IND-NB-January-2020.pdf - Montfort Brothers of St. Gabriel

No. 101 (For private circulation only) November - January, 2020

BROTHERS OF ST. GABRIEL, PROVINCE OF DELHI

Christmas Message: Love, Compassion, Kindness, Justice, Equality and Forgiveness

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C O N T E N T S Editor’s Message 02 XII Provincial Chapter 03 News from Communities: Montfort, Raipur 06 St. Gabriel’s, Jabalpur 06 Montfort, Ambikapur 07 Montfort, Roorkee 08 Montfort, Delhi 09 Montfort, Lucknow 11 St. Montfort, Bhopal 12 CRI, Bangalore 15 Montfort, Aruludhayam 15 Montfort Villa, Bhopal 16

St. Montfort, Hindi Medium 17 PNG Mission: St. Charles’, POM 18 Features: 15th Montfortian Scout Guide 19 Right Pope 21 Awards 22 School Counseling 23 Some Highlights of 2019 24 Stories and Anecdotes 25 Laughter the best medicine 25 Birthdays 25

The next issue is to appear by 15th March 2020. All the items received upto 1st March 2020 will be included in it. Address them to the editor: Bro. Jose Thottiyil, Montfort Villa P. Box 16, Piplani P.O. Bhopal, M. P. 462 022, India Phone: 07440755633 E-mail: [email protected] Provincialate: E-mail: [email protected]

Dialogue, Nov. – Jan., 2020 2

Editor’s Message

New Year 2020 Opportunities and

Challenges

E ARE bidding adieu to the year 2019 and have prepared our minds with lot of hopes and aspirations

while we eagerly welcome the New Year 2020. I see the preparations going on all around us to welcome the New Year. The Markets are giving a festivity look with a lot of new stuff and outfits to attract the customers and purchasers. Various New Year and winter offers are also attracting a lot of people to buy the products and services. People are also buying gifts and greetings for their loved ones. The ones who are more exited are the youngsters. For them Hang out, camping, dance, music, parties and romantic dinners are all in the menu of the New Year 2020. While we celebrate the New Year it is good to focus our attention on our life that we live presently and the life we are going to live during the coming year and the years to come. It is said, 1. “Life is a journey, it must be completed”:

Don’t complain if the storms batter the ship or the winds tatter to shred the sails. One day you shall overcome and come to your haven.

2. “Life is a battle, it must be finished”: Don’t find fault if the seed lies smothered and submerged in the dark earth before it blooms and blossoms. One day you shall have your haven.

3. “Life is a pilgrimage, it must be concluded”: Don’t falter on the road through self-pity because stones cut your feet and leave your blood on the trail. One day you will be in God’s land.

4. “Life is a race, it must be won”: Don’t whimper if the track is rough and the goal is distant. One day you shall reach it.

Life is a great school in which we are constantly learning how better to work, plan and achieve. It is very exciting and adventurous when it is lived for others. Hence we need to get out and live it each hour of the day, accepting everything as an opportunity and a challenge to grow and serve and we will find that in service its beauty improves. If you want 2020 to be your year, don’t just sit and wait for it. Make changes, better yourself, smile more, be loyal, be truthful and honest and show more gratitude. Find the silver linings, practice self-love, self-care and self discipline. Be brave, take on challenges, focus on where you are going and where you want to go and not where you have been and your failures. Make long-term plans as if you are going to live forever and conduct yourself daily as if you are going to die tomorrow. Your life is what you make it. It can be simple if you will set it up with simplicity as a goal! It takes courage to cut away from the thousand and one hindrances that makes life complex, but it can be done! Let us resolve to make 2020 an year of challenges and opportunities and face it with courage and positive attitude. Wish you all a very happy and prosperous New Year!

Bro. Jose Thottiyil

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XII Provincial Chapter 01- 03 November, 2019 Montfort Villa, Bhopal Welcome and Keynote Address by the Provincial Superior

EV. BRO. Pratap Reddy Asst. General, members of the Provincial Administration and dear Chapter members, good morning

and a joyful welcome to one and all to this XII Provincial Chapter 2019.

At the very outset I thank you all for your presence and availability in the important work of discernment that we will have during these days. The Brotherhood deepening, encouraging and benevolent presence of Asst. General is a reassurance, an affirmation and expression of the Central Administration’s brotherly love, and encouragement in the holistic growth and the wellbeing of the Province and Brothers in particular. On behalf of all the members present here and all the Brothers of the Province I joyfully welcome the Asst. General Rev Bro. Pratap Reddy to this Chapter and to the Province of Delhi. Our gratitude to Bro. Pratap Reddy who has come all the way from Rome to be part of this Chapter and to assist us to discern the will of God for us.

I wish to accord a brotherly welcome to Bro Mathias Minj the representative from our mission in PNG.

Special thanks to the Brothers of the Preparatory Commission who with dedication and efficiency have spent many hours and much energy in order to facilitate our assembly as we will see in the coming days.

We begin the Chapter during the Diwali season, the festival of lights which is a sign of hope and life that leads us from any sort of darkness to

enlightenment. Happy Diwali and a very warm welcome to all the Chapter delegates, and to all the Brothers who will help us in our tasks during these three days!

At this time we ought to feel spiritually united with all the Brothers in the Province and the Congregation as the Chapter is the ultimate expression of the communion that exists among all the Brothers. It perpetuates among us the living fidelity to the special charism of the Institute. Their prayers and their interest need to accompany us as well as that of all the associate members, collaborators and numerous children and parents.

The main purpose and focus of this chapter is the implementation of 32nd General Chapter on the theme “Fraternal Living and the Communitarian Dimension of the Montfortian Mission.”

I quote the previous chapter document on fraternal living, which says “A religious community based on fraternal love is a supportive factor to all its Members” (RL 45, 47).

A fraternity rich in joy is a genuine gift from above to brothers and sisters who know how to ask for it and to accept one another, committing themselves to fraternal life, trusting in the action of the Spirit. Thus the words of the Psalm are made true: “Behold how good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters dwell in unity... For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life for evermore” (Ps. 133:1-3).

To enter into the mystery of communion and of fraternity, and before undertaking the difficult discernment necessary for renewing the evangelical radiance of our communities, we must humbly invoke the Holy Spirit, that he may accomplish what he alone can do: “I shall give you a new heart,

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and put a new spirit in you; I shall remove the heart of stone from your bodies and give you a heart of flesh instead. You shall be my people and I will be your God” (Ez. 36:26-28).

I quote from the Congregation for Institutes of

Consecrated Life and Society of Apostolic Life, which says, “Fraternal Life in Community is Born not “of the will of the flesh”, nor from personal attraction, nor from human motives, but “from God” (Jn. 1:13), from a divine vocation and a divine attraction, religious communities are a living sign of the primacy of the love of God who works wonders, and of the love for God and for one’s brothers and sisters as manifested and practised by Jesus Christ.”

In view of the relevance of religious

communities for the life and holiness of the Church, it is important to examine the lived experience of today’s religious communities. a) Religious community as gift: before being a human project, fraternal life in common is part of God’s plan and he wishes to share his life of communion. Before being a human construction, religious community is a

gift of the Spirit. It is the love of God, poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, from which religious community takes its origin and is built as a true family gathered together in the Lord’s name. b) Religious community as place and subject of mission: specific choices which a religious community is called to carry out in various situations, and criteria for discernment.

The Gospel requires persons who, like the

grain of wheat, know how to die t o themselves so that fraternal life may be born. Thus community becomes “Schola Amoris”, a School of Love, for young people and for adults -- a school in which all learn to love God, to love the brothers and sisters with whom they live, and to love humanity, which is in great need of God’s mercy and of fraternal solidarity”.

Concerns/challenges Pope Francis says “Fraternity needs to be

discovered, loved, experienced, proclaimed and witnessed to. But only love, bestowed as a gift from God, enables us to accept and fully experience fraternity.”

Quoting Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis observes that “globalization makes us neighbours, but does not make us brothers,” and society today is troubled by new ideologies. Characterized by rampant individualism, egocentrism and materialistic consumerism, these weaken social bonds, fuelling a “throw away” mentality that leads “to contempt for, and the abandonment of, the weakest and those considered ‘useless.’”

Fraternity, the pope writes, is the antidote to a “globalization of indifference”.

The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated

Life and Society of Apostolic Life says that “Today in our religious communities individualism has spread, with greater or lesser intensity, the need to take centre stage; an exaggerated insistence on personal well-being, whether physical,

psychological or professional; a preference for individual work or for prestigious and “signed” work; the absolute priority of one’s personal aspirations and one’s own individual path, regardless of others and with no reference to

the community. A special occasion for human growth and

Christian maturity lies in living with persons who suffer, who are not at ease in community, and who cause disturbances in smooth functioning of community life.

We must first of all ask about the source of such suffering. It may be caused by a character defect, commitments that seem too burdensome, serious gaps in formation, excessively rapid changes over recent years, excessively authoritarian forms of relationships, or by spiritual difficulties, individuals are clearly incapable of living community life due to problems of insufficient maturity and psychological weakness.

The considerable impact of mass media on modern life and mentality has its effect on religious communities as well, and frequently affects internal communication.


A community, aware of the influence of the media, should learn to use them for personal and community growth, with the evangelical clarity and inner freedom of those who have learned to know Christ (cf. Gal. 4:17-23). The media propose, and often impose, a mentality and model of life in constant contrast with the Gospel. In this connection, in many areas one hears of the desire for deeper formation in receiving and using the media, both critically and fruitfully”.

