JOINING THE CONGREGATION OF JESUS

The report of the JPIC orientation webinar held on 11th July, 2021 for Delhi Province

An orientation program was organized for the sisters and teachers of the schools in Delhi Province on 11^thJuly 2021 at 4.30 pm through Zoom by Sr. Deepti CJ, the province JPIC Coordinator. The resource persons, Sr. Nirmala IBVM Mrs. Kawaljeet Kaur and Mrs. Sanchayta Dey were welcomed by one of the teachers, Mrs. Anjini. There were 85 participants from different schools and Communities of Delhi Province.

Soon after the JPIC prayer the participants were divided to break up rooms to facilitate group discussion which gave the group an understanding about the awareness of JPIC among the members.

The orientation highlighted that Justice Peace Integrity of Creation is an integral part of our Education System .It is not just something we do rather it is an attitude which can change our lives and our perspectives

Some key notes of the webinar are

• Commit our energies and resources to challenge injustice in all forms and Value and Care for the Earth and All That It Holds.
• JPIC is integral to all that we do and it is for all, the teachers, students, non-teaching staff, parents and the local and state and Central Government.
• To fulfill Our Mission and Vision, JPIC is committed to follow the SDGs in all our Schools. Our students need to be enriched and updated on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through seminars, workshops and interactive sessions conducted by experts,
• All institutions must adopt the green campus program by registering for the same and contribute to the SDG.
• Gender and Water Audit through survey need to be conducted on the students and staff of all institutions.
• Solar / renewable energy installations need to be made where it is possible
• Prepare a flex with 17 SDGs and 7 Laudato Si Goals, Mary Ward School campus and display it in a prominent place in all our institutions.
• v Publishing JPIC E- magazine at province/ COIN level is recommended.

Conclusion.

The webinar came to a Conclusion with Mrs. Manisha Gardner, thanking the resource team. We parted ways with a positive note that we relate to others and bind into a community working together for a better world.

Follow up Activities.

• All the schools are asked to have a JPIC Club formed with teacher and student coordinators
• Water audit survey will be done through Google forms which will be sent to all the communities and schools.
• Schools are asked to register for green Campus. Nainital SMC has already registered.
• Solar panels are installed in most of our institutions, a record of which is needed to be maintained with photos.
• A flex with 17 SDGs to be put up in our schools.
• To take up the study of Laudato Si 7 year Action Plan and make an action plan.
• A report of the activities undertaken by the community and JPIC club to be sent to the Province JPIC coordinator once in two months. {Starting now at the end of August with photos if possible.}

Deepti CJ, JPIC Province Coordinator deepticj@gmail.com

JPIC activities in the province in the month of June 2021

St. Mary’s Nainital: We had great concern for those finding difficult to make ends meet due to Corona Pandemic. Since we were not allowed to move out, we approached the authorities with our desire to help out the suffering people. They appointed the police department to help us out in this venture. With the help of the police having identified the needy in various close by villages (Alukheth, Bhoomiadhar) and our locality, we distributed ration kits consisting of necessary provisions for a month. The other beneficiaries of our generosity are rag pickers, rickshaw pullers, boat men, needy catholic families of our parish and leper colony

St. Anthony’s, Jeolikote: We were greatly inspired by the thousands of Good Samaritans around the world. The sisters along with our parish priest desired to reach out to the needy and distressed to alleviate their sufferings, even if it is only a wee bit. We reached out to a few families in our neighborhood and the remote village Bana and distributed provisions enough to last them for a few weeks. This sharing of our resources with them has brought great joy and satisfaction to the receivers and the givers.

St. Mary’s, Jhajjar: Environment Day was celebrated with an on-line assembly. Srs. Joseline and Mariella addressed the school. The significance of the theme of the year was highlighted. Children were assigned some projects related to environmental care and protection. Some are taking keen interest in growing indoor plants.

St. Mary’s, Mayur Vihar: On 5th June World Environment Day was celebrated and students were motivated to remain connected with the earth and promoted environmental awareness. All the competitions were held online and aligned with this year’s theme ‘Eco System restoration’.

