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Contents Editoral;
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A Jubilee that raises a challenge
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Ordination and Appointment to India
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Overcoming Challenges
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My Story
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Editorial Dear MILL HILL F amily Members, Greetings for a grace filled Lenten season! As we journey through a new season of lent (40 days), we become more aware of the true purpose of our Christian calling. I greatly rejoice when I hear your testimony about the spiritual gifts you have received for your family and personal life from JESUS CHRIST our LORD, through the powerful intercession of ST. JOSEPH, the head of THE HOLY FAMILY. As St. Joseph was a man of faith, he was able to recognize THE PRESENCE OF GOD in all his life situations. This realization enabled him to be joyful even in the trying circumstances of daily living. So also, we are privileged to participate and encounter THE LIVING CHRIST IN THE HOLY EUCHARIST and carry HIS PRESENCE into all our daily life situations with HIS PRESENCE bringing us peace and joy. This is to inform you that on 1st April 2020, I will be transferred and in my place a new director, Rev. Fr. Poulson Pasala mhm, will take over this ministry. I take this opportunity to acknowledge with heartfelt gratitude, your love and support through the last six years of ministry among you. Kindly cooperate with Rev. Fr. Poulson Pasala in this ministry that he may be joyful in his service to THE LORD. Yours in Christ Jesus
Fr. Vincent Porathur, mhm
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A JUBILEE THAT RAISES A CHALLENGE Last year, our parish St. Joseph and Mary was celebrating its 40 years’ anniversary since the seed of faith was sown in Shauri Moyo, one of the quarters of the city of Nairobi. The name of our parish St. Joseph and Mary sounds fascinating to me every time I see it on the magazine or on the notice board and so on. It is so because I am somehow used to single named churches. I was trying to understand what would have been the reasons why our predecessors named our church that way. I guess the founding fathers must have
wanted to focus their ministry on “families” as it is the most fundamental social institution. St. Joseph and Mary were the parents of Jesus our Lord. They played a huge role in bringing up our Lord in accordance with Jewish custom and tradition. The name of our parish reminds me of how St. Joseph and Mary must have contributed towards the personality of Jesus since the New Testament gives very little account of the parents of Jesus. Parents and children make a family. The Bible teaches that the family is a sacred institution created by God himself (Genesis 1&2). In Matthew 19:6 Jesus says, “What God has joined together, no man should separate”. Here I want to put down something on the present situation of our Christian families in Nairobi in general and Shauri Moyo in particular. One day, a young mother appeared in our parish office 4
with her three children, two by her side and the last one on her back. Her face told it all: she looked very depressed and sad. I welcomed her in the office and asked her what the matter was. She told me that her husband had abandoned her with three little children to look after, and she feels devastated as she has no food, no money that she needed to pay rent. I asked her if they had a quarrel, she said there was no quarrel, and added: “He just told me that he is going to buy some vegetables for the family and never came back.” She said that she tried to call him several times but the phone did not go through, and that up to this day he had never
picked up her calls. She did say that when they had some petty disagreement, her husband used to threaten her saying that he would run away leaving her alone with the children. Now she did not have anything, not even a place to stay. At present she was taking shelter in a neighbor’s house that has only one room. With her three children she did not know how long they would allow her to stay. This was indeed a very distressing story for me. I remained silent for a while reflecting upon what the woman had shared. Then I asked her if she had something to eat that day and she replied ‘nothing’. I
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went to the store room and gave her some food stuffs and a little money to buy some vegetable. She went on her way, but till today I have never seen that mother in our church premises. I wonder where she will have gone with her three little children, and whether she will ever come back to our church. Sometimes this particular story comes back to my mind and clouds me with so many questions. In fact, I meet so many single mothers in our parish office, and their stories are often heartbreaking. The challenges faced by this particular mama, let me call her Rose (it’s just an imaginary name) reflect the plight of many single young mothers in Shauri Moyo area. One day I decided to do a bit of research if something was written about this crisis. I found an article in the local newspaper called “The Nation” dated 17th August 2013 which stated: “Six of every 10 Kenyan women are likely to be single mothers by the time they reach 45, one of the highest rates for singleparent families in Africa.” It added that three in 10 Kenyan
