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1. Tell us something about your earlier days and your family

I come from a large family of 9 children!   Our upbringing was very religious – daily mass, rosary etc.  My two elder sisters are religious, the eldest was a Carmelite at Kolkatta.  My uncle was a Jesuit priest, Fr. Hilary Miranda, cousin a Jesuit, Fr. Noel Sheth another cousin a diocesan priest, my own godmother a nun, a cousin a religious…!!  So, you see, I was surrounded by religious!!  My father was a businessman, but he was a gentle businessman deeply rooted in the faith.  These values our parents instilled in us – the value of honesty, integrity, caring and sharing.  Even though we are so many of us, we are very united and even now that we’re spread out all over, we meet at least once a month on WhatsApp!!

2. How did you experience your first call to be a Jesuit?

For sure, my vocation was nurtured and molded in and through my family.  I owe it to them.  You see, I grew up with a spiritual upbringing.  We were a eucharistic and prayer-centred family.  Vacation time was devoted to reading lives of saints.  So naturally I was inspired and right from my school days I felt the Lord calling me, but I brushed it aside thinking it’s a passing phase.  However, it kept lingering at the back of my mind.  While studying management, the call came again strongly.  I prayed a lot over it, consulted my spiritual director. After a great deal of discernment, I made the decision to say yes to the Lord.  I have not looked back since then.

3. You studied law but worked on non-formal education for the marginalized for many years. How do you explain the shift?

During my regency I was in Ambatha, a very remote village, 100 kms from Nashik.  I witnessed first- hand, the difficulties people faced in obtaining their rights.  It was there that I felt the urge to study law so that I could take up issues concerning the poor and the marginalized.  At the same time, I was also appalled by the number of children out of school and roaming the jungles.  I made a quick resolution that as a Jesuit I would devote my energies to educate the poorest of the poor.

4. You are founder director of an NGO, Reach Education Action Programme (REAP). What was your motivation in starting it?

As I said, the number of children out of school made a deep impact on me. I decided to do something about it.  The idea of REAP slowly began to take shape.  At first, I called it ‘Rural Education Assistance Programme’ with the idea of assisting tribal children in their education.  I was still in theology and continued this till ordination.  After ordination I was appointed treasurer of the province.  I realized now that I would be in the city for sometime and decided to expand the education network to cover children in the streets and slums.  To my amazement, the idea began to be accepted.  After my term as treasurer, I launched full time into non-formal education work.  Thus, REAP was born of a need to combat illiteracy and ensure every child would be in school and not working.

5. Describe how you went about growing and nurturing it.

With the growing outreach in Mumbai slums, I changed the nomenclature to ‘Reach Education Action Programme’ which is like a mission statement – reaching education to bring about action for social change.  REAP was meant to be a literacy movement (not a project) reaching to the poorest in their situations where formal education couldn’t reach.  Our motto was, where the poor are, there we must be.  The poor are everywhere and we got dragged to cover the length and breadth of Mumbai city and surrounding rural areas up to Khardi.  We soon began to be called ‘a footpath university’ and I was the vice-chancellor!!

6. Describe the successes of the programme and its present reach.

The major reason for REAP’s success was its breadth of vision, deep thrust, commitment and passion.  It was a movement for change.  We left no stone unturned to cover every marginalized child, whether rag-picker or tribal child.  Soon we were covering about 10,000 children through a network of about 450 non formal literacy centres.  With the growth of literacy centres, we realized we needed teachers.  We decided to start our own teacher training centres where we trained our grassroot teachers through a six-month training programme.  Within two years we opened 3 teacher training centres to cater to the large number of trainees.  It was a tremendous joy to see simple girls from the village transformed into confident teachers.  We did not give them readymade teaching aids; they made their own out of waste materials thus boosting their creativity.  Our teachers were imbued not only with skills to ‘teach’ but also with the passion to mould lives. This is the real reason for the success of our non-formal literacy programme.

7. In 2005, REAP was awarded a 1-million-dollar award from the Opus Foundation, USA. in recognition of the work your NGO did over the years. How did this international award give a boost to your organization?

The one-million-dollar Opus Award came as a shot in the arm.  It was the most beautiful day of my life, an emotional one too.  Initially many pooh-poohed my work and thought it would collapse.  I must confess, many times I too struggled to keep it afloat.  In a formal school, children will come to school irrespective of the weather.  In a non-formal, the weather, demolitions, poverty affect the functioning of the school.  In the daily struggle for survival, schooling is the last thing on the parent’s mind.  Where the next meal will come from is more important than going to school.  So, the Opus award was a tremendous recognition of the struggle, hard work, perseverance and commitment of our work.  This had a great impact on our work.  It got wider recognition and mileage.  Funding was never an issue.

