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93 Days
Director:  Steve Gukas. Cast: Bimbo Akintola, Danny Glover, Somkele Idhalama, Bimbo Manuel, Alastair Mackenzie. 2016. 125 minutes.

This docu-fiction presents the real-life heroism of a group of health workers in Nigeria whose self-sacrifice and quick action saved millions of lives in the face of the Ebola pandemic of 2014.

The drama starts on 20^th June 2014, when Patrick Sawyer, a sick Liberian-American diplomat, lands in Lagos airport and is taken to First Consultants Medical Center, where they are suspicious of Ebola infection. Sawyer bullies the staff to let him out of quarantine. Dr Stella Ameyo Adadevoh, the physician in attendance, tries to retain him to run tests for Ebola. The case is confirmed the next morning—the first case in Nigeria. The news spreads. Nigeria has now to gear up to prevent an outbreak which can lead to deaths of millions. On 5^th July, Patrick Sawyer is found dead, spreading more alarm.  He had caused much trouble in the hospital, and inadvertently infected the health staff.

Ill equipped to meet with a mass spread, the health team starts to admit the newly infected ones. The overworked Dr Stella leads the fight against the deadly disease, providing her fellows with information and procuring protective equipment and mobilizing the government machinery. Soon she shows symptoms and is confirmed of infection. She is admitted to the isolation ward to face death. Suffering intensely and facing death, she still keeps up her faith and courage, inspiring others to fight. Immediately before her death she wishes her son happy birthday over the phone and asks his dad to get him a present. What could have resulted in the devastation of a mega city of twenty million people ended claiming only eight lives out of the twenty infected. Four of the victims were health workers in the First Consultant Hospital. Their self-sacrifice and quick, courageous action prevented a huge human tragedy.

On October 20^th, 2014 WHO declared Nigeria Ebola-free.

Bridge to Terabithia
Director: Gábor Csupó Cast: Josh Hutcherson Anna Sophia Robb, Zooey Deschanel Bailey Madison, Robert Patrick. 2007. 95 minutes.

This movie deals with the experience of growing up and reconciling with death. Twelve-year-old Jesse Aarons has two brothers and a little sister May Belle. In school he is often bullied. His teacher discovers Jesse’s artistic talent. Jesse and a classmate, a girl called Leslie Burke, become friends.

On their way back home from school, Jesse and Leslie explore a forest and discover a rope hanging from a tree to swing across a deep creek. On the other side they find an abandoned tree house and rusty vehicles which provide them a magic world of joy and fun. There they meet fantastic projections of their enemies at school appearing as trolls whom they have to fight. They name it Terabithia. They really have a great time there.

Then, suddenly, Jesse received a shocking news. His father tells him that Leslie is dead! She had drowned in the flooded creek while swinging on the rope. Jesse is shattered and disbelieving. Initially he is overwhelmed by a sense of guilt, thinking that he was somehow responsible for Leslie’s death. He throws his paints into the stream. He ill-treats his sister May Belle.

When his father comes looking for them, he thinks it is some dark spirit and tries to run away.  But his father’s hug and words of comfort pacify him. He commemorates Leslie by painting her caricature and floating it on the water on a raft. It helps him recover. He reconciles with his little sister and builds a wooden bridge upon a fallen tree so that his sister can cross over to Terabithia. Above the bridge he sets up the motto: “Nothing crushes us.” Together he and May Belle are received by beneficent spirits who welcome them as king and queen in Terabithia. Love and art help him reconcile with the loss. He joyfully takes his sister into the magically transformed Terabithia.

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Prof Gigy Joseph

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CRI ENCYCLOPEDIA
2 volumes. 1974 pages. Editor-in-Chief: Fr George Panthanmackel MSFS, Executive Editor: Fr. Jose Karipadathu MSFS; Managing Editor: Fr V M Thomas SDB

Published by the Conference of Religious, India. Co-publisher and distributor: Asian Trading Corporation, Bangalore. 2020. Rs 2500. [Discounted and subsidized price for religious and for seminary libraries: Rs 2000.]

This monumental publication gives brief and up-to-date information on the 504 Institutes of Consecrated Life, Societies of Apostolic Life and Secular Institutes serving in India. Every entry on a religious order is written by a member, thus ensuring accuracy.

The two volumes are structured as follows:

The whole of Volume I and a good part of Volume II are devoted to brief presentations of the 504 religious orders, in alphabetical order.

