Tuesday, 12 May 2015

MONTH OF EASTER AND OF VOCATIONS

This month started with Holy Week
April’s fool is the main target of many. In the three schools it had been announced holiday earlier but some who boycotted class previously did not know holidays and came for class; they saw the closed door of the School. Cheating the school, finally they were cheated themselves.
On the first of this month, Br Efra arrived in our Community. On the following day was Holy Thursday, Br Subash said good-bye to our Community as well as to our Institute, though he is separated from our Institute, the teaching of the Holy Family is always with him as well those who passed through our Community. 
On these days there were no many priests or religious from other places so Brothers were involving in all the activities of the celebrations. In the Community too we had our own time to spend with the Lord.
On the Easter eve (Vigil) all participated, there were many faithful people, some time it is common to find other religious people to take part in it. It will be hard to find them out here, especially during the time of distributing Communion.
The schools announced holiday on Monday 6th, which is not common here, so many who did not know, came to school and returned back.
On 9th we as Community went to Pandripani for the Annual Retreat, where the Redemptorist Fathers are there, as the house for retreat was not over, we were staying in the place where Priests were living, they vacated for us for few days, sometimes they had to come to room take some necessary things.
During these days we had time to spend with Lord as well as sharing in Community; this place of our retreat is full of trees and there is good shadow.
On 15 we finished our Retreat and headed to Raurkela, where two of our Community members started their journey to Eluru where the Novices were taking first profession, and two Brothers returned to Community. On 18 Brothers from Kurdeg attended the Vocation Camp of Raurkela. It was like a competition where all the Congregations will present themselves in attractive manners.
The first profession was ended safe and sound with the solemn celebration with the Bishop of Eluru. Not so many attended at home, most of our dear ones were there, among the parents and relatives of newly professed Brothers.
As they were returning from Eluru Community, with them all the aspirants were returning too. Even those aspirants from Kurdeg parish came with the Brothers till Kurdeg.
On 21 we had the first Vocation Camp in Gumla district and diocese. Brothers were moving, leaving two Brothers at the service of the Community, for newly professed Brothers and aspirants were helping in the Camp. It was held in one of Jesuit Schools, as in previous years. Throughout the Camp, Br Abhay was not feeling well, and at the end got malaria.
After finishing the camp, Brothers used to visit the candidates’ families. This year was not easy because in the beginning no one knows each other, but in the end they know each other so they visited all the friend’s house.
On 26th there was the second Vocation Camp held in Simdega, where Brothers were getting good number of candidates; all were accommodated in the diocesan Social Welfare Centre in Simdega. There they welcomed us very well.  A newly professed Brother and some of our aspirants were also helping us throughout the camp. On 29th we finished our Camp with the results of 10th standard (matric), which helped us to scrutinize some. After finishing our camps we went to the house of the candidates and met their parents. We returned to our community that same day evening.
During the family visit it has been sometimes hard tell the families that we are not taking their sons for our Institute while the boy and family is willing to send their son into our Congregation.
On 30th there was also house visit in Jampani, Salgaposh and around Bolba; on the way back, Br Shishir came with us to our Community; he wanted to know our house in Kurdeg. He stays a couple of days in our house in helping us in the much he could.

These days in the Schools and in Parish all were preparing for the ordination of a deacon, Rajendra Xaxa, who is from this parish but to be ordained for the diocese of Ranchi. The celebration will be held on 2nd of May.