From News Letter | July |

NEWS LETTER

DIOCESE OF GALLE – SRI LANKA

FOR CIRCULATION AMONG THE CLERGY OF THE DIOCESE

JUNE 2011 – VOL 06. N0.07

OFFICIAL WEB SITE:- www.gallediocese.org

Greetings in the Lord of Hope

My Dear Fathers, Brothers & Sisters,

Let us very humbly thank the Good Lord for the abundant blessings showered upon all of us during the last month and especially for the gift of our New Shepherd in the person of Very Rev. Msgr. Raymond Wickramasinghe who has been nominated as the 07th Bishop of Galle.  His Episcopal Ordination and Installation will be on 31st, August at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, Galle.  Let us invoke the Holy Spirit to guide and prepare him  for the new apostolic mission which has been entrusted to him.

On behalf of the organizing committee of the 'Diocesan Vocation Day' I  thank  all the Rev. Fathers, Rev. Brothers, Rev. Sisters and  others who really helped us in numerous ways to have a very fruitful and successful day.  I encourage you to continue guiding and helping the children and youth in your parishes  to discern their vocation  to the priesthood and the religious life.

We are thankful to His Lordship Bishop Cletus Perera OSB for officiating at the diaconate ceremony of Bro. Ravindra Seneviratne on 23rd June 2011 at St. Xavier's Minor Seminary, Kalegana, Galle. We wish our new Deacon a fruitful  ministry in the Diocese.

I am very much pleased to announce that a special Catholic Diocesan Internet Webcast (GD TV) will be inaugurated very soon as a means  to spread the word of God through the Internet (web casting).  The advantage of having such a programme would be that any of our Catholic Programmes  and  events could be webcast into 164 countries at the same time. 

As our Diocese is consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, let us pay much attention to promote this devotion in the Diocese. Let us de facto consecrate each and every Catholic family of our Diocese to the Sacred Heart of Jesus that sanctifies each and everyone who consecrates oneself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.   In addition to the devotions we have in our parishes and institutions, may I strongly encourage you to conduct Holy Hours cum Adoration in the presence of  the Blessed Sacrament with your faithful.  We wish all the Heartians of the Sacred Heart Convent School, Galle a very Happy and Holy Feast. 

N.B.:- Our Annual Retreat will be from Monday 11th July to 15th July at the Blessed Sacrament Retreat House, Hanwella.  Our Preacher will be Rev. Fr. Justin Chaukan S.S.S. , the Superior of  St. Phillip Neri's Church, Pettah.

This is a very important spiritual event in our annual programme and of course in our own priestly lives too.  As we begin our Retreat at 10.00 a.m. on Monday 11th July  you are kindly requested to be there on time. May I suggest that you request the religious communities and the faithful of your parishes to pray that we may really benefit from this spiritual exercise. 

The Apostolic Carmelite  Sisters  in Fort, Galle, will celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel  on Saturday 16th July. The thanksgiving Holy Eucharist will be at 5.30 p.m. at the Fort Chapel. We wish them a very happy feast and a fruitful mission in the diocese of Galle.

Sunday the 31st July: Pontifical Mission Society of St. Peter the Apostle.  This is Indigenous Clergy Sunday in all Dioceses.  The Theme for this year is "Send me Lord, to proclaim the Good News"

The Pontifical Society of St. Peter the Apostle, founded in 1843 by Jeanne Bigard, provides for the education of native clergy, support of canonical - year novices, post-graduate study for native diocesan clergy and native religious women.  May we pray for those who are generous to the mission and for those who will receive the benefits of their generosity.  Let us educate our faithful to pray and to be a little more generous in their contributions towards this gracious act and send your collections to the diocesan Director (Rev. Fr. Lalith Fernando).

Our Jesuit Community in Galle celebrates the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola on Sunday the 31st.  While appreciating their pioneering missionary work in our Diocese, let us pray for them to be able to continue their  present mission in our diocese  for the Greater Glory of God.  A.M.D.G.

May God Bless you and your ministry.

Yours devotedly in Jesus and Mary,

Fr. Nihal Nanayakkara
Diocesan Administrator