Month of Rosary: On 7 October, we celebrate the memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary. Mother Mary invites us to pray for peace in the whole world. We need to explain the nature and importance of the Rosary in the family, in the wards and in the Church. As a string or thread binds together the beads, so our whole Christian life is woven together on the mysteries we contemplate, centred on Christ’s face. A Plenary Indulgence may be gained by those reciting five decades of the Rosary in church, as a family at home, as a religious community, or as a pious fraternity, or in general whenever several persons have gathered for a good purpose and in other circumstances a partial indulgence. Pope John Paul II called the Rosary the “Compendium of the Gospel” (Rosarium Virginis Mariae, n. 18). He affirms that the Rosary is an unceasing praise of Christ, the blessed fruit of the womb of the Holy Virgin (Lk 1:42). The Pope insists “that the succession of Hail Marys constitutes the warp on which is woven the contemplation of the mysteries. The Jesus that each Hail Mary recalls is the same Jesus whom the succession of mysteries proposes to us now as the Son of God, now as the Son of the Virgin” (n. 18)

The XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops: The second phase of the Synod on Synodality will take place in Rome from 2 to 27 October 2024. The theme of the Synod is “For a Synodal Church: communion, participation and mission”. Taking the cues from the discussion held so far and synodal results, the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India is now planning for its XXXVI Plenary Assembly to be held in January-February 2025 to initiate a deeper reflection on the synodal process to animate the Church’s mission in India. We are called to pray intensely for the success of the Synod so that the Church responds to the challenges of the present times and discerns synodal pathways for mission.

Mission Sunday on October 20: This year’s theme, chosen by Pope Francis, is rooted in the Gospel of Matthew: “Go and invite everyone to the banquet,” reflects the inclusive and urgent call to bring God’s love to everyone. Pope Francis invites all to join him in this universal mission to spread the Gospel and invite all to experience the joy of Christ’s message. While the world sets before us the various “banquets” of consumerism, selfish comfort, the accumulation of wealth and individualism, the Gospel calls everyone to the divine banquet, marked by joy, sharing, justice and fraternity in communion with God and with others. We have something unique to give, that is, the very person of Jesus Christ as beloved of our heart, for in him alone our hearts find rest. While we need to make every effort to collect resources for the proclamation of the message of Christ, we need to become conscious that we ourselves are responsible for showing the face of Christ. We cannot delegate this task of “going out” and “inviting to the banquet” of the kingdom of God to someone else. Let us transform ourselves as missionary disciples and transform our Parishes as the formation centres for preaching Christ, crucified and risen Christ.

Information Regarding the Jubilee 2025: The Jubilee, with its theme, “Pilgrims of Hope” is a moment of grace, offering all the faithful an opportunity for deeper renewal and encounter with Christ. The President of the CCBI, Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, has given some guidelines based on the documents issued from Rome. While the Holy Father inaugurates the Jubilee in St Peter’s Basilica on December 24, 2024, by opening the Holy Door, he opens the Holy Doors of the other Major Basilicas on December 29, 2024, the Feast of the Holy Family. On this day, the local Churches inaugurate the Jubilee Year by taking a procession with the decorated Cross and making a solemn entry into the Cathedral, where the inaugural Mass will be celebrated. The Holy Doors are opened only in the Papal Basilicas. The Cross, and not the Door, is the symbol of the Jubilee 2025. The Jubilee Cross is the sign of hope and love, showing us the sacrifice of Christ. Placed in the Cathedral, it invites everyone to remember God’s mercy. The Cross will be placed in the Cathedral till the closing of the Jubilee Year in the local Churches on December 28, 2025. The resources necessary for the whole liturgical rite are already sent to the local Churches. During the whole Year, we must make every effort to instruct the faithful about the Plenary Indulgence, Sacrament of Reconciliation, Ecumenical and Interfaith Participation for bringing about greater Christian unity and collaboration with other faiths, reflecting on the inclusive nature of our hope in God. Visiting the homes of the poor and marginalised to express our solidarity is another way to pass through the holy doors. At the Parish and Institution level, we have many possibilities to celebrate with children, young people, women, labourers, prisoners, prisoners and migrants: the display of the Jubilee Logo, recitation of the Prayer, singing of the Jubilee song, the arranging of recollections, reunions, retreats and feasts, the study of the Four Constitutions, to offer greater opportunity for the people to participate in the Jubilee. It is also possible to organise pilgrimages to Rome, following the proper protocol.

World Day of Migrants and Refugees: On Sunday, September 29, the Universal Church commemorates the significant reality of migrants and refugees. The Pope reminds us that we are all migrants on this earth, journeying towards our homeland, the Kingdom of Heaven. He invites us to express compassion, solidarity, and responsibility towards our brothers and sisters who are displaced. We share in the same humanity, and we are encouraged to reflect on how we can better support those who forced to leave their homes in search of safety and dignity. The material for assistance in the liturgy is available with the Secretary of the Commission for Migrants, Fr Jason Pinto SDB

Catholic Charismatic Renewal in the Diocese of Mangalore: Charismatic renewal has brought in a lot of change in the Diocese of Mangalore, especially in promoting the reading and meditating on the Word of God, proclaiming the Word, conducting Prayer meetings, Retreats, promoting Intercessory Prayer Groups and various other ministries. I bring it to your attention that already detailed Guidelines are given in the Inter Nos of November 2023 regarding Charismatic Renewal, Prayer Services, and Preachers. This matter has to be brought to the notice of various Prayer Groups operating in the Parishes. Still, many groups are not well coordinated with the Diocesan Service Communion. The sacramental life, especially the Sacrament of Confession and Eucharist, is central to our daily living and carrying forward the mission of the Lord. In this month, I request the members of the Charismatic Renewal to give more importance to intercessory prayers for the promotion of the spread of the message of Jesus. Charismatic Groups must report to the Diocesan Coordinator, Fr Clifford Fernandes, about their activities for better coordination so that the Spirit of the Lord may inspire many more to prepare well for the celebration of the Jubilee Year. I bring it to your notice about the training programme organised by the Karnataka Region Service of Communion (KRSC) for the Charismatic Preachers as part of the Jubilee celebrations. For Priests, January, 27-31, 2025; for Religious Sisters, February 24-28; for Lay faithful, April 28 to May 1, at Logos Retreat Centre, Bangalore. Kindly contact Fr Cherian Ramapuram, for more information at 9880433433.

Jeevan Jyothi Seminars: The practice of holding Jeevan Jyothi camps during the October holidays for high school and PU students to help in their faith formation and personality development is commendable. I am glad that Parish Priests, Assistant Parish Priests and Vicars Forane make a lot of efforts to plan and conduct them well in their vicariates – whether they are organised at the inter-parish level or at the vicariate level or even at the inter-vicariate level. The young participants should be given the information and formation (practical tools) to develop their personality, talents, faith and life skills. Of course, not everything can be done in three or five days. The event is also an opportunity for the priests and religious to interact more closely with the student participants and inspire them to be a beacon of light for others and to be good leaders. The ‘fun and frolic’ aspect of the seminar should be secondary to the primary purpose of the seminar, which is formation in life issues. Group activities should not be solely recreational. They are to be carefully planned and executed activities designed to facilitate deeper comprehension of the concepts taught in the seminar sessions. Creativity should be the primary focus in group activities or competitions, rather than mere imitation or replication. This seminar should undoubtedly benefit the students, helping them to make their Jeevan a Jyothi. It is my sincere hope that the Jeevan Jyothi Seminars will be a great success.

St Philomena College, Puttur, attains Autonomous Status: I am pleased to announce that St. Philomena College has received autonomous status for the next 10 years, effective from the 2024-25 academic year. This autonomous status has been granted by the UGC, New Delhi, and approved by Mangalore University and the Government of Karnataka. This autonomy will not only enhance the institution’s academic standing but also pave the way for greater innovation, excellence and growth in the years to come. In recent years, the College has achieved significant milestones, including consistently securing an ‘A’ Grade accreditation from NAAC, attaining ISO 9001:2015 certification for Quality Management, and launching innovative programmes such as BBA, BCA (AI & ML), and MCA under AICTE approval. This new status will enable the College to further enhance its academic programmes, build stronger industry partnerships and create a more enriching educational environment. We congratulate the Correspondent, Principal and his team and all those who worked hard to make this institution reach this current status. We look forward to seeing it continue to grow and flourish. May we be filled with the power of the Spirit of the Lord. Wish you a fruitful month of missionary outreach. May Our Lady of the Rosary intercede for us.