home

April 7

WORLD HEALTH DAY

“Health for all” has been the guiding principle of the World Health Organization (WHO) from the time it came into existence seventy years ago. In this 70th anniversary year, WHO has chosen “Universal health coverage for everyone, everywhere” as the theme for the World Health Day.

Universal health coverage means ensuring that all people can get quality health services, where and when they need them, without thereby being pushed into poverty. No one should be forced into a situation to choose between good health and other necessities of life. However, it does not mean free coverage for all possible health interventions, regardless of the cost, as no country can provide all services free of charge on a sustainable basis.

Healthcare in India

The healthcare system in India is scandalously lopsided. While we boast of super-specialty hospitals that attract foreign patients, the vast majority of our people cannot afford the high cost of such private healthcare. At the same time, the facilities and care available in government hospitals are so poor that even the poor are forced to seek treatment in private hospitals.

Health is getting increasingly unaffordable for the poor in India. Most healthcare expenses are paid out-of-pocket by patients and their families, rather than through insurance. In fact, India has the highest out-of-pocket private healthcare costs among many other comparable developing nations. This pushes many households into poverty. Often the sad fact is that those threatened by poverty merely forgo healthcare because of the unaffordable charges.

While 70 percent of India’s population live in rural areas, only 3 percent of the doctor population live there. Nearly 75 percent of dispensaries, 60 percent of hospitals and 80 percent of doctors are located in urban areas, serving only 28 percent of the population.

Unaffordable drug prices

India is one of the world’s largest drug manufacturing countries. It exports medicines to more than 200 countries worldwide. In spite of that, more than half of its population has no access to essential medications in its government hospitals. Studies show that medicines in India are overpriced and unaffordable. The margin in sales is extremely high, often ranging from 1,000 percent to 4,000 percent.

In this situation, universal health coverage is the urgent need of the moment for the poor of the world and for India.

APRIL 22

EARTH DAY

Planet Earth, our common home, is under threat – a threat of slow destruction through relentless pollution, caused mostly by human beings. Earth Day is observed every year to draw the world’s attention to the destructive effects of pollution on us and our dear Planet. The only way to save it from extinction is to stop pollution–water pollution, soil pollution, noise pollution, plastic pollution, and what not. The theme chosen for this year’s Earth Day celebration is “END PLASTIC POLLUTION.”

Plastic, that wonder material that we use for everything, entered our world only about a hundred years ago. It is cheap, light and, in many ways, a useful thing. Yet it is a most harmful and impossible-to-get-rid-of pollutant, for the simple reason that it is non-biodegradable or degrades very slowly in the natural environment. Scientists believe that plastic takes 500 to 1000 years to degrade! Therefore, all the plastic that was created in the last one hundred years is still there in our environment, in some form or other, causing untold harm. The major chemicals that go into the making of plastic are highly toxic. The exponential growth of plastics is threatening the survival of all living beings and our planet itself. There is a growing tidal wave of interest in ending plastic pollution across the world.

Solution to Plastic Pollution

1. Educate people about the risks associated with the use and disposal of plastics.
2. Educate people to take personal responsibility for plastic pollution by choosing to reject plastic, or reduce the use of it, or reuse it whenever possible.
3. Mobilize and activate citizens to demand that governments and corporations control and clean up plastic pollution.
4. Eliminate altogether single-use plastics (e.g., plastic water bottles and cups).
5. Encourage people to switch over to nature-friendly bags made of paper, cloth, jute etc. for shopping and other purposes.

---

To subscribe to the magazine     Contact Us

Fr Joe Mannath SDB, National CRI Secretary, conducted three programmes in Varanasi in February.

The first was a one-day programme for formators (February 20), which was part of the three-day seminar on media organized by NISCORT for formators. Fr Joe covered these topics: Ten Principles of Formation; The Three Stakeholders of Formation; Qualities of a Good Formator; Tips for Formators.

After this, he was the resource person for the Seminar for Formators organized by Nav Sadhana, Varanasi. In four days (February 21-24), more topics could be covered. In addition to the topics given above, these areas were also dealt with: Lessons from Experience; Meaningful Celibacy; Healthy Friendships; Assessment; Counselling and Spiritual Direction; Confidentiality; Questions from the Audience.

On Sunday, February 25, he conducted a CRI Seminar on “Self-Care for Care-Givers.” Practical tips were given, through talks, Powerpoint, videos and group sharing, on caring for five aspects of our person: Body, Mind, Emotions, Relationships, Journey with God. While our religious orders provide us food and accommodation, books and libraries, it is up to each of us to be physically fit, develop our mind, have emotional balance, relate in positive ways and cultivate our spiritual life. Ninety-two religious and novices took part in this seminar.

