First International Missionory Congress of OFMConv. January 12 - 22, 2006
The Conventual Franciscan Friars in India did have every reason to be excited and proud of having successfully hoisted the First International Missionary Congress of the Order in January 2006. Recapitulating the whole event, so many persons and things flash across the minds of all of us. Fr. Mathew Purayidom, our Vicar Gustos with his intransigent positions gave us leadership and motivation. His confidence in us who were directly involved, was sufficient impetus for us to burn the midnight oil. Our Minister General M. Rev. Fr. Joachim Giermek and our former Provincial Gustos Rev. Fr. Joseph Cilia definitely encouraged us. We can now give you a summary of the whole event of the Mission Congress
Welcome with Sandal Mark and Lamp
At the beginning of the program all our guests gathered in the courtyard of our Provincialate. Fr.Raymond Ponmelil described of what was following. After that, all the participants garlanded with jasmine flowers, marked with sandal paste on their foreheads, honored with Arathi (encircling the lamp) and Chenda Melam (a
traditional art of playing the drums) marched in procession towards the meeting hall. We are indeed very proud to pen down here of the tangible emotions of joy in the eyes of the participants. This is the traditional manner of welcoming and honoring our particular guests in Kerala. Age old sages have taught us that guestshave to be considered as gods (Athithi Devo Bhava) so did we.Success of any meeting mostly depends on the comfortable accommodation and enjoyable food. Providentially we succeeded to provide them both. "O marvel at your hospitality and delicious the Indian food ... oh! ... really amazing ... " this was the often comment we heard from the participants.
Indian Classics
Fr. Sylvester Ponnumuthaan one of the professors of the St. Joseph Pontifical Institute, Aluva hasworked out a Christian classical music, using stories and psalms from the Bible. In India we have only Hindu classical music. This innovation of Fr. Sylvester would be the first in this line. Our guests had the prestige to enjoy this classical music. Yet another evening the guests were entertained with various forms of Indian dance staged by the students of Viswa Jyothi Public School, Angamaly. Oh ! How much they enjoyed, beyond words can explain. The numerous photographs they took with the dancers and the endless applause andFr. Minister General personally congratulating them, were some of the evident expressions of their enjoyment.
Off to the Back Waters
During the day all the participants were to strictly schedule with conferences, group discussions, liturgical services etc., they needed a relaxation. Hence we took them to the Eastern Venis - Alleppey back waters, our boats glided amidst the coconut trees and paddy fields, through the vast back waters. ith astounding eyes participants of the Missionary Congress from all over the world enjoyed. We had lunch by the side of the waters, on a hotel's out doors surrounded of orchid flowers on all the coconut trees. Returning to home we visited the centuries old synagogue at Cochin and after a short shopping back at home.
At the Feet of the Apostle
Our guests had an opportunity to visit and pray in the St. Thomas shrine at Azhikode by the side of the Arabian Sea. The true relics of St. Thomas touched the Indian soil here in this ancient port city (Crancannor) on the same day evening the congress members visited and had supper at Kolbe Ashram, our major seminary. His Beatitude Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil CSsR., our Major Archbishop was present for the supper as he was specially invited. During the dinner our youthful student-Friars entertained them with some traditional cultural program. It is to be specially noted that our little boys from the minor seminary staged one of the warriors art in Kerala, ( Parisamuttu) a breath stopping performance.
Dignitories from India
During the course of the congress the participants were addressed by His Eminence Cardinal Ivan Dias, Archbishop of Mumbai. The Friars took notice of his simplicity and ability to manage many European languages. Another scholar who addressed the group was Fr. Amaladoss, famous Indian theologian and writer.
Still More
Amidst the busy schedule during intervals we took the participants to the Rosary village at Koratty parish, St, Thomas mount Malayatoor, some of the Hindu temples and to a leprosy hospital. All these visits and experiences of course enriched their impression on India. Some of the friars shared with us that they had the idea that Indians still lived in caves and forests among snakes and other poisonous creatures! They did really change their wrong notions on our country so want to visit again! Our special thanks to Very Rev. Fr. Joachim Giermek, the Minister General who had the boldness to hold this Missionary Congress in India and in a Custody which.is only 25 years old! The Custody in fact is greatly indebted to you Fr. Joachim for this opportunity and for many other reasons.
