Dear Parishioners

I promised you that I would come back to you each month to keep you abreast with what is happing in the parish. The pandemic seems to keep us away from worshipping in Church but I do hope it has not kept you away from Our Lord Jesus Christ. To this effect we have ensured that we broadcast Sunday mass and the daily Gospel teaching; the links are sent to you via your animators on the WhatsApp group. It is my fervent hope that each family has submitted at least one family members cell phone details to the SCC animator. This is our only way to communicate with you. Please remember that while we at the parish have made every attempt to reach out and communicate to you, those who do not co-operate in this matter cannot claim ignorance of matters pertaining to the Church. We are not asking for your bank details, just one number of a family member to keep you abreast and informed of what is happening in the parish.

I am happy to let you know that our new parish office has been inaugurated. This space was designed and renovated by our own parishioner, Luis. We asked Edwin and Flory D’souza who are grandparents to do the honour of cutting the ribbon. I will now be available to parishioners on a daily basis for pastoral matters, Monday to Saturday on the ground floor, in the new parish office. Please note that for office matters you will need to follow the office timings. I hope that with this there is great accessibility to the priests and availability on our part for you. In time, the store room on the ground floor will be converted into a meeting room so that all meetings can be held at the ground floor itself. With this, I hope that movement to the father’s private rooms will be limited to the necessary and urgent only.

Last month I made an appeal to you my dear parishioners to give us one rupee or one percent of your monthly income towards the community welfare fund. This fund which I am told hovered at Rs 30,000 has now gone up, thanks to your contribution, to Rs1,70,620 for the month of June. I am grateful to many of you who have responded to this call and I hope that all our parishioners will contribute to the fund.

Last month we reached out to 96 families and provided food grains; this means that we have to keep aside close to a lakh of rupees from the fund towards the care of those who are needy. This is in addition to the 55 fresh meals that are made available thrice a week to our parishioners. I have also given Rs 50,000 in medical assistance this month.