Christian Perspectives

Don Bosco’s new technical wing at Murunkan

E. WEERAPPERUMA

The New Technical wing of the former Bosco Institute at Murunkan under BoI 300 enterprise program in the Mannar district was opened as Bosco Tek Vocational Training Centre recently by the Investment Promotion Minister Navin Dissanayake.

Deputy Aviation Minister Sarath Gunaratne, the Provincial Superior of the Sri Lanka St. Joseph Vice Province Very Rev. Fr. Anthony H Pinto, SDB, Vicar General Mannar Very Rev. Fr. Victor Susai, the BoI Approval and New Projects Executive Director Ranjith Fernando, Rector/Director of the Bosco Centre, Rev. Fr. Pius George, Principal of the Centre Rev. Fr. Xavier and a distinguished gathering of invitees which included the religious dignitaries and the youth were present.

After the opening ceremony, the SDB Provincial Superior told the Daily News the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (BoI) under the ‘300 Enterprises Programme’ has given the green light to run Vocational and Skill Development Centres under the newly formed Bosco Tek Private Limited, a non-profit making organization to provide Vocational training and provide facilities for Skill Development of the poor rural youth.

Fr. Pinto paid tribute to President Mahinda Rajapaksa for his initiative to set up National Vocational Training Authority as Labour Minister in 1994 and persuading the Don Bosco centres to make use of the BoI facilities.

“We are happy to announce that Don Bosco has become one of the first to enter the partnership with the BoI as a service provider through vocational training. We are also thankful to the BoI for the kind gesture shown exempting from taxing millions worth equipment installed in the Centre.

Gratitude

He also expressed his gratitude to His Lordship Rt. Rev. Dr. Rayappu Joseph, the Bishop of Mannar for gifting a valuable land on behalf of the youth of the area, to Omega Line Dr. Veronese and Jappolo and his party representing that organisation which had invested a large sum of money to construct the building, to Caritas from Austria investing money in the purchase of Machinery and Equipment and the Government of Germany which had come a big way to help Don Bosco through Don Bosco Insitutions in Germany. We are also thankful to Ministers Navin Dissanayake and Sarath Gunaratna, BoI Chairman and those who have supported making this venture a success.

He said: We talk of investing and the investment of money is done with a view to make profits. But the Don Bosco invests in youth and for youth not to make profits in pecuniary terms but to transform them into good and honest citizens.”

The Head of the Salesian Community in Sri Lanka said that his was a Religious Organisation, which has no room for party politics but serve the poor, the abandoned and the exploited youth and children spread around 130 countries. We have been serving Sri Lanka for the past five decades drawing our attention to the youth treating them in a family atmosphere making them feel, “they are wanted”.

In providing Community Development and Vocational Training to poor rural and town youth through the Bosco centres we had followed a strict policy of working without ethnic, religious, creed, gender or political bias and said would continue to follow the same policy in the future as well.

He pointed out that the mission of his Congregation was to educate and broadbase human development of the poor, disadvantaged, abandoned and orphaned children and youth so that they might not only earn a decent living for themselves and their families, but also become responsible, constructive citizens of their communities.

Fr. Pinto added that the main objective of these centres was to give opportunity for poor rural youth to find gainful employment within their locality they live and also assist them to commence their own self-employment projects with a view to improve the quality of village life.

Vocational and skill development

He said that out of 15 centres spread out in the country ten vocational and skill development centres would operate both in difficult and most difficult areas away from the Western Province under the flagship of Bosco Tek Private Limited for which we have signed agreements with the BoI.

The youth of these centres will undergo training in Motor Mechanism, Carpentry, Welding, Computer, Dress-making, Welding and Sheet Metal Work, Industrial Sewing , Professional Bakery , Sinhala / Tamil Language and English Language. These centres will be monitored from the Head Office located at the Don Bosco, Provincial House No. 66, Dungalpitiya, Thalahena, Negombo.

Rev. Fr. Pinto said that the Salesian Community of Don Bosco had chosen Murunkan, after considering the abject poverty, the lack of employment opportunities to youth of the area and the lack of facilities necessary to provide a sound technical education and to impart other variety of vocational and skill development training to the poor youth.

The Murunkan Bosco Centre was in operation from the year 2004 and they have added a New Technical Wing to the Centre from this year after receiving the BoI approval.

“We have also taken steps to provide them food and lodging facilities as they would find it cumbersome to travel back and forth from their homes as the transport system is poor in the area. They are provided with facilities free and motto of Don Bosco Education System is to transform young into good and honest citizens. This is one centre out of the ten Vocational and Skill Development Centres which we hope to open up in the country and we have received the BoI approval”, he said.

The Centre has a land area of 16 acres which includes ten acres of paddy land and the Centre gets its requirements of rice from these paddy fields. The Centre also has another five acres which grow vegetables, fruits etc. for the use of the Centre.

