DUM DUM: The canonical visit of Sr. Lucy Rose Ozhukayil was set on trail with the inaugural Eucharistic celebration officiated by Fr. Mathew George SDB at Auxilium Provincial house Dum Dum at 9.30 a.m. The aspirants clad in red and white sarees led Sr. Lucy Rose , Sr. Rose Ezarath the provincial and the celebrant to the altar in a graceful prayer dance to the tune of a bhajan - Arpan hi Tuje. Sr. Lucy Rose carried a ring representing the hallowed presence of God and Sr. Rose a heart with 24 rose representing the communities of the province seeking God’s benevolence and grace during her pilgrimage through the communities to strengthen the bonds of fidelity, unity and love.
Fr. Mathew George in his homily challenged all to take up Jesus’ vision and mission statement ‘"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, he has anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor…’Lk. 4:16-) In his manifesto the person and the message was so well integrated and the focus on the poor was a consistent factor. His policy of downward mobility was opposed to the prevalent trend of upward mobility power and prestige. Jesus who was God took up the form of a slave and was born in not even in a home but in a cave among the cattle. Even today the craze of sanskritization is not about a language but a social mobility to upper class status. St. John Bosco truly imbibed the spirit of Jesus as he sacrificed all offers in economic status to be with the poor street urchins. The invitation for us today is to hearken to the manifesto of Jesus, Pope Francis constant call to the religious to go to the periphery in imitation of our founder who chose to be among the scamps of the society. For this one need to access the context to respond relevantly to the young people of today seeking their need than our need Questioning ourselves whether’ People who find us do they need us and people who we find do they need us’. Everyone present felt ignited to embrace the manifesto of Jesus to announce the good news to the poor and down trodden in this sacred period of the canonical visitation of Sr. Lucy Rose who will announce the good news of the Gospel. “How lovely on the mountains Are the feet of her who brings good news, Who announces peace And brings good news of happiness…”(Isaiah 52.7)

Sr. Stella P.