The Juniors’ Meet 2023, held at the Society of St Paul in Bangalore, was a comprehensive and enriching experience for the 11 participants from Bangalore and the 3 from Pune. The six-day event, spanning from 27 December 2023 to 1 January 2024, was designed to provide the juniors with a holistic understanding of personal and spiritual growth within the context of the Society of St Paul.
The opening two days featured Br Varghese Mandapathil, the Provincial Superior of Montfort Brothers, Assam, as the resource person. Br Varghese brought a wealth of experience, covering topics such as "Ready to Change", "Self-esteem", "Self-compassion", and "Emotions and Maturity". His sessions set a contemplative tone, encouraging participants to reflect on their individual readiness for change and personal development.
Fr T.C. Joseph, a distinguished speaker, took the opportunity to share his insights into the evolution of Pauline Apostolate. Participants were taken on a journey from traditional press to contemporary digital apostolate, gaining a nuanced understanding of the changing and progressive landscape of communication within the Pauline Apostolate.
The experiential programme conducted on 29 and 30 December by J Team, led by Mr. Santhosh, added a dynamic element to the Juniors’ Meet. The programme incorporated both indoor and outdoor activities, such as archery, magical flute, tink tank, and more. The brilliance of this programme lay in the lessons imparted after each activity, emphasizing teamwork, leadership, and drawing meaningful conclusions from experiences.
Fr Devasia Puthiyaparabil's session on the 30th provided a glimpse into the life of Alberione at the age of 20, inspiring participants to embrace writing, aligning with the vision of founder James Alberione. Furthermore, Fr Shaiju Joseph's practical session on strategy equipped participants with valuable tools to navigate challenges effectively.
In addition to the enriching sessions, the juniors had the privilege of meeting the authorities. These included Fr Joby Mathew (Provincial Superior), Fr Prithviraj Philip (Director of Formation), Fr Saju George (Director General of Apostolate), and Fr Johnson Chacko (General Councillor). These interactions allowed the participants to grasp the broader vision and mission of the Society of St Paul, fostering a deeper connection with the organization.
The Juniors’ Meet 2023 concluded on a festive note with a New Year's Day picnic at the Agarwal farmhouse in Nelamangala, Bangalore. This provided a relaxed setting for participants to unwind, reflect on their experiences, and strengthen the bonds formed during the event.
In summary, the Juniors’ Meet 2023 at the Society of St Paul in Bangalore was a well-crafted blend of informative sessions, engaging activities and meaningful interactions. The participants left not only with a deeper understanding of their personal and spiritual journeys but also with lasting connections and memories that will undoubtedly influence their continued growth within the Society of St Paul.
Personal Renewal for Growth
A renewal programme was organized for the young priests of the Society in Bangalore from 6 - 9 January 2024. The focus was to set their priorities right as they begin the New Year 2024.
The resource person for the renewal programme was Fr Sebastian Vazhapallil, sj, faculty of Jnana Deepa, Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Pune. He introduced the contexts (Political, Social, Religious and Media) of India. He encouraged the young Paulines to grasp the situation with the right perspective and carry out the Pauline apostolate according to the needs of the present time.
It was an interactive session for the young priests so that they are conscious of their life and mission as Apostles of Media. On the concluding day Fr Joby Mathew, the Provincial Superior interacted with the participants of the renewal programme.
Director of Formation – Fr Prithviraj Philip SSP
Showers of Blessings
As part of implementing the priorities set out by our last Provincial Chapter, “moderately update the Mumbai Press, as per the requirements.” Cfr. Programmatic Documents, C. Apostolate, Press.1”, the management took into consideration the urgent need of adding a second Three-knife Trimmer to our press in Bandra for quality and efficiency, a new Horizon HT-80 Three-knife Trimmer imported from Japan was installed. The same was blessed on Saturday, 20 January, by Fr Joby Mathew, the Provincial Superior, in the presence of the community members and the staff of our campus.
Welcoming the gathering Fr Provincial said that replacing the existing machines or adding new ones in our press is a clear and visible sign of the vitality and growth of our apostolate of the press. He also underlined the importance and necessity of constantly updating all the ‘means and instruments’ of our apostolate using the latest technology for the effectiveness and steady growth of our apostolate.
Fr Provincial took the occasion to appreciate and thank Br Blaise Thadathil, the Director of the Press, our members and the staff for their dedicated services in maintaining high quality of our products and for its on-time performance. After the rite of blessing, Br Blaise Thadtahil, on behalf our confreres and the staff of the press expressed his gratitude to Fr Provincial, the Provincial Council and our DGA for their constant support and accompaniment in the apostolate of the press. To the delight of everyone present and to make the event ‘sweet and memorable’, traditional laddus were distributed to all!!
Office of the PRO – Fr Jose Pottayil SSP
Department of St Pauls Multi-Media goes hi-tech
Monday, 22 January 2024, was a very unique day for the Department of St Pauls Multi-Media, Bandra, when showers of blessings in the form of a variety of high quality media equipments were added to the department. According to the Executive Director of the department, Mr Jefferson D’Souza, some of the new equipments are: Datavideo PTZ Camera, Canon Mirrorless DSLR Camera, External Flash for Camera, Gimbal for DSLR, Tripod for Camera and teleprompter, Digital Audio Mixer: Soundcraft Ui24r - 24 channel audio mixer, Wireless Mics, Green Screen and Tablet: Samsung Galaxy S7FE.
Fr Joby Mathew, the Provincial Superior, in the presence of our community members and staff from the campus, invoked God’s blessings through a simple rite of blessing on the department and on all those who serve in it, directly or indirectly, from far and near. He said in his brief introduction that it is a matter of great joy and pride to see the steady growth of the department in terms of its set up, equipments and the variety of media services it renders.
The Director of St Pauls Multi-Media, Fr Johny Panamthanam, explained to those present that the adding of the latest equipments was the realization of a long-term dream and project that he had prepared for the department to make it autonomous in its functioning. For a long time the department was making use of the facilities of other departments and at times from outside. This would often affect quality and cause delay in meeting deadlines. With this new set up, the department has become ‘self-sufficient’ and can guarantee high quality production matching any professional studios in the city. Apart from carrying out the production and distribution of routine media materials and programmes, the department also renders media services to other organizations and institutions. The department is entrusted with the construction and maintenance of the website of Mount Mary Basilica, Bandra and the live telecast of all its important religious services throughout the year. According to Fr Johny, the dream project of the department is to create St Pauls Youtube TV Channel and he also expressed his hope that we will have more Paulines and non-Paulines prepared for this form of our apostolate.
Office of the PRO – Fr Jose Pottayil SSP
