The measure of love is love without measure.

We car e. We shar e.
PALI HILL
ST. ANNE S CHURCH
AnneMater
“To build a Community
that is United,
Caring and Witnessing”
PARISH
VISION STATEMENT
(for private circulation)
Parish Bulletin of St. Anne’s Church, Bandra • Jun-Jul-Aug 2013 • VOL. XIII # 6-7-8
Have ‘Faith Made Effective Through Love’
(Galatians 5:6b)
T
he month of June signifies a new
beginning and a fresh start in many
ways. Children begin a new academic
year with enthusiasm, the rains bring with them
freshness and new life to the environment.
Even in the life of our parish, the months of
June and July are the time when the different
parish associations and
groups
resume
their
ministry and work in full
swing after the summer
holidays.
Laity Sunday, which was
celebrated on the 23rd
of June, reminded us
that the clergy and lay
persons, have their own
special roles to fulfil and
are co-workers in building
up the Body of Christ i.e.
the Church.
call to be of service to the Church by joining
a parish association, being an SCC animator,
using your God-given talents in community
building activities or by being actively present
at parish or community programmes? The
parish needs YOU! All of us can be of service.
The only requirements are a heart animated
by love and a humble and willing attitude.
of love
e
r
u
s
a
e
m
“The
is
asure.”
e
m
t
u
o
h
t
i
love w
les
ncis de Sa
~ St. Fra
This mutually enriching partnership is seen in
the functioning of the Parish Pastoral Council
and other Associations as also in the Small
Christian Community (SCC) movement
which as a ‘new way of being church’ invites
everyone to be involved in parish life not just
at the parish level but also at the community
level.
Can we find it within ourselves to heed the
In this Year of Faith, as
we begin the novena in
preparation for the feast
of our patroness, St.
Anne, let us pray that
we as a community may
be able to shake off our
indifference and take a
few concrete steps to
enhance the knowledge
of our faith so as to live it
out fully in service.
We could read a book
explaining the faith or browse Catholic sites on
the internet (check out the Examiner website
at www.the-examiner.org for links to other
sites), etc. so as to possess a faith that has
been understood; a faith that is strengthened
by God’s grace and a faith made effective
through a life that is lived out in love.
Happy Feast! God bless!
~ Fr. Leon
August 4th is the feast of St. John Marie Vianney, the patron of all Priests
Dear Frs. Clement, Prax, Roque & Leon
Thank you for your ministry to us
and be assured of the love, support and prayers of all your parishioners.
Happy Feast! God bless you all!!
St. Anne
Anne,
is glorious among
the saints because it
was in her that the
Immaculate Conception
of Mary took place,
thus making her the
grandmother of our Lord
and Saviour, Jesus.
According to Church
tradition, Anne and
Joachim conceived
after many years
of childlessness.
In thankfulness, they
dedicated their daughter
Mary to God’s service.
Tuze ge nau, naval pari.
Anna tu ge, kurpen
bharli,
Kurpen aasta, tujem sargi,
Devan tula apli aaji
keli.
~ From the traditional
Marathi hymn to St. Anne
May
Sts. Anne and Joachim
bless our parish family.
Wish you a Happy Feast!
Novena in preparation for the feast of St Anne, our patroness
“Have faith made effective through love.”
(Galatians 5:6)
Day/Date
Theme
Liturgy by
Community/Association
Friday, 19th July
Saturday, 20th July
Sunday, 21st July
Monday, 22nd July
Tuesday, 23rd July
Wednesday, 24th July
Thursday, 25th July
Friday, 26th July
Saturday, 27th July
Sunday, 28th July
Rajan
Ladies Sodality
Sherly
Prayer Group
Malla
SVP & Legion of Mary
Pali Hill & Scheme
Hope and Life Movement
Pali Pathar/Ambedkar Rd
Parish Council
Faith seen in…living a life of mercy
Faith seen in…spending time with Jesus
Faith seen in…loving service
Faith seen in…following Christ
Faith seen in…doing the Father’s will
Faith seen in…bearing good fruit
Faith seen in…living a life of humility
Faith seen in…unity and fellowship
Faith seen in…perseverance in prayer
Faithfulness in God’s family
On Saturday, 27th July
Sale of snacks, entertainment and game stalls – 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
On Sunday, 28th July
Feast Mass at 9:30 a.m. There will be no evening Mass.
