FR.ELISEO BIANCHI

                                                              Cl.Mavron F  SDB

Born: 22/8/1914

Professed: 8/12/1931

Ordained: 30/1/1944

Died: 1/12/1991

     Fr.Bianchi was born at Lumezzane, Italy. He came to India in 1940. He worked in Matunga, Lonavla and Yercaud. He went back to Italy for some time. On his return he served as catechist at Kurla, Borivili, Baroda and Matunga. In1988, he came back to Lonavla till his death. He was a multi-faceted person. He was known as ‘Jack of all trades as well as Master of all.’ He was an excellent carpenter, musician, dramatist story-teller, gymnast and a teacher.he was very interested in music and scouting. Towards the end of his life, he spent much of his time at the crucifix weeping in moments of intense pain and suffering.

Don Bosco: a visionary and the missionary.

                                                                 Cl. Sachin Kadam SDB

Vision and the mission are the two sides of the same coin. We can not hold on to one and leave the other. These two aspects are clearly seen in the life of Don Bosco. He was fully human and fully divine. The dream he had at the age of nine, of being the shepherd to the poor and abandoned youth, helped him to discern the divine plan in his life.  With God’s grace and Mary’s guidance he brought it to reality.

Don Bosco was a passionate visionary as well as missionary.  As a visionary he was very much focused in his life. He allowed God to work in his life. He used to seek timely advice and guidance from the people who were close to his heart like his mother mamma Margaret and Fr. Cafasso who was his spiritual director. As a visionary he saw himself to be a priest and his first goal was to save the souls of the young.  His vision was: Da mihi animas, coetera tolle!

As missionary he was not self-centered but altruistic. Whatever he did was for the greater glory of God. As missionary he focused on Evangelization & Civilization. Firstly he made his boys good christians and secondly good citizens. He found real joy in sacrifice and the radical life of being poor. His trust in the Lord and our Lady was admirable all through his life, sustaining his vision and supporting his mission. 

The Need to Be……

                                                                  

                         

                     Among the glories in glistering white

One can wave out to polar bears

All white!

In the brown painted mud

One can fall on the brown earthworms

With a thud!

And still in the discolored sea of life,

You will find little grey fishes

Gently touch your feet in strife!

Life can be ever changing

With little hope of getting better,

Unless you decide…...

To stand back and make it better.

If the polar bears are less,

And fishes more in number

You are called to be in polluted waters

Nearer to the shore!

Being what you’re meant to be

Will give meaning to life and thee!

In the hour of a mission that has a need,

You are the need just needed!

                                                                                          

                                                                   Cl.Chris

SEARCH FOR GOD

     A young man one day left his home and went in search of God. He traveled from village to village. In every village he went he did not find Him. Then he proceeded to the forest. He thought that he would find Him in a quiet and deserted place. Even in this place he did not find God and with disappointment he started back for his home. As he was passing by a village he found out that this village was struck by a dreadful epidemic. When he heard this news he volunteered to help the village to cope up with this epidemic. Day and night he helped the doctors and the social workers to treat the villagers. He was very effective in his work and was very happy with himself.

     One day as he was sitting beside an old man and feeding, he started talking to him. As they were talking, the old man had tears in his eyes. The young man did not understand this and the old man hence held out his hand and told him, ”In this time of difficulty you have helped us without hesitating. You are like God to us.” When the young man heard this he also had tears in his eyes. This is the time when he realized that God abides in us and not outside us. We are in the image and likeness of God.

     Many a time we search for God at different places and at every corner of the world and not inside of our hearts. He is always in our hearts but it depends on us whether we acknowledge the presence or not.

                                                                                                                            Cl. Ronald Vaz

The Life of a Missionary

A person set apart by God,

Knows not for what has he been chosen.

But knows that he has to remain in God,

To do that which was him given.

God sent him into the world,

To proclaim the Good News wherever he went .

When the Word sunk in the world,

They  made him a place in their inner tent.

But not always is gain,

Not always is joy abounding.

There is pain,

But there is always the  love of God surrounding.

The priest tries to make God known,

To the people who reject the God known.

He is a symbol that God cares,

For those who are torn down by sorrows.

The priest dares to go out,

To stick his head out.

To take God’s love to the end,

Even at the cost of his life.

The priest journeys far,

From the time he was set apart.

And when his earthly sojourns nears,

He realizes that God’s work he has done.

                                                                                    - By Bryce Rodrigues

MISSION
              Cl. Bosco Carvalo Sdb
Our life has only one mission i.e GOD.And this is no "Mission Impossible." The Mission is possible because God pulls us up to himself.what God desires of us is our commitment to want for him at all times the decision for God is our prime mission. Go ahead for it. All missionary work is our response of our love and commitment for God.

Fr. Aloysius Cerato

Born: 24-11-1908

Professed: 6-1-1927

Ordained: 8-12-1934

Died: 24-5-1976

Fr. Cerato was born at Fonzaso, Italy. He was zealous missionary in the plains of Assam, especially n the North Lakhimpur. He had a calm and undaunted disposition. He came to Bombay in 1969 when the foreign missionaries were expelled from Assam.

Fr. Mario Zocchi

Born: 26-10-1909

Professed: 29-1-1933

Ordained: 8-12-1943

Died: 24-10-1974

Born at Busto Arsizio, Italy. Fr. Mario Zocchi came to India as a novice. He was ordained while in the concentration camp during the war. His priestly ministry took him to many parts of the Madras province and to Bombay.

Fr. Epiphanius Fernandez

Born:6-1-1936

Professed: 24-5-1958

Ordained: 9-4-1967

Died: 24-5-1973

Fr. Epiphanius was born at Katha, Burma. After his ordination he worked in Ralianf Parish. He died in Bombay under tragic circumstances.

                                                                       OUR MISSION  

                                                                               Bro.Ronald sdb                                                                                                                               

     When I was in the ninth standard at school a missionary from Africa came to our school.  I was studying in Don Bosco High School Panjim. He was a loving as well as a demanding priest. He would tell us a lot of stories about Africa. In the school among the day scholars he started a group called the’ Friends of Dominic Savio’. Initially we went for a lot of camps and had a lot of fun but slowly we were asked if we wanted to join the Salesion congregation. It was during this time that I discovered my vocation. Today I am a Salesian preparing for the mission God has called me to.

    All of us are called to e missionaries in our own way. We have only to answer this call of God by saying a committed yes. It can also happen that we may say yes and shirk our responsibility but the real test comes when the hurdles arise in our way. These hurdles can be overcome only with God’s help. The prayer element is so important in our Christian life. In today’s world which is encompassed with swift moving technology people have lost the love to pray or the need to pray. We love to sit and chat with our friends but when it comes to prayer we don’t find the time. Jesus himself went to secluded places in order to pray to be in communion with his Father. By doing this he set us an example so that we may do likewise.

     In this world which is moving away from God at the speed of light we the followers of Christ have an important mission and that is to be signs and bearers of God’s love. This mission will be accomplished only if we are in communion with God. There will be many difficulties and challenges in our path but if God is with us then there is no one in this world who can be against us.

Ask yourself a few questions

Am I just drifting through life without knowing where I’m heading?

Am I truly happy with my present state of affairs?

What are the deeper questions of life calling me to?