Clare D’Mello is a member of the Catholic Nurses Guild. Her "weapons" are her smile, prayer and blessed hands. The nurse starts her shift every day with a prayer for the sick, even non-Christians: "It is not to convert, but to heal".
Indian nun: youth are a precious gift from God, and we ‘see Him in his young people’
by Lidwin Fernandes* | INDIAThe nun is the founder of the congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family in Kerala. Today more than 1,500 women religious work in India, Germany, Italy and Ghana. Of noble origins, the saint chose a life of penance and prayer. She opened the first school for girls in the state. She realised the value of the family to break caste discrimination.
Renuka Singh is elected to the ranks of the Hindu nationalist ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Chhattisgarh. In Madhya Pradesh there is a strict anti-conversion law that provides for severe penalties for tribal conversions. Christians in all of India are just 2.3%.
The priest is the new executive secretary of the Youth Office of the Indian Bishops' Conference. He had been set to join the Armed Forces of India, "but the Lord called me to be a priest through a friend of mine, who then got married". Young people "bring newness, creativity and vitality. They rivitalise the Church and the country”. The Church must "encourage vocations and the study of theology".
Today is International Day of the Girl Child. Every month at least 50,000 girls are killed following prenatal sex determination tests. For activist, “Every child is precious. Both girls and boys have an equal right to life and liberty.”
The congregation's annual meeting brought together some 180 members and leaders of the Indian Church. The "Theological Consultation" serves to give "direction" to mission of the following year. Founded in Goa, the Company operates in all continents.
The Diocese of Bellary has decided to dedicate 2020 to the mission. A regional convention of young people will be held in Karnataka on 24-27 October centred on ‘Young people caring for the earth for a better world’. The diocese makes recommendations to fully live Pope Francis’s invitation to the "outgoing" Church.
The entrance was forbidden since August 2, before the Delhi authorities revoked the semi-autonomous status of the Valley. The predominantly Muslim territory is devastated by an all-out curfew, thousands of arrests and continuous skirmishes between the army and militants.
A group of intellectuals comes out in favour of critics of Prime Minister Modi. The latter were indicted for sedition. In less than 10 years, 254 hate crimes based on religion have been recorded, over 90 per cent since Modi came to power.
The meeting was organized by the archdiocese and the Salesian community. A video was shown which explains the meaning of the Missionary Month, wanted by Pope Francis to renew missionary zeal and mission ad gentes.
The Holy Hour on the first Friday of the month was led by Mgr John Rodrigues, rector of the basilica. God, he said, “is asking you not simply to go through life, but to give life; not to complain about life, but to share in the tears of all who suffer.”
Hindutva’s unrestrained nationalism and violence permeate Indian society. Rights are denied in Kashmir and unbridled policies have devastated the economy threatening the survival of the weakest. A certain "sadistic pleasure" can be seen when people take selfies of a person being lynched. Blind violence is inflicted upon Dalits whilst tribal lands are seized. A Jesuit offers his thoughts, written before the theft of the Mahatma's ashes were reported.
Mausoleum in Bapu Bhawan, in Madhya Pradesh ransacked. The theft occurred on the 150th anniversary of his birth. Mahatma is considered the "father of the nation", but Hindu ultranationalists criticize him for having "surrendered" to the Muslims. His ashes are scattered in different memorials.
Bishop Felix Machado led the inaugural Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Grace in Papdy. The “Pope warned us that we should never impose the faith of the Church on anyone," he said, for “people are drawn by Jesus, not proselytising”.
The cloistered life does not isolate the nuns but "places them at the heart of the Church ". Nun remembers the constant prayer of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus: ‘Draw me to you. We shall run after you’. “Invisible ties unite her to Jesus and His people; ties that constitute her greatness but which at the same time impose an immense responsibility of love.”
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