To all the Parish SCC Coordinators, Archdiocese of Bombay
My dear Collaborators,
How true the saying - “Time Flies”. One cannot believe that we are already in the third month of the new academic year. The months of June and July have flown by like the wind. We have much to thank God for the past two months – our physical meetings (Core Groups, clusters and Steering Committee) have begun, and most of us, if not all, are happy that we are in a better position than we were in the last academic year. I thank you sincerely for your persevering efforts to keep all the Community Coordinators and Animators bonded together.
It is with this spirit that we enter the month of August, filled with so many occasions to celebrate: August 01 - St Alphonsus Liguori (Patron Saint of the Redemptorist Congregation); August 04 - St John Vianney (Patron Saint of the Pastoral Clergy); August 06 - Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord; August 14 - Prison Ministry Sunday and National Youth Sunday; August 15 - Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Independence Day of our country; August 21 - Justice Sunday.
I would like you to reflect on the significance of Justice: at home, in our neighbourhood, in our society and in our country. Keeping this in mind, I requested Fr Lancy Pinto, Parish Priest, St Michael Church, Mahim to help us in our reflection process on the Gospel value of Justice. Please find enclosed the paper (click here to download) that is to be shared with all the Community Coordinators and Animators, so that it reaches all the families in the clusters. Fr Ajit Tellis, Priest in-charge, St Anthony of Padua Church, Kalwa has been kind enough to translate it into Marathi.
We had an overwhelming response for the Skills for SCC Animators, a training programme held at Sarvodaya, Goregaon last month. The participants expressed positive feedback, and have returned to their parishes filled with enthusiasm to keep the SCCs alive and vibrant. Thank you for the keen interest in motivating the SCC Animators and Coordinators to attend. Encouraged by the positive response, we are organizing Skills for SCC Animators for the Navi Mumbai Deanery participants at Sacred Heart Church, Vashi this month. Information has already been communicated to the respective Parish SCC Coordinators and Parish Priests/Priests in-charge.
May I request you to conduct the Steering Committee meetings in your parish regularly. Such meetings help a lot to understand the status of each SCC and to render assistance to those SCCs that are struggling. Please start discussing the details of the Parish SCC Rally. A tentative plan for the Rally is enclosed (click here to download); this plan could be modified depending on the needs of your parish community. Minutes of the Steering Committee meetings may be sent to bombayscc@gmail.com.
Please ensure that cluster meetings and/or activities are held in the SCCs. Clusters help in identifying the needs of the families, so that we reach out to all in a true spirit of love, and live like the early Apostolic Community, as described in the Acts of the Apostles. The Quarterly Reports for July to September 2022 are to be sent to bombayscc@gmail.com. by 15 October.
We continue to pray for the success of the Synod 2021-2023. A copy of the Prayer for the Synod is enclosed. May the Lord continue to help us to listen to the cries of our brothers and sisters in our Communities, at our places of work, in our society, so that we reach out selflessly to all those in need, ensuring NO ONE IS IN WANT, irrespective of caste, creed or colour.
Thank you and God bless you for all that you do in your parish communities.
Yours in Christ,
✠Barthol Barretto Auxiliary Bishop of Bombay & Bishop in-charge of SCCs, Archdiocese of Bombay
August 1, 2022