The Third Mission Forum Meeting of South East India Province was held on 27th June 2018 in the Msfs Provincialate, Nagamangalam, The meeting was attended by eighteen members. The meeting began at 9.40 am with a half an hour Eucharistic Adoration. After that, Fr. Kanikkai Nathan, the Convener and the Councillor in charge of the Mission Forum extended a cordial welcome to the Provincial and all the members.
As the meeting began, Fathers were sharing about different activities of the parish mission, initiatives and difficulties in our mission stations like building of churches, Presbyteries, Visiting Families, Introducing a Parish Software, Prison Ministry, Bible Classes conducted to people with scholars, Tuition Centres, Self Help Groups, Learning of Sign Languages, Celebration of Parish Feasts with Confirmations, Fransalian Readings given to people, Educational Help given to people and so on. Deliberations and decisions for the betterment of the mission in the province were taken in these areas.
Some of the important discussions and clarifications were also sorted out regarding the election of the councillor in charge of a particular forum from the same forum itself; the canonization process of Fr. Peter Mary Mermier and its process to be taken over sooner; need for erecting SFS Statues in our mission stations. the Malawi Mission in its breadth and width; Co-Ordination of the Youth Ministry with the help of Fr. Christu Raj the province’s youth animator; making use of the Mission Preaching Team in our parishes and celebration of Fransalian Sunday and Mission Sangamam.
At the end of the discussions, Fr. Provincial asked everyone to attend the upcoming annual retreat without fail and introduced also the new “Mermier Merit Award”, which would be distributed to the 12th and 10th class students who had scored 1st, 2nd, and 3rd to encourage them. Fr. Nicholas, the Bursar instructed the forum about the need to do the accounting, based on the new GST rules. Finally with a prayer led by Fr. Stephen Xavier, the secretary of the mission forum, the meeting came to an end by noon with the midday meal.
Fr. D. Jaya Kumar