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)

Konkani-speaking Catholics Put Bible Online

Konkani-Speaking Catholics Put Bible Online in their own Language

July 27, 2007

MANGALORE, India (UCAN) -- A Catholic community has made the Bible in a southern Indian tongue available online so that people around the world can read Scripture in the Konkani language.

Austine Crasta, who runs the community's website (konkanicatholics.com), initiated the project with the help of friends and Mangalore diocese. The Bible project is part of the website, whose motto is "Uniting Konkani Catholics Worldwide for the Faith."

Crasta explained to UCA News that the online Bible is "for Konkani Catholics in remote corners of the world who do not have access to the Bible in their mother tongue." He said it may also help members in places where religious practices are restricted and the Bible is not permitted.

Some of them in certain nations have to meet secretly to worship, he pointed out, and their "powerful witness inspired me to perform this service."

Many young Konkani people "spend much time on the Internet," he added, so "they may also get an opportunity to meet the Lord" through the online Bible.

Michael Mendonca, a Catholic layman prepared the electronic form of the text, and two other youths designed and developed the site, with the support of Father Francis X. Lewis, public relations officer of Mangalore diocese.

About 1.7 million people in India use Konkani, one of the country's 22 officially recognized languages. Most live on the southwestern coast of India, served by Mangalore and Karwar dioceses and Goa archdiocese.

About 1 million Catholics live in the area. When Bishop Aloysius Paul D'Souza of Mangalore launched the site (konkanibible.org) on July 26, he said it can help "all Konkani people come to know God and bear witness to Christ."

Mangalore diocese released its hard-copy Konkani bible in Kannada script during the Catholic Church's Jubilee of the Year 2000. Now that text is available online. Konkani lacks its own script, so it uses Karnataka state's official Kannada-language script or the Roman script.

Konkani Catholics are so called because of the language they use. Many of their forefathers migrated from Goa in the 16th and 17th centuries for socio-political and cultural reasons. They have produced more than 35 bishops and thousands of missioners who serve around the country and beyond. In recent years, many members have migrated to European and West Asian nations.

Reproduced by Konkani Catholics with permission from UCA News (www.ucanews.com)

Konkani Bible Website Launched

PRESS RELEASE

Konkani Bible Website Launched

July 26, 2007:

The entire Konkani Bible is now available online in Kannada script.

On the occassion of the Platinum Jubilee celebration of the Catholic Board of Education held at the Bishop's house July 26, 2007, the Bishop of Mangalore, Most Rev. Dr. Aloysius Paul D'Souza inaugurated the Konkani Bible website - http://www.konkanibible.org/

The Konkani language spoken by over 1.7 million speakers in India, especially in the western coastal regions, is one of India's 22 official languages. The three predominantly Konkani dioceses of Goa, Mangalore & Karwar alone account for over 1 million of India's Catholics.

Expressing "great joy" over the website, Bishop D'Souza, in his written message, explained that the Sacred Scriptures is the vehicle of God's self-communication. He prayed that through this website "all [Konkani] people come to know God and bear witness to Christ".

The Konkani Bible (Kannada-script) released by the Diocese of Mangalore during the Great Jubilee Year 2000, was put online through the efforts of KonkaniCatholics.com, an online community of Konkani speaking Catholics around the world.

This project was co-ordinated by Austine Crasta, Brahmavar with the support of Fr. Francis X. Lewis, PRO, Mangalore Diocese. The preparation and editing of the electronic form of the text was done by Michael Mendonca, Santhekatte-Kallianpur, while the website designed and developed by Arun & Maria Valdar, Loreto.

In this age of information technology, it is hoped that the online Konkani Bible will be a great blessing to all Konkani speaking Christians around the world desiring to read the "word of God" in their mother tongue.

GOA: New Pastroal Year to Begin June 3, 2007

GOA: Archbishop Ferrao to Inaugurate New Pastoral Year 2007-2008 Tomorrow

June 2, 2007 (KCNews.org): Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrão will inaugurate the New Pastoral Year 2007-2008 at a Eucharistic celebration on Sunday, 3rd June 2007 at the Holy Trinity Church, Benaulim at 10 a.m.

The theme for the new Pastoral year is "Deva Utra Onnbhovan, Jezu Dixa Jivitani" ("Experience God's Word, Radiate Jesus in Life).

His Grace will also release on the occasion, three books reflecting the theme of the new Pastoral Year - "Gonvllik Chitt" (his Pastoral Letter) and other Prayers, "Devachea Utrachi Yatra", a booklet with the Second Vatican Council Document on the Word of God 'Dei Verbum' in English and Konkani. It will also contain aids to pray with the Bible as well as Teachings on the Gospels.

The third book, "The Inspiring Teachings of Our Lord Jesus Christ" a picture Bible in simple language is aimed at those wanting to know more about Christ, especially children and people of other faiths.

The books will be available from the DCBA office, Pastoral Institute, Old Goa (Phone 2284296) after release.