Celebrating as 'One Community'

We post-graduate students celebrated our community day on 8th and 9th October. The theme of our celebration was “… THEREFORE… We Commune.”

“Therefore” is a polyvalent which means it has many different meanings and functions. In the context of community “therefore” invites us to commune with all our differences, skills, talents, experiences, idioms, styles of writing and speaking etc. which can inspire a community to commune with Trinity God.

On the evening of both days, there were many indoor and outdoor games that were organised. Fr Francis, our Moderator of PG block, officiated the games and wished our community …”therefore” … to stay on always as one community. We had games such as table-tennis, basket-ball, cricket, tug of war, blowing a ping-pong ball, etc. We divided ourselves into 2 groups – Noel’s team and Tommy’s team. The overall champion was Noel’s team.

An intense game of table-tennis

The answer is 'blowing' in the wind

Our basketball heroes

Cricket Match

C'mon fellas ... Tarikkkkk!


On the morning of the 9th, we gathered as usual for Morning Mass at our Post-graduate block chapel. Fr Jose Thayil, SJ., the rector of Papal Seminary, celebrated the Mass. In his homily he highlighted about Karl Marx’s ideology of sharing and contributing whatever the community has with one another. He also mentioned that we as a community need to accept one another and to be united with the community God (the Trinity God).

In the evening we had a fellowship gathering at our dining hall. Fr Joseph Fernandez, organised a few talent-time games like Dumb Shrewd (it is a game when someone acts and the crowd needs to judge). Some of the students came forward to sing, play the guitar and the flute.

Our fun was truncated by the arrival of distinguished guests and lecturers of our college. Before we proceeded for dinner, Fr Job, the president of our college advised us to be cheerful in the community and to go beyond reaching out to others. He was very proud with our community for the increase in numbers since the establishment of JDV College 56 years ago. We ended with a sumptuous meal.

Makan Time

All in all, our Community Day celebration was a joyful one and enjoyable one. It certainly reminded me of my seminary days where we normally have “Agape Night” before we leave for our semester or year break. A life of community will stay alive if it increases its values in “3Gs – Grow… Glow… Go...” A community needs to grow in love. When it grows in love then it will glow in the spirit of the Lord and with that glowing spirit it can go in spreading the good news of our Saviour. Kudos!
Our 1st quarter semester breaks will commence from 15th to 30th October.

Most of the students will be returning home during this break. My classmates and I will be leaving by train for Varanasi (North-East of India) for an Inter-religious dialogue seminar which will be held from 17th to 23rd October – it is our class project.

Hopefully I will have some interesting stories to write on Varanasi when I return.

My Feathered Friends

One Sunday, I came back straight to my room after morning Mass without having my breakfast. Immediately, I started work on my assignment and a few minutes later I sensed some movement near my window and went closer to take a look. I noticed that two tiny baby birds had fallen on the platform of my window from its nest. One died and another one was struggling for life.

The dead baby bird

I really don’t know how to reach out and save this little one. (Our windows have sliding mosquito netting doors, grills and glass windows). First, I have to push the sliding mosquito net window and if I push it to one side, the nest would fall. Anyhow I took the risk. I pushed the sliding window a little and managed to reach the little one with a help of a stick. My next problem was how to send back this little one into its nest.

The baby bird that survived the fall

Actually, there were a few nests on the top of both sides of my window and they were a little high. I then decided to check on the internet how to save a baby bird. With few guidelines I manage to keep the bird in a safe condition till the evening. That evening I asked my neighbour, Fr Sadanad to help me to return the bird into the nest. He is quite a tall man. With his help, we managed to reach the nest and brought down it. We saw another two more tiny baby birds inside the nest. We placed it nicely into its nest together with the other two and put back the nest accordingly.

After putting the little baby bird back to its home I felt relieved. That evening the mother bird came and I guess it was not happy. It was moving around the nest and it didn’t settle inside its nest. For two days I was watching the mother bird. I was very sure it didn’t stay inside its nest. I guess something was not right. Probably it was because we had disturbed its home. On the third day, I decided to check the condition of the baby birds. I climbed and noticed that the one I saved on Sunday had died, whereas the other two babies were rescued by the mother bird. I was little upset and I realised it was my fault for disturbing their natural habitat.