Facilities

“We have invested to the tune of Rs. 188 million for land, buildings and machinery up to date. Within the past four years 453 youth had received training and the Centre is able to provide facilities such and food and lodging to 178 youth at one time”, he said.

The SDB Congregation will run the Vocational and Skill Development Centres at the following districts: Difficult (D); Most Diificult (MD):

Arambegama (D), Kandy district, Kandy (D), Kandy district, Ahungalla (D), Galle district, Metiyagane (D), Kurunegala district, Bibille (MD), Badulla district, Murunkan (MD), Mannar district, Dankotuwa (D), Puttalam district, Nachchikuda (MD), Kilinochchi district, Hungama (MD), Hambantota district, and Nochchiyagama (D), Anuradhapura district.

October, Month of Rosary

W.T.A. Leslie Fernando

The Catholics pay special attention to the Rosary during the month of October which they call the month of the Holy Rosary. The word Rosary is derived from the Latin term ‘Rosarium’ meaning the land of roses.

The Rosary comprises 59 beads counted by the devotees while praying and meditating. Out of 59 beads 06 are large and the rest is small. The large beads are meant for the prayer ‘Our Father’ and the smaller ones for the ‘Hail Mary’ in the Rosary.

The Rosary begins by reciting one Our Father, three Hail Mary’s and one Glory Be to the Father. The rest of the Rosary is divided into 5 decades. Each decade consists of one Our Father, followed by 10 Hail Mary’s and one Glory Be to the Father.

At the beginning of each decade there is meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary which are events relevant to the life of the Lord Jesus Christ and his Mother the Blessed Virgin Mary.

There are conflicting views as to the origins of the Rosary. The popular tradition is that the Rosary was given to St. Dominic through an apparition by the Blessed Virgin Mary in the year 1214. It is said that it was the Dominican Fathers who popularized the devotion to the Rosary. However the scholarly research suggest a gradual evolution for the formation of the Rosary.

Gradually Hail Mary came to replace Our Father as the prayer most associated with the beads. Eventually each decade began to be comprized of one Our Father, followed by 10 Hail Mary’s and end up with Glory Be to the Father.

Whatever the origins of the Holy Rosary by the 16th century reciting of the Rosary using beads became a well established devotional exercise among the Catholics. In 1569 St. Pope Pius V established the Holy Rosary standardizing it into 15 mysteries based on long standing custom. It was also Pope Pius V who introduced Rosary into the Catholic Liturgical Calendar as the feast of Our Lady of Rosary to be celebrated on October 7.

One praying of the Rosary consists of only 5 mysteries but the full Rosary contains 15 mysteries grouped into three sets, the Joyful Mysteries, the Sorrowful Mysteries and the Glorious Mysteries. In due course the devotion to the Rosary gathered momentum and since the 17th century Rosary began to appear in key pieces of Catholic Marian art that depict the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In Sri Lanka too there are so many churches dedicated to Our Lady of Rosary. The churches at Maruda Madhu, Bandirippuwa, Mattakotuwa, Welikanna, Slave Island, Kudapaduwa - Negombo, Kottukacachchiya, Dehiyagatha, Andiambalama and Palugasdamana are some of them.

The Madhu Church is the most popular and foremost shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Rosary in Sri Lanka. In 1870 Archbishop Christopher Bonjean inaugurated the July 02 festival as the main feast of Madhu. The most popular feast of Madhu where the largest number of devotees attend is the August 15 festival as it is held during the school vacation. However the real feast of Our Lady of Rosary at Madhu falls on October 07.

(The writer is a former High Court Judge and Vice-President of the Newman Society Alumni Association)

Holy Cross College, Gampaha turns 81

J. I. Rosairo

It was an exceptionally beautiful day and a sight to behold. Children in their smart, immaculate, white uniforms sat on the steps encircling the Gymnasium.

The gentle morning breeze and the warm rays of the sun coming down from above were like unto choice blessings upon the College. The entire place looked a veritable paradise on earth.

It was the Birthday of Holy Cross College in Gampaha, that great citadel of learning and discipline - a much sought after Institution in the Country.

Holy Cross had turned 81 on the 14th of September, this year. Simultaneously, the day also happened to be the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, which was then a symbol of shame and pain, but today one of triumphant victory, and the College had aptly taken that name.

The day’s proceedings centered with the celebration of the Holy Mass which indeed is the cornerstone of all christian worship.

Present, past and students in their thousands were part of the solemn service which was presided over by Rev. Father Linton Joseph, an intimate friend of the College. Rev. Sister Anne Muriel, Superior of the Lisiecux Convent, Rev. Sister Darshika, Vice Principal and many other sisters formed the distinguished guests.

In his homily, Father Linton, replete with anecdotes and jokes spoke directly to the students, eloquently expounding such things that the up and coming generation ought to know and went on to explain among other things what respect and responsibility were all about.

