Cardinal Larraona Academy @ Claret Nivas Kandy Sri Lanka.

Cardinal Larraona Academy's 3rd meeting for the academic year 2018 - 2019 held on 4th March 2019 @ Claret Nivas Kandy. Student G. Selexon presides over the meeting under the Theme:- "SRI LANKA: AN ISLAND PARADISE"

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Today is the memorable day in our Community (11.03.2019)

Today is the memorable day in our Community.Triple events made us to be glad and happy.

1. Inauguration of the 25th Jubilee celebration of Claret Nivas Community Kandy.
2. Perpetual Vows Preparation of four of our Students. Dilan, Ronson, Christy and Iresh.

3. Farewell to our young missionaries- Fr. Abilas CMF, Fr. Leenas CMF & Fr. Thipucious CMF

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ADMINISTERING THE MINISTERS OF LECTOR AND ACOLYTE

ON THE SOLEMNITY OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY ON 8^TH OF DECEMBER 2018, SIX OF OUR BROTHERS RECEIVED THEIR MINISTRY OF LECTOR NAMELY DERRICK, NELSON, HEROLD, RAHUEL, KEN AND JOSEPH AND FIVE OF OUR BROTHERS RECEIVED THEIR MINISTRY OF ACOLYTE NAMELY ANTONY, DESMOND CROOS, DESMENRAJ,RAJASEKAR AND SELEXON.

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Inaugural address of our Superior - Academic Year 2018 - 2019

“Until Christ is formed in you” (Gal 4:19)

Claret Nivas, Kandy

01 October 2018

My dear brothers,

On the outset let me wish you all peace and blessings of the Lord.  I thank the Lord for the grace of our common faith in Jesus and the missionary vocation that we have received in and through this Congregation of the Missionaries Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and it is because of this we are here today.

 

On this time of our year when we begin our annual planning, I wish that we pose three questions: 1) Who are we? Why are we here? What are going to do? Who are we? Answer to this question gives the fundamental identity of each one of us individually as well as collectively as a community. I don’t delve in this question with the psychological analysis or response.  We can be tempted to answer based on “we are what we do, what others say about us, and what we have, or in other words: we are our success, we are our popularity, we are our power”.  All these are passing realities and false identity and illusion.   As believing people, the identity of Jesus is our identity that is to say: “We are God’s beloved children” chosen to follow his son Jesus in a special way in religious, missionary and priestly life”

Why are we here? St. Bernard a 12^th century monk who hailed from nobility with high quality education used to ask himself ever y day: “Bernard, Bernard ad quid venisti?” which means “Bernard, Bernard why have you come or Bernard, Bernard why are you here”? This self questioning helped Bernard to live his vocation meaningfully and faithfully leaving behind all his worldly wealth and possessions and to possess the greatest wealth and possession that raised him to sainthood.  Yes brothers, the question “why am I here:  leaving behind our families, acquainted food habits, countries, having decided to sacrifice the bodily pleasures etc.  We are here brothers because of our faith and special vocation in the Church through this missionary Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  This personal and communitarian question clarifies and purifies the purpose of our vocation and functioning of the community.

What are we going to do? Our special vocation“is the manifestation of the immeasurable riches of Christ, for this reason it is to be held in the highest esteem and cultivated with all diligence and concern, so that they can blossom and mature” (cf.RF 11). The present Pope has spoken in length and depth the formation of priests and consecrated people.  Here I quote the reflection given by our Pope on Priestly formation.  He says: “The theme of priestly formation is decisive to the mission of the Church: The renewal of faith and the future of vocations are possible only if we have well-formed priests.” He adds, “It is a work that requires the courage of letting ourselves be formed by the Lord, to transform our heart and our life.”  God is an artisan, moulding men in formation for the priesthood like potter’s clay, if the seminarian will allow the Lord to shape him. The one who allows the Lord to form him will prefer more than the noise of human ambitions, he will prefer silence and prayer; more than trust in his own works, he will know how to surrender himself to the hand of the potter and to His provident creativity; more than by pre-established mindsets, he will let himself be guided by a healthy restlessness of the heart, so as to direct his own incompleteness towards the joy of the encounter with God and with his brothers.” “If one does not allow oneself to be formed by the Lord every day, he becomes a spent priest, who drags himself through his ministry out of inertia, with neither enthusiasm for the Gospel nor passion for the people of God.” 

