Happy New Year

ROME It is with great joy I wish each one of you Dear Brothers and Sisters a Grace-filled New Year full of God's choicest blessings. May the Lord give you peace, joy, prosperity and health during the New Year! Pace e Bene!

Violence against our brothers in Orissa

ORISSA Hindu extremists attacked Christians in the State of Orissa and they burnt the Capuchin Minor Seminary, Barakhama, and its chapel to the ground. The 32 students and four staff members at the Arunodaya Ashram and the minor seminary had to flee on foot for their safety. Br. Chinnappa Payarda, OFMCap., Rector of the Minor Seminary, has reported that they have arrived safely in Baliguda, a town about 12 kilometers from the minor seminary.

These Hindu hardliners, known as the VHP (Vishva Hindu Parishad) and RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), attacked and destroyed at least 12 Christian churches and institutions in Orissa, especially in Khandhamal District, which is part of the Archdiocese of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar from December 24th through December 26th. They also destroyed some Christian homes. They want the Christians to be out of Orissa. They accuse them of trying to convert the Hindus in the region. These Hindu fanatics seem to be targeting mostly the buildings of missionaries, of priests and religious.

Br. Thomas Sebastian, OFMCap., Vice Provincial of Marymatha Vice Province of Andhra-Orissa, reported that the Capuchin seminarians have been sent home until they can find a place where they can continue their formation. He has been in contact with Brothers Chinnappa and Stephen Nayak, members of the seminary staff. While everyone is safe now, the crisis continues in the region. Our Indian confreres ask for our prayers.

Annual Retreat of the General Curia

The General Curia went to Frascati to make its annual retreat from the 12th to the 16th of March 2007. The retreat preacher was Fr. Ubaldo Terrinoni,ofm.cap. who accompanied us during the one week.

The talks were throughly biblical. On the first day he dealt with 'The first announcement of the passion' (Mk. 8,31-33). The second day he dealt with 'fraternal life' with the subtitles 1. 'You are the edifice of God' (I Cor. 3,8.16-17) and 2. 'Truth in charity' (Eph. 4. 15). The third day we were with the vow of poverty under the titles 1. 'The panoramic biblical view of poverty' (Deut. 32,10-14) and 2. 'The constitutive elements of poverty' (Mt. 5,3). The fourth day we were with the vow of obedience with the subtitles 1. 'Biblical listening as obedience' (Ps. 80, 9-14) and 2. 'Moses: The man who offers resistence to God' (Ex. 3,10-4,16). The last day we dealt with the vow of chastity with its subtitles 1. 'Blessed are the pure of heart' (Mt. 5,8) and 2. 'You shall love' (Deut. 6,4-5).

The beauty of the landscape and the hospitality of the friars made the retreat all the more attractive with everyone longing to come back to the same place.

Visit to the Northern Circumscriptions of India

ROME It was a moment of great privilege for me to visit the northern circumscriptioins of India from the 30th of January to the 2nd of March 2007. The circumscriptions are: Prem Jyoti Custody, Krist Jyoti General Vice Province, St. Fidelis Province, Marymatha Vice Province, Nirmala Custody and also the North East Delegation of Holy Trinity Province especially the state of Nagaland. What impressed me most was the sacrifice of the brothers working in all those circumscriptions, their commitments and above all their cheerfulness. It was an experience of Franciscan hospitality. Growth in these circumscriptions is phenomenal. The mother provinces in the South have done a marvellous job in supporting the endeavours of these circumscriptions with personnel and finance. The experience over there will always make one to long for the same in the future. It was also a chance for me to renew my friendship with many of the brothers whom I have known from the time of my own formation either as formators or as companions. May the Lord bless them all!