8. You were also conferred an Honorary Doctorate from Marquette University, USA for your immense contribution in reaching education to the most marginalized and neglected children. Would you share some thoughts on what this meant to you and your efforts in the field.

The honorary doctorate was like a double whammy!!  Yes, I must admit, it was like a personal recognition of my hard work.  I will never forget that day.  I never in my wildest dreams imagined that this kind of NFE work would be so recognized and awarded.  It gave me an added boost to carry on this work with greater thrust.  More than me, for my staff who shared my vision and passion and who saw both the award and the doctorate as a stamp of approval of what we set out to do, to educate every marginalized child.  They were very proud of it and it gave them also a tremendous sense of mission and purpose.  They proudly addressed me as ‘Dr. Miranda’ in formal programmes!!

9. Tell us something about the creative and innovative methods you used for your programme and who benefited from it.

The beneficiaries were always the marginalized out-of-school children on the street, in slums and rural areas.  We never compromised on this group.  We had their faces before us while drawing up our programmes.  We tried to be always innovative and creative.  In fact in non-formal education one has to be creative or else the children would drop out of school.  In the initial years, the focus was NFE (non-formal education) and leap-frogging them to formal schools through the NIOS (Open School system).  After the advent of the RTE Act, which mandated every child should be in school, we changed our strategies to ensure the children stayed in school through quality education support.  The NFE classes became Supportive classes to ensure that the children learn well and do not drop out.  The teacher training programmes now focused on formal syllabus.  To prevent tribal girls from dropping out of school and next thing resulting in early marriages, we decided to start a boarding for them.  This was an instant hit as it opened new vistas for them to dream of life beyond early marriages.  Many of these girls went on to become nurses and teachers.  Dreams began to become a reality.  It is a well-known adage, ‘you educate a woman; you educate a family’.  To ensure this, we began a series of adult literacy programmes for women along with self-help groups (SHG’s), to empower women to become decision makers and change agents in their family and community.

10. Is there anything you would like to add?

Non formal education caters to the poorest of the poor and must be supported as much as the formal schools. We all must make an option for the poor and I appeal to all those involved in non-formal work, do not give up, think big, do big.

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 Interviewed by Ms Janina Gomes

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Loss, in its many forms, often arrives like a shadow – uninvited, unsettling, and leaving us vulnerable. It makes us question, search for meaning, and struggle with the unknown. Among the many expressions of loss, none is as mysterious as death – the ultimate unknown, particularly contemplated during November. Scripture offers countless symbols and reflections on loss, each revealing deeper spiritual insight.

Revisiting Joan Chittister’s, The Story of Ruth: Twelve Moments of Loss in the Life of a Woman, I found myself drawn into the often-hidden grace that loss conceals. Chittister’s reflection on Ruth’s journey, from widowhood to exile in a foreign land, reveals a profound truth: within every loss lies a seed of grace, waiting to bloom. Ruth’s story is one of resilience and transformation – not in spite of her suffering, but because of it. Her grief becomes a threshold, an opening to something more redemptive.

The companionship between Ruth and Naomi was not just a bond forged by shared suffering but a transformative relationship that gave birth to enduring love. In their intertwining losses, they found strength, knitting their lives together into a new pattern of hope and renewal. This bond, born from shared pain, became their path forward, a testament to how love can not only sustain but create something beautiful from grief.

This transformative power of loss and love is echoed in the stories of the women of the New Testament, whose lives are reflected on our back cover. Their experiences of loss show us that grief, though painful, is often a gateway to unexpected grace. Even today, we witness how shared losses – whether personal, collective, or global – can unite us, creating stronger, more compassionate relationships. Through this knitting together of lives, love endures, and grace emerges anew, reminding us that in loss, we are never truly alone.

From Pain to Hope

Loss can take many forms: the death of a loved one, the quiet fading of a dream, the end of a relationship, or even a shifting sense of self. No one is spared from experiencing loss, yet we are often unprepared to meet it. What if, instead of avoiding it, we opened our hearts to what loss has to teach us?

