WORKSHOP ON PSYCHOSEXUAL INTEGRATION AND CELIBATE MATURITY AT DON BOSCO INSTITUTE, GUWAHATI

 The Navoprerona Wellness Centre, Guwahati, organised a workshop on Psychosexual Integration and Celibate maturity, under the auspices of the Salesian Psychological Association, South Asia, at the Don Bosco Institute, Guwahati, from 16 to 19^th July, 2024. 

The Salesian Psychological Association, South Asia, is celebrating its Silver Jubilee this year. This workshop was the first of many that are planned as part of the Jubilee celebrations.

Dr. Jose Parappully, the Director of Sumedha Centre, Jharmari, Punjab, and former President of Salesian Psychological Association, was the main facilitator.

Sr. K. P. Shobha, and Dr. L. B. Anthony took a session each on the legal and moral aspects of sexuality and celibacy.

Topics covered in the Workshop included Understanding Psychosexual and Celibate Maturity, Sex, Sexuality and Intimacy, Sexual Boundary Violations, Abuse and Healing, Celibacy and Heterosexual Attachment Dynamics and Online Pornography.

There were 34 participants – 18 women and 16 men, from various parts of the North-East and Kolkata.

Participants found the workshop immensely helpful for their life and ministry.

Twenty four of the 34 participants gave a perfect 10 put of 10 on the Degree of Usefulness of the Workshop and another seven gave a 9 out of 10.

The general comment on the workshop shared by many was: “The sessions were fantastic!”

Some other comments;

“The workshop was very useful because I learned many things which were never openly discussed before. Everything was an eye-opener.” F.

“I came to know more about my own sexuality. Earlier I looked at it as my burden and problem in living out my vocation. Through the workshop I realise that I can live out my vocation meaningfully accepting the daily struggles involved in it.” M

“The workshop enlightened me about some aspects of sexuality of which I was ignorant of and needed necessary clarification. “M

“All religious (men and women) should be given a chance to attend such workshop.” M.

The workshop provided me with much knowledge, cleared many of my doubts and provided me with practical tips on how to deal with certain personal issues in living my religious life meaningfully. F.

“The workshop was useful me because first of all it helped me to understand the beauty of sexuality and also to accept my sexuality. “M.

“I have benefitted immensely from all the topics discussed. They were very apt for my life.” M.

 

The Salesian Psychological Association’s next Jubilee Workshop is on “Online Pornography” on 10^th and 11^th August at the Don Bosco Provincial House, Bangalore.

49th SUMEDHA SADHANA CONCLUDES AT SUMEDHA CENTRE, JHARMARI

The 49^th Sumedha Sadhana – A Psychospiritual Wholeness Journey concluded at Sumedha Centre, Jharmari, Punjab on 4^th May. This 12-week programme had commenced on February 11^th.

Sumedha Sadhana is an inner journey in quest of greater healing and wellbeing.

Insights from faith and wisdom traditions, various psychological theories of development as well as experiential tools and techniques from Bioenergetics, NLP, Intensive Journal, Expressive Arts, Multi-Media, Qigong, Breathwork, Prayer and Meditation practices, and Sacred Scripture are used to explore and enhance one’s psychospiritual wellbeing.

There were 13 participants – 4 men and 9 women from 10 different religious congregations and one diocese in this edition of the Sumedha Sadhana.

The various modules were facilitated by Alex Clement, Edison Fernandes, Johny Padinjar, Jose Parappully, Philip Pinto and Thomas Kurianthanam.

Besides the academic programme there was time each weekend for integration of the week’s experiences, as well as for relaxation in group through picnics and visits to famous tourist locations.

There were two special events during the programme. One was the celebration of the Sumedha Foundation Day on 19^th March, the Feast of St. Joseph who is the Patron Saint of Sumedha Centre. Most Rev. Ignatius Mascarenhas, Bishop of Simla-Chandigarh Diocese was the main celebrant on the occasion.

We also had Br. Kurias Cyriac SDB, a great friend of Sumedha Centre and who had helped to renovate the building to make it suitable for conducting the Sumedha programmes, as chief guest on the occasion.

