Vol. 16 No.

9, September 2008

from the provincial’s desk...

THE LORD SUMMONS HIS STEWARDS…

The swift passing away of three stalwarts of the Province makes it mandatory that we pause in
our busy lives and salute the trio. Br. Jacob Chokhar (19-7-08), Br. Werner Brand (15-8-08), and
Swami Amalananda (29-8-08) each responded with alacrity to the Lord’s summons, ready and
willing to present an account of their stewardship.

Br. Chokhar led the way. After long years of struggle with a string of maladies his strength
started to fade away. His faith in the Lord accompanied by his natural talent as a story-teller
and humorist permitted him to look beyond his sufferings while coping with the daily challenges
of life. Always a delight of the hostel children on campus, they stood by him to the very end and
insisted on lowering him respectfully to his final resting place. The Province salutes Br. Chokhar
for more than 25 years of lonely but dedicated service at the Xavier Farm, Desur.

The Lord caught up with the fast moving Br. Brand while on his home visit to Germany. Almost set
to return to India after a happy and successful stay with his family and the German Jesuits, Br.
Brand suffered a relapse from his earlier prostate surgery. With lightening speed his bodily
organs gave way, thus forcing him into a coma from which he was never to return to consciousness.
Thanks to his loving and dedicated niece, Ms. Barbara Fürst and the nearby Jesuits, Br. Brand
was supported to the very end with great affection and care. For us the loss is even more
poignant as we are never to see him again in this land of his labour and love. At his touching
funeral at the Jesuit cemetery in Pullach, Fr. Gregory Naik and Scholastic Shannon Pereira stood
by the gravesite and pronounced loud and clear the adulation of the Goa Jesuits for Br. Brand,
his life and his work in the Province. Fr. Joe Übelmesser delivered a personal and moving homily;
Fr. Klaus Väthröder, the Mission Procurator, presided at the Eucharist, accompanied by Fr. Gregory
Naik; Fr. Bernd Günther, the Socius, performed the last rites. Br. Brand spent more than 35 years
in pioneering and sometimes very frustrating work on the farms of Santibastiwad and Desur. He
was loved by those who came in contact with him not least his own farm workers and the poor
of the area. He was a man without guile, a transparent Jesuit, committed to his vocation to the
Brotherhood.

Swami Amalananda had been imploring the Lord to take him to His abode. His frail body and his
failing senses prevented him from functioning as fully as he wished in a Jesuit community. But
the loving care of the St. Paul Jesuit community ensured that his final months and days were to
be pain free and as comfortable as possible. Swamiji radiated as much serenity and peace in his
final days as he did during his many years of service at the Deshnur Math. It is this peace that
drove hundreds of villagers of Deshnur and the surrounding areas to seek Swamiji’s blessings
 at the last rites in the Math. Prepared for burial in the traditional Lingayat padmasana posture,
Swamiji continued to look serene and projected a surreal air of divinity – our very own
transfiguration! People flocked to the Math to seek his final darshan. A saintly Swami, acclaimed
by all peoples and all religions. While the Province salutes Swamiji for his pioneering spirit and
multiple talents, we cannot admire him enough for his holiness and simplicity of life.

May our three Jesuit companions rest in peace and enjoy the presence of the Lord and Master
they served so faithfully. For our Province we pray that they guide us and lead us to serve for the
greater glory of God.
Anthony da Silva SJ
Provincial

PROVINCIAL’S PROGRAMME
• September 10: Jesuit House, Panaji: Consult
• September 14: St. Britto, Mapusa: Education Commission Meeting
• September 21: Loyola, Margao: JES – General Body Meeting
• September 23 – 26: PAI, Raia: Province Renewal Programme
• September 27: Jesuit House, Panaji: GXC - General Body Meeting
• October 3 – 5: Animation Centre, Pilar: National Conference of Catholic Psychologists
• October 7 – 10: XTC, Desur: Province Renewal Programme

