Annual Retreat-2018 September-October - Nepalhilfe Aham
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Himalayan Echo September-October
Vol: 53/18 Nepal Region Newsletter September-October
From the Desk of the
Regional Superior...
annual Retreat-2018
The advent of winter season
proclaims the arrival of august festivals
in Nepal. Dashain Festival is one of the
most important Hindu festivals which is
celebrated all over Nepal delightfully. The
festival, Dashain honors a great conquest
of the gods over the evil demons.
Tihar is the second biggest Nepalese
festival after Dashain. It is considered
to be of great importance as it shows a
contribution not only to the humans and the
gods, but also to the animals like crows,
cows, and dogs that maintain an intimate
relationship with humans.
St Paul writes, ‘Glory be to him whose power, working in us,
can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine; glory be to him
from generation to generation in the Church and in Christ Jesus for
ever and ever. Amen’ (Ep 3:20, 21). These words rang true to all our
sisters who attended the annual retreat given by Fr.Ignatius Topno
SJ from Patna Province. This time the retreat was held in St.Mary’s,
Pokhara with thirteen participants.
People make patterns named
‘Rangoli’ on the floor of their living rooms or
courtyard using materials such as colored
rice, dry flour, colored sand or flower petals
etc. This special place is meant to be a
sacred welcoming area for the Gods and
Goddesses of Hinduism mainly Goddess
Laxmi.
We are on the mid way of Dashain
and Tihar. Swinging along with the mood of
the country, Dashain holidays were spent
by most of the sisters in making retreats
and thus washing away the dirt in us and After the hectic activities in all the missions, the spiritual
internally cleansing ourselves. During the repose helped the sisters to re-orient their lives once again towards
Tihar season, let us also decorate ourselves God and it was a joy for all of them to spend long hours in prayer.
with virtues of love, care, genuine concern,
When they prayed, they encountered God in their life events of the
commitment, compassion and so on and
past year. Everyone who attended the retreat was in praise of their
thus be illumined to illuminate others.
retreat master who accompanied them in their spiritual journey
and helped them to experience God in their own unique way. The
panoramic beauty of the place added the serenity and beauty of
solitude experienced by the retreatants. The sisters thank Fr.Topno
and St.Mary’s community for making it possible for them to have this
graced time with Jesus. -Sr.Vinita Mazhuvanchery
-Sr.Jessy Puliyanthuruthel
Himalayan Echo 2 September-October
From the juniors’corner
We the Juniors gathered symbol portrayed in these precious the same founding grace and to be
together along with the Tertians pictures. It was a graced time for able to see the needs of the time to
for a conference on the Painted us to pause in our life journeys and render more service and help to the
Life of our Foundress Mother Mary look at our own lives with its colours souls. We are on a spiritual journey
Ward on 11th September under the of God experiences. to be intimately united with Him and
guidance of Sr. Monika Glokan CJ Our peak experience was our thus He may incarnate in each one
from Germany who is an expert on inspiration from Mary Ward to be His of us.
Mary Ward’s Painted Life. true apostles. When we reflected on We thank our Regional
Venerable Mary Ward was in her life we too realized that we also Superior Sr. Jessy for giving us this
constant search for the will of God have the apt disposition like her to opportunity to deepen our love and
in her life and she always sought to do His will even amidst frequent devotion to our great foundress. We
begin something new in the Church anguish and anxieties, sicknesses, thank Sr. Monika Glokan for her
in an era of its obscurities. We were brokenness and sufferings. generosity to impart her knowledge
greatly inspired as we were walking For Mary Ward there was and insights with us. We are deeply
along closely with her for a week nothing more beautiful than to be grateful to Sr. Vinita for leading us
through her life depicted through found by her creator and she indeed to know Mother Mary Ward more
Painted life Pictures. Sr. Monika encountered Him at every juncture closely.
with her deep wisdom guided us of her life. We also felt proud that – Sr. Marina Sharma
and helped us to reflect every as CJs we too are called to share
Snehanjali, Godawari
burdens, hurt feelings, pains etc. They also received
inner healings and the grace to become renewed
persons.