St. Anne’s Fiesta - ‘Some Enchanted Evening’ from 6:00 p.m. to 10 p.m.
T
The St. Anne’s Good News Club
he Annual Closing Ceremony of the St. Anne’s
Good News Club was held on 17th March 2013
at the Kiddies Corner.
Multi Colored Dream Coat’.
The Annual Report for 2012-13 presented by Catechist
Sunita D’Souza emphasized some of the activities
that we had during the academic year like the Psalm
recitation activity, Mission Sunday sale, GNC
picnic to Green Hill Resort, Christmas play,
GNC Monthly Activity sheet, Bible Quiz
competition, etc.
The children and their parents were warmly
welcomed by the compere, Catechist Pinnette
Reynolds. The programme kicked off
with our tiny tots from KG/I/II & Std. V
who performed various action songs
accompanied by Judith Fernandes
on the guitar. ‘Judgment day’ a play
depicting the virtue of righteousness
v/s unrighteousness was enacted
by students of Std. III. As a finale they
sweetly danced to the musical track
‘Heaven’.
The First Holy Communicants enacted a play on the
virtues of St. Joseph followed by a few action songs;
while the students of Std. VII & VIII staged ‘Any
Dream will Do’ based on the musical ‘Joseph and his
AnneMater
The vote of thanks given by Catechist
Evelyn D'Sa was followed by the award
ceremony wherein children with regular
attendance were awarded certificates
and chocolates. The programme ended
with the distribution of snacks and cold drink
at the snack counter under the supervision of
Catechist Natasha D’Souza and the other catechists.
~ Marylou D’Souza
Co-ordinator of the Good News Club
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June-July-August 2013
Lives of the Saints
Saint Thomas the Apostle, also called Doubting Thomas or Didymus (meaning "Twin,"
or "Thomas" in Aramaic) was a Jew and was called to be one of the Twelve Apostles of
Jesus Christ.
He was a dedicated but impetuous follower of Christ. He is best known for questioning
Jesus' resurrection after death when he was first told of it. 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 and
putting his fingers in the place of the nails and his hand into His side. At this, St. Thomas
became convinced of the truth of the Resurrection and exclaimed: "My Lord and My
God," thus making a public Profession of Faith in the Divinity of Jesus.
He is said to have traveled outside the Roman Empire to preach the Gospel, traveling
as far as India. Tradition says that at the dispersal of the Apostles after Pentecost St.
Thomas was sent to evangelize 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."
He was speared to death at a place called Calamine. His feast day is July 3rd and he is the Patron of
Architects.
St. Lawrence is believed to have been born in Spain, at Osca, a town in Aragon near the
foot of the Pyrenees. As a youth he was sent to Saragoza to complete his humanistic
and theological studies. It was here that he first encountered the future Pope Sixtus II,
who was of Greek origin. The future Pope was one of the most famous and esteemed
teachers in what was then one of the most renowned centres of learning. Eventually, both
left Spain for Rome. When Sixtus was elevated to Patriarch in 257, he ordained Lawrence
even though he was still young and appointed him first among the seven deacons who
served in the patriarchal church; therefore he is called Archdeacon of Rome. This was a
position of great trust, which included the care of the treasury and riches of the church,
and the distribution of alms among the poor.
The Roman authorities had established a norm according to which all Christians who
had been denounced must be executed and their goods confiscated by the Imperial
treasury. At the beginning of the month of August, 258, Emperor Valerian issued an
edict commanding that all bishops, priests, and deacons should immediately be put to
death. Sixtus was captured on August 6, 258 and executed. After the death of Sixtus, the Prefect of Rome
demanded that Lawrence turn over the riches of the Church.
