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India has one of the most massive school systems in the world. At the tertiary (college) level, it has the world’s largest number of institutions. At both school and college levels, the quality varies greatly—as all of us know.

One of the major and most influential players in this field is the Catholic Church, which has a huge presence in education all over the world, and a very distinguished history. Its pioneering role and committed service in education in India is practically unmatched.

We look at what our schools and colleges are meant to do, are actually doing and where we fail. Instead of quoting dry statistics, we asked four experienced educators known for their wisdom, experience and distinguished service in the field.

I wrote to each of them:

“The goal of good education (as our Catholic schools and colleges are supposed to impart) is to form professionally competent, morally upright, socially conscious leaders who will not only lead good lives personally and professionally, but also make a difference for the better in society. This supposes that the student sees these values lived (not only taught) by the educators and practised in the school or college.

“Do we, Catholic educators, have and live this vision?…

“You are an experienced and visionary educator. Please share with us your vision of (Catholic) education, what a good school or college is in your opinion, what you see as the main tasks of an educator, what pitfalls you see in this ministry, and your suggestions to today’s educators.”

We are honoured to publish their replies, as four cover stories in this issue. Here are the four respondents:

Archbishop Thomas Menamparambil SDB is an unusual combination—a man of vision and wide experience known for his effective pastoral leadership as a bishop in the North East, and invited by universities who esteem his intellectual calibre. He speaks of the need to train effective leaders.

Sr Marian Mathew PBVM, with over thirty years of experience as a teacher and principal, and noted for her simple life and love for the poor, shares touching experiences from her years of service in education.

Brother Brendan CFC avoided all sweet talk, and told me simply that we have largely failed. His painful analysis of what went wrong, and where we need to act, can provoke us to meaningful action.

Mrs Rekha Mathews, a brilliant and committed laywoman working in a Catholic college, looks at the good things Catholic institutions do, some of our failures and what education can do.

Read and see. Education is the main ministry religious and many lay persons in India are engaged in. We can be real game-changers for vast numbers of students and their families, if we are visionaries, or fail them badly if we are mediocre, or sink to the level of a business, or forget why we run schools.

I must also confess that, while preparing this issue, I heard from a number of religious and lay persons that the quality of leadership in Catholic institutions has fallen. A real note of alarm, if it is true.

Fr Joe Mannath SDB

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WHAT EVERY NEW ADMINISTRATOR NEEDS TO KNOW

For most priests and religious in India, the month of May is the time for transfers or appointments.  I am therefore addressing the issue related to transfers and appointments from the point of view of administration.

It is only natural for anyone to feel uncertain and to some extent nervous and frightful too, when he/she is appointed the first time in any administrative post—be it the Bishop, Provincial, Vicar General, Councilors, Bursar/Procurator/Treasurer, Superior, Principal, Secretary, Manager, Director, Parish Priest,  Minister, Administrator,  farm or kitchen in-charge.  If the person has no one to guide him/her, then the feeling of insecurity is all the greater.  This article is an attempt to guide such persons.  Some may be given more than one responsibility, such as Principal and Superior, Minister and Treasurer, Secretary and Treasurer, etc.

We will first discuss one of the most important topics applicable to us, namely, administration, and then within the administration, what is common for all, irrespective of what post one is to take up, and then deal with the matters specific to the general administration, financial administration and property administration.  Finally, we shall also see the roles (job description) of some important officials in administration.

What is administration?

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Fr Alex Gnanapragasam SJ

Using her experience and knowledge as a lawyer, administrator and provincial, Sr Regis presents the basics of administration for superiors and administrators.

1. Registered Society
A Registered Society is a juridical person or a legal entity. In legal terms it is known as Association of Persons. It has a registered office.
Each society is an independent legal person. It is represented by the President and is governed by the governing body. The registers and reports of the Society are to be maintained up-to-date by the secretary.