Sunday Mass in Local Rite
The participants had also a chance to experience and concelebrate in the Syro-Malabar Qurbana in our church. Our student friars led the choir accompanied by the traditional musical instruments.
Conclusion
The official conclusion of the First International Missionary Congress was marked by a solemn concelebrated Holy Mass on January 11,2006 presided by Minister General. This was simultaneously the conclusion of the year long celebration of the Silver Jubilee of our Custody.
Most of the participants left for their ministerial areas on the very next day. As we bid them goodbye tears interrupted our sight of both the participants and the Indian friars. So fraternal did we grow in a few days. Thanks to God for his great wonders among us
Message from International Missionary Congress 2006 All the Friars of the Order
"WE ARE UNABLE TO HIDE WHAT WE HA VE SEEN AND HEARD" (Acts 4, 20)
We send you our greeting of peace and all good in Jesus Christ and in our Seraphic Father St. Francis from Cochin in the State of Kerala, India, where we are gathered with our Minister General and his Definitory, for the first International Mission Congress.
We have reflected at length on the theme: "Forming Friars Minor Conventual for interculturality and for mission at the beginning of the third millennium. "At the conclusion of the work of the Congress, we feel both the duty and the joy of thanking our confreres of the Provincial Custody of the St. Maximilian Kolbe Custody in India who were so solicitous in making our stay in India a pleasant one and in facilitating our work in every way possible, without failing to show us some significant features of their culture and their land. We marveled at the rapid growth of the Custody apparent in all dimensions of Franciscan life: the vitality, freshness, lively sense of belonging to the Order. We felt truly welcome as brothers.
We are grateful to God for allowing us to meet in so large a number (we were 68) coming from five continents, diverse in language and culture, but united in our objective: to foster a renewed missionary commitment and to offer suggestions for an updated missionary methodology in the Order. The conferences, the sharing of experiences, and the fraternal exchanges were focused on the themes: fraternity, Gospel, multiculturality and interculturality, mission. All the participants were attentive and involved in the process.
The pilgrimage to places associated with St. Thomas the Apostle, who, according to tradition, was the first evangelizer of India, the meetings with the Cardinals, Ivan Dias, Archbishop of Mumbai and Varkey Vithayathil, Archbishop of Emakulam and Primate for the Syro-Malabar the Sunday celebration of Mass in the Syro-Malabar rite, the visit to significant places in the Custody such as the postulancy and the major seminary, as well as the boat trip in very beautiful surroundings completed in a most special way this experience of being together.
During the Congress we reflected on a series of topics, which we would like to recall here in a synthetic manner:
- The world in which we live is marked by the phenomena of secularism indifference and above all of globalization which makes evident the deep crisis in human; religious, social and cultural values; it creates a deterioration of the economic situation where poverty, injustice, exclusion and waves of immigrants toward the West and large cities are on the increase. Such phenomena accelerate the process of internationalization and of multiculturality but are rarely accompanied by a true intercultural dialogue. It is a reality, which calls out to the Church and to our Order and demands a change in our "being in mission." - We note that the Church and our Order as well, is providentially increasing in number in the South of the world (Asia, Africa, Latin America). This fact urges us not only to know how to welcome the diversity of our brothers as a gift of God (Testament, 7), but also to establish a true fraternity through constant listening and continuous cultural exchange. This process exacts a great openness of mind and heart and a continuing conversion as authentic/h'ars minor. - Our mission has a Trinitarian root: it flows from the one mission of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, sent by the Father (cf. Ad gentes, 2) and takes places especially in the witness of a contemplative, holy and fra-ternal life (cf, Redemptoris Missio, 90). Mission relates to each of us, everywhere that the Order is present. We wish to emphasize that even the friars who are living in the churches of the old or not recent foundation, often in very secularized and indifferent environments, are called "to go" with humility and simplicity, toward their brothers who are not interested in the person of Jesus or in belonging to the Church. And we wish to recall that the commitment to justice, peace and the safeguarding of creation is an indispensable part of our mission.
