FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT CELEBRATION AT BANDEL SHRINE

 

 

Popular Devotion VS Sentimental Pietism

         Hundreds of families irrespective of creed, caste and colour, fulfilled their pilgrim-promises to Our Lady of Happy Voyage at Bandel Basilica, a Shrine dedicated to the Queen of the Holy Rosary, to pray that their families encounter a similar rediscovery of our Lord who encounters his Mother, on his way to the Calvary. Devout faithful flocked in the Church for the morning Masses in Hindi, Bengali and English, with the observance of First Sunday of Lent (26^th Feb 2023), listening to the Lenten Message of the Pope during the homily.  Some families waited three years to come here to pray to God through the intercession of Mary.

        On this first Sunday of Lent, many families visit this shrine, especially for the ‘community expression’ (religiosity) of the Way of the Cross, with the memorable event of Jesus meeting his Mother while carrying the Cross to Calvary – an emotional meeting of the devotees with the suffering Son, Jesus. Such devotional religiosity revealed a ‘spirituality of the senses’, as part of ‘bhakti’, practices and popular piety.  However much of its moment of meeting missed out this year, this ritualistic practice has many personal and family-related expectations tied to it, which they believe to be realized by the grace of Jesus through Mary.  This Annual observance of the meeting of Jesus with his Mother at the annual Lenten Way of the Cross held at 2 p.m., started many years ago, is a special moment of grace for many. The atmosphere with such devotional-ritual practices, under the supervision of nearly 150 volunteers from the local parish, popularized the people’s ‘pilgrimage’ to Bandel. Many such annual pilgrimages were made by the devoted families in the subsequent years with lots of faith and devotion.

       Besides, many devotees believe that the miraculous statue of Our Lady of Bandel at this sacred location motivates them to come to this religious shrine to thank her for health-healing and intercessions. The pilgrimage by all sort of people is more than a devotional moment. People from all walks of life stood in the hot afternoon sun and felt one with Jesus making his way to Calvary, ready to walk the extra mile along with the rest of the pilgrims, listening to the short Marian reflections given by Fr. Moloy D'Costa of Kolkata Archdiocese and Fr Sebastian SJ, in Bengali and English alternatively, and praying. These pilgrims return with graces, blessings, peace and fulfilment, with the assurance that God, through the intercession of Mary, is going to take care of them all.  

       The “pilgrim families” coming mostly from the various surrounding parishes — many of them from Basanti, Khari, Morapai, Canning, etc. of Baruipur diocese,— thank God through Mary for shaping them as Christian families. Certainly, they go back, promising to imitate the Holy Family, in being families on pilgrimage along with neighbours and companions on the way. They come with a reason and purpose with a social centering. Literally, they run to touch Jesus (statue) for healing of self or their children. They’re not just a random group of families, wandering around in the campus and inside the Church. Though, some of their social behaviours expressed, do not often fit the expectations from a pilgrim people! Noisy movement, distracted devotions, smartphone-photo/video mania, are just a few of the major distractions that can strain families from being fulfilled through such pilgrimage. Nevertheless, coming together of parents, children and relatives, effect positively their relationship with each other and influence even their understanding of faith in God through simple devotional practices. The pilgrimage made as a family often makes them feel that life and relationships fall short of God’s expectation. People go back with the ideal worth working for, and struggling towards a life of peace and prosperity. Sometimes reconciliation and healing do happen here. Persons change, circumstances improve, and they work their way through difficult times with prayer through Mary.

        The Portuguese Church established in 1599 by the Augustinian monks has been under the care of the Salesians of Don Bosco since 1928. Today there are more than 4,000 Catholics in the parish with two communities of Salesians and four women religious congregations catering to the education of some 5,000 students both with English and Bengali medium education.

         An afterthought: As rational and irrational creatures we express our beliefs, going beyond the basics to meet personal need!  Faithful tries to ‘transmit’ faith through intercessions.  As tools they can only help experience religious expressions. Faith is a personal adherence and witness to the person of Jesus - a pure worship with the hope of no reward. What is needed most is being with God, and not chasing after some ‘miracles’.