The second was the visit of the Extraordinary Visitor to the Salesian Province of New Delhi, Rev. Fr. Biju Michael, a member of the General Council of the Salesians of Don Bosco in Rome. He met the participants and interacted with them.

The participants were immensely happy with their entire Sumedha exprience. Five of them gave a perfect 10 out of 10 on a scale of 1 to 10 on Usefulness of the Programme. Four gave 9, three gave 8 and one gave 7.

Some typical comments;

“The programme helped me personally to open up myself. I was able to let go of many things, forgive many people who have hurt me, accept situations, and move on with my life. I feel I am healed of many things, especially emotional wounds. As I go back, I want to begin a new life, looking at things in new ways with the insights I received here. I am leaving this place with a light heart and full of happiness.”

 “I am fortunate to attend this programme. It has changed my perspective about my life and it gave me new life. It gave me opportunity to look back at where I am and challenged me to live a better life. I could work with my hurts and emotional imbalances and discover the root cause for it. This programme has changed me a lot.”

“When I entered Sumedha there was lot of questions in my mind, my heart was heavy, full of confusion, no clarity etc… But at the end now all my questions are answered. I feel light hearted, and have clarity into my life.”

“I am so delighted that I am enlightened and awakened, to be a better version of myself – to be fully human with a compassionate heart. I am grateful.”

“I came to Sumedha at a time when I was searching for greater understanding of myself. At the end of the programme, I feel my objective has been realized.”

“I was at breaking point when I arrived at Sumedha. This was where I needed to be at this time in my life. I experienced healing of body, soul and spirit.”

“Sumedha enabled me to accept my past and my present and learn to see God in the bits and pieces of my life’s journey.”

“This is the place where I was purified, renewed and felt that I needed to follow Jesus more passionately.”

Living together with fellow Sumedhans has been a very enriching experience of community life.”

“Welcome and hospitality was excellent. Felt very much at home.”

“Sumedha provided the best for our stay here.”

The 50^th edition of Sumedha Sadhana is from June 23 to September 14, 2024. Registration is open. A few seats are available for this programme. Please contact sumedhacentre@gmail.com.

Please go to our updated web-page for more information: https://sumedhacentre.org  

 

SUMEDHANS ON PICNIC TO CHANDIGARH

Having spent two months in deep soul-work, reflecting on their lives with the help of insights from psychology, spirituality and the social sciences, the participants of the 49^th Sumedha Sadhana – A Psychospiritual Wholeness Journey—went on a relaxing picnic to Chandigarh, “the Beautiful City” April 7th. 

Chandigarh is about 45 km from Sumedha centre, Jharmari.

Our first stop was the beautiful Sukhna Lake, a picturesque man-made marvel, born from the vision of the great architect Le Corbusier. It which has facilities for boating and other recreational facilities, as well as eating places.  One side of the lake has beautifully laid out foot paths and gardens – with a unique “Garden of Silence,” conducive for quiet meditation. Behind the Lake are the Shivalik Hills.

Our next stop was the Rock Gardens, the creation of Nek Chand, and perhaps the most famous tourist spot in Chandigarh. The many walls within the enclosure are studded with beautiful sculptures, all made from waste materials. It also has enchanting human-made waterfalls, a hall of mirrors and various village scenes depicted with figures made out of cloth.

We then visited Don Bosco Navajeevan Church and Social Service Centre at Sector 24 B. The Salesian Fathers there offered us great hospitality and we had a sumptuous lunch and relaxed with a game of Bingo with time for several “Full-Houses.”

Next door to Don Bosco there is a mini Rose Garden where we spend some enjoying the roses in full bloom and trying our hands and legs at the exercise machines.

Following this we visited the newly constructed Church of Our Lady of Miracles at the campus of St. Stephen’s school at Togan. The beautiful edifice will be blessed and dedicated on 10^th April by His Eminence Oswald Cardinal Gracias along with several bishops.