Fr Joe Mannath will be offering this short programme on Self-Care in one-day or half-day sessions in various regions this year. May we take responsibility to be physically fit, mentally alert, emotionally balanced, friendly and helpful towards people and spiritually focussed. After all, our main “job” is to be inspiring persons others can look up to.

Assembly of Major Superiors

As communicated in two emails to all major superiors and regional CRI secretaries, the 2018 Assembly of Major Superiors will be held at SRM University, Chennai, from 9 am on May 27 until 1 pm on May 30. Details (topics, speakers, registration, accommodation, pick-up, etc.) will be communicated to all Major Superiors by email and ordinary post.

In addition to relevant sessions by qualitied and experienced resource persons, three bonus items add to the flavour of this Assembly:

The Nuncio, H.E. Archbishop Giambattista Diquattro, will be present with us all the four days. He will make himself available to meet any major superior who wants to see him. More information on this will be communicated to major superiors by email.

Secondly, especially with a view to helping participants from far away, we shall arrange a trip to Vailanganni for those interested. After finding out the numbers, we shall arrange buses to and from Vailanganni. Leaving from Chennai on May 30^th (night), you reach Vailanganni in the morning. After spending the day (May 31) in Vailanganni, the group can return to Chennai  that night, reaching Chennai on June 1^st, in the morning. Those interested need to keep an extra day free for this pilgrimage.

Thirdly, we plan to arrange a half-day outing to Chennai city immediately after the Assembly, that is, after lunch on May 30. We can visit especially the places associated with St. Thomas: St Thomas Mount, Little Mount, Santhome Cathedral Basilica (which is on Marina Beach).

To see the venue of the Assembly is very easy: Simply check the Net for SRM University Campus and SRM University Auditorium. SRM has several branches in various cities, and a few campuses in Chennai itself. We will stay on the main campus, which is located in Kattankulathur. The nearest electric train station is Potheri.

---

 To subscribe to the magazine     Contact Us

Katharine Drexel (1858-1955) – 3 March

Katharine Drexel is the first American-born saint to be canonized by the Catholic Church.

Though born in an extremely wealthy family–her father was a banker—she surprised the social circles of her time by leaving it all to enter a religious order.

She established a religious congregation, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, in order to reach out and combat the effects of racism especially for the First Nation people (Native Americans, or the group some of us refer to as “American Indians”) and for the African Americans of the United States.

Founding and staffing schools for both Native Americans and Afro-Americans throughout the country was the priority for Katharine and her congregation. During her lifetime, she opened, organized and directly supported nearly sixty schools and missions, especially in the West and Southwest United States. Her ‘educational masterpiece’ was the establishment in 1925 of Xavier University of Louisiana, the only predominantly Afro-American Catholic institution of higher learning in the United States.

How could a wealthy heiress like Katherine become a religious, start a congregation and address the issue of racial inequalities much before it became a society’s concern?

It is said that first, watching her stepmother’s three-year struggle with terminal cancer taught her that the ‘Drexel money’ could not buy safety from pain or death.

Second, seeing the social injustices and state of destitution of the Native Americans and African Americans compelled her to ‘do something, to start something.’

And, finally, Pope Leo XIII’s challenge to become a missionary herself instead of searching for others to do the mission led her to give her whole life to God and the mission.

The Vatican cites the fourfold aspects of Drexel’s legacy:

• a love of the Eucharist and perspective on the unity of all peoples;
• courage and initiative in addressing social inequality among minorities before such concern aroused public interest in the United States;
• her belief in quality education for all and efforts to achieve it;
• selfless service, including the donation of her inheritance, for the victims of injustice.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Martin Niemöller (1892-1984) – 6 March

Martin Niemöller was a German anti-Nazi theologian and Lutheran pastor.

During the First World War, Niemöller had a successful career as submarine navigator. However, at the end the war, he resigned his commission, as he rejected the new democratic government of the German Empire. After marrying Else Bremer, he pursued his earlier idea of becoming a Lutheran pastor, and studied Protestant theology.

Initially, as a national conservative, Martin Niemöller supported the ideas of Adolf Hitler. He then went on to become one of the founders of the Confessing Church, which opposed the Nazification of German Protestant churches.

He is best known for his statement:

“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”

This is what happens when we keep quiet in the face of evil.

For his opposition to the Nazis’ state control of the churches, Niemöller was imprisoned in Sachsenhausen and Dachau concentration camps from 1938 to 1945 and narrowly escaped execution.

After his imprisonment, he expressed his deep regret about not having done enough to help the victims of the Nazis.

Niemöller stated that his eight-year imprisonment had been the turning point in his life. After it he viewed things differently.

Under the impact of a meeting with Otto Hahn (the “father of nuclear chemistry”), in July 1954, Niemöller became an outspoken pacifist and campaigner for nuclear disarmament. He was a leading figure in the post-war German peace movement and was even brought to court in 1959 for speaking about the military in a very unflattering way.

