:: FRANCISCANS INDIA ::

Secretariat of Evangelization

Friars Leos Ekka, Dayanand, Singarayar, and Thomas Joseph met with Friar Provincial in Mumbai on 17th September. Friar Bobby was invited from the JPIC office to think together. The meeting have come out with a concrete action plan for the 3 years to come.

Secretariat of Evangelization is an animating body to educate and promote the friars in the areas of inculturation, inter-religious dialogue, evangelization. It will create an awareness among the friars of the spirit of Missions, and will communicate to them about the missionary projects and activities of the order at the national level and conduct exchange programmes between North and South India.

The scope of this secretariat is:

to facilitate contact with the “Mission” – both within and outside the country;
to disseminate information regarding missionary projects and activities in the province;
to identify and train personnel for missions;
to convene meetings of missionaries – at least, once a year – in view of evaluating and updating the methodology of missionary evangelization;
to form a “Franciscan Missionary Union” in the province.

	Leos Ekka	Secretary and Convener
	Dayanand	Member
	Singarayar A	Member
	Thomas Joseph	Member

New Developments:

Definitor General in charge of Missionary Evangelization asks Provincial Minister, Friar Arok Sundar to encourage young friars from India to respond generously to requirements of Missions in Sudan, Burma, China and Russia.
The Minister Provincial of Dutch Province requests Friar Arok Sundar to identify young solemnly professed friar students (non-priests) for ministry to youth and prisoners in Holland.

Sr. Alberra FMM a missionary from Ghana (Africa) addresses the students of Basic Formation.

The Missionary in the Land of Smiles


Thai children Friar Johnson and SFO Members	Friar. Johnson President of the Foundations of Thailand

Friar Johnson M.V has been working in Thailand since the last 3 and a half years. It took him 9 months to learn the Thai language and start celebrating Eucharist for the people. Seeing his pastoral work the Bishop has asked the friars to take up a parish, and friars have been serving in a new parish for the last one year.

Thailand has 0.4% of Catholics in the total population and the total Christian population will be 1.7%. The ten dioceses have all Thai bishops. The majority Buddhists are very tolerant and co-operates well with the Church related programs. The Franciscans look after a Hospice for Aids Patients. Friar Johnson said that Secular Franciscans, most of them well-educated and well placed in society are instrumental in helping the friars with the successful running of the hospice. Besides Johnson, there are three other friars – two from Indonesia and one from Brasil. This entity comes directly the Minister General.

NEEDED: Young friars who are willing to learn Thai language and enter into dialogue with Buddhism is very much needed to take forward this mission.

Another important and urgent requirement is a friar to help out with formation of the young candidates.

A friar with experience in North-East will find easier to adapt to the culture which is similar to Thai culture.