26 participants representing 126 members of the India-Great Britain-Ireland Province arrived at Carmel Haven, Pune, about 6 pm to participate in the XIX Provincial Chapter. The Chapter members then welcomed Father Domenico Soliman, Superior General, Father Johnson Vattakunnel, General Councillor and Father Joby Mathew, Provincial Designate, as they arrived from Bombay by road at the venue.
The evenings program began with a solemn mass celebrated by Fr Domenico Soliman. The participants processed to the altar holding a flag representing all the communities and various apostolic or formative activities of the Province. Fr Joby Mathew, the Provincial Designate welcomed Father General and Fr Johnson Vattakunnel and thanked them for their presence during the days of the Chapter.
Father Soliman, in his homily, reminded the participants that “these will be intense days of confrontation, discernment and a time of choices” and that “listening to each other” is very essential for personal transformation and renewal of mission. Explaining the healing miracle of the paralytic (Gospel of the day) who was brought to Jesus by lowering him through the roof, Father General drew a comparison between the four friends who wanted to do some good for their friend and our Founder who wanted to do some good for the people of his time. He challenged the participants to do something for those who do not know Christ by renewing the “apostolic thrust, not each one alone but together, as a body, as a community, as a collection of different generations”. He concluded his homily saying, “The effectiveness of the mission depends on faith, and the mission expresses the quality of our relationship with Jesus Master”.
The homily, already translated into English, was delivered by Fr Johnson Vattakunnel. Father General made a very successful attempt to celebrate the mass in English.
Earlier in the afternoon, all chapter participants gathered in the community of Pune. Fr Sunil Varghese, Superior of the community of Pune, and all the members of the community extended generous hospitality to the participants. Thank you Fr Sunil and community in Pune for going out of your way to make all the necessary arrangements for the Chapter and for its participants. God bless you!
For More details about the XIX Provincial Chapter, See the Menu "Chapter News"
27 November 2022 was a memorable day for the Paulines in India. The feast of Blessed James Alberione was celebrated on this day. His Eminence Cardinal Oswald Gracias presided over the Eucharist. He thanked the Paulines for their contribution to the Church in India and reminded them of the prophetic qualities Bl. Alberione, the founder used for the glory of God. Golden Jubilee of The Sunday Liturgy
The Sunday Liturgy, English version of La Dominica completed its 50 golden years of publication. The event was celebrated with due festivities thanking God for his constant blessing on this ministry. The specially designed Golden Jubilee Edition of the Sunday Liturgy was solemnly released by his Eminence Cardinal Oswald. During the celebration, all the Editors of the Sunday Liturgy and those who rendered their service in the technical and circulation departments were felicitated. Release of a few New Titles from ST PAULS and ST PAULS Multimedia
It was a perfect feast day gift for our beloved Founder as we released two new titles, Meet Jesus the Divine Master from above and Powerful Prayers for all occasions, written by Fr George Kaitholil (95th Book) and compiled by Fr Johny Panamthanam, respectively. During the celebration, we also released a Mp3 music album which consists of Hymns from the well-known hymnal “With Joyful lips”. This album from St Pauls Multimedia is the 17th Music Album of Fr Johny Panamthanam. Release of the New Testament Audio version (Dramatised) from the Canonically Approved New Community Bible (NCB)
Trying to fulfill the desire of our Founder for the Word of God, ST PAULS Multimedia came up with a suggestion two years ago to have an audio version of our Bible, The New Community Bible. The work for this herculean task began immediately, under the able guidance and hard work of Fr Johny Panamthanam, which is nearing its completion. His Eminence Oswald Cardinal Gracias released the Audio version of the New Testament.
We consider it as a special blessing of our Founder that the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) granted us Canonical Imprimatur for the New Community Bible.
