30 May  2024, will always remain as a highly memorable day in the history of the Vijayawada community, as two important events were celebrated on the same day. During the Holy Mass at 6.30 am, presided over by Fr Joby Mathew, our Provincial, 6 of our Postulants, namely, Mandeep Ekka, Pradeep Bara, Santosh Kumar, Sumit Lakra, Savio Panmei and Wedneson entered the year of Novitiate.

The new Novices were entrusted into the hands of Fr Philip John, the newly appointed Novice Master. Fr Joby Mathew, in his inspiring homily, instructed the Novices to understand the great importance of the year of Novitiate and to imbibe an earnest desire, necessary discipline and strong determination, to understand and assimilate the deeper implications of Pauline religious life.

In the evening at 7.30 pm, just after completing the Eucharistic visit, five of our aspirants, namely, Westarwel Bamon, Prabhat Kujur, Nikit Burh, Pradeep Ekka and Silbester Dungdung entered the year of Postulancy during a simple yet meaningful liturgical celebration led by Fr Joby Mathew and assisted by Fr Prithviraj and Fr Varghese Gnalian. Fr Joby, in his brief talk, instructed the Postulants to understand the importance of the year of Postulancy and spend  it well to prepare themselves for the Novitiate. The Postulants were entrusted into the hands of Fr Varghese Gnalian, the Master of Postulants.

The day concluded with a sumptuous dinner with some special dishes.

It was a festive occasion for the India-Great Britain-Ireland Province of Society of St Paul as Dn Francis Xavier Aind was ordained priest by his Lordship Most Rev. Binay Kandulna D.D., the Bishop of the Diocese of Khunti, in Jharkhand State, on Sunday 14th April 2024. The Sacred Rite of Ordination began at 7.00 a.m. in Sacred Heart Church, Torpa, the home parish of Fr Francis Xavier Aind.

The most heartwarming moment of the entire ceremony was when the parents of Dn Francis Xavier Aind presented him in Mundari (a Local dialect) to the bishop for the service of the Church and the Gospel.

 Bishop Kandulna focused his homily on the day’s Second reading in which St Paul writing to Corinthians  says (1 Cor 15:1-10), “By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain.” Priesthood is a freely given gift from the Lord, it is not merited nor achieved, it is not “a job” or “an employment” in which one “must do” something. Like St Paul, we are weak human beings, but His grace makes us strong. Therefore, we must receive this gift and safeguard it and in the contemplation of the gift — everything else should spring up. Priests indeed have things they must do, “and the first task is proclaiming the Gospel,” Bishop said, “but it is necessary to take care of the core, the source from which this mission springs, the gift we have freely received from the Lord. To the ordinandi, he presented St Paul as a Model of consecrated life.

Yet another significant feature of the ordination was the day -- the Third Sunday of the Easter,  also known as Good Shepherd Sunday.

Francis Aind is the Second Pauline Priest from the Diocese of Khunti, the other being late Fr Pankaj Kandulna who passed away in 2020. Present at the ordination ceremony was Rev Fr Bisu Benjamin Aind, the Vicar General of Khunti Diocese, Provincial Superior, Fr Joby Mathew, Fr Prithviraj Philip, the Formation Director and other twelve Pauline and thirty-five Diocesan Priests who con-celebrated at the Holy Eucharist. More than five thousand Catholics actively participated in the Holy Eucharist. Dances are an essential part of many Tribal cultures, and they often reflect the symbolism and beliefs of the tribe or culture that performs them. They are an essential part of tribal ceremonies. During the Holy Eucharist, various schools presented meaningful Tribal dances accompanied by a devotional song.

After the Ordination Ceremony, Fr Francis Xavier Aind remembered and thanked his parents, brothers, sisters, relatives, teachers, formators and the members of the Society of St Paul for all the support and guidance he received during his vocation journey. Immediately after the Ordination the parish community and the members of the Society of St Paul felicitated the newly ordained priest.

On 15th April 2024, Fr Francis Aind celebrated his First Thanksgiving Holy Eucharist in his village Icha Onga Toli, Torpa. The Ordination Ceremony as well as the First Mass of Fr Francis Aind was attended by a large number of parishioners from St Paul’s Unit (Bhusur), well-wishers and members of the Society of St Paul.

Congratulations and best wishes to dear Fr Francis Aind!

Guwahati, 8 February 2024: In a solemn ceremony held in the Community of Guwahati, Brother Ningrei G Berno and Amit Toppo took a significant step in their spiritual journey as they were ordained as deacons on 8 February 2024. The auspicious event, presided over by His Lordship Bishop John Thomas, Bishop Emeritus of Itanagar, unfolded in the presence of many Fathers, brothers and sisters from the neighbouring communities and the Pauline Family.

The Eucharistic celebration, which commenced at 6 PM, was a poignant moment as Brother Ningrei G Berno and Amit Toppo answered the divine call to serve. The sacred rites of ordination were administered by Bishop Thomas, infusing the atmosphere with a sense of reverence and solemnity.

As Brother Ningrei G Berno and Amit Toppo embarked on their new roles as deacons, there was a profound sense of anticipation and hope for the journey ahead. Their ordination to the diaconate indicates their unwavering dedication to the teachings of Christ and their commitment to serving their communities with compassion and humility.

The ceremony concluded with prayers of gratitude and blessings, as the newly ordained deacons were entrusted with the sacred responsibility of carrying forth the light of faith and love in their respective ministries. With the support of their faith communities and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Brother Ningrei G Berno and Amit Toppo stand poised to embrace the challenges and joys that await them on their path of service to God and humanity.

Deacon Damiyan Borgoary was ordained as a Priest on 4 February, 2024, at Bl. Michael Rua Catholic Church, Bengtol, Assam, by His Excellency Rt. Rev. Thomas Pulloppillil D.D., Bishop of Bongaigaon. He is the First Pauline Priest from Assam, the Second Priest from his home parish. The bishop, representing the apostolic succession, imparted blessings upon him, invoking the Spirit of God to descend like a gentle dove and empowered him to become another Christ. More than six thousand faithful prayerfully participated in and witnessed the ordination ceremony. With an atmosphere of joy and reverence the faithful experienced the sacred mystery unfolding before them. The congregation, with hearts uplifted and souls ablaze with renewed faith, rejoiced, witnessing the birth of a new priest of God in the vineyard of Bongaigaon.

There was a colourful felicitation programme for the newly ordained priest Fr Damiyan Borgoary and for the dignitaries. His Grace Thomas Pulloppillil D.D, in his felicitation address invited St Pauls effectively use the Digital Media, ChatGpt & Artificial Intelligence to educate and evangelise the North East. Fr Joby Mathew, the Provincial Superior, congratulated the newly ordained priest and said that years ago the diocese of Bongaigaon gifted a young Damiyan Borgoary to St Pauls and now we return him to the diocese as a Pauline Priest.

Fr Damiyan Borgoary, on 5 February 2024 celebrated his First Thanksgiving Eucharist in his native village North Digholdong. The newly ordained was solemnly welcomed through various traditional North Eastern dances. Several diocesan priests, religious sisters, Pauline priests and sisters from different parts of India participated in the first holy Eucharistic Celebration. Hundreds of faithful from all the parts of the Christian village of North Digholdong celebrated the event with great joy and gladness.