The rest of Volume II is thematic. It presents short articles on the following select topics relevant to religious life in India today:

Advocacy, Agriculture,  Architecture, Consecrated Life: History of, Consecrated Life: Meaning, Dance, Ecumenical effort: A Personal Testimony, Ecumenism, Education, Education (Inclusive) of the Differently Abled, Family Apostolate, Feminism and Women Religious, Healing Ministry, Holiness, Holy Persons, Human Rights, Human Trafficking and Transgender Bias, Indigenous Religious Congregations, Inter-Faith Relations, Legal Services, Literature, Music, Peace effort in Northeast India: Pointers for Progress, Philosophizing, Print Media, Prison Ministry, Public Domain, Religious Life: Charism and Apostolate, Religious Life: Spirituality of, Retreat and Renewal Ministries, Rites and Liturgy, Science and Technology, Secular Institutes: Spirituality of, Social Communications, Social Research, Theology,  Tribal Development, Universal Church, Youth Ministry.
This is followed by a list of all the religious orders working in India, as well as the orders founded in India. It concludes with a useful glossary, a detailed index, and a supplement presenting the involvement of religious in reaching out to those affected by the pandemic and the lockdown in India.

The comprehensive and up-to-date information it provides make this Encyclopedia a real asset for institutions and for scholars. We see it as a great contribution by and to the religious of India, and a must for any religious library. Its writers and editors, headed by Fr George Panthanmackel MSFS, deserve our gratitude and heartfelt appreciation.

Registered Charitable and Religious Trusts in India A Handbook on Temporal Administration: Guidelines on the Financial, Legal, Structural and Administrative Matters
By Fr Alex G SJ (Gujarat Sahitya Prakash and Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth, 2020. 372 pp. Rs 600)

Panicky about the drastic changes and demands of the Income Tax Act, FCRA and other laws? Don’t fret. This book will guide you with updated knowledge.

It will benefit all those involved in the financial and structural management of the registered trusts and societies, both as beginners and as competent practitioners. Training the Church personnel in financial and general administration is the main objective of this book.

The Chapter on Temporal Administration has been written from a Christian perspective. Provisions in the Canon Law of the Catholic Church have been taken and applied.

The theoretical and practical approach in the book to Temporal Administration, though Christian in orientation, is applicable to people of all faiths and institutions and organizations with 12A.

Topics covered: Accounting & Financial Statements, including audit requirements; banking  information and procedures, necessary for beginners; Financial Planning and Management, Budgeting, Cash-flow Management and Saving for investment; investing in Mutual Funds; Statutory Compliances, dealing with income tax exemption for NPOs, FCRA, TDS, GST and Registered Legal Entities and the way to run such legal entities; Temporal Administration in the Church, including the Spirituality of Temporal Administration.

The relevance of the topics covered and the competence and clarity of the author make this book a reliable companion for any religious and charitable trust.

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Fr Joe Mannath SDB

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DEEPLY IMPRESSED
I saw the Golden Issue of Magnet, on-line.!
Deeply impressed, as I read through the whole issue!
Let me sincerely congratulate you and your team, especially for the content: rich, personal and inspiring sharing; for the lay out: attractive pictures; font-selection and presentation, and above all, very readable and captivating language!
Congratulations, and sincere thanks!

Bishop Alex Vadakumthala
Kannur, Kerala.

IN LOVE WITH MAGNET
MAGNET is indeed a much appreciated and valuable gift which will be treasured and be put to the best use.
I have been a silent fan of MAGNET and am grateful to you and your efficient team for making each Issue a success.

Sr Queenie Anna Fernandes FHIC 

Very useful, resourceful and informative articles, especially the main article on Discernment (August 2020). It is helpful for all times. It urges us to sift through our needs and wants and to make the proper choices.

Sr Elsa SCC
Amravati, Maharashtra.

We are enjoying Magnet magazine. We are indeed very happy to receive it.  You are doing wonderfully well and  we assure you  that the ‘Kingdom Values’ are promoted through this Magazine.

Sr Veena OCD
Prioress, Carmel Ashram,
Sitagarha, Jharkhand.

Every month we look forward to receiving the magazine.

Sr Catherine Varkey FMM
Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

I know the worth of MAGNET. I know you are not boasting; the quality is really good and appreciated.
I shall try to spread it.

Fr Maria Arokiam Kanaga SDB, Provincial,
Università Pontificia Salesiana, Roma, Italy.

The magazine is very inspiring and enriching.

Sr Marina PS
Priyadarshini Vihar, New Delhi.

We thank you and your team for the painstaking efforts to bring out the best information in the MAGNET. It has got a lot and variety of content which helps us in various fields of our ministries and personal life as well.

Sr Viva Pinto SCSC
Bangalore, Karnataka.

Thank you for sending us copies of MAGNET. It is always helpful and inspiring.

Sr Aline P. Barde ACI
Naga City, Philippines.

Thanks for the trouble you take to make this magazine relevant and insightful for us.

Sr Flory D’Souza SCSC
Provincial Superior
Bangalore, Karnataka.

