ERACHAKULAM, TAMILNADU

We have been invited by the Bishop of Kottar and by the Claretian Missionaries (Cmf) to serve in this Diocese, so then we saw a large opportunity in the ministry of evangelisation and consolidation of the faith of the people, we agreed and taken further steps. Thus we selected Erachakulam Mission parish as our mission station.The total population of the town is around 4000 families, belonging to different religions and social class. Among this there are aroung 100 catholic families, the rest are belonging to other christian denominations, hindus and muslims. Most of the catholic people are migrated here in recent years.

The majority of the population is involved in agricultural works, animal husbandry and construction works. Some are trained skilled employees and some are away in the Middle East as laborers. The education and literacy rate is slowing picking up, there are some educational institutions around this area.

In this mission we work in collaboration in all the pastoral activity of the parish and in the Amadiagam Ashram (Claretian fathers’ community). For past 5 months we lived in the Claretian fathers’ community, it was a very good enriching experience, and we are grateful to them. And now the parish priest and the Parishners have offered us generously a residence to do the mission. In these past months, we have slowly got ourselves involved in the faith formation and all activities of the parish, it is real joy to be closer to the people’s lives. In the coming year we will also be working in collaboration with Cmf in educational ministry.

Continue to support us with your prayers.

Address of Erachakulam residence is:

Claretian Sisters,

Erachakulam, Kanyakumari district, Tamilnadu 629902, India.

 I

Children's day

“What is life without children like a world without sun, stars and moon.

They spread joy and happiness in every season”

 In general celebration stands for joy, and that is very true in every celebration 

as we experience it. We had a joyful celebration of children’s day at St. Francis 

School. Basically children are very happier and they make the others happy by 

their very presence and fun. We witnessed it at our school as we celebrated the 

children’s day with our lovely and cute children. They were all delightful in 

sharing their day of celebration with one another. This marked a great step in 

our service of education, as we realized the need for value education with fun 

and frolic. We had a number of activities that marked the day very special. 

Among them the fancy dress competition and dance competition stood brighter.
 

In the fancy dress competition the children took part very happily showing forth their lovely and angelic outfit. It was like stars in the sky, shining bright and light. They had wonderfully dressed themselves that we were at awe and wonder looking at their outfit and their style. A few even had unique style in their walk that mesmerised the audience. The radiant joy that shone in their face was pervading the hearts of their parents and teachers who were standing and watching their children walk all along the stage with pride.

Secondly dance competition rocked the day. The moves with their hip and the jump with their toes earned huge thunderous applause from the audience. Indeed it was a heart-delighting performance by the children. Every one of them, who had danced, had magically attracted the audience that most of them were watching the dance without even blinking their eyes. The dance was so amazing that even those who were not interested started enjoying looking at the hip hop steps of the children. The children had kept up their spirit of being joyful to the brim that it was overflowing with smile and happiness.

On the whole the programme was enriching and enlivening to both the children and the teacher-parents. As said in the beginning the children spread the aroma of joy and happiness around the school campus with their blissful and wholistic performances. We have a lot to learn from them in this regard. Let us grow together. Let be children for children’s sake.

                                                                               Sr.Jacquline

EDUCATIONAL EXPOSURE

Educational Exposure for O/L students from Karukupane

The exposure organised was timely as the students prepare themselves to sit for the O/L exams in the month of December 2018. The students went to Jaffna on 24^th and 25^th of October 2018. As the students approach exams the tension mounts and most of them without dealing with stress find a mechanism to escape. There were 18 students from both Karukupane Tamil and Sinhala schools.

Objective Observe, understand and learn the various skills needed to face the exams, Stress and anxiety management and the coping mechanism,Enhance the knowledge, skills and techniques needed in answering the exam papers , Learn new skills to support the efforts from the students who potentially would score the best results in Jaffna, Create an atmosphere in order to cultivate future programmes and reconciliation.

