SEPTEMBER OUTREACH PROGRAMMES

September was a month in which Sumedha Centre did a number of Outreach programmes.

Bhopal

The first was a programme entitled “Psychosexual and Celibate Challenges for Priests at Midlife and Beyond” for the priests of the Archdiocese of Bhopal facilitated by Dr. Jose Parappully, the Director of Sumedha Centre. This programme was held on 6-8 September. Twenty six priests attended.

Bangalore

The second, also facilitated by Dr. Jose Parappully, was held at the Vidyadeep College in Bangalore on 10-13 September. This programme title “Midlife Dynamics and the Spiritual Journey” was attended by 38 Women Religious from five different Congregations. The programme was organized by the Conference of Religious India.

Madurai

The third was a training programme in Psychological Assessment conducted by Dr Jose Parappully for members of the Salesian Psychological Association and Conference of Catholic Psychologists. This programme was organized by the Salesian Psychological Association, South Asia at the Pallotine Institute for Lay Leadership, Research and Animation (PILLAR) at Madurai. There were 18 participants.

The feedback from participants of all three programmes was overwhelmingly positive.

Sumedha Outreach at Bhopal

Dr. Jose Parappully, director of Sumedha Centre facilitated a three day seminar on "Psychospiritual Dynamics at Midlife and Beyond for 23 senior most priests of the Archdiocese of Bhopal from June 25-27.

There were 23 participants. Archbishop Leo Cornelio was present on the concluding day. The programme was organized by Fr. Mathew V. , the Vicar General of the archdiocese. The seminar was held at the Pastoral Centre of the Archdiocese.

Participants said they found the seminar immensely useful. The topics covered were very relevant for them at this period of their life and ministry.

Two more similar seminars are scheduled for the remaining priests of the Archdiocese later in the year.

Sumedha Outreach: Workshop for Seminary Formators

Director of Sumedha Centre, Dr. Jose Parappully, a clinical psychologist, was invited to conduct a one-day workshop for the Seminary formators of all the dioceses of Madhya Pradesh.

It was organized by Fr. Mathew Vallatt, the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Bhopal and the Secretary of the MP Region Formator’s Forum. It was held at the Diocesan Pastoral Centre, Bhopal on December 4, 2016. There were 16 participants from nine diocese.

Dr. Parappully organized the workshop around the theme “”Formative Accompaniment & Emotional Maturation”

He focused on the kind formation process that facilitated emotional maturation. He covered the following topics in this regard:  the role of trust in healthy emotional development; Importance of meeting basic emotional needs such as relatedness, competence and autonomy; facilitation of an environment that fosters these basic needs; and the need for formators to be credible and enthusiastic about the formation process.

There was ample opportunity for participants to reflect on and share their experiences in the light of the psychological insights presented.

Participants said they found the workshop – content and process- immensely helpful.

Sumedha Outreach - Retreats.

Director of Sumedha Sadhana, Jose Parappully, facilitated two spiritual retreats recently.

The first from December 4-9, 2016, was for another group (he had done a group earlier in October) priests of the archdiocese of Bhopal. This time there were 34 priests. The theme of the retreat was “Priest: Mystagogue & Doctor of the Soul.” This retreat was held at Jesu Ashram, on the outskirts of Bhopal City.

The second retreat from December 29, 2016 to January 2017, was for 54 sisters of the congregations of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (Salesian sisters) of the Province of Guwahati.

This spiritual retreat was designed as a desert journey modeled on the experience of Jesus in the desert (Mark 1, 12-13). It  provided the participants an opportunity to spend time in the metaphorical desert around the Word of God to experience “Wilderness & Paradise,” to encounter their “inner demons” and their “ministering angels”, to renew the love, the enthusiasm and the passion they had at the beginning of their vocational journey (Rev. 2, 4 ), to recognise their helplessness and surrender in faith and trust to a loving God who calls them to deep intimacy with him (Hosea 2, 16-17) which in turn leads to transformation of their self and their ministry in powerful ways (1Kings 19, 1-8).

Participants of both retreats described these retreats as “different” from what they had been used to and found them very useful. What they found most helpful was the atmosphere of silence and solitude that was created and the time they were able to spend in personal prayer around the Word of God, according to the themes of each day.

A similar retreat is offered at Sumedha Centre in May 2017. Registration is open. Contact sumedhacentre@gmail.com

RETREAT AT YESU ASHRAM, BHOPAL

Director of Sumedha Centre, Fr. Jose Parappully, facilitated a spiritual retreat for the priests of the Catholic Archdiocese of Bhopal from 9^th to 14^th October, 2016.

The retreat was held at Yesu Ashram, some 20 km from Bhopal on the Bhopal-Kanpur road, in very pastoral surroundings. The Ashram is run by the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate. The current director is Fr. Paul Pattathu, CMI.

There were 32 participants at the retreat, including Archbishop Leo Cornelio.

The retreat was based on the theme: “Priest: Bearer of the Mystery of God and Doctor of the Soul” Besides the inputs by the facilitator on the theme and the well-animated liturgies, participants were given ample time for personal prayer around the Word of God. 

Everyone, including the Archbishop Cornelio, was very appreciative of the retreat. A common observation was, “This was a retreat with a difference,” The Archbishop commented that he was “personally touched” and was appreciative of the way the priests made this retreat.

One priest commented. “In my 26 years of priesthood, I have made many retreats. This was the most unique of them all.”

Fr. Parappully will be facilitating a second retreat for the priests of the Archdiocese of Bhopal in the first week of December, 2016.