MAGNET is very good and we appreciate it very much. When it comes, everyone likes to read it.

Sr Mary Jyothi SSpSAP
Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters (Contemplatives)
Bangalore, Karnataka.

Thank you so much for MAGNET. The name is well chosen; it keeps attracting us and making us reflect.
My heartiest congratulations to you and to the team of contributors.  It is a wonderful resource and contribution to the religious thinking of the consecrated people.

Fr Jayapalan Raphael SDB
Rome and Chennai.

Much to Share with My Brothers
It’s hard to believe that the October issue is #50!!
There is much here to share with my SVD brothers.
The article on religious life as a journey is very good. It is not said in the article, but I have gotten a real aversion to the phrase “final vows” instead of “perpetual vows.” Final vows plays into the idea that once we take our vows–as the article so wisely says–we are perfectly chaste, poor, and obedient. But that is not my experience at all! This is a perpetual, everyday task, to commit myself to fidelity and growth. One of my friends pointed out that “perpetual” comes from the Latin word, petere, which means “to ask”–so to ask every day to be faithful to what we’ve committed ourselves to. A journey indeed!
Brother Carmel’s articles are always amazing. What experience he has with working with the “poorest of the poor.” He is really inspiring!
I thought the responses of so many women and men were very interesting, especially in terms of how many religious were outstanding, mediocre, and troublemakers! Being on our provincial council I see that very clearly. Sadly, most of us are rather mediocre, and not very versatile in terms of how we can serve the vision of the society (another good article, by the way). Sobering, I think.
I really liked your longer article on religious life and I will share it with my provincial. Maybe he can share it more widely in the province. I liked the idea of “celibate community” rather than “consecrated life.” We always have to focus on what we have in common with other Christians rather than how we are different or superior. And I liked your points for the future of religious life.
I thought the article about viruses in religious life and their antidotes was very clever and very true. Another article to share with my provincial!
The article on Peter Claver and slavery today was also very good and very sobering.
And, of course, the collection of quotations is always a highlight for me!
Thanks for a fine issue. May there be many more than 50 issues of Magnet!

Fr Steve Bevans SVD, Professor, CTU, Chicago, USA

Send an Article a Day to Our Members
My provincial forwarded to me the recent issue of MAGNET. Most of the articles, especially the answers to your questions on heroic, mediocre and counter-witness types of religious and  your article on Celibate Communities are truly revealing, enlightening, enriching and challenging,  I have requested my provincial to send  one each of those articles every day  to our members.
Thank you for this challenging issue.

Fr Anand Mathew IMS
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

The two really limited—and hence most precious—gifts we have are: time and health. We do not know how much time we still have on this earth, and how long we will be healthy enough to do all the things we dream of doing or enjoying.
The real issue is not whether we will die (!) or even when, but what we will do with the limited time at our disposal.
November is the month when Catholics remember, revere and pray for the dead in a special way. Its real purpose, however, is to remind us of our mortality, and help us so live that, when we are gone, those who are still on the way can not only pray for us, but pray to us. I do that with my parents every night. I experience their wise and loving guidance.

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This issue of MAGNET focuses on this truth.
Rather than give exhortations to our readers, we prefer to learn from people who have faced death in ways we can all learn from—the deaths of dear ones and being on the point of death themselves.
You are going to meet:

• A young woman who learnt much from the serenity and strength of her older sister as she faced death from cancer;
• A young priest who almost died in a car accident, and now sees life in a new way;
• Another priest who saw his mother and his sister die, and was seriously sick twice;
• A sister’s reflection on death as another birth;
• A middle-aged woman who learnt much from the saints, and experienced deep peace, even joy, when faced with the probability of dying.

We then have a look what wise people can teach us about dying and living, and how we can move from panic to confidence and peace.

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The interview this month is with a formator who found deep joy in caring for leprosy patients, and whose mother taught her precious lessons, including how to face death.

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The Finance article shows us how to implement the new FCRA requirements.
The Law column explains the meaning and purpose of a law regarding essential services.
The Movies reviewed deal with life and death.
This month’s Candle in the Dark is a man who worked for the poor in Uttarkhand.
The Psychology article looks at the serious and wide-ranging impact of COVID-19.
A young woman professional tells us how she climbed from poverty to managerial level of corporate life.
In Friendly Feedback, a respected Catholic layman shares his impressions of religious today.
And, to help us create a more human and fraternal world, we look at the key points of Fratelli Tutti.
I learnt much from reading and re-reading these articles as I edited them. May your reading be equally rewarding!

