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Vol. XXXIX No. 10 |
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OCTOBER 2009 |
Pastoral
Leadership Today: Servant – Leadership
Archbishop Vincent M.
Concessao, Archbishop of
(Printed in Revisioning Catholic Priesthood, Ed. by – E. John Kulandai)
The New Testament gives great
importance to a servant’s attitude. Jesus was no doubt their master and yet He
tells His disciples: I am among you as one who serves (Lk.
An important characteristic of
servant-leadership is setting the example and thereby bringing about the
desired behaviour.
“Servant Leadership”, writes Fr. Anthony D’Souza in his book “Leaders for Today Hope for Tomorrow” empowers people through example, guidance, caring, understanding, sensitivity, trust, appreciation, encouragement, reinforcement and shared vision. Servant leadership is much more than a mere leadership style or behaviour that we can learn to act out. It begins with the mind and heart with our attitude”.
By word and example, Jesus modeled servant leadership and commanded his followers to do likewise.
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“The one who leads must be like the one who serves”
(Lk.
-
“The son of man has come not to be served but to serve”
(Mt.
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“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your
servant, and whoever wants to be first
must be your slave” (Mt.
Jesus’ disciples must have been caught by surprise when they heard him characterize leaders as servants. Of the leaders they had known only Jesus Himself was a humble servant. As the core of His leadership, He was teaching His disciples a set of values, attitudes, and behaviours that are the essence of servant leadership, like service, attentiveness to the needs of others and personal humility. These were the natural consequences of the way Jesus perceived people. He served them because of their intrinsic value as human beings created by God for his glory. He recognized in them the sons and daughters of His heavenly father and His own brothers and sisters. He appreciated their potential for good no matter what their past had been and they were instantly transformed. Matthew, Zachaeus, the Samarian women and later on Paul are just some examples.
The task of the servant-leader is to model by his contact with his coworkers or followers the standards of service and the quality of treatment and attention they want the people they serve to have. If the frontline workers are to be service heroes, then the leaders must be service models. There is direct relationship between how a leader serves and treats his fellow workers and how they in turn will serve and treat others.
This is servant-leadership by example. Everything you do is an example for your fellow workers. Your service is the most appealing example and the most motivating factor that your coworkers will follow.
But service is an attitude and a behaviour. It quality will make a difference. It is not just lip-service or occasional appreciation or a written policy statement. It is a way of functioning with a servant attitude. It starts with you at the top. If the buck stops there, service also must start there. It must be noted that service implies not only your willingness to serve others but also your willingness to acknowledge and appreciate the service others give you. They are likely to be then highly energized and empowered. Even experts in the business world know that “serving others is the most glorious and rewarding of all leadership tasks”.
Servant leadership implies listening, empathy, healing, persuasion, commitment to service, commitment to the growth of people and building community. It is a long – term transformational approach to life and work, a way of being with great potential to create positive change. It must not be confused with lack of courage and weakness or inability to think independently. Rather a servant- leader is first “a servant of the living God” who willingly sacrifices himself for others.
Dr. Paul J. Meye, one of the outstanding corporate leaders who spoke of “developing a servant heart” says in his recent publication “ Bridging the Leadership Gap”. Highly effective leaders succeed in large measures because they consistently think of themselves as servants. They wish to serve other people because they love other people. Values-directed leaders find that having a servant’s heart produces unusually benefits… benefits that manifest themselves after years or decades of working with the same team, in the same business, striving within the same organization.
It is said that leaders who possess a servant’s heart:
- Find that they are continually excited by what they do;
- Are always full of enthusiasm about the results their team members achieve;
- Look forward to each new day with great anticipation;
- Are always striving to build an active organization;
- Are always surrounded by positive, productive team members;
If you look back and reflect on your own experience you will notice that the leaders you gratefully remember are those who empowered you rather than sought power over you, freed you to develop your own God-given potentialities rather than wanted to control you, served you in terms of meeting your genuine needs and contributing to your growth rather than desiring to be served in terms of being recognized and honoured.