This November issue of Magnet invites us to embrace the grace hidden within loss. Our two cover stories explore this theme from different, yet complementary, perspectives. The first, by Fr. Mahesh, delves into the paradox of death. While we often perceive death as the ultimate loss, it also serves as a gateway to transcendence. In reflecting on the inevitability of mortality, this cover story explores the profound spiritual paradox of finding life even in the face of death. Drawing on Scripture, the Catechism of the Church, and reflections from various theologians, it encourages us to look beyond the immediate pain and recognize the quiet presence of grace that accompanies this final transition.

The second cover story, by Fr. Binny, offers a pastoral guide to transforming loss into hope. It walks us through how even the most painful experiences, though overwhelming, can open new ways of living, loving, and serving. It is in this journey of transformation that we see how loss and hope are deeply intertwined – one ending becomes the seed for the other to begin.

Across these reflections, we are reminded that loss is not an endpoint, but part of a greater narrative of grace and growth. Through resilience, faith, and the support of our communities, we can emerge from loss not weakened, but stronger, carrying within us the seeds of new life.

Missionaries: Companions in Loss

Our regular columns this month provide insight into how missionaries – committed women and men religious – accompany others in their most vulnerable moments, becoming true companions in loss. Driven by a deep commitment to humanity, especially the poorest, they offer more than just solace; they enter the sacred space of grief with profound reverence. Rather than providing answers or quick fixes, they embody Christ’s presence through the quiet assurance of God’s abiding grace, even in the depths of sorrow.

One recurring theme throughout this issue is the grace of accompaniment. Simply being present for someone in their grief is, in itself, a sacred gift. We are not called to remove their pain but to walk alongside them as they navigate their path, allowing them to discover their own graces along the way.

The Grace of Surrender

As we journey through this issue, we encounter a profound truth – sometimes, the greatest grace we can receive is the grace of surrender. Loss often demands that we let go of what we cannot control. Yet in that surrender, we find not defeat, but strength. In relinquishing what once was, we uncover deeper faith, clearer vision, and a greater understanding of who we are becoming.

Surrendering to loss is not a sign of weakness; it is an act of trust in the mysterious workings of grace. This issue of Magnet invites you to step into that space of surrender, trusting that in letting go, something new can be born. In these moments of vulnerability, grace becomes most tangible, guiding us into a future we may not yet see but are called to embrace with hope.

A heartfelt thanks to the writers, readers, and staff at CRI, whose dedication makes every issue of Magnet a journey of grace and inspiration.

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Pushpa Joseph

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The 43rd North East Regional CRI Assembly, held from August 24 to 26, 2024, commenced with a welcome address by Sr Escociana Vaz MSMHC, the then Regional CRI Secretary, who set a tone of warmth, inclusion, and shared purpose. The opening prayer, led by Sr. Mary Mathew SMI, Provincial and Executive Member, called upon the words of St. Paul from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s Will for you in Christ Jesus.” These words framed the assembly as not merely a business meeting but as a gathering under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, seeking to discern God’s Will in the ongoing mission of the Church in North East India.

The ceremony of lighting the lamp, a traditional symbol of illumination and wisdom, involved various dignitaries including Sr. Christine Mynsong MSMHC, Bro. S. Maria Soosai SG, and Fr. K.J. Abraham CSC. This symbolic act set the stage for the collective discernment, dialogue, and decision-making that would take place in the following days, reflecting the light of Christ in their shared mission.

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SR ESCOCIANA VAS MSMHC

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Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror and thought, “Me, a saint? Yeah, right!”? I know I have. The idea of being created to be a saint can seem pretty far-fetched when you’re struggling to get through your day without losing your cool in traffic or gossiping about your coworker.

But here’s the thing: sainthood isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being fully human, with all our brokenness and weaknesses, and still striving to let a little more light into the world. It’s about progress, not perfection.

Think about it this way: remember that time you helped your elderly neighbour with their groceries? Or when you stayed up all night comforting a friend going through a tough time? Those moments, as small as they might seem, are glimpses of the saint you’re meant to be.

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Fr Dr John Singarayar SVD

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The Eucharist draws us into the heart of God. At its core, the word Eucharist means thanksgiving, derived from the Greek Eucharistia. In celebrating the Eucharist, we join Jesus in His Last Supper, a moment of profound gratitude. Yet, it remains a mystery, a reality we cannot fully explain but can only be deeply experienced. It is like a door that opens to the divine, allowing us to participate in the prayer and love of Jesus. This mystery is not just a historical event but one we enter into every time we celebrate Mass. In the Eucharist, we step into Jesus’ love, gift, and communion with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As Pope Benedict XVI said, “The happiness you have a right to enjoy has a name and a face: It is Jesus of Nazareth, hidden in the Eucharist.” Each Mass is a sacred encounter with this deep mystery of love.