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Fr Joe Mannath SDB

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I prefer the term, “Celibate Communities,” rather than “Consecrated Life” (for every baptized person is consecrated to God) or “religious life” (God alone knows who is more religious or less so), or “vowed life” (for married people too make a vow). What distinguishes me from my parents or married relatives and friends, is celibacy, lived in community with other adults of the same gender. Celibacy and same gender community evidently distinguish us from lay persons. I do not claim to be more “religious” than my married siblings, nor more “consecrated” than they, who received the same Baptism that I did. Both they and I have vows to keep.

Relevance and Necessity Unclear

How relevant and meaningful is this way of today? Should we propose it to today’s young women and men? For what? Does it have a future? Or, is it largely an outdated and somewhat irrelevant form of life which may have served a purpose in earlier times, but is irrelevant today—as many seem to think?

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Fr Joe Mannath SDB

Rather than quote books or theorize about religious life, we preferred to hear directly from those who are living it today, here, in our setting. In any profession or vocation, after all, it is those who live it who know it best.

We were blessed to get personal answers from eleven religious—a Bishop, four Sisters, three Brothers, two Priests and a Theology student. We also got frank and sensible feedback from a laywoman and a layman, both of whom know women and men religious from close quarters and for long. Their friendly feedback will appear in later issues of MAGNET. Here we present the “insiders’ views” that we received.

We sent each of them the following eight questions. In replying, most followed the same order. A few made slight changes.

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KEVIN

Over the past few years Crystal and I have been privileged, honored and blessed to be permitted to share our thoughts and ideas with the readers of Magnet. Each time I sit down to write a little something, I am absolutely humbled as I contemplate the magnificent and holy people who read this publication. I feel so unworthy as I read all of the wisdom and insights of those who write articles and comments. Yet we trust in the vision of our beloved editor Fr Joe Mannath and bow to his persistent belief that we might actually have something for the readers to consider. In these last years we have sought to share from a different vocational perspective on the same issues and themes on which others were writing. Admittedly, we occasionally had doubts that what a married couple from the West might have to say on the given theme would be relevant to most of the readers. Yet it was always rewarding to consider how to be relevant to a group of dedicated Catholic priests, religious and laity.  Now, we are going to give up!  No, not on writing for Magnet. Remember that persistent editor? Well, he has granted us a new freedom to share not only our perspective with you but also to share more of our lived experience in our vocation of a married couple. So that is what we will try to do in the months ahead.

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Crystal and Kevin Sullivan

I am Sr Rosmia, member of a religious congregation with the main mission of educating women, girls and children.  I made my first profession in October, 2019. Since I joined as a graduate in commerce, my vocation promoter, who is also the principal in one of our colleges, wanted to employ me in the college office.  I was delighted at the proposal.  But my provincial and junior mistress did not agree to the proposal.  Since it is a government aided college, I will lose this chance as the vacancy would be filled in by someone else.  Why do my superiors make such a decision?

The initial formation of religious does not end with the novitiate.  In fact, the first profession inaugurates a new phase of formation, in which the human and spiritual growth of the temporarily professed religious continues and the fruits of the formation in the novitiate are reaped.  The Codes of Canon Law of both the Eastern and Latin Churches deal with formation after the temporary profession. ‘Directives on Formation in Religious Institutes’ [Potissimum institutioni] issued by the Holy See in 1990 further stipulates in detail the formation of religious in temporary profession, its significance and requirements in nn. 59-65. To answer your query, we shall look into the canons first and then proceed to the above cited document.

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Sr Licia SMI

It all happened on a single day.

At Mass on 9 September, I recalled the life of the saint whose feast day it was.

Servant of Slaves!

Born in a prosperous farming family in the Catalan region of Spain in 1580, Peter Claver was a bright and pious student at the University of Barcelona. After studies, he became a Jesuit at the age of twenty. He was sent to study philosophy at Montesione College, in Palma in Mallorca (Majorca). Inspired by the Jesuit Brother who was the door keeper of the college for forty-six years and later became a saint, St Alphonsus Rodriguez, Claver volunteered to work in the Spanish colony of Granada (Colombia) in South America and travelled to the port city of Cartagena in 1610.

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Fr M A Joe Antony SJ

RELIGIOUS LIFE—A “MESSY” JOURNEY

“I am disillusioned,” Sister Rupa told me. “What happened?” I asked. “I am upset with what I see happening in religious life. It is so different from what I expected it to be. I had thought it would be a place where we would really love one another, help one another toward holiness and do good together. But what I see is pettiness, backbiting, jealousies and infantile behaviour. I’ve had enough of this. I’ve been thinking of giving up this life.”

Sr Rupa’s lament reminded me of an article in the Review of Religious (1994, May-June, 440-451) by Presentation of Mary Sister Susan Beaudry and Marist Father Edwin Keel entitled “Journeying to God Together.”

In the context of Sr Rupa’s lament I would like to reflect on the first part of Beaudry and Keel’s definition – Journey.

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FR JOSE PARAPPULLY SDB