianic anointing of Jesus and are “sent” to bring Good News to the poor, the oppressed and the sick, in fact to the world. The vast majority of priests and bishops in fact, provide edifying spiritual witness and committed pastoral ministry. Yet, a vocational crisis in the Catholic Church persists and seems to be triggered, not so much by doctrinal differences on the Priesthood, nor by a clamour for a married clergy; but rather, by an increasing disappointment today with the actual exercise of priestly ministry. Too often, the Catholic Priest has become a hyphenated or multi-task professional; or a business manager absorbed in administrative, financial and organizational activities.

Consequently, Priestly ministry, though intended primarily to serve the spiritual and pastoral needs of the community, suffers from fatigue and

disinterest? Quite often and not without reason, some priests are labelled as domineering and arrogant, unavailable and partial, and even dishonest. A few are even publicly criticised and physically assaulted. The unbecoming behaviour of some is often overshadowing the saintly witness of exemplary pastors and perhaps attracting fewer candidates to the priestly and religious life.

In chapter 13, the Evangelist John captures the mind of Jesus on ministerial service. In a telling gesture, at a very significant moment of the Last Supper, Jesus dramatically rose from the table to wash the feet of his embarrassed Apostles. He made it absolutely clear that his style of leadership which he intended to share particularly with his chosen apostles, was different from what was exercised in other secular or religious groups. Gospel leadership as Jesus practised and preached was never to be associated with dress, and so, no flowing robes and showy phylacteries; no reservation for prominent places and therefore, no status privileges.

In Jesus Nazareth, Pa r t

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II, chapter 3, Pope Benedict XVI sees Jesus washing the feet of his apostles not so much as an act of ritualistic purification. It may seem that Jesus replaced the ritual concept with a moral diktat, the purity of the heart. Rather, in the “washing of feet”, Jesus did more. He gets up from the table to demonstrate first and foremost His Love for his Apostles. The ritual of washing the feet for Jesus was a gesture of love and a lesson on humble ministerial service. “If I, then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you” (Jn 13, 14-15). Note too, that even prior to the Eucharistic mandate: “Do this in memory of me”, Jesus insists: “… that you also should do as I have done to you”. This is not ritual but reality which introduces us to the person of Christ. It is here, at the washing of feet that the High Priest sets himself up as a Paradigm of ministerial Priestliness and Gospel Leadership.

Our present Holy Father, Pope Francis, a faithful and exemplary Vicar of Jesus Christ is a proactive Leader with a Gospel vision incarnated in concrete gestures, such as washing the feet of men and women of different religions at the Maundy Thursday service.

Francis wields power, but as ministerial service.

He believes and lives “collegiality” within the Church and with all Nations, Cultures and Creeds. Pope Francis is indeed also a prophetic “Dissenter” who talks and walks in the footsteps of his Master.

H i s fundamental option for the poor and his solidarity with the marg i nalised,

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makes him speak out passionately when the need arises. His love for the Universe urges him to gently, yet fearlessly, confront global issues of our ‘common home”; the miserable plight of refugees and migrants; the inhuman violence and the urgent need of God’s mercy to transform the world. Pope Francis’ love for the Church is seen in his personal prayerful and ascetical life; his unsparing commitment to his pastoral responsibilities to foster unity among Christians; to clean God’s temple, marred by sin and scandal and ultimately, to lead all nations on the path of mercy to the peace of the Kingdom.

The Church lives in difficult times but we remain hopeful that the Gospel leadership of the Risen Jesus Christ, who gave his life for his sheep is becoming more and more visible in our Church leaders and must remain so.

Like the Master whose Priestly ministry led to sacrifice on a cross, Church leaders will encounter much suffering and rejection. But then, the grain of wheat must die in order to be a source of life. This is the ‘zeal for Thy House’ which consumed Jesus Christ, our eternal High Priest. This quality of zeal must transform the clergy into Christ-like leaders, in these changing times. The washing of feet must be more than a symbol, the praxis of humble service and sincere love which always precedes, accompanies and follows the sacramental ministry of every priest, the “Alter Christus”.

SANGATI

Fr.Tony has been a missionary and an ex-provincial.

Presently at the studentate of Nashik as a confessor and spiritual director.

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LEADERSHIP TODAY Fr Jason Pinto SDB

SERVANT LEADERSHIP

A New Style for Today

A little anecdote to begin with…

Once Mulla Nasuruddin was invited to deliver a talk to the people of the city. As he climbed the pulpit he asked the audience, “do you know what I am going to speak about?” The unenthused audience replied, “no”. At this he announced, “I have no desire to speak to people who don’t even know what I am going to speak about” and he left. The people felt embarrassed and called him back the next day.

This time when he asked the same question, the people replied, “Yes”. “Well in that case”, said Nasuruddin, “since you already know what I am going to speak about, I won’t waste any more of your time” and he left. The people were extremely perplexed. They decided to try one more time and again invited Nasuruddin.

Once again he asked the same question – “do you know what I am going to say?” This time the crowd had prepared a smart reply. So some

said “yes” while others said “no”. “Alright then”, Mulla Nasuruddin said, “the half who know what I am going to say, tell it to the other half” and he left. Though not a very effective example of leadership but a persuasive one indeed. We often attribute the quality of persuasion to great leaders. Moreover, some of the most important characteristics which people seek in today’s leaders are the ability to look forward, to be action-oriented, to be courageous, to be paternalistic, to be egocentric, always ready to meet up to their expectations, those who consider themselves indispensable, etc.

These go on to make, what Dennis McBride terms it as “strong natural leaders”. This is a popular notion of leadership today. However, Servant Leadership is a leadership with a difference. A Servant Leader is one who

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thinks not of himself/herself but rather of his/ her group. The Servant Leadership approach creates a spirit of ownership, involvement and commitment among the people. It is not the position that gives him/her identity but the service that he/she renders. Sometimes it is termed as ‘Service of Authority’. In short a Servant Leader is a leader who leads as well as serves. A Servant Leader listens, influences and persuades. He/She uses one’s own personal power rather than positional power to achieve goals and fulfil the mission.

In a world gripped with power and competition, it may seem that the servantmodel of leadership is not very appreciative.

Quite the contrary, we find modern business organizations beginning to discover the value of Servant Leadership. Companies today are looking for more than one person to lead, rather than having just one or two charismatic leaders. They want to build up realistic, down-to-earth working teams, giving attention to day-today details, not overconcerning on profit alone. They even provide an environment which will enable many to develop leadership qualities.

Even the Bible enumerates some metaphors with regard to such a leadership. The three most common ones are – servant, shepherd and steward. These metaphors help us to see leadership in the Bible as that of a Servant, in their service, supporting and empowering, as a Shepherd caring, courageous and offering guidance and as a Steward, trustworthy, responsible

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and accountable. The best example of an ideal leader, unparalleled in history is Jesus.

Jesus’ whole emphasis in the exercise of his leadership was a clear distinction between the self-centred leadership of his times and the others-centred leadership which he wanted his disciples to inculcate. He came down heavily on the Scribes, Pharisees and others who were egoistic and self-centred in the exercise of their leadership. In Mt 23: 1-36 we find a list of “woes” by Jesus condemning the prideful and self-seeking Jewish religious leaders. His attitude of a leader is to be humble, child-like, self-sacrificing, least of all, etc. By his own words and deeds Jesus showed this to us.

He is not there as a political leader or a great scripture scholar, but rather as a simple man with the ordinary people, ready to serve. He challenges them, without dominating them.

For me he is undoubtedly the one and only source of Servant Leadership.

The world today seeks men and women who can lead by example. The Servant-model which we find in the Bible, in a special way in the life and person of Jesus Christ, is very much relevant in this regard. When we look at Jesus’ leadership two important aspects strike us. Firstly, his relationship with God and secondly, his relationship with the people, whom he encountered.

Both complement each other in a beautiful and a convincing manner. He did not do things of his own accord, but by the grace of the one who sent him (Jn 5: 19). This calls us

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for a concrete and a tangible commitment to be attentive to God’s word and discern the signs of the time. God’s will is manifested in different times, through different people and in different situations. The poor, the sick, the hungry, the abandoned are all opportunities given to us to be Servant Leaders. Jesus never underestimated the potentialities of his followers or devaluated those who approached him. His disciples were ordinary fishermen, tax-collectors, zealots, carpenters, etc. Those healed by him and transformed their lives were those whom society had labelled as ‘sinners’, ‘unclean’ ‘outcasts’, etc. This is an important dimension in the exercise of Servant Leadership, to see a ray of good hope in all, to encourage and accept every one as he or she is. It can also serve as an important tool to network with people who share similar ideals like us. Hence I strongly believe a good Servant Leader is a man/woman of contemplation as well as action. Ready to contemplate what God wants him/her to do and then plunges himself/

herself to serve others in action.

To sum up, ‘Servant Leadership’ is much more than a mere leadership style or behaviour that we can learn to act out. It begins with the mind and heart – with our attitude. It makes us truly human. To put it in Christian terms – it is to lead as I serve and to serve as I lead my neighbours, with our gaze fixed on heavens.

Serving others with a sincere heart is the best gift we can offer to others. All of us as leaders today are called to offer new hope and vision for the future. Great personages who have gone before us are remembered today because of their pursuit to live the ideal of a Servant Leader. Jesus, the Son of God himself, through humility and self-emptying has shown us the way to live this ideal. With this conviction in mind let us all welcome the humble babe of Bethlehem this Christmas.

Fr Jason is a Salesian priest working in the mission centre at Ghataprabha in Belgaum.

The Salesian Province of Panjim deeply mourns the death of Father Romulo Noronha, SDB. He died at 2:15 pm on August 17, 2016 at Don Bosco, Panjim, Goa. The Requiem Service was held at 3:30 pm on August 18 at the Shrine of our Lady of Fatima, Panjim, followed by burial at Don Bosco Fatorda.

RIP Fr Romulo Noronha 15 July 1944 - 17 August 2016

Fr Romulo was a man of sound religious and salesian principles, prayerful and with a large heart, possessing gifts needed for good leadership, sincere and honest, practical and down to earth. He loved challenges and adventures, an accomplished artist and equally adept with screwdriver and hammer. He worked in responsible positions; was the first delegate of the new Province of Panjim. He was a salesian for 55 years. He layed down his office (due to his illness) as a Province Procurator and incharge of the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, Panjim, after 11 years.

Sangati requests its readers to pray for the repose of his benevolent soul.

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SERVANT Melroy Mascarenhas SDB

Humility of Jesus In the gospels we find Jesus talking often about the virtue of humility. He speaks about His relationship with the Father: He is always asking the Father to guide Him. Though the word humility does not appear in his discourse, it is implied in the way he speaks to the Father. When praying Jesus requests the Father saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not my will, but your will be done” (Mt 26:39).

Jesus is the ultimate and best example of humility. Though He is God, He did not go around proclaiming about it. His humility was also seen at His birth. He was born in a stable, in a poor family. His father was a carpenter and He too became a carpenter like His father.

There were people who commented about Him saying, “Is not this guy, the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary?” But these things never affected Him because H e was humble and ready to forgive them. According to John, Jesus’ final moments on the Earth were a demonstration of his humility.

Though they called him Master, yet he bent down to wash the feet of His own disciples. With this humble act, Jesus taught his apostles a lesson that they would not forget and that would encourage them to carry forward his message of love

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and compassion. When some of the apostles were arguing about who was the greatest among them, Jesus brought a young child before them and told them: “Whoever receives this young child on the basis of my name receives me too, and whoever receives me, receives him also that sent me forth. One who makes himself humble, becomes great” (Luke 9:46-48).

He showed us the path to humility when he was born in a stable and cradled in a manger; when he could say of himself, “the foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath no where to lay his head;” when there never was an acre, or a foot of ground that he called his own, although he made the world and all things in it; he sailed in a borrowed boat, and was buried in a borrowed tomb. Yet he did not think that this was enough and therefore gave his disciples a special lesson on this subject.

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There are many things that Jesus taught us through his teachings and through his actions.

So let us be humble like Jesus and live an exemplary life. Let us also make Jesus known to others through our acts of humility.

Melroy is a philosophy student in formation to priesthood at Divyadaan, Nashik.

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A MINISTRY Fr Banzelão Teixeira SDB

LEADERSHIP

A Ministry of the Head, Heart and Hands 1. Leadership as a Ministry Our approach to leadership and authority in religious life has changed rapidly in the past decades. Earlier leaders could afford to function as managers, taskmasters or even tyrants who exercised strict control over their subordinates so as to maintain order and discipline. The superior was considered to be the sole visionary who boldly projected goals for the rest to follow. But such a model is almost obsolete today. Now, we are in search of new styles of leadership, modeled on the life and ministry of Jesus, who washed the feet of his disciples and taught them that the greatest among them must be the servant of all. Today, the animator of a religious community is called to be a servant-leader after the very example of Jesus.