He was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize in December of 1966.

Niemöller died at Wiesbaden, West Germany, on 6 March 1984, at the age of 92.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Angela Salawa (1881-1922) – 12 March

Angela Salawa was a Polish woman who served in hospitals during the World War I.

She was born in a poor family and suffered from being weak and sickly throughout her life.

She received two years of formal education, and at the age of 12, began to work as a domestic in nearby homes.

In 1897, she moved to Kraków, where her older sister lived. There, she started working as a maid.

Angela also gathered together and instructed young women domestic workers through the Saint Zita Association. During these years, Angela underwent painful misunderstanding with her family and from false accusations from her employer.

Though she had considered becoming a religious, her weak physical health did not allow her to do so. She decided to remain in the world, taking private vows of purity and virtue in 1900.

In 1912, she became a member of the Secular Franciscan Order.

She felt an affinity with Saint Francis of Assisi, who, like Angela herself, had broken up with his family.

During World War I, she helped prisoners of war without regard for their nationality or religion. She worked as a nurse in a Krakow hospital, spending her own money and any that she could beg to buy better food for injured soldiers. She found comfort and inspiration in the writings of Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross.

In 1916 her employer accused her of stealing, and dismissed her. In addition to her physical pain and illness, she became homeless. She was even discharged from the hospital because she appeared to be well.

Eventually she found a place in a basement room, abandoned by family, friends and neighbours. She survived on the charity of the Saint Zita Association, and spent her time in prayer

She died on 12 March 1922.

What We Can Learn from Angela: Feeding the hungry doesn’t guarantee we will be fed in turn in our hour of need. The source of Angela’s compassion was that she had first experienced God’s compassion and love.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Rutilio Grande (1928-1977) – 12 March

Rutilio grande was a Jesuit priest from El Salvador. He was a close friend of Archbishop Óscar Arnulfo Romero and the first priest assassinated before the civil war started.

Rutilio Grande was born on 5 July 1928, to a poor family in El Paisnal, El Salvador.

At the age of 17, Grande entered the Jesuit order and started his formation. After pronouncing his vows, he travelled to various countries his studies. It is at the major seminary of San José de la Montaña that Grande met and became friends with Romero, a fellow student. Grande was ordained a priest in 1959.

After his ordination, in 1963, Rutilio Grande went to the Lumen Vitae Institute in Brussels, Belgium. He was particularly influenced by his experiences of an inclusive liturgy which insisted upon the widest and deepest lay participation possible at that time.

He returned to El Salvador in 1965 and was appointed director of social action projects at the seminary in San Salvador.

During this time, Grande initiated a process of formation for seminarians which included pastoral “immersions” in the communities they would someday serve. Grande sought equilibrium between prayer, study and apostolic activity.

In 1973, Grande embarked on a team-based Jesuit evangelization “Mission” to Aguilares, El Salvador.

Grande led with the Gospel but did not shy away from speaking on social and political issues. He dared speaking publicly about the land reform, the relationship of rich and poor, liturgical inclusiveness, workers’ rights, etc. He thus made the Catholic faith real for very poor people.

This did not go well with the local landowners, who saw Grande’s organization of the peasants as a threat to their power.

On 13 February 1977, Grande preached a sermon denouncing the government’s expulsion of Father Bernal, a Colombian priest.

On 12 March 1977 Rutilio Grande was assassinated by the security forces of El Salvador, just outside the village where he was born, suffering martyrdom for the people he served and loved. It was his murder that made Bishop Oscar Romero determined to speak out against government’s atrocities.

---

Sr Marie Gabrielle Riopel SCSM

Rakesh (name changed) phoned me the other day. We have not met in years, but I remember him clearly. His idealism inspires me.

I first met him in a little village in Jharkhand where I had the joy and privilege of working among the poor. He was twelve when we first met. He worked at a construction site. He carried bricks on his head. I asked him one day, “Would you like to study?” “Yes, Sister, but we are poor. I cannot afford to go to school.”

His mother was no more. His father could not think of children’s education. Feeding them was his daily struggle.

Some good people helped me to help him. With their contributions, we were able to pay his fees and meet his other expenses as a student.

He joined school. He studied well.

All that happened over six years ago. He phoned to thank me for what I had done for him. He wants me to go back to his village. I would love to, and do what I can for the poor. Right now, I am mostly tied up with office work.

I asked him what his plans are. He wants to go to college.

“What are you planning to study?”

“Philosophy.”

“Philosophy? Why?”

“I want to enter public service. I have seen how you (Sisters) work for the people. You all do so much good. I want to do the same.”

I have received much love from the poor people among whom I worked. Their material poverty has not made them humanly or spiritually poor. There is so much goodness in so many of them. I have seen it first hand.