Lawrence asked for three days to gather together the wealth. Lawrence worked swiftly to distribute as much
Church property to the poor as possible, so as to prevent its being seized by the Prefect. On the third day,
at the head of a small delegation, he presented himself to the Prefect, and when ordered to give up the
treasures of the Church, he presented the poor, the crippled, the blind and the suffering, and said that these
were the true treasures of the Church. One account records him declaring to the Prefect, "The Church is truly
rich, far richer than your Emperor." This act of defiance led directly to his martyrdom by roasting on a slow
fire on the 10th of August, his feast day.
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June-July-August 2013
Good Shepherd Sunday
J
esus said: 'The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them and they
follow me." (John 10:27)
The fourth Sunday of Easter is known as Good Shepherd Sunday and is the “World
Day of Prayer for Vocations.” Pope Paul VI instituted the World Day of Prayer for Vocations on 11 April, 1964. In the years since, successive Pontiffs have called on the
Church to focus and pray for vocations.
The scripture lessons for this day concern the role of the shepherds of God’s flock in
the Church. Each year on this Sunday, we reflect on the image of Jesus as the Good
Shepherd who devotedly and kindly takes care of his flock. Through the gospel, Jesus
teaches one of the central aspects of the ministerial priesthood: the priest as shepherd.
Pope Benedict XVI released his message for the 50th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, held on 21 April
2013. The theme was: “Vocations as a sign of hope founded in faith.” His message says “vocations to the
priesthood and the consecrated life are born out of the experience of a personal encounter with Christ, out of
sincere and confident dialogue with him, so as to enter into his will.”
Whenever a disciple of Jesus accepts the divine call to dedicate himself to the priestly ministry or to the consecrated life, we witness one of the most mature fruits of the Christian community, which helps us to look with
particular trust and hope to the future of the Church and to her commitment to evangelization.
Love of God, which priests and consecrated persons are called to mirror is the motivation for answering the
Lord’s call to special consecration through priestly ordination or the profession of the evangelical counsels.
But above all, the Eucharist should be the heart of every vocational journey- the journey for every Christan to
mature into an active evangelizer of the faith.
If you experience God’s call to a vocation in the Church, please contact the Parish Fathers or Sisters or the
Diocesan Vocation Service Centre, opposite Mount Mary’s Basilica or call on 26555500/26422556
Go not to the temple to put flowers upon the feet of God:
First fill your own house with the fragrance of love.
Go not to the temple to light candles before the altar of God:
First remove the darkness of sin from your heart.
Go not to the temple to bow down your head in prayer:
First learn to bow in humility before your fellowmen.
Go not to the temple to pray on bended knees:
First bend down to lift someone who is down-trodden.
Go not to the temple to ask for forgiveness of your sins:
First forgive from your heart those who have sinned against you!
Rabindranath Tagore
Perhaps, Tagore was inspired by the words of Jesus: “If you bring your
gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against
you, leave your gift there on the altar, go first and be reconciled with
your brother and then come and offer your gift” (Mt. 5:23)
~ Contributed by Clarissa Barrett
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The Ladies Sodality warmly
invite other ladies of the
parish to join as members
& to share in the benefits of
a deeper understanding of
Scripture, joyous fellowship
and interaction & the learning
of useful skills.
Meetings are held every
Wednesday evening,from
6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the
Parish Parlour
The Consecration of new
members will take place on
Thursday 15th August 2013.
For any further details, please
contact Elaine Charles at
26432893
June-July-August 2013
Celebrating the Church and the Body of Christ as ONE
T
he Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ is also known as the Solemnity
of Corpus Christi, which translates from Latin to "Body of Christ." The Feast of Corpus
Christi is one of the ten Holy Days of Obligation in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church.