Leaders of religious communities need to see leadership as an attractive life-giving ministry rather than a burden to be endured. It is a ministry that focuses on the goals and purposes of the community; a ministry of being a leader as well as a follower; a ministry that is relational, of loving and living with those entrusted to one’s care. It can be summed up as a ministry of the Head, Hands and Heart. Here I wish to elaborate on

each of these dimensions.

2. Ministry of the Head: Prophetic Vision Every leader should have a vision for his/her community, which is shared by all members of the community. He/she needs to ‘dream big’ and ‘think great’. Leaders should help and encourage each individual to have a vision for himself/herself so that together the group can create a common vision which leads to a strong sense of mission. At the same time he/ she needs to have the prophetic voice that offers direction to the community and keeps it united in the mission.

Every leader should be aware of the situation in which one is living and view situations and problems from a more integrated and holistic perspective.

He/she should r i s e

above the day problems

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organization so as to achieve the long-term goals of the institution. This coupled with foresight helps a leader to foresee the likely outcome of the apostolate of the institute. He/ she is able to connect the experiences of the past with the present situation and thus see its consequences for the future.

To develop these qualities a leader has to be a learner, willing to listen, to read, to ponder, to dream and to make connections, to change what is marginal and hold fast to what is essential. Unfortunately, the culture of reading and reflection is on a rapid decline.

3. Ministry of the Hands: Promoting Apostolic Effectiveness Some leaders have great ideas but their plans often fall apart because they failed to get

the support of the community. Animating a community and keeping it focused on the common mission is an art that present day leaders need. A leader should be seen as one who is fully involved in the mission and not as one who commands. Through a process of dialogue the animator promotes the participation of each member in the decisionmaking process. Besides his own duties in the community, a leader is expected to encourage and support the members in their specific roles. This implies support, not imposition; guidance, not censorship; building trust, not fear. Most members want to see a good outcome of their hard work; they want to know that they are participating in something that makes a tangible difference to the world.

The leadership skills required are conflict resolution and persuasion. Every leader has to face difficult situations. Defensive aggression (cutting off) or passive giving in may not be the best way to settle disputes. He/she should be able to anticipate situations and make connections through healthy dialogue. Persuasion works better than force. Instead of using one’s positional authority to elicit cooperation, one must win over the other person. A good leader is able to build up consensus on issues and situations that affect the entire group.

4. Ministry of the Heart: Accompanying with Love The ministry of the heart is an indispensable requirement for a leader. It is the ministry of

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accompaniment and empowerment as rightly demonstrated in the Emmaus episode (Lk. 24: 13-32). Jesus accompanies the disciples who were trapped in fear and discouragement, speaks to their hearts, enlightens them and liberates them. He was able to do this because his faith too had been tested, his hope had been challenged and his love was broken. Leaders of religious communities need to have a similar heart – a heart willing to bear the pain and humiliation, a heart offering reconciliation and forgiveness. God gives each leader the gift to love his/her community – to cherish the real human community and not an ideal one; not what should be but what is; and to love the members in spite of their brokenness.

The ministry of the heart is the most beautiful ministry that a leader can exercise: to care for those who have stumbled and fallen, confront those who are wandering astray and encourage those who are discouraged.

For this every leader should pray for the gift of a listening heart besides empathy and healing.

A listening heart: A servant-leader should have time for his/her community. Very often the community animators are so busy with administration that they have little or no time for the community. He/she has to be deeply committed to listen to others, to what they are saying and not saying, to not just those who have a voice, but also those who are silenced.

Empathy: He/she should be able to feel one with others in their joys and sorrows, in their ups and downs. Members in the community want to be loved and accepted for who they are and not for what they do, hence every leader has to ensure that members are treasured for their presence in the community.

Healing: Henri Nouwen claims that most of us are wounded healers. Every religious community is a broken community in need of healing. Many a times individuals have suffered emotional hurts, loneliness and depression in their lives. A good leader encourages the individual in these moments through emotional support, and offers opportunities for psychological help and spiritual renewal.

If every leader sees his job as a ministry of the head, hands and especially the heart, leadership and authority can easily be divested of the power problems that it is normally entangled in. Leaders need to see their ministry of leadership in a positive manner, and not so much as an obligation and duty.

This is a n ideal w e hope t o reach in the

n e a r future.

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Dr BanzelĂŁo is the Principal of Divyadaan, a Salesian philosopy institute in Nashik.

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FAMILY Fr Alex D’Mello

Be a Parent-Leader Inspire Your Children!

Every organization needs a leader. A leader provides a direction to the organization to achieve its goal. Every successful organization requires good leadership. What is an organization? It is a social arrangement that pursues collective goals or it is an organized group of people with a particular purpose. We all know that an organization excels with the vision of a leader. Family is one of the most important and basic organizations in the world.

No one in the world can replace family with any other institution or organization. The World Family Organization (WFO) and the Church has also repeatedly stressed that the family is the basic unit of society. If the family is the basic cell of the society and the most important organization in the world then it also requires a leader to achieve its goal. What are the goals of the family? The family has been entrusted a huge responsibility to transmit human life and give them the human values. The family develops an individual into a responsible and self-reliant personality.

Every person grows in this conducive atmosphere.

This responsibility falls mainly on the parents

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and it is indispensable. One cannot escape from it. If the parents fail in it, the whole society will get crumbled down.

In the normal circumstances, parents know their duties towards their children. However, the present situation makes it more difficult for parents to fulfill their duties in effective ways.

The challenges of the present are far more varied then the earlier times with the excessive use of means of social communication, explosion of information through media, change of value system, the freedom of expression, increase of competitiveness at every stage, single parenthood, financial difficulties, etc.

This has led to parent-children conflicts. The parents and children live under tremendous pressure. Although they stay under the same roof but find no time for a dialogue that would resolve their conflicts amicably. They often blame each other and the family relationships turn sour. The confused and distressed parents look for some solution and guidance. The common approach to this problem is to send the children to the priest or nuns or to the professional counselor so that they would be

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able to correct their children. The effects of the counseling do not last long because the family environment remains the same. The problem continues to persist.

Many charitable movements and organizations who work for the wellbeing of families have accessed the family problems and developed a module to train the parents. The best possible way to work in these situations is to train the parents to be a leader. If the parents become effective and efficient leaders in their respective families then they will inspire their children to be good citizens and responsible persons.

History shows that legendary figures such as Thomas Edison, Pablo Piccaso, Michael Jordon, A.P.J. Kalam, etc. have been inspired by their parents. What about Jesus? Did his parents influence him to be what he is to us today? The families can achieve their goals and objectives if the parents learn to be effective and efficient leaders to their children in the family. There are many ways in which the parents can overcome their parenting problems but I shall propose five tips that revolve around the leadership role of the parents. They are as follows: 1. Positive Communication: Communication is the most important factor that builds the family. A good leader has an ability to convey his message with clarity.

Parents must have good communication among themselves. They must use positive communication skills. They should avoid yelling, scolding (especially in front of the others), using foul language, etc. The children get irritated and demotivated by the parents who often yell or scold at them. It also creates negative effects on the minds of the children.

A good parent-leader must pause and think about the questions and choices that he would

offer to his child. The children learn in this way to be more responsible.

2. Practice What You Preach: Every successful organization has a set of rules.

The rules help the organization to achieve their goals. A good leader follows the rules before he asks the others to follow. E.g. He comes to the office before his subjects. His co-workers learn from his action and arrive before time. In the same way, every successful family follows the rules but above all the successful parentleader lives by the family rules. A good parentleader will tell his children that ‘We will come home in time’ instead of ‘You will come home in time’. If they parents are at home in time, they can inspire their children by practicing what they preach.

3. Keep Your Fights and Differences Away from the Children: A good leader does not make contradictory statements because it results in confusion. It harms his organization. It is God’s plan that the family is made by father and mother.

They have two different natures and world views yet they are called for one specific goal i.e. to raise their children together.

They are bound to have differences in their opinion. When the parents fight in the presence of their children, the children grow in anxiety because the fight threatens their secure home environment.

The children do not

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learn healthy negotiation skills. Eventually, they do not respond to their parents’ advice.

A good parent-leader will avoid even raising their voice in front of his children. I do not mean here to put on a mask of sainthood but learn to avoid constant fights in front of your children.

4. Have A Balanced Family Life: Working parents is a common phenomenon of today’s society. The parents are either busy working in their fields or offices. If you ask them for what are they busy with? and Why? Their answer will be that they working for their children but do they have time for them? The children feel the absence of their parents at the crucial time. Children appreciate and feel good when they see their parents spending time together. The children like that their parents accompany them to the garden, parks, movie theaters, etc. A good leader takes time out for his subjects. It helps him to know the state of his subjects, their problems, worries, etc. A good parent-leader should also spend a good quality time in the family. The closeness in the marital relationship and the family life will never allow children to see others as their role – models.

5. Be Humble and Forgiving: A good leader has numerous qualities such as knowledge, courage, confidence, decisiveness, etc. All these qualities are important but humility and forgiveness surpasses all. A leader

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who is humble and forgiving will not have many worries in his life. Who can teach us to be humble and forgiving but our Lord Jesus? He was born in humility and died while forgiving us on the cross. When the parents turn to God and seek his blessings in all that they do, they display their humility, in other words, faith in God before the children. They show that they are humans and need the grace of God to nurture their families. They are neither the perfect fathers or perfect mothers nor the perfect family. Thus, they show their dependence on God in whom we find all perfection. The children learn to seek perfection in the Lord while learning to be humble. It helps them to face difficulties in their lives. They learn that God forgives our wrongdoings and teaches us to forgive. A true parent-leader professes his/ her faith in God, must also be a humble and forgiving person in his/her own family.

Conclusion: Today, there is a need to create awareness in society that the families are the basic unit of the society and the most important organization of the world. We cannot replace it with any other organization. The care and protection of this organization is given in the hands of the parents. Parents are called to be leaders in the family. In this herculean task, parents must not only look at the children but also introspect in their lives and ask themselves; are they giving proper witness to their children? Are they inspiring their children to do great things and inspire others? Remember! Parents are the first leaders-heroes of their children. There cannot be anyone else. So be a parent-leader and inspire your children. You will not have worries about the challenges of parenting.

Fr Alex is the Director of the Family Commission in the diocese of Sindhudurg

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DIVINE TEACHER Chris Valentino SDB

Jesus – A Leader’s Leader The world today as we live and move in it is in dire need of enlightened leaders. The whole of creation, as it were, is groaning in agony with the dearth of benevolent and inspired leadership. “Leadership is not about competency and productivity, as we have been led to believe.

Our culture values action over contemplation, individualism over community, speed over endurance, fame over humility and success over the satisfied soul,” says Bill Hull. In an add up to this statement, it would do us immense good to critically ponder John Quincy Adams’ “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

There have been leaders – good, bad, positive, negative, despotic, benevolent, malicious, tyrants, dictators, warrior-lords, powerpsychopaths, the entire lot – who’ve fashioned the world over millenia. Many have been lauded, applauded and appreciated while a few others have been derided, condemned and demonised. Yet, within this power-hungry firmament of men and mortals, a few stand relatively taller than most.

In our highly technologically advanced era, every guru or mentor or author worth his/ her mite, offers jargonised tips, efficiency/ effectivity programmes or productivity/output paradigms! Caught up in this whirlwind money-spinning spree, where could/would we slot Jesus the Christ, the one who showed

us the ‘divine’ at work within us ‘humans’?

How does one acknowledge the impact of that ‘one solitary life’ who offered no classes, gave no lectures, conferred no degrees and yet influenced the course of human history so very dramatically?

Jesus – was a leader’s leader, if one might use the term so casually. He was not just a doer of good, but also a classic example of an engaging mentor who said what he did and did what he said. Jesus used a five-step “Show How” training process. In Greg Robinson and Mark Rose’s A Leadership Paradox: Influencing Others by Defining Yourself, the authors state that Jesus knew what effective leadership is, because he involved people-learning by doing.

Jesus knew that people learn best by example, followed by hands-on experience, and so he let them observe him/his methods and then let them try it. Jeus follwed the 5-step process as a leader: I do, you watch; I do, you help; You do, I help; You do, I watch; and You do, someone else watches.

In every sense imaginable Jesus was a visionary leader who harnessed the energy and the power of the human potential to enhance and transform. He was a leader who not only did, instead proclaimed, reminded and facilitated at all times. Jesus used the ‘E’ principle of leaderdship to train, mobilise and influence.

In effect, what Jesus did was simply to: Equip, Enable, Enhance, Empower & Encourage.