Drawing inspiration from the above

references, I would love to invite all, to examine the authenticity of our fraternal living. The reading of the signs of the time invites us to draw up pro-active steps to transform the destructive and negative tendencies like individualism, cultural bias, and lack of communication, trust deficiency, drive for positions and the use of modern gadgetry being at the cost of community life. In the exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (“The Joy of the Gospel”), Pope Francis proposes “a timely rethinking of our models of our fraternal living and to a change in lifestyles.” He urges a fruitful rediscovery of the virtues of prudence, temperance, justice and strength that can help us to “recover the fraternal bonds which join us one to another, with deep confidence that human beings need and are capable of something greater than maximizing their individual interest. Above all, these virtues are necessary for building and preserving a society in accord with human dignity.”

We are called to envisage our fraternal life, a

viable means to progress in our spiritual life and faith development. St. Ireneaus says “A man fully alive and active is the Glory of God”. The question we need to ask is, ‘Am I alive to the people I serve; with whom I interact with daily? Are we aware of what is happening around us: the pains and sufferings people undergo injustice, inequalities, illiteracy and hunger they face? It is said that some men go through a forest and see no firewood. To look is one thing; to see what you look at is another; to understand what you see is a third; to learn from what you understand is still something else; but to act on what you learn is all that really matters. As we open our awareness our life will improve by itself. It is a beautiful paradox; the more we open our consciousness, the fewer unpleasant events intrude themselves into our awareness.

At this time I would like to offer a reflection on the importance of discernment during this Chapter. The criteria that should guide our discernment should be the greater glory of God, the good of the Church, the good of our congregation and our Province and that of the society we serve, particularly our children and the people who are

less privileged in the society. It is said that life is not a having and a getting but a being and a becoming. It is a continuous journey and movement in the process of our becoming another Christ who loved humanity and laid down his life for others. It is a great school in which we are constantly learning how best to work plan and achieve. The chapter is a wonderful opportunity for us to assess our life and mission as individuals, as communities and as a Province and to discern together the process of becoming effective disciples of Jesus through the path shown to us by our founder Montfort.

If we look at the history of the Brothers of St.

Gabriel, our remaining with the Company of Mary was a subservient existence. Our Brothers like David under the leadership of Bro. Augustine, boldly came out and settled at St. Gabriel’s House and built up an Institute which we can be proud of today as one of the best in the world particularly in the field of education. We are descendants of such a bold group of Brothers. Can we sit together, set our own futuristic vision, goals and aims and plan out our own action plans and strategies to make our Brothers and the Province a vibrant group that would make a difference. If you go through the working paper, we notice that we have proposed our convictions, action plans and strategies. It is for the Chapter Members to boldly determine and come out with our priorities with practical strategies to make ourselves a vibrant group of Religious Brothers not only to the Church but to the society as a whole.

As Chapter Capitulants let us, be challenged,

by questioning ourselves, Can we say that our communities are deeply rooted in the core values of true fraternal love, mutual trust, and concern for each other, openness, sincerity and co-operation?

They say that there are four bones in every

organization: The wishbones, wishing somebody would do

something about it. The jawbones, doing all the talking but nothing

else. The knucklebones that knocks everything. The backbones that carry the load and get on

with the work. Dear Chapter Capitulants let us be the backbones who should do what we can, with what we have and where we are. I wish you all the best. !!! Come let us together make a difference!!!

Bro. James Ekka


Montfort, Raipur Bro. Sevak Gabriel On 14th August, 2019 Rev. Bro. Pratap Reddy, the Assistant General and Rev. Bro. James Ekka, the Provincial Superior arrived at Montfort, Raipur. On 15th August, 2019 the school celebrated the 73rd Independence Day of India. The Flag hoisting was done by Rev. Bro. Pratap Reddy. The students had put up a short cultural program on the occasion of Independence Day and also to welcome Rev. Bro. Pratap Reddy and Bro. James Ekka. Bro. Assistant General addressed the school assembly in the morning and the teachers in the afternoon respectively. Bro. James, Provincial Superior distributed the prizes for the singing competition held in the school. On 23rd August a special assembly was conducted by the students of class VI on account of Krishna Janmashtami. On 5th September, 2019 the Teachers’ Day was celebrated in a very meaningful manner. The students put up a short program in honour of the teachers. On 20th September, 2019, the Principal inaugurated the various clubs in the school. It includes Science club, Art & Cultural club, sports & wellness club, Computer club, Maths club, Literary club, Social club and Eco club. He also formed the various committees in the school. The Principal appreciated the teachers and the students for taking these initiatives. On 1st October, 2019 the school celebrated Gandhi Jayanti. On this special day to mark the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the students of class III put up a very beautiful program. A special Prayer service was conducted for all faith by the teachers and the students. There were various programs, competitions and activities conducted all throughout the week to remember and pay tribute to the father of the nation. On the 5th of October, 2019 the students of class VII organized a special assembly on the occasion of Dusshera. The students put up a beautiful dance drama depicting the life of Rama and the victory over the evil. On 24th October, 2019 the students of class VI put up a short program on the occasion of Diwali. The program was well appreciated by all. On the same day there was a Rangoli competition for classes III to VII. The students made very beautiful Rangolies. Bro. Philip and Bro. Sevak Gabriel attended the Provincial Chapter from 1st to 3rd November, 2019. On 14th November, 2019 the Children’s day was celebrated. The teachers put

up an entertainment program for the children who included solo and group songs, skit and dances. The students enjoyed watching their teachers performing the program for them. On 23rd November, 2019 the teachers took a day out for the picnic to a nearby place known as MUKTANGAN a historical place. After visiting the place, the teachers returned to the school and continued the picnic until 4.00 p.m. They all enjoyed the day well. On 27th November the Provincial superior and one of the councilors of the John the Baptist sisters visited our school. The students welcomed the sisters in the school assembly and put up a short welcome program. The students had their half yearly exams from 18th November to 2nd December, 2019. The students and the teachers are preparing for the sports week which will be held from 16th to 21st December, 2019. The P.T. display will be conducted on 21st of December, 2019. All the students are excited to participate in various events during this week. This is the most important and interesting activity that all the children like and are always prepared. The Christmas celebration is scheduled to have it on 23rd of December, 2019. The program will be put up by classes LKG, IV and VII. The school still faces the uncertainties of its existence. Please pray for the good of our mission over here so that everything comes in our favour. Merry Christmas and Prosperous Happy New year, 2020!

St. Gabriel’s, Jabalpur Bro. Benny TL

St. Gabriel’s School paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation on his 150th Birth anniversary on 2nd October 2019. It was celebrated with great vigour and enthusiasm. A special assembly was conducted with garlanding of his portrait, “Sarvadharma Prarthana”, speech on the life of Mahatma Gandhi and songs which he liked, like Vaishnav jan tu and Raghupati Raghav sung by the students and teachers. After the programme a movie was screened in each class on Gandhiji’s life.

On 4th October we celebrated Dussehra. A special assembly was conducted by the students to bring out the significance of this Indian festival, namely the victory over evil. During the Dussehra holidays Bro. Joy Joseph, the Principal of the school, took a few days of leave from the school to visit our New School in Raipur.


On 12th October Bro. Benny’s batch-mates came to school for a reunion programme. Nearly 45 students came together and re-lived their school memories of 1994. A special assembly was conducted and they addressed the students of classes 8 to 12. They felicitated teachers ceremoniously at Hotel Pride in the afternoon followed by a lunch.

On 21st October live demonstration of firefighting equipments was done for the students of classes 5 to 12. The students were exited to learn something new.

On 24th October a special assembly was conducted for Diwali by the students and they were made aware of the importance of this festival of wealth and auspicious times. On this day the Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesh are worshiped for wealth and prosperity of the society. During these festival holidays Bro. Emmanuel was taking care of the house and the school since the other Brothers were away for the Retreat and the Provincial Chapter.

In the month of November, we had many reasons to be excited since three of our Brothers celebrated their birthdays that is on 8th Bro. Benny, on 10thBro.Joy Joseph and 26th Bro. Emmanuel P.J.

On 12th November special assembly was conducted by the students and teachers on the occasion of 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Devji. Khada Prasad and a packet of biscuits were distributed to all the students in the school by the Sikh teachers. The message of love, peace and equality for all was propagated through the programme.

On 14th November Children’s Day was celebrated in the school. A special assembly was conducted by the teachers followed by a short cultural programme. A movie was shown in the new auditorium and the students enjoyed the day to the fullest.

It was indeed a privilege for St. Gabriel’s Hr. Sec. School to organise the Jabalpur Sahodaya Group of CBSE Schools Athletic Meet at Olympic Ground VFJ Khamaria, on the 16th and 18th of Nov’2019. In all 783 athletes from 22 schools under Jabalpur Sahodaya Complex participated in

it. With the support, motivation and guidance of the Principal Bro. Joy, School Manager Bro. Emmanuel and Bro Benny, the School Athletic Team was able to put up a wonderful show of talents, dedication and hard work.

The School PTIs, Mr. Theodore Wilson, Mr. Zafar Khan, Mr. Vijay Uikey, Ms. Roshni Kushwaha and Mr. Eric Anthony (Athletics Coach) along with the student volunteers put in their excellent efforts to make this event a successful and commendable one. The well-coordinated efforts of the entire school fraternity won the most coveted Rolling Championship Trophy for Girls as well as the boys.

On 23rd November the Cultural Programme of classes 7th and 8th was held in the evening hours from 5 to 9 pm. The students put up a spectacular programme which included dance, drama, music, yoga and a variety of other items.

On 30th November cultural programme for classes 5th and 6th was held in the evening hours. Nearly 550 students participated in various items. The budding stars of St. Gabriel’s enthralled the audience with their stupendous performances. The Hindi play based on the life of Mother Teresa and an English play based on our ailing planet-Earth sensitized the audiences and left them spell bound.