Our Congregation has from the time of our Founder given very rich and practical directions and guidelines regarding the formation of its missionaries. Our Constitutions spell out practical guidelines for the missionaries in formation:

“The period of studies is a time of formation for the pursuit of our mission... During this period of studies, our missionaries should cultivate their hearts as sell as their minds, keeping them open to the action of the Spirit and observing our own characteristic method of instruction.  Our scholastics should be especially diligent in the pursuit of sacred studies” (CC 72)

“In order to achieve an ever deeper and more mature appreciation of their vocation, let them earnestly learn, in the mist of changing world, to stand firmly and constantly by Christ according to our charism as set forth in the Constitutions.

They should confidently avail themselves of the help of their prefect and their spiritual director.

They should pray God unceasingly to make them fitting ministers of the divine Word, so that they may be able to spread his name and the kingdom of heaven throughout the world. As trusting sons, they should love and honour the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose special concern is the formation of Apostles” (CC 73)

“Our missionaries in formation should acquire an adequate knowledge of contemporary human, social and political conditions, so that in dealing with the circumstances of the modern world ...” (CC74)

“...During the period of formation, skills for the apostolate should be both learned and practiced” (CC 75)

Writing to me the General Prefect of formation says:“I believe that more than ever we have to invest more in the quality formation. As we demand quality academic performance from our students, we should also demand qualitative growth in other areas of their formation like in the spiritual, Claretian, charismatic, Christian, and human dimensions among others” (Leo, 27 September 2018).

Let us not give room to temptations:

In following Jesus, Peter wanted to stay with Jesus where it was everything beautiful and thus even gave directions what Jesus should do.  According to Jesus, Peter’s thinking was worldly or mundane, and not in line with the thinking and plan of God.  Jesus, very strongly and with very hard words corrected Peter saying go behind Satan.  Because I think that the Satan who tempted Jesus at the desert is working in Peter who would be heading the Church later, to take the easy and narrow way avoiding suffering and cross.   The same attitude of Peter can also creep in our personal as well as community level may be listing to the voice of the world and go behind its values that are often convincingly and attractively presented by the commercial world.

On one occasion addressing the Seminarians the Pope said: Dear Seminarians, what you are preparing for is not a profession, you are not training to work in a business or bureaucratic organization...You are becoming pastors in the image of Jesus, the good pastor.  Your aim is to resemble him and act on behalf of him... “if you are not willing to follow this path, with these attitudes and these experiences, and I say from the heart, without meaning to offend anyone – it is better to have the courage to seek another.  Following Christ in ministry allows no mediocrity.

We have begun our academic year with a time of Recollection, Eucharistic adoration, Holy Mass and orientation focusing on our intercultural living and Claretian formation. Our community this year consists of members from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and India. We are from different countries but share the same faith and vocation.  We begin this new academic year with new hope, new insights, new vision, new enthusiasm.  Let us journey together joyfully under the formative shadow of the Holy Spirit and formative guidance of  our mother Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  May our Father Founder St. Claret and the Claretian Martyrs intercede for us.

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THE FINAL STUDY- SESSION OF THE CARDINAL LARRAONA ACADEMY 2017-2018

The Final Study- session of the Cardinal Larraona Academy was held on the 21st of June, 2018 on the theme of "Wither the Church without the ministry of Reconciliation" ( The need for justice peace and reconciliation in our Evangelization). Rev. Fr. J.M.Joseph Jeyaseelan Cmf, was the Guest speaker of the day. It was an enriching and inspiring session. Thanks to Fr. J.M.J. Jeyaseelan cmf, for his inspiring insights shared with us...