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Jesus taught the disciples by explaining the parables he often used when speaking to large crowds modeling the behavior he desired to see in each of his followers before asking them to carry out the task. Jesus understood the illiteracy, questionable backgrounds, fractious feelings, and momenntary cowardice of his followers, striving always to incorporate their human potential with a divine insight. Jesus saw, understood and analysed the invaluable human energy and the untapped/underutilized intelligence of his followers ensuring that they were assigned tasks and accompanied with wisdom. Utilising the tremendous potential, Jesus led by example, demonstrating that ‘service’ needs to be the hallmark of a great leader, when he “got up from the table, wrapped a towel around his waist and stooped down to wash the feet of his followers.” Jesus, as a leader exemplifies the paternal, maternal characteristics with the exceptional abilities of a coach, mentor, cheerleader and friend - “one who is even willing to lay down his life.”

In essence, Jesus was a ‘rubberneck’ who turned the other cheek, faced reality with an analysed perspective of history, confronted the issues-at-hand and willingly faced the music right unto the bitter end, proving thereby that freedom, new life, renewal, transformation happens as a process-journey and not as a destination!

to ward off stings of insult and ingratitude; a good ear for criticism and impeccable judgement inspired by divine wisdom. Jesus directed his followers, went on ahead before them to lead & guide, accompanied them in moments of frustration and despondency, and led them firmly by example. When looked at from within the perspective of “An Anatomy of a Leader” as defined by Eva Schindler, Jesus fits the bill perfectly for Jesus being a leader meant: to foster creativity rather than conformity, to guide rather than to goad, to clarify rather than to confuse, to support rather than to supplant, to respect rather than to judge, to motivate rather than to captivate, to listen rather than to tell, to encourage rather than to discourage, to link rather than divide, to innovate rather than imitate, to free rather than limit, to make independent rather than dependent.

In the final analysis, Jesus lived what he proclaimed: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul, and love thine neighbour as thineself!”

Chris is a Salesian priest, passionate Christ, Peace, Youth and Media.

about

Jesus the leader had the conviction of self-mastery, strength of his actions, and an extremely engaging style of relationships. Jesus demonstrated through his life, in words and deeds his ability to waste time with his followers; capacity

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SERVICE IS JOY Jeevan Lewis SDB

Servant Leaders to be Alter Christus

Leadership is a very beautiful dimension of human life, and which the world needs today.

Leadership involves service, and is not easy as it demands a lot from us. Let us be sure that life is difficult. Among all its thorns, it is beautiful too! It is said “difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.” There are many leaders in this world, for example, national leaders, social leaders, religious leaders, leaders of extremists groups, fundamentalists, and the list goes on. Among these there are different types of leaders: sleepy leaders, corrupt leaders, selfish leaders, tyrants, etc. But we also find some

good ones. Whereas the good leader does improvement in the society the corrupt one harms the society.

According to me the best type of leadership is servant leadership. This happens only when a person is directed by love. In the words of Guru Eduardo “great leaders don’t tell you what to do... they show how it’s done.” The Salesian Constitutions, art. 73 tells us that “Don Bosco lived his life with generous service of other; his manner was marked by austerity, hard work and much initiative.” When service is oriented by love, it is seen in actions. I would say that love and selfishness are at two extremes. If a person is not convinced of his service then it will not be love oriented but corrupt and selfish. The one who is driven by love and acts according to it becomes a good person. In the words of Albert Einstein “only a life lived in the service of others is worth living.”

Then what about Jesus? Was he a servant leader with a loving heart? You know it very well. And what about Mother Teresa and other missionaries? Yes they too are shining examples of servant leaders for us to emulate.

Let us inculcate something from their lives.

Let us strive to be such leaders as Katherine Miracle urges us: “do not wait on a leader… look

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in the mirror it’s you!”

To be a leader it is necessary to do ordinary things in an extraordinary way. To be a good leader is to know how to swim against the current even when there is a strong storm, when there is discouragement, denial and challenge.

To remain peaceful always especially during difficult moments but always prepared for what is next. A good example for us is Christ Jesus. He took birth in a manger, having no personal house to live in, with limited freedom.

Having no kingdom, no soldiers, no arms, He managed to do what His father sent Him to do. Whereas many kings and rulers, who had kingdoms, followers, soldiers under them are no more, neither are they remembered.

This man Jesus is still followed, remembered, loved, and worshiped by a large part of human population. He was a servant at the table. As John writes, He washed the feet of his disciples and asked His followers to do the same – to be servants. He led a group and many people followed Him but at the crisis moment many followers abandoned Him. Only Mary, John

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and some women of Jerusalem followed Him faithfully to the cross. He looked like a total failure. Yes! It was a planned failure for the sake of you and me. He managed to give life to the dead, health to the sick, remove the evil spirits from people but did not heal His own wounds, or battle against the Roman soldiers or asked to come down from the cross. Though he could, yet he chose to remain on the cross, bleeding, wounded, thirsty, neglected, painful, denied, only for the sake of you and me. He wanted you and me beside Him in this life and in the next.

Once Rabindranath Tagore said “I slept and dreamt that life was joy, I woke up and saw that life was service, I acted and behold, service was joy.”

Today’s world is in need of many Jesus’ who will be able to lead, guide, love, sacrifice, heal and treat as He did. Let us pray for one another that we may be Alter Christus for the people of today.

Jeevan is a Salesian in formation to the Priesthood at Divyadaan, a Philosophy institute at Nashik.

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MODELS Diana Charles

Types of Leaders

& their followers

“Any one can hold the helm when the sea is calm.� – Publilius Syrus A leadership style can basically be described as the way a person uses his power and authority to lead other people. A number of Styles have been identified and though some styles seem

There are some people who can only function if they make all the decisions. They do not like a laissez faire kind of set up. There are others who will not move an inch unless a collective decision is made. At the end of the day what most leaders want to do is change the status quo. They just differ in how they go about it. Some styles of leadership tend to overlap, some are diametrically opposed to each other and some are used very infrequently.

What kind of leadership works best for the team, depends on the situation; the task at hand and also the temperament of the leader. To take a call on that, one must know the various kinds of Leadership styles.

to be better than the other, it finally depends on the role and responsibilities of the leader, the situation and also the kind of people he is leading.

1. Democratic or Authoritative Leadership In this kind of style, everyone is involved in the decision making process. The leader will finally be held responsible for whatever finally happens, but they tend to delegate more and in the process create more leaders.

Communication tends to flow both ways.

Criticism and suggestions are more readily accepted. Fairness, competence, creativity, courage, intelligence and honesty are traits

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that are encouraged and helped to blossom.

2. Autocratic Leadership This style is centred around the boss. He or she holds all the power and responsibility. They rarely consult subordinates. Communication flows from top to bottom. There is little room for flexibility. They tend to deal very strictly with failure and non-compliance. You must have heard, Donald Trump in The Apprentice, say, ‘You are fired’. His company is a typical example of an autocratic leadership. People, who do not want to be responsible for decision making, would be fairly comfortable in such an environment. They only have to carry out the orders given from the top. All monarchs in the days of yore followed the autocratic kind of leadership and even believed that they were a gift from God. 3. Team Leadership Team leadership is becoming increasingly popular today. Team leaders are able to inspire their teams to follow them even through difficult patches. However, only if the leader is able to create a strong sense of purpose and direction, does this type of leadership work well. These leaders tend to have very good communication skills and work on the hearts and minds of their team.

4. Laissez-faire Leadership This is a typical example of a type of leadership that will not work in most situations or with most people. It gives a lot of authority to team members who are free to work as they choose with almost no guidelines, structure or interference. According to research, this kind of leadership has been consistently

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found to be the least satisfying and the least effective management style. Artists, writers, poets would find this kind of leadership most beneficial. Works well if the team is highly trained and highly motivated.

5. Mentoring Leadership This kind of leadership involves teaching and supervising the team mates. Usually the mentoring leadership works well in a situation where the team requires an improvement in their skills and therefore there may be a fair amount of monitoring and frequent feedback.

A great mentor is a leader who possesses the unique gifts of ability to teach and train. They groom people to improve both knowledge and skill.

6. Visionary leadership Visionaries are often are able to capture the yearnings of their followers.

All great leaders

have this in them. If we look back into history, we can see people like Alexander the great and Gandhi. They had a vision and knew what they wanted. Few leaders have a clear view of what is actually happening around them.

Visionary leaders are able to take the vision and turn it into reality.

“The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.” - Ronald Reagan Diana is an ex-principal and a freelance journalist.

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THE BEST EXAMPLE Royal Fernandes SDB

Who Should Become a Leader One Sunday, early morning, as 16 brothers of Divyadaan were travelling by a bus to their apostolate, they witnessed an incident where a young adult got off the seat and began walking towards the exit without even noticing some of his personal items falling from his hand. People shouted at him to remind him of his personal items, however, he kept going because his ears were covered with headphones, listening to songs from his smartphone. In today’s world people are connected in a wonderful way through electronic gadgets, yet they are isolated. Today’s technology has changed the way we live, the way we communicate and the way we think. Our culture focuses more on consumerism and individualism, in which people seek power at all levels. Advanced science and technology may gradually bring down our faith experience and respect for human values. There is also a great problem of brokenness. People need a good leader and good a model to transform and to rebuild the world with new insights.

and trust. Leadership is a gift. Some people have it. Others do not. But most of us could build our capacity to lead if we understood the secrets of leadership. When we think of leaders, we still tend to think about individuals with special talents. Indeed we think of St. John XXIII, John F. Kennedy, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, and so on. These were the agents of social change who influenced people’s lives. But it would be a mistake to keep waiting for people like them to do the same.

Leadership has often been misconstrued or even misunderstood in terms of controlling individuals to attain a particular aim. This way of leadership is more of a management style.

Certainly, leadership is more about “being” than about “doing”. Leadership is not only about getting people to follow, but it is also about being an example or a model to others.

Leadership is a process in which the followers gain hope and follow the leader with respect

Then who should become a leader? To be a leader one must possess self-knowledge: it is all about being aware of oneself as an individual especially considering one’s emotions, behavior and learning style.

Self-discipline: ability to manage one’s life efficiently and control our emotions both positive and negative. Moreover, if one cannot lead oneself then one will never be able to lead others, that is why discipline is important in the life of a leader. Self-confidence: a belief

Who is a leader? A leader is the one who asks for cooperation more than he/she issues orders. Leaders cannot be replaced with or misunderstood with managers. Managers focus on things, whereas leaders focus on people. Managers boss over people whereas leaders motivate people. Leaders shape the rules, managers follow the rules. Leaders inspire people where as managers have their plans for people. Managers dominate, leaders facilitate.

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that one is able to do things which help us to rise to the occasion as situation demands.

Finally trust in one self and others: believing that one can lead others and believing that a group will do the necessary work. To become a successful leader, it is important to have a right attitude towards life. The attitude of a leader has a huge impact on culture, environment and organizations. The leader’s attitude tends to spread and affect others dramatically. Attitude reflects leadership; they inspire people to be the best they can, inspires them to do things they did not think were possible. To be a good leader one must possess key attitudes like adaptability and flexibility to situations, selfawareness, adjustment, self-confidence and tolerance. Some characteristic marks of a good leader are charism, commitment, courage, discernment, listening, taking initiative, generosity, focusing, passion, problem solving, relationship skills and taking responsibility.

Availability and vision can be considered as

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vital characteristics of a good leader. To be a leader means committing oneself and serving the needs of others before his/her own. Great leaders are also great teachers, great learners, and great story tellers. They communicate to inspire others. Great leaders are great relationship builders. They get things done with and through people.

Leadership is a vocation. God is looking out for leaders who can be humble servants like Moses, Joshua and David. For Christians and the people of other faiths, the one and only model of humble leadership is Jesus Christ. He was truly a leader who manifested the above mentioned qualities to their fullness. He had a vision and shared that vision with his followers and enabled the group to achieve the common good. Let us strive to be leaders, taking the example of Jesus to bring the change that the world needs.

Royal is Salesian student of Philosophy at Divyadaan, Nashik

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GREAT LEADER Anthony da Silva SJ

POPE FRANCIS “Walks the Talk”!

On the night of March 13, 2013 the Cardinals of the Catholic Church who were assembled in Rome chose one from among them, the little known Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, to be the new Pope, the successor to Benedict XVI. In keeping with tradition, the new Pope is immediately presented to the vast multitudes pouring into St. Peter’s Square, at the Vatican. Amidst loud cheers and tears of joy, Cardinal Bergoglio is introduced to millions through aworld-wide television relay, as Pope Francis, the new Pope and leader of one and a half billion Catholics globally.

Who is Pope Francis?

Pope Francis is the first non-European, the first Latin American and the first Jesuit to become Pope. He hails from Argentina, where he served the Jesuit Order in various administrative capacities, before becoming the Provincial Superior of the Jesuits of Argentina; years later as Cardinal, he was appointed the head of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires. It was during this time that his Jesuit spirituality of “seeking God in all events of life” and constantly “discerning the will of God” before any action, which shaped his new and dynamic leadership of the Church in Argentina. A leadership driven by compassion and humility became the hallmark of Cardinal Bergoglio in Argentina.