Rev. Sister Deepani, the incumbent Principal, in her address briefly traced the history of the College. Mrs. Francis Perera, she said, was the first Principal and with her retirement the running of the School was entrusted to the Sisters of the Apostolic Carmel Congregation.

The school went through turbulent and good times and due to the untiring efforts of those pioneering sisters, Holy Cross became a leading institution.

She spoke of Sister Nellie Helen, of revered memory and a legend who steered the College for many long years, her successor, Sister Carmella and recently retired Vice Principal, Sister Hiranthi, who were affectionately remembered had thoughtfully sent congratulary messages.

Weekly devotions:

God speaks to you

The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”

But sir, Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt? But now the Lord has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.” The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” But Lord, Gideon asked, “how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh and I am the least in my family.” The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.”

Judges 6 : 11-16.

After the death of Joshua, we find that the Israelites slowly fell back in their walk with God and started mingling with the Cananites, Hitites, Amonites, Perizzites and the Jebusites.

They inter married them and forgot how to worship God with all their heart, might and all their strength. Every time they called unto God, when they got themselves into difficulties, God raised up a person specially to help the Israelites. These people were called Judges. Israel, had fast forgotten how God led them from Egypt, revealing Himself through many miracles and leading them as a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night.

Here, we find the Israelites being oppressed by the Midianites. So much so that they had to hide in the mountains. In such a situation the Angel of the Lord appears to Gideon. In vs. 13, Gideon asks the Angel “If the Lord is with us, why has all these happened to us and where are all these miracles our ancestors told us about?” When situations change and we find ourselves in difficulties, we too easily forget God’s mercies upon our lives. As the cares of this world take over, we too sometimes question as to “Where is our God?”

Are you someone with such questions?

Turn your eyes to the next verse. - “The Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you.”

But Lord, Gideon replies, “How can I rescue Israel? I am the youngest in my family and my clan the weakest!”

Although the world selects its leaders by their power and strength and looks at their physical abilities, not so with our God. Why, you may ask - It is because God does not depend on our strength but His own. We are mere vessels to carry out His purposes. If God is speaking to you today about a certain task for which He has chosen you - here is your word of confirmation - The Lord said to him, “I will be with you - And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.”

Prayer :

Thank you Father, for these encouraging words, Lord Jesus Christ, I long to serve you but in my heart I am afraid that I do not stand tall to be a leader. Please help me to see that it is your strength I depend upon and not my own. All you require from me is a willing and obedient heart. In Jesus name I commit my desire at your feet. Amen.

Sunitha Sahayam

Remembering Bishop Frank Marcus Fernando

W. W. Cletus E. Fernando, Marawila

Bishop Frank Marcus Fernando has left this world but glad to think he is now in Heaven after doing lot of improvement to the Chilaw Diocese. We are thankful to Father Alexander Dassanayake and Leslie T. S. Fernando, retired High Court Judge for giving us an excellent account of his life and work.

He had been a very great friend to me and I have to publish what he did to Marawila Catholic Church one of the consecrated churches, only a few in Sri Lanka and saved it from being destroyed by a Belgian, a Jesuit Priest.

The people of Marawila are highly indebted to the Bishop how tactfully he dealt without causing offence to anyone.

The Belgian Priest was brave but had anti Catholic ideas and refused to believe some miracles of Jesus saying they were Dreams of the evangelists.

One Sunday Bishop Frank Marcus came suddenly and said the 6 p.m. Mass. In his sermon he erased all these anti Catholic ideas without mentioning the name of the Belgian Priest.

After communion, he told the people to sit and as Bishop of the Diocese appointed by the Pope he has to do his duty. He had given his verdict before 25 people in the Parish Council that the Consecrated altar should not be demolished.

A foolish rumour has been spread that he has allowed to demolish it. His verdict before 25 members has not changed.

The Jesus was determined to demolish the consecrated altar. Cosmus Weerasuriya filed a case against him in Chilaw District Court.

Bishop Frank had thus saved the Marawila church. The death of Bishop Frank is very great loss to us.

Mother Lanka

Dear Mother Lanka
You shed your tears
For three decades
Now it’s time to be happy
As you have brave children.
People lived in fear
Children lost their parents
What about the widows?
All lost their hopes.
We prayed to the living God
We asked for peace for ever
Lord! You gave us eternal peace
We are happy forever.
You saw our tears
You saw our hearts
You heard our humble prayers
You came to rescue us.
You said ‘Fear not’
You will be with us always
We feel it now
As we got long awaited victory.
Our country is rejoicing
Now we are free from devil’s hands Lord!
We need your blessings
To fill our country with milk and honey
Lord! Bless the President
Bless the Forces
Bless all your brave children
Who helped for the victory

Thank you Lord!
Praise you Lord!
Thank you Lord!
Praise you Lord!

Mangalika