       Within a belief system, we tend to speak in emotive sentimental terms. Contrary to popular devotions as expressed on this First Sunday of Lent here at Bandel, hyper-emotional “popular pietism” (sentimental) of many can become superstitious practices. Faith cannot be ‘transmitted’, but witnessed. Some of the religious expressions are designed to disguise psychological and physical realities. Such shadowed expressions are promoted at the cost of conscience. It reduces Catholic faith and morals to pious sentimentalities.

       Using two central Christian faith-events, – the Cross and Resurrection – it is easy to manipulate human emotions. An emotional “faith” expressed out of sentimental pietism, can be extremely dangerous. It affects one’s moral and religious growth. Sacrificial love on the Cross and the joy of resurrection are a balance of devotional and intellectual life by witnessing to Jesus Christ who died on the Cross and rose.  Unbridled human emotion, without critical questioning, begins to drive the faithful away from the creation – the real world. God does not want that people trample upon God’s truth in the name of ritual worship! Besides, detached from context, culture and reason, the sentimental faith-expressions becomes ill-educated, arrogant, and vicious. Certainly, we were reminded by the announcer of the war between Russia and Ukraine, the natural and earthquake calamities in Syria and Turkey, the fight between Israel and Palestine, the persecution of the minorities, etc.   God says, ‘learn to do good, be just, redress the wrong and defend the poor’ (cf. Is 1:10-17). Jesus speaks straight, “whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me” (Mt 10:38).

      There are Christians by conviction, devout Christians and Christians by instinct, wherein religion, culture, customs, rituals and identity are all rolled into one. A Christian priest with the clerical dress donned, a Catholic nun in her garb, a Marian Shrine with lots of rituals, rites, folklore and other external devotional practices keep people’s passions festering. They are a part of “collective memory” of Christian belief system. Besides, the ingrained social and cultural customs of the community sustain the traditional sensibilities of people of the place. Till date, as human beings, we fail when we are not ready to eat, drink, worship and pray through popular devotions with one who is religiously different from us and one who is in need. The convivial moments through a devotional practices especially in this public Marian pilgrim centre, as on First Sunday of Lent, are occasions of building up the harmony needed to live in unity. 

 

 

SALESIAN YOUTH FEST’23 (INC) AND IT’S FUTURE

 

After a long gap of two years, supported and encouraged by the Salesians, over 333 participants (SYM members) including 47 animators from various institutions of the Salesian Family (Kolkata Province) took part in the 7th edition of the Post-Covid Youth Fest, 20^th -23 January 2023, hosted at Don Bosco Park Circus based on the theme adapted from the Strenna 2023: “Let’s be yeast to our family: Education to the Social Media”, inviting young people to be protagonists of transformation in their families. It was set to focus on being the catalyst of positive impact in the human family. In total, 21 centres participated in the fest including Auxilium Convents at Bandel, Barasat and Dum Dum and few new Salesian presences e.g. Dumka, Gazol and Diamond Harbour. The young and energetic youth loved it, deserving Salesian dedication and the hard work put in by the Brothers of Sacred Heart Theological College Shillong and the Pre-Novices.  They are blessed to be ‘the burning Bush and the yeast in the families’.

 After the initial felicitation ceremony, the oath-taking was momentous that led the youth to pledge commitment, concern, and sensitive action towards the young and the environment. The DBPC School led by Mr. Peter Gomes (composer of the theme song melody) welcomed all. Each day began with Morning Prayer and Holy Eucharist presided over by Archbishop Thomas D’Souza and Bishop Nirmol Gomes and the Provincial Fr. Joseph Pauria, respectively. The Archbishop, mentioning St. Agnes in his homily, spoke of the “joy of the youth in the world” with everyday courage against all world threats without hesitation because life is from God and it needs to be given back to God. Like daily shoe polishing, habits of virtues and values (life principles) are to be created like those of Carlo Acutos, Ruth, Naman, Dominic Savio, and Maria Goretti. He added, youth need to meet Christ in everything by practising courage and generosity. Like Jesus, youth be at service of the family and the society through Parish activities, bearing witness to Jesus’ life daily. On a similar note, Bishop Nirmol encouraged them to follow Jesus courageously like the two young men - a Hindu (19 year) and a Muslim (30 year, local acquaintances), staunch devotees of Christ, who freed them from darkness and transformed them to youth of dream and decision with boldness. Christian maturity depends on unity of heart and mind of the youth who experience the power of Christ’s resurrection, he said.