This new style of compassionate leadership caught the imagination of the people in Argentina and the rest of Latin America. In

Argentina Cardinal Bergoglio was hailed for his deep concern and outreach to the poor and the suffering in his Diocese. His own life style was an extraordinary example of simplicity and poverty. He lived not in the official residence of the Cardinal but in a rented flat in the midst of the people he served in his parish. Since he practiced what he preached, people believed in him and became his ardent admirers and followers.

Pope Francis - A Vision for a New Church Taking the name of “FRANCIS”, after the great St. Francis of Assisi, a holy and simple 13th century monk, Pope Francis signaled his determination to follow the example of St. Francis and bring about changes to re-build the Catholic Church according to the vision of Jesus. First, he wanted to imitate the simplicity of St. Francis. Hence he lost little time in deciding to live in the simpler dwellings of Casa Marta, the guest House of the Vatican rather than in the Pope’s Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope; for his official dress he chose a simple white cassock rather than the flowing silk robes normally used by Popes; he opted to drive in a small FIAT car, rather than a luxurious limousine; during the papal audiences the Pope gave special preference to the aged, the sick, the poor, the mentally and physically challenged; hugs and casual chats are reserved especially for this category of people.

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Pope Francis soon became a popular icon on the world’s stage, a much loved and hailed leader of the Catholic Church. Throngs flocked to Rome to see and hear him speak, for he spoke in everyday language which resonated well with everyday people. The Pope opened himself to the people of the world, and the people in turn welcomed him as the new symbol of hope and compassion in a troubled world. Frequent comments like, “he is so different from other Popes”, “he is one like us”, “he speaks our language and understands us”, “he is transparent”, “he is so simple and approachable”, “we love the Pope”, became commonplace as the Pope travelled widely from Brazil to the Philippines, from the USA to Sri Lanka and several other nations.

Pope Francis A Leader: Humble, Simple, Exemplary On Holy Thursday evening in 2013, shortly after becoming Pope, in a gesture of deep humility Pope Francis visited a prison in Rome and there washed the feet of twelve prisoners, among them a woman and a Muslim man. Like the Lord Jesus, the Pope signaled that his is a servant leadership, whereby humble service of the poor and the suffering is especially dear to him.

In a tweet, the Pope once said, “If we can develop a truly humble attitude, we can change the world.”

residence where he presently lives and shares his daily meals with the other workers of the Vatican. He celebrates the daily Eucharist together with about 40 people - parishioners from Rome and international visitors. At the Mass, the Pope also delivers daily a short and simple message of faith which nourishes his people. The Pope worries that “at times we lose people because they do not understand what we are saying, because we have forgotten the language of simplicity and import an intellectualism foreign to our people.” Furthermore, Pope Francis feels that “to be friends with God means to pray with simplicity, like children talking to parents.”

A distinctive quality of the leadership of Pope Francis is that he leads not only by word but also by example. His exemplary life and teachings serve as a powerful driving force to bring back millions to the Church who have felt alienated in the past. The Pope models his values in his daily life, and the people are quick to perceive the authenticity of his message.

It is said that the record number of pilgrims visiting Rome and the overflowing crowds in St. Peter’s Square are a living testimony that the example of Pope Francis has touched the lives and hearts of millions in the world.

As is said in management jargon, the Pope “walks the talk”.

The writer is a Jesuit priest and works at Xavier Centre, Porvorim, Goa.

Pope Francis is known for his simple lifestyle, amply witnessed by the Casa Marta

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SERVICE Neil Fernandes

To Serve and Not Be Served “Whoever wants to be first must place himself last and be the servant of all.”- Mk 9:35b “I have come not to be served but to SERVE.”Mk10:45 The above quotations from the Gospel according to St. Mark, form the basis of my reflection on leadership. I often wonder, how many youth will become capable leaders in today’s world. Their ideas of leadership have been influenced by those portrayed in movies, viz. a leader is one who just gives orders and expects his followers to complete the task. A strong example of this is seen in the movie, Charlie’s Angels where three girls only hear a voice briefing them about their mission. Using the gadgets given to them, they accomplish the task as they wish.

These are not the type of leaders our world needs today. Jesus, Himself, the King of Heaven and earth, sets an example of leadership for us. He tells us that He has come not to be served, but to serve, to give His life as a ransom for many (Mk10:45). What better example of leadership can we ask for, than this? He washed the feet of His own disciples and thereby set an example of what we, His disciples, should do as leaders, that is, be ready to stoop down and serve those in need.

Our world does not require Charlies; but instead, it needs people who are ready to work for the good of others forgetting all differences.

Mahatma Gandhi is another role model, who served even his enemy by sucking out the venom of a scorpion from the toe of a British soldier. He led our country to freedom through service. He showed us that leadership involves working with and through people to achieve results.

I urge all our future leaders to break out of their cozy cocoons and go out to serve those in need. Don’t serve out of compulsion, but as an act of love, for love itself is an act of service.

Our basic call in life is to LOVE and SERVE all humankind. What is the use of our lives if we don’t live it for others. We need to encourage and inspire our fellow workers and respect their personalities.

I would like to end with the words of Robert Keating: “Leadership is service, in the sense that it seeks to meet the needs of another by performing the needed function. Leadership serves the needs of the group.”

Niel is a novice at the Salesian Training Institute at Nashik.

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SHALLOW LEADER Charlene Farrell

Divide an d Rule The Management Technique

In India, the concept of ‘Divide and Rule’ was made famous by the British. They came here, and stayed here for ages thanks to the strategy they adopted. Divide and rule is “gaining and maintaining power by breaking up larger concentrations of power into pieces that individually have less power than the one implementing the strategy.” Sure it might seem advisable as a means to maintain peace by discouraging rebellion but in a place where things are fair, does it makes sense? That’s where the glitch is. ‘Fairness’. If the one in power, has nothing to worry about, there comes no question of this strategy’s need. It is when there is much to be lost, by means of exposure of flaws that is when the worry sets in.

hides behind authoritarianism as the means to intimidate and thus get things done his way.

Someone who cares not for the wellbeing of his staff would indulge in such means. Humanity in general encompasses care and compassion.

Being in a position of power also puts great responsibility in your hands. As an employer, you can choose to be what you want. Forcing people to see the negativity in each other just to strengthen your position will not guarantee loyal workers. In fact, this sort of strategy will cause the absolute opposite. What we mean is,

The world of work is full of management styles.

There are bosses who are extremely consumer centred, those who are output centred, and others who are management centred and yes that great boss who is loved by all who is, employee centred. Divide and rule is just another management style. One however, that causes rust in the mechanics of an organisation.

And what does rust do? It destroys. A divide and rule boss is a boss who is paranoid, one who is scared of unity, because unity to him is threatening. He is the boss who has a lot to worry about in terms of trust, the one who

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when someone feels threatened, he/she will resort to low grade tactics to lead. Divide and rule is one such low grade tactic. All it does is create a workforce that is brittle. A workforce with a brittle foundation, has very little room for success. When the employees are happy together, when they enjoy what they do, when they have fun while doing what is supposed to be done, when they enjoy each other’s company and even find time outside work to meet and share time; that is when work turns into a pleasurable experience. That’s when work becomes productive.

A shallow employer needs to focus well on one thing. Success of a company depends on the success of his employees and not the other way around. That my dear friends is a secret not many people know. Richard Branson put this beautifully, he said “Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the client.”

Showing your employees that united we stand and divided we fall, is the responsibility of those at the helm. Inculcating great work ethics revolves around developing great work relationships. Showing the employees that they are trusted is step one. Encouraging great communication between them is step two. Building team spirit is step three. All this will amount to keeping your employees happy. Research shows that the main reason for happiness in the workplace is the work atmosphere and the people around. Why endanger your chances by adopting useless strategies?

Dooming the ship before it sails is in the hands of the captain. Sail into the future with a strong, united crew. The captain stands at the helm but the crew together guides it home.

Charlene is a counsellor and a teacher; she writes for ‘the Goan’

Congratulations!

Fr Dominic Savio Fernandes, SDB

He is awarded with State

teachers Award for the year 2016 in the Headmaster’s category by the Government of Goa. Fr Dominic Savio is presently the headmaster of Pope John XXIII High School, Quepem, Goa. 28 SANGATI

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DEVELOPING SELF Fr Joel D’Souza SDB

The Leader in You

When I think of ‘Leadership’, I am reminded of a video clipping I had viewed some years back.

Allow me to narrate it to you: A big tree trunk is lying across the road and is a hindrance to the free flow of traffic leaving people stranded.

Few commuters are seen arguing, several others seem helpless whereas some bystanders are clueless about what to do next. Just then appears on the scene a little boy with a school

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bag on his back who is amused to see the pandemonium created due to the fallen trunk.

But what surprises him is the fact that nobody has even thought of finding a solution to the problem. With an exasperated look on his face the little boy does something spectacular: throwing his bag off his shoulders he runs towards the tree trunk and begins pushing it with all his might and is soon joined by other

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kids. This scene of a little boy trying to push the big monstrous trunk opens the eyes of the ‘helpless’ bystanders and travelers. Feeling ashamed a big group of people from different walks of life joins this band of tiny leaders.

And together they manage to push aside the trunk that was blocking the free flow of traffic.

This video conveys a very powerful message.

The little boy was the catalyst who brought about a change in the mindset of the people.

It just required that he be the first to make a difference and all it took him was to begin his journey towards the tree trunk with a little step. He was the leader while others followed.

Recall to mind your childhood days. We were natural leaders: curious and inquisitive, humble, always hungry and thirsty for knowledge. Recollect those times when we knew what we exactly wanted and never gave up till we got it. We were able to convince our parents as well as our grandparents in letting them change their viewpoint. There were times when, as little children, the smile on our face was enough to help the others forget their worries and anxieties. By doing this we were able to motivate others.

do this. Don’t do that. You can’t do this.

You can’t do that. No! Many of our parents told us to keep quiet and not disturb the adults by asking silly questions. This continued even in our schools and colleges where we were told to fall in line and not do this and do that. And this lead to the downfall of our inbuilt leadership qualities. We perhaps killed our ingrained mechanism of being creative, independent and self-reliant.

To develop the Leader in You would require a process of unlearning. It would require that you be brave and unlock the doors of your childhood dreams, which is going inside your heart. On many occassions we are impressed with other leaders and their leadership qualities. But perhaps we are blinded from seeing the wealth within us. There is no dearth of leadership qualities within each of us, possibly over a period of time they have been left unused. Let us ignite the passion in our hearts to lead, if not others, at least to lead one’s self. LEADER, LEAD YOURSELF! Fr Joel is a Vocation Animator and in-charge of the aspirants at Don Bosco Panjim.

So why is this so difficult to do as adults?

What happened? As we grew up we got used to hearing, No, Don’t, and Can’t. No! Don’t 30 SANGATI

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INTERVIEW Joaquim Lobo SDB

FR FELIX FERNANDES is the new Provincial of the Salesian Province of Panjim. I caught up with him for his reactions on his appointment, the province & his plans for the future.

1. What was your first reaction to your appointment as the provincial of the province of Panjim? Who communicated this good news to you?

My reaction was one of surprise. It was the Regional Superior, Rev Fr Maria Arokiam who first broke the news to me on the afternoon of 18 June 2016. I must confess that I did experience a certain anxiety, considering the immensity of the responsibility. At 8.30 p.m. the Rector Major himself called me up and confirmed the appointment.

2. What were your feelings as you left Divyadaan of which you were the Principal, Registrar, MPh Coordinator and Lecturer?

I felt a certain sadness, since I was leaving familiar territory wherein I enjoyed philosophical reflection. Also, I knew I would be missing the genial company of the philosophy students with whom I had shared my life.

3. You were out of the province from 2006, that is, for almost 10 years. How do you see the province?

It is true that I was working outside the precincts of the Province for some time now for reasons of study and the teaching of philosophy. The province was always close to my heart, however. What I appreciate most in our confreres is the enthusiasm for the Salesian mission of reaching out to the young.

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4. In which areas will your thrust be to begin with?

Vocation promotion and accompaniment of the formees towards personal growth is an important concern. Moreover, the Congregation is insisting on both, consolidation of our presences and of our works.

5. Pope Francis is a popular and acceptable leader to the world. What is your understanding of leadership?

I follow the teachings of Pope Francis very keenly. Together with him, I believe that true leadership is servant leadership, a leadership after the heart of Christ.

6. What is your message to the INP salesians?

Let us get back to Don Bosco and learn from him what it means to follow Christ, the Good Shepherd.

7. You were installed as a Provincial of INP on August 1st at the Holy Eucharist in the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima at Don Bosco Panjim.

What gift did you ask from the Lord?

I prayed t h a t we Salesians might remain faithful t o our charism and mission to the young, especially the poorer ones.

