Report by Mrs. Zita Cutinho, St. Jude Ward.
June 15:"Small Christian Communities provide good centers for Christian formation and missionary outreach. These groups come together for prayer, scripture reading, catechesis and discussion on human and ecclesial problems with a view to a common commitment...these communities become a means of evangelization and of the initial proclamation of the Gospel, and a source of new ministries" (Pope John Paul II, Mission of the Redeemer, 51).
The Small Christian Community of our parish was established in 1996 and as of now it is active and functioning well in St. Jude ward of our parish. There are five wards and 180 families till date. The parish priest, the assistant parish priest, vice president and Gurkaars of the wards have been continuously working to unite the parish community through various initiatives and besides there is also lot of cooperation from the parishioners. The SCC meetings are conducted regularly in all the five wards and there has been 75% attendance in the meetings in our ward.
Everyone participates in the 7 steps of prayer enthusiastically. This has helped to develop interest in reading Gospel, understanding it and living it in daily life. The SCC meetings have brought the ward people together for various voluntary services in the parish, which has made the Gurkaar’s work much easier.There members of our ward have participated in the input session held in Kirem Parish. The main theme of the session was ‘We are all a Community’. Rev. Fr. Gilbert D’souza, the SCC director at diocese level was the resource person for the session.
Besides attending various programmes at diocese and Varado level the members also have helped out in building houses, repairing the road etc. The ward people have come together to celebrate the ward feast, visiting the sick and have given help at various occasions in the parish. All this is possible only through SCC.