Everyone is Welcome

In the Gospel, God does not discriminate between good and bad, worthy and unworthy. All are welcome at the Lord’s table. The Eucharist is not reserved for the pure or the sinless; it is a celebration for everyone – the broken, the lost, the hopeful, and the grateful. Entry is free and open to all who seek to experience God’s love. We gather as a community, not because we are perfect, but because we are united in our need for God’s grace.

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Sr Shalini Xavier CTC

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In all his obituaries, in addition to the well-known initials – SJ – that appeared after his name, I was intrigued to find another two initials – AC. Eventually I found that they referred to the award with which the Australian government had honoured him – Companion of the Order of Australia – which is the highest civilian award for which an Australian can aspire. He was also awarded several honorary doctorates.

This month let me place on the candle stand a fellow Jesuit who is celebrated all over the world as a brilliant theologian and a prolific writer – Fr Gerald O’Collins, SJ, who died on 22 August 2024 at Melbourne, Australia at the age of 93.

Gerald, or ‘Gerry’ as he was often referred to, was born in 1931.  His father, Patrick Francis O’Collins, who was called simply ‘Frank’ by family and friends, was an army officer. During the First World War he served for some time in England, and, after the war, returned to Australia, studied law and built a lucrative career as an advocate in Melbourne. Since Gerry’s parents were hospitable and generous, they had many guests at home. His father, Frank, used to tell his children, “Don’t just go and greet the visitors. Engage them in conversation.” Michael Walsh, in an article in the Tablet, says this could have been “the foundation of Gerry’s lifelong capacity for friendship, his openness to people and ideas, his hospitality of mind and heart.”

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M.A. Joe Antony, SJ

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“We often focus on so many urgent but unnecessary things. We occupy and preoccupy ourselves with so many secondary realities. Perhaps without even recognizing it, we neglect what counts the most and we allow our love for God to grow cold bit by bit. Jesus offers us the remedy to rekindle a tepid faith. And what is the remedy? Prayer,” affirms Pope Francis.

We are fortunate to live 2024 as the Year of Prayer in preparation for the Jubilee Year 2025.  Pope Francis has dedicated it to rediscover the great value and absolute need for prayer in our life.

Prayer allows us to stay connected to God’s love on a daily basis. Often, we can get immersed in our myriad activities, which seem to be urgent and necessary.  But as Consecrated People, prayer should be our priority. That is the essence of our Consecrated Life and the fruitfulness of our mission.

INDIFFERENCE – MODERN SPIRITUAL SICKNESS

Often, we have to battle with our spiritual sickness of indifference to spiritual matters. Not that we choose it, but we do not make sufficient effort to fight against it. Indifference can destroy our passion and excitement for spiritual matters, and leave us weary and frustrated, exhausted and empty. No wonder why so many priests and religious allow themselves to be enticed by fame and name, power and popularity, and become easy prey to worldly standards. What would our life be without God, without passion and zeal, without fervour and enthusiasm, without a captivating smile and a heart full of love?

St. Augustine realized the futility of the fleeting pleasure of this world when he said: “To fall in love with God is the greatest of romances; to seek him, the greatest adventure; to find him, the greatest human achievement.” We all need a good and healthy dose of such romance. Don’t we?

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CELINE D’CUNHA FMA

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A Beacon of Hope in Crisis

There are countless examples of St. Charles Borromeo being a Pilgrim of Hope to those suffering from natural calamities and epidemics. St. Charles helped his people see how their suffering was a participation in the Passion of Christ, but he did so in a way that offered them hope. As a servant of God and father to his people, Charles was an outstanding example of a bishop whose care for the people was tested by fire. In the 1570s, Milan was struck by a plague. This was exacerbated by a shortage of food, leaving many malnourished and more vulnerable to disease. Faithful to his episcopal motto, Humilitatis (“Humility”), he visited and comforted the sick during the plague years of 1576 and 1577, sparing no expense of his own to care for the afflicted.

Walking the Talk: A Model of Humility and Service

St. Charles Borromeo aimed to live a simple life and believed that transforming his diocese began with converting his own household. His impact was primarily through personal example rather than decrees. “Walking the talk,” he sold most of his possessions and opened shelters for the poor, including wanderers, neglected individuals, reformed prostitutes, and orphans—today’s marginalized and vulnerable groups, such as battered women and abused children. While he recognized that giving away his wealth wouldn’t eliminate starvation or poverty, he understood the necessity of sharing. He upheld the Scripture passage, “The poor you will always have with you” (John 12:8), choosing to invest his resources where they were most needed.

