MCSS / 2016 / 04

10 November 2016

Dear Rev. Fathers, Rev. Sisters and Members of Malankara Catholic Suvisesha Sangham,

Prayerful Greetings from the Suvisesha Sangham – Exarchate of St Ephrem!

As most of you are well aware, I have been advised to take minimum two months bed-rest for my broken leg to heal properly. At present, I am in Khadki at my residence and will be co-ordinating the responsibilities with the help of those who are in the lead in various departments. I wholeheartedly thank each one of you for your earnest prayers and sincere concern towards me when things went haywire at least for a few days. I am getting better now and please do continue your prayers for me.

Suvisesha Sangham in the Exarchate is fully functional now. The monthly formation programmes in the five Ecclesiastical Districts of the Exarchate – Pune, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad is in full swing now. Once in three months, a team from the Church level is conducting the formation programme in each District. Formation of Parish level Suvisesha Sangham is in its final stage. It is the result of the ardent commitment and generous heart of the Sabhathala Suvisesha Sangham members and District Level Suvisesha Sangham members along with Reverend Fathers and Sisters from each District.

When we are blessed with all India jurisdiction with the formation of the Eparchy of Gurgaon and Exarchy of Khadki, it becomes our responsibility to preach the Good News in the six Southern States of India and to take care of the poor and downtrodden in these areas. Suvisesha Sangham plays a vital role in keeping alive the spirit of evangelization and moving around for taking care of the needy. So we need more and more Sabhathala Suvisesha Sangham members who can wholeheartedly spend their time and energy for this gracious mission in the Exarchate.

In order to prepare a group of people, who are genuinely interested and divinely called, to take up this challenge, the Malankara Syrian Catholic Church has begun Sabhathala Suvisesha Sangham in the Church. Those who aspire to become a member of this Sangham should go through a serious training process in the Church level at the Catholicate Centre, Pattom. The training programme comprises of 6 modules of 3 to 4 days each. Attendance in all the 6 modules is compulsory in order to receive kaiveppu as the Suvisesha Sangham member in the Church level.

The formation of the Fifth Batch of the Sabhathala Suvisesha Sangham commences on 5 January 2017. The Executive Director of Suvisesha Sangham (Church level) expects more participation from the Exarchate in this Batch. So, I do hereby request all Respected Vicars to forward the names of those who wish to be a part of Malankara Catholic Suvisesha Sangham (Church level) in the Fifth batch. The names should be sent through email on or before 22 November 2016 with the address, the phone number and the email id of corresponding persons.

The Vicars have to take note of the following things when choosing a candidate for Church level Suvisesha Sangham.

They should have

• an orientation to gospel life style
• strong commitment to gospel mission
• good acceptance in the Parish / Community
• leadership qualities
• enough time to participate in the formation programmes
• time to go for gospel proclamation as and when required
• to attend Formation Programme of 4 days each at 6 regular intervals from January 2017 to July 2018 at Catholicate Centre, Trivandrum.  

A screening of the candidates will be done by the Apostolic Exarch, His Excellency Thomas Mar Anthonios. The selected candidates will be informed directly by Fr. Antony Kakkanatt, the Executive Secretary of Suvisesha Sangham.

In the meantime, all the Vicars are requested to give the names of two persons from each Parish who can represent and lead the Parish in the immediate activities of Suvisesha Sangham. Kindly forward the names together with their phone numbers and emails to the email id suviseshasangham.exarchate@gmail.com on or before 22 November 2016.

Wish you all the blessings and fruits of the Advent Season!

Yours in Christ Jesus,

Fr Varghese Valikkodath

Director of Suvisesha Sangham

DEC / 2016 / 04

21 July 2016

Dear Rev. Fathers, Sisters and Members of MCYM, MCA and Mathrusangham,

Prayerful Greetings from the Exarchial Commissions – Exarchate of St Ephrem, Khadki-Pune!

Let me, first of all, thank and appreciate everyone who have actively taken part in the Exarchial MCYM Annual Senate Meeting held on 30 April 2016 and Exarchial MCA-Mathrusangham Assembly on 18 June 2016. Most of the District Committees have already submitted their Yearly Plan to the Directorate. I request the remaining Districts to forward their Yearly Plan as early as possible through email or by post. A brief Report of each event has to be sent to the Directorate along with Photos within a week of the Programme. This will help us to compile the Exarchial Commission News in the Ephremite.

Relaunching of Mar Ivanios Prayer Ladder

The Pastoral Council of the Exarchate held in May 2016 had suggested to relaunch the Mar Ivanios Prayer Ladder in the Exarchate. As you are aware, MIPL was an active Prayer Ministry in the erstwhile MCC ETRI. It was envisaged by His Excellency Jacob Mar Barnabas, the then Apostolic Visitator to MCC ETRI, to pray for the Cause of Canonization of Mar Ivanios Thirumeni and to pray through his intercession for the intentions sent from the Prayer Ladder. The details of MIPL is attached with this Circular in the formula of a Registration Form.

