SUMEDHA OUTREACH PROGRAMME- HELPERS OF MARY

The Director of Sumedha Centre, Jose Parappully, facilitated a four-day Workshop for the Sisters of the Society of the Helpers of Mary at Atmasadhana, the Generalate of the Society at Andheri West, Mumbai from 14-17, September 2016. 

There were 60 sisters participating including current and former Provincial Superiors.

The title of this interactive workshop was “Midlife Dynamics and the spiritual Journey.”

The topics covered during the workshop included Midlife Dynamics, Psychosexual and Celibate Integration, Love and Friendship on the Celibate Journey, Midlife and God’s Second all, and a Spirituality for the Post-Midlife Years.

Participants reported that they found the workshop immensely useful. The workshop provided much useful information, provided answers to their many questions and helped them understand their experiences. It helped them  accept themselves and their experiences and re-orient their priorities for the post-midlife years.

A common opinion expressed by participants was that had this workshop been offered them a few years earlier it would have helped them even more. They could have understood what was happening to them when it was happening and helped avoid confusion and needless anxiety and distress.

At the same having gone through these experiences they were able to better understand what was presented.

The topics that were found more helpful by most participants were Celibacy and Chastity, Celibate Friendships and Spirituality for the Post-Midlife Years.

SUMEDHA OUTREACH PROGRAMME- HELPERS OF MARY

The Director of Sumedha Centre, Jose Parappully, facilitated a four-day Workshop for the Sisters of the Society of the Helpers of Mary at Atmasadhana, the Generalate of the Society at Andheri West, Mumbai from 14-17, September 2016. 

There were 60 sisters participating including current and former Provincial Superiors.

The title of this interactive workshop was “Midlife Dynamics and the spiritual Journey.”

The topics covered during the workshop included Midlife Dynamics, Psychosexual and Celibate Integration, Love and Friendship on the Celibate Journey, Midlife and God’s Second all, and a Spirituality for the Post-Midlife Years.

Participants reported that they found the workshop immensely useful. The workshop provided much useful information, provided answers to their many questions and helped them understand their experiences. It helped them  accept themselves and their experiences and re-orient their priorities for the post-midlife years.

A common opinion expressed by participants was that had this workshop been offered them a few years earlier it would have helped them even more. They could have understood what was happening to them when it was happening and helped avoid confusion and needless anxiety and distress.

At the same having gone through these experiences they were able to better understand what was presented.

The topics that were found more helpful by most participants were Celibacy and Chastity, Celibate Friendships and Spirituality for the Post-Midlife Years.

VISIT BY HELPERS OF MARY

Sr. Stella Davassy, Mother General of the Society of Helpers Mary, accompanied by the members of the Generalate of the Society at Andheri, Mumbai, visited Sumedha Centre yesterday (20/11/15).

Bishop Isidore Fernandes, the former Bishop of Allahabad, spent some time with them narrating the history of Jeolikote.

The director of sumedha, Jose Parappully, took them around introducing the Centre to them. He  had done a workshop on "Psychospritual Integration During Post-Midlife Years" for the senior sisters of the Congregation September this year. He will be doing a similar programme next September as well.

Workshop: PSYCHOSEXUAL INTEGRATION AND CELIBATE MATURITY

Director of Sumedha Centre, Jose Parappully, was invited to do a three-day renewal programme on “Psychosexual and Celibate Integration” for the members of the Helpers of Mary Congregation in Mumbai.

The programme was held at Shradha Ashram on the campus of the Generalate of the congregation at Andheri, Mumbai on September 22-24, 2015. There were 47 participants who were in the age bracket of 60-70.

Parappully explored the topic in the context of the dynamics of midlife and the post-midlife years which these Sisters were experiencing or had experienced.

The topics covered included: Dynamics of Midlife and Later Years; Sex, Sexuality and Intimacy; Celibacy and Chastity; Man-Woman Friendships within Celibate Living and God’s Second Call to a Deeper spiritual Life.

What the participants found most useful was the clarity that was provided on the various concepts and dynamics covered. The opportunity to share in groups what they had experienced and were experiencing brought relief and comfort.

One common observation was that it would have been very beneficial if the programme had been offered when they were experiencing these dynamics and confused during their midlife years.

A second common observation was that there was no one with whom they could share their experiences at the time and seek guidance and had to cope and make sense on their own.

Since most of the participants were leaders of communities or of organisations, they felt the knowledge they gained was very useful to understand and help those they were leading, besides helping make sense of their own experiences.