On 2nd September a new candidate named
Puja Dalui joined us from Kolkata. Srs.Marilyn and
Regina had taken a few classes for her. Since the
other candidates are attending their college as regular
students Puja found it a bit awkward and she felt
lonely. In order to give her a conducive environment,
it was decided that she be sent to Patna. So when
The candidates were privileged to have their an opportunity came she was sent with the visiting
retreat from 20th-24th October by Fr.Sam VC. They provincials to join the candidates in Patna.
were very happy to receive many spiritual gifts like Sr.Marilyn left for Pokhara on 8th October to
desire to read and understand the Word of God, attend the annual retreat and Sr.Regina joined the
importance of prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit. Godawari retreat conducted by Fr. Leo Cachat S.J.
It was a time for them to get rid of the unnecessary - Sr. Marlyn Murickal
Himalayan Echo 3 September-October
St.Mary’s, Gorkha
We joined the Adoration Sisters for their an entertainment programme expressing their love for
Congregation Feast as well as the Silver Jubilee the celebrating sisters.
Celebration of Sr. Rena SABS on 1st September Our teachers captured the hearts of the children
in Narayanghat. It was a happy gathering of all the by a wonderful performance on Children’s Day. Class
religious in Central Zone. 10 students enacted a short drama during the assembly
on the value of forgiveness and generosity of heart
which Mary Ward practised in her life.
Our Scout in-charge Mrs. Maya Laxmi Aryal
conducted an awareness programme on the topic We had the terminal examination in the first week
of ‘Gender Violence’ to the Scout and for Class 10 of October. Then it was time to breathe a sigh of relief
students. It was an enriching and an eye-opening as all of us were in holiday mood. The excited hostellers
experience for them. The School Environment Club left for home for the Dashain holidays. Sr. Jyoti left for
conducted an environment awareness programme her home visit and Sr. Neena for NASA trip to America
for the whole school. The Family Peace Association along with St. Mary’s students in Kathmandu. Srs.
gave an orientation to our high school students on the Veronica and Celine went for their annual retreat to
theme, “The power of Positive Thinking”. Pokhara.
We were indeed happy to have Sr. Neena back Sr. Catherine had the company of Sangeeta and
from home to attend the Region Days after caring for Pooja, our candidates from Godawari, and they kept
her brother during his eye surgery. We celebrated the themselves busy with various work of the community.
feast day and belated birthday of Srs. Jyoti and Neena –Sr. Celine CJ
with a Holy Eucharist. Our hostellers surprised us with
Mary Ward, Lubhu
All of us in the valley had a get-together in Lubu We had the literary and talent contests and the
in honour of Sr. Martina’s birthday. It was indeed a winners were awarded on Children’s Day. It was a
unique celebration as it was the first of its kind. Sr. golden opportunity for the children to discover their
Martina was overwhelmed with joy as she enjoyed the hidden potentials within them. The outstanding item of
company of many sisters. the day was a ‘wushu’ performance which is a Chinese
martial art by a class seven student. All the children
were provided with midday meal which they relished
very much. The students expressed their gratitude to
the Sisters and teachers for all that we had thoughtfully
done for them.
We had a meaningful and entertaining Children’s
Day celebration. The teachers conducted a fitting
prayer service which was followed by a short and sweet
comical performance by them. Fun and frolic and the
echoes of laughter filled the air.
Himalayan Echo 4 September-October
One of the favorite events of the school year is
the One Act Play festival. We had invited students from
two other schools to witness the plays. The actors did
One of the students of class six won the second
their best to impress the audience and moved them
prize in the National Karate Championship. She is
to tears. The play titled ‘Love and Sacrifices Keep the
the daughter of one of our co- workers, Mrs. Shobha
Family Together’ bagged the first prize.
Shresta.