Nirmala Convent, Jhansi - planting trees in the campus

COVID – 19 and
LOCKDOWN DELHI
PROVINCE

St. Francis community in Jhansi
contributed to Diocesan Social Work Centre Rs. 55,000/- to give food to the migrant labourers thus reached out to the needy during the lockdown. Their contribution of Rs. 2,00,000/- towards Covid-19 relief work to the District Magistrate, Jhansi was greatly appreciated. They also purchased food items like, wheat flour, rice, oil, dal, salt, coriander powder, turmeric, chilli and some soap and detergent powder for 100 families and packed them separately for each family to be distributed in collaboration with the Diocesan Social Work Centre.
The community at Nainital, Uttarakand has quarters for their own co-workers. Due to lockdown they were not able to go to the market to buy provisions. Sensing the reality and getting into the shoes of the poor and needy they distributed the ration to around 400 families including our co-workers and inmates of leper colony at Haldwani.

Jesu Bhawan, Delhi Provincial House reached out to the migrant workers who could not go home due to lockdown. We purchased ration for 65 families and distributed to them. We were able to give them items like, rice, dal, oil and biscuits for children.

Reaching out to the needy Delhi Province
Our community in Jeolikote, reached out to the villagers in BANA and MONA. The nationwide lock down terribly affected these villages. The parish priest Fr. Uday was held up there. When he visited the families, he saw the pitiable conditions of the people. They had rice and wheat flour and nothing else. Father stayed on as they needed him. Meanwhile he asked us whether we could provide masala and few other necessary items. There are 32 families in all. So, after a community discussion, Srs. Pratibha and Deepika went to the market early in the morning and purchased items like turmeric, mixed gram, arhar dal, chana, chilly and coriander powder, jaggeri, oil, salt, tealeaves and also some medicines for common sickness. The community came together and packed them in separate bags and we felt it would hold them together for a while. So Srs Lucy, Damian and Sheeba along with Fr. Uday left for the village at 5.30 a.m. and reached the foot hills around 6.30 a.m. A few villagers and a mule were waiting for them to cart it up the hill. After 40 minutes of climbing the steep hills they reached Mona village. The representatives from each family were eagerly waiting for them.

The parish priest and the sisters along with the people thanked the good Lord and then the ration was distributed to them. The joy on the faces of people was the satisfaction experienced by the sisters. We always looked forward to be in the forefront to help the people. We raised our hearts in gratitude for giving us such an opportunity. We dream that nobody should go hungry to bed. So, we are reaching out to the people in Jeolikote also who are really in need. We spotted about 35 families in our surrounding villages and gave them ration. At the request of police, we bought some amount of ration for 20 families, and handed it over to them to distribute, since we could not get permission and move about and distribute.

Nirmala community, the candidates and postulants in Krist Jyoti prepared food for 400 migrant workers who have no means of getting any provision. This was done in collaboration with the Diocesan Social Work Centre. We were happy that we could do some service for our suffering brothers and sisters. Later, we also distributed some ‘ration’ (Atta, Dal, oil, sugar, tea leaves, sooji and soap) to 30 families.

Mayur Vihar community through their workers and others came to know about some genuinely poor families around who really needed help. We purchased food grains and distributed to 25 families. Thus, became channels of blessings to the needy and hungry during this time of lockdown.

The community at Nainital has quarters for our own co-workers. Due to lockdown they were not able to go to the market to buy provisions. Sensing the reality and getting into the shoes of the poor and needy we distributed the ration to around 70 families including our co-workers and inmates of leper colony at Haldwani.

Shahbad Community- Under the able guidance of Fr. George Peter S.J the Jesuit community distributed the provision for the poor people in our locality. We too rendered our helping hand in packing the provisions. On 5th April our Prime minister announced to the whole India to put off all the lights at 9 pm for 9 minutes as gesture of solidarity of the citizens towards the fight against Coronavirus. In order to show our solidarity, we too put off our lights and went to the terrace and flashed the mobile lights for 9 minutes. It was wonderful to see our neighbouring buildings lighted with candles and oil lamps. We raised our hearts to Jesus the light of the world in unison with the nation to bring healing to the world.