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Reflexology

A New Ministry of Claret Nivas

(Foot Massage, the natural healing)

Reflexology (foot massage): We the Claret Nivas community starts for the people in Kandy. Reflexology is a very popular natural healing method of Asian countries like China and Japan.  This has been introduced among the Claretians in India over twenty years ago and now this healing mission is widely practised by the Claretians in different places of south Asian Continent.

This natural way of treating the people is being introduced to the people of Sir Lanka by our   Brothers trained in Reflexology and practised in India.

Benefits of Reflexology

• ·     No side effect
• ·     We can be healed without using medicine.
• ·     Sugar and B. P patients also can be healed.
• ·     It is possible to diagnose some of the problems in the body.
• ·     Long time diseases can be controlled.
• 
  
  

-          For more details contact -  081 2238572

By : Rubeshan, cmf.

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The Annual Apostolate Gathering - 2017

The annual apostolate children and youth gathering was held at ClaretNivas,Kandy on 28^thMay 2017 at 9.30am to 3.00pm. Totally 48 children and youth from Panwila, Rangala, and Peradeniya and some of our CEA students participated in this gathering. Claret Nivas Apostolate Committee organized the program. The program started with the Holy Eucharist presided by Fr. S. Maria Arul CMF. After the Holy Mass all gathered in the media hall and all the participants introduced themselves.  Fr. S. Maria Arul CMF illuminated the children and the youth about the salient facts about our Congregation and our founder. He also spoke about the nature of Claret Nivas and mentioned about our purpose of this gathering. Then Bros. Donal Christy CMF and Kirishanth gave input on “Setting a Goal in life” and “how to be happy and avoiding laziness.” They used many input methods like games, interaction, group works, group discussion etc. that the children would gain fully from the inputs. After the lunch they had a course on “Leadership Management” with several group activities and games. Through this they were given inputs such as, how to be a leader in a group and how to work as a group in order to achieve the assigned Goal. And then they had some common games to give knowledge about leading others in a correct path and supporting others to come up in their lives. We terminated the program around 3.00 pm with tea.

The children and youth were happy and satisfied about the entire program of the day which they expressed through an evaluation. And they also expressed their desire to have this program in the coming years without fail.

Apostolate and Ecology Committee

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MY DREAM IS FULFILLED WITH THE GRACE OF GOD …

He was one of us in our community earlier but now we are proud about him for he is celebrating his first  thanksgiving Eucharistic Celebration as priest in our Claret Nivas community. Fr.Tharaka Dinindu Perera CMF who was ordained and consecrated by Rt. Rev. Dr. Raimond Kingsly Wickramasinghe the bishop of Galle on 18^th of May 2017 in St. Joseph Church Wenapuwa. Thereafter he celebrated his first thanks giving mass in his own soil, at Our Lady of Madhu in Malcolony, Thethapola On 21^st of May 2017. He is the first fruit from that village. He celebrated other thanksgiving mass at St. Xavier’s Church, Nuwaraellia on the 28^th of May 2017 where he was given with the diaconate ministry. 

            On 29^th of May 2017 we, Claret Nivas community, joyfully experienced the mysterious hand of God in the person of Fr. Tharaka. The Eucharist started with the words of our superior, who joyfully welcomed our newly ordained Fr. Tharaka CMF and gave short introduction on the gift of missionary vocation. He concluded his introduction advising him to lead a life of prayer and to live according to the Eucharist he celebrates and to have focus at the crucified Christ. At the very outset of the mass itself Fr. Tharaka mentioned that he was proud and very happy to celebrate the Eucharist with us, which was once his dream (today that has come true) particularly to change the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ and to sit on the presidential chair in Claret Nivas.

