Bishop Thomas Macwan of Ahmedabad diocese raises concerns for rampant abortions, suicides and cases of surrogate mothers
By: Navin Macwan
Nadiad (Gujarat) SAR News –
A seminar on Social Teaching of the Church for the Lay Faithful on the theme of “promoting Culture of Life in context of Social Doctrine of the Church” was organized by the Kaira Social Service Society (KSSS), Ahmedabad on April 29 at Pastoral Centre, Nadiad.
Bishop of Ahmedabad Thomas Macwan inaugurating the seminar said, we are heading towards culture of death with so many abortion, suicides and cases of surrogate mothers.
“We are not the master of the earth, but we are its caretakers”, the Bishop said adding that, “Ignoring God’s call to nurture and protect the earth we have taken it to devastation and destruction and we are paying for it.”
He stressed upon the 120 lay faithful and nuns who attended the seminar that God created us in His own image so that we can protect the earth and life on it. Now as true Christians it is our responsibility to protect the earth and each and every life on it. The Bishop also asked the faithful suggest actions to be taken to prevent surrogacy and suicides and abortions which are on the rise in Ahmedabad diocese.
In the first session of the seminar Father Paresh Parmar, Diocesan Youth Director enumerated the Pope’s Encyclicals containing Social doctrine of the Church. He dwelt upon the topics covered in the encyclicals such as Social justice, workers’ rights, exploitation, option for poor, people’s welfare, unity, participation and environment and dignity of life.
During the second session, Sanand Parish Priest and professor of moral theology, Fr. Dr. George Kodithottam, explained the meaning of human dignity and the dignity of labour. He said man is created in the God’s image; therefore we have to honour the dignity of other fellowman. “God has asked us to sweat to eat bread”, he said adding that; thereby He asked us to honour the dignity of work. Thusif dignity of man and that of the work are not maintained the exploitation, injustice, unfair labour practice and all the problems against the culture of life would surface and preoccupy us. The root of all tribulations is dishonoring the dignity of the man (and woman), he reiterated.
In the beginning Father Joseph Appavoo, Director of the KSSS spelled out the objectives of the seminar followed by lighting of the lamp by the Bishop Thomas Macwan, Fr. Joseph Appavoo, Fr Paresh Parmar. In the end vote of thanks was proposed by Navin Macwan. Shailesh Khambhaliya, Project coordinator of the KSSS compeered the whole programme.
Xavier Manjooran joined the Society of Jesus in 1962 and did his novitiate at Vinayalaya, Andheri Bombay(ist yr) and Mt Abu, Rajasthan(2nd yr). After his juniorate studies at Mumbai when he came back to Mt. Abu to study Gujarati in 1965 I was there as a second year novice. From then on I have known Xavier as we are both Jesuit missionaries in Gujarat hailing from Kerala.
As a Jesuit seminarian Xavier showed his dynamic leadership qualities and tenacious love for the down trodden people, called Dalits in India. While studying in the college and later as a boarding prefect for hostel boys he organized leadership and motivational study camps for high school and college going boys and girls. Thus from the seminary days Xavier established himself as a born youth leader.
Xavier conducted his first leadership camp for youth in 1969. It was followed by many more. Many of the youth who participated in his camps and formed Tarunoday Mandal (Youth Association) have done extremely well in life to become advocates, judges, teachers, professors and officers in government private establishments. They in turn contributed to the upliftment of their Dalit communities.
Recognizing his talents and abilities as a youth leader the Provincial of Gujarat Jesuits appointed Fr. Xavier to full time Youth ministry – a first the Province after his ordination as a Jesuit Priest in 1975. As time passed the Tarunoday Mandal camps led to the establishment an institution for youth ministry named Asha Deep, a Centre for Human Development.
With leadership and study camps, combined with job orientated courses through Asha Deep, Fr. Xavier helped good many young boys and girls from Dalit communities to qualify themselves and compete with the so called upper class youth both in the job markets and leadership. During these years Xavier stated another youth organization called All Gujarat Student Developmet Movement (AGSDM) for the students of marginalized coomunites, irrespective of any religion of other consideration. This movement was later affiliated to a national student movement called “All India Catholic University Federation” (AICUF) which is also associated with the international “Pax Romana”. A few of the youth have done exceptionally well through Asha Deep services that they have attained national and international name and fame. Some young men and women trained by Asha Deep have become office bearers of national students’ organizations and of international youth movements.
As part of Asha Deep initiatives Fr. Xavier started ‘Ankur’ a movement for school-going boys and girls mainly of Dalits and marginalized communites. Promising boys and girls are selected and special coachings are given to them during vacations and holidays and are accompanied during the academic year through guidance and counseling. These boys and girls under ‘Ankur’ have done exceptionally well not only in their academic studies but also in other areas of extra curricular activities.
With his initiatives and dynamism Fr. Xavier expanded his youth ministry, first starting in Kheda District, to cover the entire Gujarat state and also whole of India and later the entire South Asia. Thanks to his initiatives Xavier became the first Secretary of Jesuit Youth Ministry in South Asia. As Secretary he persuaded all Jesuit Provincial Superiors in South Asia to appoint coordinators of youth ministries in their respective provinces and promote the youth, especially work among the unorganized and unreached youth of South Asia.