On 2nd December the Investiture Ceremony for the school leaders for the next academic year 2020-21 was held during the Morning Assembly in the senior school.

St. Gabriel’s Jabalpur would like to convey to All Our Readers Warmest Greetings for a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year 2020.

Montfort, Ambikapur Bro. Gabriel Lakra

On 16th November, 2019 the school’s Annual Day was celebrated with pomp and gaiety. The Cabinet Minister of C.G. Mr. T. S. Singhdeo was


the chief guest for the occasion. Montfort Ambikapur will be a walled school

hence forth. A solid compound wall stands all around the compound now.

The hostel building with a capacity to accommodate hundred students is coming up fast. The work is in full progress. Presently we have sixty-one hostellers in total. Bro. Manoj Hembrom, Bro. Prem Murmu and Bro. Amar Jeevan Ekka are taking care of them.

A life size Montfort Statue in front of the school now welcomes whoever enters the school compound.

The flower gardens in the school now are in full bloom. It is very appropriate for the liturgical season.

On 18th December, 2019 ‘Teens Day’ was celebrated for all the catholic students of the school. They enjoyed the day.

The Christmas celebration was celebrated in the school on 21st December, 2019 in a traditional way with great enthusiasm.

The students are going for an educational tour to South India from 25th December, 2019 to 5th January, 2020.

Montfort, Roorkee Mrs. Lizy James

Silver Jubilee – Grand Closing: The year-long silver jubilee celebrations of Montfort School, Roorkee, came to an end with a grand cultural extravaganza put up by the students on the evening of November 21, 2019 (Thursday).

The school was privileged to have Rev. Bro. John Kallarackal, Superior General, as its chief guest. The guests of honour who graced the occasion were Rev. Bro. Pratap Reddy, Asst. General and Rev. Bro. James Ekka, the Provincial Superior, Delhi Province. Other distinguished guests present on the occasion were Rev. Bro. Bala Showry, Provincial Superior, Province of Hyderabad and Rev. Sister Alice Peter, Superior General, SMSM Sisters from Chennai.

The programme commenced at 4:00 p.m. with a procession-march led by the school band

escorting the Chief Guest and other dignitaries towards their seats. A special band from Kerala rendered a captivating performance which was followed by the National Anthem. Messages of felicitation marking the occasion received from the Pope, the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand were read out to the audience.

The gathering paid homage to Late Bro. Thomas Madappallikunnel and Late Bro. Cyriac Francis who contributed their might towards the growth of the school.

The cultural programme commenced with the lamp lighting ceremony followed by a prayer dance. The programme continued with a meaningful acknowledgement of the benevolent presence of the chief guest and guests of honour by felicitating them with a memento and a shawl. The Current and the Ex-Principals of Montfort, Roorkee were felicitated during the ceremony. The others who were felicitated were the Sister Alice Peter, Superior General SMSM Sisters, the Vice-principals, the past and present headmistresses, the Coordinators, senior teachers and other staff members (past and present). Father Gregory, a priest from Agra Diocese and Mr. Joy John who were instrumental in guiding us in the making and directing of “The Silver Stride” were also honoured. A total of 103 people were altogether acclaimed during the felicitation ceremony.

The Principal released a Jubilee Calendar; ensuing which came the much awaited part, the enactment of the play by senior students titled ‘The Silver Stride’, which was a pointillistic character portrayal of the various people involved in the growth of the school through an hour-and-a-half-long play showcased the journey of the School right from its inception leading to the jubilee year; well punctuated by several Indian, as well as, western group dance performances.

In his address, the Chief Guest Rev. Bro. John Kallarackal extended silver jubilee greetings to the Montfortian fraternity and appreciated the efforts of the Brothers to help the children to grow into men and women of character, virtue and confidence. He generously appreciated the rare display of talents and effort of students and the teachers. He further added that it was the time to recall, renew and rejoice, to look back at the distance travelled and to look forward to what more could be achieved. The magnitude of the cultural extravaganza, he said was so visible with the way programmes were put up with precision and planning. It exhibited the competent and committed services of everyone. Rev. Bro. John Kallarackal quoted the words of Lord Philip Stanhope, “What is worth doing at all is worth doing well”. He also appreciated the large turnout of the parent community which numbered more than 5000 parents and that it definitely spoke about the bonding between them and the school,


and further reiterated that primary education is a monumental task and both needed to work together. He congratulated the former student community of the school for doing well in their lives and urged them to be the ambassadors of their institution and help build a just society. He wished the school success and hoped it continued to grow intellectually, become socially responsible, emotionally mature and spiritually oriented to leave a more civilized world, a safer environment for the future generation.

His speech was followed by the presentation of the jubilee song titled “The Silver Paean” leading to the spectacular grand finale that included all the participants, student cabinet, volunteers and the entire teaching staff.

The Principal Bro. Albert Abraham thanked the august gathering for being a part of the celebration and congratulated the entire staff in his address; in particular the Vice Principal Bro. Binu Cherian and all those involved in preparing the programme so beautifully. The Principal thanked all the teachers for making the parents and well wishers proud to be associated with the school and urged the teachers to be the sculptors of the future.

The celebration concluded with a colourful grand finale.

Debate Competition: Four of our students took part in the Inter School Debate competition on 25th October 2019 which was held in the premises of Kendriya Vidyalaya – I. This was organized as a part of Vigilance Awareness Week. The topic was: ‘Can the vigilance agencies provide us with a corruption free society?’ Tushan of Class XII who spoke for the motion secured 3rd prize.

Children’s Day: This day serves as a reminder to each and every one of us, to renew our commitment to the welfare of children and teach them to live by Chacha Nehru’s standards and example. Special morning assemblies were organized in the primary as well as senior sections. Teachers presented various programmes which included dances, songs, games, jokes, midget dance, etc. Some of the teachers shared meaningful insights into being a better individual and having the right attitude towards life. The Principal Bro. Albert Abraham in his address exhorted the

children to work diligently and be determined to achieve excellence. It was an eventful celebration dedicated to the children, the future of our nation.

Award: Montfort School is Ranked No. 1 in Roorkee under the category – CBSE city-wise in a survey conducted by Education Today. Bro. Binu Cherian, the Vice Principal received the award at a function held on the 13th and 14th December, 2019 at the Chancery Pavilion, Bangalore.

Visitors from PNG: A team of 13teachers including the Principal, Rev. Bro. Joy Mathew from St. Charles Lwanga Sr. Secondary School, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (PNG) paid a visit to Montfort School, Roorkee on 12th and 13th December, 2019.

A brief cultural programme was put up by the students to give the visitors a feel of the cultural ethos of India. Rev. Bro. Albert Abraham welcomed them formally in his address. Mr. James from the team thanked the gathering for hosting their visit and presenting a wonderful show.

The purpose of their visit was getting the structural, as well as, the functional knowhow of all-grades inclusive schools, for the schools in their country were not all-grades inclusive as is the system in India.

There was an informal interaction between the staff of both the schools wherein, the teachers exchanged ideas. We got to know more about the functioning of the schools in PNG.

Montfort, Delhi Bro. Jinu Abraham

On 27th September 2019 the tiny tots of UKG were given a platform to showcase their talent through group singing activity. All the kids sang both English and Hindi songs with joyous glee. This singing activity is organized every year for the children to enhance their speaking, singing and listening skills thereby acquiring confidence. This activity instilled a spirit of togetherness, cooperation and creativity in students which was appreciated by everyone.

On 28th September, Poster making competition was organized for the students of class V. The students were asked to express their ideas through paintings and sketches. Students participated with immense zeal and enthusiasm and made very beautiful posters which gave the message on various social issues like save electricity, Swachh Bharat, and shortage of water and how to save it. The competition was really enjoyed by all students.

Creative Writing is a vital way of expressing oneself. It helps the students to develop their own


power of expression, gives voice to their inner thoughts and improves critical thinking. Keeping this in mind English Creative Writing Activity - ' Paragraph Writing / Spin a Yarn' was conducted for the students of Class IV. The students unleashed their creative side and wrote thrilling, inspirational, adventurous stories with their impressive messages.

The birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of our nation is celebrated as Gandhi Jayanti all over India. To make it more special, children hosted a special assembly on the 1st of October, 2019 with great zeal and enthusiasm as it's his 150th birthday. The programme began with a prayer song. The tiny tots sang patriotic songs and short speeches highlighting the quotes of Mahatma Gandhi and conveyed his noble messages in the most effective and influential manner . The students watched a video on all the good things that Gandhiji has taught us. The students also presented an enthusiastic dance performance on the song vande mataram '.

Traditional Day was held on the 1st October in school and was an eventful day. It was observed as a celebration of India's diverse culture. It's a day designated for people to come in traditional attire from their home state, or specific culture of their choice. Children of pre-primary department wore lehanga suits and kurta pyjama and got traditional food like daal bato churma, idli sambar, aloo Puri, etc., to relive their culture.

Dussehra is a time for celebration, celebration of the victory of good over evil, a time when the world sees the power of goodness. On 3rd October, students of pre primary got the opportunity to spread this message through a special assembly. The assembly started with a prayer song. A beautiful message was conveyed through enactment by the tiny tots followed by a song depicting how Lord Rama killed Ravana. The assembly ended with an inspiring speech by Br. Alex emphasizing on how we should let the God of peace rule over our hearts.

An overnight Scout and guide camp was organized on 4th &5th October for all the students of

class VI. All the students enjoyed their stay in the school. It was a first time experience for many students to stay away from their parents.

