Servants of Charity

Dear Confreres, 

In 2015, Pope Francis made a truly inspiring announcement during the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. He revealed the creation of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, a special day that has been celebrated annually since then on the first day of September. 

In his letter, Pope Francis expressed his desire to contribute “to resolving the ecological crisis which humanity is presently experiencing,” a crisis that calls us to a deep ecological conversion. When Pope Francis issued Laudato Si’ in 2015, he wasn’t breaking with the past and propelling believers into a novel ecological direction. Instead, he was synthesizing a long tradition of Catholic understanding of creation and of humanity’s moral obligations on behalf of the common good – and it was a truly inspiring move!
Climate change is one of humanity’s most urgent and complex challenges – but we can overcome it! It presents us with an incredible opportunity to make a difference in the lives of millions, especially the poor and vulnerable, and to protect the natural world. It’s incredible how many countries have reported new records for rising temperatures during the summer season and unexpected heavy rainfall during monsoon seasons! This is a clear sign that our Common House is not only injured but also abandoned – but there is hope! There’s still a way to go before everyone realizes how important it is to care for our planet!

Some people are already taking action on this issue, which is great to see! However, there is still more that can be done to make a real impact on the reality of this world. The reality of climate change is not just a scientific or political issue. It's also a matter of justice for the poorest, who are the first and most severely affected by the ecological crisis. It's a matter of faith and spirituality too, and it's inspiring to see people making a change.

A few years ago, I came across an article that really made me think about how fast our lives are moving these days. The author makes the fascinating point that 

This way of living causes a triple rupture: rupture with God, with creation, and with others. Religious life offers a truly inspiring way of living! It's all about embracing a rhythm of life that's centered on an encounter with God, appreciation for creation through work, community, and especially, the poor.

The care for our common home is a fantastic opportunity for our whole charismatic family to work together! We have an amazing opportunity to learn together, learn from each other and work together! It's time for us to discover how our lifestyle and our way of consuming can positively impact our common home and the lives of the poor! 

This is absolutely essential to our identity and mission! It's a challenge, but it's one we're ready to take on! We're ready to fight against the inertia that invites us to blind, dehumanizing and accelerated consumption. We are so distracted by so many things that we do not realize that our joy is fading! We are reducing our relationship with God to a minimum, connected at all times to a virtual world that disconnects us from God, from creation, from the religious community, and above all, unconcerned about the poor and about caring for our common home. But there is so much we can do to change this!

The good news is that we can overcome this kind of 'modern acedia' with the help of discernment! We have the amazing opportunity to engage in a communitarian discernment that will help us to open our eyes to reality and to the Holy Spirit, who is always there to guide us in loving and serving the Lord. 

We are co-workers with the Lord, and we have the privilege of sharing what we are and what we have with the poor. It's time for our own ecological conversion within the Province and communities, and to foster the ecological conversion of the people we serve! I believe we can contribute to caring for creation and our common home in the following ways:

• We're encouraging natural meditation to help you relax and unwind.

• We're also spreading awareness and forming opinions about the consequences of climate change and the moral duty to act. 

We can all play our part in making our institutions and houses more sustainable! Ultimately, there is no single formula to care for our common home. Each community will find the most appropriate way to do it, and it's going to be amazing to see what they come up with! What is true is that we share a single concern and a single mission: to witness to abundant redemption in solidarity with the wounded world. I am convinced that ecological conversion requires a personal and collective conversion that will lead us to a change of life in order to pass on the mark of charity and tenderness towards the poor and our common home – and it’s going to be a beautiful journey. 

• Congratulations to our confreres Fr. Melvinraj and Fr. Arockia William on their priestly ordination. We wish them a fruitful priestly ministry and continuation of licentiate studies. 

• Let me acknowledge the contribution and collaboration of so many confreres, sisters, and lay people to celebrate this ordination event. My special thanks to the Cuddalore Communities, DGMS community, and the Provincialate community.

• Thanks be to God for the donation of a property in Thanjavur which has been registered to the Society of Servants of Charity. We thank the donors Mr. R. Martin and Miss R. Philomina for their generosity of heart. Our special thanks to our confrere Fr. Stalin Savarimuthu who has been the initiator of this process, Fr. Sebastian Periyannan of the Thanjavur Diocese who has worked as the interlocutor of the process, and to Fr. Francis S. the Provincial Councilor for all their hard work and dedication. May the good Lord transform this house to be a charity home for the dying destitute as per the will of the donors. 

• Let us give thanks to the Lord for his bountiful blessings on the new presence in the Diocese of Warangal. Congratulations to the confreres for starting the Day Care Center for people with disabilities after the probation period.

• I appeal to you for your fervent prayers for the important event: the 21st General Chapter which is scheduled to be held October 6-24, 2024.

• Please keep in your prayers our confreres Bro. A. Antony Samy and Bro. Runa Nayak (Carlos) who are in the phase of preparation for perpetual profession, which is scheduled for September 29th. Their diaconal ordination will be October 19, 2024.

Fr. Ronald J, SdC

Provincial Superior