St. Francis community in Jhansi contributed to Diocesan Social Work Centre Rs. 55,000/- to give food to the migrant labourers thus reached out to the needy during the lockdown. Their contribution of Rs. 2,00,000/- towards Covid-19 relief work to the District Magistrate, Jhansi was greatly appreciated. They also purchased food items like, wheat flour, rice, oil, dal, salt, coriander powder, turmeric, chilli and some soap and detergent powder for 100 families and packed them separately for each family to be distributed in collaboration with the Diocesan Social Work Centre.

Just Soul Workshop in Nainital 19 th - 21 st October 2019
The Just Soul Workshop conducted by Sr. Jane Livesey CJ, the General Superior of the Congregation of Jesus was held in St. Mary’s Convent, Nainital from 19 th to 21 st October. 47 CJ sisters from Allahabad, Patna, Bangalore, Nepal, Delhi and 5 IBVM sisters participated in it. Vision of the Just Soul is the heart of our vocation; it should be in our DNA; emphasizing this, Sr. Jane elaborated the Vision of Just Soul of 1615 making us understand the importance of Freedom, Justice and Sincerity in our daily lives. Guiding us through the study of the Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis, ‘Gaudate et Exsultate,’ – call to holiness in today’s world, the importance of everyday holiness was brought home to us. With personal reflections, group discussions and activities the three day workshop was very inspiring at the same time a challenging one for all the participants to live the virtues of Just Soul in our day today life thus becoming true daughters of Mary Ward our foundress. Sr. Jane has taken a lot of trouble to prepare and conduct this workshop. Words of appreciation and gratitude were expressed by the participants for the precious time given to Indian provinces and regions by Sr. Jane.

Provincial Congregation 2019 Jesu Bhawan, Delhi – 5 th – 7 th October 2019
The solemn inauguration of the Provincial Congregation 2019 of Delhi Province began with a meaningful Eucharistic celebration presided over by Fr. Sebastian Jeerakassery S J, Provincial of Jesuits (Delhi Province). In the introduction of the Eucharist the theme of PC – Honouring the past, Embracing the present and Co- creating the future was well connected with the symbol of a tree. At 09.00 a.m. all the 35 members of the PC gathered in front of our provincial house – Jesu Bhawan and Sr. Elsy, our provincial superior welcomed everyone. Each one was given a brooch with the logo of PC and as a sign of welcoming one another to this sacred event the badges were pinned by the members to each other. And with this gesture we entered into the well prepared basement for the opening ceremony. At the outset Sr. Elsy lighted the candle and declared the PC 2019 open. Thereafter Srs. Deepa, Pushpita and Remya led us into a meaningful prayer.
We then revisited our three foundational graces – Gloria Vision, Take the same of the Society and the Vision of the Just Soul. We then focussed on the theme of the PC – Honouring the Past, Embracing the Present and through sensing the reality of the world and CJ, Co-creating the Future at the service of the mission. Remembering the past we paid tribute to all our sisters who went before us from our province.
At the end of the opening prayer Sr. Deepa invited Sr. Elsy our Provincial Superior to give the keynote address. She exhorted the members to look objectively to the signs of the time in order to be more effective and relevant in our mission.
With this introduction the three days were spent in personal reflection, discussions and deliberations. The participants were divided into groups. After the group sharing we came together for the plenary session where we shared the findings of our group discussions.
7 th October was the auspicious day which was kept for prayer and election of the delegates for GC 2020. Feast of ‘Our Lady of Rosary’ - the day began with the Holy Eucharist offered by Fr. Joy John S J. Soon after the Holy Mass, Blessed Sacrament was exposed and we spent time in prayer and reflection.
At 10.00 a. m. in silence and prayer we moved to the hall to proceed with the election. After invoking the Holy Spirit, Sr. Elsy read out the letter from Sr. Jane, regarding the election. The first step was to elect the moderator for this important session. With simple majority of votes Sr. Deepa was elected as the moderator and Sr. Elsy invited Sr. Deepa to take charge of the election proceedings. Sr. Deepa, the moderator read out CN 8:1 – election of the delegates and their substitutes. The result of the voting is: Delegates
1. Sr. Pratima Pinto
2. Sr. Deepa Madathumpadickal
Substitutes
1. Sr.Mariella Muthukulathil
2. Sr. Assunta Kaitharan
We spent some time discussing province level matters. The concluding session ended with a prayer -
“Triune God, in your Supreme wisdom enable us to be women of Freedom, Justice and Sincerity in today’s world.”
On behalf of all the delegates Sr. Anu expressed the sentiments of gratitude to Sr. Elsy and her team for organizing the PC and making it very successful. With this Sr. Elsy declared the Provincial Congregation 2019 closed.