The Society of St Paul (SSP) celebrated Golden Jubilee of its foundation in the city of Chennai (1972-2022), its 50-year long presence in the Archdiocese of Madras-Mylapore, and the Feast of Blessed James Alberione, the Founder of the Pauline Family, on Saturday, 26th November, 2022. In preparation for the Jubilee and the Feast, there was a triduum in honour of Bl. James Alberione at our parish, Divine Mercy Church. The Solemn concelebrated Eucharist was presided over by His Grace Most Rev. Dr George Antonysamy, the Archbishop of Madras-Mylapore. In the Presence of Very Rev. Fr Stanley Sebastian, the Vicar-General of the Archdiocese of Madras-Mylapore, Rev. Fr Varghese Gnalian, the Provincial Superior of the SSP and Rev. Fr Joby Mathew, the Provincial-designate. During the homily, the archbishop highly appreciated and thanked the missionary services of the members of the SSP in his archdiocese, namely the pastoral care through the Divine Mercy Church, and the media-apostolate through the Good Pastor International Book Centre and Nallaayan Pathippagam (the Tamil publishing house of ST PAULS). His Grace Dr George Antonysamy also preached on the some of the characteristics of Bl. James Alberione—his Prayer life, Vision and Mission. After the celebration of the Mass, there was a felicitation programme at the Don Alberione Hall in which Rev. Fr Dr Kurian Thomas, a close friend of the Paulines and the Founder of the Sisters of the Nava Jeevan Vikas Secular Institute, gave a beautiful presentation of the history of the SSP and its members from the very inception till date. While Mr L. Joseph, a long standing parishioner of St Luke’s Church, Chennai and collaborator of the Paulines in the field of pastoral ministry, addressed the gathering, narrating the effective pastoral care given by the Pauline priests in the area of Anna Nagar, Chennai. Later, Rev. Fr Joby Mathew, the Provincial-designate, released the second edition of the ‘Divine Melodies’ the hymnal of the Divine Mercy Church, and the enriched Golden Jubilee edition ‘the Sunday Liturgy’. The members of the Chennai community, felicitated all dignitaries of the Golden Jubilee celebration, and gave a souvenir to all the invitees. It is to be remembered that the then Archbishop, His Grace Anthony Rayappa Arulappa who welcomed the members of the SSP wholeheartedly to the Archdiocese of Madras-Mylapore. It was a joyous moment of the Chennai Community to witness a large number of the priests, men and women religious, friends and laity participating in the historical event, and took part in the delight of the Paulines who toiled for fifty long years in Chennai.
St Pauls Bookshop at Edinburgh was blessed and inaugurated on 26th November 2022 on the auspicious day of the Feast of our Founder Blessed James Alberione. His Grace Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St Andrew’s & Edinburgh, blessed the bookshop at 12 noon. In his initial address, the archbishop thanked the Paulines for their service in the archdiocese and for opening the bookshop to cater to the needs of the Christian population in the city of Edinburgh. The bookshop is a long-cherished dream come true for the Archdiocese and for the India-Great Britain-Ireland province of the Society of St Paul.
The blessing ceremony was attended by more than 70 persons.Those present for the function consisted of the friends of St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral, the parishioners St Joseph’s (the parish administered by the Paulines), those who collaborated in bringing the bookshop to its realization, and Paulines from England and Ireland.
The singing of the choir of St Mary’s Cathedral added colour and flavour to the blessing ceremony. The blessing ceremony came to a conclusion with the invitees sharing a glass of champagne.
Many of those who attended the function thanked the Paulines for their initiative and wished them God’s blessing carrying out their apostolate!
“Even the smallest act of discipleship or the tiniest ember of belief can become a blazing bonfire of a consecrated life.” It was a joyful moment as the community of Pune witnessed the conferring of the Ministry of Acolyte on our brothers Amit Toppo and Gonmei Berno Hendry on 13th November 2022. Fr Varghese Gnalian, the Provincial Superior, presided over the Eucharistic celebration, along with Fr Joby Mathew, the Provincial Designate and others, in the community chapel of Pune at 11:30 am, during which our brothers were conferred the Ministry of Acolytes.
After the solemn Eucharistic celebration, Fr Sunil Varghese, the Superior of the community congratulated our brothers for ascending closer to the Holy Altar of the Lord. He expressed his sincere appreciation and gratitude to Fr Varghese Gnalian for his constant support and care towards the members of the community of Pune, particularly, to the Formation groups. He also officially welcomed Fr Joby Mathew the Provincial designate with a sapling and promised him our prayerful support to carry out the mission of animation entrusted to him.