girls become pregnant before the age of 18, and that Kenya has one of the highest levels of children born out of wedlock on the continent. It gave several factors that contribute towards single parenthood, such as irresponsible fathers, economic hardships, peer pressure and the struggle to cope with modernization (where people are attracted to cheap pleasure and flitting, momentary happiness). This is indeed disturbing news. Sociologists and scholars warn that this trend could have a deep impact on society because studies show that a significant number of children brought up in single parent families have lower life prospects than their peers brought up in two-parent families. As single parenthood becomes increasingly a common phenomenon, especially in a city like Nairobi, this can be a wakeup call for our parish on the occasion of its jubilee to spare more thought and pastoral planning on how to face this increasing crisis. Fr. Victor Nayak, mhm 6
ORDINATION AND APPOINTMENT TO INDIA The second Sunday in July was a red letter day in St. Joseph’s College, Mill Hill. For almost a hundred years it was the day when the deacons were ordained priests. They would receive their appointments the same day. The Society was officially St. Joseph’s Missionary Society. However, all members were ordained at our headquarters in London. A stream of missionaries had set out year by year from there. They had lived, worked, Prayed together for years. Now they were ordained together. Going to every continent, many students, now priests, would never meet each other again. But all coming ‘from the stables in Mill Hill’, they came to be called Mill Hill Missionaries. I would be one among them. It really all happened on 12th July 1964. We were twenty-five deacons. Twenty-three were ordained in the Mill Hill chapel by Archbishop J. Heenan. Two
were missing. They were Americans. The Society ’s Superiors thought it more advantageous, if they were ordained in the United States. It would help to make the Society known there. Since the foundation of the Society, 98 years previously, 1964 would be the last year that students would
be ordained in Mill Hill. The winds of change were blowing here too. From the next year onwards, students would be ordained in their own countries and parishes. 7
Of the twenty-five newly ordained priests, fifteen came from the Netherlands, four came from the Tyrol, to the north of Italy, two from the United States, and four from the U.K. The Superior General appointed all twenty-five except one to missions in East, Central and West Africa, Borneo, New Zealand and India. After the ordination Mass and breakfast with our families, we were called to meet the Superior General – something awesome for erstwhile students. All together in one room, he called each one and gave an envelope containing our first appointment. Quite out of the blue, he appointed me to St. John’s Regional Seminary in Hyderabad. I had never dreamed of it, though I had prayed daily to go to the missions. Born and educated in England, I was now to give my life to the people of India and India was to become my land of adoption. There was now a new ethos in the Society. After years in the seminary, it was thought best to send new priests directly to the
missions. The Superior General told me that I would be in India for two years or so. I would then be appointed to some other Society work. It would seem the Lord had other ideas. It is now fifty-five years and I am still in the subcontinent! The first thing to do was to see where I was to go. Sitting in London, I knew more or less where India was, though it had never been part of my geography syllabus in school! I had heard a good deal about Pandit Nehru. He was often quoted on the BBC news. In fact, I identified India with Nehru. I remember seeing his funeral on BBC TV in June of 1964. That was just before my ordination. Little did I imagine that India would become my life. Hyderabad, however, was another matter. I can’t remember ever having heard of it and I had to search for it on the map! Nonetheless the word Hyderabad sounded very romantic and from that day I looked forward to setting foot on ‘the holy ground’. Fr. Greenway, mhm 8
OVERCOMING CHALLENGES “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of God” (Mat 5:3)