Here are four lessons I have learnt from working among the poor.

One: I have been happiest when I worked among the poor. Experience has shown me that happiness does not come from a comfortable life, or holding so-called “important” posts. I would love to go back to that poor village any day.

Two: We have much to learn from the poor. They are not simply recipients of our charity. They show a rich humanity which can make us better people. They are illiterate or deprived of many things, not because they are lazy or stupid, but because they did not get the opportunities that we have received. How well a number of poor children do when they get access to education! How generously they share the little they have! How courageously they put up with hardships day in and day out!

Three: The poor—as Rakesh shows me—are capable of idealism and a life of service, just like us, religious and priests. They are not simply looking for a better life for themselves. They are not looking for just material handouts, but for inspiring example and our loving presence.

Four: People can make out whether we love them or not. All human beings long for love and are capable of loving. As Mother Teresa often said, the greatest hunger is not for food, but for love. When we live among the poor as loving sisters and brothers, we not only respect and dignify the poor. They show us much love. Isn’t that a richer “reward” than material gifts or big posts?

I am grateful for the opportunities I have had to live and work among the poor. I am grateful to my materially poor sisters and brothers from whom I have learnt much. They do not have the opportunities, nor the human and spiritual helps we receive in abundance—education, hours of daily prayer, retreats, years of formation, medical treatment, financial security, … And yet, a number of them show a level of goodness, love and thoughtfulness which we, the so-called “chosen ones” would do well to imitate.

Thank you, God, for the goodness the poor have shown me.

---

Sr XYZ (name withheld on request)

To subscribe to the magazine     Contact Us

Chantamma worked as a “coolie” worker till the age of nine. Today she is doing Engineering in the prestigious Indian Institute of Information Technology, Nuzvid, Andhra Pradesh. On asking how she achieved this feat, she blushes and says, “It’s all due to Don Bosco Navajeevan, Vijayawada, and Fr. Thomas Koshy.”

Chantamma Vilugudi was born in a small village called Chigudipadu in Krishna District of Andhra Pradesh. Her father Kandha Rao and mother Lakshmi Kandamma were both agricultural labourers. They belonged to the Madiga community [traditionally engaged in shoe-making].

Chantamma was the youngest of three daughters. The family, with land of their own, lived in a small house allotted by the government. Since her father suffered from ulcers and her mother got frequent migraine attacks, they could not go for work regularly. Hence, at the age seven, Chantamma joined her sisters in doing manual work in others’ fields.  Poverty, illness and the sheer inability to support three daughters left Kandha Rao and Lakshmi with no option but to ask their little ones also to contribute to the meagre family income.

As a result, Chantamma had no time to go to school, to play or even to take rest. Deep inside, this bright and intelligent girl longed to go to school to learn and to have fun, but these were dreams beyond her reach. She had no one to turn to for help. “This is my fate,” she would tell herself, stoically suppressing the pain in her heart and resigned herself to the daily drudgery of working in the fields.

At that time Don Bosco Navajeevan launched an Anti-Child-Labour Campaign in the State of Andhra Pradesh. Rallies were conducted and door-to-door surveys made. One day, Ms. Syamala, a social worker on the staff of Don Bosco Navajeevan, visited Chantamma’s house and learned about the girls’ plight. She explained to the parents about the implications of child labour and how child labour perpetuates the cycle of poverty. Syamala told them about Government Hostel facilities for children and also offered them the opportunity to reside at Navajeevan and go to school. Though it was not easy, she was able to convince the parents. Finally, they allowed their youngest daughter Chantamma to go to Navajeevan. Chantamma was nine years old!

At Navajeevan, Chantamma was admitted to the residential Bridge Course for girl children called Setu. She had to begin with the alphabet! On completion of the Bridge Course, she was admitted to Class III. She was very quiet and hardworking, obedient and self-disciplined.  The girl’s spirit of determination was her biggest strength. Very soon she was sent to Class IV in a mainstream Government school.  Navajeevan kept providing all the necessary support. She was a very quick learner and a rank holder every year. Finally, in 2011, in class X, she gave a stunning performance, scoring 547 marks out of 600.

At this time there was a Government Scheme for rural students who score more than 500 marks in SSLC to directly enter Engineering colleges through what was then called Integrated Engineering Courses. For Chantamma it was smooth sailing to the prestigious Indian Institute of Information Technology, Nuzvid, Krishna District, on scholarship! After the six-year course, Chantamma will be a triple IT Engineering Degree holder.

Currently, she is an Engineering student. Her hard work and determination, with the timely intervention and support of Navajeevan, Vijayawada, has made possible for Chantamma something considered hard to achieve even for children from rich families. The Government takes care of her study and hostel. Navajeevan provides her emotional support, some other practical helps and guidance.