It is celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, which falls one week after Pentecost
Sunday. This Feast goes back to the 13th century, but it celebrates something far older: the
institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper.
This feast calls us to focus on two manifestations of the Body of Christ, the Holy Eucharist
and the Church. The primary purpose of this feast is to focus our attention on the Eucharist.
The secondary focus of this feast is upon the Body of Christ as it is present in the Church.
The Church is called the Body of Christ because of the intimate communion which Jesus
shares with his disciples.
The Feast of Corpus Christi is commonly used as an opportunity for public Eucharistic processions, which serves
as a sign of common faith and adoration. Our worship of Jesus in His Body and Blood calls us to offer to God
our Father a pledge of undivided love and an offering of ourselves to the service of others. Pope Benedict aptly
summed up the meaning of this feast day in a discourse in 2008 using three key words: "gathering, walking
and kneeling... we gather around the altar of the Lord, we walk with the Lord and we kneel before the Lord in
adoration."
In continuation to this feast, the month of July has been dedicated to the Precious Blood of Jesus. The Feast
of the Precious Blood, established by Pope Pius IX in 1849, is celebrated each year on the first Sunday of July.
T
The Feast of the Assumption and Independence Day
he Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady is
celebrated by the Church as a major feast on
15th August, coinciding with the day of India’s
Independence. It is the acceptance of Mother Mary
into the glory of Heaven.
paid on this day to the freedom fighters who sacrificed
their lives and fought to free our nation. It is a day of
pride and glory. It is also a day that reminds us of our
responsibility to continue to fight for human rights and
justice. In the midst of the Independence celebrations,
the feast of the Assumption gives
us the hope and assurance that
our dream of a less corrupt, less
violent and more humane country
can come true.
The Vicar of Christ, led by the Holy
Spirit, was inspired to announce
the feast of the Assumption as a
dogma so as to bring forth a new
outpouring of grace for the Church
through the intercession of Mary
and also that the human family can
more profoundly appreciate what
God has done in her, and wishes
to do through her for us. Having
assumed into heaven, Mary does
not replace our Lord. She stands
beside Him, as the Queen beside
her King, as our intercessor in our earthly struggles
and as our hope that we too will one day stand in
heaven with her.
It is also a day on which we Indians celebrate our
Independence with great enthusiasm and it is but fitting
that Mary is the Patroness of India. Rich tributes are
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Fr Payton constantly asked
people to pray the Rosary for the
conversion of Russia. What seemed
impossible became possible by this
simple devotion. To save our nation
too, it would be appropriate to pray
the Rosary. Mother Mary always
listens to us, she is always close to
us, and being Mother of the Son, she participates in
the power of the Son and in his goodness. We can
always entrust the whole of our nation, our leaders
and our lives, to this Mother, who is not far from any
one of us and who is a perfect role model of all time.
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~ Ida Ferreira
June-July-August 2013
Fr. Clement’s
h
t
25Anniversary Celebrations
The Eucharistic Celebration
25 JOYOUS YEARS
OF THE
PRIESTHOOD
Tuesday, 9th April 2013 was a red letter
day indeed, in the annals of St. Anne's as it
marked the 25th Sarcedotal Anniversary of
our pastor, Fr. Clement De Lima. A
thanksgiving Mass was offered that evening by
our Jubilarian, with his uncle, Bishop Ferdinand
Fonseca , concelebrating with him. After Mass,
the people were invited to partake of the Silver
Jubilee cake.
But the big parish celebration was scheduled for
Saturday, 13th April 2013, with the priests & people of St.
Anne's sharing in the joy and thanksgiving of their pastor,
at a Eucharistic Celebration at 7.00 p.m. that evening. After
Communion, Fr. Clement was presented, on behalf of the
parish, with a spiritual bouquet by Jean Prabhu and a beautiful
cross of the Crucified Lord by Oscar Cardoz, mementos of the
love and appreciation of the people of St. Anne's for their pastor.