LOYOLA, MARGAO
Fr. Norbert Menezes, Secretary of JEA, spent two days at Loyola, Margao. He conducted an
evaluation with the Jesuit community, the Staff, a cross-section of Parents and LESA (Alumni) with
regard to the present status of Loyola High School and the future plans of upgrading the school as
well as undertaking new ventures in the field of education. He also conducted a workshop with the
Staff wherein he dealt with topics like Paradigm shifts, and Strategies to Promote Excellence. July 01,
2008 was a red-letter day for Loyola. The Primary Section started classes with English as Medium of
instruction in Std. I for this academic year. This venture is self-financing. The Feast of St. Ignatius of
Loyola was celebrated on July 31 with Mass at Grace Church, Margao. The church was bursting at
its seams with the students, staff members, parents, ex-staff, well-wishers and ex-students. The main
celebrant Fr. Maurice, with his brand of humour, brought home to the boys ways and means by
which they, in their capacity as students and children can seek God’s will in school and at home.
The students were served refreshments and the staff were provided lunch. In the evening we had a
get-together for parents of the Jesuits and our benefactors.

Activities abound in the school with students participating in inter-class and inter-school competitions.
A good number of students have signed up to answer the EMATS and Green Olympiad General
Knowledge tests. General Knowledge as a subject has been introduced in Stds V-VIII with the motive
of helping our students improve their knowledge in different fields. A number of students also
volunteered to answer ASSET, a test-tool that helps to check on the development of one’s creative
and critical capabilities.

In all this, the staff has not lagged behind. They keep to the schedule of preparing a wall paper once
a fortnight with a specific theme. Henceforth at every staff meeting, a staff member has been appointed
to address the staff either on an educational topic or on a personal-growth topic. Besides this Training
in Mental Ability was conducted for the staff so that they can guide the students selected for the
National Talent Search and Goa Talent Search Examinations. Fr. Basil Vago has made special efforts
to give the students more than merely teaching them in the classroom. On August 22, 2008 he took
the VIII std students for a one day tour. They visited various museums in Goa viz: Pilar, Old Goa,
Goa Central Museum, Science Centre at Miramar and the Goa Legislature. Schs. Sebastian Pereira
and Raul D’Souza have begun their ministry at Paroda and Sarzora parishes respectively. They go
there every first and second Sunday of the month and stay overnight in the parishes.
Raul D’Souza SJ
CENTRE SÉVRES, PARIS
The French language course at Paris brought together Jesuit scholastics as well as priests from nine
different nationalities under one roof, that of Communauté Pierre Favre. The entire group of 15
participants was divided into four units in order to facilitate one-to-one instruction and monitoring
by the French scholastic-professors. It was not only a time to learn the language but also to live in
harmony with individuals of different cultures and countries.

The whole language course was planned and implemented meticulously. At the end of the course
some of our companions left for their respective provinces, of course with fond memories to cherish,
while the others dispersed to different places like Montpellier and Grenoble to continue with the
language course. Sch. Shannon Pereira, together with two other scholastics, continue to study the
language at Montpellier till August 24. I, along with six other Jesuits, have enrolled at the University
of Grenoble till August 29. The community at Grenoble welcomed us very cordially. Though most of
them are on holidays every detail has been taken care of in order to make us feel very comfortable.

The Stendhal University of Grenoble offers intensive French language courses during the summer
holidays and attracts a large crowd to its campus which is well equipped with all the necessary
facilities. We have four hours of classes followed by a couple of hours of personal work in the multimedia
centre. On August 14 we had a golden opportunity to interact with our new General, Fr. Adolfo
Nicolás at Lyon.
Allwyn Cruz SJ

SN, CHENNAI
The philosophy course at Satya Nilayam is going great. We have five papers this semester and our first
continual assessment begins on August 8. The three (Schs. Jimmy Mendes, Jovito D’Souza and Audrick
D’Mello) of us are busy preparing. The papers include history of Western philosophy, Indian classical
philosophical systems, Metaphysics, Logic and Philosophical inquiry, and Philosophy of education (elective).

The feast of St. Ignatius was celebrated with gusto and much preparation here in SN. Each of the living
groups prepared each of the novenas. The topics for each of the nine days were very creative and full of
reflection. However the three of us did feel that more importance was given to the creative aspect while
the spirituality seemed to have taken a backseat. The feast day programme was very enriching. The
cultural association of SN organised a musical evening of Indian Classical music. Sch. Jimmy Mendes
was also instrumental in organising a music nite for the Scholastics after dinner. It involved a lot of music
and dance.