2. Five Documents
A registered Society has 5 important documents: Memorandum, Society Registration Certificate, 12A Certificate, FCRA Certificate and PAN Card. The name and all other information in all the documents should be the same. All the units attached to a particular society will use the same documents for any needs, like KYC for bank accounts, registration of vehicles, payment of TDS, etc. So we need to keep a copy of these documents in every community in the province.

3. Memorandum
Just as every Religious Order has its Constitutions and Regulations, every registered association has its Memorandum with its rules and regulations. A memorandum has Two parts: Aims and

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Sr Regis Savarimuthu SMI

She was in love. Her parents did not approve. She ran away from home  in the middle of the night to be with the one she had chosen.

When Love required that she leave her country, Italy, there was no looking back. She remained in her adopted country, and never went back. She never saw her family again. With her beloved she lived happily ever after, as in the fairy tales.

Sounds like the stuff romantic novels are made of, right? It is a love story—with this twist: Our ‘heroine’ was real, the one she was in love with was Jesus and when she left her home it was to become a religious Sister.

I first met Sr. Flamenia when I joined our congregation in Canada. She had what we would call a “humble job.” She was in charge of the hospital’s laundry department. She also took care of one of our Sisters who had remained partially paralyzed after a surgery.  She looked quiet and plain, but when I came to know how she had become a sister I was intrigued.

She wouldn’t speak much but I soon noticed two things about her: the constant quiet joy on her face and the patience with which she looked after the Sister entrusted to her care.

Some thirty years ago, when clothes were washed in common, I would see her pick up soiled clothes or linen without making a fuss or showing disgust. The way she worked gave dignity to whatever she did. She held herself with such serenity and grace that I could not think her work as demeaning or ‘low.’

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Sr Marie Gabrielle Riopel SCSM

Everything in the universe, being a system, works in a systematic way.  Each system has its own uniqueness and peculiarities.  Hence, when I am placed within a system, the rules of that system will apply to me and influence me. Even my survival may depend on that system.  Hence, I must have a fairly good knowledge of the system – how it operates and applies to me.  Similarly, knowing the Indian Legal System  is of immense help in our day-to-today living.

Components of the Indian Legal System’ (ILS)

One is able to get things done easily and efficiently when one knows how a system operates and the inter-connectedness of its components.  In the same way, ILS and its components have their own way of functioning in the justice delivery system.  The practice of the court is the law of the court (Cursus Curiae est Lex Curiae).  If you are compelled and dragged to the court in an inevitable litigation, you must know the rules of the game, lest you be an odd player.  On the play-ground, a player cannot say that he does not know the rules of the game.  In the courts, one is called upon to show that there is not only violation of law but also miscarriage of justice, whether it is in the civil, criminal, labour, revenue or administrative matters.  I shall enumerate six major components of ILS around which any litigation will revolve.

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Fr Ravi Sagar SJ

Youth are the NOW of God!

A warm, personal letter to the young—and to everyone else

This Papal Exhortation differs from other Vatican documents in contents and style. It is not only addressed to the young. Its contents and language will make the young want to read it. The heroes and chosen ones it mentions are young people—from the Old Testament right down to our days. It is a long document—in 299 articles, followed by 164 footnotes. This summary cannot really do justice to its rich contents.

The document starts on a note of enthusiasm: “Christ is alive!…He brings youth to our world…He wants you to be alive!”

The Pope then adds more words of hope: “He is in you, he is with you and he never abandons you. However far you may wander, he is always there, the Risen One. He calls you and he waits for you to return to him and start over again. When you feel you are growing old out of sorrow, resentment or fear, doubt or failure, he will always be there to restore your strength and your hope.”

He addresses this “Apostolic Exhortation” to all young people “with great affection.”

To show the young their call to holiness, Pope Francis mentions the young people God called in the Old and New Testaments, adding that Jesus himself was a young man.

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Fr Joe Mannath SDB

I press the doorbell of the convent. The door opens. Facing me is a beautiful young woman, all smiles. She welcomes me, takes my handbag, shows me my room.

When I joined the Sisters for tea in the evening, I see the same young woman again. I cannot but notice her presence and her charming smile. I ask the Sisters about her.

One of the Sisters tells me, “Neeta—all names in this article have been changed—is no ordinary girl. She was brought here by the staff of the government shelter home that takes care of runaways, trafficked women and children.”

Victim of Her Father’s Cruelty

I learn that several of these women and children have been betrayed and sold by their own family members.

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Sr Celine Vas BS

[I asked Ligia four questions: About the experience of being married to a Deacon (who has to combine family responsibilities and ministry requirements), about how she collaborates in Jaime’s ministry, about whether people open up to them easily and any other point she wanted to add.—Editor]

Married Life with a Deacon

My husband Jaime and I gave up our jobs in the year 2000 and began working full time in the Lord’s vineyard as we felt moved by the Holy Spirit to do so. So, after some years, when my husband told me that he felt moved to become a Permanent Deacon, I was open and supported his decision. At that stage it was something that we had not heard much about but were told more about it. I had to give a written permission for Jaime to become a Deacon. The preparation to be ordained as a Deacon took four long years.

As the preparation at that time was mainly in the weekends, it meant a lot of sacrifice, especially in the first few years when our son was still a teenager. At times I had to handle challenging situations at home,  additionally caring for two elderly persons at home. However, I began trusting and relying more on His Spirit to guide and lead me.

It was not easy for our children to accept the fact that their Dad was going to become a Deacon, dressing up like a priest and assisting at Mass, etc. Our son Ashish especially was afraid of being ridiculed by his friends. Our decisions can be tough on our children especially in today’s world when we see so much affluence around. Many times, I could see their pain too. But the Spirit also amazingly ministered to them in ways I never expected.

Ligia Fonseca

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The inspiring story of a married man who took up full time ministry, became a deacon, and is delighted and grateful for what he and his wife can do together in today’s Church.

[I got to know Jaime and Ligia at the Church in India Seminar in Varanasi in March this year. I heard good things about them from a mutual friend, noticed their warm and joyful presence, and suggested they write their vocation story. I sent them twelve questions for an “interview.” Here is their heart-warming story, as written by Jaime, a married deacon in the Archdiocese of Mumbai. Ligia comes in later.—Editor]

Family and Early Dreams

I come from a family of six children.  Born in 1951, I was the “Number Two” in the family, the eldest amongst the three brothers.  My parents were devout Catholics.  My father was a daily Mass goer who lived out his spirituality in a very gentle and silent manner.  I had a secret admiration for the kind of person he was.  I studied in a Jesuit school in Goa.  Every year, especially in the IX, X and XIth grades, we had retreats preached by a very fiery Jesuit preacher (Father George D’Sa). Each time I came back from the retreat and told my mother I wanted to become a priest.  But nothing happened in that line – I guess they were not too keen, since I was the oldest boy.

As I grew up, in my teenage years, I remember I was very intensely searching for a deeper meaning in my life.  I began to read a lot of books – mainly about religion, philosophy, psychology and about life in general.  I graduated in Science (Chemistry and Physics) and started working in the corporate world.  Whilst working, I studied and obtained some Diplomas in Management.  I also got involved in the Charismatic Renewal in Goa.

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Jaime and Ligia Fonseca

CRYSTAL

Reflecting on Scripture every morning has become a regular part of my prayer life, and there are those occasional moments when the words seem to jump off the page with God shouting… “Pay attention to this!”

This happened recently as I read the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians. Paul is describing his continued attempts to throw off any worldly goals and attain perfect holiness in a life possessed by Jesus Christ.  Paul counsels: “Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14)

At first glance, this might not seem to be an overly momentous verse, but just a few moments earlier I had been reflecting on God’s love and forgiveness and this verse summarized and confirmed where my thoughts had led me. As a little background, Kevin and I had recently gone to the theater and watched the movie “Unplanned” about a woman who had worked for Planned Parenthood and had (indirectly) been involved in over 22,000 abortions.

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Crystal and Kevin Sullivan