Cir. No. 61
June 2016
Dear Sisters,
Loving greetings from the Provincial House, Kodambakkam.
St. Thomas was born a Jew and was called to be one of the twelve Apostles. His feast
day is celebrated July 3. He lived before the formal establishment of the Catholic
Church but is recognized as the patron saint of architects.
He was a dedicated but impetuous follower of Christ. When Jesus said He was
returning to Judea to visit His sick friend Lazarus, Thomas immediately exhorted the
other Apostles to accompany Him on the trip which involved certain danger and
possible death because of the mounting hostility of the authorities.
At the Last Supper, when Christ told His disciples that He was going to prepare a place
for them to which they also might come because they knew both the place and the way,
Thomas pleaded that they did not understand and received the beautiful assurance
that Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
St. Thomas is best known for his role in verifying the Resurrection of his Master.
Thomas' unwillingness to believe that the other Apostles had seen their risen Lord on
the first Easter Sunday earned him the title of "doubting Thomas."
Eight days later, on Christ's second apparition, Thomas was gently rebuked for his
skepticism and furnished with the evidence he had demanded - seeing in Christ's hands
the point of the nails. Thomas even put his fingers in the nail holes and his hand into
Christ's side. After verifying the wounds were true, St. Thomas became convinced of
the reality of the Resurrection and and he worshipped Him
Pope Francis says ,He gave Thomas a week. Jesus reveals himself with His wounds:
His whole body was clean, beautiful and full of light but the wounds were and are still
there, and when the Lord comes at the end of the world, we will see His wounds. Before
he could believe, Thomas wanted to place his fingers in the wounds. He was stubborn.
But that was what the Lord wanted – a stubborn person to make us understand
something greater. Thomas saw the Lord and was invited to put his finger into the
wounds left by the nails; to put his hand in His side. He did not merely say, ‘It’s true:
the Lord is risen’. No! He went further. He ‘exclaimed, "My Lord and My God," thus
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making a public Profession of Faith in the Divinity of Jesus God’. He was the first of
the disciples to confess the divinity of Christ after the Resurrection.
“To touch the living God, we do not need to attend a ‘refresher course’ but to enter into
the wounds of Jesus, and to do so, all we need to do is go out onto the street and kiss
the wound of Christ s“in our hungry, poor, sick and incarcerated brothers and sisters.”
St. Thomas is also mentioned as being present at another Resurrection appearance of
Jesus - at Lake Tiberias, when a miraculous catch of fish occurred. Tradition says that at
the dispersal of the Apostles after Pentecost this saint was sent to evangelize to the
Parthians, Medes, and Persians. He ultimately reached India, carrying the Faith to the
Malabar coast, which still boasts a large native population calling themselves
"Christians of St. Thomas."
Our Province is named after St. Thomas who is our Patron. As we celebrate the feast of
our Province let us implore his intercession. On this day let us remember to pray the 'act
of consecration' and entrust our Province to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
We need to touch the wounds of the poor in the periphery. Let us ask of St. Thomas the
grace to grant us the courage to enter into the wounds of Jesus with tenderness and
thereby we will certainly have the grace to worship the living God. As St. Thomas we
can evangelize the world with courage and proclaim the good news.
COMMUNICATIONS
Training Programme on CPP
We are living in an era where we hear about lot of children who are abused,
trafficked and exploited. It is the need of the hour to conscientize ourselves to
protect in all the ways our children who enter our campus.
One day training Programme on Child Protection Policy will be held at zonal level
at Kodambakkam on 7th July, Thanjavur on 8th July and Auxilium Home, Katpadi
on 10th July. The Sisters who did not participate at the Province level are expected
to attend this programme at your respective zone. Kindly inform your arrival to the
animator of afore mentioned communities.
CPP translation - Sr. Soosai Marian Pushpam
Aspirants & Postulants' Retreat
----Aspirants ----Postulants will make their retreat from 21st - 23rd July 2016 at
Sacred Heart Home, Katpadi. On 24th July the Postulants will receive their model.
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Let us intensify our prayers for them so that they may respond to the call of God
joyfully and generously.
XI International VIDES Convention
The XI International VIDES Convention will be held in Rome, Italy from 16th - 18th
July 2016. Sr. Sampooranam will participate from our Province.
Renewal course for Silver Jubilarians
Project Mornese
Women Coordinators Meet - IVDP
Forthcoming Events - June 2016
05
07
08
10
09
08-10
16
17
21-23
24
27
30
30-31
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Non formal and NCP Coordinators Meet
- Coimbatore
Training Programme on CPP - Chennai zone - Kodambakkam
Training Programme on CPP - South Zone
- Thanjavur
Training Programme on CPP - Vellore Zone - Auxilium Home, Katpadi
Past Pupils Meet – South Zone - Thanjavur
New Economers Meet - Kodambakkam
Past pupil’s Meet - Chennai & Vellore Zone - Tiruvottiyur
Headmistress’ Meet - Kodambakkam
Aspirants & Postulants - Retreat - SHH, Katpadi
VIDES - Zonal Meet - Tiruvottiyur, Madurai, Pallikonda
Marialaya Co-ordinators Meet - Tiruppur
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Tri-monthly Recollection - Broadway, SHH, MIC, Madurai, Trichy, Wellington
- Provincial Council
Heartfelt Condolence
†
To Srs. Mary and Viagulam Putti who lost their dear sister Sr. Teresa Putti, SSA
(69) on 16th May 2016.
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I wish you all a very happy feast of
St. Thomas.
Yours affectionately,
SR. MAGNIFICAT SOOSAI
Provincial
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