I really don’t know what species of bird this is. I know the amount of time the birds spent collecting grass and other materials from far away to build the nest. It was really a tough job for them to shape it. I still remember sometime in the middle of July, these pair of birds met each other outside my window. From then on, they came regularly to find a place for settlement. Initially, they failed many times to set the foundation. I felt pity for them and I wished I could help them. Right from the beginning I observed them very closely with their movements. I used to snap photographs of their single action. I didn’t go closer to my window and I don’t close my curtains either because I was afraid I might disturb them.

The first pair of birds building their nest

After about a month, I realised that the birds had disappeared. I thought they had gone elsewhere to settle down. On 15th August (the feast of the Assumption of Our Lady), the birds returned and this time they were so serious in building up the nest. Within 2 weeks they had completed the nest.

The completed nest ... Home is where the heart is


On 19th September, when I came back from my class I heard baby birds chirping. I knew the eggs had hatched but I didn’t know how many there were all together. I was so happy to hear that. I quickly informed one of my good friends in Malaysia via email that baby birds were chirping.

Now, on the right and side of my window, there is another nest that is being built. The birds have come back and are slowly settling down after disappearing for past two weeks. Like a proud parent, I hope to ‘hear’ some good news soon.

'Couple' No 2 setting up home


These past 3 months I have been observing the movements of our feathered friends. One mama bird has completed the cycle of ‘giving birth’ and the next bird is in the process of laying eggs. At one time I felt sad because the 1st pair of parent birds had flown away with their 2 babies within 7 to 8 days before their maturity. The baby birds’ feathers were not fully formed but I am very sure they are in a protected home somewhere and hoping that they are still alive.

Whenever I look out of my window I wish I could be like St Francis of Assisi so that I could communicate with these birds to find out the conditions of the baby birds and be able to ‘speak’ with the rest of God’s creatures as well.

Many people say that animals and birds are much more intelligent than human beings. They are independent and free creatures. They can survive on their own without any human care and love. They know how to look after their own. We, human beings are so different. We need tender love and parental care. We can’t survive without our parents or one another’s care and love. Often, we worry about the habitat and the environment. Some of us are so caught up by this so much so that we spend more time and energy looking on this and fail to look after our own families or our own needs.

When I reflect on the care shown by the ‘Papa and Mama’ birds for their young, this verse from the Book of Exodus comes to mind, “… I carried you away on eagles’ wings and brought you to me…” (cf EX 19: 3- 4, DT 32: 11-12).

Other birds carry their young with talons but eagles are said to carry their young upon their wings so that when hunters attempt to shoot a flying eagle, the arrow or bullet would not hurt the young ones. Similarly, we too can see how God cares and protects His people just like the parent birds.

Celebrating our College Community Day

The history of Pontifical Athenaeum Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth (JDV) can be traced back to 1893 when Pope Leo XIII founded the Papal Seminary in Kandy, Sri Lanka and entrusted its direction and administration to the Society of Jesus.

In 1926, the Holy See elevated the seminary to the status of a Pontifical College with the rights and privilege of conferring the Baccalaureate, Licentiate, Master’s programme and Doctorate in Philosophy and Theology.

In 1955, the Papal Seminary was shifted from Sri Lanka to Pune, closer to De Nobili College, the Jesuit formation House which already existed in Ramwadi, Pune and the then Jesuit Superior supervised. Then it was not only open to the students of the Society of Jesus but to other Religious Congregations as well.

In 1975, the Pontifical Athenaeum adopted the Indian name of “Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth” – “By the kindled light of insight”. Now it is open to all students, race and culture and nationality. Both colleges, JDV and the Papal Seminary have developed a good relationship till now. JDV enjoys the character of a “University” whereas the Papal Seminary functions as a “Formation House” for the training of Diocesan priests.