Effective leaders, therefore, are those who focus on:
When leaders empower, free and serve their collaborators, the collaborators in turn will give them power, control and recognition.
Jesus was a man for others. All that has been said so far is nothing more than the application of His teaching on leadership. The Church is the body of Christ and temple of the Holy Spirit. It is made of different organs, endowed with various gifts meant to build up the body and serve the needs of the people. If only we become servant-leaders what an abundance of resources we can release for the building up of a new society.
Hindi Medium School Meeting :
On September 12,
1. Every Headmaster, Headmistress and Secretary goes though the guideline prepared for the school.
2. The school needs to have a proper documentation of all official papers, e.g. land papers, opening permission and recognition certificates, appointment letters, etc.
3. The school should have regular staff and managing committee meeting, at least three meetings a year. The minutes of these meetings to be kept properly.
4. The school management should take precaution in appointing new teachers.
5. The school registers especially of the appointment of staff and their payment to be maintained correctly.
6. Every school needs to submit its school diary and report annually to the Diocesan Education Board.
7. To promote faith-formation in the school, all schools will be following one syllabus. Fr. Fabian Bhuinyan, S.J. will coordinate this.
(Fr. C.R. Prabhu)
Dhowatand,
It is a Mission Centre located in a remote village. 30th August was a day of great joy for them. On this day, 24 children received the sacrament of Confirmation and 5 of them received First Holy Communion from Bishop Felix Toppo, S.J. The children were well prepared. The Eucharistic celebration began with traditional washing of hands and a synchronized entrance dance. The Eucharist was celebrated in two languages- Santali and Hindi. After Eucharist there was a small felicitation programme by the parishioners. At the end all of them shared a small tea party. We thank Fr. Edward Kongari, Bro. Manoj Kujur, Catechist Ruplal, Augustine and Chatiram for their hard work.
Fr. Edward Kongari is busy in motivating people. He has built a good relationship with the people. The Catholics and the people of other faith love him. The construction of the school building is in progress. Fr. Edward is monitoring the construction. Inspite of ill health and weakness, he is very much committed to the mission he is entrusted. His commitment and hard work is a true sign of a great missionary. We sincerely thank Fr. Edward for what he is and is doing for the Diocese and the people of God. May God bless him now and forever!
(Bro. Manoj Kujur)
Omra, St.
23rd August was a special day for 90 children of St. Mary’s Church, Omra, who received the sacrament of Holy Communion and Confirmation. 35 of them received First Holy Communion and 45 of them were confirmed during the Eucharistic Celebration presided by Bishop Felix Toppo, S.J. The children were prepared well to receive the sacraments and the entire celebration was beautifully prepared by Fr. Ajay, Fr. Junas Bhengra and Sisters of Holy Cross. On 30th August, the mothers of St. Mary’s Church, Omra celebrated the Feast of St. Monica in a memorable way. Fr. Ajay Tiru, the Parish Priest of Omra had arranged a three day retreat for Mothers. It began on 27th August and was concluded on 30th August with Holy Mass. During this programme, Fr. Ajay and Fr. Junas Bhengra spoke about the responsibilities and duties mothers towards family, society and the Church at large. A good number of mothers were present for St. Monica feast and its preparation. We congratulate all of them for their dedication and commitment. We also thank them for carrying out the Mission of Christ in a place so difficult to reach. May God bless them and their effort.
(Fr. Ajay Tiru)
ADRA, SACRED
St. Monica Feast Day was a memorable day for all the Mahila Sangh members of Sacred Heart Parish, Adra. It was a Feast Day with a DIFFERENCE ! The women and the altar servers went to Jisu Marsal Ashram, Hathikundar. It is a Mission Centre located in a remote village. We spent the day with the poor hostel children. The day began with Holy Eucharist. It was celebrated by Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Horo, the Priest In-Charge of Hatikundar Mission. It was followed by a short entertainment programme put up by the hostel children. The children impressed every one with their performance. Then all of them shared a sumptuous meal. After lunch the Mahila Sangh (women) conducted few games for the children and distributed small gifts and prizes. It was a great moment for them as it brought immense joy and satisfaction. They thank Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Horo for his generosity and hospitality and the teachers and staff of St. Xavier's for all their assistance. They also thank Rev. Fr. Jerome and Rev. Fr. Sahaya Thason who are always very supportive. Without their support they would not have had this noble and profound experience. Congratulation to Fr. Jerome, Fr. Sahaya and the Mahila Sangh members !