Presently Fr. Xavier is the Director of Rajpipla Social Service Society (RSSS) from 2000. RSSS was started by a Jesuit visionary and pioneer Fr. Joseph Idiakunnel in 1975-75 to train tribal people and to fight against their exploitation. The Free Legal Aid programme was started by Joseph in Gujarat as an activity of RSSS. Impressed by it the then Chief Justice of India, Justice Bhagavati studied RSSS Free Legal Aid programme and then promoted such programmes for the whole of India.
While continuing all the activities of RSSS to empower the tribal people, the ever dynamic Fr. Xavier has launched a post graduate diploma programme for tribal youth in Integrated Community Rural Development (ICRD) in collaboration with the National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD) in Hyderabad, under the ministry of rural Development of the government of India. A number of tribal youth have already secured post graduate diplomas in Rural Management and are working for the liberation and development of their tribal communities.
While working for youth or in empowering the tribals, Xavier as a dynamic leader gives himself totally to the cause. Xavier’s life and works show his love for the poor and the tribals. He is committed to the Ignatian ideal of the ‘magis’, the more or the greater glory of God and of his people.
ફાધર વિનાયક જાદવ એસ.જે. તેમના પી.એચ.ડી. ના અભ્યાસ અર્થે અત્યારે અમેરિકાની ટૂંકી મુલાકાતે આવેલા છે. તેઓ જ્યારે જ્યારે આવ્યા છે ત્યારે સમય કાઢી, તકલીફ લઈને અહીં અને કેનેડામાં રહેતા ગુજરાતી કેથોલિક પરિવારોની અવશ્ય મુલાકાત લેતા જ હોય છે. મે મહિનાની ૨૬ તારીખે તેઓ ન્યુ જર્સીની મુલાકાતે આવનાર છે. ગુજરાતી કેથોલિક સમાજ ઓફ યુએસએ ના ઉપક્રમે તેમને મળવાનો એક કાર્યક્રમ તૈયાર થઈ રહ્યો છે. આ કાર્યક્રમ દરમ્યાન ફાધર વિનાયક ગુજરાતી ખ્રિસ્તયજ્ઞ અર્પણ કરશે. ત્યાર પછી સ્નેહ-મિલન સમારંભ યોજવામાં આવશે. સ્થળ અને સમયની ટૂંકમાં જાહેરાત કરવામાં આવશે.
ન્યુ જર્સી આવતાં પહેલાં ફાધર કેનેડામાં વસતા ગુજરાતી કેથોલિક પરિવારોની મુલાકાત લેવાના છે. તેમની આ મુલાકાત દરમ્યાન થનારા કાર્યક્રમની આગ્નેસ તરફથી મળેલી માહિતી નીચે આપી છે.
Priestly Ordination: April 17, 1994; Sivagangai, Tamil Nadu
Priestly Assignments:
1994: Assistant Parish Priest, Sanand parish
1995-1997: Secretary to Bishop Stanislaus Fernandes, Vice-Principal of St. Xavier’s, Mirzapur.
1998: Assistant Parish Priest, Bochasan parish
1998: Rector of St. Joseph’s Minor Seminary, Navrangpura
2000-2003: Administrator & Counselor, National Vocation Service Center, Pune.
U.S.A.
May 2003 – May 2012: Assistant Parish Priest, St. Peter’s Church, 22 Barclay Street, New York, NY 10007 – Archdiocese of New York.
Education:
B.A. St. Xavier’s College, Ahmedabad – 1986
M.Sc.: Psychology, Madras University – 2002
M.S.Ed.: Counseling, Fordham University, New York – May, 2006
Ph.D.: Counseling Psychology, Fordham University, New York – August, 2011
Future Assignment:
Professor, Staff Psychologist: National Vocation Service Center, Pune – June 2012 –
After completing his PhD degree in Counseling Psychology, Fr. Alex – Dr. Alex is going back to India on May 27, 2012. He will be a Professor (staff Psychologist) at National Vocation Service Center in Pune, Maharastra. But he will travel back and forth to different school-colleges in Gujarat.
Fr. Alex has been part of the Gujarati Catholics living in and around tri-state area since 2003. He was always available and ready as and when any of the Gujarati family has asked for his presence for any occasion. Either it is a baptism or funeral mass, either it is Christmas or New Year’s celebration. He has always reached to the nearest location by mass transportation. Together we have prayed, laughed, ate, joked, and in time of sorrow he has given us comfort. I don’t have a count of how many Gujarati Masses he has celebrated for us. Your sermon has been always enjoyed and appreciated by both adults and youngster as you have always used both Gujarati and English languages. It is hard to say goodbye after nine long precious years together. But we are proud of you that you have decided to go back to India to serve the homeland. We wish you all the best and we will keep you in our prayers and you do the same. But we wish and request you that you come and visit us at least once a year.
Gujarati Catholic Samaj of USA has organized a farewell party for Fr. Alex where he will celebrate his last Gujarati mass for us before he goes to India on May 27th. So please come and join to say thank you and goodbye to Fr. Alex.
Place: Woodbridge – (exact location will be published in few days)
Date: May 19th 2012 Saturday.
Time: 2:00PM Gujarati Mass then the farewell party will go on.