Our last stop was at the Christ King Cathedral where we spent some time prayer and the Bishop’s House where we spent time chatting with Bishop Mascarenhas.

Father Jaimasih Ekka, the administrator at Sumedha Centre had provided enough fruits, nuts and snacks for us to munch all along the journey. He and the Director of the Centre, Jose Parappully, accompanied the group.

This 49^th Sumedha Sadhana concludes on May 4.

The next Sumedha Sadhana begins on June 23 and concludes on September 14. Registration is open.

TEACHERS’ WORKSHOP ON ENHANCING INSTITUTIONAL EXCELLENCE

Dr. Jose Parappully, Director of Sumedha Centre for Psychospiritual Wellbeing at Jharmari, Punjab was invited to facilitate a training workshop for teachers of Jesus and Mary School at Bhurewala, Haryana, on April 2, 2024.

Bhurewala is a very remote farming village in Haryana. The school caters to students from poor families. There are about 300 students and 19 teachers at Jesus and Mary School, Bhurewala. There is also a small hostel.

All the teachers, including the Principal Sr. Kusum, attended the workshop. The topic was Enhancing Educational excellence.

Dr. Parappully used data from organizational psychology research, exercises and group activities to discuss the significant contributors to institutional excellence.

He helped teachers to assess the current scenario in regard to institutional excellence at Jesus and Mary and helped them plan measures to enhance institutional excellence at the school.

The participants were unanimous in their feedback that the workshop was immensely useful. It had not only provided them ways and motivation to enhance excellence, but also insights and skills that will be useful for classroom management.

RESURRECTION OF JESUS - THE SECOND BIG BANG!

The Resurrection of Jesus can be considered the second Big Bang! Not in the sense of another creation, but in the sense of setting in motion a process in which all that is existing is restored to its pristine splendor and glory. Resurrection is an explosion of light and grace-packed energy which, like the effects of the original Big Bang (the ever-expanding Universes), will continue to course through the present and future realities, bringing in ever-evolving newness/transformation.

Resurrection/Easter is all about newness/transformation - of self and the Universe -- through dying and rising. Dying is letting go, and rising is becoming something new, something/someone that did not exist until then.  It is a process of actualizing whatever until then was only in potential.

An apt metaphor is the caterpillar becoming butterfly.  The caterpillar has to given up the caterpillar existence (Good Friday), and enter into the cocoon where for sometime nothing seems to happen (Holy Saturday), and then burst out of the cocoon as beautiful butterfly! (Ester Sunday)

Everything about Easter is about newness. Easter is set in Spring, when a dead Nature  autumn shedding of leaves and drying of plants is Good Friday, and winter when everything is buried under the snow is Holy Saturday) becomes alive again with fresh leaves and flowers. (Easter).

Then there are the symbols of newness in the Easter vigil liturgy -- new fire, new candle, newly blessed water, newly blessed oils (at the Chrism Mass), newly baptized Christians....

My Prayer

Dear God, let me know what is that I need to let go, and let me be willing to let it go, so that I can experience newness of psyche and soul.

A very Happy Easter to all.

HOLY SATURDAY -- DEADEND!

 

On Good Friday the story had apparently ended. Whatever hopes of liberation and freedom from oppression Jesus had evoked have been shattered. Remember the words of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus after the crucifixion: “We had hoped…..” Now there is only a great silence, the silence of the tomb, a silence that will last all through Saturday.

 Holy Saturday is the in-between time – between something old dying and something new emerging. Holy Saturday is the time between the seed falling to the ground and dying and then germinating new life. Holy Saturday is like a dead end, a time when nothing seems to be happening, when one sees no light at the end of the tunnel. 

Good Friday looks like the end of the story. But not really. The story will continue. Light will appear at the end of the tunnel. Death will be conquered. The silence and gloom of Holy Saturday will be shattered in a blaze of glory. Out of darkness light will break forth!

When have we felt life to be a long Holy Saturday, when we felt like we have reached a dead end – with no way forward, no light at the end of the tunnel? …. And then surprised – at the happy turn of events? As a popular song says, “there is sunshine after the rain, there is laughter after the pain.” 