Report of the COIN Social Action Ministry Meeting held in Jesu Bhawan, Delhi on 27, 28 July 2019
On 27 th July the Social Action Ministry group, 15 of them arrived in Delhi, Jesu Bhawan for their two days’ meeting. Fr. Joy Kariyampuram SJ was the resource person to facilitate this gathering. The COIN Provincials and Regional Superiors were present too. Fr. Joy introduced to the group the Ignatian method of discernment and the Spiritual conversation. This involves three steps first is to share the fruit of our prayer- consolation/desolation then reorient our ministries for greater apostolate. He pointed out how St. Ignatius and Companions discerned in Venice as to what the Lord is calling them to be in mission. Here we need to be led in mission by the Holy Spirit and this requires moment of listening, examining, conversion, sharing, recommitting and at the end thanking the Lord. He cited that Pope Francis exhorts us to be women of consolation, compassion and discernment and also have the courage with prophetic audacity. Al the provinces/regions shared their social action ministry – what they are doing in their own respective places. This was a time to listen to one another to understand the situation of each place. The facilitator concluded by saying if the COIN leadership understands the importance of this ministry, set apart finance and train personnel for the same. This indeed is a great achievement. The two days’ gathering ended on a positive note.

Superiors’ and Principals’ meeting
On 20 th and 21 st July 2019, 23 participants – Superiors and Principals of Delhi Province gathered in Jesu Bhawan for a two days seminar. Sr. Nirmala IBVM, Principal of Shimla Loreto College was the resource person for the first day. Nirmala with her passion for education ministry imparted her knowledge with all of us. She dealt with Life Skills in Education, ‘Laudato Si’, Mary Ward School Compass and IPP- Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm. Second day was ably guided by Sr. Elsy our provincial superior.

TEMPORARY PROFESSED MEMBERS MEETING – 11 th May – 15 th May 2019
“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” We the 28 juniors from the COIN along with Sr. Shweta our junior mistress gathered together in Nainital on 10 th May for a five days seminar under the able guidance of Rev. Fr. Robin SJ. The Eucharist, sessions and the activities were all focused on an inner journey we were about to undertake. Through various questionnaires Fr. Robin helped us to assess ourselves in areas such as how compassionate we are towards ourselves and how self-caring we are. The sessions helped us to be less judgemental and to be assertive than to be aggressive. The forum, articles that were given to read, videos, discussions and the outdoor activities, helped us to have a better understanding of sexuality and the vow of celibacy and to appreciate the feminine in us. The days we spent together in learning, reflecting, listening, sharing and enjoying were indeed days of grace. We have been rejuvenated to continue responding to God and his movements in the coming days with fresh determination and enthusiasm.
Divya CJ

Gathering of senior sisters from COIN – 30 th April – 6 th May 2019
From April 28 th onwards sisters from all the provinces arrived in Nainital for their long awaited gathering which was to be from April 30 th to May 6 th . They were a total number of 27. For the first two days they had sharing among themselves. From 2 nd May Fr. Johny SDB from Sumedha, Jeolikote ably guided them with input sessions and workshops. They returned on 8 th May spiritually enriched and emotionally strong to face the life ahead.

Installation of Sr. Elsy Vattamattathil C J - new Provincial Superior of Delhi province.
1st May 2019 saw another milestone in the Delhi Province as Sr. M. Elsy Vattamattathil took the baton of leadership from Sr. M. Pratima Pinto. Sr. Pratima and her team had meticulously prepared a prayerful and solemn atmosphere for this event. Around 30 sisters were present in the chapel to witness and pray for Sr. Elsy and her team. The outgoing team handed the lighted candle to the new team as a sign of handing over the responsibility of leadership. Sr. Pratima read out the decree of the appointment and handed over the Constitutions, the Seal and the CJ Cross- a symbol of responsibility and office. Sr. Elsy was invited to speak a few words and then to announce the names of the provincial team. They are:

• Sr. Manjusha
• Sr. Jessy
• Sr. Pushpita
• Sr. Remya
• Sr. Deepa – Provincial secretary
• Sr. Sheryl – Province Bursar

We were privileged to have His Grace Most Rev. Anil J.T. Couto the Archbishop of Delhi to preside over the Holy Mass along with six other priests. During the Holy Mass Sr. Rayna Lasrado professed the fourth vow of special Obedience to the Holy Father. Sr. Elsy and her team were felicitated after the Holy Mass followed by a festal meal. We wish Sr. Elsy ‘All the best and God’s blessings’ to lead the province to ‘Future Fit’.

From October 24th to 30th November 2018 Delhi Province had the privilege of having Sr. Elena and Sr. Prisca from the Generalate for visitation prior to the appointment of the new provincial as Sr. Pratima’s term is coming to an end in 2019. It was a time of grace for the entire province and for every individual member. They took time to visit all the communities, had a generous heart to listen and interact with all. Besides their official commitment we were happy to show something of India and its culture. Thank you dear Srs. Elena and Prisca.

The Mary Ward Fest held on 21st and 22nd September 2018 in Nirmala School Jhansi
was inaugurated on 21st at 9.00 a.m. by the lighting of the lamp and Sr. Pratima, our Provincial Superior declared the Fest open. Sr. Elsy, the education Coordinator welcomed the gathering. Sr. Doreen, principal of Nirmala School Jhansi specially welcomed the resource persons Frs. Steven, David and Bastin of the Diocese of Jhansi. The two days were packed with sessions and games. Fr. Steven dealt with the themes “outlook on life, the attitudes to face problems, body, mind and subconscious mind”. Fr. David motivated the children, on friendship, values and goals, how to handle stress, meditation and goal setting. Fr. Bastin enlightened the children on motivation, Attitudes and problems in life, choices that shape us, positive and negative thinking. Sr. Vinita enlightened the participants on Mother Mary Ward. All of them tried their best to make it interesting through games and interaction. We are grateful to Srs. Pratima and Elsy who spent two days with us encouraging and interacting with the children. We are also grateful to all the participants – St. Mary’s Nainital, Nirmala School Nainital, St. Anthony’s Jeolikote, Mayur Vihar Delhi, St. Mary’s Mauranipur, St. Francis Jhansi, Nirmala Jhansi and Loreto students from Lucknow, Delhi and Shimla thus cementing the bond between the CJs and IBVMs. The presence of our SFC sisters both for the inauguration and the cultural evening added to the spirit of the fest. The Fest has enabled the participants to grow in love and friendship among the Mary Wardians - the CJ and Loretos. The name of this gathering was CJ Fest; this year since we had Loreto students attending it and it is a family fest we changed the name to MARY WARD FEST and from now on it will be so. On 24th September the Jericho Cross was brought to the Cathedral from the Allahabad Diocese. A large number of faithful from all the nearby parishes gathered in the Cathedral. We had the Jericho March seven times going around the Cathedral reciting the Rosary and other prayers. It was indeed a beautiful moment of grace and spiritual experience.

FRIENDS OF MARY WARD
During the superiors and principals meeting in August 2018 it was decided that friends of Mary Ward will conduct zonal level meetings. Accordingly Nainital St. Mary’s hosted its first zonal level gathering on 2nd October 2018. Thirty teachers from Rudrapur, Jeolikote, Nirmala Nainital and St. Mary’s Nainital and some of the sisters participated in this gathering. It was a beautiful experience for all. We began the gathering with a short prayer and then Sr. Deepa guided the session with short video clippings and a short session on ‘The Power of the HOW’. Sr. Deepa reminded the teachers to be constant, efficacious and affectionate in their teaching. It is not what we do that is important but how we do it - and one of the most important of the how is with affection. Thereafter each school shared with the whole group the activities carried out by friends of Mary Ward. It was a real listening time at the same time we appreciated each school for the trouble each one takes to impart and live the values of Mary Ward. At the end of the gathering each one was given the friends of Mary Ward badges and with lighted candles we asked Mary Ward to guide us as we sang the hymn – “lead us on Mary Ward”. Everyone expressed their desire to have more of such gatherings to cement the bond among the friends of Mary Ward.