JDV College


The compound is almost 100 acres surrounded with tress. It is really cooling and unpolluted environment. Whenever I am inside the compound I feel more relaxed and comfortable. Once I am out from this premise I can see the real India with poverty, congestion and pollutions.

The Library


On Friday, 23 September, 2011, our college celebrated a day of community with the theme “Sounds Synchronised to Symphony”. We began our day with a Eucharistic celebration at the Papal Seminary Chapel at 8.30 am. The Mass was celebrated with the Syro-Malabar Rite. It is the Chaldean or Eastern-Syrian liturgy and it is one of the oldest Eucharistic Liturgies of the Church (A.D.200). It has 3 main parts in the liturgy: The entrance rite, the liturgy of the word and the liturgy of the faithful (presentations of the Gifts, Eucharistic prayer and the Holy Communion).

I was able to follow the Mass order this time because the whole Mass was celebrated in English and furthermore I had a Mass book where I could focus on each word and rituals used during the celebration. The last part of the celebration was when the celebrant bid a farewell to the Altar. The prayer goes like this: “I do not know whether I shall be coming back to offer the sacrifice upon YOU.”

For me it was a very touchy phrase and very meaningful as well. I told myself that whenever I leave the Altar after the Eucharistic celebration I will make it a point to say this pray and kiss the Altar. When I go up to the Altar again I shall thank the Lord for bringing up me to the Altar and make the celebration more meaningful for the people.

In the evening we all gathered at the hall for the cultural show which was started at 6pm and ended at 8.30pm. The president of the JDV College, Fr Job Kozhamthadam officiated the cultural show and in his opening speech said that with our various cultures in India we should synchronise them in our Christian spirituality as one symphony.

The seminarians, Sisters and Fathers performed various songs, dances, sketches and comedy. They were really wonderful.

The performance by the nuns ... yes these nuns can certainly dance!


One of the songs was a Malaysian song – “Rasa Sayang eh which was sung by the Post Graduate students.

The Rasa Sayang song being performed by the post graduate students ... I just gave them a basic coaching for the song and they did a good job!


There were both traditional and modern dances. The sketches basically brought the elements of education, moral and gospel values such as light and darkness, creation, ecology, evolution and life.

The lightings and sound systems brought more impact to the scenes. It was a fantastic show filled with creativity. It was a truly wonderful experience for me and I felt as if I was in an actual theatre watching a high-class performance.

Despite the heavy schedule of assignments and studies the students really spent time to practice and decorate the hall in order to celebrate and make the JDV community day a truly memorable occasion. The JDV anthem song was played at the closing ceremony.

Weekend in Hyderabad

On 2nd September, my classmates and I left to Hyderabad for a weekend break. Hyderabad is the capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh. It took almost 12 hours journey by bus. It was the first time that I’ve travelled by for such long hours in a bus. It was also the first time that I went out of Pune ever since I came to India.

We stayed at the Church of St Francis de Sales. Our first trip was to visit the Catholic Missionary School runs by the Congregation of Missionary of St Francis de Sales (MSFS). Fr Joy, msfs, is the principal of the school and Fr Rayappa is the procurator. They took us around to the Nursery and Kindergarten classrooms.

The Catholic Missionary School

Celebrating Mass in Hyderabad

The Grotto of Our Lady


After that we proceeded to the Ramoji Film City – which has been certified by the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s largest film studio complex.

The huge complex consists of 1,666 acres with 47 sound stages. Any normal tour in this film city will at least take a day but we left within 2 hours due to the hot sun.

All pictures below are within the studio location itself:

I was really fascinated with this complex and I had a better picture in my mind on how the film industries produce movies.

Then we left to the old city of Hyderabad to visit Charminar (Menara) which was built in the 1591 and the old university.

Osmania University Hyderabad


Hyderabad is well known with its Biryani. During my two days stay there I had the Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani twice. It was really spicy but I enjoyed it. It is entirely different than what I have eaten in the past especially in Malaysia.

The worse part of my trip was the 15-hour return journey to Pune in a non-air conditioned bus. It was a killer!