(Sonya Francis)
Mahubhandar: St. Anthony’s Church :
On 30th August, the
mothers of St. Anthony’s Church celebrated the feast of St. Monica as mother’s
day. They had a full day programme. Fr. Sanjay Kujur, C.Ss.R had come with a
youth group to be part of this celebration. It began with a prayerful
procession. Fr. Sanjay conducted sessions on “The Role of Mothers in Family”
and “Women’s Contribution to the
(Fr. Vijay Panna, CMF)
Siadih, Mother Teresa Parish
:
On the occasion of Independence
Day, a hockey tournament was organized by the Faithful of Mother Teresa Parish.
It was a three day tournament. It began on 14th August. Fr. Michael
Jojo inaugurated the tournament with a prayer. 70 teams from different parts of
Saraikela – Kharswan and
(Fr. Michael Jojo)
Telco, Church of Our Lady of
Guadalupe :
Fr. Benedict Minz, Parish Priest of the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe is busy visiting the families of the parish. At his arrival, the faithful expressed their desire that he visits every family and blesses them. He immediately responded to their request. As a result the faithful are very appreciative of him. On 8th August the parishioners celebrated the feast of Our Lady of Velankanni. Prior to the feast, they had a day of feeding the poor. The parishioners contributed generously. We congratulate Fr. Benedict and the parish council for successfully organizing the feast of Our Lady of Velankanni.
(Fr. Benedict Minz)
Kumardhubi,
On 8th September, the parishioners of the Holy Family parish celebrated the feast of Our Lady of Velankanni in a profound way. The celebration began with a Marian procession. The faithful walked in procession through different streets praying rosary and singing hymns in honour of Mother Mary. It was prayerful and devotional. They prayed for the well being of whole humanity. As the procession was passing through the streets, many people come out of their houses and stood devoutly beside the road till it crossed them. It looked like they were praying with us. They were no volunteers to guide the traffic but still no hindrance was felt. The bikers, truckers and others waited patiently for the procession to pass by. It appeared as if they were confirming to the devotion of Mother Mary. After procession, we had Eucharistic celebration. Fr. Sanjay Kujur, C.Ss.R celebrated the Holy Eucharist with Fr. Paulus Bodra, Fr. Edward Saldanha and Fr. Shantinandan, S.J. Congratulation to Fr. Paulus Bodra and Fr. Edward and SCJM sisters for their hard work and beautiful arrangements.
(Fr. Paulus Bodra)
Chakradharpur, Christ the
Fr. Bipin Pani, Fr. Anupdev
Kandeyang and Fr. Eugene Ekka are putting lots of effort to build a vibrant
Christian community at Chakradharpur. They are organizing different pastoral
and spiritual activities. Two months back, they had a medical camp for the poor
patients. The most remarkable is the observance of “Year for Priests”. To mark
the “Year for Priests” every family has been given a priest’s name. The family
is requested to pray daily for the assigned priest in a special way. The
parishioners are doing it faithfully. They have also translated “the Prayer for
Priests” in Ho. This is circulated and used in village chapels. We thank Fr.
