To all the Parish SCC Coordinators, Archdiocese of Bombay
My dear Collaborators,
We enter into the grace-filled month of March. We are in the Season of Lent which began with Ash Wednesday on February 22, and will continue till Holy Saturday, April 08. Most of us, if not all, I am sure will have started our Lenten Spiritual Journey. It is this journey that will surely inspire us to imitate Jesus who is “the Way, the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6). In his 2023 message for Lent, Pope Francis has urged Christians to focus on Jesus, read the Scriptures, and help those in need. May our Lenten Spiritual Journey challenge us to become ardent witnesses of Jesus’ merciful love to the people we interact with in our daily lives, so as to ensure “no one is in want” in our SCCs (the Archdiocesan SCC Vision statement).
In order to help us to focus our attention on Jesus and do what pleases HIM, Fr Cliffy Fernandes, Assistant Priest, St Joseph Church, Vikhroli, has prepared the enclosed Reflection Paper for the SCC Steering Committee meetings, Core Groups and cluster families. I am sure you will find it interesting and helpful. (Click here to download a PDF of the paper) Fr Ajit Tellis, Priest in-charge, St Anthony of Padua Church, Kalwa, has been kind enough to translate the paper into Marathi. I request you, as usual, to forward the SCC Reflection Paper to all the families of the Small Christian Communities of your parish.
I request you, particularly during this month of sacrifice, to tend to the needs of the sick, elderly, poor, the differently abled children and adults, the marginalised, migrants, the have-nots, etc. Please visit them, spend time with them and listen to them, encourage them, pray with them, offer a helping hand, if need be, remembering the words of Jesus who said, “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brethren, you do it unto me” (cfr Mt 25:40). These practices will surely help us translate our Archdiocesan Vision statement into reality.
May I remind you of the following points:
1. The Archdiocesan meeting of Parish SCC Coordinators will be held at Our Lady of Salvation Church Hall, Dadar (Ground Floor) on Sunday, March 12 from 10:30 a.m. to 1.00 p.m., followed by lunch. Since this will be our last meeting for the academic year, I request you to attend. 2. Those parishes that have not organised their SCC Rally are earnestly requested to do so by April 30, 2023. 3. Cluster meetings and activities ought to be organised regularly. This is the need of the hour. I am confident you will see to it that cluster programmes are held. 4. Steering Committee Meetings (for the SCC Coordinators of the various Communities, Parish SCC Coordinator and Priest in-charge of the SCCs) must be held either once a month or bi-monthly or quarterly. Minutes of these meetings may be sent to bombayscc@gmail.com. 5. SCC Quarterly Reports (January to March 2023) must be sent via email to bombayscc@gmail.com by April 15, 2023. Please remind the SCC Coordinators to keep their SCC Quarterly reports for the above period ready, so that there is no delay in sending the soft copies of the reports to the Archdiocesan Office.
6. We have just completed the Asian Continental Synod Meeting at Bangkok. While the Secretariat will send its report to the Synod Secretariat, Rome, I request you to recite the enclosed Synod Prayer daily in your family, etc. We need the grace of God to accompany us so that we become a fully alive and vibrant Church, and ensure that no one is in want in our SCCs.
Thank you for all the selfless service 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
February 28, 2023
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