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LIFE IS A GIFT Valentine D’Souza

To the Least of These My Brethren In the seventies, our house at Parra was looked after by a couple who had three children, two girls and one boy who had Down’s syndrome.

I used to spend my school vacations in Parra with Mummy while Daddy would stay back in Mumbai. There were not many people I knew then and Bhaskar, so he was called, became my friend and companion. He was friendly, playful and also mischievous. He once threw a ripe mango at me after squeezing out all the juice and it hit me plumb on the chest, dirtying my well ironed shirt on Sunday morning, before I could leave for Mass. He loved people and could entertain with his songs and antics but unfortunately many would give him money and some alcohol. His life was cut short by a fatal accident at Mapusa.

Down’s syndrome is caused by an extra chromosome on the 21st pair. It is called trisomy 21, a chromosomal abnormality in new born infants. The discovery was made by Jerome Lejeune in 1959, while working at the French National Center for Scientific Research.

Lejeune and his colleagues discovered the genetic basis of “mongolism”, as it was then called. He was

the first scientist to give clear demonstration of a chromosomal abnormality in human beings.

Who was Jerome Lejeune? I too was curious and curiosity made me look up information on him. I was pleasantly surprised to discover in him, a devout Catholic with strong moral values who was shocked to realise that his path breaking research into cytogenetics would lead to prenatal screening and abortion of children with Down’s syndrome.

Jerome Lejeune was born in France in 1926.

He studied medicine in Paris and would make his career there. In 1952, he married Birthe Bringsted, with whom he would have five children. Lejeune remained devoted to his family throughout his life. When in Paris, he came for three meals a day and evening prayer; when abroad, he wrote to his wife daily.

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In the wake of this discovery and other chromosome illnesses such as Cat Cry and Turner syndrome, Jerome Lejeune’s professional star was on the rise. In 1962, he October - December 2016

received the Kennedy Award at the hands of President John F. Kennedy for his research in intellectual disabilities. At the age of 38, he was the youngest doctor in France to be named professor and he was given the first chair of Fundamental Genetics at the University of Paris in 1965. In 1969, he was awarded the highest honor in genetics, the William Allen Award. At the same time, the battle to allow the termination of unwanted pregnancies was heating up in the United States and around the world.

Jerome could not keep silent about the increased tendency to recommend abortion in the case of Down syndrome and other genetically detectable diseases.

He spoke out strongly against abortion at the annual meeting of the American Society of Genetics in 1969.

His presentation would be long remembered by his audience, though it would cost him his career.

Jerome Lejeune was severely criticized for his position in favour of humanity and he was ostracized by the medical, academic and political elite in France. He faced harassment from university and state officials, and did not receive an increase in salary for nearly 20 years. His research grants were withdrawn and he was forced to close his laboratory.

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American and English laboratories, indignant at this treatment, granted him no‐cost private loans. This solidarity allowed him to rebuild a team of researchers inspired by the same motivations.

Dr. Lejeune dedicated the rest of his life to developing effective treatments for chromosome abnormalities , especially Down syndrome. He treated thousands of young patients, whom he called his “dear ones”, and helped parents around the world understand and accept the trial of the disease. He assured them that their children, even with a serious mental disability, were children of God and were capable of great love and affection.

In 1974, he was appointed to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences by Paul VI. In this capacity, he would serve as a Vatican delegate to the USSR in discussions on the need for nuclear cooperation. Later, he met John Paul II and the two would remain close friends throughout their lives. In 1982, along with other distinguished members of the medical profession, he was called to testify in U.S. Senate sub‐committee hearings on the Human Life Bill which sought to define the beginning of human life.

In 1988, Professor Lejeune testified in a divorce case in Maryville, Tenessee, where a couple

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each sought the rights to embryos they had frozen for artificial implantation. Lejeune urged the court to hand down the judgment of Solomon, and give custody to the parent who wanted the children to live.

In 1989, Baudouin I, the King of Belgium, sought Jerome’s counsel as the parliament was about to legalize abortion. At the end of their conversation, the king asked : “Professor, Would it bother you if we prayed together for a moment?” The saintly king later abdicated his throne rather than offend God. In 1975, Jerome was called to Poland to give a talk on the beginning of life and there met Archbishop Karol Woityla, then Cardinal of Krakow. On October 16, 1978, Karol Wojtyla was elected Pope and became John Paul II. On May 13, 1981 – only a few hours before the attempt on his life – the Holy Father had lunch with Dr. Lejeune and his wife.

Afterward, Dr. Lejeune regularly travelled to Rome to meet with the Pope, to attend meetings

of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, and to participate in other events, such as the 1987 Synod of Bishops. The Holy Father wanted to name Jerome as the first president of a new Pontifical Academy for Life to be opened at the beginning of 1994. Since Jerome had been diagnosed with lung cancer in November 1993, he served as a President of the Academy for only a few weeks before his death on Easter Sunday morning in 1994.

Pope John Paul II would later write: “‘I am the Resurrection and the Life’… These words of Christ come to mind as we face the death of Dr. Jérôme Lejeune … In his capacity as a learned biologist, he was passionately interested in life … Prof. Lejeune was always able to employ his profound knowledge of life and of its secrets for the true good of man and of humanity and only for that purpose…[he] has left the truly brilliant witness of his life as a man and as a Christian.” Iohannes Paulus II PP. April 4, 1994 Valentine is the President of the ADMA (Devotees of Mary Help of Christians) in the Salesian Province of Panjim.

Be a Part of the Don Bosco Family!

As a Salesian (Priest/Brother/Sister) Contact: Fr Joel D’Souza, Don Bosco Panjim (North Goa & Maharashtra) Ph: 9421117819 joelmaxsdb@rediffmail.com

As a Benefactor / Donor Contact: Fr Loddy Pires, Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, Don Bosco Panjim, Goa 403001 loddyp@gmail.com Ph: +91 832 221986 ext 276 Mob:+91 8762801749

Fr Austin Fernandes, Don Bosco Benaulim (South Goa) Ph: 9420906544 austinworld69@gmail.com

To BOOK MASSES & Make ONLINE DONATIONS visit: www.donboscopanjim.com

Fr Kiran Nazareth Don Bosco Youth Centre Shirva (Karnataka) Ph: 9765958832 kinnanaz13@gmail.com Rector of any institution

As a Volunteer Contact: Director, Konkan Development Society, Odxel, Goa. Ph: 0832 3260711 / 09881810953

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VOCATION STORY Fr Jason Pinto SDB

‘I AM’ WITH YOU ALWAYS… Since my childhood I had the desire in me to be a priest. At the innocent age of 7 and 8, I had already begun saying Mass, with biscuits and water. As an Altar Server I was regular for all the Masses, irrespective of the language and the rite. My parents too, were very encouraging and supportive in this regard.

However much my desire was, it was just a ‘romantic inclination’ towards priesthood, at an age when I did not know what it entails to be in this Sacred Ministry.

My entry into Don Bosco Matunga gave a new twist to my desire to be a priest. As I matured in age and intellect I began to take interest in what it means to be a priest. In Matunga I found that there wer e 4 other boys with t he same desire to serve the Lord. Our good Rector late Fr Ronald Menezes h a d already introduced u s to the Salesian Priesthood. I found this more appealing – to be a Relig ious p r i e s t r a t h e r than just a Secular priest.

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But things did not work out really well at home which influenced my vocation. My daddy lost his job and was now at home seeking for a job. At the age of 47-48 it was not that easy for my dad. Secondly, being the only son I was concerned about my parents as well as my sister who was younger to me. I was expecting a good percentage and had almost planned to finish all my studies, earn a little and then join the seminary. But all said and done I did not get what I expected so I thought of going ahead from Matunga boarding to the Lonavala Aspirantate and then to Kudal for the Pre Novitiate. Miraculously, if I may say, my daddy got a call from abroad and at the age of 48 he went for the first time to work abroad. For me it was a definite sign of what God wanted me to do.

Formation days were really days of testing and trials. This was the time of ‘great disillusionment’. Lot of ideas and ideals affected me and I found myself shattered in the midst of them. Yet believing in God, the intercession of Our Lady and the on-going support of my Salesian confreres kept me going.

Today as I look back I can say only ‘Thanks’.

Thank you Lord for all such experiences you gave me and continue to give me. I firmly believe all this was to make me mature and tough in my love for God and his people, unconditional and unreserved.

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DISTINCT LEADER Ivo Coelho SDB

ST. JOSÉ VAZ

‘POST-COLONIAL’ MISSIONARY José Vaz, canonized by Pope Francis during his visit to Sri Lanka, is relatively unknown and largely unsung, apart from his native Goa and the Kanara coast and Sri Lanka which were the scenes of his labours. Even closer home, if you say ‘Saint José Vaz’ outside Goa and Karnataka, it is likely that you will hear ‘Saint who?’

when it is preached from a position of weakness, as in the early years of the church.

I have heard Fr Michael Mascarenhas, SDB saying that this son of Cortalim and Benaulim is one of the greatest missionaries of all time – sarvasrestta dharmapargattnar. Wonderfully, the other day I came across the fact that, in his homily at the mass of the beatification, St Pope John Paul II had said much the same thing: that José Vaz is the greatest missionary coming from Asia.

He set about learning and becoming fluent in the local languages, and did it with such enthusiasm that his disciple and follower, Jacome Gonsalves, is regarded as the father of Sinhala Catholic literature.

In an age when most missionaries, including the great Francis Xavier, operated in the context of the explicit or at least implicit backing and support of colonial powers, José Vaz might well be considered a postcolonial or at least an a-colonial missionary, working as he did in the context of the Dutch Calvinist domination of Sri Lanka. The gospel shines brightest

In such a non-privileged situation, José Vaz did not hesitate to adopt the guise of a lowly coolie, renouncing the privileges of birth and social status.

His holiness and humility were such as to attract the attention and admiration of the Buddhist king Narendrasinha. It is said that the king “would rise early morning to let his eyes rest on the distant figure of the holy man as on an auspicious sign that would augur a successful day of royal duties.” Surely an example and a path for us to follow in our interreligious and often hostile situation today.

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The same holiness and humility were earlier able to break through other and perhaps more difficult barriers: the ongoing conflict between Padroado and Propaganda on the Kanara coast.

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Finally, in a context in which the caste system had penetrated the church, he was willing to recommend John, his helper and companion, to the priesthood, notwithstanding his lowly origins and going against an already established practice. This is something that his biographers have not yet paid sufficient attention to.

It can happen sometimes that holiness coexists with attitudes of cultural superiority.

The great Francis Xavier, for one, did not think much of the Indians to whom he preached, and believed that there was no need of great learning in order to minister to them.

And perhaps we have seen some even of our beloved missionaries who never quite managed to get round to genuinely loving and respecting the people of their adopted country. It is not for us to pass judgment on them.

They are, as most of us are, sons and daughters of their times and contexts.

But here is precisely where the greatness of José Vaz shines through: in this extraordinary son of our soil, holiness breaks through even the barriers of culture and context to allow the gospel to shine out in radiant purity. In him, we have not only the ‘minor authenticity’ of the holiness of a person with respect to his culture, tradition and context, but also a movement towards the ‘major authenticity’ that involves a critique

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and transformation of the culture and context itself.

By a strange quirk of providence, José Vaz is today the patron not only of the Salesian province of the Konkan, but also of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman. The Archdiocese discovered only after a period of some 400 years, that it had no official patron.

The Vatican waived its rules to allow a Blessed to be named patron of a diocese. That is how it is José Vaz rather than Francis Xavier who is the official patron of the Archdiocese of Goa. In our postmodern times of increased respect for cultures and for differences, in the light of our growing subaltern sensitivity, against the background of ecumenical and interreligious movements of recent decades, and in the context of growing hostility to ‘missionaries,’ I like to think that José Vaz, born some 400 years ago, is contemporary and relevant in an extraordinary way, and, in some ways, even ahead of our times. For all these elements arise in him from the profound transformation that the Son and the Spirit work in individuals and in history.

Fr Ivo is the General Councillor for Formation in the Salesian Congregation.

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YOUTH SPEAK Joanne D’Souza

YOUTH

Get Ready To Lead !

I am sure many of you will be familiar with the term ‘herd mentality’ which simply means to follow whatever the majority is doing without really thinking if it is the right thing to do. Since everybody thinks it’s alright means that it must be right. The youth of our times are particularly susceptible to this which stops them from taking up responsibility and becoming leaders.

Let me share my own experience growing up, I am the youngest in my family and hence by default always the baby. All my needs were taken care of and I really didn’t need to make any decisions for myself. I always had my parents and friends to do the decision making and I just had to follow orders. All that changed when I had to leave home for further studies and finally left my safe abode. Living away from home was very hard for me initially but it also nurtured me into the person I am today. I struggled a lot mainly because for the first time in my life the path ahead had to be decided by

myself and I had to take charge of my life and start making my own decisions and choices.