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SR SHEILA CORDA SCB

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Too Small a World: The Life of Mother Frances Cabrini (1945, 2024)

Theodore Maynard

This newly republished biography of the first U.S. Catholic saint, Mother Frances Cabrini, captures her extraordinary journey as a pioneering missionary. Cabrini founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, dedicated to serving poor immigrant communities in the U.S. and South America. The book, based on exhaustive records, private letters, and interviews, provides an engaging blend of historical facts and spiritual insights that allow readers to closely connect with Cabrini.

The title, Too Small a World, reflects Cabrini’s belief that the world was too small for her ambitions – she sought to embrace the entire globe. The story begins with her arrival in New York with six fellow nuns, carrying only letters from Rome, and against her original dream of serving in China. Directed by the Pope to work among Italian immigrants, Cabrini faced immense challenges, including hostility from powerful figures.

The biography traces her early life in Italy, where as a child, she dreamed of becoming a missionary, and recounts her eventual work of establishing schools, hospitals, and orphanages in the slums of New York and beyond. Despite opposition, Cabrini’s 28 years of service reflected her unshakable faith and determination to bring Christ’s love to the marginalized. By 1909, she had gained American citizenship and was admired by Presidents and governors alike.

The epilogue includes eyewitness accounts of miracles attributed to her and highlights the reverence shown to her by Popes Leo XIII, Benedict XV, and Pius X. Cabrini’s deep prayer life is emphasized as the source of her extraordinary accomplishments.

To Light a Fire on the Earth: Proclaiming the Gospel in a Secular Age (2019)

Robert Barron and John L. Allen Jr.

To Light a Fire on the Earth: Proclaiming the Gospel in a Secular Age by Bishop Robert Barron and John L. Allen Jr. explores how to spread the Catholic faith in today’s secular world. Bishop Barron, a well-known Catholic apologist and evangelist, addresses pressing religious and cultural issues in three lengthy conversations with Allen. He critiques modern debates on religion and morality, which often devolve into polemics, noting the rising interest in religion on social media platforms.

John Allen introduces Barron as a fundamentally missionary figure, focused on the ‘beating heart’ of Catholicism rather than its secondary aspects. As Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles, Barron is seen as a modern successor to Venerable Fulton Sheen, engaging thoughtfully with a secular world often hostile to religion. This book reflects Barron’s media work, showcasing the intellectual relevance, beauty, and cultural significance of the Catholic faith through personal anecdotes and logical arguments.

The first chapter recounts Barron’s life, from his 1959 birth in Chicago to his passion for baseball and the spiritual and intellectual influences that shaped him. His media work, particularly the Catholicism series and Word on Fire, has millions of followers worldwide. His mission centres on proclaiming a loving God to lapsed Catholics, the indifferent, and secular critics.

The book’s chapters – covering topics like ‘Beauty,’ ‘Goodness,’ ‘Truth,’ ‘Evangelization,’ ‘Prayer and the Supernatural,’ ‘The Bible,’ and ‘Obstacles to the Faith’ – offer a roadmap for rekindling faith. Barron’s core message is that faith is not “infrarational” (below reason) but supernatural, transcending reason while embracing it. He invites readers to set their lives ablaze with the “Word on Fire.”

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How fit are you?

Physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually?

A very good example of fitness was Mahatma Gandhi. He kept himself trim and fit. When he was in his sixties, and the government sent soldiers to accompany him during his travels (frequently on foot), they found it hard to keep up with him. He had enormous stamina—the result of a very disciplined and active life.

He was not just physically fit. Mentally, he knew how to deal with complex political and legal issues. He replied to letters. He published articles regularly. His collected works come to one hundred large volumes.

As for emotional fitness, he was known as calm and serene, and not put off by the harsh and cruel treatment he often faced.

As for spiritual fitness, well, we have hardly any other politician who was also seen and followed as a deeply spiritual man. In fact, this is what Albert Einstein wrote about him, “Future generations will scarce believe that such a one as this in flesh and blood walked the earth.” In fact, in Einstein’s final years, the only picture he kept in his office was a photo of Mahatma Gandhi.

How fit are you?

Do you take responsibility for your overall fitness, and take the necessary steps to stay fit?

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Fr Joe Mannath SDB

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