I, Chanikya, with full passion and enthusiasm for my mission, was appointed to Vishunpur parish, North India. With an open mind and clear vision I entered the place, it took me a few weeks to settle-in. This is my first place of work after being ordained as a priest. Therefore I want to give my best of service to the needs of the people. Being a priest in this advanced global world is not a bed of roses, it involves many challenges and hardships through which one can get bountiful experiences. I see these challenges under three headings: 1) Language, 2) Environment, 3) Religious Pluralism Among these challenges, language is the first. Here the people are divided on the basis of their tribes, and each tribe has their own language and slang. Though I had learned some Hindi, this is seen as a different language because it doesn’t match their own language or slang. My only concern is that they understand me and accept me as one of their own, because it is very difficult for an outsider to judge
the mood and mindset of these people. There are only two options either they accept you or not. The environment is another challenge. The place is surrounded by mountains covered with thick forest; any wild animals or poisonous creatures can easily attack you, and I have seen many snake bites in this area. Moreover this place is the border of three states (Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand) offering easy ways of access for robbers. Recently when I was sick and had to go for a medical checkup, I had to travel 150 km from our place. But amidst all these physical challenges there is even greater hope that God will take care of His people. One more challenge is our religious pluralism. India is host to many religions, and our constitution guarantees religious freedom. But the practice does not always follow the rule. When we are working for the poor and stand up for their 9
rights, we are watched with suspicion by some groups and face false allegations. I see this as a challenge. I have the responsibility to stand up for justice and harmony by my life’s example. I should become part of the solution, not part of the problem. These are the challenges that time and again prick my heart and raise questions like: do I fulfill these expectations? Am I a lifeenhancing presence of Jesus in the lives of others? These and other challenges might be very common to any gospel messenger. What is important is: how do we overcome these challenges ? I propose, 1) with the word of God through which Jesus assures us that he would be with us always till the end of time (Mt 28:20). The work we are doing today is not the work of an individual; it is rather the work of God. We are commissioned by God, as
stewards in His vineyard, as heralds of the Good News to the entire world. In other words, it is our turn to see the needs of the people according to the signs of the time, and to ask God in prayer for all the strength we need to follow Him. 2) Taking the examples of the great saints and heralds of good news and how they overcame their different challenges. We have to ‘ bloom wherever we are planted’ with the help of God. 3) Always being positive of the outcome of our work. Personally I feel that being a priest doesn’t mean that I know everything; with humility I acknowledge that I am just a creature of God along with the others. Learning and spiritual growth continue till the end of life. Fr. Chanikya Kodati, mhm
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MY STORY Allow me first of all to introduce myself: I am Christu Kollabathina (Ravindra Babu) from India. We are five in the family, three children, mum and dad. The 1st born is my sister, and she is a Nun belongs to the St. Joseph’s Sisters of Chamberi, I am the 2nd born, serving as a Mill Hill Missionary in the diocese of Miri, Sarawak (Malaysia); and the 3rd born is my younger brother, he is married. Most of my education was completed in Catholic schools. Formation: I did the first part of formation for the missionary priesthood in India, which includes orientation, basic formation and philosophy (1st Cycle). The second part I completed at St. Joseph Formation Centre, Nairobi, Kenya (East Africa). This included my theological studies at Tangaza University College in Nairobi, and a two years’ Missionary Experience Programme in the diocese of Kroonstad, South Africa.
Ordination: I was ordained as a deacon on 8th August 2015 in Nairobi. And I was ordained a priest on the 3rd February 2016 in the Archdiocese of Hyderabad, India.
First Appointment: as my first appointment, I was sent to work in the Diocese of Miri, Sarawak Malaysia. I arrived there on the 29th of April 2016, and on the 20th of June stepped into the parish of Lapok. I served for the last two years in Gereja Yesus Tuhan, Lapok, Tinjar. We were three priests in the parish; Fr Andy Lee (the Parish priest), Fr John McAulay (Mill Hill Missionary) and me, Fr Christu, also a Mill Hill Missionary. Language: The languages that are spoken in Lapok, Long Lama and Bakong are: Bahasa Malayu, Iban, Kenyah, Kayan, Baravan, Sebub, and Penan. So, 11
the Lapok parish is a mixture of many races. I have learned some Bahasa Malayu and a little Iban and can celebrate Mass in both languages as well as in the Chinese Mandarin language. I realized during my stay in East Africa and South Africa that language is a primary tool in the life of a missionary, and that without knowing their language it is very difficult to get in real touch with the people.