That was the turning point in my life. I am sure everyone goes through similar experience on the road to adulthood. But do we also strive to be a vehicle of change or do we simply conform to the societal norms?

I believe that to be a good leader you need to be confident of yourself first. You need to understand and have the ability to distinguish the right from the wrong. It is so much easier to sit in the sidelines and comment over the happenings around without really getting involved because you don’t want to tread on any toes. But the world today needs young people to step out of their comfort zones and make the change.

Social evils such as Rape, Violence etc. are corrupting our society and unless we speak up nothing is going to change. I think we have spent enough time looking for others to lead us into making a difference in society. That day may never come and we will be left lamenting our present

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scenario forever. Someone recently mentioned to me that since Goa is becoming a terrible place to live in, he is considering moving somewhere else. I pondered over what he said and wondered what my friend had done himself to improve Goa. I wish rather than grumble about the worsening situation if he had done something about it maybe he could have started a revolution to change the state.

The best thing the youth can do today is lead by example. It is strange how we influence people just with the way we behave and conduct ourselves. I have noticed people taking care not to throw plastic bags out of the window of a moving vehicle, or carrying a jute bag while shopping and refusing to accept plastic bags and I believe that these people in their own way are trend setters.

We may think

that it hardly makes a difference but without realising when you stand for what you believe in you are leaders in your own way.

Many times in your life people will try convincing you to believe what is wrong is right in the eyes of the world and hence it is better to keep quiet about it because you wouldn’t want to be singled out from the rest. But if you believe in something no matter the difficulty you need to have the courage to stand firm

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and stick to what you believe in. These are the kind of leaders the world needs today. And I know that the youth can be the real catalyst for change in society because of the potential they possess to make a difference.

We can draw inspiration from some youth leaders of our times such as Malala Yousafzai who has championed the cause of female education in her country and Katie Ledecky who is an American competitive swimmer.

Katie is an five time Olympic Gold medalist and a nine time w o r l d c ha mpion.

She is a Catholic and spoke about how important her faith is to her in an interview after winning 4 Gold medals at the recent Rio Olympics. In a day and age where others would probably shy away Katie was not afraid to give witness to Christ and her faith at an international platform.

Joanne is a Physiotherapist and an ADMA (Devotees of Mary Help of Christians) member.

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DO YOU HAVE THEM? Sr Melissa D’Souza FMA

Loving Hands & A Great Heart It is beautifully said, “Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions”.

As I was thinking on this topic of leadership and leaders of the past, the first person that came to my mind was our very own – late Dr. Abdul Kalam. I am sure you will agree that he has been one of the best leaders India has ever had. Reading and reflecting on his life, I was touched by this incident. During his first visit to Kerala’s Raj Bhavan as President, Dr. Kalam was entitled to invite anyone as the “Presidential Guests”. Dr. Kalam had spent a significant time as a scientist in Trivandrum and he invited a road-side cobbler – who was quite close to him during his time in Kerala and the owner of the small hotel where Dr. Kalam would often have his meals. Can you imagine any other politician or a celebrity inviting a cobbler and a small business owner as their most prestigious guests? But this man was a ‘Man with a difference – a leader with loving hands and a great heart. He thought more of others than of himself. He even didn’t want broken glass pieces to be put on a building that needed protection, because it could hurt the birds. A man who had a thought for all living creatures. His favourite were children and youngsters and he would love being with them

and listening to them.

We have just celebrated the great event of Mother Teresa being raised to the honour of the altars. She has been the leader of a big congregation, but a person who welcomed all, especially the poorest and the marginalised with a big heart. I recently met a Sister belonging to t h e congregation of the Missionaries of Charity. She had the joy of living with Mother Teresa, and when I asked her what her experience was she sa id, “She was s o

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simple, no one would ever think that she was Mother General. She would readily put her hand to any menial task when it came to serving the needy. Her actions spoke volumes”. This is the secret of true leaders; they preach and lead with the language of love. In fact if we look at the lives of any founders/foundresses of religious congregations today, what impresses us about their lives is their ability to ‘touch hearts’ and ‘change lives’. And they do not do this by preaching or demanding but with gentleness and kindness. Why go far – one gaze at our Holy Father, Pope Francis and we see in him a leader ‘who has made a difference’ not just with his words and writings, but by his ‘humanness’. He has proved to be the ‘face of mercy – the face of Jesus’ a true leader who like Jesus came to serve rather than be served.

Today many of us are called to be leaders – parents, teachers, religious, managers etc, be it in our homes, our work places, our communities... We have someone who looks up to us, someone who follows us, someone who expects us to guide them. What kind of leader do I want to be? Do I want to teach with words

or with actions? The old adage can beautifully be applied here: Actions speak louder than words. Max DePree says this about a leader, “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant”. A servant who serves with love and joy, not just for payment or as an obligation or the fulfilment of duty; but one who can capture hearts just by example. One look at most of our political leaders today and we know that they aren’t worthy of the title – Leader. We all need to turn to Jesus the best leader of all times, who stooped down to wash the feet of His disciples to prove that leadership is service, that leadership is ‘love in action’ and not just a ‘sermon on the mount’ Let me conclude with the words of Mother Teresa, “A life not lived for others is not a life at all”. We are in the year of mercy. Let’s pledge to be persons who have ‘loving hands and a great heart’ Melissa is a Salesian nun, incharge of the Salesian Communications Commission of the FMA Province of Mumbai.

My Experience with the Salesians of Don Bosco I was in the boarding of Don Bosco Agro-Ed Complex Sulcorna from Std. VIII, where I learnt from Salesians the art of being with the young. They moved around with joy and enthusiasm. It attracted me. I came to know much about Don Bosco and his love for the young. In the aspirantate of Panjim, I had a mix experience of acceptance and rejection from my companions and others. This is my sixth year and am a leader of the pre novices at Pinguli, Sindhudurg. Leading my companions is not always easy, but I wish to do it keeping my gaze on Don Bosco and Jesus.

Warren Noronha is a prenovice discerning his vocation to Salesian Priesthood/Brotherhood.

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RISING BELLIES Ethan Fortes

Heavier Pockets - Lesser Service Service is a quality that everyone wants but few possess. What is service? It is to help those in need of our help. It requires dedication, humility and generosity. One would even define service as imparting knowledge and experience to others.

A common example of service is teaching.

Teachers play a very important role in serving the children. By imparting knowledge to the future generation they help shape the future.

Every year on September 5, children gift their teachers with flowers and cards because they look up to them as their role models and leaders.

A paid service would be a service in which the reward is money. An example for a paid service are those that work in government sectors. To these people, statistics are more important when serving rather that practicing. A recent example had taken place when teachers submitted wrong data to the government in order to get a lot of money. This kind of service has a very selfish motive.

In services where money would be involved usually leads to selfish motives and the one serving only looks at the money, forgetting the whole idea of service leading

to heavier pockets.

On the other hand, there are people who serve others without seeking any materialistic reward. These are the people that do selfless service. One would ask ‘what is selfless service?’ This is a kind of service where the reward is much greater than what Master Card can offer. The joy that someone gets when doing selfless service is an everlasting joy and keeps a person cheerful and happy.

Since we celebrated Teacher’s Day last month, let us take the example of teachers itself. There are teachers who do paid services as well as selfless services. Those who do the paid services eye only the numbers in the bank accounts!

They teach little, make you pay Rs. 5000/- every month for extra

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classes. This kind of service is selfish and the people who serve like this are greedy. Teachers that do selfless services are those that go and teach the poor and orphaned boys through NGOs and do not expect anything in return.

Although most paid services have selfish motives, there are some people who work in paid services and do selfless service. This can be done when the person works with all his heart. I know a few teachers in my school who teach from their heart and not for the money, and honestly, I learnt far more from them than from the teachers who taught for money. When the paid teachers teach with their hearts, the children learn much more than what is given in the textbooks.

Selfless service brings us great rewards but that comes with a lot of hardships and sacrificing of one’s time. It calls for humility, care and generosity. Without these three qualities one

will never find the true happiness in serving selflessly.

It takes a lot of courage to face the hardships of serving selflessly but are you ready to face it?

Are you up for the challenge?

During my stay at Don Bosco Lonavala, I would teach the street children of Maria Ashiana. In the beginning it was very difficult to communicate with very little Hindi I know, but it was worth the efforts. The time I spent with them in teaching, has brought me inner joy.

As citizens of the world we must look at those around us, and help them in their difficulties without seeking anything in return. By doing so I believe we can be effective leaders in the society.

Ethan is a pre novice at the Salesian institute in Sindhudurg, Maharashtra.

Congratulations!

Fr George Quadros, SDB

The Joy of Giving Foundation, Goa presented a special award to Fr George on October 1, 2016, through the hands of Padma Bhushan Julio Ribeiro for bringing 200 acres of fallow land into cultivation within 3 months.

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LET’S EVOLVE Aliester D’Souza SDB

THE EVOLUTION OF LEADERSHIP

Wolves.Sheep.Shepherds

Leaders are not born but made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. That’s the price we have to pay to achieve that goal or any goal. – Vince Lombardi 12 October 1844 was a Saturday – the day dedicated to Our Blessed Mother. Don Bosco retired to rest pensive about the uncertainty of place and means for the growing oratory.

He dreamed of a Shepherdess (Our Lady) who led him and the pack of wolves (his boys) around him from one place to another. At each place some of the wolves turned into lambs.

Mounting work exhausted Don Bosco and he was unable to effectively tend the flock of animals following him. At this point, some of the lambs turn into shepherds and take care of the flock. The dream continued.

Michael Rua was barely fourteen when Don Bosco appointed him assistant at the Pinardi.

He made his vows at seventeen and almost immediately was made director of the oratory of the Guardian Angel. Meanwhile as he studied Hebrew, he was asked to teach math at Valdocco. At twenty-one, even before his ordination, he was made Spiritual Director of the congregation and at twenty-six the rector of the minor seminary at Mirabello.

John Baptist Francesia, aged seventeen, did brilliantly well in Latin and so Don Bosco put him in charge of teaching Latin in the Oratory while he was still studying. John Cagliero was made to teach music at the age of sixteen. Angelo Savio was still cleric when made Economer General and Prefect of the congregation. Don Ruffino was twenty-four when made rector of Lanzo in 1864, Cerruti and Albera were twenty-six when they were made rectors at Alassio and Marassi respectively.

Dominic Savio formulated rules and formed the sodality of the Immaculate Conception at the age of fourteen.

Actually, necessity driven by despondency called for desperate measures. With a growing oratory, hundreds of youngsters to take care of and the clergy regarding him a lunatic, Don Bosco had little choice than to elicit help from his own lads. While yet in their teens they shouldered mighty responsibilities that demanded hard and diligent work which left them so exhausted at the end of the day that at times they slept sitting on a chair with their shoes still on. Contrary to the prevalent outlook of the clergy that age and experience were criteria for demanding portfolios, Don Bosco entrusted delicate and challenging

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assignments to his young Salesians. The history of our congregation proves that these young men did not fail him but rather they did exceptionally well.

Tom Peters rightly describes ‘great leaders’ as ones who create more leaders rather than followers. Followers are pleasant sheep and they are passive – they wait to be acted upon.

They are ones who refuse to use their ability to think and are content being told what to do. Their conviction and motivation for action doesn’t come from within themselves but is largely dependent on the leader. They behave much like machines who deliver only when pushed and pressed. Hence, the leader would be effective as long as he is present with his flock. Therefore we need thinkers, we need real leaders and not baby-sitters. Leaders have to create more leaders so that even when they are gone their ideas prevail and their work continues. They can rightly be compared to the street-lamp lighter of old who would go around lighting the lamps of the street: the light remained even when he was gone.

Leaders become great not because of their power over others but their ability to empower others, says John Maxwell.

Empowerment to leadership involves a two-step process: impression of character and expression in responsibility. Firstly, the leader in question

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ought to imprint leadership traits onto the character of each member in his group.

The best way to do so is to lead by example rather than to proclaim from the rooftops for in our sensory world seeing is believing and works speak louder than words. A leader who practices what he preaches incarnates leadership. Better said in the words of Donald H. McGannon ‘Leadership is action, not position’.

Once the right character is impressed what remains is to test it with responsibility. Here comes the most precarious situation for a leader: the ability to trust the person that he will accomplish the task well. This trust is more like the risk an eagle takes with its young ones when it pushes them off the crest. It hopes that the natural ability to fly triumphs over the momentary fear of the unknown.

The early Salesians were led by the example of Don Bosco. They saw him as an epitome of hard work and selflessness. They saw him roll up his sleeves and work with the young, constantly present with them and giving them necessary guidance.

And when entrusted with responsibilities they willingly imitated the leader they had seen: their hero Don Bosco. Of Don Rua it is said that he was at Mirabello what Don Bosco was at Valdocco. They had no seminars or crash courses, just great leadership.