Education Meet/PRSC - 1st to 3rd Sept. 2018, Jesu Bhawan, Delhi
The day began with a short prayer by Sr . Rayna. The resource person Fr. Sunny Jacob SJ commenced the session with a thought provoking question: ‘what is the most alarming recent happening in our country?’ After eliciting response from the group he expounded the topic of Hindutva and Hinduism – its characteristics and the difference between Hindutva and Hinduism. Today constitutional values are under threat and distortion of young minds is made through a well-planned agenda. In this background we, the Christian leaders have to operate. The second session was more of interiorising and we were asked to reflect silently and share in smaller groups our affective experience in the form of feelings. We discussed the following question:
As educators how are we going to teach integrated educational values to students and what concrete steps are we going to take in this regard?
Having discussed in small groups, the points were shared in the plenary. Building communal harmony is a must. Communal harmony week could be celebrated in schools, creating a platform for ‘think tank’ and using media to build our people and our nation - create a harmonious society with Kingdom values.
The second day began with the Holy Eucharistic celebration. In the first session of the day Fr. Sunny alerted us through a short introduction of the present scenario related to HINDUTVA IDEOLOGY’. He stressed in his introduction that individual and congregational efforts have to be made for a RADICAL CHANGE.
The second session focussed on ‘MAJOR COMPONENTS OF CHILD ABUSE’. They are:

JPIC/PRSC meet - Mauranipur -25th to 27th August 2018
The three days seminar on JPIC (commitment to justice, peace and integrity of creation) andPRSC gathering took place in Mauranipur, Jhansi from 25th to 27th of August 2018. There were 20 participants from various communities of the province. Fr. Sunny Jacob SJ was the resource person for the first two days and on the third day Sr. Pratima, our Provincial shared the PRSC proceedings with the sisters.
Fr. Sunny in his sessions introduced us to the methodology of spiritual conversation – totally listening to each other in groups. In his words the process is “to go forth as prophets to the existential peripheries through a communitarian journey”. The sessions were very interactive. The participants were asked to share in groups of three about the living prophets of modern day of whom we are aware of. Some of the names that came up were, Shree Harshvardha, Swami Agnivesh, DayaBai, Pope Francis, MedhaPatkar etc. .
The participants were also introduced to the characteristics of emerging religious congregations in the 21st century through the insights of Arturo Sosa SJ. They are;

Animators and Principals' gathering - 14th July - 16th July
The Animators and Principals of CJ Delhi Province together with the Leadership Team met at Jesu Bhawan, Rohini from 14 th – 16 th July. The main agenda was to recapitulate the present situation in our various ministries, to share our success stories and to discuss various issues and concerns in the Province. On 14 th , we began the day with a meaningful Eucharistic Celebration and invoking the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We were 35 participants, including four Friends of Mary Ward and two Loreto Sisters - Sr. Nirmala from Shimla and Sr. Archana from Delhi. Half of the first day was given to Friends of Mary Ward to share their follow up programmes in their respective schools since our last meet. Mr. Sandeep from Nainital school summarized and reminded us the 17 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) categorizing them into three headings: Education, Eradication of Poverty and Ecology Preservation. Ms. Kusum briefly explained what St. Mary’s Nainital had been doing to carry out the SDGs. Ms. Caroline from St. Francis Convent, Jhansi and Ms. Bridgit from Mayur Vihar Delhi also shared their success stories in their respective schools. We were indeed happy to note how dedicated and committed our Friends of Mary Ward are, to promote the Gospel Values and the spirit and Charism of Mary Ward.
In the afternoon, Sr. Pratima invited the superiors and principals to share their success stories – life-giving and energizing experiences and challenges they face while carrying out their mission. Every person was given five minutes to speak. Listening to each one was an enriching experience; it helped us to appreciate more the process of Generative Listening. On 15 th Fr. Sunny Jacob S.J was our Resource person. A versatile speaker, he explicated the present political scenario with its long history behind and encouraged us to use the modern technology for positively empowering the students and all our stakeholders. Fr. Sunny gave us valuable guidelines how to proceed in our ministries and to keep ourselves updated in all spheres of knowledge and events in the world around us.
Late in the evening, Sr. Pratima shared with us on PRSC held in Rome. We were divided into four groups. Some questions were given for reflection and discussion. On 16 th , we started with a short prayer service conducted by Srs. Pratima, Elsy and Lucy. After the reporting of the previous day’s discussion, Sr. Pratima continued with the sharing of PRSC giving us the present Face of the Congregation (the Demographics) - Congregation as well as of Delhi Province prepared by Helen Harrington and a bird’s eye view of different provinces through PP presentation, giving a clear picture of the current situation and future resources of the congregation.
Another interesting and informative session was taken by Sr. Deepa, “Mary Ward’s Institute” – The Journey - by Mary Wright IBVM. The Power Point slides showed the development of our Institute after the death of Mary Ward: establishments in Augsburg, Mainz, Ascot etc. Foundation in Toronto, Foundation by Teresa Ball in Ireland and other foundations in India and elsewhere and the unification of North American Branch and the Irish Branch in 2003. To know that we were meant to be one congregation was very encouraging. It gave us hope - the possibility of being “ONE”. After gathering much information about the present challenges of the Congregation, we were sent into groups to discuss questions based on the important issues emerging from the input sessions. The reports were read out during the plenary sessions.
The presence of the two Loreto sisters Sr. Archana IBVM and Sr. Nirmala IBVM was quite encouraging. They were quite at home with us and contributed generously their views and opinions. The meeting has provided ample material for our reflection, mature consideration and widening our vision towards our mission as Mary Ward Sisters.

