Dear Rev. Fathers/Sisters/Brothers, 

I am writing this letter to give you some salient news pertaining to our diocese.  

VISITS: I was in Kerala in the first week of January this year. During this short stay I met with Fr. David Peramangalam OFM. Cap., Provincial and Fr. James Chitteth, CFIC, Provincial. Other Superiors whom I went to see were Sr. Irene, SSPC Delegate, Sr. Mercitta, SABS Provincial, Sr. Jessy, OSF Delegate, Sr. Detty, FSSH Delegate. I also took time to visit the mission houses of the Charity Sisters at Varadiyam and CMC Sisters at Chiyyaram. Mention should be made also of my visits to Bishop Joseph Pastor Neelankavil, Bishop James Pazhayattil, Archbishop Andrews Thazhath and Archbishop Jacob Thoomkuzhy. On February 20, I visited Sr. Lizy, SDP Provincial of the Providence Sisters in Kolkata. Others who met with the Bishop in Sagar were Sr. Sebi Rose, CSM Superior General, Sr. Mary Lourdes, OSF Provincial, Fr. Josef Prinz and Mr. Herman Josef.

EVENTS: On February 10, Sr. Philo Maria, FCC,  Director of the Diocesan Women’s Commission and her team organized at our Pastoral Centre a meeting of women leaders of our diocese. On March 2, the new grotto was blessed by the bishop at Raisen and on that occasion the parishioners felicitated Fr. George Philip, CMI for his Golden Jubilee of Religious Profession. Following the visit of Fr. Mathew Azhakath, OCD, Provincial and Fr. Patrick Moothery OCD, Mission Delegate, Fr. Thomas Vanderkunnel, OCD has come to our diocese for a mission experience at Rehli. Fr. Mathachan Vamattam has gone to Kerala for treatment. The diocesan family expresses sincere condolence to Srs. Jisa David, SJ and Sr. Dhanya, SJ for the loss of their mother. Bishop Joseph Pastor Neelankavil represented the diocese at the funeral. I presided over the 41st day memorial Mass at Jesu Bhavan, Sagar.

CBCI - From February 13 to 20, the general assembly of the CBCI was held in Jamshedpur. The empowerment of women in the church and in the society was the general theme. The 155 bishops present at the meeting decided to give more participatory powers to women in decision making. Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil was elected President of the CBCI.

ITALY: On January 16, I reached Rome for a visit of three weeks. On the following day I was received in audience by the His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to whom I informed of the situation in our diocese and asked for his blessings. He said “Do not worry; I am praying for you; I bless you and your diocese”.  I had also a meeting with Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches. Later, on the same day I visited the Rector of “Sedes Sapientiae” Seminary. On January 20, I was invited by the bishop of Vittorio Veneto to preach about Sagar Mission in his cathedral on the occasion of their diocesan patron’s feast. The young men and women of Fossalta Maggiore parish in the same diocese have decided to set up a club “Friends of Sagar”. In the small city of Bergantino in the diocese of Rovigo the people organized a lottery to finance the projects of our diocese.

During my short stay in Rome I visited Sr. Maria Moryl, SSPC, Superior General of St. Peter Claver Sisters and told her of the progress of the work of their convent in Raisen. I also visited Sr. Mechtild, CJ, Superior General of the Congregation of Jesus, Sr. M. Lorraine Delaney, CSSJ, Superior General of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Sr. Xavier Bomberger, OSF, Superior General of the School Sisters and the generalate of the Providence Sisters. On February 3, I celebrated Mass in St. Lucy Foundation Hospital, Rome. On the following day Don Giuseppe Graziolo, parish priest of St. Joseph Cottolengo Parish, invited me to lunch. Don Grazioli, who is financing the school in Isagarh, invited me to his parish. Fr. Paul Chungath is assistant parish priest in his parish. He will return to the diocese on November 1st this year.

BUILDING UP: Thanks to the generosity of our benefactors we are busy in constructing some convents, presbyteries and churches. The convent of SJ Sisters in Bareli will be blessed on March 6. On March 9, St. Peter Claver Sisters will shift to their new premises. It will be followed by the SJ Sisters in Makronia. Convents are under construction in Banda and Isagarh and plans are ahead for the construction of convents at Bina and Jaisinagar. The presbytery of Udaipura will be blessed on April 14. The foundation stone for the presbytery was laid in Inkheri on February 10th. Work on the presbyteries of Mandideep and Bareli will be undertaken soon. While the construction work on the presbytery in Mohanpur has been blocked by the civil authorities, we are thinking of building a prayer hall there. In Shampura two new open wells have given abundant water for the orphan children. Also in Shampura the Sisters’ quarters have been completely renovated. A dispensary is planned there in the near future. Plans are ahead for building new churches in Dourana, Bareli and Mandideep. New class rooms are coming up in Sironj, Sanchi, Udaipura, Makronia and Madideep.

DAYASAGAR: An outdoor shrine of Divine Mercy is planned in Dayasagar. The plan of Bro. Sijo Chungath has been accepted.  Preparations are going on at Dayasagar to celebrate the feast of Divine Mercy on the first Sunday after Easter (March 30). It is consoling to see the increasing number of pilgrimages to Dayasagar. All parish priests and superiors should make it a point to encourage such pilgrimages and the popular devotion to Divine Mercy, which is growing fast in our diocese. On the feast day three of our regents will receive their cassocks from the Bishop. 

ORDINATIONS: On January 17, Bro. Sinto Maliekal was ordained deacon, Bro. Joshy Pullokaran received the order of sub-deacon and Bro. Nelson Thettayil that of Karoya. Dn. Abhilash Illimoottil will be ordained priest in Chembanode (Thamarassry Diocese) on April 27. Dn. Joseph Padayatty will be ordained priest in Karottukara (Irinjalakuda Diocese) on April 30. Dn. Anto Kannampuzha will be ordained priest in Kuttikad (Irinjalakuda Diocese) on May 1. Dn. Sibi Thekkan will be ordained priest in Mallussery (Ernakulam Archdiocese) on May 4. Dn. Sinto will be ordained priest in Thanissery (Irinjalakuda Diocese) on December 29. Let us thank the Lord of the Harvest for giving us so many laborers to work in His vineyard. I take this opportunity to thank all the benefactors of our seminarians.

MINOR SEMINARY: The extension work has begun on the minor seminary in Bararu. From next year there will be only one minor seminary in the diocese. The seminarians will attend St. Mary’s Higher Secondary School, Makronia for their higher secondary studies. All are invited to find suitable candidates for our seminary.

PUSHA PROJECT: We thank Fr. Paul Ben Nettikadan, CMI for his meritorious services to the Pushpa Project. I am glad to inform you that Pushpa Service Society (PSS) has been registered for the Mother & Child Hospital, Sagar. A legal agreement has been made for the acquisition of hundred acres of land. NOC is awaited from the Registrar for the registration of the hospital land.

I take this opportunity to send you every blessing of this holy season of Lent.

Sincerely yours in Christ,
Bp. Anthony Chirayath.

03/03/2008