I think it would be a mistake to attribute

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over (I have not watched news for days), as a race we have evolved from fierce but rational wolves to genteel but rational sheep. But since leadership involves thinking, organization and effort, very few have decided to evolve from sheep to shepherds. We are content with somebody else telling us what to do with our lives. Someone rightly said that ‘Follow the Leader’ is our favourite sport.

the success of the Salesians solely to Don Bosco’s dreams. I think the dreams were just indicators or ‘bright ideas’. He had to struggle to make the dreams a reality. Rereading the dream of the Shepherdess in this light I’d say that as a solution to his exhaustion, Mary showed him sheep transforming into shepherds. But then just watching and waiting wouldn’t turn his wolves to sheep and sheep to shepherds. Don Bosco had to set himself to the task of transforming them, leading them by good example and then entrusting a portion of his ever-increasing work to them. If gentleness and kindness transforms wolves into sheep, it is hard work and dedication that transforms sheep into shepherds. Don Bosco who became able in leadership through hard work also designed his boys as leaders by arduous fashioning in the smithy of hard work.

I also understand that if all were to be leaders of society we would be in a state of anarchy and so I dare not advocate that. But we all could be good leaders of our own lives: make right choices to be noble citizens. Let not someone else dictate us the road to take. Let us take charge of our own selves and be the masters of our fate and the captains of our souls. Let’s evolve!

Br Aliester is a Salesian in period of formation presently doing his practical training at the Prenovitiate , Bosco Udyogshala, Pinguli.

Considering that the barbaric days of irrational slaughter over race, religion and rumour are 46 SANGATI

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HELPLESS GOD Nicholas King SJ

Biblical Models for Leadership Wherever you look these days, politics seems to have mislaid its comfortable predictabilities.

A majority of Britons (though I have actually met very few who admit to it) has voted for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union; and no-one seems to know what to do about it, or how things will look once we have done it. There is tangible disarray in all the British political parties and (I write this deep in the silly season; doubtless by the time the party political conferences come round, the emperor will have cobbled some clothes together) it is far from clear what their future will be, after some repellent back-stabbing on all sides. Many seasoned observers predict the end of the two-party system, and it is possible that they are right. Those who lift their gaze across the Atlantic find themselves alarmed by the forthcoming Presidential election, for a number of reasons. In several other countries there is a clamour of accusations of corruption against the governing party. The presidents of France and Germany appear to have mislaid their ordinarily deft touch with their electors.

All over the world, there is a growing sense of ‘them’ and ‘us’, and electors seem ready to adopt their only possible revenge, either by taking the ballot box seriously, or by refusing to vote on the grounds that ‘it only encourages them’.

Even the Church seems to be experiencing a certain distance between ‘those in the pew’ and ‘those in charge’, which it ought not to

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ignore.

What is the answer? With some hesitation, I should like to admit to having written a recent book that may assist our thinking on leadership (The Helplessness of God: biblical models of leadership, Kevin Mayhew 2014). It aims to see what the bible can say to us about leadership in our present crisis. The book originated in a widespread feeling of discomfort about how leadership was being exercised in the Catholic Church and a desire to see how the topic is handled in Scripture, both Old and New Testaments. The book was taking shape and the early chapters had been written when the cardinals took me by surprise and elected a pope with a very different leadership st yle.

N o r is it a matter of just one man; it seems clear that the Spirit is inviting the Church to exercise aut hor it y i n a notably different way from now on. Bearing in mind that the new pope had, like all Jesuits,

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made the full Spiritual Exercises twice in his life, I shaped the book in the light of the structure of the Exercises that St Ignatius Loyola left for us, starting with the ‘First Principle and Foundation’, which reminds us that we are created to ‘praise, reverence and serve God our Lord’. The First Week, in which we confront ourselves as forgiven sinners, is followed by week two, the life of Christ, in the course of which we are to make the choice of the manner of life to which we are being called. After that, the Third Week is devoted to Jesus’s suffering and death, and is intended as a way of confirming the decision, once we see how uncomfortable the consequences can be of choosing otherwise. Then St Ignatius takes us into the Fourth Week, given over to praying

the Resurrection. This should take us joyfully out of retreat and back into our world and to the vocation to which the Lord has called us.

That, as I say, is the shape of the book. What does it say about leadership that might be of help today? The short answer is that in the book it becomes evident that the only people

in the bible who get authority right every time are God and Jesus. And how does that happen? The clue is in the title of the book, which advertises God’s helplessness. This is a title with which several readers find themselves uncomfortable, but it describes the situation into which God has voluntarily gone in creating human beings. That is to say that because the name of the game is ‘love’, and because love cannot be programmed, God has created us as free beings, and therefore simply does not know what we are going to do next.

We can already see God’s helplessness in the second chapter of the bible, when the Almighty waits to see what the first human (for whom God is trying to find a companion) is going to call the various other beings whom God has created. That becomes even clearer in chapter 3, when the woman gives in to the serpent’s blandishments and eats the fruit, enticing her husband to do the same.

For then things go wrong, and they realise that they are naked, so must hide from the God who is heard walking in the garden in the cool of the evening.

When God comes calling for them (helpless, you see), they have to hide, because they realise what they have done. Under those circumstances they have to leave the garden into which they have been placed, but there is a verse, not often noticed in that chapter, which says that ‘the Lord God made leather garments for the man and his wife, with which he clothed them’ (Genesis 3:21). Here is our clue: the God of the Old Testament is not the tyrant that we too readily

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assume, but a servant, trying to make things better for us.

The book then continues, more or less in biblical order, to show how the scriptural texts reveal our human lust for power and our refusal to serve. There is the tale of Moses’ leadership (and the six excuses that he made to avoid accepting the post); there are the difficulties that Joshua experienced as Moses’ successor. Then we are invited to listen to the tales of the Judges, some of which are pretty hairy. And we are therefore not all that surprised when the people of Israel demand a king to rule over them ‘just like the other nations’. But God overrules the prophet Samuel’s hesitations and (here’s the point) remains unfailingly faithful despite our greed for a different political system. The story unfolds with regal disaster after monarchical disaster, the fall of the Northern Kingdom in 720BC, and the destruction and capture of the Holy City (a much greater disaster) a century and a half later, when the Temple is destroyed, the monarchy apparently brought to an end, and the leading citizens all taken off to Babylon. And so on: you can read this portion for yourself, and the book makes the suggestion that this is the ‘First Week’ of the Exercises, the moment of recognising that sin is a power in the world.

Then Jesus comes into the world, God’s last word on the matter, the final testimony of God’s fidelity. We are invited to respond to

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his call, and to walk by his side as he seeks to build the kingdom. We applaud as some agree to become disciples, though we also notice, nervously, how readily they get it wrong, and even make attempts to gain authority over the rest. But we listen to Jesus teaching about how to do authority, and we watch the way he exercises it. Above all, he faces death with a serene countenance, and there is the challenge to us: can we do the same as we respond to his call (here, of course, we are in the Third Week of the Exercises)? Finally, God vindicates Jesus, and he is raised from the dead on that first Easter Sunday, and that gives us the Fourth Week of the Exercises, the mood in which we should emerge from retreat.

It does not stop there, however, for Jesus in the Acts of the Apostles remains present to the disciples, and teaches them how to carry on with their mission. If they get it right, they should be imitating God’s helplessness and Jesus’s refusal to make a grab for power. Sadly, however, that is often beyond them; but if we (the Church) were to get it right, the world

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would be a better place, and were politicians also to follow suit they would be a good deal more admired than is at present the case.

Am I arguing therefore that there is a window here for the Church, one that we should seize at all costs and come back to dominating the lives of all? That would be precisely to miss the point. It is a disaster when the Church gets too wealthy and too powerful; and it is a failure to follow Jesus (tempting though it undoubtedly is to think ‘my intentions are good; it does not matter if I get a bit of power and a bit of money’).

In recent weeks I have viewed the bare remains of monasteries and religious houses in the North and Midlands of England that did wonderful work but finally lost the plot and became too rich, too powerful – and had to be destroyed.

From now on, I am arguing in this book, no one – in politics, or in the Church, or in your local gardening club – should aspire to leadership unless they are prepared to serve and to assert that God alone is in charge and, if necessary, to die for the cause. We have been brought to a new place by the present disarray in world politics, and there is an opportunity. But it is not an opportunity to seek power. It is the chance to serve.

There is one further reflection here. Britain now has, for the second time, a woman prime minister, and the First Minister of Scotland is a woman, as of course is the monarch. Elsewhere there are other women in leadership: in Germany and conceivably, come November, in the United States of America. Is it entirely fanciful, in the light of this development, to hope for a more mature approach to politics than the macho male style that has had its day? It seems possible to argue that women, for example, have more sense than men about resorting to war.

Whether or not that is the case, the time has certainly come to put an end to the discourse of hatred and impoliteness that marked the debates about our recent referendum; and an end also to the unblushing repetition of untruths that were likewise a feature of those discussions (for not everything that was said on either side could possibly be true).

Whatever happens, political (and ecclesial) leadership can only hereinafter be exercised by turning our attention to this helpless God; and here the Church may have something to offer.

Fr Nicholas is Formation Delegate for the Jesuits in Britain and teaches at Heythrop College, University of London.

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October - December 2016

RECTOR MAJOR SPEAKS Fr. Ángel Fernández Artime, RM

Meeting Salesian Leaders Where did the idea of this midterm meeting come from?

For the current six years we set ourselves two major targets, a m o n g many: to take great care of formation and of all the formation communities in the Congregation; and to accompany Provincials closely. In this context, therefore, two new initiatives were created: the new Provincial’s meeting with the Rector Major, the Vicar and the Councillors of the various sectors, just weeks after his appointment, so that when the provincial returns to his province he has a “navigation chart” for the six years; and then this meeting with the Provincials in mid-term, to offer them a spiritual experience once off so to speak, a time of spiritual and personal rest, and an important dialogue with the Vicar and with the Rector Major.

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What were the results of the experience?

Certainly there was a renewal of the sense of Salesian belonging created by living together for seven days in Valdocco, in the heart of the Salesian spirit; then also the spiritual experience, enriched by a number of conferences and reflections on the Salesian spirit which were really of a very high level; and the chance to experience fraternity among themselves – twelve provincials from four continents and the sense of communion and unity of the whole congregation. Finally, what was one of the specific objectives of the meeting - the possibility of an ample personal interview of the Provincials with the Rector Major and his Vicar. This allowed each provincial to return to his province with a clear vision of the challenges and priorities, and the way forward.

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How did you find the Provincials three years after taking up office?

I found them in good health: physically, spiritually and vocationally, enthusiastic in their service and, of course, tired from the effort of coping with the difficulties in the various areas. Above all I found them with the serenity of people who see the future of the Province and of the Congregation with hope and optimism.

GC27 put fraternity at the centre. Was this felt during this meeting?

Fraternity is not only a core value of the General Chapter: it takes effect only when it is lived! This was a wonderful experience of great fraternity, in the simplicity of daily life and the time we shared. Besides, for us it is an essential element: Salesian life cannot be understood without the family spirit that Don Bosco always lived.

What do you think will be the influence of this type of meeting over time?

The Provincials insisted that it was not just a meeting, “we were called together for something important”, they said. I am convinced that in the years ahead, if we continue like this, the fruit of these events will be seen both in terms of a stronger communion between the Rector Major and his Council and each Province, through the person of the Provincial, and through precise paths of accompaniment which will mean having the whole congregation “on the same track,” so to speak – one carriage after the other, but all travelling in the same direction with the same spirit and objectives.

Fr Angel Fernandez is the 10th Successor of Don Bosco.

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Letters to the Editor...

July - September 2016 | Vol 09 Issue - 03

I happened to read the magazine during one of my visits to St Domnic Savio Church at Wadala wherein this magazine was kept.

I liked the content and at once was hooked though it was an old issue.

- Raymond D’Souza, Mumbai

Congratulations for the beautiful Editorial and the excellent articles on the new Saint.

May Mother Teresa bless your ministry.

- Fr Valerian Mendonca, Udupi Hearty congratulations! I glanced through the issue. You have beautifully highlighted the life of Blessed Mother Teresa. Once I get free time, I will go through each article. Thank you for remembering me. I will treasure it.

Fr Alex D’Mello, Sindhudurg Thanks for sending the Sangati news letter. It is very informative, rich with well written articles.

I enjoyed every bit of it.

- Fr Xavier Devadas, Karjat Congrats for the good layout and substantial content of the mag.

- Tony D’Souza, Nashik

October - December 2016

You have done it again!

Beaten all expectations on the Sangati magazine colourful, many articles and several writers, good quality of print, of layout and well as content! I feel the need to thank you for the hard work and the fruitful outcome of each magazine so far. May we continue to have many more issues! I am sure readers will be more than delighted to have a copy!

