NATIVITY OF OUR BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Reported by Jeevan SJ

 Tertianship at Prerana, Mount St Joseph,  Bangalore.

Reported by Jeevan SJ

FREEDOM FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT

A Football Tournament was organized by the Novitiate Community, on the occasion of the Independence Day Celebration. Mrs. Sharada, our co-worker inaugurated the football match. The team 'Mother Mary' led by the Novices and the 'Team Mother' India led by the Co-workers fought hard for the winning goal. All the senior Fathers and Co-workers were present to witness the high voltage match. At the end, the team Mother India emerged victorious with a score of 2-0. 

 Reported by Jeevan SJ

INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION

 "Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high, into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake" - 

Rabindranath Tagore. 

A meaningful celebration of the feast of Assumption and Independence was held at Mount St Joseph. My Shibhu, our Co-worker from MSJ farm, accompanied by Fr. Rector hoisted the national tri-color. All the community members and Collaborators were present. 

Reported by Jeevan SJ

ELEVATOR – A NEW FEATHER IN ‘THE PRERANA CAP’

 

Prerana is blessed with an elevator. It was inaugurated and blessed on 31^st July 2020. It is a much-needed facility, especially for the seniors who come to Prerana to attend various courses. We gratefully remember Fr John Pradeep SJ who was instrumental in making this project a reality. We hope and pray that it may lift the spirit of those who come to attend the courses at Prerana!

  Reported by: Jeevan SJ

The Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola

The supreme happiness is the conviction of being loved. This quote is proved to be apt as our superiors Fr. John Pradeep, the Novice Master and Fr. Merwyn Fernandes, the Socius, had organized an extravaganza of events, an activity-based programme titled “FIESTA 2020” on the occasion of the feast of our Father and Founder, St. Ignatius of Loyola. The novices were divided into two groups and were given opportunities to exhibit their talents through activities like composing hymns on St. Ignatius, grace before meals, mime on the theme Ignatius’ message to the corona-affected Jesuit community, funny skit titled ‘Laugh with Loyola’ and finally instrumental music piece apart from sport events like football, volleyball, basketball and cricket. The novices took part in each of the events in an enthusiastic way. Other activities like quiz was organized by Fr. John and Fr. Merwyn and funny games by Fr. Jeevan and Fr. Merwyn both for novices and community Fathers. This gave a wonderful opportunity for the novices to build up their companionship among themselves and to know the community Fathers in a deeper way. The novices were part of spiritual activities like conducting the novena in honour of St. Ignatius of Loyola along with the community fathers. This gave them a chance to be familiar with the life of St. Ignatius and they came forward with creative ideas to make this novena a special affair. The solemn festal mass was celebrated by Fr. Anil Al'meida, who enlightened the gathering with insights through his homily. Furthermore, on the feast day, a basketball tournament was organized between the FIESTA groups of the novices and the priests. These activities and events made this year’s feast a memorable one. The seniors too had their share of fun with Dominos and Snake-Ladder tournament.

Festal Mass

Fun Games 

Basketball Tournament (Knights vs Seniors vs Warriors)

Group Activity

Community Worship

Homilist: Fr. Anil Al'meida

Cultural Evening

Laugh with Loyola

Composition of the Hymns

FIESTA - Champions

Prize Distribution

MSJ- Dominos-Tournament

Veterans in Action

Reported By: Jeevan SJ

Entrance Day & Vows Day

VOWS DAY

With the desire to be “Placed with the Son”, 6 novices after having completed their 2 years of Novitiate at Mount St Joseph made their first vows on 21^st June 2020 in the chapel of Mount St Joseph at 10.30 A.M. Fr. Stanislaus D’Souza, the Provincial presided over the Eucharist along with Fr. Anthony Joseph, the Rector of Mount St Joseph, Fr. John Pradeep, the Novice Director, Fr. Joseph Rodrigues and Fr. Mariathas as con-celebrants. Fr. Mariathas, the novice director designated to the Sri Lanka Province, preached an inspiring homily. The novices added a golden feather to the celebration by preparing a meaningful backdrop, beautiful flower decoration and melodious choir. At the end of the Eucharist, Fr. Provincial released two books titled “Pray! Pray much!” and “A Prophecy that became a History”. The mass was followed by a short felicitation programme for the vovents. Navataranga, the Karnataka Jesuit Novitiate bulletin was released by Fr. Provincial. The program concluded with the sumptuous lunch.

ENTRANCE DAY

After an intense preparation during the first probation, 9 first year novices readily entered Mount St Joseph novitiate, a home of love on 4^th of July 2020 through the Eucharistic celebration presided over by Fr. Anthony Joseph, the Rector of Mount St Joseph. The theme ‘Pray with the son” made the liturgy meaningful. During the Eucharist, having been rooted and grounded in their call to the society of Jesus, they took a step forward in nurturing their vocation by following the footsteps of St. Ignatius and his first companions. The community conveyed best wishes for their new journey ahead through a wishing song. The programme ended with a sumptuous dinner. we wish them a fruitful time with the Lord.

  Reported by: Jeevan SJ

Summary of Covid Care Kit Diary: Reaching out to the Neediest, Farthest and in Abundance

MSJ, Bangalore 09 June 2020

In our previous posts we were reporting what we have been doing everyday and whom we have been reaching out with our relief work. The work at MSJ Covid care kit relief is astonishing. We never imagined that we would reach such heights in serving our neighbourhood and migrant workers in our vicinity in such large numbers. The dedicated work of so many donors, volunteers and people of good will cannot be forgotten. What we did might seem to be a drop in the ocean. However in order to fill that ocean each drop of water is very important. We feel very happy and content that we could so much. 

We being a group of people committed to the faith taught by our Lord Jesus Christ, this sudden but enduring experience of being with those people who lost  themselves in this tragedy of Corona pandemic has given a new vigour to our life. We cannot say "No" to anyone when someone is need of our care, concern and timely help.

Fr Teyol Machado, SJ who coordinated "Mount St Joseph Covid Care Kit Relief Work" says the following. "Covid-19 Relief experience has been one of the memorable experiences that has brought in a lot of people together and connected all of us. It has been an experience of cross-sectional partnership that has worked wonders. People from every walks of life, from various experiences came, along with their resources and resourcefulness, towards a common goal of making sure that none went hungry in this time of this pandemic. The collaboration with COVID-19 Relief Bangalore has helped me to see how collaborative efforts can transform lives. This coming together has taught me that all of us can work miracles of multiplication of loaves and fish provided we love and care for each other."

Here are some of the figures:

Total amount spent on relief work: Rs 31,25,000/-

Number of Beneficiaries: 1,68,980

Vegetables bought from farmers: Rs 6,00,000/-

Number of dry ration kits provided: 33,796

Number of food packets distributed: 11,634

Number of counsellors involved: 10

Number of people sheltered: 28

Financial aid provided for families: Rs 20,000/-

Number of awareness programs conducted: 135

Number of face masks distributed: 6,000

Number of people involved in relief work: 172

Number of days spent in relief work: 53

Number of people received sanitisers: 6,000

Our relief work involvement was basically around Bannerghatta, Jigani and Anekal area. However, we generously helped in reaching out to the neediest and most vulnerable. So our care kit relief reached even to the farthest locations of our state of Karnataka like Harihar, Gulbarga, etc.  Where there is good will and sense of humanity prevails within us, we can do so much for the welfare of each person who lives on this planet. With the words of Bible, I would like to say with Jesus, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you did for Me.’ (Matthew 25:40).
- Reported by Olvin Veigas, SJ

10 June 2020