Music gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind and flight to a child’s imagination. On 4th October, 2019 the tiny tots of LKG were given a platform to showcase their talent through group singing activity. All the kids sang both English and Hindi song with joyous glee. This singing activity is organized every year for the children to enhance their speaking and listening skills thereby acquiring confidence. This activity instilled a spirit of togetherness, cooperation and creativity in students which was appreciated by everyone.

15th Montfortian Scouts & Guides Integration Camp was organized from 14th to 18th October. Around 200 students from 11 schools of our Province participated in the camp. All the students actively participated in various events and competitions conducted during the camp. The camp was a great success. On 19th October 2019, Class 1 conducted their Dress-Up and Speak Activity. Children were dressed up in their colorful costumes depicting their chosen characters like P.V. Sindhu, Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, Bharatnatyam Dancer, Chandrayaan 2, Soldier, Mermaid, Girl Child, News Reader etc. The students showcased their talents cheerfully on the stage. This activity proved to be a great learning experience for the students and gave them a platform to explore their hidden talents. The children participated with much enthusiasm and enthralled everybody with their endearing acts. The remarkable performance of each and every participant was highly appreciated by one and all.

Diwali is one of the most significant festivals in India. It is celebrated across the length and breadth of the nation with much fanfare and enthusiasm. Known as the "Festival of Lights", Diwali was celebrated on 26th October. The students enlightened the gathering with a skit, dance and Ram Bhajan.

To enjoy the moments of togetherness, the children of Pre-primary had a fruit chaat party on 26th October. Each child brought diced fruits in a box with little masala in it. Children had a gala time relishing fruits with their friends and teachers. The teacher also told them the importance of fruits in their daily life.

On 05th and 19th September, students of classes III & II put up cultural programmes respectively for their parents. Students mesmerized the audience on both the occasions with their marvelous performance in Drama, Singing and Dance. Fancy Dress show by preprimary kids was organized on 8th November. They all depicted their speaking and acting skills with lots of confidence and expression.

Children’s Day was celebrated on 18th November, 2019 with great passion and excitement.


The programme was presented by teachers. The day had theme of love. Teachers sang, danced and enacted on stage to make the morning memorable. The show was graced by Brother Alex, Brother Jinu and Sister Akhila. At the end Brother Alex addressed the children and encouraged them to dream big and work hard. The students were in awe to see their teachers enacting like kids.

On 25th November a talk was organized for classes 4-5 on healthy food by Senior Consultant from HT-Pace Mr. Lucky in school Auditorium. How to keep oneself fit by eating healthy food, was the topic and he enlightened students on what is healthy and its importance.

Constitution Day, also known as Samvidhan Divas, is celebrated in India on 26th November every year to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India. On 26th November 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India adopted the Constitution of India, and it came into effect on 26th January 1950. Class 3-D presented a meaningful assembly to highlight the important fundamental rights and duties we all Indian citizens have got due to our constitution. The students motivated their primary companions to rededicate themselves to the values enshrined in our constitution through inspiring songs and impactful play.

On 27th Nov ’19 an awareness program was organized to spread awareness on the 'ILL EFFECTS OF TOBACCO, DRUGS & ALCOHOL’. To convey this message students of class 11C presented special assembly through street play ‘Hindi Nukkad Natak' Where the focus was given on creating awareness among the students and teachers on the use of tobacco products. The students beautifully showcased how adolescents get attracted towards tobacco products because of the bollywood influences, peer pressure and family circumstances. They also depicted how bad the effects are on the person who used these products. An informative talk was also given by Principal - Bro. T. Alex, wherein he shared some statistics about tobacco use in India along with inspiring messages to quit these practices and how to stay away from such temptations

Everyone loves to listen to stories and recite rhymes. There is hardly anyone among us who has not heard a story or sang during our childhood. Such activities keep children engaged and let them feel that they are also participating in the process of learning new vocabulary, having stage exposure and working together as a team. On 6th of December the little munchkins of Montfort School showcased there group talent on stage by reciting rhymes and narrating moral stories.

Montfort School gave a grand welcome to the Brothers and teachers from St. Charles Lwanga Secondary School, Waigani, Papua New Guinea on 5th December 2019. The cultural event was wrapped up with soul gripping music and enthralling dances. The students showcased a glimpse of the diverse Indian culture through a colourful skit. The cultural fiesta was a grand success. The contingent of PNG teachers had been in Montfort School Delhi from 4th to 11th December. They went around visiting different historical places accompanied by Bros Joy Mathew, Joji Joseph and Alex Diamond. They had a taste of Indian culture and cuisine s and an enriching experience.

O n 11th December Guidance and Counseling cell of Montfort School Delhi organized a seminar for classes 8 and 9 students on Anger Management. Mr. Lucky from Ht-Pace guided students and worked on the skill to handle and not to react to stress.

Montfort School Delhi was awarded as India’s top CBSE School in Co-curricular Education, by the agency called Education Today. This award was presented to the school in the felicitation ceremony conducted in Bangalore on 13th December.

Montfort, Lucknow Bro. Sunil Ekka

The recent protest and agitation against CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) & NRC (National Register of Citizenship) and the spell of cold wave in this part of the country cast a shadow on Christmas celebrations that witnessed a rather quiet and little fanfare.

We had 3rd unit test in the first week of December 2019 and the PTM (Parent Teacher Meeting) was scheduled for 20th December which could not happen due to the order of government to keep the schools closed as a precautionary measure to prevent any untoward happenings because of ongoing public protest against the implementation of CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) and NRC (National Register of Citizenship).


One of the most awaited events of the year “MICFEST 2019 the GEN NEXT” was held on 13th and 14th October in which 16 schools of the city participated across various events.

The mega event of the year was the school annual function that was scheduled for 9th November 2019 but had to be postponed for 12th November 2019 due to security measures taken by the government as the Ayodhya judgment was to be pronounced. The theme of the annual function was “Winds of Change on the Sands of Time” that depicted the human civilization down the history more particularly the focus was on India’s rich legacy and tradition of the past and present. Mr. Rajnath Singh, Honorable Defence Minister of India had consented to be the chief guest but had to cancel his programme due to an unforeseen event. The students put up scintillating performances on the stage that lasted 3 hours.

We’d the privilege to host the thirteen teachers from Papua New Guinea at Montfort Inter College, Lucknow who were accompanied by Bro. Joy Mathew and Bro. Joji Joseph. They interacted with the teachers and the students and went around the city for sightseeing during their three day stay with us from 15th to 17th December 2019.

‘Cultural Fest’ the annual cultural programmes of UKG and LKG were held on 3rd December and 15th December respectively. All the children of the respective classes took part in the event. The parents greatly appreciated their wards performances and the hard work of the teachers.

The Brothers and the Benedictine Sisters collaborating with us in the school had been on a three day road trip to Sardhana and Roorkee as a community outing in the month of October.

Presently the state of Uttar Pradesh is reeling under the cold wave compelling the civil administration to order the closure of the schools much to the relief of students, parents and teachers equally but nevertheless adding pressure to the students who would be appearing for board exams soon.

St. Montfort, Bhopal Bro. Bala Joseph

Seminar on excelling in exams: The students of class 12th got the opportunity to attend a seminar on ‘How to excel in CBSE Board exams conducted by Akash Institute on 3rd September, 2019 in the school auditorium.

Students experience anxiety before and during exams with their hearts palpating, palms sweating and a feeling of overwhelming fear paralyzing them despite having prepared themselves well. The resource person gave some very useful tips for students to overcome exam anxiety, gain confidence

to excel in exams. He mentioned that students must focus on the NCERT books, must give stress on fundamentals, manage time according to 80:20 rules, prepare their own notes, etc.

He also told about 'The Ebbinghaus Curve' that is humans start losing the memory of learned knowledge over time, in a matter of days or weeks, unless the learned knowledge is consciously reviewed time and again and so emphasised on revising one's lessons.

The resource person also emphasised on having a balanced diet, adequate sleep and rest. He reiterated on identifying one’s shortcomings and be consistent with a never-say-die attitude. The seminar concluded on a positive note and science students were informed about ANTHE - Akash National Talent Hunt Exam.

Teachers Day Celebration 2019: Teachers Day was celebrated in the school on September 5, 2019 and the celebration began at 8:30 am in the school courtyard. The program was started with lighting of the lamp by the Principal, Vice Principal, and Co-ordinators of the school, followed by a prayer song sung by the students. The Principal spoke about the significance of teachers who are the ones who pave the way for better education to build the future of the children and the nation.

The cultural program that followed consisted of dance performances, a comedy skit and a few songs were thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated by all.

After the programme the students were sent home and the teachers were taken to the Fun City, Ratanpur to continue the celebration. It was really an eventful day enjoyed equally by teachers and students.

Cleanliness Campaign By Bhopal Municipal Corporation: “A clean India would be the best tribute India could pay to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150 birth anniversary in 2019”. To commemorate this event, Municipal Corporation, Bhopal initiated bunch of activities on 21st September 2019, ‘World Cleanup Day’. The day witnessed the most significant cleanliness campaign, which included cleanliness drive, cleanliness pledge and various activities which focussed on making citizens aware of the benefits of clean living and promoting citizen participation and awareness towards a cleaner India in selected 150 places across Bhopal.

