To all the Parish SCC Coordinators, Archdiocese of Bombay
My dear Collaborators,
A few days ago, on June 25, we celebrated LAITY SUNDAY in our Archdiocese. Our theme for reflection on the occasion of Laity Sunday was: ‘Laity in the forefront for a relevant Church’. As I look at the parishes of our Archdiocese, I feel immensely grateful to God for having blessed us with Lay Faithful who are resource-filled, enthusiastic and are ever ready to be in the forefront to make our parishes more and more relevant and significant. I prayed for you in a very special way as I believe that you are the driving force of all the SCC activities and programmes that take place in your parish communities, not forgetting the sacrifices you make from time to time, attending meetings at the parish level, deanery level and the Archdiocesan level. I appreciate all that you do in your SCCs and at the parish level. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I request you to express my sentiments of gratitude to all the SCC Animators and Community Coordinators of your parish.
As we enter this new month of July, the first thought that comes to mind is the celebration of Parents’ Day. Since the last two years, Pope Francis has advised that we celebrate the fourth Sunday of July as the World Day for Grandparents and Elderly. Keeping this in mind, Fr Ajit Tellis, Priest in-charge, St Anthony of Padua Church, Kalwa and a member of ART (Archdiocesan Resource Team for the SCCs), has prepared a simple yet thought-provoking Reflection Paper which is attached herewith. May I request you to disseminate it to all the SCC Animators and Coordinators so that the paper reaches all the cluster families. Please make it a point to reflect on the paper in your Core Groups, Steering Committee and Cluster families. Fr Ajit Tellis has been kind enough to translate the reflection paper into Marathi.
July is filled with several important dates: July 03 – Solemnity of St Thomas, Apostle of India and Faith Formation Sunday; July 16 – Our Lady of Mt Carmel; July 28 – St Alphonsa; July 31 – Feast of St Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus. May we continue to call on the intercession of the Saints and Our Lady as we strive to ensure no one in want in our respective parish communities.
May I now request all of you to take note of the following important points:
a) New Parish SCC Coordinators: May I earnestly request your assistance to give us the details of the newly appointed Parish SCC Coordinators immediately, but not later than Sunday, July 09. We need the details (names, mobile numbers and email ids) of the Parish SCC Coordinators so that we can arrange to have a meeting of all the Parish SCC Coordinators towards the end of July. Details of the Parish SCC Coordinators may be sent via email: bombayscc@gmail.com.
b) Deanery-wise SCC Rally: After having completed the parish-wise SCC rallies during the last academic year, we will now move to having the Deanery-wise SCC Rally in the months of December 2023 – January 2024 – February 2024. More details about the Deanery-wise rallies will be communicated to you in due course.
c) Cluster meetings: As mentioned to you during the course of the last academic year, please organise cluster meetings in your SCCs. This was mandated in the SCC Evaluation Report 2018. Most of the parishes have already started meeting in their clusters. Those parishes that have not yet begun to have their cluster meetings are requested to do so at the earliest.
d) Steering Committee meetings: Please start having the monthly/bimonthly/quarterly Steering Committee meetings. The Minutes of the meeting may be sent to bombayscc@gmail.com. An official reply will be sent to you.
e) Quarterly Reports: Please motivate all your SCC Animators and Coordinators to keep a Minutes’ book of the monthly Core Group and Cluster meetings. This will help in preparing the Quarterly Reports for the following periods:
July to September (to reach the SCC Office by October 15) October to December (to reach the SCC Office by January 15) January to March (to reach the SCC Office by April 15)
f) NO ONE IN WANT: Please keep your eyes and ears wide open to ensure that no one is suffering or in need in your SCCs. We must live as brothers and sisters, irrespective of caste, colour or creed, and reach out to all, ensuring that no one is in want (Archdiocesan SCC Vision Statement).
g) SYNOD DELIBERATIONS: May I request you to make it a point and pray the enclosed Synod Prayer in your families daily and during the SCC meetings (cluster/Core Group/ Steering Committee). The Holy Father will convene the Synod Deliberations in Rome in the month of October 2023
I thank you once again for your wholehearted support and collaboration in the smooth functioning of the SCCs in your respective parishes. May our Archdiocese become a reflection of God’s kingdom – this is my prayer and wish.
Thank you and God bless you and the members of your families.
Yours in Christ,
✠Barthol Barretto Auxiliary Bishop of Bombay & Bishop in-charge of SCCs, Archdiocese of Bombay
July 1, 2023