 |
| Artists from TALASARI, India - Warli Art " Village and City" |
Welcome to Gurjarvani Parivar [ Gurjarvani family] Blog. A Culture and Communication Center at the service of mainly the Gujarati speaking people all over the world, Gurjarvani stands for peace,joy,justice and harmony in the world. Gurjarvani would like to reach out to the whole world through its presentations. Go to the pages below for more.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Warli Art : New developments - Exhibition at NATRANI Jan 2015
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Helpline Number (1-800-208-4545)
Helpline Number (1-800-208-4545)
Dear All,
This is to inform you that UCF launched a 24 hour Toll Free National Helpline Number (1-800-208-4545) so that lawyers and experts can assist victims of violence, intimidation, coercion and illegal confinement by criminal or political groups.
United Christian Forum for Human Rights (UCF) consisting of members from all denominational and non-denominational Christians present in Delhi was created on 19th January, 2015 at YWCA of Delhi to coordinate both legal and advocacy assistance to the Christian Community traumatized in recent months by communal violence in several states.
The Forum was started with blessings by the religious leaders of the Catholic, Protestant, Evangelical and Pentecostal Churches as well as by non-denominational and independent Churches.
The Forum will pursue all such cases with judicial, political, administrative and police system.
PLEASE PUBLICIZE "24 HOUR NATIONAL TOLL-FREE HELPLINE NO. 1-800-2080-4545" SO THAT TIMELY ASSISTANCE AND PROPER MONITORING OF SUCH ACTS ARE DONE.
Thanks & regards,
A C Michael
Coordinator - UCF
B1A/10C, Janakpuri, New Delhi - 110 058
Email: acmichael60@gmail.com
Mobile: +91-9999940633 / +91-9818155290
Email: acmichael60@gmail.com
Mobile: +91-9999940633 / +91-9818155290
R.I.P Fr.Dias Chelston(Charlie) -(GUJ) 68/50, passed away on 27 Jan 2015 at 10.45p.m
We are sorry to inform you about the passing away of Fr. Chelston(Charlie Dias)at 10.45p.m on 27 January 2015 at Gomtipur, Nursing Home in Ahmedabad. The funeral will be held on 29 January 2015 in Ahmedabad.
The funeral of Fr.Charlie Dias will be held on ( Thursday) 29 January 2015 at 3.00p.m in Loyola Hall, Ahmedabad.
The timing and the venue of the funeral on 29 January 2015 have not yet been decided. We will communicate to you as soon as we can.- Socius.
Fr.Charlie Dias was admitted in the Sterling Hospital in the second week of November 2014 for the treatment of cancer in his right arm. The doctors were trying their level best to save his right arm. After a prolonged treatment at Sterling, on 16 January 2015 the doctors then in consultation with the superiors concerned decided to go for the amputation of the arm in order to save his life.
Fr.Charlie Dias accepted the decision of the doctors and then he had sent his personal message to his near and dear ones:
“It is hard to believe i have finally after more than a month i have now been recommended to take the harsh step of consent of amputation of my Right hand, this is in consultation with the team of my Superiors, Socius and my family members having met with the Panel of doctors including Dr Somesh and Dr Mandeep to save my life. They did all the best to save my hand but at the end i lost the battle and had to surrender my right arm.
Tomorrow 16th Jan 2015 morning 7.30 am my Right Arm will be amputated at Sterling Hospital.”
The right arm was amputated on 16 January 2015. For a week he was in the ICU and then he was transferred to a private room. He showed a lot of improvement. With the support of Bro.Pravin Falcao, he even tired to walk in the room. Once again on 25 January, he had to be put in the ICU since his vital organs were not cooperating to the treatment that was given to him.
Finally his prolonged suffering came to an end on 27 January 2015 at 10.45 p.m and he departed for the eternal home. May his soul rest in peace!
Socius-Gujarat
Dias Chelston
Fr.Chelston was the ninth child in a family of twelve. He joined the Apostolic School at Loyola Hall and passed SSC from Loyola in 1964. Influenced by the Jesuit Community at Loyola, he joined the novitiate the same year and took his vows in 1966. As a student of St.Xavier’s College, Ahmedabad, he presented the college in football, hockey and athletics. Though chosen to represent the Gujarat University in these various disciplines, he had to step out ‘in virtue of holy obedience’. In 1968, Fr.Charlie Dias was the fastest runner in Gujarat University standing first in the 100 m. race.
