To all the Parish SCC Coordinators, Archdiocese of Bombay
My dear Collaborators,
With the sweltering heat, we move into the month of April, and we look ahead to two important celebrations: a) Holy Week that will culminate in Easter - the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and b) the Holiday Season.
For us Catholics, Holy Week is important and significant, as it helps us to focus our attention on Our Lord Jesus Christ who suffered and died because of HIS tremendous love for us. Death could not restrict Him in the tomb, and Jesus rose triumphantly from the dead, and blessed us with New Life. Jesus once said, “I came that you may have life, and life in abundance.” (cfr John 10:10) To draw the best out of Holy Week, I have prepared a short reflection on Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. (download paper here) May I earnestly request you to disseminate the paper to all the SCC Coordinators and Animators so that it reaches all the families in your parish. I am grateful to Fr Ajit Tellis OFM Cap, Parish Priest of Our Lady of Bethlehem Church, Dongri, for translating the reflection paper into Marathi.
A separate reflection paper on EASTER and its significance will be sent to you shortly.
Some of you will be planning for your annual holidays. I wish you a Happy Holiday; you deserve it. Please come back renewed and refreshed, so that we can work together as a United Team to ensure that NO ONE IS IN WANT in our SCCs (our Archdiocesan SCC Vision Statement).
These past few days, I have been interacting with the Parish SCC Coordinators across the Archdiocese. My experience has been very positive, as you have shown keen interest “in getting back to normal” – having physical Steering Committee meetings, Core Group meetings and getting the cluster formats of each SCC ready by April 30, 2022. God willing, we shall have regular cluster meetings and activities in the new academic year.
May I request you to take care of yourselves as you move around. Please protect yourself, and follow all COVID-19 protocols. As Leaders, we must set an example for others to follow.
I also wish to place on record our grateful thanks to Ms Praneeta D’Souza, one of the ART (Archdiocesan Resource Team for SCCs) members who has been instrumental in galvanizing all of us: SCC Coordinators, Animators and families to answer the Synod questions. I have been receiving positive feedback from different groups of people that those in-charge of conducting the Synodal process, both in the Deaneries and the parishes, have taken a keen interest in listening and journeying with all sections of the people, making them feel comfortable and assisting them, so as to make the Synodal experience joyful and memorable. Please note that the Synodal process is not over yet; we have a long way to go and we need the grace of God to assist us. I request you to make it a point to pray the Synod Prayer daily in your homes and during your SCC meetings.
The SCC Quarterly Reports for January to March 2022 are expected to reach the Archdiocesan SCC Office on bombayscc@gmail.com by April 15, 2022.
We shall be releasing the next issue of Celebrating Community in time for Pentecost Sunday – June 05, 2022. Do send in reports of your activities, etc. to bombayscc@gmail.com on a regular basis; it will be uploaded to the SCC website www.mumbaiscc.in.
Thank you for your cheerful services which you render in your parishes. God bless you and your families.
Yours in Christ,
✠Barthol Barretto Auxiliary Bishop of Bombay & Bishop in-charge of SCCs, Archdiocese of Bombay
April 1, 2022