To all the Parish SCC Coordinators, Archdiocese of Bombay
My dear Collaborators,
We have already entered into a new Liturgical Year with the Season of Advent. The Church teaches us that Advent is a time of reflection on the coming of Christ into the world at His birth. It is also a time of preparation when we are invited to think about the second coming of Christ, and what we must do to be ready for His return in glory. Preparation then becomes a key aspect to celebrate Christmas. Keeping this in mind, Fr Robin Fargose, Assistant Parish Priest, Divine Mercy Church, Bhayandar (East) has prepared the enclosed Reflection Paper (click here to download PDF) to help us celebrate Advent-Christmas in its true spirit. I request you to read and reflect on the attached paper, forward it to the SCC Animators and Coordinators, so that it reaches every family in the Clusters. Please ensure that the Core Groups and Cluster families reflect on the paper. Fr Ajit Tellis, Priest in-charge, St Anthony of Padua Church, Kalwa has been kind enough to translate the attached paper into Marathi. My prayer for all of us is that we find the time to slow down in this season to say NO to the things that distract us from Jesus, and say YES to the gift that God wants to give us and experience it for a lifetime. May all of us strive to do something this Christmas Season to ensure that “no one is in want” (Archdiocesan SSC vision statement), so that we can live as brothers and sisters in a loving and united community.
Thank you very much for having attended the second Archdiocesan Parish SCC Coordinators’ meeting on Sunday, November 27, 2022. Your presence, in spite of your many commitments, assured me that you desire to strive to build loving and harmonious SCCs in your parish communities. You have my wholehearted support and good wishes. To those who did not attend or failed to send a representative to the meeting, I can say in all sincerity that I missed you and your valuable interactions during the meeting.
As we come to the close of another calendar year, may I draw your attention to the following points:
1. Celebrating Community (The Archdiocesan SCC Newsletter): Those Parish SCC Coordinators who have already organised their Parish SCC Rallies and desire to send a short report with 3-4 high resolution photographs are requested to do so by emailing it to us on bombayscc@gmail.com by Sunday, December 04, 2022. We shall also post the photos on the Archdiocesan SCC website www.mumbaiscc.in; please inform your parishioners to visit and LIKE the same.
2. Clusters: As mentioned to you earlier, clusters are an important component of the SCC structure. All the parishes must have clusters in their respective SCCs. Cluster meetings and activities should be organized on a regular basis. You may visit the Archdiocesan SCC website www.mumbaiscc.in for more information and ideas. 3. The Diocesan Liturgy Centre has prepared a new version of the Advent Wreath Prayer Service for us in clusters and SCCs. You can access it on https://liturgycentrebandra.org/n-novenas-prayers.
4. Steering Committee meetings: Several parishes have already started conducting regular SCC Steering Committee meetings. I request those parishes that have not yet conducted Steering Committee meetings (attended by the Priest in-charge of the SCCs, the Parish SCC Coordinator and all the Community Coordinators) to do so immediately. A report of the Steering Committee meetings, as and when held, may be sent to bombayscc@gmail.com.
5. SCC Quarterly Reports: Please motivate all the Community Coordinators to send you their Community Reports (October 2022 to December 2022) at the earliest. (Watch the video on how to fill the Quarterly Reports on the Archdiocesan SCC website www.mumbaiscc.in) You are expected to send all the Community Reports with a brief covering letter, duly signed by the Priest in-charge of the SCCs and/or the Parish Priest, to bombayscc@gmail.com by January 15, 2023.
6. Identifying your Successor: Those Parish SCC Coordinators who have completed their six-year term, (besides the extension of one year due to COVID-19 and/or have been members of the Parish Pastoral Council for six years, even if they have completed only three years as Parish SCC Coordinators) have to identify their successors with the help of the Priest in-charge of the SCCs at the parish level. As mentioned to you earlier, we need to have a proper handing over to the successor.
7. The first phase of the Synod on Synodality 2021-2024 viz. the Diocesan and National phase has been completed, with all the due processes followed. We are now entering the second phase viz. the Continental phase. I request you to pray for the success of this phase using the attached Prayer for the Synod.
In conclusion, I thank you sincerely for all the wonderful work you are doing to keep the SCCs alive and vibrant in your parishes. I appreciate all the trouble you take in spite of your work schedules and family responsibilities. God bless you and the members of your family.
God bless you.
Yours in Christ,
✠Barthol Barretto Auxiliary Bishop of Bombay & Bishop in-charge of SCCs, Archdiocese of Bombay
December 1, 2022