It was a joy for us to welcome Sr. Monica Glokan
We along with our parishioners, our hostel
CJ into our midst. She was very happy to be with our
children and Catholic students from St. Mary’s attended
children here. She went around to all the classes and
a three day Charismatic retreat conducted by Fr. Sam
the children felt at home with her. They sang and
VC. Since the retreat master did not know Nepali well,
danced for her and asked her many questions.
our junior sister Marina was invited to be a translator
Sr. Nancy went home to meet her father who was
and she did it very well. It was a time of spiritual
suffering from a fractured hip and a severe pneumonia.
nourishment and God-experience for many. A good
Sister had an opportunity to take care of her father for
number of us received physical and spiritual healing.
a few days in the hospital as well as at home.
- Sr. Nancy Edamanasseril
St.Mary’s, Pokhara
Srs. Asha and Margaret Mary attended the 31st August and did not regain her consciousness.
Region Meeting and Superior’s and Principals’ meeting
She was rushed to the hospital and was put on a
in Kathmandu. The Primary School had a Fancy Dress ventilator, with all doctors trying to revive her. But in the
Competition based on the theme “National Leaders wee hours of the following day they removed the life
of Nepal”. Cute and lovable, the little ones performed
supporting system and she was declared dead. May
without any inhibitions. They really “rocked” the stage
her soul rest in peace.
and stole the hearts of everyone. Anushka was a cheerful and lovely girl, a
The One Act Play Festival for the senior students
wonderful gift to the family and to the school. A
was also conducted with lots of fun and hard work. memorial service was held in the school on the 7th day
There were creative. At the end of the day, the Blue
which was attended by her parents and other relatives.
House bagged the much coveted winning shield for the
We were touched by what her Father spoke through
great drama, “Villa for Sale”. tears, “Anushka has been taken away by Mother Mary
and now she sits on the lap vof Jesus”. It was a very
Miss you Anushka... spontaneous statement from a very staunch Brahmin.
We were
What a wonderful thought! Mourning her death the
much saddened
students and teachers decided not to celebrate SMS
and shocked
Day and TEEJ this year.
by the sudden
demise of
Anushka Bastola,
a student of
Class 9. She had
been suffering
from epilepsy
for a few years
and was under
treatment. She
got a very severe
Parents’ Day of the middle school was another
attack during
week-end program for parents.
lunch break on
Himalayan Echo 5 September-October
The next long awaited event was the Star Singer
Contest Season Two. Eleven girls came up as finalists
and performed so well that even the judges gave them
a standing ovation. The audience sat mesmerized and
spell bound for about three hours. Our girls were real
stars and sang like professionals.
Sr. Lilian won a ‘bumper lottery’ to attend the
FABC Meeting in Thailand from 24th to 28th September
in place of Sr. Nancy. This opportunity was given by
Rev. Bishop Paul Simick from the Vicariate.
On Teej, a day when women fast and pray, we
made a trip to our community in Gorkha to celebrate The Second Term exams were held in the first
our sisterhood together. It was a day of spending week of October and then we dispersed for the month-
quality time together sharing experiences, recapturing long holidays: for relaxation, retreat and home visit.
memories and becoming wiser. SDB priests from The two parishes in Pokhara hosted National Youth
Calcutta Province gave us a surprise visit and offered Meeting. It was held in St. Francis School during
Holy Mass in our chapel. Dashain holidays. -Sr. Margaret Mary
Mary Ward, sirsia
We were glad to have Sr. Jessy amidst us Sr. Divya joined the national youth meeting
in the month of September. She spent quality held at Pokhara where she accompanied the
time with the poor Rishidev children who come to youth of the Sirsia Parish. It was indeed a joyful
us for the tuition classes in the evening. All had experience to witness the enthusiasm of the youth
an enjoyable time dancing and sharing the meal
together.
The community members were in and out
of the community for various programmes. Sr.
Smitha left for her home visit and she also had
a spiritual renewal programme with her batch
members in preparation for her Silver Jubilee.