A Holy Saturday Prayer

Heal us, O Lord,  of our disappointments and our hopelessness, the meaninglessness that fill our lives after loss and trauma. Fill us with hope and optimism to help us believe that pain and sorrow do not last forever, that healing and restoration is possible, that better times lie ahead. Make us instruments of hope to the hopeless and love to the forlorn. Amen

49th SUMEDHA SADHANA

The 49^th Sumedha Sadhana – A Psychospiritual Wholeness Journey commenced on February 11. There are 23 participants – 9 women religious and four priests, from 10 different religious congregations and one diocese.

Sumedha Sadhana is a programme of inner journeying together with fellow seekers in quest of greater healing and wholeness, so that we can live our lives in more fulfilling and satisfying ways and be more effective in our service to others. A variety of approaches and techniques are used to reach these objectives.

A major portion of the programme is devoted to the exploration of the psychological dynamics affecting our spiritual journey.

Several modules have concluded and the feedback from partisans show these have benefited them immensely.

The programme began with the participants looking at what is happening in their lives at this juncture on their psycho-spiritual journey. They were helped to discern what God might be telling them through all that is happening in their lives. Jose Parappully helped them explore these current realities.  He also facilitated a module on Prayerfulness.

In Somatic Meditation, Jose Parappully used a combination of Qigong, Yoga, Music, Dance and the Word of God to help participants loosen up all the knotted energies in their psychosomatic system and experience rejuvenation of psyche and soul.

Jose Parappully used insights from various psychological theories, tools and techniques from Expressive Arts and Journaling, as well as movies and music to help participants explore and integrate the psychological dynamics and transformational processes of Midlife to help participants enhance their psychospiritual wellbeing and age gracefully, finding meaningfulness and fulfilment in the second half of our lives.

In Unconscious Dynamics Johny Dominic helped participants explore the dynamics behind the helplessness participants often experience in not being able to do what they want and doing what they do not want.  Using concepts from Freudian, Jungian, NLP and Transactional Analysis theories he helped participants unleash the powers of the unconscious to facilitate healing and wholeness.

Consecrated life is facing new challenges in the context of a society that is rapidly evolving with new values and of events that are shaking up traditional Church teachings and practices, as well as faith of people. Philip Pinto helped participants look at these challenges and provided insights and experiences to live their consecrated life in ways that are more radical and relevant to changed social and Church realities.

In "Breath, Spirit and Wellbeing" KC Thomas (Kurianthanam) introduced the participants to a series of holistic exercises using breath, music and movement for the integration of body, mind and spirit.  This module integrated Eastern meditative techniques with Western therapeutic methods leading to stress release, emotional healing and contemplative silence. 

 Among the modules still to come are: Sexuality, Celibacy and Intimacy, group therapy and a spiritual and integration retreat which concludes this psychospiritual wholeness journey.

Two Important Events.

There were two noteworthy events during the past 6 weeks of the programme.

The first was the “Extraordinary Visitation” (an assessment of the way Sumedha Centre is carrying out its Mission) by the Salesian Regional for South Asia, Dr. (Fr.) Biju Michael, who is a member of the General Council of the Salesians of Don Bosco at its headquarters in Rome. This took place on March 7-10.

Fr. Biju Michael met the two Salesians who are members of the Community, and went through all documents and reports, to assess the state of affairs at the Centre. He also met with all the participants of the current Sumedha programme.

The other was the celebration of the Foundation Day of Sumedha Centre, and the feast of its Patron, St. Joseph, on the 19^th March. 

Most Rev. Ignatius Mascarenhas, the Bishop of Shimla-Chandigarh diocese presided at the Eucharist at 6.00 pm. He was warmly welcomed by the participants and staff. In his homily, Bishop Mascarenhas spoke of the import service that the Centre is often to people who are seeking enhancement of their psychospiritual journey. He told the participants that the programme can truly be a means for healing and transformation. He described their time at the Centre as a “privileged moment of grace.”