St.Mary’s Convent, Jhajjar
St.Mary’s Convent, Jhajjar was inaugurated and blessed on 13 th April 2018 by Most Rev. Anil J.Couto, the Archbishop of Delhi. We had about a hundred guests – priests, sisters and well wishers. Rt. Rev. Anil J.Couto blessed the house and celebrated the FIRST Holy Eucharist in our Chapel, together with 24 priests. Sister Kanula led the beautiful Choirand Sr. Pratima, Sr.Assunta and other C.J Sisters joined in with their melodious voices to make a perfect symphony of praise and thanks giving fitting for the occasion. We were delighted to have the presence of the former Jesuit Provincials of Delhi, Fr.John Ari, Fr.Varkey and the present Jesuit Provincial Fr.Sebastial Jeerakassery. Meeting each other, enjoying the fellowship meal and high spirited chit chats left us with unforgettable memories as we began our stay in the new house. The presence of the Blessed Sacrament is our greatest Blessing – our security and protection. We are very grateful to Sr.Pratima Our Provincial Superior, whose unceasing supervision and guidance actualized the dream of a beautiful Convent in Haryana. The help and support rendered by our Jesuit Fathers very specially Fr.Sebastian Jeerakassery, Fr.John Ari and Fr. Joe Kochupura will always be remembered by the Delhi Province.

Province Gathering 2017
November 25 and 26, 2017 are two days to be recorded in the annals of Delhi Province – 30 representatives from all our communities, together with the Provincial team gathered at Jesu Bhawan for the ‘Province Gathering 2017’. Rev. Fr. Joy Karayampuram S.J. was the facilitator. 25th Morning, Fr. Joy celebrated the Holy Eucharist setting the tone for our day’s deliberations and reflections. The Nainital and Jeolikote communities had prepared the Eucharistic Celebration – meaningfully centering round the Symbol chosen for our Provincial Gathering. “Everything in service to God, Humanity and Environment – the past, present and the future, all connected to God as the centre.”
After the Mass and breakfast, we moved to the basement where Srs. Remya and Mary John put us in the right mood by a short and inspiring prayer service invoking the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Sr. Pratima, warmly welcomed the participants and explained in brief the purpose of our gathering and drew our attention to the LOGO of this gathering – “Everything in service to God, humanity and environment, Honouring the past with gratitude, embracing the present with compassion and co-creating the future with hope”. Thereafter, Sr. Elsy introduced the facilitator Fr. Joy Karayampuram, and invited him to address the gathering and explain the proceedings of the day. He emphasized the importance of Generative Listening and Generative Speaking, both of which we had good practice in our communities since we began the preparation for this event.