After an illustrious college performance, both in and off the field, he proceeded for the novitiate at Mt Abu and then for philosophy to Pune. After completing his regency and theology, he was ordained a priest in Bandra in 1979. After his B.Ed. Charlie had four assignment at Rosary, Baroda in 1984, landed at Loyola hall as Vice Principal, with additional charge of sports and scouts.
Charlie has a motto that reads: A true Xavierite is a better person for others. His great hobby is arranging leadership camps and ‘future leaders’ vie with each other to find a place on these camps. The leadership camps surely went beyond the ordinary and the mundane routine of the textbook learning and spewing what was learnt in examinations. These camps have been, a unique contribution of fr.Charlie to engage young people in understanding themselves, discovering their inner potential, sensitizing them to society’s challenges and egging them on to leadership. His faith formation camps for Catholics students have him personally involved and devoted every bit of his time and energy. As a Vocation promoter, he organized many camps and through these camps many have joined for priesthood and for religious life.
All through the years at St.Xavier’s Loyola Hall, Fr.Charlie has held many offices and important ones such as Principal of St.Xavier’s Loyola Hall Primary Section, Director of Leadership Training programmes, Director of Sports and games, Director of alter servers, Chairman of Cubs and scouts, Director of the Social service league and Minister of the Jesuit residence. Holding all these portfolios, Fr.Charlie’s main focus has been the children. He instilled in his students the spirit of sportsmanship. ‘Play the game to enjoy it. Winning and losing don’t matter. Participation is the most important thing’.
Fr.Charlie’s generosity knows no bounds reaching out to the poor and the needy far and wide. He is very often addressed as Fr.Santaclaus.
By Fr.Lancy D’Cruz
Responsibility Held In Society
Responsibility
Vice principal primary Loyola Hall Ahmedabad 1984-1998
Minister of Jesuit Community Loyola Ahmedabad
Principal primary section St.Xaviers Loyola Hall Amedabad
Primary in charge St. Xaviers
Director of sports St.Xaviers Loyola Hall Ahmedabad 1990-2005
Director Leadership Program St.Xaviers Loyola Hall Ahmedabad 1986-2006
Director Social Service St.Xaviers Loyola Hall Ahmedabad 1986-2006
Director of Sports St. Xaviers
Asst PP & School Animator
Friday, December 26, 2014
Brother Paul Macwan RIP -2
That was truly sad news of the death of our co-Novice and friend Paul Macwan.
Besides
the nearly 4 years in Vinayalaya with him, I was privileged to be in
that team of 4 Jesuits viz. Pierre Ceyrac, John Bingham, Paul Macwan and
myself who were assigned to work in the Refugee Camp of Phanat Nikhom
i.e. from October 1980 till March 1981. Both of us have been given
permission for 6 months only. This camp was a sort of transit camp
where most of the 18,000 or so refugees had been accepted for migration
to third countries and had to be cared for until such time that they got
official immigration documents. Most of them were educated Cambodians
who had been in the Pol Pot camps and had escaped to Thailand before and
after the defeat of the Khmer Rouge.
JRS had
not yet been started when we started our Mission. We went there on
behalf of Caritas International and were working under umbrella of the
organisation of the Thailand Bishops known as COERR (Catholic Office of
Emergency Relief and Refugees). Paul did a wonderful job there and was
immediately given the responsibility by the UNHCR for constructing
houses for the Refugees.
If it was not for Br.
Paul, who gave me tremendous support and encouragement, I would have not
done the little that I could do there. He had a very close contact
with people. In the Thai town of Phanat Nikhom where we were staying,
he got into contact with people. Very soon he was conducting evening
classes in English for some older persons (a couple of them teachers).
In due course he got me involved. He would take classes for 2 of them
and I would take classes for the other 2. Then, because of his close
contact with the Refugees, he realised that many of the Refugees, when
they were accepted by 3rd countries were leaving with very little. He
approached me and we both decided to do something. I got into contact
with the Mission Procurators of Germany and Switzerland and very soon
started getting financial support from them. I had told Paul that I
would help raise the funds but he had to plan what to do with them.
As
soon as we had the funds, he approached two of the Thai ladies whom we
were teaching English and they agreed to drive us to Bangkok on a Saturday
where we would go to the shopping centre and buy clothes, bags,
suitcases and other things needed by the Refugees.etc.. We would then
take these to the camps and Paul would be the one who would give them to
those who were the next on the list for flying out to either
France/USA/Australia or some other country.
With
these few paragraphs I just want to say "THANK YOU PAUL! Thank you for
having made those 6 months in Phanat Nikhom so special for me. May God
bless you abundantly for what you have done for so many of us."