Bipin Pani, Fr. Anupdev Kandeyang and Fr. Eugene Ekka for all that they are
doing to build the
(Fr. Eugene Ekka)
Maluka,
On 30th August, the
mothers of
(Fr. Junas Purty)
Bistupur, St. Mary’s
On 23rd August the +2
students and the teachers of St. Mary’s
(Fr. Vernon D’Souza)
Kumardhubi,
Our school patron is St Ignatius of Loyola and the aim of the school is to imbibe in every child good values and the belief in the Almighty. So the school environment is made very pious by installing two statues- one of Mother Mary and the other of Jesus, the Sacred Heart in the garden area. They are life size statues very beautifully made. Students were extremely busy in the last two weeks of August, preparing for Teachers’ Day. Under the careful guidance of Sr. Jossy our Vice Principal children from LKG to XII performed on stage on the 4th & 5th of September and the teachers were spell bound. To make the Teachers’ Day memorable and more relevant there was a prayer service beside cultural programme that included drama, dance, orchestra, songs, humour and lots more. During prayer service, the students thanked God and offered special prayer for their dear teachers. Loyola stands proud of the students who participated in the Inter School Quiz Competition – Bible, Science & Environment, which was held on 12th September at DeNobili School Chandrapura. The students for the EVS Quiz bagged the FIRST PRIZE among eleven schools.
The Staff and the students wished Fr. Edward Principal A Happy Birthday. May God bless him and keep him healthy. It is his tolerance, inspiration & encouragement that are helping the students to excel in their talents.
(Rita Sen)
Golmuri, St. Joseph’s
Community College (SJCC) :
Sundernagar:
The Annual Meet of Jamshedpur Deanery Mahila Sangh was held on 19th and 20th September at Catholic Charities Sundernagar. The theme of the annual meet was “Word of God in Our Life”. The number of participants was 100. Fr. C.R. Prabhu and Fr. Tobias Kujur were present for the inaugural ceremony. In the evening they had a cultural programme. Bishop Felix Toppo, S.J. celebrated Holy Eucharist for them on Sunday morning. The animator of this programme was Fr. Sanjay Kujur, C.Ss.R. He spoke about the relevance of Word of God in the family and the society at large. Fr. Ajay Tiru made a surprise visit. He enlightened them with the seven steps of BCC. Sr. Kripa, SSH, Sr. Beronica, OSU and Sr. Christina, SJT were also present and contributed to the annual meet. We congratulate Mrs. Emelda and team for organizing the Annual Meet. We also thank Fr. Halan Bodra, Director, Catholic Charities, Sundernagar for providing a good accommodation for the meet.
SINI: OUR LADY OF
The Parish Feast of Our Lady of
Nativity was celebrated on 8th September in the presence of
a large number of parishioners. Fr. Allan Gonsalves, msfs was the main
celebrant. The faithful were happy to have the former Parish priest, Fr. Cyriac
for the feast. Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows (the Patroness of MSFS) was
celebrated on 15th September. The Regional Dy. Director of Education
inspected St. Francis De Sales School, Seraikela.
The children of
( Fr. Shiju Mangalath, msfs)
Beatitudes of a Priest
+ Salvadore Lobo, in Spare a While.
What a Great Priest you are !
Alter Christus… the Priest, another Christ. In his love and wisdom,
God did not leave us alone on this earth but gave us the priest. During my
pilgrimage here on earth, the priest has accompanied me, helping me to navigate
and stay on the path that will lead me to my eternal home. He has come in many
forms, ages, races, and manners; and he has always been there, in the happy
times, in the sad times, and in the ordinary times. He has been my friend,
counselor, confessor, and consoler. He is Augustinian, Dominican, Benedictine,
and secular.
When I was first born, he was
there to bring me to a precious and nobler birth through the sacrament of
baptism. I have seen him baptizing my children and grandchildren as infants,
and my husband as an adult. What joy for me to see my family being freed from
their sins, entering the Church and being made sharers in her mission!
When I was a child, the priest
was there to reconcile me to God. I received my first Sacrament of Penance as
an innocent 7 year old…. little did I know of sin. But as time passed and I
offended the Lord, it was the priest who showed me God’s great mercy and
encouraged me in the knowledge that my sins were forgiven. How vividly I
remember my First Holy Communion Day, wearing my beautiful white dress and veil
and missing my front tooth. The priest was there again, to give me the life-giving
food that is Christ come down from Heaven. I did not think I could ever be
happier than I was on that day. Although I little understood the depths of this
mystery at the time, through the years the continual reception of the most Holy
Eucharist, made available to me through the priest, has shaped my life and my
very being.