 A prayerful mix of devotion and music spiritually permeated the ambience led by choirs from three different institutions. Besides, there were intense moments of communication with the divine through adoration, procession, Rosary, and the Taize prayer with simple repetitive chants that prepared the youth for their spiritual growth through the sacrament of Reconciliation.  The Post-dinner theme-based competitions kept the youth engaged as groups, in giving their best.

 Various dignitaries including the rector of the Don Bosco Park Circus, chief guest Faizal Khan, the 66 Ward Councillor who inaugurated with the YF hoisting the SYM flag, and several educators, animators, priests, brothers and sisters of the Salesian family from West Bengal,  Sikkim, Jharkhand and Nepal offered floral homage. Mr. Khan, quoting APJ Abdul Kalam called on the youngsters to live life cultivating moral values, and to strive for knowledge and make the best use of the facilities that Don Bosco provides them. The rector of DBPC, in his earlier speech, motivated the youngsters to be good human beings, first. He said, education is for life, which is to be lived to love, share, salute and smile – being more human. In today’s competitive world, a Youth Fest is a learning experience to ‘be’ good and ‘do’ good.

 On the second day, most of the sessions were taken by the lay experts in their respective fields, including vocation animation and career guidance. They interacted with the youth to discuss the ways of becoming yeast for social change, held in Bengali Hindi, Nepali and Santhali languages. Sessions on the Strenna which is an annual message of the head of the Salesian Family, Salesian Youth Movement (SYM), Social Media and a quiz contest on Don Bosco and young saints were part of the days’ activities. The theme song-cum-dance, repeatedly added youthful expressions, on frequent basis during the day. The   cultural   dance competition with ethnic costumes and choreography enthralled the night, and it had strong celebratory cultural dance forms – a much needed innovation.

 Mr. Augustin Halder, a devout Catholic from Krishnagar, addressed a group in Bengali, distinguishing between yeast (originated in Egypt) and the baking powder used to make cake, adding how salt, light, mustard and fire act as catalysts either to grow or to destroy. Just as at conception wherein a little semen (yeast) fertilizes the ovum, bringing a new life in the family, radical change needs to happen in the life of the youth who will have to live with responsibility in the family, Church and in the society taking life as a gift to be utilized through integrated cooperation with God and the laity. Fr. Dipak, the Youth Director of Delhi Province speaking on SYM as a platform for social changes, citing the Rector Major Angel Fernandes Artime, recommended youth to join politics, while affirming Pope Paul VI: “Politics is the highest form of charity.” They are to follow a spirituality of religious dialogue, human rights, ecology and virtues.

According to the Principal Fr. Bikash Mondol of DBPC, YF is meant to help in the spiritual, social and career dimensions of the youth.  Mr. Simon Rozario of NIPs, who learnt things through managing opportunities, spoke of transformation through multitasking. Speaking on vocation, Fr. P.V. Thomas said, youth are called to respond to the inner desire to a fulfilled life: “You have a purpose to be on earth.” Youth is a moment for discernment for life in fullness; it is a call to holiness, to perfection, to happiness.