St. Montfort School, Bhopal actively participated in the drive and contributed toward a cleaner Bhopal. The cleanliness activities in the school premises were carried out by the students in the morning with pioneering zest and keenness. This was followed by a cleanliness pledge dictated by school authorities. To involve parents to participate in the drive, students were given cleanliness affidavit to be submitted the very next day duly signed by their parents. A sense of responsibility had been evoked among the students


through the cleanliness campaign. World Thinking Day Celebrated: The scouts

and guides of St. Montfort School, along with their Scouts and Guide Masters celebrated the ‘World Thinking Day’ honouring the pioneers of world scouting, Lord and Lady Baden Powell, on their birthday on 22 Feb, 2019. The students along with their teachers had prepared for the big day in advance. The day started by greeting the Principal with a beautiful card and receiving his blessings. Then few students and teachers went to the District Headquarters where an All Faith Prayer was organised. Students were given an opportunity to think of ways in which a positive change can be brought in the society. Later the group reached the State Headquarters and greeted Mr. Alok Khare, State Secretary, with a beautiful card.

Hiking for Class VII: Children love adventure and visiting new places. After the term exams that spanned for over a month, the Scout and Guide department of St. Montfort School presented the class 7th students with the ultimate adventurous escape on 28th September, 2019 in the form of a visit to the famous Birla Mandir, The Museum of man and The Tribal Museum, all of which are famous tourist places in Bhopal.

Scout and Guide Overnight Camp for Class IV: The Scout and Guide department of St. Montfort School organized an Overnight and Pratham Sopan Camp for the students of class IV on 1st and 2nd Oct 2019 in the school premises. Boarding and lodging facilities were provided along with nutritious food which the students enjoyed to the fullest. The students were familiarized with the various aspects of the syllabus pertaining to the first year of Scout and Guide. Many activities were organized along with a Camp-Fire at night in which each class presented theme based programs.

Birthday Celebration of The Pillars Of Our Nation: “Be the change that you wish to see in the world” - Mahatma Gandhi

Gandhiji built his life’s work around the moral values to recognize the humanity of all people. He also believed in fighting against injustice and to embrace non-violence.

With the belief of planting the seeds of the values of Gandhiji, St. Montfort School, Bhopal organized “Sarvdharam Prathana”. To commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of the father of our nation Mahatma Gandhi, our school is celebrating a week, of mass reading or “Samuhik Vachan” of Gandhiji’s Book “Hind Swaraj” from 25th Sept. to 2nd Oct .The book embodies the lifelong researches of the greatest exponent of non-violence. The reading of the book during the morning assembly is very effective as the children listen intently and try to imbibe the values in them. On 2nd Oct. Sarvdharam Prarthana, lectures on Gandhi’s thoughts, and beliefs were held. Children participated enthusiastically in such discussions. A movie on Gandhiji was also telecast for the children and staff on this occasion. A two days camp of Scout and Guide was organized on 1st and 2nd October. The scouts and guides learnt various values on these days and are enriched with the knowledge imparted on this occasion.

The principal urged the children to take an oath of making St. Montfort School a plastic free campus. He wants St. Montfort School, Bhopal to take the initiative of “No Plastic Campus” from 2nd October 2019.

On this occasion the following programmes were organized for the children: Classes (I-II): Hindi speech competition, (III-V) English story telling competition, (VI-VIII) Group-rangoli competition and (IX-X) Hindi Extempore. The day was spent fruitfully as the children participated whole-heartedly in these competitions.

Dusshera Celebrations: The festival of Dusshera was celebrated with great pomp and show on 4th Oct. 2019. Students presented a colourful morning assembly in which they depicted the mythological stories related to Sri Rama’s victory over the demon king Ravana and Durga Puja.

The students staged a play and colourful dances bringing to light the spiritual significance of the day along with the various rituals followed by the masses.

The Principal asked the students to uphold the values of universal brotherhood and peace. He wished the students a wonderful and colourful Dusshera and advised them to destroy the demons within each one of us and to be renewed by imbibing the good values followed by Lord Rama.

St. Montfort Music Carnival 2019-20: The 11th Montfort Cup Interschool Music Carnival for primary (III-V) was held at St. Montfort School, Bhopal on 17th Oct 2019. 12 schools including the host school participated in this competition. The purpose of the competition is to give a platform to


the budding talents so that they can enhance their latent talents. The young talents exhibited their melodious voices which enthralled the audience.

The judges applauded each team for their excellent performance and encouraged and motivated them to participate and enhance their talent.

The Judges were presented with mementoes by the host Principal. The host Principal also addressed the audience and applauded the children for their efforts.

Vote of thanks was proposed by Primary Head Girl and Head Boy.

Winners were handed over trophies and certificates.

Deepawali Celebration: The festival of lights “Deepawali” was celebrated at St. Montfort School on 24th Oct 2019.

Students of class VI-C and VI- D presented a colourful morning assembly where the events related to demon king Ravana’s death and the returning of Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshmana to Ayodhya after 14 years long exile was shown.

The students enthralled the audience with colourful dances and a soulful skit presentation.

Principal Rev. Bro. Monachan wished the students a delightful and safe Diwali and asked them to incorporate the principles that Lord Rama stood for, in their lives.

The Principal advised the students to be obedient to their parents and to be patient in dealing with others.

Teacher’s Seminar On Pedagogy: One day seminar on teaching methodologies was organized on 25th Oct. 2019 from 8:00 am to 11:00 am in the school auditorium. The Resource person Mrs. Rashmi Pillai started the session through Ice-breaking activity. She stressed on making teaching learning process more creative and interesting through an activity which involved everyone to observe and practice

Group task helped teachers to employ “play way method” i.e. learning by doing, self-learning. She also introduced online assessment test through KAHOOT.IT which highlighted the theme of “Class Learning makes more interesting”

Towards the end the Principal, Bro. Monachan and senior Coordinator, Mrs. Jyoti Vibin Nair discussed and gave more details of the annual pedagogical plan, which could be planned in advance and could be implemented in a systematic way.

11th Montfort Cup Basketball Tournament 2019: St. Montfort School Patel Nagar, Bhopal organised two-day long 11th edition of Inter School Basketball Tournament on 8th November 2018, which was inaugurated by Mr. Rajendra Mishra,

ADG, PHQ, Bhopal. Eight girls and thirteen boys teams from the prestigious schools of Bhopal participated in the tournament

The Champions Trophy was clinched by St. Joseph Co-ed in the Girls Category and St. Montfort School in the Boys Category. The tournament concluded with the vote of thanks by the head boy, Master Rushaan Raana and the head girl, Ms Neha Sharma and there after the Chief Guest declared the tournament closed. The programme ended with the National Anthem.

Guru Nanak Jayanti Celebration: The 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Devji, the first Sikh Guru, is being celebrated with great devotion and fervour all over the world. His birth anniversary is observed as ‘Gurpurab’ also known as ‘Guru Nanak Devji’s Prakash Utsav’.

To celebrate this propitious occasion, the students of Class 10th presented a special assembly on 11th November 2019. The students depicted glimpses of the holy life lived by Guru Nanak Devji.

Serenity and calmness floated in the air with the beautiful humming of the shabads. Principal, Rev. Bro. Monachan encouraged everyone to follow the path shown by Guru Nanak Dev ji and lead a simple life.

Children’s day Celebration 2019: Children’s day in India is celebrated every year on 14th of November to enhance the awareness of people towards the rights, care and education of children. St. Montfort School also celebrated Children's day in the school premises with great zeal and fervour on 14th November 2019. The program started with a floral tribute to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Teachers of the school took charge of the special morning


assembly to make the day unforgettable for the students. The program commenced with a prayer dance followed by group song, mime and meaningful skit on basic human rights and duties. The highlight of the assembly was the scintillating dance performance by the teachers. The teachers showcased their talent by dancing on the peppy songs which also made the students to groove in.

Leadership Experince and Thanksgiving Assembly: 'The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between the two, the leader must become a servant and a debtor. That sums up the progress of an artful leader.'

To pass this message, a special assembly was conducted on 'Leadership Experience' and 'Thanks Giving' by the Cabinet Members and the students of class XII on the 29th of November, 2019.

The members of the cabinet shared as to how their leadership skills enhanced through formal leadership opportunities and their practical leadership experiences. They recognised the fact that these skills will lay the foundations for their bright future.

The students of Class XII expressed their gratitude towards all the teachers by remembering their contribution in their lives. They thanked all the teaching and non-teaching staff for their immense guidance and support through enactment and dance performances.

The Principal motivated all the students to follow the footsteps of successful leaders and wished the students of Class XII a bright future.

Fit India School Week Celebrated: Celebration of staying fit through sports and physical education that aimed to encourage the youngsters and students to include sports and physical activity in their daily routine; St. Montfort School, Bhopal organised Fitness Week in the third week of November 2019 wherein the whole school actively participated as part of ‘Fit India Movement’ in its school campus.

Taking the mission forward and following the CBSE guidelines, the school had participated in this first-of-its-kind endeavour and had devoted six working days which aimed to alter students’ behaviour from ‘Passive Screen time’ to ‘Active Field time’ and also to develop Sports Quotient among all the students to achieve a healthy lifestyle.

Activities undertaken during Fitness Week saw the day beginning with yoga exercises and various activities of fitness and nutrition, while other days witnessed free hand exercises and mental fitness activities like debates and lectures. Physical activities like dance, aerobics, gardening, martial arts were also planned for the week, with students even been encouraged to take part in poem writing competitions on the theme of “Fit India School”. The week finally ended with a competition for students in traditional games to

celebrate unity in diversity of India.

CRI, Bangalore Bro. Pankaj Awaya, I year B.Th. Student

Vidhya Deep College: The Institute Day was celebrated on 5th Oct. with meaningful Eucharistic celebration in the morning. The student Brothers and Sisters put up a colorful cultural program in the evening. It was a wonderful occasion to see the Brothers and Sisters belonging to the different congregations coming together and working collaboratively. Bro. Paulraj SG was the chief guest for the day. He appreciated all the students and the management for the qualitative program and he spoke about the qualitative progress CRI is making year after year.