- Ian Figueiredo, Rome

Thank you for the new issue of Sangati. As always it is so well done and well laid out too, with appropriate pics and good quality text.

Am sure your readers will receive rich insights into the life of our new Saint. Congrats to you and your editorial team. Your editorial for this issue is also very meaningful and matches the personality and appearance of the Mother!

- Anthony da Silva sj, Goa

It was joy to flip through the pages of Sangati!...

Hearty congratulations to you. I was greatly touched by quality material found on the life of great Indian saint Mother Teresa. Really good work.

SANGATI

- Simao Fernandes, Sindhudurg

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SALESIAN

BENAULIM FATORDA LOUTULIM KAKATI ODXEL DABOLIM OROS KUDAL PARRA PALIEM PANJIM SIRSI

PROVINCE NEWS

The sojourn of the Aspirants to Karnataka

The aspirants and a few vocation boys visited Karnataka on September 3, 2016. After the train journey they walked along the Inanje station about 8 km from Shirvawe and reached Don Bosco Shirva. They interacted with the Salesians and the hostel boys, got accustomed with their culture and way of life. They visited the minor basilica of St. Lawrence Attur, and Don Bosco Kelmbet.

Health Awareness at Marian Knights 2016 Don Bosco Academy Sutgatti

Don Bosco Animation Centre, Benaulim organised a Marian Knight with the theme ‘ Like Mary Let’s Become Saints’ on September 24, 2016 for the Salesian Family comprised of Salesian Fathers, Friends of Don Bosco, Salesian Cooperators, Catechists, Junior Legion of Mary, Divine Providence Sisters of Benaulim, Handmaids of the Lord – Asilo, Don Bosco Oratory, Youth Paschers and Don Bosco Youth. Although it was a rainy day, those who made it to the event, enjoyed the youthful spirituality, creative singing, dancing, quiz and games prepared by the animators.

The performance on the song ‘Mary Did You Know’ by Junior Legion of Mary won the hearts of all.

A half-day health awareness program was organized by Don Bosco Academy Sutgatti in collaboration with the Rotary Club. A group of four doctors, Dr Basavkumar Talwai, Dr V. B. Nithali, Dr Pawan Joshi and Dr Prakash Madalgiri were present for the camp. They were accompanied by Mr Suresh Morkeri and Mr Girish Patil of the Rotary Club. The high school and open school students along with the staff members attended the camp.

Readers Club Launched at DB College, Panjim

Finally, every group contributed to the fellowship meal shared together with joyful spirits.

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DBO Launches donboscooratory. com

The Provincial, Fr. Felix Fernandes in the presence of the Vice Provincial, Fr. Avil Rodrigues, the Economer, Fr. Jose Sequeira, Fr. Savio Gomes (Rector), Fr. Joel D’Souza (Prefect of Studies), Fr. Ralin De Souza (Oratory Director) and all the aspirants, launched the official website of the oratory: www. donboscooratory.com. Recalling the humble beginnings of the salesian ministry, the Provincial invited the aspirants and all gathered to say the Hail Mary, and invoked Don Bosco’s blessings on this new virtual space salesian mission of the Oratory.

Don Bosco Parra Assumption Special

Don Bosco Youth Welfare Centre, Parra celebrated Independence Day with an entertaining series of football matches organized by Fr. Augustine Fernandes, Sports Coordinator. All the matches were played with gusto under the watchful eye of the referee, Mr. Hector Trinidade.

October - December 2016

PINGULI QUEPEM SHIRVA KELMBET SULCORNA SUTGATTI TRASI TUEM CORTALIM GHATAPRABHA TIVIM

Entrepreneurship Awareness Program at Don Bosco VTI, Quepem

Don Bosco Vocational Training Institute recently organised an Entrepreneurship Awareness Program at their premises in Quepem, Goa, conducted by I Create Goa. A total of 71 participants that included students from various trades, ex-students, parents and community members, attended this awareness program facilitated by I Create Master Facilitators. There were made aware of entrepreneurship as a viable career option, the basic essential entrepreneurial skills and requirements needed to plan, start and run a successful business.

Don Bosco Tuem U-14 Win Football Invitational Trophy

Playing on a murkier field, Don Bosco High School Tuem etched its name on the maiden U-14 trophy defeating Vidya Prasarak High School Morjim 2-1 via tie breaker in the finals of the invitational Football tournament organised by St Joseph High School Pernem, Goa on September 24, 2016. Amit Kambli and Dikshant Polji were the only goal scorers for the winners while Vignesh for the runners up. Agnelo Fernandes and Amit of Don Bosco were the player of the tournament and best defender of the tournament respectively.

Contributing to New Education Policy 53 prominent members of civil society participated in the REACH-Goa & DON BOSCO Konkan Development Society organized a one-day Consultative Meet on ‘National Policy on Education 2016’ on August 27. Mr Amit Narkar NCAS Pune anchored & facilitated the process. Suggestions were sent to Directorate & the Ministry of Education, Goa on Sept 15.

Past Pupils Pay Respects To Fr Romulo

The past pupils of the Don Bosco, Mormugao Unit, along with their families paid respects to their late Delegate Fr Romulo Noronha when they assembled around his grave in the Salesian Cemetery at Fatorda, Margao, Goa on September 11, 2016.

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DBCE Students Go For Low Cost Industrial Automation

The Mechanical Engineering students of Don Bosco College of Engineering have developed a working model of the automated setup for inspection of the fan shank. The automated setup has been designed and fabricated by Rajesh Kumar, Nithin Rajmohan, Sairaj Gauns, Suyash Khandeparkar and Amey Tari under the guidance of Asst. Prof. Suraj Marathe and Mr Sachin Kale, Managing director, Sri Om Engg. Works.

Car Underbody Washing System

The Mechanical Engineering students of DBCE Abhijit Dessai, Dheeraj Naik, Mukesh Naik, Pratish Naik and Volney Travasso have successfully developed and tested a prototype of a “Washing System for the Underbody of the Car” under the guidance of Prof. Sachin Turi, Asst. Professor, Mech. Engineering Department.

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SOUTH ASIA NEWS Fr Praveen Peter SDB Fr C M Joseph Cherukunnel SDB Elected as CCPI President defends his Doctoral Thesis in Chemistry Fr C. M. Joseph Cherukunnel SDB, was elected as the 4th President of the Conference of Catholic Psychologists of India (CCPI) at the 17th National Conference of Catholic Psychologists held in Goa from September 30-October 2, 2016. He has obtained his Doctorate degrees in Psychology and another in Clinical Psychology. He is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. He succeeds Fr Godfrey D’Sa, SDB.

Gospel Rock 2016

The Salmiya Parish Youth (SPY) of Saint Therese of Child Jesus Church, Kuwait organised ‘Gospel Rock’ on September 12, for music lovers in Kuwait. The event was held at Don Bosco and the parishioners from the other three parishes in Kuwait - Holy Family Cathedral, Our Lady of Arabia and Saint Daniel Comboni - were also invited. There were 26 performances comprising of Choirs, Bands and Solo Performances singing in different languages - English, Hindi, Malayalam, Tagalog and Polish.

Book on “Oasis of Works of Mercy” Released Fr Maria Arokiam Kanaga, the Salesian Regional Superior for South Asia, released Oasis of the Works of Mercy - written by Fr Elias Dias in the presence of Salesians and parishioners of Don Bosco Parish, Nashik on September 25. Book seeks to promote Pope Francis’ call to celebrate the great Jubilee of Mercy. In the book, the author elaborates how it is possible for each of us to be authentic disciples of Jesus, revealing his merciful and compassionate love in and through our lives.

Fr Praveen Peter SDB, Vice Principal and Asst. Professor, Sacred Heart College, Tirupattur, successfully defended his PhD thesis in Chemistry, titled, “Investigations on Polyoxometalates”, under the guidance of Dr. T. Jeyabalan, Associate Professor, Sacred Heart College, Tirupattur, on 1 October 2016. Around 150 research scholars, professors, students, Salesians, friends and well-wishers attended the event.

‘Don Bosco In Mangalore’ New book Released The book ``Don Bosco in Mangalore - Before the arrival of the Salesians``

by Philomena D`Souza, FMA was released by Fr Maria Arokiam at Bangalore on August 30, 2016. This book is the fruit of a research undertaken during the bicentenary of the birth of Don Bosco to assess the impact of Don Bosco`s charism on the Church and the world.

The book documents the Don Bosco Institutions and organisations, up and running, in the diocese of Mangalore even before the arrival of the Salesians, placing them in the socio-ecclesial framework of the Mangalorean Catholic Community.

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October - December 2016

SALESIAN

WORLD NEWS Fifth ADMA Congress in Central America

The Fifth Congress of the Devotees of Mary Help of Christians (ADMA) in Central America took place in Nicaragua from September 28October 1. The motto of the congress was “Mary, Mother and Teacher of the Family”. The main objective was to present the renewal of ADMA with special attention to the family, in the light of developments in recent years, and in harmony with the journey of the Church and the Salesian Family.

24th Salesian National Youth Games

Almost 1,200 athletes, accompanied by their coaches and teachers from 35 local associations of SALOS, the Salesian Organization for Sport in Poland, took part in the 24th Salesian National Youth Games in Łódź from 16 to 18 September.

October - December 2016

The situation after the passage of Hurricane Matthew

The situation in Haiti after the passage of Hurricane Matthew is becoming more and more serious and alarming. Now that communications between the North and the South of the country are recovering we are able to understand better the true extent of the disaster. More than 300 people have already been confirmed dead and there is concern that this number will continue to rise.

The new Missionary Cross

This year’s Salesian Missionary E x p e d it io n had a new M ission a r y Cross which is set to become part of a tradition, because from now on this will be the cross that the missionaries will receive each year.

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Anita, the volunteer who decided to stay forever in Casa Don Bosco

Anita is the name of a volunteer.

She lived in Trieste up to the age of 70. She was a wife and the mother of a son. She ran a shop but when she was widowed she lost interest in the trade. She was waiting to follow her husband in death. But a letter from Bolivia, published in a local newspaper, convinced her to donate all the money she had set aside.

First, however, she decided to go on a long trip and to settle at Casa Don Bosco in Bolivia.

A Salesian Response to 2030 Agenda!

On the first anniversary of the acceptance by the United Nations of the Sustainable Development Agenda till 2030, Don Bosco Network is launching A Salesian Response to the 2030 Agenda, emphasizing the commitment of Don Bosco organizations to the advancement of “poor and abandoned youth”.

The Sustainable Development Goals were signed exactly a year ago and represent a challenge for the next 15 years.

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CHURCH

WORLD NEWS Synod of Bishops in Pope to Anglicans: October 2018 will ‘Prayer, Witness, Focus on Young Mission for Common Journey’

The theme chosen by Pope Francis for the XV General Assembly of the Ordinary Synod of Bishops taking place in October 2018 will be “Young people, faith and vocational discernment.” It said by discussing this theme, “the Synod wishes to accompany young people along their existential journey towards maturity so that, through a process of discernment, they can discover their life plan and achieve it joyfully, opening themselves up to an encounter with God and humanity and actively taking part in the building of the Church and society.”

Pope Francis spoke to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Primates of the Anglican Communion in a Vatican audience on Oct 6. The Holy Father recalled the historic meeting between Blessed Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey 50 years ago, which has led to a gradual rapprochement based on theological dialogue. He then reflected with them on the three themes of ‘prayer, witness, and mission’ as a basis for ‘our continuing common journey’.

Nobel Peace Prize to President Santos

After the news of the Nobel Peace Prize 2016 awarded to Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos Calderon, His Exc. Mgr. Luis Augusto Castro, Archbishop of Tunja and President of the Colombian Episcopal Conference, expressed his joy and congratulated the President of the nation.

Pope announces 17 new Cardinals in Consistory

‘In this night of conflict, may religions be a dawn of peace’

Pope Francis has called on Muslim leaders to join him in giving a united response to a conflict-ridden world and to build together a future of peace. Speaking to Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadeh, Grand Mufti of the Caucasus during an interreligious meeting at the end of his apostolic visit to Azerbaijan, the Pope said that today “we are challenged to give a response that can no longer be put off”.

Sport has great value, must be honest Pope Francis on October 5 greeted participants of Sport at the Service of Humanity’s First Global Conference on Sport and Faith, which is being held in the Vatican. The event is being organized by the Pontifical Council for Culture, the United Nations, and the International Olympic Committee.

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Pope Francis at the end of his Angelus on October 9, announced the creation of 17 new Cardinals. A consistory will be held on November 19, the eve of the closing of the Jubilee of Mercy. 13 of the new Cardinals will be under 80 years and will be eligible to vote in a conclave.

The Holy Father said that the those chosen come from five continents.

They include three American Archbishops and Archbishops from Mauritius and Bangladesh.

October - December 2016

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