The Canonical visit of Sr.Lucy Rose Ozhukayil from 9^th to 11^th March 2019 to Auxilium Park Circus was indeed a special blessing from the Lord. Strengthening the bonds of charity deepening the commitment of fidelity, was the theme of our Canonical visitation. We are indeed privileged to have also our dear Sr.Veronika Kamai Pontinei secretary of Sr.Lucy Rose. The journey began with a warm traditional welcome extended by the community.  All were led to the chapel for a wedding experience as the icon of this occasion clearly denotes the wedding feast at Cana, which symbolises a joyful celebration with Jesus the Bridegroom and Mary our Blessed Mother. As a symbol of our encounter to God and for our own transformation the community received Jesus the light in the form of lighted candles handed over to us by dear Sr.Lucy Rose.

At the conference Sr. Lucy Rose continued her theme on the Wedding feast and stressed on the importance of Mary’s presence and invited the members to enrich each other with individual reflection. She also compared the life of the community to the joyful experience of Mount Tabour but which is located in the midst of the mount Beatitudes and the Calvary mount. One can experience Motherly love, and the trust of the Father, and sisterly advice at the personal encounter. In the same evening of her arrival, she was overwhelmed to see the active participation of the Salesian co-operators. She exhorted them to live evermore the spirit of Don Bosco and Mother Mazzarello in their ambient.

On the following day 10^th March the entire community along with Sr.Lucy Rose and Sr. Veronika Kamai proceeded to Auxilium Provincial house Dum Dum to take part in the funeral Mass of our dear Sr. Catherine Das and thereafter to the burial ground for the last rite. We returned home edified by the simple yet solid life lived by Sr. Catherine. At 3.30 pm she met the Oratorians who showcased different programs like songs, dances and karate. Sr.Lucy Rose was enchanted by the display of their performance. She was appreciative of the various activities organized for them like spoken English, drawing, dance, and karate. At the end of the short programme she advised the Oratorians to be always good and honest, and to cooperate with the sisters in order to become good human beings.

On the next day she was greeted by the tiny tots of the School. They took the entire show of the day with their inspiring prayers, lovely songs, dance, and speech. She was indeed happy to be in the midst of these little ones. She told them to obey their parents, sisters, teachers, and all the elders.

At 10.00 am she was accompanied by Sr.Elizabeth Makil to the Church of Christ the King. The Parish Priest and the other co-pastors were happy indeed to welcome her. The Parish Priest Fr.Vincent Lobo thanked her for the active presence of the sisters in the parish, particularly for the catechesis of the adults and children. The last community conference was based on the episode of Prophet Elijah and the widow at Zarephath from 1^st Kings 17:7-16 on which we had reflective sharing. The community then thanked her for filling each ones jar with the bountiful blessings of the Lord. Sr.Lucy was presented with suitable gifts as a gesture of our appreciation for her enriching presence with us.

Sr.Lucy Rose met the Salesians at Don Bosco Park Circus and the Sisters of Mary Immaculate at their residence. In both the places Sr.Lucy was fondly welcomed and experienced the warmth of our Salesian family spirit. She reminded the young sisters that they are a gift to the church, province and their community. She exhorted them to remain as beautiful and active gifts of God.

We  did experienced her joyful presence in our community, and it was indeed with a matter of regret that four of us accompanied her to Auxilium Gobra the next community of Canonical visitation by Sr.Lucy Rose Ozhukayil.

Auxilium Park Circus

On 28^th February 2019, visiting councilor Rev. Sr. Lucy Rose Ozhukayil and her secretary Sr. Veronica Kamei Pongtinei arrived for the Canonical Visitation to Auxilium Convent, Bandel. They were accompanied by Sr. Rose Ezarath the provincial and Sr. Teresa Adampakallel the vice provincial. Sisters, teachers and, students honoured them with a traditional grand welcome.  Then all of us proceeded to the Chapel, there upon Sr. Lucy Rose was invited by Sr. Elizabeth Valliyil, the animator of the community to light the lamp and that was followed by a short prayer service.

At 4.00 pm the boarders welcomed her with a melodious song.  During the conference Sr. Lucy Rose helped the sisters to meditate on wedding feast at Cana and, thereafter sisters were invited to share their own reflections.  During the Good Night she once again reminded the sisters, of the attitude of Mary and Jesus and to be obedient like them.

The following day, the school children staged a programme on the proposed theme“The wedding feast at Cana”. At the end of the short programme, Sr. Lucy Rose extended the greetings of Mother General to the staff and students.  In her inspiring speech she invited the students to have dreams that will help them to have a bright future and to build a good society.  At 11.00 am she met the teaching staff. One of the teachers addressed her with a warm welcome speech.Sr. Lucy Rose appreciated their work and thanked them for their cooperation and collaboration and wished them a happy family life and offered them a souvenir.

In the evening she met the non-teaching staff and thanked them for their contribution which is important and without them our mission would be incomplete.They also received a token of gratitude.

