The Parish SCC Coordinators and Animators
Archdiocese of Bombay
My dear Collaborators,
We are already in Holy Week - a time of grace when the Church invites us to fix our eyes on Jesus. It is Jesus who accompanies us and assures us that HE is with us till the end of the world. And so we have nothing to fear. In God, we move, live and have our being.
Very soon, we will be celebrating the PASCHAL TRIDUUM - Maundy Thursday (the Mass of the Lord’s Supper), Good Friday (the celebration of the Passion of the Lord) and the Easter Vigil/Easter Sunday. I am sure you will be participating in the Services, so that we can truly become like JESUS – instruments of service to ensure that “no one is in want” in our SCCs (the Archdiocesan SCC vision statement).
Please find enclosed a reflection paper entitled, “To resurrect is to know Death and still believe” written by Fr (Dr) Gavin Lopes, one of our Archdiocesan Seminary Professors.
(Click below to download the reflection paper)
I am sure you will receive spiritual insights and begin to emulate Mary, our Heavenly Mother, by placing our hope in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. As usual, Fr Ajit Tellis, ofm cap, Parish Priest, Our Lady of Bethlehem Church, Dongri, has been kind enough to translate the reflection into Marathi. Please be kind enough to see that the reflection paper is sent to all the families in the clusters.
As we come to the end of yet another academic year, I thank you sincerely for your wholehearted collaboration and keen interest which you have taken right through the year. Your very presence in the parish community and selfless service have contributed much to the growth of the SCCs, both at the parish level and at the Archdiocesan level. During the pandemic months, you have gone out of your way to encourage and motivate the SCC Animators to be of service to the individual families who have been suffering from COVID-19 and/or other situations. Your service was not limited to Catholics, but people of other faiths as well. I truly appreciate you for your thoughtfulness, and most importantly, for all that you are doing to keep the SCCs alive and vibrant in your parish.
I take this opportunity to wish you the joys of Easter. May the Paschal Triduum enable us to experience the joy of Easter, and may we spread this joy to the people we encounter, expressing the fact that we are an Easter people, and Alleluia is our song of joy.
May I request you to encourage all the families to recite the enclosed Prayer for the success of the Synod 2021-2023.
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