The second session was taken by Sr. Mary C.J., the topic being “Union of Minds and Hearts”. Sister explained the Ignatian way of understanding ‘union of minds and hearts’ and the Holy Trinity is the perfect model for us. Sister also referred to Part VIII of our Constitutions and stressed the need to be familiar with the Complementary Norms and other texts related to Ignatian Spirituality for effective understanding of our mission. A few questions were given at the end, for reflection and sharing.
The afternoon and the next day were spent in group work, reflection, sharing and reporting on questions which were already sent out to the communities for individual and community study and reflection. The representatives from each community shared the sentiments and aspirations of their respective communities. There was absolute openness and confidentiality prevailing as we proceeded with group sharing. The process of generative listening and speaking made us more sensitive and alert to others’ inner feelings and sometimes unexpressed words.
At the end of the first day, Fr. Joy took a session 15-20 minutes leading us into inner silence and awareness of our interior movements; each one was invited to voice a phrase or sentence – what the Spirit was telling her at that moment. There was a positive energy flowing in the group and we felt that the Spirit of God truly present in our midst as was in the “upper room”.
26th, the day began with a prayer session conducted by Srs. Manjusha and Tomsy. Thereafter, Sr. Deepa very systematically presented before us “The Just Soul Vision” and its relevance in today’s context. This was followed by group reflection, sharing and reporting as the previous day. Towards the end of the day, it was clear that we were reaching where we began, to honour the past with gratitude, to embrace the present with compassion and co-create the future with hope in the service of God, humanity and the environment.
Practical suggestions were drawn up – to practice individually, as community and in province level. A written evaluation was also taken to review the two days proceedings. The group thanked Sr. Pratima and the provincial team for organizing very meticulously the ‘Province Gathering’ and all the ground work which helped the smooth running of the two days programme. Fr. Joy encouraged us to go beyond our own selves and the issues affecting us and our ministries – to the world at large and to where no one has yet walked or dared to reach.
The two day programme was culminated with a solemn Eucharistic Celebration in honour of Christ the Universal King. The Jhansi Communities took the lead for the concluding Liturgy. The group dispersed with a deep sense of gratitude, enriched by the guidance of the Spirit, more united to one another and determined to keep the flame of C.J. burning wherever we are as the true and loyal daughters of Mary Ward.

CJ fest 2017
CJ fest 2017 was held in Ramnee from 29th Sept. - 1st Oct. 17, Sr. Pratima CJ the Provincial of CJ Delhi Province inaugurated the event by lighting the lamp. Fr. Ashok Masih, a priest from Bareilly diocese and one of his team members Mr. Anish Mattofrom Jammu conducted the sessions for the students who came from different schools, on the most relevant theme ‘India of my dream’. Students from St. Mary’s Mauranipur, Nirmala school Jhansi, St. Anthony’s school Jeolikote, St. Francis school Jhansi, St. Mary’s MayurVihar, Delhi, St. Joseph’s Puranpur, St. Mary’s Nainital enjoyed their stay in Ramnee and more than that they profited from the input sessions and activities. 102 participants returned home with a great desire and determination to contribute their mite in nation building.

Friends of Mary Ward in Yorkshire
On 7th August seven of us set out for an international conference held at St.John’s University Yorkshire. We were 120 of us from 24 countries. It was an international conference to celebrate Mary Ward a prophetic woman, her history, her meaning for today and her legacy for the future. It was an opportunity given for Friends of Mary Ward from around the world to meet together to celebrate her achievements, to visit the places of her life in Yorkshire, to listen to the key note speakers, to participate in group discussions and to discern her importance for us today. This conference indeed enabled each one of us to believe that we belong to one family. It was a great joy to see men and women on mission with the same vigour and enthusiasm working for the Glory of God.

(Sr. Manjusha CJ)

Faith sharing – 1^st group, 27^th and 28^th April 2017
17 senior sisters of the Delhi province –Srs. M. Adelaide, M. Tarsicia, M. Patricia, M. Coletta, M. Isabel, M. Laura, M. Rinalda, M. Anne, M. Renata, M. Regis, M. Mary, M. Nirmala, M. Camilla, M. Julita, M. Elaine, M. Georgina and M. Shalini- sisters of the first group, gathered together in SMC, Nainital, on 27^thApril 2017.

Their sharing was based on three topics: