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Automium and Mini-Europe
While in Bruxells, Fr. Hincq (86) took me around the city particularly to the Automium and the Mini-Europe. The Atomium, designed by engineer Andre Waterkeyn to represent Belgium at the Universal Exhibition in 1958 in Brussels represents an iron crystal, magnified 165 billion times. The nine large spheres connected by 20 tubes are standing on three enormous bipods and dominates with the height of 102 meters the entire Heysel plateau. Brussels celebrates the golden jubilee of the Automium this year.
Mini-Europe gives an exciting voyage through Europe. It is a park of outstanding quality with models of the Berlin wall, Eiffel tower, HST, Ariane space rocket etc. In the words of Robert Schuman, the pioneer of the concept of European Union, “You will find out what these people, regions and countries have in common…and what makes each one special.
Schuman is acclaimed a faithful Catholic and there are efforts to beatify him. I stayed at St. Michells Jesuit community which looks after the Church of St. Michael and a high school. St. Michael is the patron saint of the Brussels city, and the summit of the 96 meter high city hall is crowned with a statue of St. Michael.
Lourdes
This year, Lourdes in France is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Bernadette Soubirous. In this Jubilee year, millions of pilgrims gather at the shrine each week. And I was one of them.
Between February and July 1858, Our Lady appeared to Bernadette 17 times. At the 9th apparition on February 25 Bernadette was asked to drink from the spring and wash herself. From that day on, the spring has grown into a fountain with healing properties and never ceased to flow. It was in the 13th apparition that our Lady asked Bernadette to go and tell the priest to build a Church.
To see thousands of pilgrims from every nation and every culture - the healthy and the sick, the aged and the young, visiting our Lady of Lourdes is a miracle.
Father Felix Raj Awarded by Rotary Club
Fr. Felix Raj SJ was awarded the MAHADEOLAL SARAOGI AWARD for the year 2008 by the Rotary Club of Calcutta Welfare Trust on 3rd June 2008. This was a clear recognition of his service to the poor and the downtrodden. Some of the eminent personalities and many Rotarians of Calcutta attended the function. Honorable Justice (Retd.) U. C. Banerjee who worked as High Court Judge in the Hyderabad High Court chaired the function.
The Award Ceremony was held at Rotary Sadan, Kolkata at 7 in the evening. The Rotary Club of Calcutta recognizes one individual every year for his or her outstanding contribution for the service of poor.
Since Fr. Felix Raj could not attend the Award Function due his other engagement, I received it on his behalf from the Honorable Justice (Retd.) U. C. Banerjee. The Award carried a Certificate of Appreciation.
This is the third important Award that Fr. Felix RAJ SJ has received. He received the Mother Teresa Millennium award in 2006 and the CAB Community Award in April 2008. In spite of his heavy administrative work,
Father is involved in many programmes for the poor through education, women's empowerment and community development. He has inspired many of his students to become agents of constructive socio-economic development. I am proud to confess that I am one of the privileged one.
Paritosh Majumdar
Secretary-Director
PARIVARTAN SOCIAL WELFARE SOCIETY
Email: contact@parivartanindia.org
Fr. J. Felix Raj, SJ is receiving the 1st CAB Community Development Award from His Eminence Telesphore P. Cardinal Toppo, Archbishop of Ranchi
BOOK RELEASE FUNCTION
Book Release Ceremony of the Title : “Indian Economy: Economic Ideas, Development and Financial Reforms”, Essays in Honour of Prof. Raj Kumar Sen, edited by Fr. J. Felix Raj, SJ
On Sunday, March 30 at 5.00 pm at the St. Xavier’s School AV Room, 30 Mother Teresa Sarani (Park Street), Kolkata – 700 016.
His Grace Lucas Sircar, Archbishop of Kolkata has kindly consented to grace the occasion as Chief-Guest. Prof. Asis Banerjee, Vice-Chancellor, University of Calcutta will preside over the function. Rev. Fr. George Ponodath SJ, Rector, St. Xavier’s College will be the Guest of Honour.
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NATIONAL SEMINAR ON BRAHMABANDHAB UPADYDA Y
The National Seminar on Brahmabhandab Upadhyay: Seeker - Believer - Prophet, organized by the Goethals Indian Library and Research Society on October 7, 2007, was a great success. It was held on the occasion of Brahmabhandab's death centenary. For the inaugural session the St. Xavier's School A.V. Room was full, with around 120 participants.
Fr. Felix Raj, Director of the GILRS, gave the welcome address, mentioning the significant role played by Brahmabandhab in the foundation of Viswa Bharati, Santiniketan. Fr. Gispert-Sauch of Vidyajyoti College of Theology, who has made extensive research on Brahmabandhab over the years, delivered a very scholarly inaugural address.
Taking off from one of Fr. Gispert's remarks, Prof. Amlan Datta, former ViceChancellor of Vishwa Bharati University, Santiniketan, and a well-known scholar, gave deeply thoughtful reflections on how far - and how - a believer can be a seeker at the same time. Fr. George Pattery, Provincial, in connection with Brahma-bandhab's attempt to combine the Catholic-Hindu identity, helped to reflect on the problem of multiple identities, especially when religious faith is involved.
After the tea break, five speakers - Rev. K. P. Aleaz, Dr. Bishwanath Ghosh, Abanti Adhikari, Shri Jaiprakash Veeramani and Sch. Pandab Hansda, S.J. - presented papers on different aspects of Brahmabhandab's contribution.
The GILRS thanks all - professors, staff, and students - involved in the organization for this highly stimulating and well-organized seminar. At the end a delicious lunch was served for all.
Sylvester Mardi (2nd Yr. B.Com, SXC)
Fr. Felix Raj visited Assumption and Thammasat Universities in Bangkok, October 20-25, and delivered lectures on "Asian Model of Economic Development". He also attended the lIDS meeting to plan for the international conference in October 2008. He paid a visit to Myanmar, October 26 - November 2 and met friends and budding Indian Businesspersons.
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC CONGRESS
This year, the International Economic Congress was held at Istanbul, the Constantinople, the great city of Constantine, June 24 – 29. There were 1400 economists participating among whom only 14 were Indians. Fr. Felix Raj, was the priest to attend the congress. Fr. Raj also presented a paper on “The Impact of Globalization on Indigenous People in India”.
VISIT TO THE S(E)OUL OF ASIA
Fr. Felix Raj paid a three-day visit to the Sogang Jesuit University, Seoul, South Korea June 7-11. His visit was purely to explore possibilities to initiate exchange programs between Sogang and Xavier’s. Sogang is about 50 years old and is one of the best Universities in Korea with 12,000 students.
He had cordial meetings with the president, vice-president and deans of the University. They showed keen interest in academic collaboration with Xavier’s. He has worked out some concrete exchange programs between the two.
His visit coincided with the recent protest of Korean people against the import of beef from USA. Fr. Joseph Kim, a professor of theology at SU and Fr. Kuruvilla of Dumka province who was there to lecture at the SU took him to the Seoul city center to witness the candlelight protest by around 5 lac people, mostly youngsters between the age group of 20 to 35. Father said that he was “pleasantly amazed to see groups of nuns sitting with the people on the road.”
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Fr. Gerard Beckers, S.J. (Babu)
(1924-2006)