Sr. Neelu guarded the house in the absence
of Srs. Smitha and Divya and was seen busy
conducting classes for the children of Holy
Childhood of our Parish. The children were happy
to learn many action songs from her. She also
attended the two days seminar conducted by
the Cooperative. She has a busy schedule as
she keeps visiting many villages and distributing
The maiden visit of Sr. Antoinette to Sirsia medicine for the sick.
was indeed a help to Sr. Neelu in the absence of Sr. The community was glad to have Sr. Smitha
Divya who was away for the Juniors’ meeting. The back after being away for forty days, refreshed
new atmosphere and the surrounding boosted her and energized to continue her mission ahead. Sr.
enthusiasm and she visited many families in our Divya received a very good result for her BA final
neighbourhood. We are grateful to Sr. Antoinette year examination. Hearty Congratulations to Sr.
for all the help that she rendered to our community. Divya! - Sr. Divya Kalamparambil
Himalayan Echo 6 September-October
Mary Ward, Jhamsikhel
Children’s day was celebrated with a prayer the power of one person’s voice to inspire and change
assembly and a short cultural programme. Group the world.
dances, comical news item and songs by the teachers
amazed the children. We were contented to see the
children enjoy the day thoroughly with loud laughter.
Ten chosen students from class two go to British
School once a week where the teachers train them for
various hand-work, making artificial flowers, painting
Annual Parents’ Day is one of the most important and they also teach them to speak correct English.
events of the academic year. This year our Regional The senior students from British School also come to
Superior Sr.Jessy was our chief guest. In her speech Mary Ward and teach different skills to the students.
she narrated an inspiring story in Nepali to the parents. Children enjoy these interactions very much and are
Our students prepared rainbows of items such as greatly benefited.
dances, songs, dramas etc. After the terminal exams, school was closed for
A play on Mary Ward titled, A woman for all the Dashain and sisters took the golden opportunity to
Ages, stole the entire show. Class V performed a dance attend the annual retreat held in Pokhara.
on the story of Malala, making the audience believe in –Sr.Veena Dias
St.mary’s,biratnagar
8th September was a great day for our Parish. dancing, singing and comedy shows which delighted
Sr. Marina prepared seven Catholic children to receive and thrilled our students.
their First Holy Communion. It was a joy to see these
little angels walking to the altar with their parents to
receive Jesus into their hearts for the first time.
While Srs. Deepa and Marina were out for
various meetings in Kathmandu, Sr. Agnella gave
company to Sr. Rufina. We thank Sr. Agnella for
her availability. Our teachers celebrated the Nepali
women’s great festival Teej with great joy and had fun
at Asiatiq hotel. They made the day memorable with
lots of dances. We are proud and happy at the good
result of Sr. Marina who secured a first division in her
On the occasion of Children’s Day, the teachers final exams in B.A. Congratulations dear Sr. Marina!
conducted a meaningful prayer service followed by - Sr.Marina Sharma
Himalayan Echo 7 September-October
St.Mary’s,Kathmandu
The academic calendar of St. Mary’s was marked the 10th and 11th of October, 2018. The visits to NASA
with various programmes and busy days awaited the - National Aeronautics and Space Administration and
school in September and October. Talent Contest was Kennedy Space Centre were the peak experiences of
an exciting event for the pupils of St. Mary’s College the students during the educational tour. They were
as they showcased their hidden talents in the form of involved in various activities there. They also watched
dancing, singing, and musical drama. Max Movies.
The season of One Act Plays brought out They were taken to Disneyland and Universal
teamwork rather than competition this year. The two Studios. The former is the main source of inspiration
plays Macbeth (English) and Yuwa Pidi Rastra Nirman for all the Disney theme parks whereas the latter is
ko Siddhi (Nepali) were staged. Rev. Father Pierre a film studio and a theme park in the San Fernando
Jacob’s gracious presence for the grand rehearsal day Valley area of Los Angeles Country.
ignited more passion in the actors. The Joint School When they left Orlando for Buffalo, they visited a
One Act Play contest proved to be a hinge to fasten glass factory. They also went to Hershey’s Chocolate
our bond of amity with other invited schools. The huge Factory. The fun doubled when they reached Niagara
audience from different schools undoubtedly enjoyed Falls and watching the fall will never be forgotten from
the event to the fullest. their hearts. The visit to Times Square and Madame
One of the most awaited events, the Children’s Tussands added more excitement to the trip.