            The beautiful part of the celebration is the homily, where he spoke from his heart. Our Lord Jesus Christ, from his birth to death, underwent enough and more difficulties and struggles yet he was always faithful to God and fulfilled the will of His Father by serving people. Fr. Tharaka mentioned that the missionary/priestly life is also with lot of difficulties but it is joyful when we face them with Christ and fulfill the God’s will by serving the faithful with mercy and love. He had been in the seminaries, both in Negombo and Kandy for fifteen years, which was a long journey but each day was precious to discern the will of God and to learn there, to be formed and to be forged for the mission of God.

             He shared his beautiful experience of his ordination day. Though he had prayed and made preparations he was tensed and frighten before the mass. But the real joy he has felt during the time of consecration which is unexplainable and cannot buy for any amount. It is the real blessing. He witnessed that all his struggle, tense and pain were vanished at that time. He too share his few unforgettable experiences in Claret Nivas, when he was a student here. He was very correct when he said that when we join the seminary, we were very fresh and our goal was only to become a priest but on the process of our formation we were disturbed by many things and our goal get divided. But he told that we need to persevere the same desire and motivation to serve the people.

            He did not fail to say that despite of his unworthiness God has made him worthy. He narrated the two incidents happened in his childhood. He too mentioned that we are human beings and making mistakes are part of our life but if we do not learn a lesson from each mistake then it is really a mistake. He is very happy that he has learned a lot of thing during the time of his formation. He further expressed there are so many incidents where he had felt the protection and guidance of God. He instructed the missionaries who are in formation to be joyful in the formation period specially to pray more and to participate in all the community activities happily.

This celebration of thanksgiving was not only a special day to Fr. Tharaka but also to all of us who are in formation. It is really a day of inspiration to all the missionaries in formation to have a day as such in our life too.

 It is not only the dream of Fr.Tharaka but the dreams of many who courage him and supported him. We do well to take up the dreams of our elders, so that we can prophesy in our day and once more encounter what originally set our hearts afire. We are heirs to the dreams of our elders, heirs to the hope that did not disappoint our founding mothers and fathers, our older brothers and sisters. We have inherited the hymn of hope from our elders. Our elders, our fathers and mothers, dreamed and courage us prophetically to carry on our dreams.  They made us part of this process.  In their faces, in their lives, in their daily sacrifice we were able to see how this praise was embodied. We too want to sing, “God does not deceive; hope in him does not disappoint”.  God comes to meet his people.  And we want to sing by taking up the prophecy of Joel and making it our own: “I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions” (2:28).

MY DREAM IS FULFILLED WITH THE GRACE OF GOD...

By Dilan Rojan.

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Our Multifacetic Joyfulness

This December 08/2016 has been an especial day for our Claret Nivas community and for all Claretian Community in Sri Lanka and the whole world as well, because we have celebrated the temporary deaconate ordination of our brother Tharaka Dinidu Perera, cmf. 

                                             Muchas Felicidades!!!

As everybody knows that the deaconate ministry belongs to the very origin of Christian communities, where they have been appointed men and women to SERVE the poor, this is the particular connotation of this ministry: social service. Today let us say to promote social and ecological justice; however, this original calling was distorted in the history of the church since third century towards making it more liturgical and bishops collaborators, moreover abolishing women’s participation in this worthy ministry.

All members of our community, parents and relatives of brother Tharaka, we enjoy this Good News. In the same day we celebrated the birthday of our brothers Pretheep and Kirishanth; the Lector ministry of our brothers Johnson cmf, Suthashan cmf and Annroy cmf; the Acolyte ministry of brothers Christy cmf and Iresh cmf; the fifty years of  priestly ordination anniversary of Rt. Rev. Dr. Vianney Fernando, Bishop of Kandy diocese, who was happily celebrating and sharing his experience to all of us. 

And as entire church, every year we celebrate the feast of Immaculate Conception of Mary. So this multiple celebration was a wonderful thanks given to God’s calling to the life and specific vocation as missionaries.

Efrain Vasquez Mamani, cmf.

zhengyuanyu66@yahoo.com

                       

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