Touching on a different note, Mrs. Victtoria, a Salesian Cooperator, spoke of her life’s success out of sheer obedience to the Salesian Fathers and Sisters in her life.  She asked all youth to feel part of the Salesian family and live life fully, being a light of the world and allowing God to work in each individual, stating: “Life is precious, treasure it, mould it well with God.” Mr. Donald of DB Tech job placement office asked the youth to clarify doubt, clear questions for life’s career. To do so, one has to use the 6 senses to be fully conscious and tell what one wants to say – that is the root of a clear communication. Following the movie 3-idiots’ famous catch phrase ‘all is well’, an effort towards adaptability was suggested to the youth for the survival of the fittest (e.g. use of smart phone during the Covid-19 lockdown; persons writing less, work from home, companies adapting to new strategies for profit, etc.). In the Gen-Z era, digital literacy, use of social media, digital marketing, are a must (content writing, programming, coding, designing development, Web Development, Technological design,  knowledge on fake and real marketing, etc.). To enhance one’s job he recommends: dream big, work hard and fly higher. For this, education is important for learning than mere entertainment. Giving the example of the richest man on earth, Elon Musk, the speaker spoke of him being bankrupt in 2003, yet how he rose to riches. Therefore, beyond all greed, and being happy with what one has, one can strive to be successful. But one youth courageously asked: How successful is success? It was not easy to confirm a comma or full stop at being successful! It needed further discussion!

Mr. Robin Pal who is a member of the International Justice Mission, highlighted in Hindi on the Yeast that each youth is called to be in human family. So too, the Santhal youth interacted with Dr. Dablu Soren and Mr. John Mardy who are special officers at Directorate of Correctional Service of West Bengal, on the similar theme. Miss Jane Namchu, Additional Director General of Press Information Bureau Kolkata, engaged herself in an active discussion with the Nepali youth.

 The Provincial, Fr. Pauria, restating his written YF Message (booklet), said in his homily that to be successful youth need to be cheerful, do daily duty and serve others. These are the signs of holiness. Giving the example of Blessed Artime Zatti, he said that there was A-Z of holiness in him, that kept up his faith by doing good, sharing bread with the hungry (being yeast) like the Good Samaritan, dispelling darkness from the society. Unlike the Scribes who justified their actions, the youth of today need to go beyond their self-expressions (self-interest), and be a yeast, by letting go of the ego. He also noted on the sin of omission in youth, neglecting one’s duty to do good to the one in need. Citing the gospel of the day, he told the youth to go and do likewise in order to be neighbours to others. This has to be the priority in life more than temple service; to be compassionate missionary of mercy. His last mandate was: be available, be holy and be cheerful. Concluding the YF, the Youth Director Fr. Patrick Lepcha said: “Life is not measured by length but by its depth. Therefore, discern well. Use the values (sparks) in the parishes, and light the fire….” In his printed message (booklet) he laid out five ways of being yeast: faithful to religious practices; diligent in studies and work; discipline and honesty in attitudes; respect towards all people of all faith and care for the Mother Nature.

 At final evaluation at individual parish/institution level, the groups expressed their satisfaction with the YF and wished that it be continued annually. They have appealed to all the Salesians to accompany them effectively all through the year and conduct more animation programs in their respective parishes. The report of the organizers’ evaluation held on the final day is yet to be made public.

In conclusion, transforming youth into ‘yeast’ in human family, honestly speaking, calls for a radical change in organizing any future Youth Fest. Going beyond “personal capability and Pastoral charity”, as recommended to the Youth Ministry delegates from every South Asian Provinces (Chennai, 31 Oct- 4 Nov, 2022) by Fr. Miguel Garcia, General Councillor for Youth Ministry: implement the possible by getting into  a plan-mentality and develop Youth activity in keeping with the Salesian charism in the present context. Therefore, the logistics could have been better co-ordinated by effective use of the ‘too-many’ organizing handlers, wholly managed by the Youth Director himself. Through an abled distribution of roles, they should have facilitated more group discussions and common sharing on crucial issues concerning the youth of the province by the help of better qualified resource persons; how we can coordinate better the sectors of education (schools), Young at Risk, Youth Centres (Parish), and other youth related activities under the SYM with its methods of functioning, and resource support to sustain it. Lastly, a Gospel Band, as was planned (cf. YF booklet) would have done better than the ‘RR Band’!