All the best Agnelo. Thank you for keeping me informed.
Brother Paul macwan RIP - 25th Dec 2014
R.I.P.
Br. Paul Macwan (GUJ)
76/53, died in an accident between Umerpada and Mandvi this evening
on 25 Dec 2014. He was traveling with Fr.Aubrey Fernandes, who is hospitalized now.
May the soul of the departed rest in peace.
Br Paul Macwan SJ
Br. Paul Macwan was inspired to join the Society
while he was doing his primary school at Nadiad, by observing the saintly life
of Br. Augustine Lobo. He joined the novitiate at Vinayalaya, Mumbai, in 1961.
After spending four years in Vinayalaya, for his
noviciate and juniorate, he was sent to De Nobili College, Pune. That was his
home for 15 years till 1980. He was moulded there and had been in charge of several
offices, including being the first Brother Minister of De Nobili College. He
was the founding member of De Nobili College Trust.
In 1980, he was sent to the Thailand Border to
serve the refugees of Cambodia
and Vietnam,
at the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for refugees. Paul was in
charge of coordinating the construction works, sanitation, electricity and water
supply of the camp for over 50,000 refugees. He received a letter of merit from
the UN High Commission and a congratulation letter from the then General Fr. Aruppe.
In 1981, Paul was sent to Dediapada and worked
there for seven years as Treasurer, Farm Manager, In Charge of Social Work and Secretary
of Adivasi Samajik Kendra Dediapada, Relva and Nani Sigloti. He collaborated with
Fr. Berechi in starting the first educational project in South Gujarat, opening three
Primary schools, a High school and later on a Higher Secondary school.
At the same time He was asked by Fr. Berechi to improve the management of the
milk cooperative society. So he went to NDDB, Anand for a course in the relevant
skills.
From Dediapada he was sent to Africa (Ethiopia).
It was one of his dreams fulfilled. He was given charge as Field Director of
JRS, and had to oversee a huge multi project: establishing 70,000 displaced
people of that country. The project was contracted with the government of Ethiopia
which acknowledged the JRS project as a model project. There too Paul was given
a letter of appreciation by the Ministry of Health. The Provincial of East
Africa with the approval of the Gujarat Provincial, wanted to send him to Somalia
for refugee work there.
In the meantime he was asked do join his tertianship
at Bangalore
in1989. At Bangalore
he also did a diploma course in catechetic. Since he could not obtain a visa to
Somalia,
he was sent to Khambhat mission in 1990.
At Khambhat he worked for eight years as an Administrator,
Treasurer and the director of Agricultural project, building the high school,
hostel, renovating the Fathers’ residence and building a compound wall. He was
also in charge of buying land and building a school, hostels and a convent at
Varasada and the Shrine and the Retreat House in Nagra. He also took care of
the construction of the extension of St Xavier’s, Gandhinagar.
The sudden demise of Fr. Herero at Ankleshwar
resulted in the transfer of Paul to he take charge of completing the construction
of one wing of the Technical school and the fathers’ residence at Catholic
Church, Ankleshwar.
In 1998 he was called to Premal Jyoti,
Ahmedabad, to work in the Province Curia. He was appointed Province Treasurer, the
first Brother to hold the job. He was also the Province Revisor of Arcarum and
Domorum and the Director of XKM Vehicle Office. He was a secretary and
treasurer of the Province-run trusts including the Secretary of Xavier Kelvani
Mandal Pvt. Ltd. He resided with the community of Gurjarvani. There too he was made
Secretary of the Gurjarvani Society and given the charge to supervise the
building of the Parish
Church (Prayer Hall) on
the college campus.
Paul had been trustee of several trusts and had
taken keen interest in the development of many centres.
Paul was very reliable. He was very good in human relationships. He made
friends easily and his friendships lasted long. He was a good administrator,
and good at organizing things. He was good at accounts. He was creative. He wrote
and spoke well, especially in Gujarati. Before joining the Society he had
written a play which was staged at the Town Hall in Baroda.
Since Last 20 years he was assisting a centre
for the handicapped children run by an ex-Jesuit Brother at Inderanaj in
Varasada mission.
In 2010, he was given a year off to study
scripture, Catholic doctrine and catechetics to help in the Pastoral line and
for his own spiritual good. In 2014, he was appointed, Treasurer, Building
Incharge and Farm Incharge at Nanisingaloti.
Fr.Lawrence Dharmaraj SJ
Socius
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)