Kundukulam June 2016 Report

JUNE 2016 NEWS
 
June is always a busy month after a little relaxation for all adults and children as they move on to their jobs and schools despite the warm weather.
 
HOLY COMMUNION: This year, 14 children received their First Holy Communion on the last Sunday in May, after 12 days of hectic preparation. The trained catechists of the diocese conducted the preparatory course for the children. The children had a group photo after the Mass with their parents. All of the parishioners were very happy to see the children going to the elders of the community to receive blessings.
 
SCHOOLS RE-OPENING: The primary and high school children returned to their respective schools on June 1 after spending joyfully their summer holidays. The teachers gave instruction to the students regarding their syllabus, uniform, notebooks and the time-table. Congrats to all the teachers who worked hard to secure 100% results in the recent tenth standard Government board examination. 53 students appeared in the examination and all 53 passed. The first mark holder of the school is a girl student who scored 485 out of 500.  Fr. M. Britto, the correspondent convened a special meeting to congratulate the teachers, students and the parents with a tea party. The villagers and the neighborhood appreciated the performance of the students and encouraged the staff on their achievement.
 
ODAIKULAM – A SUBSTATION: THE FEAST OF ST. ANTHONY: Odaikulam is a small substation situated roughly 6 kilometers away from the local parish. The village patron saint is St. Anthony. There are three families permanently settled here and a majority of their relatives live in a big sub-station called Suravanthi and in distant towns. The significant thing about this feast is that all of the relatives and the entire Suravanthi substation people and the surrounding neighbors join together in organizing this feast in a grand way and provide meals for all the devotees who attend the feast. The decorations, lightings, altar arrangements are extraordinary to view and it highlights their strong devotion to St. Anthony.
 
PARISH FEAST: The parish feast of Sacred Heart of Jesus was celebrated the last weekend of June. There were nine days of Novena as a preparation for the feast and on the 10th day, the feast was celebrated. The celebration began with hoisting of the traditional flag and drew to a close with the lowering of the standard on Sunday, marking the finale to the grand, eleven-day celebration. This year’s feast was witnessed by nearly 700 people and 13 priests concelebrated in the feast day Mass. Some faithful thanked Sacred Heart of Jesus for the favors received, others petitioned with offerings of candles, silver articles and flowers as a mark of gratitude. Devotees not only from the parish but also from other neighboring parishes joined in the festivities. After the Mass, the statue of the Sacred Heart, fully decorated with flowers, was put in a wooden car and processed through the streets of the village with chanting the Rosary and prayers. Local residents stood on rooftops and on the pavement to catch a glimpse of the statue.
 

ST. VINCENT de PAUL: To our surprise, the parish priest allotted a small office room for the St. Vincent de Paul Society for its use. The officials of St. Vincent de Paul thanked him and appreciated his efforts. One of the members of St. Vincent de Paul became sick and the local members visited him and helped him with his medical expenses through the society. Mr. Arulanandam, an active member of local Vincent de Paul, passed away. May his soul rest in peace.

THE PRIMARY SCHOOL PROJECT UPDATE: The renovation work of the primary school is being undertaken now. The electrical wiring work is completed. Painting and fixing the roof with the tiles are yet to be done. We will be in touch as the work is in progress.