The felicitation function that followed in the St. Anne's School hall
was attended by over 450 parishoners. In fact there was such a
demand for invitations to the function that the organisers were
compelled to print an additional 100 cards.
Fr. Clement
cutting the cake
with his
Mum...
With Elaine Charles compering the function, Fr. Clement, along with his
mother and other family members were welcomed into the hall with a loud
round of applause.The Senior Choir sang, "Let the rafters ring" and then a
beautiful Silver Jubilee cake was cut, with everyone joining in "He's a jolly
good fellow". Mr. Vijay Lazarus raised a scintillating toast to Fr. Clement on
behalf of the Parish and little Jessica Fernandes presented him with a lovely
hand-drawn plaque made by Ms. Kassandra Fernandes.
...and with his family
The vote of
thanks
Melville Mendonca took us on an interesting flight down memory lane,
recapturing for us the high points of Fr. Clement's life & priesthood.The Good
News Club entertained the audience with a medley of songs by the children
and "I will follow Him" sung by Joanna Pinto. Soup and snacks were served
around, while Community Singing, led by Ernest Flanagan continued. Fr.
George Athaide, a former Assistant priest at St. Anne's, who had been
ordained with Fr. Clement and who was present at the celebration, shared
what it has meant to him to be a priest for 25 joyous years.
In his vote of thanks, Fr. Clement said he was overwhelmed by the
love & appreciation shown to him by the people of St. Anne's
although he has been here for just about two years. He thanked
all those who had helped to organize such a beautiful
function. Kudos to Vijay Lazarus & Jean Prabhu for
co-ordinating the entire event, assisted by Melville
Mendonca, Oscar Cardoz, Sandra Fernandes,
Celine Mistry, Michelle Lawrence & Elaine
Charles.
It was truly a Sarcedotal Silver
Jubilee to remember!!!
With the plaque
presented by the
parish...
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...and with the
parish team
June-July-August 2013
Parish
The Novena in preparation for the Feast of the Divine
Mercy began at 3 p.m. on Good Friday, 29th March,
2013. The Divine Mercy Chaplet was prayerfully
conducted by the Divine Mercy Group every day.
The Feast Mass was celebrated at 9:15 a.m. on the 7th
of April by Fr. Anand Gaikwad from Pune who in his
sermon spoke about St. Faustina and the devotion to
the Divine Mercy and encouraged us to live out the
spiritual and corporal works of mercy.
Gathered Around the
Cross of Jesus
It was an interesting evening on 13th March,
2013. People gathered in large numbers
for the Way of the Cross organised by the
Rajan community. Each station brought
out the realities of our lives and the true
happenings of the modern world.
The cross transforms lives, it gives us
the grace to respond to His call, the spirit
to carry on with our daily chores and the
wisdom to face the challenges of this world.
While we progress spiritually, our hearts
should expand to embrace community,
society, country and the world beyond. The
risen Lord will surely make the difference
through our efforts and prayers. For with
Him all is possible.
A special prayer was said for those who
prepared the way of the Cross and the
readers for making the stations meaningful.
The treat on the way was a surprise.
People who were generous should be
complimented. So when you pray ask less
and thank Him more. “Have a Wonderful
Easter”.
~ Russel Pereira
Rajan Community
In preparation for the feast of Pentecost,
a triduum was organized from the 16th to
the 18th of May after the evening Masses.
Spirit filled preachers like Fr. Ashlyn, Br.
Ashwin and Fr. Martin from Tabor Ashram
gave insightful teachings followed by praise
and worship. On the eve of Pentecost, a
vigil service was also conducted.
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Bishop Percival administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to the
children of our parish on the 14th of April 2013 at the 9:30 a.m. Mass.
We appreciate the commitment of the catechists - Ms. Joan, Srs. Priscilla
and Rita, Br. Pravin and many others who guided the children throughout the year and helped with the arrangements on the Confirmation day.
