BANGALORE: St. Joseph's Wins Bible Quiz

St. Joseph's Boys' School Emerges Inter-School Bible Quiz Champions

August 6, 2007

BANGALORE, Karnataka (SAR NEWS) -- St. Josephs Boys’ School Bangalore emerged winners of the fourth Annual Interschool Bible Quiz hosted by Serra Club of Bangalore, August 4, at the Catholic Club here.

Thirty-eight teams from 20 Catholic schools in the city took part in the preliminary written round comprising 30 questions. Five teams qualified for the finals.

As many as 114 students participated in the quiz based on St. Mark’s Gospel.

The final round of the quiz comprised individual questions, a rapid-fire round and a visual round. St. Joseph’s School bagged the D’Sa Rolling Trophy for the winners.

St. Francis Xavier’s Girls’ School finished second and Cluny Convent Malleswaram third.

Later, Archbishop Bernard Moras of Bangalore addressing the children exhorted them to read the Bible and get to know Christ Jesus better. He presented the 15 finalists with a special Bible.

Organiser and vice-president of Serra Club, Brinda Abreo, said the general standard of participation was steadily improving every year and it was the endeavour of Serra Club to sow a small seed for vocations in the hearts of Bangalore's Catholic youth while encouraging and helping them to know the Bible better.

Serra Club, a group of lay Catholics, is committed to fostering and promoting vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life. (SAR)

BANGALORE: Konkani Retreat - July 20-22, 2007

3 Day Konkani Retreat at Renewal Retreat Centre (RRC) Bangalore

A 3-day Charismatic Retreat in Konkani will be held at Renewal Retreat Centre (RRC), Christ School Road, Near Dairy Circle, Bangalore 560029.

The retreat starts on Friday 20 July at 9.00 a.m and will end at 5 p.m. on Sunday 22 July. (On Friday and Saturday it closes at 06.00 pm.)

For those attending from outside Bangalore, lodging and boarding is available at RRC free of charge.

She Begged For Alms And Crowned Mother Mary

Picture of Thangamma

BANGALORE, May 28, 2007 -- Pilgrims to the 25-year-old Shrine of Mother of Mines in Kolar Gold Fields, Karnataka, were in for a big surprise when 76-year-old Thangamma announced her gift of a Rs-65,000 gold crown for the miraculous statue of Mother Mary.

Thangamma won no lottery. It was the alms she received begging for the last 30 years at the Shrine of Mother of Mines in the mining town of KGF, 90 kilometres from Bangalore.

Thangamma is stone blind in her left eye. Her right eyesight is fading, too. But her faith has not failed even in the darkest moments of her life. "I was Muniamma when I came to KGF 31 years ago. It was the good Father John Solomon who baptised me and I took the name Thangamma (Mother of Mines)," she recalls, even as she vividly recollects the many priests who served at the church.

Shrine of Mother of Mines at Kolar Gold Fields (KGF)

Though blessed with four sons and four daughters, she was abandoned by them and her husband and in-laws when she chose to embrace Christianity. "There was a lot of opposition from all sides when they came to know that I wanted to become a Christian… My children began acting rude with me. One of my sons even punched me in the eye," she said with abject grief.

"One by one, they all deserted me. Life was a lonely and painful journey but as I began begging at the chapel of Our Mother of Mines, I began to feel a kind of peace that I never experienced before in my life. I used to spend much time looking at the statue of Mother Mary. She was real to me. She became part of my life. She became my greatest comfort and I decided never to leave the portals of the Chapel."

Father P. Arockiadoss, the first diocesan priest from the parish testifies: "From my early childhood, I used to observe Thangamma always present in the church. I doubt she ever missed a single Mass; she was always found in the chapel either sweeping or mopping the floor or dusting the benches or decorating Our Lady’s statue with flowers."

Thangamma continues with the same routine and is able to strike a conversation with almost anyone.

"When the mines were functioning, many Britishers used to give me good alms."

Now, on Sundays, Thangamma makes a collection of rupees hundred or more. "Some pilgrims sometimes give me a blue note (100 rupees) she says with a broad toothless grin."

Thanks to the generosity of the Vincent de Paul Society-run Home for the Aged in the parish vicinity, Thangamma stays there and gets her daily meals.

Already in her third quarter, hale and healthy Thangamma says, "I will live many more years because I have to beg and buy a gold chain next, for my Mother," she says, tearfully pointing to the statue of Our Lady in the shrine. (SAR)

BANGALORE: Retreat by Fr. Augustine Vallooran V.C. - February 2007

Retreat by Fr. Augustine Vallooran (Potta) at Logos Retreat Centre, Bangalore

There will be an English retreat at Logos Retreat Centre, Bangalore by Rev. Dr. Augustine Vallooran V.C., Director of Divine Retreat Centre, Muringoor, Chalakudy Kerala. The retreat details are as given below.

Retreat Information

Dates: February 2-4, 2007
Timing: 9am to 5.30pm
Type: Non-Residential

- No Prior Registration or Registration Fee.
- Bread and Tea will be provided at the retreat.

For More Information, please contact:

Fr. Director,
LOGOS Retreat Center,
29, Logos Nagar,
Babusahip palaya, Bangalore -43

E-mail: logos_retreat@rediffmail.com, logosretreat@yahoo.com
Phone: 080-2545 1252/2545 4748