Chantamma wishes to live a good life and help other girls like her to come up in life. In her own words, “You have given me so much in my life… because of it I am where I am… It was a start from scratch. I want to pay it back by helping other girl-children to come up in life.”

---

To subscribe to the magazine     Contact Us

Self-Care in Five Areas

While being care-givers, we (religious and priests) are responsible for our own integral development. This means taking steps to grow up and stay balanced in five areas, namely:

Body, Mind, Emotions, Relationships, Inner journey.

Using current data, real life examples, drawings, Powerpoints and short videos, the resource person, Fr Joe Mannath SDB, explained how we can (and must) take responsibility for growth in these five areas. A good life is an integrated life of maturity in these five aspects, leading to happiness and inner strength.

Over 200 religious and novices attended the programme, which was held at Andhra Loyola College, Vijayawada. Fr Ravi Sekhar SJ, the outgoing CRI President, Fr Thota Mariadas SDB, the new President, and Sr Lucita SAL, the Local Secretary, took the lead in organizing this mini-seminar. The Jesuit Community of Loyola College hosted the large gathering.

The seminar concluded with the Holy Eucharist.

Some photos of the event are seen here. (The group was too large to fit into any one picture completely.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

CRI NATIONAL ASSEMBLY 2018

The Triennial CRI Assembly of Major Superiors will take place on the SRM University Campus in Chennai, from May 27^th (9.00 am) until May 30^th (1.00 pm).

It will look at two important issues: the present situation facing the Church and religious in India today, and the call to move to the peripheries, which Pope Francis has been repeatedly extending to Religious.

Experienced and competent speakers will present different aspects of these two themes.

More details will be sent to Major Superiors by email and by ordinary post.

Major Superiors are expected to come in large numbers (and with great enthusiasm), as they have done in the previous Assemblies.

The photos show the auditorium of SRM University where the Assembly will be held, and a partial view of the campus—a 200-acre beautifully maintained campus with excellent facilities. Apart from the ease of reaching Chennai from anywhere in India, we think that an exposure to a well-run private university is itself a learning experience for us, since most of us work in the educational field.

Major Superiors, please mark your diaries: Chennai, May 27-30, 2018!

---

 To subscribe to the magazine     Contact Us

The February issue of MAGNET listed the Special Days proposed by the UN to promote common action. Here we give more information on the Special Days of this month. May we grow in awareness of key issues affecting all of us, and take appropriate action in time.

WOMEN’S DAY (March 8)

Women’s Day has been observed across the world for over a hundred years. The original aim of the International Women’s Day was to achieve gender equality for women. Sadly, this is still a faraway dream. According to World Economic Forum, at the current rate of progress, the global gender gap will take another 217 years to close!

Women remain disadvantaged in almost every area of life. Discrimination against the girl child begins from the birth itself. Boys are preferred to girls; hence, female infanticide is a common practice in India.

In developing countries like India, women do most of the “unpaid” work—child care, cooking, cleaning and farming. Most girls are burdened with household work from childhood, often at the cost of education.

Swami Vivekananda said, “There is no chance for the welfare of the world unless the condition of women is improved; it is not possible for a bird to fly on only one wing.” To become a developed country, India needs to transform its colossal women force into an effective human resource.

Violence against women

The inequality is most horribly expressed in the form of violence against women. Surprisingly, domestic violence is one of its most prevailing forms.

Rape is the fourth most common crime against women in India. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, 24,923 rape cases were reported across India in 2012.

Dowry violence and dowry deaths are another horrible form of domestic violence in India.  In 2011, the Crime Records Bureau reported 8,618 dowry deaths, while unofficial reports suggest the numbers may be three times higher.

The theme for Women’s Day 2018 is “Time is Now: Rural and urban activists transforming women’s lives.” It is an occasion to empower women in all settings, and to celebrate the activists working relentlessly to claim women’s rights and realize their full potential. Education of girls is the key to empowerment of women. As Malala Yousafzai said in her UN speech, “One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world.”  

WORLD WATER DAY (March 22)

Water forms two-thirds of our body; it is essential for every organ, cell and tissue. Water circulates through the land, transporting, dissolving, replenishing nutrients and organic matter, while carrying away waste material. Water is essential for sustaining every form of life. Yet, the shocking fact is that the quantity and quality of available water is depleting day by day! Humanity is already in the throes of a water crisis.