As part of their Outreach Programme, the Ladies Sodality visited the ‘House
of Charity’ at Versova, on Thursday, 25th April. Run by the Congregation of
the Minor Carmelites of Charity, it houses 31 inmates from 7 to 70 years of
age, all of them physically or mentally challenged.
They are looked after by a dedicated band of 6 Sisters, assisted by committed Lay Collaborators, many of them parishoners from the adjoining parish
of Our Lady of Health, Versova. They say that it is the experience of Christ's
presence in the poor & suffering that strengthens & sustains them in their
work.
The Sodalists spent time going around & interacting with the inmates, but
what made it an 'Unforgettable Experience' , was the love, care & concern
with which the inmates are looked after by the Sisters & the Helpers, who
translate into action Christ's assurance that, " Whatsoever you do to the
least of my brethren, you do unto Me"
The Goldies – Senior Citizen Group celebrated a thanksgiving Mass on 5th May at 6 p.m. followed by a get-together in the
Kiddies Korner. The chief guest for the evening was Mr. Robert
D’Souza, former president of the group who in his speech recalled
the beginnings of the group and asked the current members to
continue to support and help the Goldies grow from strength to
strength. The lively music, entertaining games, snacks and dinner
and good old fashioned fun put together by the organizing committee helped to make the programme a memorable one for all.
7
June-July-August 2013
Parish Records - March 2013 to June 2013
BAPTISMS
BURIALS
2nd March – Kyra D’Costa – daughter of Mark and Heeral
23rd March – Megan Violet D’Souza – daughter of Kevin and Pearl
23rd March – Selena Fay Ferreira – daughter of Mark and Rochelle
6th April – Luke William Colaco – son of Mario and Caryl-Ann
31st March – Rosy Fichardo – daughter of Suresh and Sunanda Dhanawade (Adult Baptism)
11th April – Jasper Peter D’Silva – son of Jordan and Brunella
13th April – Veer M. D’Souza – son of Conrad and Divya
4th May – Keisha Anne Gonsalves – daughter of Clovis and Loretta
12th May – Trisha Das – daughter of Tirthankar and Dominique
18th May – Javion Cardoz – son of Agnelo and Cynthia
8th March –
Anthony Pereira
of Rajan, aged 57 years
23rd April –
James Aubery Clarence
of Malla, aged 52 years
1st June –
Cajetan Lodjerio D’Souza of
Scheme, aged 73 years
4th June –
Margaret Almeida of Rajan,
aged 92 years
We thank the outgoing
Parish Pastoral Council 2010-2013
for their hard work and commitment
in animating our parish.
We also congratulate and extend our support and
best wishes to those who will serve on the
New Parish Pastoral Council
for the period June 2013-2016
“Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.”
(1 Corinthians 16:13-14)
Articles, anecdotes, poems, etc. for publication in the next issue of AnneMater for the months of Sept-Oct-Nov (feast days and special
occasions during these months to be kept in mind) may be sent by e-mail to [email protected] latest by the 31st of
August 2013. The ED Team reserves the right to choose what is published and to edit the matter that is chosen for publication.
OTHER TIMINGS
MASS SCHEDULE
Weekdays : 6.00 a.m., 6.45 a.m.
7.00 p.m.
Sundays : 6.30 a.m., 8.00 a.m.
9.15 a.m., 6.00 p.m.
Confessions
Baptisms
Good News Club (Sunday School)
Church Office Tel: 26481923
: Every Saturday at 6.30 p.m. or on request
: 2nd & 4th Saturday at 5.30 p.m.
: After the 8.00 a.m. Mass
: 9.00 a.m. - 12.00 noon & 5.00 p.m. - 7.00 p.m.
• E-mail: [email protected]
| PUBLISHED BY: Fr. Clement de Lima | EDITING, DESIGN & LAYOUT BY: Felicity, Gina, Anusuya & Fr. Leon |
E-MAIL: [email protected]