- In the light of the Word of God and asking the illumination of the Spirit, we welcome with humility the gifts that the Lord has granted to our Order: the increase of our presence in new countries during the past 40 years, especially in the South of the world and in Eastern Europe the generous availability of many friars for mission ad gentes vocations to the Franciscan life, the prophetic witness of some friars in difficult and marginalized situations (about which we heard likewise at this Congress), the search for new opportunities for our Franciscan presence especially in inter-religious dialogue according to the" spirit of Assisi", and solidarity expressed by many benefactors.
- At the same time we are aware of our personal and institutional mistakes which have impeded our mission as friars minor a certain individualism in missionary undertakings, a too "Western" methodology of working in the missions ad gentes, the scarce collaboration among. Provinces, the lack of preparation on the part of the missionaries, the lack of a true mission project for the Order.
- The review of our recent history in the light of the Holy Spirit moves us to renew our efforts with regard to fraternal life, minority, evangelical witness and ongoing conversion, by proclaiming the reign of God and His justice through a life of simplicity and a preferential option for the poor and marginalized, without fearing a sincere dialogue with all, as our Father, St. Francis, teaches us very effectively (cf. RNB, XVI). We feel, from the experience of the Congress, like the Apostles, "unable to hide what we have seen and heard (Acts 4, 20).
- We think that the Franciscan style of being missionaries ought to emerge from the deep reality of our charism, as various documents of the Church and of our Order declare (cf. Ad Gentes, Evange Nuntiandi, the documents of the Extraordinary General Chapter of Mexico, 1992). These texts invite us to be truly "friars minor in simplicity, humility, availability, itinerancy of mind and heart, capacity for openness toward the other, expropriation, by following the example of St. Francis and of the other saints of the Order such as St. Anthony and St. Maximilian Kolbe.
- We believe it is important to share the various topics treated at this Congress with our communities and circumscriptions, in particular the education, which knows how to lead us from multiculturality to interculturality and the indispensable topic of mission.
In order for all this to take place, we feel the need to offer some suggestions to the government of the Order and to the next General Chapter:
1. to promote the development of a true "missionary project for the Order" which includes:
a better knowledge of our cultural, intellectual and spiritual heritage, which helped the Order in the past to be in mission;
a better knowledge of our cultural, intellectual and spiritual heritage, which helped the Order in the past to be in mission;
a better knowledge of our cultural, intellectual and spiritual heritage, which helped the Order in the past to be in mission;
2. to provide for and make obligatory the preparation and updating not only of missionaries but also of all those friars who serve in another culture or nation;
3. to promote solidarity in the missions in personnel, economic support, especially in the area of formation;
4. to encourage the co-operation within the Conferences and among the Conferences in the development of needed missionary projects, making the required juridical adjustments;
5. to strengthen the General Secretariate for Mission Animation with the functions of information, animation, planning and the co-ordination of the Secretariates at the level of Provinces and Conferences;
6. to encourage the creation of missionary projects with the laity, especially with those of the Franciscan family - (SFO, MI);
7. to continue the experience of Missionary Congresses (national, at the level of Conferences..,) likewise on specific topics (for example, dialogue with Islam), given the importance of the sharing of experiences and of missionary reflection coming from various sources;
8. to ensure the continuous accompaniment of our mission presences, by offering our young friars a solid Franciscan formation with formation directors who are adequately prepared; a to develop better communication (common languages, translations, website) to foster a mutual understanding and a mission consciousness among the friars.
Aware that we are only at the beginning of our journey toward a renewed missionary consciousness which ought to flow from a passionate love for Jesus Christ and for humankind, we invite you to join us in furthering and making these reflections available to all the realities of our Franciscan family.
The friar-participants at the first Missionary Congress Cochin, Kerala (India): January 21, 2006.
Words of Appreciation on the organization of Missionary Congress
Fr. Vincent Marcoli, Secretary of the Missionary Congress
DearMathew,
Greetings and best wishes to you and to all the friars of the Custody India!
My service as Secretary of the Congress requires me to find just manner to thank you and the friars of the Custody of India. It is not an easy task for the simple reason that you all have been unique and excellent, to begin with, in your service and co-ordination of logistics before, during and '" after the first International Missionary Congress of ou Order. Above all, we all have admired the 'atmosphere', the harmony, the youthfulness, the generosity, the exceptional spirit of service, the untiring readiness that you all have expressed and shown to the par-ticipants of the Congress.
Thank You! You have made this Congress a memorable one indeed! May the good Lord bless you!
