| The Catholic Charismatic Group of Kulshekar Parish is built upon the words of Jesus, ‘Where two or three come together in My Name, there I am with them.’ (Mt 18:20). It has a history of about thirty years. Prayer meetings have been held on every Wednesday in the church edifice since December 1980, following a Charismatic Retreat preached by Rev. Fr. V. J. Menezes, when Rev. Fr. Albert was the vicar. Since then the group has gone through a number of phases with three prominent and Charismatic leaders shouldering the responsibility of the group. The first to take charge was Br. Dolphy Lobo of St. Francis Xavier’s Parish, Bejai, who had come to assist Rev. Fr. V.J. at the retreat. He strengthened the group with great zeal for a number of years. By then his responsibilities as a retreat preacher as well as his commitment to promoting prayer groups at a number of parishes where his team went preaching, required that another from Cordel Parish assume his responsibility.
Sr. Lilly D’Silva thus took up the charge as the leader of the prayer group though she had by then stepped into the fold of a secular religious order of the Holy Spirit. She has been a part of the Charismatic movement since 1978, when it was first brought to India. She too was involved in motivating prayer groups in various parishes in and around Mangalore. The group has found in her a faithful and encouraging friend. During her tenure of leadership the group has added to its wing an intercessory time of one hour, where about 10 to 15 members come together at 4.30 p.m. on Wednesdays and pray for the various needs of individuals, group members, church and the country. This time has helped the group to practically experience the truth in words of Jesus, ‘… My Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.’ (Jn. 16:24). She has been supported in her task by a core group with Mrs. Irene Machado, Mrs. Nancy D’Costa, Mrs. Irene Tauro, Ms. Marriet Pinto, Mr. Stany D’Souza, Mr. Stany Fernandes, Mrs. Lucy, Mrs. Mary D’Cruz, Mrs. Louisa Miranda, Mrs. Florine Sequeira, and several others.
Presently Mr. Stany D’Souza , known popularly as ‘Sezari Stany’, has assumed the responsibility as the leader of the prayer group. He has been actively involved with the Charismatic movement for many years. Like Brother Dolphy, he has taken upon himself the responsibility of strengthening a number prayer groups in their infancy. The Infant Jesus Shrine at Bikkarnakatta is one such place.
The contour of the group too has undergone changes over the years. From its earliest timings of 6 to 7 p.m. which afforded a number of office-going people to take part in the prayer meeting, the timings were changed to 5.30 p.m. to enable the elderly to attend it. From being a ‘prayer meeting’, it changed to ‘a time of Holy Hour’ in the year of the Holy Eucharist when Fr. G. W. Vas was the Vicar. Thus the prayer group became an instrument in gathering many more faithful to worship the Lord, with various wards taking charge of leading the worship. However the practice continued even after that up to 2008, after which the prayer group attained its former shape of a ‘prayer meeting’ lead once again by the members of the prayer group. In 2008, the Parishioners’ long standing desire for a daily mass in the evening was fulfilled and the mass is celebrated at 5.45 p.m. Therefore to accommodate the change, the timings of the prayer meeting stand changed to 5 to 5.45 p.m. followed by mass and 15 minutes of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament on every Wednesday.
Fed by the word of God and fortified by personal as well as each other’s prayer support, the members of the prayer group have been actively contributing to all the walks of parish life. Many prayer group members serve in various associations like the Parish Council, SVP., etc. Some have been involved in teaching Sunday Catechism. They are also active members in their respective wards. Not stopping at that, the group actively supports the missionary work of one of them, br. Walter Pinto, in subscribing to hundreds of ‘Vachanolsavam’ every month and distributing them among the spiritually needy in hospitals, and those in and around, in addition to supporting him with prayers. The group is grateful to the Parish Priests, especially Rev. Fr. Elias and the Rev. Assistant Parish Priests like Fr. Andrew, Fr. Matthew, Fr. James, Fr. Prakash, Fr. Alban, Fr. Simon, Fr. Alex and presently, Fr. Vincent, who were given the responsibility of animating the prayer group and have helped it to grow day-by-day. |
