Look to Him and be Radiant

Jan7

NEW CHUMTA: 14 sisters from North Bengal gathered at Auxilium New Chumta for their Annual Retreat. The retreat started on 27th December 2020 and was concluded on 3rd January 2021. Rev. Fr. Albert Kujur and Br. Kenneth Karan Pradhan were the facilitators of the retreat. The Theme of the retreat was  Ps. 34:5  “Look to Him and be radiant”.

On the first day the theme was centered on the “Word of God – the Word made flesh.” In the afternoon Br. Kenneth reflected on the three steps to reach heaven: “Read, eat and do – live the Word. The Word of God has to be alive through us and people have to read the Scripture through our lives. He spoke on forgiveness and also the authority given to all to bind and cast all kinds of evil spirits at the feet of Jesus on the Cross. During adoration he animated the sisters to forgive the persons who have offended and the family members, ancestors and family tree. All the sisters openly and freely tried to forgive the offenders in the name of the Lord. On the second evening there was inner healing session during adoration and brother explained about the inner wounds which can be healed only by Jesus.  Six areas – body, soul, mind, family, finance and demoniac power needs inner healing. There are various signs and reasons for inner wounds. Sisters were made aware of one’s inner wounds before experiencing healing. On the third day there was the meaningful Sacrament of Reconciliation. Some other topics dealt with were sin, eternal life, Mother of God, Holy Spirit and Holy Eucharist and the references made were mainly from the Word of God and the Constitutions.   During his last session Br. Kenneth spoke on Holy Spirit: The characteristics of the Holy Spirit giving reference from the Scripture; the Holy Spirit makes us holy, the holiness of life, for which we are called and set apart. We ask for the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit but we should ask for the gift of holiness. In the evening there was the infilling of the Holy Spirit session and all the sisters were anointed and received some gifts and charism. At the end sisters were made to reflect how to know the will of God while decision making. While making decision if the heart is at ease then it is the will of God. The Holy Spirit has to be allowed and given space to work in the daily life.

The retreat ended with the Holy Eucharist on 3rd January morning. The reading and reflecting the Word of God in depth enabled the sisters to have very enriching experience and also the meditations on various aspects of Constitutions articles helped to have better understanding of the Constitutions. Indeed after infilling and anointing of the Holy Spirit sisters had Pentecostal experience and were determined to live their commitment with much fervor and enthusiasm. Finally they expressed their gratitude to Rev. Fr. Albert Kujur and Br. Kenneth Karan Pradhan for being channels of God’s blessings during the retreat. They also expressed their gratitude to Sr. Superior and the community members for their hospitality and providing all their needs during their stay at New Chumta.

Towards the FMA India centenary – Rejuvenating Salesian Pedagogy

Nov13

A Webinar on Salesian Pedagogy was held at PCI level as a part of the preparation for the centenary celebrations of FMA presence in India (1922 – 2022), 4-7 November 2020. As scheduled earlier, it was organized by Sr. Sahaya Sangitha Rani (INK) and Sr. Stella Potteparambil (INC) as coordinators of the “Renewal Committee” of the Centenary. 12 communities each from the seven FMA provinces of India participated  (about 600)  in the webinar which was held between 5.00-6.30pm daily.

On the first day, in the introductory talk the PCI President Sr. Margaret Amalanathan   accentuated to keep our attention on the theme “I entrust them to you”, “They too are my children”, as we journey towards the Mega Jubilee of 100 years of FMA presence and 150th of the founding of the Institute.  While explaining the salesian pedagogy as it is lived today, she quoted the words of  Jean Duvallet to young Salesians: “You have works, colleges, and oratories for the young, but you have only one treasure: the pedagogy of Don Bosco. Sr. Lucy Rose Ozhukayil the Visiting councillor’s keynote address dwelt on the pedagogy of Pope Francis summarizing in three words: Freedom, Responsibility and Love  and highlighting the words of St. Francis de Sales, “good education is already half holiness”. The resource person of the first day was Sr. Nirmala Mummadi (INK) who spoke on the topic “Preventive system of Don Bosco”. She explained in detail the essential elements and the application of the Preventive System stressing on Reason, Religion and Kindness aimed at developing a spirituality within the student, with the hope of exposing the student towards an opportunity to respond to God’s call. 

On the second day the introductory talk was delivered by Sr. Celine Jacob the provincial of INK Bangalore who presented St. Mary Mazzarello in her four stages of maturation in Christian and consecrated life. Sr. Elizabeth George the provincial of INS Shillong ascertained that Pedagogy of Don Bosco was the synthesis of his experiences, thoughts and reflections which were crystallized into his pastoral action. She propounded that the Salesian pedagogy is relevant even today as we have one element in common, that of being a society in crisis.  Sr. Sahaya Sangitha Rani (INK) the resource person of the day theoretized the Salesian pedagogy lived by St. Mary Mazzarello and the first sisters of Mornese and Nizza elucidating the following elements: Origin of Salesian Pedagogy in the FMA world, Pedagogical style of St. Mary Mazzarello and her didactics in dealing with the young.

After the usual inaugural prayer on the third day, Sr. Rose Ezarath the provincial of INC Kolkata pinpointed Don Bosco’s rich heritage and his lasting legacy to his sons and daughters. To respond to the profound needs of the young people whom we meet today in the midst of this pandemic, we need to be FMA according to the Heart of Jesus, the Good shepherd, she said. Sr. Rita Dora Thomas the provincial INB Mumbai challenged the assembly to build efficacious educational relationship with the youth of today in a complex social reality that is very fragmented. The young need foundations, convictions and support of the Educator who can help them to build themselves as persons and to value their own capacities, she added. Sr. Lily Perumpettikunnel (INC) the resource person of the day took the assembly to the historical bylanes of Don Rua presenting him as a replica of Don Bosco in living the salesian pedagogy and its spirituality. She summarized the figure of Don Rua who was the “the most faithful, the most humble and the most valiant of the sons of Don Bosco”, under three aspects: Don Rua: a Charismatic Figure of Don Bosco; A Kind and Loving Rector to his Boys and Confreres; A Fatherly Figure to the FMA. 

The Last day 7 November commenced with the opening prayer followed by the address of Sr. Nirmala Lazar the chairperson of the Centenary celebration committee.  She invited the FMA India to relive the slogan of the centenary year 1972 given by Mother Ersilia Canta, ”At 100 we need to be reborn”.  FMA India was privileged to have Sr. Runita Borja the General Councillor for Youth pastoral to address on this occasion. She shared her personal reading of the Wedding at Cana in a Salesian educator’s perspective. Sr. Runita illustrated the important elements of the Salesian spirituality which we are called to keep present in our educational environments and to help our young people to live: Joy and optimism in our daily life; Friendship with Jesus and Mary; Responsible service and Communion. Sr. Stella Potteparambil, the resource person of the last day, dealt on the exhortations of Mother Ersilia Canta, the fifth successor of Mother Mazzarello, drawing inspiration from her circulars which speak of the Preventive System spirituality.  Sr. Stella unfolded the maternal heart of Mother Ersilia who wanted her daughters to commit themselves to the vital study and assimilation of the preventive system so that the educative Charism of Don Bosco may be realized and practiced as a response to various situations.

On all the four days of the webinar the participants were given time for sharing their insights on the topic and every province took turns for facilitating the prayer moments and to express sentiments of gratitude to the animators of the day. As a fitting conclusion, the PCI president thanked profusely all those who have contributed richly towards the success of the virtual platform on Salesian Pedagogy. All the participants appreciated the days of study and reflection, and were enthusiastic to journey onward with Mary towards the second year in preparation for the FMA India centenary as well as the 150 of the foundation of our Institute! 

  Sr. Stella Potteparambil

Commencement of the Month of the Holy Rosary at Auxilium Dum Dum

Oct3

The month of the Holy Rosary had a spectacular beginning. You may ask, why? The creative mind and touch of our animator, Sr. Stella, lighted up the pedestals of our Blessed Mother Mary, in and outside the house, wherever her statue is found; A crown of stars, an arch of colourful lights, a decoration with flowers and pots; all to adorn the Heavenly Queen. Yes, to begin the month of the Holy Rosary, Mary was made visible everywhere so that we can invoke her and greet her more often. All the sisters and the house girls were each given different Mysteries of the Rosary to pray personally so as to make a living chain which each one will offer completing each day as many Rosaries  as possible. The daily Community Rosary is also animated by each sister and the girls, with special creativity and initiative. Thus, Mary will have a special place in our prayer moments during this special month. We pray for all the special needs of our Province, of our Institute and the world at large, in particular for the end of the pandemic COVID -19.   

Sr. Emilia Vas fma

Provincial Team Meet

Sep9

DUM DUM: On 4 September 2020, 14 team members of Kolkata zone gathered at Auxilium Dum Dum. The meeting was organized by the General Co-ordinator, Sr. Lily Perumpettikunnel in preparation for the online Provincial Team to be held on 6 September. The meeting began with a hymn to the Holy Spirit followed by the Word of God taken from the letter of St. Paul, exhorting us to clothe ourselves with love and compassion. Sr Rose Ezarath the provincial in her message stressed on the Mandate: I entrust them to you, a commitment of relationship among ourselves and the whole of creation. Sr. Lily outlined some of Pope Francis’ major concerns that guide his ministry of service and his invitation to the church: “Let us protect Christ in our lives, so that we can protect others, protect creation… showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, those in need…”.

The aim of the gathering was to chalk out a tentative program for the annual Provincial Community day and to prepare the province calendar for the year 2020-2021. The team members agreed on the day and theme of the Provincial Community day. It was agreed to celebrate it on 28 October preceded by a month-long spiritual practices with the scope of spiritual renewal of the members of the province. Keeping in mind the celebration of 150th foundation of our Institute and the centenary of the FMA Presence in India, the proposed theme is, “Accepting and living the mandate ‘I entrust them to you’ ”.  Sr. Lily then presented a tentative Province Programme which the members accepted with some modifications. The day’s meeting was concluded with a prayer by the Vice Provincial Sr. Teresa Adampakallel.

The online meeting held on 6 September was attended by all the team members except one. All the members agreed upon the proposed theme, the weekly practices and other suggestions, with slight modifications in the plans and programme. Since physical gathering would not be possible due to Covid-19, the members suggested conducting only the Vigil Service online, virtual sharing of good nights by the communities as per the prayer list, as well as the festal greetings. Everyone expressed their satisfaction with the programme. The members then thanked Sr. Lily for her effort in making this meeting a successful one.

    Sr. Prema Francis

    AUXILIUM CONVENT SCHOOL, DUMDUM -AUXI MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2020

    Sep2

    The corona virus pandemic has a lot of dark sides. As the youth of today’s world, it is our duty to look at the brighter side of life. Keeping this in mind, we the students of Auxilium Convent School, Dum Dum with the guidance of our dear Principal Sr. Esther Rani and Teachers organised the 4th edition of AUXIMUN’20. This 2 day event was held on online platforms on 30th August, 2020 and 31st August, 2020. The forms were open for the students of Auxilium Convent School, Bandel and other individuals as well.

    UNEP: “I have been witness to the insurmountable energy of first time delegates.” said Dimitri Mallik the chairperson of the UNEP committee. This committee was considered to be very helpful for research development, writing, public speaking and problem solving skills. The delegate of Oman stated that “Coming up with solutions that are acceptable to a majority of the representatives also inculcated my negotiation skills, conflict resolution and cooperation.”

    UNGA: “These two days were productive for all the participants. The members of the Executive Board were very cooperative.” – Delegate of Nepal. The delegates in this committee learnt a lot about many countries and their cultures. Srija Dutta, the chairperson of UNGA said that “UNGA was a very active and interesting committee all throughout. As the chairperson of the committee she had a wonderful time moderating the debates in the committee.”

    WHO: The Delegate of Israel (Sriparna Nandi, a student of Auxilium Convent School, Bandel) believes that “The experience which we all gathered is priceless. Through this MUN we came to know about the global scenarios regarding the current Pandemic and the measures required to be taken.” The committee was very helpful and it helped all participants and eb members get an idea on how to win over the Covid19 crisis. “This was my first mun. The eb really helped me to learn exactly what a MUN is and how it works…they were friendly and really cooperative” – Delegate of Lebanon.

    Lok Sabha: “Despite being a first timer, I had a very enriching experience in the committee.” The delegates learned about a lot of things that happened in J&K since the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A.” – Delegation of Sanjay Raut. The Lok Sabha committee was very interactive and interesting. It was considered to be a very real committee. The delegation of Pinarayi Vijayan mentioned that “The 2020 AUXIMUN has been a real and great experience. The committee was well researched and even the first timers had tried their level best to keep up with experienced and polished delegates. The eb was phenomenal and had recognised all the delegates.”

    The Secretary General of AUXIMUN’20 Dimitri Mallik, Past Pupil appreciated the efforts of all the event organizers. She especially thanked Sr. Principal for giving her this wonderful opportunity to come back to her school as the Secretary General for this 4th edition as well as the chairperson for the UNEP committee. She thanked Chehak Agarwal, who in her words was “the backbone of the entire MUN”. Concluding ceremony came to an end by singing ‘O Give Thanks to the Lord for He is good…’

    Student Co-ordinators

    Chehak Agarwal  XII B & Sukham Kaur Sidhu, XII A

    148th Foundation Day of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and the Silver Jubilee celebration of Sr. Jancy Pulickyathottil FMA

    Aug16

    BANDEL: The community of Auxilium Convent Bandel celebrated two great events on Wednesday 05 August 2020. During the Morning Prayer the community officially inaugurated the 148th Year of the Foundation day receiving the mandate: “I entrust them to you”.

    The second reason for our celebration was the Silver Jubilee of our dear Sr. Jancy Pulickyathottil, the economer of our community. The community raised voices in thanks to God for her beautiful vocation as an FMA to the Institute and to the church through a well animated and prayerful morning prayer with fitting hymns and videos. She was felicitated soon after the prayer moments by the community with festal wishes, greetings and gifts.

    The peak of the celebration was at 11.00 am with a thanksgiving Eucharistic celebration. Though we were in the lockdown period due to Covid-19 pandemic and having no Educating community present for the celebration, the sisters took up the challenge of making the day a memorable and realistic experience for Sr. Jancy. As invitees we had only six Salesians from Don Bosco and Basilica communities of Bandel. The celebration comprised of appropriate introduction, renewal of Vows, prayers of the faithful, crowing the jubilarian and significant photo session at the end.

    In his homily the chief celebrant Fr. E.J. Anthony sdb, Rector of Don Bosco Bandel invited the assembly to recall and thank God for the Silver Jubilee of three “C’s” – Call, Consecration and Commission. He brought out this theme as ‘Pay it forward’ through a series of anecdotes. Paying forward is a wonderful way in which we can network with others and pass on God’s goodness and love. He gave a new meaning to the word CORONA that is a Crown for God. C – for Community, O – for Obedience (vows), R – for Rosary, O – for Oblation, N – Nun and A – for apostolate. He concluded his inspiring homily inviting everyone with the following words: “Today as we thank God for the special Call He has given to Sr. Jancy, and for the gift of her faithfulness for the past 25 years, let us ask Him through the intercession of our Blessed Mother, to enable us also to become his CORONA VIRUSES in today’s world, not bringing about death and destruction, but it’s opposite: life, and life in its fullness, of which the Wine of Cana is a symbol”.

    This was followed by a Salesian style of sumptuous meal which was prepared by our sisters and house staff. Sr. Jancy was congratulated with a melodious song composed and sung by the sisters. The Salesians too exchanged their greetings with the Jubilarian. Sr. Jancy expressed her gratitude with a few words of appreciation for their brotherly presence and cordiality.

    The memorable day came to a conclusion in the evening with an hour of Eucharistic adoration where all thanked the good Lord for the gift of our institute, our vocation and especially for the Jubiarians of our Province particularly Sr. Jancy. She too thanked the community generously with her words of indebtedness and gratitude for the beautiful day celebrated in her honour.

    Auxilium Dum Dum celebrates Foundation Day and Diamond jubilee Celebration of Sr. Rose Mathew

    Aug5

    On 5th August 2020, community of Auxilium Dum Dum marked the day of Foundation of our Institute, through meaningful celebration of the Morning Prayer. The Sisters who made their first profession on 5th August were given privilege to carry the symbolic lily and place it at the feel of our Blessed Mother.

    On this day we begin the 2nd year in preparation for the 150th year of our Institute. To mark this important events the theme to accept the mandate: “I ENTRUST THEM TO YOU”, Sr. Rose our Provincial carried this symbol and placed it at the feet of Mary entrusting the whole Province to her Motherly care.

    The simple yet unforgettable   celebration of the Diamond Jubilee of our dear Sr. Rose Mathew was another landmark for our community and for Sr. Rose. With the Diamond crown on her head and beautiful garland around her neck the joy knew no bounds. The Junior Sisters and the House Staff doubled the joy of Sr. Rose through their songs and dance. The day was spent in the company of Our Blessed Mother giving her a guard of honour by all the community members.

    COMMUNITY DAY CELEBRATION AT AUXILIUM ASPIRANTATE

    Nov14

    Picture.pngAfter an intense preparation of one month prayers and spiritual practices the day has arrived to experience the community communion at Auxilium Aspirantate. On Friday 09 November at 6.00 pm the community gathered together to express our gratitude to each other and for the gift of one another in the community. The liturgy of the entire celebration was distributed to the four liturgical animation groups. Marian group animated the vigil service headed by Sr. Alitrice. The theme of the celebration, “Remain in my love” Jn 15:9, was well depicted in the hall. While singing the hymn on the light of Christ, everyone lit their own light from the light of Christ which was shared by the animator of the community Sr. Leelamma and placed them in the heart of Jesus. The service lasted for 45 minutes after which Sr. Philo the vicar of the house presented the spiritual bouquet to Sr. Superior which was prepared by the aspirants. Sr. Leelamma reciprocated thanks to the sisters and the aspirants with individual note of thanks and sweets. This was followed by the inauguration of the Exhibition which was beautifully displayed with lots of love and generosity. Sr. Leelamma cut the ribbon and inaugurated the exhibition and all entered in with singing and dancing in a mood of celebration. There were varieties of things exhibited, all prepared with the collective efforts of sisters, postulants, aspirants, pre-aspirants and house girls.

    The Community Day celebration on Saturday 10 November began with the wake-up music to remind us that we are loved by God and we need to remain always in his love. The Morning Prayer animated by the Sacred Heart group enlivened in everyone a little more love for Jesus and hearken to his invitation to “Remain in My Love”. The prayer moments with the ppt presentation helped the community to deeply reflect on the different ways of God’s pruning in our lives and the reason for His choice of making us bear more fruits. We thanked God for the different people who prune us and shape us by his love and in a special way the animator of the community Sr. Leelamma.

    The solemn Eucharistic celebration commenced at 11.00 am with an entrance dance, sung and tapped to the music by the candidates. The music and singing consisted of nine languages as the community represents nine states of India.  With a short and meaningful introduction prepared by the Mazzarello group on gratitude and love, Sr. Leelamma the animator offered the spiritual bouquet at the altar. Rev. Fr. Yesudas from Minor Seminary Barasat presided over the Eucharist and he too highlighted the aspects of love and understanding which are prerequisite for the community building. He also congratulated the community for being always so cordial and welcoming. This was followed by a sumptuous meal prepared by the sisters and house girls to mark the solemnity of the celebration.

    The evening service around the Eucharistic Lord gathered us together once again to thank Him for the gift of one another in the community and also those who are involved in one way or other in the community mission. The Don Bosco group guided the service. Through spontaneous prayers and multilingual hymns and bhajans we raised our echoes of gratitude to God for the blessings received as a community and at personal level. Soon after the dinner the most entertaining programme awaited ‘@sp 24 breaking news’. This took the sisters by surprise to see the talents and skills of the candidates on stage. Sr. Leelamma concluded the day with words of gratitude and appreciation for everyone’s effort in making the community communion strongly felt and experienced. She also distributed prizes for the winners of Marian and Missionary week competitions held in the month of October. Everyone was happy and contented at the end of the day. In unison all raised their voices in thanksgiving to God for the beautiful community day celebration of 2018.

    SEMINAR

    May6

    Teachers Seminar -Dum Dum.jpg

    A brain – storming daylong session on exploring various methods of educating Children and effective teaching was conducted on April 28, 2018 by Rev. Fr. Sunny Jacob SJ , the secretary of Jesuit Educational Association of South Asia. Over 250 teachers from the five Schools of Auxilium, Kolkata – Dum Dum, Bandel,  Barasat, Park Circus and Kalyani –  attended the seminar at Auxilium Convent School, Dum Dum. Rev. Fr.Sunny Jacob touched on various subjects and problems that teachers deal with on a regular basis now a days He emphasized mainly on

    • Justice towards every Children
    • Different types of learning style
    • Multiple Intelligence Theory ( MI Theory)
    • Qualities of a good teacher.
    • Characteristics and behavioral Changes in adolescent period
    • Child Abuse and Child Protection Law.

    His questionnaire on learning style inventory, based on MI & IQ tests helped the teachers to evaluate themselves better. The seminar was conducted in a lively innovative and interactive way which benefited and absorbed the teachers’ attention. He also showed relevant videos and power point presentation which constantly reminded the teachers about their role in today’s global upliftment.

    The seminar was highly effective and appreciated by everyone. All the Salesian teachers, who attended the seminar, are grateful to the school Management for providing such a wonderful programme which would certainly change their teaching perspective and implement constructive learning methods from the inception of the new scholastic year.

    Ms.Karatoa Banerjee

    Parents’ Orientation – Auxilium Barasat

    May4

    High School Parents Orientation.jpg

    On 16 April 2018, the parents of the students of Cl.IX -XII, were cordially invited for an Orientation Day. The speaker was Mr. Wilson Joseph of the Effatha organization. The orientation commenced at 3:00 p.m. in the refreshingly cool auditorium, a stark contrast to the blazing outdoor.

    A brief introduction and the purpose of the orientation were given by the Principal  Sr. Clara Saminathan and by two of the high school teachers Miss Sutapa Saha and Miss Sumona Banerjee. This was followed by the orientation in which Mr. Wilson Joseph with the help of a number of PowerPoint slides, lucidly elaborated on the vital, vulnerable stage called adolescence and how to help troubled teenagers to cope with the increasing workload, peer pressure and insecurities entering a child’s mind. Various other issues like addictions which grip a child, being driven by “hard mentality”, etc, were also discussed. Mr. Wilson Joseph’s warm disposition and amicable approach encouraged the parents to pose questions of their own. The highly informative session ended at 5:00 p.m.

    Aditi Banerjee IX A