As a nine year old I remember
wearing a red gown and receiving the light slap on the face from the Bishop
that was a customary Confirmation symbol at the time. I was told I was now a
Soldier of Christ, and I proclaimed with great certainty that I would be
willing to die for the Lord! However, as I progressed through my early adult
years I was anything but a Soldier. Though the priest is often scorned and
condemned for defending the divine and enduring things of God, it was his
example that brought me back to my senses.
As a young bride, my husband and
I exchanged our vows witnessed by the priest; there he was with us as we made
the public decision to cooperate with God in the founding of our family. The
multitude of joys throughout our years together clearly demonstrates God’s
presence in our marriage. The birth of our children, seeing them grow into
loving adults with children of their own, and spending simple time together in
the lovely quietness of family life are all gifts beyond compare.
The priest was with me again on
one sad September day, as he gave my husband the Sacrament of the Anointing of
the Sick. My husband was dying and I had to let him go. What a comfort it is to
know that my husband was reconsecrated before he presented himself to the
Divine and Merciful Judge. Through my conversations with the priest I was able
to have peace in making the decision to turn off artificial life support. It
brings me solace today to reflect on the sound wisdom of the Church made known
to me though those conversations.
As I look back over these years,
I realize how integrally and essentially related to my life the priest is. His
humility, sacrifice, and holiness have been and continue to be model and
inspiration.
(Paula Brock,
For
1. Bible Diaries both in Hindi and English are available in the Bishop House, the price of a Bible Diary is Rs. 90 /-.
2. Please submit all the Special Collections to the Diocesan Finance Department at the earliest - Diocesan Treasurer.
Religious Articles, altar clothes and Mass Vestments and
Spiritual Books are available for sale with PDDM
Sisters. You can contact – Sr. Superior, PDDM Liturgical Centre, C/o St. Mary’s
The Principals and Secretaries of all English
Medium SchoolS
The meeting of Principals and
Secretaries of all English Medium Schools in the Diocese of Jamshedpur is being
organized on
All Diocesan PRIESTS: Annual
convention of Bijhan Diocesan Priests Convention will be held at Jharna, C/o
ATC Namkum,
Diocesan Perspective PLANNING: The final phase of Diocesan Perspective planning will be held on 28 – 29 September, 2009 at Catholic Charities, Sundernagar. Since entire diocese was involved for parish and deanery level meetings and planning sessions, the participation in the final phase is restricted to a selected 50 persons from the diocese. Fr. Christudas and Fr. Savari S.J. will be the resource persons.
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Fr. C. R. Prabhu, Vicar General
Contribution for the Dioc
I sincerely thank all those who have contributed for the Diocesan News Letter. It is really inspiring. We have benefited from your activities. Please continue to give information of your good works that others may be inspired by them. Your suggestions and corrections are always welcome for better communication.
- Fr. Sanjay Kujur, C.Ss.R.
Mob: 9470164455
Bishop’s
Programme – October, 2009
|
Date |
Day |
Time |
Programme |
Place |
|
01 |
Thursday |
|
Confirmation |
Jhinkpani |
|
02 |
Friday |
A.M |
Mass, Talks, Pratiksha |
Neeldungri |
|
04 |
Sunday |
|
Confirmation |
Kutkudungri |
|
08-12 |
|
|
Visitation of Seminarians |
|
|
14-18 |
|
Pm-Pm |
Indian |
Mumbai |
|
23-24 |
Sat… |
|
Memorial Services, Mass, Martyr Fr. A.T. Thomas S.J. |
Hazaribagh |
|
25 |
Sunday |
|
Confirmation |
Sonari |
|
28 |
Wednesday |
9.00 |
Liturgical Meeting |
|