Mar Ivanios Prayer Ladder is officially relaunched on 17 July 2016 at St Mary’s Malankara Catholic Church, Hennur-Bangalore during the Mar Ivanios Day celebrations in Bangalore. The District-wise inauguration will take place in Chennai on 23 July 2016 and in Hyderabad, Pune and Mumbai on 24 July 2016 during the Mar Ivanios Day celebrations in these districts. The Prayer Ladder is open for all the members of MCYM, MCA and Mathrusangham. In due course, we can extend it to MCCL too. The working arrangement of the Prayer Ladder has to be evolved from ourselves once we are done with the membership drive. The Office-Bearers of MCYM, MCA and Mathrusangham share the responsibility to co-ordinate MIPL in all the Parishes. Detailed information regarding MIPL will be communicated to at the earliest.

Initiation of  Prabodhanam,  the Faith Formation  Programme of MCA and Mathrusangham

The Joint Exarchial Assembly of MCA and Mathrusangham held on 18 June 2016 had decided to initiate a regular faith formation programme for the members of MCA and Mathrusangham in the Parish level. According to this decision and with the suggestion of His Excellency Thomas Mar Anthonios, the Apostolic Exarch, we are introducing Prabodhanam, a monthly faith formation programme for MCA and Mathrusangham members. The official inauguration of Prabodhanam was held on 17 July 2016 at St Mary’s Malankara Church, Hennur-Bangalore during the Mar Ivanios Day celebration in Bangalore. His Excellency Thomas Mar Anthonios officially handed over the Syllabus for Prabodhanam 2016 – ’17. The District-wise inauguration will take place along with the relaunching of MIPL.

The Syllabus comprises of selected lessons from Class XI and XII of Malankara Catholic Catechism Texts. Rev. Brothers from Bethany Ashram and Papal Seminary will co-ordinate this faith formation programme in the Parishes of Pune District. Rev. Sisters are requested to co-ordinate the classes in other Parishes of the Exarchate. Any help in this regard will be available from the Directorate as and when required. 

Details of the Office Bearers of all Parishes

The name, phone number and email id of all Office Bearers of Parish and District levels are required in the Directorate in order to communicate directly and in time. So I request the Secretaries of all Organizations in the Parish level to forward these details to the corresponding Secretaries in the District level and in turn the District level Secretaries will forward to the Exarchial level Secretaries. The Exarchial level Secretary of MCYM, MCA and Mathrusangham is bound to forward the consolidated details to the Directorate of Exarchial Commissions latest by 1 August 2016.

A copy of the Consolidated Proposals for MCA and Mathrusangham 2016 – ’17 is attached herewith. Kindly take this into consideration whenever you visualize a programme either in the Parish or in the District.    

Wish you all the blessings of the Feasts of Bethany and John Vianney!

Yours in Christ Jesus, 

Fr Varghese Valikkodath

Co-ordinator of Exarchial Commissions

The Exarchate of St Ephrem takes initiative in relaunching Mar Ivanios Prayer Ladder, which was active in erstwhile MCC ETRI for more than 5 years.

His Excellency Thomas Mar Anthonios, the Apostolic Exarch formally relaunches the Prayer Ladder on 17 July 2016 during the Mar Ivanios Padayatra in Bangalore.

Prayerful Greetings from Suvisesha Sangham – Exarchate of St Ephrem, Khadki-Pune!

Suvisesha Sangham in the Exarchate has revived with more vigour and enthusiasm by the installation of the Apostolic Exarch, Most Rev. Thomas Mar Anthonios. Rev. Fr. Antony Kakkanatt conducted formation Programme in Pune District at Holy Redeemer’s Church, Kalewadi on 8 and 9 August 2015 and in Mumbai District at St. Mary’s Church, Sakinaka on 15 and 16 August 2015. Around 50 members attended the Programme in Pune and around 70 attended the Programme in Mumbai. Along with the Pune District formation programme, he led the Parish level Suvisesha Sangham formation of Holy Redeemer’s Church, Kalewadi. With these formation programmes, Suvisesha Sangham in the Exarchate gained momentum and vigour to look deep into oneself and adapt a life according to the spirituality of our Heavenly Patron, Servant of God Mar Ivanios.

The Monthly Gathering (September) of Pune District Suvisesha Sangham was held on 5 September 2015 from 9.00 am to 1.00 pm at St. Mary’s Cathedral Khadki and that of Mumbai District was held on 13 September 2015 from 3.00 pm to 6.30 pm at St. Mary’s Church Sakinaka, both under the guidance of the Exarchial Director. Parish level formation programmes were conducted in Aurangabad on Sunday, 6 September 2015 and in Vikhroli on Sunday, 13 September 2015 together with house visits and Holy Qurbono.

The upcoming Formation Programmes are as follows:

    Date                                      Time                            Level                           Place

02 October                       9.00 am – 1.00 pm           Pune District                    Kalewadi

11 October                       3.00 pm – 7.00 pm           Mumbai District                Sakinaka

24-25 October                   9.00 am – 5.00 pm           Hyderabad District            Hyderabad

7-8 November                   9.00 am – 5.00 pm           Bangalore District             Hennur

02 & 04 October                                                      Parish Level                      Warje Malwadi

08-11 October                                                         Parish Level                      Sakinaka

15-18 October                                                         Parish Level                      Singa Sandra

25 October                                                              Parish Level                      Hyderabad

4-8 November                                                          Parish Level                      Hennur

Let us be united in Christ in fulfilling our responsibility of evangelization!

Yours in Christ Jesus,

S/d

Fr. Varghese Valikkodath

Director of Suviseshasangham