Consider the following facts:

• Oceans account for 97% of all water found on earth.
• Only 3% of all water on earth is freshwater (i.e., suitable for human use). But most of it is locked away in the form of ice caps and glaciers in the polar regions–and therefore not accessible.
• Only about 1% of all water found on the planet is accessible for human use.
• It takes three litres of water to produce one litre of bottled water!
• Most canals, rivers, lakes and surface water in India are polluted.
• As much as 50% of freshwater is wasted in India as a result of leakages and inefficient water management systems! About 65 percent of rain water in India ends up in the sea.
• About 1.5 million children die each year because of water-related diseases.
• Yet the “human right to water” accepted by the UN and member countries entitles everyone to sufficient, safe, physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic uses. It also obliges governments to provide water to people.
• Simple things like turning off the tap while brushing your teeth, fixing leaks, using low discharge toilets and faucets, etc., can make a huge difference.

The theme for World Water Day 2018 is “Nature for Water: exploring nature-based solutions to the water challenges in the 21st century.”

Solution: Let’s stop water wastage. Let’s stop water pollution. Save water, save life!

---

To subscribe to the magazine     Contact Us

Here is a sweet irony for you to savour. Someone who was a Protestant for almost half his life has been beatified by the Catholic Church.

I like Blessed John Sullivan for several reasons. First of all, he is a Jesuit. Secondly, he is a warm-hearted Irishman. Thirdly, in spite of all his gifts and achievements, he was rather quiet and a little shy. More importantly, his life was marked by a deep, loving concern for the sick.

John Sullivan was born in Dublin, Ireland, on May 08, 1861 as the last of five children to Sir Edward Sullivan, a Protestant, and Elizabeth Josephine Bailey, a Catholic from a prominent, land-owning family. In such mixed marriages those days girls were raised in the faith of their mother and boys in that of their father. So, John and his three brothers were brought up as Protestants, while Annie, the eldest and only daughter, was reared as a Catholic. Sir Edward, his father, a successful barrister, later became Lord Chancellor of Ireland.

With such a privileged background, John, after his schooling, went to Trinity College, Dublin, to study Classics. When he completed his studies in 1885, he was awarded the Gold Medal. He went to London to study for the English Bar at Lincoln’s Inn and travelled a great deal, opting for walking tours of Macedonia, Greece and Turkey. He spent many months in an Orthodox monastery on Mount Athos in Greece, called ‘Holy Mountain,’ where he contemplated becoming a monk. But he returned to Dublin and lived the life of a rich, highly educated young man in such a way that people called him ‘the best dressed man in Dublin.’ But they did not know he helped a lot of people anonymously and visited the sick and dying, taking with him apples, oranges, tea, sugar and clothes.

When he was 35 years old, he shocked his family and friends by announcing he wanted to become a Catholic. Four years later, wanting to be a Jesuit, he joined the Jesuit novitiate. When he completed his Jesuit formation, he was ordained a priest on 28 July 1907. He was sent to teach at Clongowes Wood College, a Jesuit-run all-male boarding school. He spent his life here, except for five years when he was the rector of the Juniorate and Retreat House at Rathfarnham Castle, near Dublin. While his learning and amiable nature drew everyone he came into contact with, he travelled miles, mostly on foot or on an old, battered bicycle, to visit the sick. For this reason some called him the ‘bicycle priest.’ Those who wondered when exactly he prayed were surprised to learn from a worker that he saw Fr Sullivan around 2.00 am on his knees, praying in the school chapel. On Holy Thursday every year, he spent five or six hours kneeling in prayer before the altar.

There were many who claimed he had the gift of healing. One of the most talked about incidents had to do with a nephew of the famed Irish patriot, Michael Collins. One night in October 1928 the child woke up in extreme pain and the doctor, who was summoned, diagnosed the problem as infantile paralysis. The child’s mother drove to the school to ask for Fr Sullivan’s prayers. He rode his bike to their home and prayed for two hours, with his hands on the child’s leg. The child was cured.

On 17 February 1933, he was admitted in a nursing home, as he had severe abdominal pain. Fr John Sullivan died at 11.00 pm on 19 February 1933 with his brother Sir William Sullivan at his side. He was buried in the Jesuit cemetery in Clongowes Wood College where he served for so many years. In 1960 his remains were exhumed and transferred to St Francis Xavier Church, Dublin, where he was beatified on 13 May 2017. He was the first to be beatified in Ireland.

We, religious, should remember what he said about religious houses: “Religious houses where charity had grown cold were hell upon earth.”

---

To subscribe to the magazine     Contact Us

Sr Bartholomea was appointed a regional superior with a council of three members in July 2017.  Two of the council members can hardly attend the meetings, since one is principal of a college; the other is the only doctor in a busy hospital.  The third councillor, according to Sr Bartholomea, is not so cooperative.  Often the decisions are taken by Sr Bartholomea alone, as she feels that convoking a council all the time is not possible for her.

Let us see who a major superior is, and what s/he should do in such cases—as also the role of the council.

CIC (the Latin Code of Canon Law), Canon 620 defines who the major superiors are.  CCEO (the Oriental Canon Law), Canon 418 §1 defines and gives the list of the major superiors.