The 2nd year students numbering 15 of them began their contextualized and praxis Oriented Theology in Theni District of Tamilnadu from 21st Oct. and ended on 7th Nov. They were engaged in field work like banana garden, coconut grove, vineyard, etc. The physical hard work made them to realize the struggle and pain of the labourers who scramble to earn their daily living. The annual retreat of CRI Brothers began on 10th Nov at Holy Cross Fathers’ retreat centre Bhannerghatta, Bangalore. The retreat preacher was Fr. Jerry SJ who has great love and concern for the poor. He leads a simple life style and practices radical poverty in order to sympathize with the poor. The theme for the retreat was “Being Broken Brother for God’s Mission in today’s context”. It was a special retreat based on the four main points 1) Relax/Rest 2) Re – Treat 3) Reflect and 4) Revolutionize one’s life, one’s participation and one’s contribution to God’s mission. The fruitful and life transformational special retreat came to an end on 16th Nov. The pre and mini Christmas celebration in CRI was on 14th Dec. The celebration began with a special mass in the morning. The celebration consisted of a meaningful prayer service, carol singing and exchanging the Christmas gifts. The Christmas vacations of CRI are from 15th Dec. 2019 to 5th Jan 2020.

Montfort Aruludhayam Firoj Toppo (Pre-Novice)

“Sometimes you never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory”

I am really glad and at the top of the world to have this wonderful opportunity to pen down my experience of past two months. At present we are 29 Pre-Novices from 7 Provinces. We are three of us from Delhi Province. Various classes and other programmes are keeping us fully busy.


Art and Craft Class: - In the month of October we had a week long session on Art and Crafts by Fr Sebastian Babu HGN from Pune. The class was very helpful for me which helped me understand the knowhow of cutting letters, decoration and drawing pictures.

Music Class:- Bro John Xavier from Trichy Province was with us for three days to help in improving our skills in music. Brother’s class has helped us to improve our musical skill in playing the Keyboard and Guitar. Along with that we also had another three-day session by Bro Sahayaraj from Coimbatore Diocese. His class helped us to deepen our understanding and improve our skills in playing various musical instruments.

Birthday Celebration: - On the 5th November we had the monthly Birthday celebration. The programme was organised flawlessly. It helped me to bring out my aptitude and hidden talents and perform before Brothers and my friends.

Class on Motivation and Vocation: - Mr Amalanathan from Bangalore was with us for a week to reflect with us the gift of vocation and also on motivation. The class has helped me to understand my vocation and also it has helped me to understand the precious gift that God had bestowed on me.

Book Review: - The third book review was held from 13th November. It helped me to improve my vocabulary and also to expand my understanding about various topics which were presented by the pre-novices.

English Class:- We had class on English from 22nd November by Mr Martin from Chennai. He taught us Idioms, slangs, euphemism and telephone etiquette. The class was very helpful and essential for our day to day conversation, especially to fine tune our English language and to impress

people around us. Media Education:- We had a four-day

session on Media by Bro Jesudass SSP. The class helped me to understand the role of media in today’s world and how to use media responsibly. The class also made me realize the need for understanding the media from various perspectives.

We wish all the readers a Joyful and Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year.

Montfort Villa, Bhopal Bro. John Minj

Bro. James Ekka, the Provincial Superior left for Rome on the 5th October, 2019 to attend the Provincials’ formation session. Bro. Jose Thottiyil had a cataract operation of his left eye in the month of October. He has to have same surgery for the right eye sometime in January/February. Bro. Chacko came back to the community on October 11, 2019 after one month of Bible studies at NBCLC Bengaluru. Now he is with a latest theology on Bible.

We were happy to have Bro. V.C. Kurian youngest brother of Bro. Benjamin. He spent with us a couple of days. His visit refreshed Bro. Benjamin and made him healthy and happy. The Birthday of our cook Mr. Manish was celebrated on 12th October along with the community members.

Bro. James returned from Rome to the Provincialate on 19th October after attending the Provincials’ formation session. On the same day Bro. Sylvester Tirkey went home to see his ailing uncle.

One of the brothers, sister-in-law and niece of Bro. John Bosco from Kerala were here for a few days. We were also pleased to have Bro. Mathew Panathanath with us for a day. He made a short visit to Bhopal after giving a few sessions for the diocesan priests of Khandwa diocese.

About 35 brothers of the Province arrived at Montfort Villa on 26th October to attend the annual retreat. It was the first time ever the maximum number of brothers participating in an annual retreat. The retreat began at 11.30am on the same day with Holy Mass. Fr. Peter CMI the rector of Samanvaya Theologate, Bhopal was the preacher/


resource person. The retreat was ended with a solemn Eucharistic celebration at 11.30am on 31st October.

On the following day, i.e. to say on the 1st of November, in the morning the 12th Provincial Chapter began and went on till November 3, 2019. The thirty three capitulants i.e. the elected, nominated and Ex-Officio members along with a substitute replacing Bro. T.T. Mathew who was exempted from the Chapter on account of his ongoing renewal program were present. Bro. Mathias Minj represented the PNG mission. Bro. Emmanuel P.J. who was an elected member but due to health reason he could not be present. Bro. Pratap Reddy, the Assistant General represented the General administration. The 12th Provincial Chapter went on smoothly and concluded successfully on 3rd of November. All the members were very happy about the arrangement for the retreat as well as the preparatory committees planning, execution and the General organization of the Chapter.

The Assistant General Bro. Pratap Reddy stayed few more days at the Provincialate and visited the extension service centres at Jehangirabad and at Montfort School, Patel Nagar. He also met the students and teachers of the second shift run for the poor children of the locality.

Bro. James and Bro. Simon went to Ambikapur for half yearly auditing on 6th November. The following day Bro. Pratap Reddy too left for North East. His stay for few days after chapter was quite inspiring and encouraging to the community.

Shri Gobardhan Dada, the gardener left us from this planet for eternal rest on 14th November 2019. He was working here from the time the institution began. He was on duty till the last moment of his life. We have lost a quiet and sincere worker of our institution. May the departed soul rest in peace!

The Novices of Delhi Province were at Montfort Villa after a month of Community Experience programme. They are (from left to right): Sunil, Vijay, Sandeep, Suresh, and Rocky

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;s lHkh xfrfof/k;kW cPpksa ds lokZaxh.k fodkl esa viuh vge Hkwfedk fuHkkrh gSaA

St. Charles’ Lwanga

A paper cutting from Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

Two Brothers and 13 teachers from PNG arrived in India at New Delhi on the 4th of December, 2019. They have visited our schools in Delhi, Sardhana, Roorkee, Lucknow, Jabalpur, Mandla, Bhopal and Hyderabad. At present, they are visiting some of the places in Kerala. From there they will get back to PNG. The report about their visit to India will be published in the next issue of Dialogue.


The Bharat Scout and Guide

The 15th Montfortian Scouts and Guides Integration Camp held at Montfort School, Ashok Vihar, Delhi, from October 14-18, 2019

Theme: Together We Rise

15th Montfortian Scout and Guide Integration

camp was held at Montfort School, Ashok Vihar, Delhi from 14th to 18th October, 2019. This integration camp was organized under the supervision of the Education Commission of Montfort Brothers of St. Gabriel, Province of Delhi. The theme of the 15th Montfortian Integration camp was “Together We Rise”. All the participants were welcomed to the Capital with lots of warmth and love. 11 Schools of our Province took part in this camp and over 200 Scouts and Guides from U.P., M.P., Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Delhi were part of this camp and it was a unique experience for everyone to be together in order to train ourselves to rise above our selfish needs and to work for the betterment of our nation through scouting skills.

On the 14th of October, 2019, the Chief Guest Mr. Raj Kumar Kaushik, (Director of Bharat Scouts and Guides), Ms. Surekha Shrivastav, (Deputy Director of BSG), Mr. Aroop Sarkar, (Deputy Director of BSG), Ms. Dipti Jain, STC, Delhi State, BSG inaugurated the camp along with the Brothers William Kerketta (Camp Leader) [ALT (S)], Thampy Alex, Principal, Montfort School, Delhi, Jinu Abraham, Vice Principal, Montfort School, Delhi, Joji Joseph and Brijender Singh (Coordinator), Ms. Asha Singh Bundela [LT (G)] and other invited guests and old students.

During the inaugural address Bro. Thampy Alex, the hosting Principal welcomed each and every one for being part of this camp and invited all the participants to learn as much as possible and enjoy the maximum during the camp. Further, he expressed his deep sense of gratitude to the Provincial Administration and all the Principals and Brothers of our schools.

On this remarkable moment, the camp was ‘declared open’ by the Chief Guest, and he congratulated all the participants for their willingness and wished them all the best for the memorable camp. The welcome dance and the welcome song were part of the opening ceremony. The proceedings were further handed over to the camp leader Bro. William.

The day started with the Scouting and Guiding activities in an enthusiastic manner by capturing the

young minds to be prepared for their future. All the scouts and guides from the 11 Schools were divided into 11 patrols. Scouting/ guiding skill training up to the Dwitiya Sopan syllabus was given to them every day. The history of the Scout Movement and the history of St. Montfort were taught to them. Various activities, like March Past, Daily Inspections, Shelter and Gate Making were organised.

Young Scouts and Guides got a feel of learning by doing as they were introduced to Adventure Activities like Zip Line, Rappelling, Burma Bridge, Commando Bridge, Commando Net, Tiger Crawl, Balance Beam, Wall Climbing and Stilt Tower. Rules and regulations of Scouting and Guiding were strictly observed and followed throughout the camp. The day used to commence with B.P. Six Exercise, Yoga and ended with the Camp Fire.

