‘A Bible For Every Home” Campaign, a unique Pauline initiative by the community of Eluru, set a new record, by reaching the 3000th family last Sunday, at the  popular Marian Shrine of the diocese of Eluru, “Sagara Tara Shrine” of Our Lady of Vailankanni, Mogalturu, West Godavari Dt.  The Shrine was the 27^th Parish (of the diocese) the campaign visited within less than two years making the Telugu Catholic Bible available in every parish at less than half the selling price, presently Rs 300/- per copy, instead of Rs 600/-.

The campaign was formally launched on 20 August  2022, the 108th Birthday of the Pauline family. The first parish of the diocese to benefit from the campaign was  Lourdu Matha Church, Thadikalapudi. As of now, we have four more parishes to be visited during July – August  months. More invitations from the parish priests are still pending.

Fr Alfonso@Eluru

St Pauls Media Education (SPME) is ever on the move ever since its launch! In the last one month, the SPME has carried out a number of outstation programmes.

Fr Sajith Cyriac, the director of SPME conducted Teachers’ orientation programme in nine schools and students’ programme in two schools in the last one month. His orientation programmes consist of inputs, group dynamics, games, video presentations and much more.  In addition, he has given seminars for different religious and parish groups. Fr Plavandran Irudayasamy organized a two-day workshop for a group of Theologians of the Holy Cross Seminary, Pune on the theme Digital Wellness. The director informs us that the department is getting steady visibility, and we do receive requests and enquiries for different programmes.

We wish the members of SPME all the very best  for the upcoming media activities.

Fr Plavendran@Bandra

The community of Maynooth had the joy  of welcoming Bishop Ger Nash from the Diocese of Ferns, Wexford, Ireland. This joyful occasion was marked by Bishop Nash's enthusiastic interactions with the community members. He expressed his happiness in meeting everyone and congratulated them on their media apostolate, a vital ministry they carry out with dedication.

During a friendly chat, Bishop Nash highlighted the importance of engaging with media activities, emphasizing its power to influence attitudes and thought patterns rapidly. He expressed gratitude for the community's contributions to his diocese, particularly in circulating Missalettes and inspiring priests to write books or reflections for mass leaflets. The visit concluded with a warm coffee gathering, fostering further camaraderie and shared purpose in their apostolic mission.

Fr Shinto D@Maynooth

The book “The Life Style of a Priest,” written by Bishop Antonisamy (Bishop Emeritus of Kumbakonam) and published by St Pauls, was officially released at a clergy meeting held at St Pius Seminary, Mumbai, on 11 July  2024,  in the presence of many distinguished priests and brothers from the diocese.

His Eminence Cardinal Oswald Gracious released the book, emphasizing its significance in enhancing the life, ministry, and formation of priests. This book is sure  to provide valuable insights and guidance for those in the priesthood and formation, drawing from Bishop Antonisamy's extensive experience and wisdom.

The first copies were received by Bishop Allwyn D’Silva and Bishop Dominic Savio (Auxiliary Bishops of Bombay), and Fr Gilbert, the Rector of St Pius Seminary.

After the release, copies of the book were offered at a discounted price, prompting many priests and brothers to purchase copies for personal reading and as gifts for others.

Fr Plavendran@Bandra

The inaugural ceremony of the Jnana Deepa Centre for Science and Religion Studies was held with great fervour on 9 July 2024, with Fr Joseph Tirkey gracing the occasion as the Chief Guest. With  Fr Francis Gonsalves SJ, the president, and Fr Stephen Jayard, the director of the Centre,  the event witnessed a large turnout of enthusiastic students.

Delivering the keynote address, Fr Tirkey focused on the delicate balance between humanity and nature. He stressed that while we do not have  dominion over the natural world, we bear the responsibility of its custodianship. The esteemed guest urged the audience to cherish the present moment, recognizing it as a bridge between dreams and aspirations.

The inauguration of the Jnana Deepa Centre marks a significant step towards fostering dialogue and research at the intersection of science and religion.

Br Arun@Pune

Life is a God-given gift to us.  In view of celebrating the life of our apostolic collaborators and appreciating the good work done by our staff, on Thursday, 4 July 2024 we celebrated the birthdays  of six of our staff members whose birthdays we commemorate in this month.

The respective heads of the department appreciated the good work carried out by the above staff and they were felicitated with gifts. It was then followed by sharing wishes with the birthday babies. The felicitation programme was concluded with sumptuous snacks arranged by the Mumbai community.

Fr Plavendran@Bandra

The Bangalore community rejoiced in the celebration of the Feast of St. Paul on 30 June  2024. The day commenced with a solemn adoration at 6:30 am, followed by the Holy Eucharist at 11:30 am. Fr. Dominic D'Silva, superior of the community, presided over the mass.

The ceremony held special significance as eight Junior Brothers – Akhil EJ, Augustine Roy, Binit Kujur, Christin Emmanuel, Deepak Lakra, Melvin Varghese, Prem Prakash, and Tijo Augustine – renewed their vows during the mass. A festive lunch followed the mass, marked by the joyous cake-cutting ceremony in honour of the eight brothers.

The festivities continued in the evening with a Holy Mass celebrated at 5:30 pm at St. Paul's Church. The annual feastday programme included Eucharistic Adoration, a procession, and a concluding Eucharistic blessing back at the church. To cap off the day, a dinner was served for all the faithful.

Fr. Rony Lewis, the parish priest, expressed his gratitude to everyone who contributed to the successful celebration of the annual feast.

Br Aneesh@Bengaluru

The Feast of St Paul, our patron, was celebrated in the community of Ranchi on the 30 June 2024. More than 170 lay people joined the community for the solemn High Mass, presided over by Father Francis Dalmet, the superior of the community. Cultural dances organized by the laity made the liturgy quite lively and colourful. In his homily Fr. Dalmet exhorted the assembly to know Jesus more and more, and to be transformed into Jesus like St Paul who could confidently say, “It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.”

After the Mass, there was a short programme of felicitation and greetings of the members of the community with songs and  dances followed by a delicious breakfast to mark the occasion. At 12.00 p.m the celebration was concluded with an hour of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and a sumptuous lunch for the community.

The Community is grateful to the Lord of the harvest for sending a total number of ten Aspirants to it  with two more of them from Orissa who joined on the 1^st of July, 2024.

Br Arockiam@Ranchi

On 29th June, the Maynooth community in Ireland celebrated the Feast of our Patron, St Paul, with great devotion and joy. This special occasion was marked by the participation of the Pauline family members, who joined in the festivities to honour St Paul’s legacy.

The celebration commenced with a Holy Eucharist, which was presided over by Fr Shinto. In his inspiring homily, Fr Shinto focused on the theme "St Paul and the Modern Mission of Evangelization Using Artificial Intelligence." He captivated the audience by discussing how St Paul, if alive today, would likely harness the power of modern technology, particularly Artificial Intelligence, to spread the Gospel more effectively. This innovative perspective highlighted the timeless relevance of St Paul's mission and its adaptability to contemporary advancements. And a fellowship meal was served to everyone who participated in the celebration.

The day's events fostered a sense of unity and purpose among the community members, as well as an reaffirmation of our commitment to evangelization and spiritual growth.  May the legacy of St Paul continue to inspire and guide in our faith journey.

Fr Shinto D@Maynooth