Who are Major Superiors?

President of a monastic confederation, superior of a monastery sui iuris, superior general of an order or congregation, provincial superior, ‘their vicars and others who have the power like that of provincials, and also those who, in the absence of the above-mentioned persons, in the interim legitimately succeed them in office.’

As regards the power of governance, the major superiors of clerical religious institutes of pontifical right are also Ordinaries or Hierarchs (because they share the power of governance deriving from their sacred ordination that they receive at their ordination but they are not Local Ordinaries/ Hierarchs) as far as their own members are concerned (CIC c. 134 §1; CCEO c. 984§3). CCEO c. 418 § 2 clearly indicates that ‘under the designation “superiors of monks and other religious” does not come either the Local Ordinary/Hierarch or the Patriarch, with due regard for the canons that assign to the Patriarch or Local Ordinary Hierarch power over them. Vicars take the place of the major superior, when the latter is absent or prevented from exercising the office due to illness, etc.  However, those substituting for a major superior in an ad hoc manner (only for a particular purpose or an emergency) exercise only delegated power and are not major superiors.

The distinct roles and the extent of the power of major superiors must be stipulated in the Constitutions/Statutes of each institute and exercised in accordance with it.  The scope and expression of this authority can vary greatly from institute to institute.   The figure of the superior general affirms that no part of the institute is independent and all its organisms are parts of the whole.  At the same time, the constitutions must specify the competence of the superiors at each level so as to apply the principle of subsidiarity stipulated in Ecclesiae Sanctae II, 18.  At each level the superiors must be given the freedom to carry out their tasks fully and efficiently, unless the common good of the institute demands that the superior general should appropriately intervene.

The Role of Councils

CIC c. 627§1 and CCEO c. 422§1 state that superiors should have their own councils as specified in their constitutions and that they must make use of these councils in the exercise of their offices.  This council is made mandatory in order to guarantee real cooperation and participation of the members according to the Church’s teaching on co-responsibility.  It also aims to prevent the superior from committing errors and to safeguard against autocratic power.

Council members are chosen because of their wisdom, experience, and ability to assist the superior with good advice and appropriate consent, and they have distinct roles.  The superior has a council, but is not part of the council.  While seeking consent/advice, the superior does not vote.  The superior votes only when a collegial vote is required (e.g., dismissal).  The council is normally not a decision-making body, but is an integral part of the decision-making process regarding serious matters.  They are to assist the superior by sharing insights, evaluating initiatives, raising issues, extending support and participate in the council discussions with courage and creativity.

The Codes provide more than a dozen instances where the superior requires consent/advice of the council.  According to the tradition and spirit of the institute, the constitution may provide more such instances, but care must be taken not to prevent the superior from appropriate flexibility and timeliness in responding to situations.  Once the advice or consent is given, the role of the council ends, and it is up to the superior to act or not act on it. The process of convoking the council, presenting the matter in question and seeking consultation/consent are made mandatory in order to serve the community by making use of a wider range of knowledge and experience.  This would prevent autocratic decisions/actions regarding members and the goods of the institute.

---

To subscribe to the magazine     Contact Us

What is Spirituality?

This new column will present spirituality in practice. How do we live a good life? What difference do religious practices make? Are we spiritual just because we spend time in church? We begin by clarifying what spirituality is.

What is a computer? What is a chapathi or an idli? What is the meaning of a shirt, or school or basketball court?

The answers to such questions are clear—and easy. We know the exact meaning of the question. We understand the answers.

This way, we can get to know rather precisely even things we have not seen. Thus, even if I have never seen an ostrich or a kangaroo, I can get quite an accurate idea of them from pictures and descriptions.

This is not the case with the term, “spirituality.” There is no way to describe the “spirit” or anything having to do with it. Hence, traditionally, wise teachers tend to use symbols and stories. Think of the parables of Jesus, or the stories of other traditions.

Spirituality is linked to religion, but is not the same as religious practice. One can be “religious” without being spiritual, or spiritual without belonging to any organized religion.

Eating properly or walking will help my bodily fitness. Thinking or reading this article can give you new ideas or clarify older views. Going to college will have given you added knowledge. What does a “spiritual” activity do?

There is hardly any agreement on this. Thus, a person may be very strict on going for Sunday Mass, but have no scruple in speaking ill of others. Is such a person spiritual? Or someone may observe the dietary rules of one’s religion (e.g., eat only vegetarian food), but cheat customers in business. Worse still, there are ideologies of hatred that claim to be sanctioned by God. Does God want anyone to hate and hurt others?

What is spirituality? How do we cultivate our spiritual life?

