Servants of Charity

No Vocation is born of itself or lives for itself. A vocation flows from the heart of God and blossoms in the good soil of faithful people. Did not Jesus say, ‘By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another’? – Pope Francis 2014

Dear Confreres, Sisters & Cooperators,

One of the major concerns in the discussions and discernments during the 20th General Chapter and recently in the Meeting of the Provincials with the General Council held in Jan 2021 was vocation promotion. Our province has been indeed blessed with a number of vocations, thanks to the hard work and enthusiasm of the confreres in the past, we were able to send out quite a number of confreres as missionaries in almost all the continents of the Guanellian world. But we have arrived at a moment when our formation houses have only a few candidates in the discernment process. We had to close a discernment house in Mysore due to a lack of vocations. I am fully aware that there is a global crisis of religious and priestly vocations. But we cannot mumble this justification and move aside. We all are responsible for this Guanellian legacy to move ahead beyond our time and space. The needy people and the cry of our charism and mission is very evident right in front of our eyes. The baton is given to me and I need to hand on to someone else before I finish the race.

We have done some basic work in this sector of vocation animation in India since the  Covid situation, which in a way paralyzed this ministry. A separate confrere, Fr. M. Jeyaseelan, with the only task of Vocation Coordination and Youth Animation, and equipped with a few other confreres involved in this ministry with a particular assignment, dynamics and strategies for the forthcoming months in view of the new scholastic year. I appeal to all of you dear confreres, sisters and cooperators to collaborate in this special ministry. I request all Superiors and Residence in-charges to assign confreres to do this ministry in the nearby dioceses in collaboration with the Vocation Coordinator. In the US the confreres have been working very hard in this regard and I encourage them to continue with the words of Pope Benedict XVI, “we know that the Lord sometimes makes us wait, but we also know that no one knocks in vain. So with patient confidence we continue to pray to the Lord for the gift of new holy laborers”.

It is a collective responsibility. The Institute of the Servants of Charity must be like a magnet that attracts the hearts of vocations to itself (Reg. 1910). There can be no promotion of vocations or Christian mission apart from constant contemplative prayer (54th World Day of Prayer for Vocations). I urge all the communities to constantly pray for vocations, offer adoration and holy Mass for this intention, to make community plans for vocation promotion in your locality and to collaborate with the Vocation Coordination team, involving the entire Guanellian family in this important ministry. I just want to inform you that I will be making the Canonical Visitation of the communities and residences soon.

Congratulations to Fr. S. Arockia Nathan who has reached Romania to begin his ministry there.

Our solidarity and prayers to the community of Como and the Chelsea community who are reviving from the grips of the Covid virus.

Our heartfelt condolences and prayers to our confreres Bro. John Peter, Bro. Philomin Raja, Bro. Sachinson who have lost their beloved fathers in the recent past.

Fr. Ronald J, SdC

Provincial Superior