Recently, we had a lecture by Dr. Placido Rodriguez, one of the elder nuclear scientists of the country.
He spoke at length on the growth of India in the area of nuclear capabilities and even shared some
enlightening views on the present nuclear deal of which he has been an intimate part since its conception.
We do keep our time for each other regularly with our recreations and get-togethers whenever we can.
We share our problems, spiritual conflicts, and even our apostolate experiences.
Audrick D’Mello SJ

ANNOUNCEMENT
The first GC 35 based renewal programme for the Goa Jesuits will be at Pedro Arrupe Institute,
Raia from September 23 to 26. All those who have signed up for the programme are kindly requested
to be at PAI, Raia latest by 5 pm on September 23. Kindly bring along your copies of the GC 35
documents.

Looking for Homiletic Helps? Just Released – SUNDAY SEEDS FOR DAILY DEEDS: HOMILIES
FOR THE LITURGICAL YEAR A,B,C. By Francis Gonsalves, S.J. Popular writer of the 3-year ‘Sunday
Reflections’ in THE NEW LEADER. Close to 200 homilies for all Sundays, Solemnities and Feast
Days with anecdotes, current events, biblical exegeses & practical applications. Published by Pauline
Publications (Daughters of St Paul) and available at all the Pauline Bookstores. Pages 448, price
Rs. 200/-.
BTC, PUNE

It’s been a while now and we are getting settled in our new home at Vithalwadi which is
located in the hustle and bustle of the city. With the polluted skies and blarring horns of
vehicles passing by, we do miss the comfort and silence found in the greens of XTC,
however the community members have welcomed us warmly. We are altogether 15
Juniors: 5 from Mumbai, 5 from Pune, 2 from Gujarat, 1 from Dumka, and the 2 of us for
the Goa Province.

The ever-growing demands of our Juniorate life have kept all of us on our toes. After the
various diagnostic tests, we have begun our classes in full swing and are now heading
for our first semester exams. In order to get to know each other better, we had a group-
building workshop directed by Fr. C. Drago.

The feast of St. Ignatius always arouses a special feeling in our hearts. We had a solemn
Eucharistic celebration with the singers twisting their tongues to a variety of vernacular
hymns. To keep up with the tradition, there were various indoor games. We also went for
a Pune Darshan visiting tourists spots and Jesuit houses in and around Pune. Life here
is getting busy; do keep us in your prayers.

Jonathan Rodrigues SJ

ASHA KIRAN, MANGALORE

The safe and secure days of solitude of the Novitiate are over. The jolly good days of
the Juniorate have also run away so fast. Now is the time to dive into something
pretty different from the previous years - the years of College Studies. Presently I’m
residing at Asha Kiran, Mangalore. Here at Asha Kiran, we are a constellation of 34
stars apart from 3 members on the staff. The stars are called so because they are
indeed shining very brightly in the college in academics and other extra curricular
activities. We are totally from 9 different provinces living under one roof.

July saw a host of activities being conducted in Asha Kiran, especially in preparation
for the feast of St. Ignatius. We had well prepared novenas, talks and indoor games
(considered a mini Olympics with competitions in 9 disciplines). The day culminated
with a festive meal with the other Jesuit brothers at Fatima Retreat House. The day
was really awesome and it brought out the real community spirit.

On August 15, coinciding with the Independence day, we also celebrated Asha Kiran
day. The main celebrant on the festive day was Fr. Swebert D’Silva, the Principal of
St. Aloysius College. The day saw plenty of guests and well wishers sharing in our
joy. A short cultural programme followed by a volleyball tournament was organized
and it was well appreciated by all.

We are also busy collating a hymn book consisting of hymns in all of our regional
languages. Our first internals have also come to an end and its time to gear up for
some more adventure.