The traditional Scout/ Guide camp activity, ‘the Grand Camp Fire’ was organized in the evening of the fourth day. As it was requested by the core committee, the best item from each school was presented during the Grand Camp Fire. The Chief Guest was Mr. Karnail Singh, STC, BSG of Delhi state. Bro. James Ekka, the Provincial Superior of the Province of Delhi, Bro. Joy Thomas, the Principal of Montfort Inter College, Lucknow, Bro. Antony Samy, the Principal of St. Charles’ Inter College, Sardhana, Bro. James Pasala, the Vice- Principal of St. Charles’ Inter College, Sardhana were the Guests of Honour. It was a very proud moment for all the Montfortians to have them on that special occasion. The Chief Guest appreciated all the participants who are full of vim and vigour. He congratulated all of them and gave away the prizes to the winners of the various competitions.

The Guests, Trainers of Scouts and Guides were given away mementos. The leaders of the camp Bro. William Kerketta (Scout), Ms. Asha Singh (Guide), the Secretary of the camp Bro. Alex Diamond, the coordinator Mr. Brijender Singh, the Core committee members Mr. P.R. Pandey and Ms. Asha Singh Rani were appreciated and given away mementos. Bro. Thampy Alex, the Principal of the hosting School congratulated and thanked each and


every one who put their minds and souls to make this camp a very successful one. The camp was officially declared closed by Bro. James Ekka, the Provincial and the flag was brought down and handed over to Bro. James Ekka on behalf of Montfort School, Roorkee, since the next camp is scheduled to have at Roorkee.

All the participants were accommodated in the school campus. Scouts were put up in the high school building and Guides were put up in the higher secondary building. The activities were held in the auditorium as well as in the open spacious ground. The school ground was filled with lots of gates, shelters and gadgets, various pioneering and adventurers projects.

All the participants were thankful to the principal, members of the staff of Montfort School, Delhi for their timely help and support throughout the camp. The meticulous plan and schedule were a great help for all the participants to stay comfortable throughout the camp. By the hard work and the cordial involvement of Mr. Samir Kumar Das, the Quarter Master, the food committee provided sumptuous food and it was well appreciated by all. The core committee of the camp thanked all the concerned people.

This camp was organized for the Scouts / Guides of the Institutions of Montfort Brothers of St. Gabriel, Province of Delhi. The Chief patron of the camp is Bro. James Ekka, the Provincial Superior of Province of Delhi. The local organizing committee consisted of Bro. Thampy Alex the Local Superior and Principal of Montfort School, Delhi, Bro. Jinu Abraham, the Vice- Principal of Montfort School, Delhi, Sr. Akhila, the

headmistress of the School, Bro. Joji Joseph, the member of the community, School Staff and co- workers who played a vital role in the success of this camp.

The 15th Montfortian Integration camp was unique in many ways as it was very well planned and executed in a grand manner. All the participants had an experience of excellent hospitality and a good atmosphere during the camp by the involvement of the community Brothers at large. The staff members of the training team were Bro. William Kerketta, the Camp leader (Scout), Ms. Asha Singh, the Camp leader (Guide), Bro. Alex Diamond, the Camp Secretary, and Mr. P.R. Pandey, Ms. Asha Singh Rani, the core committee members.

My sincere thanks and hearty congratulations to all the Principals of our Schools, especially to Bro. Thampy Alex, the Principal of Montfort School, Delhi, for his tireless effort and execution of his plans in a creative way which helped this camp to be successful! I also take this golden opportunity to render my thanks to training team, organizing committee for their commendable job.

As the Secretary of the Camp I am very much delighted to note that all the participants would have learned to be together in order to inspire the coming generation by their Montfortian spirit of transforming the society and rise together for the right cause. Riding high, I raise my cap and my special kudos to all the Montfortians, for their unflinching support and unfathomable love throughout this camp and the days to come.

Secretary of the Camp, Bro. Alex Diamond


The Right Pope for a changing Church in this

‘change of eras’

OPE FRANCIS astounds many believers and challenges their faith, just as a man from Nazareth did two millennia ago. On

numerous occasions Pope Francis has broken with, what many people falsely believe to be, long standing traditions! But ever since his election to the See of Peter, he has tried to help Catholics recover the true sense of tradition, not the bizarre 19th century parody of it that the self proclaimed traditionalists staunchly defend.

In the apostolic exhortation Evangelii

Gaudium, his blue print for Church reform, the Pope says we must “concentrate on the essentials” of Christian faith. He warns us not to make too much of the “secondary aspects which, important as they are, do not in and of themselves convey the heart of Christ’s message.”

"While everyone was praising the magnificent

temple in Jerusalem, Jesus tells them that 'one stone' will not be left 'upon another'."Why does he speak these words about so sacred an institution, which was not merely a building but a unique religious symbol, a house for God and for the believing people?"Why does he prophesy that the firm certitude of the people of God would collapse?"

The pope said Jesus tells us

"almost everything will pass away… but not everything."

"He explains that what will collapse and pass

away are the penultimate things, not the ultimate ones: the temple, not God; kingdoms and human events, not humanity itself. The penultimate things, which often appear definitive but are not, pass away," Francis noted. The pope is trying to convey that same message to today's Catholics, so many of whom are unable or unwilling to distinguish between what is ultimate and what is penultimate; what is essential and what is secondary; what it intrinsic and what is accidental.

Pope Francis' critics seem to be obsessed with

preserving all the secondary or incidental features of Roman Catholicism that, rather than clarify the

message of Christ, end up actually obscuring it and end up keeping Christians in the one fractured Church permanently divided. These critics are part of a sectarian and tribal Catholicism, which cultivates an identity largely based on externals that are of human, rather than divine origins. These sisters and brothers are Roman Catholics first, Christians second.

Pope Francis has said that we are currently in a

change of epochs (or eras) and not just experiencing a period of change. It is a time of a colossal paradigm shift. One stone will not be left on another. Many of the sacred institutions and unique religious symbols that Catholics have clung to and defended for so long – even for centuries – may no longer be left standing in this change of epochs. Those that are not essential will need to be changed or discarded.

Francis is trying to discern how and to what

extent we need to do this. But he is facing resistance. Some of that is being manifested through attacks against his integrity as a disciple and faith leader. That resistance is especially fierce and unrelenting within the Roman Curia, which the cardinals who gathered in 2013 to prepare for the last conclave hoped the next pope would clean up and whip into shape. One area they wanted him to tackle was financial corruption inside the Vatican. It looked like Francis had clear ideas about how to do that. Several times in the early weeks of his fledgling pontificate, he repeated: "St. Peter never had a bank account."

He might as well have added that the "first

pope" also never had a bank. But the current one does. Actually, there are at least three or four large financial, bank-like institutions connected to the Holy See or Vatican. And they seem to be forever embroiled in controversy because of mismanagement or actual corruption. The pope's plan to deal with this financial mess seemed obvious enough: close down these institutions and

P


entrust the Holy See's financial resources to the most reputable outside financial institutions. That's what he did when he became archbishop of Buenos Aires. But for a variety of reasons, and not all of them nefarious, powerful Vatican personalities and interests would never allow this to happen..

Francis, following the efforts begun by

Benedict XVI, has decreed numerous "reforms" aimed at bringing transparency and accountability to the Vatican's often murky and disastrous financial operations. But these reforms are obviously not working. In the end this could actually be to the pope's advantage. If it is proven, once more, that Vatican officials cannot manage finances, Francis – who must be losing patience with this – will then have all the reasons needed to close the city-state's financial institutions.

Remember the pope's words: "That what will collapse and pass away are the penultimate things, not the ultimate ones."

Francis is a pope very different from most of

those who have gone before him by the fact that he is doing nothing to prevent the collapse of so many penultimate or non-essential institutions and symbols that, for too long, we have taken to be essential to our Church and faith. Instead, he is actually helping to facilitate their collapse in order to help us preserve what is ultimate and truly essential.

And because of this he is the right pope for a

changing Church in this change of eras. (Adapted from ‘La Croix’ International)

St. Gabriel’s Technical Secondary School, PNG got Best Academic Performing School from Department of Education. ------------------------------------------------- Montfort School Roorkee was Ranked No. 1 in Roorkee under the category –

CBSE city-wise conducted by Education Today. Bro. Binu Cherian, the Vice Principal received the award at a function held on the 13th and 14th

December, 2019 at the Chancery Pavilion, Bangalore.

-------------------------------------------------

Montfort School Delhi was awarded as India’s top CBSE School in Co-curricular Education, by the agency called Education Today. This award was presented to the school in the felicitation ceremony conducted in Bangalore on 13th December.