The program was designed in resonance with the objectives of the visit. During the 2day program, the participants have visited various historical places that they have studied about in their history lessons and the schools that are known for their excellence. The students also interacted with the students who would secure the best results in their respective schools and in the district. The first day the students were given an hour of talk on motivation and goal and value-oriented life by Fr. Dilan Perera a Jesuit. The rest of the day was spent on visiting the historical places students were amazed to find the historical evidence of the Fort in Jaffna the history of which spans a few centuries[1] and the Nalur temple. Before the students retired for the night evaluation for the day was organised in order to enhance the lessons learnt and to answer their queries. The second day was very significant, and all the students looked forward to it. It was organised that the female students would visit Holy Family Convent, Jaffna and the male students would visit St. Patrick’s College, Jaffna. Both the schools are well known for their excellence and performance in education in Jaffna district. The students were welcomed warmly and were introduced to objective of the day. The students followed different methods to get themselves engaged in learning from their colleagues how their counterparts in Jaffna learn and study efficiently thus preparing for the exam. They were impressed how the students are prepared to face the exam with confidence presuming that they would get the questions that they have prepared. The second half of the first session was to place the students in small groups in order to make the interaction lively.  Mr. Stanislaus who had been in teaching career for 32 years insisted that their study methodology should give them self-confidence to face the exam. He also insisted to invoke the blessing of the Lord before any activity that the students get engaged in especially the exams. They students were introduced to various techniques to write the exam expecting the results The students at the end of the programme felt amazing about the exposure they had and felt good about having invested time and energy. All the students expressed that it’s their first visit to Jaffna and meeting with the students have deconstructed the prejudice that they had. They also felt they were treated well by the students and these exposures could be of some help in building relationships across ethnicity. They also expressed the fear they had with regard to Tamil – Sinhala divide but at the end of the programme they genuinely spelled out that there was no language or ethnic difference expressed. Apart from the objectives of the exposure they students also articulated that these programmes or similar programmes can foster ethnic harmony and reconciliation.

Kottapitiya Community

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BEING TRANSFORMED FOR THE MISSION

Being transformed for the mission………..

Sr. Rahil and I joined the Sisters formation group for an exposure program as a part of the course.  With immense joy I would like to share our experience of the self-transformation in relation to tradition and experience. We visited a village from 27^th to 30^th of August, 2018.  It was held in a Rural Area of Mangeni, Batticoloa in Sri Lanka. Each day we had some programs like taking classes for the children, visiting the families, visiting the fishermen in the sea shore and conducting some entertainment programme for the children, and also awareness programs were conducted for the parents of the children, to encourage their children for the higher education as well as the human values.

In visiting the families we had a very good experience because they trusted us so much and were able to share openly their joys and sorrows with us. This sharing of the people and interacting with them we were able to feel that we are exposed to their family as one of the members and to the realities of the society.  It was like the ship goes in to the deep water and experience all kinds of roughness of the sea. They were very affected by various problems of natural and manmade calamities. In fact this experience gave us the beautiful opportunity to be one with them and to experience all kinds of roughness that they face in the deep sea of life.

We were surprised to see these people because despite of the other religions practiced, they welcomed us with lot of hospitality and love and they were very simple and very much approaching people.

So this exposure was a wonderful experience for both of us to become self-transformed persons for our missionary journey as we said in the beginning and we are grateful to God for the opportunity that he had granted to us.

By. Sr. Martina Marsilla Mary

The Mission and Community experience in India

The Mission and Community experience in India

       “The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly without fear for newer and richer experience.” 

Soon after my profession I was asked by the Delegation to have mission and community experience in India for six months. As a member of the community of Antonia Paris Nilaya and did volunteer service in St. Francis school.

 On 2^nd of June I inserted myself in the community and in the school. It was a pleasant time for me to be in India as a religious to serve in the vineyard of God.

       

When I was novice I heard and the XVII General Chapter document also says; “The whole World is homeland to the Missionary of Christ.” At present I am experiencing it. Actually to have an experience as a missionary is beautiful but challenging. This was the first time to adapt a new culture in another country. This made me to sense the spirit of a missionary.

“A Teacher who plant a seed of the future in the heart of each students” I am almost finishing my period of time in the school. I would like to share my experience. It is a grace filled time, to be with the children in the school as a teacher, I consider teaching is not a work, it is a service I render to the children to become a better person in the society and in the world. In the beginning I felt little difficult to communicate and handle the children, because of the language but I enjoyed being with them listening to their innocent way of talking and playful attitude; really it gave me lot of happiness. “In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn.”  The service of teaching demands mutual learning like give and take policy.  Certainly it is a wonderful experience; I am having at present the first and the best.

Our constitution says; “Let us live fraternally with everyone though they be of different opinions, languages and origins. We should strive to adapt ourselves to the customs of the country where we live.”  As I inserted myself in the community where I live, I felt this is my own home; all those who are living with me are my own sisters. That made me to accept the culture, language, place and the persons. The community has given me the good support to do my ministry. I am experiencing the attitudes of the community - loving, caring, helping, sharing, accepting and adjusting and joyfulness at present. My heartfelt thanks to all my community members.     

I thank God for this wonderful experience that He has given me and I express my gratitude  to the Delegation Superior and the Council members for giving me this great chance to involve in the Missionary Apostolic and community experience. I assure; it will help me to do the ministries in the coming days.

Thank you

Sr. J.F.L. Dayola RMI

Antonia Paris Nilaya