Celebrating Mass in Iban language at the Ibang Long house, Bakong Second Appointment: on 1st September 2018, Bishop Richard Ng, has appointed me as an assistant parish priest to St. Edmund’s Parish, Limbang, Sarawak. Limbang is a small town. To reach it I would have to pass through the country of Brunei which would require a Visa. So I fly from Miri to Limbang and vice versa. It is a 30 minutes flight. The people here are Chinese, Bisaya, Iban and other races.
Life in the ministry in Borneo: on the 3rd of February 2019, I celebrated the 3rd anniversary of my Priesthood. Serving the people in Ulu (Borneo forest), and reaching out to many kampongs (villages) are the beautiful moments in my last two years of priestly ministry. I experienced the Joy of Christ in the lives of the people that I am ministering to, remembering the words of Pope Francis, “PRIESTS SHOULD BE ‘SHEPHERDS LIVING WITH THE SMELL OF THE SHEEP’”. One of the beautiful moments in my ministry is, spending three nights in three different Kampongs, celebrating Holy Mass, spending time with them. Most of the Long Houses in the forest area are still very simple. I found that people here are very caring and loving. They show how much they love when they say to me, tamba nasi (which means, “take more rice”). When I visit a kampong, I don’t have to worry about food, because the people here offer the best fresh food. The hospitality of people in the long houses is great. Actually, it is my privilege to be here in Sarawak. I thank God for having sent me here. 12
I go to one or other kampong for Mass almost every night. Some kampongs are near and some are very far, one or one and a half hour’s drive on timber roads. Driving is one of the important things in my ministry. I had to learn how to drive on these timber roads, for when it rains, these roads can be very dangerous. Besides, there are a few long houses which can only be reached by boat. There were also some funny moments during my last two years’ stay here. When I go to different long houses, some people take me to be a manager at an oil palm mill, working with petronas (gas company), or selling cloth, phones and power banks, etc,. This can happen because many Indians here work with companies, whilst a few Pakistanis are doing business like selling clothes and other stuff. After having stayed here in Lapok, Long Lama and Bakong,
I must say that I am very happy to be here working as a Mill Hill priest in the Borneo forest. I thank everyone who helped me throughout these first two years of my priestly ministry in Miri diocese. I request you all to remember me in your prayers so that I can be strong in my priestly vocation to continue God’s work in this diocese. May God bless you all, and a sincere thanks to the Mill Hill Family in India for their prayers and continued support.
Fr. Christu, mhm.
Happy Feast of St.Joseph 13
ST. JOSEPH’S SHRINE - NEWS
All are Welcome PERPETUAL NOVENA : Every Wednesday
- 06.00 p.m.
1st Wednesdays
- 06.00 p.m. Novena Followed by Holy Eucharist
How to reach our St. Joseph's Shrine at Ramanthapur?
ROUTE: Easy to reach by Metro – get down at Uppal Crossroad, take a sharing auto towards Ramanthapur, before reaching traffic light, Street No.8, Mill Hill House (Adj. to Christ The King Church, Ramanthapur) Please Contact
Fr. Poulson Pasala, mhm The Director, Mill Hill Family India, # 3-4-97/FQ/2, St. Joseph’s House, Ramanthapur, Amberpet (P.O.), Hyderabad-500 013, T.S., India. Tel Office: +91 9908739500 E-mail : millhill.familiesindia@gmail.com OUR BANK ACCOUNT DETAILS
THE CATHOLIC SYRIAN BANK A/C Name: “MILL HILL FAMILY INDIA” A/C No: 027603500833190001, BRANCH: SECUNDERABAD, IFSC/RTGS CODE: CSBK0000276. holycrossprinters@gmail.com9848145417
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