There is a strange criterion of fidelity in Jesus’ teaching. As we read in his account of the Last Judgement (which is a way of telling us what is most important), people are rewarded or rejected eternally for some very “material” activities—feeding the hungry, giving a drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, etc. Hardly any “spiritual” activity is mentioned here! The final “balance sheet” says nothing about praying or attending Mass or joining religious orders, or being celibate. What then is a spiritual life? Who is truly spiritual?

A short definition

If you want a short definition of spirituality, here it is:

LIVING LOVINGLY, WISELY AND RESPONSIBLY IN ONE’S CONCRETE SETTING, USING ONE’S GIFTS AND ACCEPTING ONE’S LIMITATIONS.

Spirituality is a way of life. It is not simply about a particular set of activities, such as church attendance, or avoiding meat on some days, or going on pilgrimage.

If we take Jesus seriously, the main trait of our daily life will be love. We need not sound pious or spend long hours in a place of worship to be spiritual. But we need to treat those around us with love and respect. We will not sing beautiful hymns in church and gossip during breakfast. Nor be harsh to the girl in the kitchen. Nor neglect the sick and the less talented.

To be loving in concrete demands WISDOM and RESPONSIBILITY. We need to take wise decisions, putting first things first. It would be foolish to spend much time and money on luxuries and neglect one’s duties, or damage our health through addictions. Thus, care of health, learning, emotional balance and relationships matter far more than watching TV or wearing a stylish dress.

GIFTS: Each of us is gifted. My gifts may be similar to yours, or different. The parable of the talents tells us what matters: not how many talents we have, but how diligently we use them. The one who buried his talent to protect it, is the one who is punished. At the end of our life, God will not ask me how I protected my talents, but how I used them. The biggest mistake would be not doing things for fear of making mistakes.

We all have our LIMITATIONS, too. Thus, a porter at a railway station or a tea vendor on the street cannot do philanthropy as a millionaire can. A cancer patient cannot go around and visit the sick or prisoners. A mother struggling to feed and clothe her children in spite of an alcoholic husband cannot be a daily church-goer or a travelling social worker. But they all can become saints.

I will one day be asked what I did with the gifts God “lent” me for a time. I did not pay for them. I did not deserve them. They were given to me free, to be shared freely. Do I?

Spirituality is the most practical thing in life. We know—and those who live with us know even better—whether we are loving or selfish, gossips or community-builders, harsh or kind, generous or tight-fisted, honest or corrupt.

As for wisdom, we will do well to learn from people who are sensible, to consult wiser people before taking important decisions, and not to take decisions when we are under the sway of intense emotions (like anger, sadness, jealousy or sexual passion).

Danger for Religious

Being responsible for my life is a duty I cannot hand over to someone else. For those of us who belong to religious orders, there is a real danger that we may reduce spirituality to practices of piety, and look at our superiors or religious order as being responsible for us. They cannot be. I can be a saint or a crook while staying in the Salesian Congregation. I can come out of a Eucharist as a compassionate and Christ-like person or a selfish or destructive individual.

For living a loving, wise and responsible life, we need clarity of vision and inner strength. For this, religious practices are a great help. Prayer can help me to forgive. Lent can increase my discipline. A meaningful Eucharist can lead me to see everyone as the Body of Christ. A good confession can help me to admit my faults honestly and want to change. A retreat or heart-felt Bible-reading can focus my attention on God’s plans.

All these are helps, not automatic switches that can “turn on” spirituality. No setting or practice, no group-belonging or longevity makes anyone spiritual. The monks of old knew this. Hence this saying in the monasteries: “It is easier to take the monk from the world than the world from the monk.” It is easier for a religious (or priest) to leave home and join a new setting (seminary or religious house) than to root out worldliness from our heart.

The spiritual life for a Christian supposes a set of priorities based on Christ’s life and teachings, and a serious attempt to move from self-centredness to love. The three temptations that Jesus faced are our constant temptations too: the pull of power, pleasure and possessions. This struggle never gets over.

But if we are truly after what matters, we will experience a peace, joy and inner strength which power, pleasure and possessions cannot give us. That joy and serenity mark the saints of all traditions. Spirituality in this sense is nothing mysterious. It cannot be described or measured directly, but its overflow onto the whole person is evident.

Pope John XXIII, for instance, was known as the GOOD Pope John. His warmth and simplicity touched the hearts of people. Francis of Assisi had a sensational impact on people. They would run to get a glimpse of him. St. Bakhita, the African slave who became a nun, promised the people of the Italian town where she lived (Schio) that no bomb would fall there—a promise that was kept. A simple, serene and transparent life, coupled with a compassionate outreach to others, seems to the most persistent trait of a genuine spiritual life.

There is a luminosity about truly good people, which is indicated by the halo painted around saints. May you and I be marked by a luminous aura of goodness.

---

To subscribe to the magazine     Contact Us