Day Celebration, was held amidst a lot of exciting items
performed by the teachers. The fragrance of joy was in
the air as the teachers did not leave any stone unturned
to make their students happy.
The holidays in the month of October were more
fun and enjoyable with the arrival of many guests and
friends in Nepal. We had with us Malankara Orthodox
Syrian Church, H.G. Dr. Joseph Mar Dionysius of the
The school hosted an Inter College Debate Calcutta diocese along with a priest and a group of
Competition for two days for the students of classes leity. The Bishop led the noon prayer for our community
11 and 12. Five schools participated in the competition. and over the meal he shared with us about their faith in
The first day’s debate was in English with the topic Jesus and their practices.
titled, consumerism in and of itself is responsible for We were also happy to have Sr. Roshani,
environmental harm. The second day was in Nepali provincial of Allahabad and Sr. Kiran, provincial of
with the topic titled, Federalism in Nepal. Patna who were here to meet the tertians. We were
Divided into two groups, 101 girls including privileged to have the presence of Fr.Pierre Jacob SJ
some sisters and the teachers left for NASA Trip on with us. He came from Calcutta to give a month long
Himalayan Echo 8 September-October
retreat to the Terians. He was here with us to celebrate resonated with joy and laughter. Thereafter we served
Teej with our co-workers. His presence added the joy them a sumptuous meal. On that day we could interact
of our celebration. with almost everyone and some of them shared their
life stroies very intimately. It was a memorable event
for all of us.
While we were returning we met a lady named
Indira Sapkota, a social worker who shared with us
another important aspect of the prison. She informed
us about the existence of a small primary school run
by the prisoners themselves. We found that each
class room has only minimum facilities. The condition
of the classroom is deplorable. This is an area where
we can look into to render more service to the prison in
the future. -Sr.Marilyn Murickal
The month of October
specially dedicated
to the devotion of
Month of the souls: November
Rosary brought
great blessings to The month of November is dedicated to the Holy
our community. Our Souls in Purgatory. The Church commemorates all her
parishioners came faithful children who have departed from this life, but
to our chapel and have not yet attained the joys of heaven.
prayed Rosary with St. Paul warns us that we must not be ignorant
us on 3oth October. concerning the dead, nor sorrowful, “even as others
who have no hope ... For the Lord Himself shall come
Most of the sisters were away from the down from heaven ... and the dead who are in Christ
community leaving Srs. Agnella and Mariette alone shall rise.The Church has always taught us to pray
to hold the fort! Sr.Jessy had the golden opportunity for those who have gone into eternity. Even in the Old
to go to America for the NASA trip along with our Testament prayers and alms were offered for the souls
students in the school. Srs. Vinita and Prathibha went of the dead.
to Rome to attend the International Formation Meeting.
Sr.Shobha went for retreat and the tertians went to
Calcutta for their exposure programme. It was a joy
to have everyone back by the middle of October. We
had long lively conversations during meals about our
enriching experiences in different parts of the world.
– Sr. Mariette Pinto
Prison Ministry
We had a moving experience in the last month
during our monthly visit to the central jail in Kathmandu.
We chalked out a special programme to make the
inmates of the prison joyful as it was the occasion of
Teej, a feast celebrated by Nepali women. It was believed that “they who had fallen asleep
We collected special food items for about 300 with godliness had great grace laid up for them” and
inmates in the prison. On the 5th September Srs. that “it is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to
Jessy, Regina and I along with Sr.Aysha S.C.N. pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.”
Mrs. Jyoti Rai and two senior students from St.Mary’s Lets us pray during this month for all those who have
reached the prison around noon. The inmates were in a gone ahead of us in our Congregation and in all our
festive mood as our students bagan to sing and dance. families.
As soon as they saw the dance, the women without -Sr.Vinita Mazhuvancherry
any hesitation joined the girls. The whole prison was
THANK YOU
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