School Counseling By Rita Aggarwal (Consulting Psychologist) Q1. I can’t concentrate. My mind is full of strange and funny thoughts. Whenever I sit down to study, things from the past crowd my mind. My friends tell me I must live in the present and think of future. I think I am very ambitious as my parents want me to secure a good government job and settle down. Till Std. 9, I was a bright student, but now as my Board exams are approaching, I am losing confidence and interest in my studies. I feel lazy and want to chat or see TV. Is something wrong with me? Do I need medicines or will I be fine with counseling? Ans. This seems to be a temporary phase where you seem to be anxious about your boards as well as your distractions. You do not mention anything about the time span since the disturbance, so I assume it would be more than six months this year as you were okay in 9 std. as mentioned by you. There must be a significant incident or a series of small incidents that must have sparked off the distractions which then escalated overtime. You have many good qualities such as being a good student all through, being ambitious, having the desire to get better so as to move on in life. All this makes you a very good and healthy personality and minor distractions and disturbances should not be a cause of major upsets. A few sessions of counseling will certainly do the trick and on the face of it. I would not suggest any requirement of medicines. If counseling fails we would consider medicines if at all need be. Try to introspect the past events and what might have acted as the cause of disturbance. If you can rectify it by yourself please do so, otherwise do not delay to seek counseling immediately. Your boards are important and time is short. Be positive always. Q2. I am a student of Class XI, I scored 96.6% in my Board exam. I thought I am pretty much good in studies, but as I reached my class XI. I found losing faith in myself because I got less marks in tests. I am still trying hard to get myself back, but it seems I can’t. What should I do? Please help me. Ans. First we need to understand the reasons for your lowering of marks in tests and your loss of faith in self and your loss in dedication in studies. The three could be inter-related too. One reason could be the choice of subjects made by you - it might not be of your interest and therefore you are losing interest and dedication to it. Find out by being truthful to yourself through introspection if you have chosen the right subjects of study. The

second common reason is distraction to something else which is robbing you of your focus on studies. Distractions could be in the form of friendships, hedonism (meaning wanting to have a good time), wanting a break from serious studies for you scored very high in 10th Boards, (it happens that students relax in Class 11 due to lack of pressure (there are no Board exams in 11th) and other distractions. Thirdly, you might be stressed due to some reason and may want a break and relief. I hope you are not depressed due to some reason (depression is a lowering of mood and energy levels). Do introspect and analyze reasons or else come for a session of counseling and we will help you solve the problem. Q3. I am losing my sleep and feeling irritated all the time. I feel like running away from home. I love my mother, but don’t like my father although I love him. He keeps shouting many times for petty reasons and gets violent with my mother. She tries to keep calm. But she has started crying a lot. I feel helpless and want to take my mother away. My father has no bad habits of drinking or smoking, but bullies my mother a lot. He is getting worse. I am the only child and my childhood was a happy one. Past few years, he has suffered losses in his business and is becoming difficult to live with. For small mistakes, he finds fault with me and fights with my mother. Please tell me what to do as this is affecting my studies badly. Ans. This is an unfortunate situation for you and your mother. I guess you are the only child of your parents and hence feel responsible for your mother. It is good to know that you had a happy childhood which also means that your father was a good and well-behaved man earlier. You also mention that he suffered losses in business and that could be the sparking point for his bad behaviour with mother. It must have started on a small scale with irritation and anger which has escalated to fault finding on small and trivial issues and violence too. This could be signs of depression and something more than too. At most times mental illness or mental disturbances creep in silently without anyone noticing the changes and people typically start blaming the personality of the person. But when a generally well-behaved person begins to show changes in behaviour which are negative and mal-adaptive, we need to suspect a disorder. He can be treated with medicines and counseling too if he agrees to come. Before you think of drastic measures of leaving home and running away or taking your mother away leaving alone your father, let us think of a solution where you don’t break relationships and lose your father. Treating your father is a better option than breaking family.


Some Highlights of 2019 At the National Level

1. Modi 2. Government: BJP won the elections to

the Parliament with a massive majority. 2. The deadliest terrorist attack near Pulwama in

Kashmir allegedly by the terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed killing around 40 Indian Paramilitary personnel and many critically injured, leading to tension between India and Pakistan.

3. Aerial strikes by India across LoC in Balakot. 4. Scraping of the controversial Article 370 which

granted special status to J&K and Ladakh. 5. India’s date with the Moon. The launching of

the indigenous India’s ambitious Lunar Mission Chandrayaan 2.

6. Jai Sri Ram: The Supreme Court Verdict on the long-standing dispute of Ram Janmabhoomi on 9th November.

7. The ‘Maha drama’ in Maharashtra on Ministry Formation.

8. The Protests: The nation is rocked by innumerable protests for abrogation of Art. 370, the NRC, CAA, etc.

At the International Level 1. Burning of the Amazon Basin, the largest

tropical rain forest in the world destroying the vital carbon store that slows down the pace of global warming.

2. UK’s divorce deal with the European Union is finalized with the election victory of the Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

3. Sri Lankan Bombings by National Thowfeek Jamaath in the churches, luxury hotels and other sites on Easter Sunday killing nearly 300 people and injuring around 500.

4. Hong Kong violence: Anti Government protests have rocked Hong Kong for months and the situation shows no sign of dying down.

5. Carnage at a Mosque in New Zealand: Brentan Tarrent, an Australian white supremacist killed 51 people and injured 49 in two Christchurch mosques.

6. The long-drawn conflict in Syria: Since 9 years the conflict in Syria is going on and it has become one of the most violent civil wars.

7. Crossing the Line: US president Donald Trump met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the Korean demilitarized zone; the first sitting US leader to cross the line and step in to North Korea.

8. Ebola Crisis: The Ebola outbreak in Congo is the second-worst epidemic of the virus on record.

At the Province of Delhi Level

1. Installation of the New Provincial Administration of Delhi Province on the 25th of March.

2. First Profession of 6 Novices of Delhi Province at Yercaud on the 25th of April.

3. National Council Meeting at Montfort Villa on 27th and 28th July.

4. Local Superiors and Principals’ Meeting on 10th and 11th August.

5. Canonical visit of the Assistant General Pratap Reddy in the month of August.

6. Bro. Jeet Francis was selected as ‘The Best Principal’ in Sitapur block of Chhattisgarh state in September.

7. The 15th Montfortian Scouts and Guides Integration Camp at Montfort School, Delhi from October 14-18.

8. 1st Annual Retreat at Montfort Villa from October 26-31.

9. XII Provincial Chapter at Montfort Villa from November 01-03.

10. Silver Jubilee celebrations of Montfort School, Roorkee on the 21st of November.

11. The Province has acquired / purchased a piece of land measuring 5.244hectares in Indore.

12. Visit of 2 Brothers and 13 Teachers from Port Moresby, PNG to the Province of Delhi, from the 4th of December.

13. Montfort School, Roorkee has received an award from the agency called the Education Today ranking it as No.1 in Roorkee under the category – CBSE city-wise in December.

14. Montfort School Delhi was awarded as India’s top CBSE School in Co-curricular Education, by the agency called the Education Today. This award was presented to the school in the felicitation ceremony conducted in Bangalore on 13th December.

15. The Department of Education, P.N.G. presented a Certificate of Recognition to St. Gabriel’s Technical Secondary School, Kiunga for being one of the top 10 schools as best academic performing school in Grade 12.

16. 2nd Annual Retreat at Montfort Villa from December 28 to January 02.

Newsmakers

1. Greta Thunberg, teenage environmental activist

is named ‘Next Generation Leader’ and was nominated for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize.

2. Indian American Economist Abhijit Banerjee won the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics.

3. Justice Ranjan Gogoi and his team brought the curtain down on the religiously sensitive Ayodhya land dispute.

4. NDTV India’s Managing Editor Ravish Kumar won Ramon Magasaysay award for harnessing


journalism to give ‘voice to the voiceless’ and his unfaltering commitment to ethical journalism of the highest standards.

5. Sunder Pillai was appointed the chief executive of Alphabet, the parent company that controls the American technology giant Google.

6. Gita Gopinath has become the International Monetary Fund’s first female chief economist. She is the second Indian to hold the position; the first being Reghuram Rajan.

7. Sanna Marin 34 was sworn in as Finland’s Prime Minister in December. She is the world’s youngest PM.

8. PV Sindhu became the first Indian world Badminton champion.

9. Man of the moment: Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues to make waves wherever he goes.

10. On October 13, 2019 His Holiness Pope Francis declared Sister Mariam Thresia, a Catholic nun from Kerala, a Saint.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- January 01 Bro. Dinesh Kujur 12 Bro. Jinu Abraham 12 Bro. Alex Diamond Raj X. 13 Bro. Mathias 21 Bro. Joseph PT 21 Bro. George Pottakaran 23 Bro. Benjamin 27 Bro. Joy Thomas 27 Bro. Promod Tete 28 Bro. Shaji Joseph 29 Bro. James Ekka 31 Bro. Chacko Azhakath February 05 Bro. Pankaj Awaya 20 Bro. Rajan Bilung March 01 Bro. James K.C. 02 Bro. Sunil Kumar Ekka 05 Bro. Libin Joy 05 Bro. Binod Kerketta 07 Bro. Gabriel Lakra 12 Bro. Suraj Xalxo 13 Bro. Sylvester Tirkey 21 Bro. William Kerketta 25 Bro. Mani V.J. 26 Bro. Binu Cherian 29 Bro. Prem Murmu

Jesus said:

1. ‘I am the light of the world, he who follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the life of light.’ (Jn. 8:12)

2. ‘I am the door; whoever enters through me will be saved.’ (Jn. 10:7) 3. ‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.’ (Jn.

10:11) 4. ‘I am the resurrection and the life.’ (Jn. 11:25) 5. ‘I am the way, the truth and the life.’ (Jn. 14:6) 6. ‘I am the true wine and my Father is a gardener.’ (Jn. 15:1)

Laughter the best medicine After returning back from a foreign trip, Venkat asked his wife, do I look like a foreigner? Wife: No! Why? Venkat: In London a lady asked me Are you a foreigner? Manager asked Shyam at an interview. Can you spell a word that has more than 100 letters in it? Shyam replied: P-O-S-T-B-O-X Teacher told all students to write an essay on a cricket match. All were busy writing except Jack He wrote: ‘Due to Rain, No Match!’ Venkat went to a bank to open a S.B. A/c After seeing the Form he went to Delhi for filling it up. You know why? Form said: ‘Fill Up in Capital.’

IND-NB-January-2020.pdf - Montfort Brothers of St. Gabriel

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Transcript of IND-NB-January-2020.pdf - Montfort Brothers of St. Gabriel