Anderson Fernandes SJ
ST. BRITTO’S, MAPUSA

Come July and the school gets geared to celebrate the feast of St. Ignatius.
Fr. Patrick de Melo was the main celebrant for the Concelebrated Mass. In his
h o m i l y, F r. Pa t r i c k e x h o r t e d t h e s t u d e n t s t o s e e k a n d f i n d G o d i n a l l t h i n g s , e s p e c i a l l y
i n t h e i r d a i l y c h o r e s , b o t h a t h o m e a n d a t s c h o o l . D u r i n g t h e c o u r s e o f t h e d ay, t h e
school football team had a friendly match with the rest of the school, which included
t h e S t a f f m e m b e r s a n d s o m e y o u n g J e s u i t s o f t h e v i c i n i t y. I n t h e e v e n i n g t h e
community had a fellowship meal with their family members and some well-wishers.

It is the second time the school has missed the first spot at Royston Invitation Cup
under 14 football tournament held in Belgaum. But the students won the admiration
and hearts of the spectators. In the Under 14 Subrotto football tournament, the
boys could not get a ticket to Delhi to represent the State as they went down
fighting to a school from Salcete in the finals.

The Community celebrated Fr. Rufino Coutinho’s golden Jubilee of his Religious life
on Sunday August 24. It was a simple but touching celebration, wherein many Jesuits,
r e l a t i v e s o f F r. R u f i n o a n d h i s f r i e n d s p a r t i c i p a t e d . A f t e r t h e H o l y E u c h a r i s t , a
f e l l o w s h i p m e a l wa s h e l d i n t h e s c h o o l h a l l . T h e Va l p o i p r o j e c t i s n o w o n a s o l i d
ground. More SSC Staff members have shown interest in this new venture, to spend
t w o S u n d ay s o f t h e m o n t h i n c o a c h i n g t h e SS C s t u d e n t s i n Va l p o i .

Apollo Cardozo SJ

MILAGRIS, SAWANTWADI

For the first time in Sawantwadi the feast of St Ignatius of Loyola was celebrated
with great solemnity. The day began with the Holy Eucharist at the Milagris Church.
Fr. Paul Ankush was the main celebrant and Fr. Alban D’Souza was the preacher.
Sch. Cedric Mascarenhas trained the hostel boys who captured the hearts of the
people with some fantastic singing. In the evening the Clergy and the Religious of
Sawantwadi came for a get-together at the Jesuit residence.

Fr. Alban D’Souza gave his valuable time to give a course on guidance and counselling
to our staff members. They found the sessions very useful and requested him to
conduct such sessions also during the second term. In keeping with our policy of
conducting one activity every month, we had some creative activities like flower making
and pencil shading drawing, where each and every student took part. The best items
were later exhibited for parents and public. The overall impact was wonderful with so
many creative works of art that it even caught the attention of the local Press.

Our scouts and guides celebrated Raksha Bandan in a unique way. They visited the
inmates of Sawantwadi jail along with a few teachers and the guides tied rakhis for
all the prisoners and then performed some cultural items for them. It was a very
touching experience to mingle with the prisoners.

The first blueprint of the college buildings is ready and we are looking for various
suggestions and modifications. We hope to get the project off the ground very soon.

Cecil Fernandes SJ
HOLY FAMILY MATH, MADWAL
BIRTHDAY WISHES
Shravana Masa, according to the Hindu calendar, is a very
SEPTEMBER
auspicious month, a time for waiting before the harvest. It’s a 18 – Tadeu Gonsalves
time for celebration and thanksgiving. 19 – Ladislaus Rego
21 – Kelwin Monteiro
24 – Simon Fernandes
Fr. P Augustine has been busy going round the villages, celebrating
25 – Fermin D’Souza
the Paschal Mystery with the faithful and the people of other 29 – Matthew Almeida
faiths who join in great numbers to participate in the worship and
OCTOBER
thanksgiving. The months of June and July saw an increase in 02 – Anthony da Silva
number of lay faithful for the Eucharistic celebration. 06 – Felix D’Silva
07 – Joaquim M de Melo
11 – Lindsay Lobo
The Math is now open to the children of Madwal to come in the
12 – Paschal D’Souza
evenings for study and guidance. In collaboration with Jana – Merwin D’Souza
Jagaran, Saunskara Kendra has been initiated for the children. A 14 – Vivian Lobo
saving scheme will be initiated for them soon. At the same time THE DEPARTED
two SHGs have been initiated. • Br. Werner Brand (GOA)
15/08 78/58
• Swami Amalananda
P. Augustine SJ (GOA) 29/08 89/62