2020- SUMEDHA OUTREACH AT BANGALORE

Dr. Jose Parappully, Director of Sumedha Centre was invited to facilitate a three day workshop on “Midlife Dynamics and the Spiritual Journey” at the Sainte Andre Study Home, Sakalavara, on the outskirts of Bangalore.

The workshop was organizes by the National Secretariat of the Conference of Religious of India (CRI). It was held from January 6 to 9, 2020.

There were 46 participants – five religious men and priests and 41 religious women.

The content of the workshop included: Awakening to Midlife, Midlife Dynamics, Midlife Transformational Processes, and A Spirituality for the Post-Midlife Years.

The participants were highly appreciative of the workshop. All of them found the workshop content and process very useful. It provided them much understanding of what they were experiencing at midlife and to make sense of them. They felt they were now much better prepared to go through the post-midlife years.

One aspect of the workshop that was particularly appreciated was the integration of psychology and spirituality into the content and process of the workshop right through, something that is quite rare in similar workshops.

SUMEDHA OUTREACH IN NEW DELHI

Dr. Jose Parappully, Director of Sumedha Centre, was invited to facilitate two programmes in New Delhi.

The first was for the Community Leaders of the Congregation of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (PBVM), and the other organized by the Secretary of the Conference of Religious (CRI), Dr. Joe Mannath..

The programme for the PBVM Sisters was held at the Navjivan Renewal Centre, on the campus of St. Xavier’s Senior Secondary School on Raj Nivas road, New Delhi, from 15^th to 20^th October, 2018.

There were 11 participants, including the Provincial, Sr. Miriam Attel.

The programme was titled “Transformational Leadership for Religious Community Leaders.” It began with an exploration of Religious Life and Community, the context in which the participants were called to exercise Leadership.

An understanding of Transformational Leadership – Qualities of Transformational Leaders, Practices of Transformation Leadership, and Leadership Skills -- was then presented and explored. Participants had the opportunity to assess themselves using Leadership Questionnaires and Inventories.

The film “1492 – Conquest of Paradise” which deals with Christopher Columbus’s discovery of the Americas, was used to highlight various dimensions of transformational leadership.

The programme ended with an exploration of the “Spirituality of Leadership,” presenting Moses as an inspiring Transformational Leader.

All the participants found the workshop immensely useful for them. Some Comments:

“The inputs, exercises, ratings, reflection time, times of integration and interiorization were very good for application to our lives… Your facilitation process was excellent, never felt tired.”

“It really helped me evaluate my way of functioning as a leader.”

“An excellent work/workshop conducted. Thank you.”

“Input was very enriching. Each session was a little mirror where I could see myself/my behaviour/my actions at a deeper level. In other words these 6 days were very effective.”

“It has been immensely practical.”

“Immensely useful – 10!”

The second programme was held at the CRI House, Masigarh, Sukhdev Vihar, New Delhi. Dr. Parappully facilitated two days (October 21-22) of this seven day workshop on “Formation of Formators.”

There were 23 participants from different religious congregations in charge of initial formation.

Dr. Parappully focused on “Psychological Dimensions of Formation,”  “Sexual Boundary Violations” and “Healing from the Effects of Sexual Abuse.”

All the participants of this programme too, found it very useful for them. “It provided us clear notions and goals and helped us to be better equipped to carry out our role” was a common observation.

MIDLIFE DYNAMICS AND SOULFUL AGING

Jose Parappully, Director of Sumedha Centre, was invited to facilitate a three–day workshop on “Midlife Dynamics & Soulful Aging” at the CRI national secretariat, New Delhi on 3-5 March 2015.

The objective of the programme was to help participants understand the psychological dynamics operating during the midlife transition and use the understanding to continue their psychospritual journey in the second half of their lives listening and responding to the invitations of the their “soul” – their authentic self, rather than confirming to social expectations and thus find meaning and satisfaction on the spiritual path

Course content included “Awakening to Midlife,” “Midlife Dynamics” and “Midlife Transformative Processes.” Topics covered included: Loss of Meaning and Purpose, Emotional Awareness of Mortality, Reassessment of Life Priorities, Reconciling of the Dream, Disillusionment, Loss, and (Re) Awakening of Sexuality an Intimacy.

Transformative Processes Midlifers are called to engage in included: Integrating the Animus and the Anima, Integrating the Shadow, Integrating Sexuality, Intimacy and Celibacy, and responding to God’s Second Call.

Participants were also provided “Helps” to cope with the turmoil, confusion and disenchantment that are part of the midlife transition.

There were 15 religious sisters and one Capuchin priest who participated.

Feedback from participants indicated that they had greatly benefited from the workshop. “Very, very good” was a common expression. Some mentioned that this three day workshop had helped them to deepen their religious commitment and spiritual journey more than the usual mandated spiritual retreats.

The process of input, introspection and interaction that the facilitator employed was found to be very effective.

Gains from the workshop included: greater self-awareness, greater understanding and acceptance of the midlife dynamics that participants had been experiencing and felt confused about, and a greater desire to make their psycho-spiritual journey in the second half of life more meaningfully and joyfully.

A common desire expressed by participants was that all religious at Midlife should participate in a workshop such as this one.

“Midlife Dynamics and Soulful Aging” is a core module of the 9-week Sumedha Sadhana offered three times a year at Sumdha Centre.

The dates of the Sumedha Sadhana programme this year:  March 15-May 16; June 1 – August 2; and October 2 – December 3.

SUMEDHA OUTREACH TO THE BRAHMAPUTRA

Jose Parappully, Director of Sumedha Centre, was invited to facilitate a workshop for the Major Superiors of religious congregations – Provincials and Generals – of the North Eastern region.

The theme of the two-day workshop was “A Mature Spirituality of Today.” The workshop was held at Don Bosco Institute on the banks of the Brahmaputra river in Guwahati on 14-15 May. Thirty four Major Superiors participated.

The keynote address at the workshop was delivered by Most Rev. Thomas Menamparambil, Archbishop Emeritus of Guwhati. He spoke of a Missionary Spirituality of Involvement and Encounter.

Parappully took three sessions of 90 minutes each on the two days. He traced the development and shifts in paradigms, from Dualistic-Mechanistic to the Holistic-Ecological and their impact on spirituality.

The Dualistic-Mechanistic paradigm dominated during the Modern Period, roughly from 1600 to 1950. This is the period in which most currently surviving Catholic religious orders and congregations were founded. He showed how the spirituality of these orders and congregations were influenced by the Dualistic-Mechanistic paradigm prevalent during that period.

Parappully went on the describe the developments in the sciences, especially in Quantum Physics, that undermined the Dualistic-Mechanistic paradigm and which led to the emergence of a new paradigm, namely, the Holistic-Ecological, which is influencing every sphere of life today.

He described 17 characteristics of a spirituality that the changed paradigm calls for. He presented solidarity and communion as the heart of this holistic-ecological-cosmic spirituality.

Participants observed that the workshop had helped to clarify, deepen and expand their understanding of spirituality. It provided them, they said, practical tools to incorporate this new spirituality into their daily lives. They also commented on the excellent quality of the inputs as well as the tools and techniques used in the workshop which made it a very meaningful and exciting experience for them.

The workshop was organised by VM Thomas, the National President of the Conference of Religious of India with the help of the Executive members of the Regional Conference of Religious of the North East.

Parappully will be facilitating another workshop – on Revitalization of Religious Life – for the Major Superiors of the region in September this year.