During the Evening Prayer she presented to the Sisters, a passage from the Old Testament on Prophet Eliza and the widow of Zeraphat.  That enkindled in them to be ‘Signs of love, hope and joy.’

On the third day we had ‘Thanksgiving Day’.  During the Holy Eucharistic celebration she offered a bowl of water symbolizing water turning into wine and, that in the same manner she has helped us to change ourselves and closer to God and one another.

At 11.00 am she met the House Council and enlightened them about their duties as a counselor by quoting Mary’s attitudes and duties.   At 3.30 pm she met the Salesian Cooperators and the Past Pupils.

In the evening accompanied by Sr. Elizabeth Valliyil she visited Our Lady of Happy Voyage Shrine and paid a short visit to Don Bosco Seminary.  Fr. E. J. Antony the rector welcomed her with a garland and the seminarians greeted her with a melodious song.  She encouraged them to be faithful to the call of the Lord.

During the Evening Prayer, Sr. Lucy Rose helped us to understand the true significance of Tabour Experience by a Power Point Presentation.  After the supper the community expressed their gratitude with a creative skit and song.Then the boarders entertained Sr. Lucy Rose with songs, dance and presented the Wedding Feast at Cana in a modern way.  She brought home a message by relating a story on “Echo”. She invited them to become smart by making good use of every opportunity they receive.

On the following day we had a photo session near the little plant which Mother General had planted last year on her visit to Bandel before she left for Kalyani. Sr. Elizabeth Valliyil and, Sr. Rejina Adampakallel Joseph accompanied her.

The canonical visit of Sr. Lucy Rose Ozhukayil was set on trail with the inaugural Eucharistic celebration officiated by Fr. Mathew George SDB at Auxilium Provincial house Dum Dum at 9.30 a.m. The aspirants  clad in red and white  sarees  led    Sr. Lucy Rose , Sr. Rose Ezarath the provincial and the celebrant  to the altar in a graceful prayer dance to the tune of a bhajan –  Arpan hi Tuje. Sr. Lucy Rose carried a ring representing the hallowed presence of God and Sr. Rose a heart with 24 rose representing the communities of the province seeking God’s benevolence and grace during her pilgrimage through the communities to strengthen the bonds of fidelity, unity and love.

Fr. Mathew George in his homily challenged all to take up Jesus’ vision and mission statement ‘”The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, he has anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor…’Lk. 4:16-) In his manifesto the person and the message was so well integrated and the focus on the poor was  a consistent factor.  His policy of downward mobility was opposed to the prevalent trend of upward mobility power and prestige. Jesus who was God took up the form of a slave and was born in not even in a home but in a cave among the cattle. Even today the craze of sanskritization is not about a language but a social mobility to upper class status.  St. John Bosco truly imbibed the spirit of Jesus as he sacrificed all offers in economic status to be with the poor street urchins. The invitation for us today is to hearken to the manifesto of Jesus, Pope Francis constant call to the religious to go to the periphery in imitation of our founder who chose to be among the scamps of the society. For this one need to access the context to respond relevantly to the young people of today seeking their need than our need Questioning ourselves whether’ People who find us do they need us and people who we find do they need us’.    Everyone present felt ignited to embrace the manifesto of Jesus to announce the good news to the poor and down trodden in this sacred period of the canonical visitation of Sr. Lucy Rose who will announce the good news of the Gospel. “How lovely on the mountains Are the feet of her  who brings good news, Who announces peace And brings good news of happiness…”(Isaiah 52.7)

The Celebration has set in motion at 9.45 am at Auxilium Provincial House, Dum Dum ! The Canonical Visit is on the go.

Rev.Sr. Lucy Rose Ozhukayil and Sr. Veronica Kamei were received at the airport by Provincial Sr. Rose Ezarath and Sr. Teresa Adampakallel, the animator of Provincial House. They were accorded a warm welcome by the sisters at their arrival in the Provincial House. The melodious voices intoned:  Oh! What a wonderful day for us to welcome our dear Sr. Lucy Rose!  Immediately everyone was welcomed to the marriage celebration at the village of Cana in Galilee along with Jesus, Mary and the disciples.  But immediately there was an overturn of the scene. A shadow fell on the faces of all. But the presence of Jesus and Mary brought joy and gladness. With jars filled with new wine the waiters welcomed Sr. Lucy Rose with their rhythmic steps to the Divine Master to share this contagious joy of the new wine with Provincial Sr. Rose Ezarath and the animators of the communities present for the occasion.It was a clarion call to pass it on in the entire Province, the new wine of loving service, caring love and generosity; strengthening bonds of charity and deepening commitment of fidelity during the canonical visit of Sr. Lucy Rose. Finally our Bl. Mother was called upon to accompany Sr. Lucy Rose during her visitation to all the communities. It was just a beginning of the celebration but followed the sharing  of the joy and in the refectory.