It is obvious that there has been a slip up.

The church has apologised and that should end the matter.

But will it?

IN BAD TASTE?

Jesus with beer and cigarettes in church journal sparks row

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Thiruvananthapuram: In what seems like a big faux pas that may snowball into a controversy, the official journal of a Catholic diocese in Kerala carried a picture of Jesus Christ with a beer mug in one hand and a cigarette in the other on the cover page of its June issue.

The picture, which has invited strong reactions from the Christian community in the state, appeared in the June 5 edition of ‘‘Vachana Jyotis’’ — the magazine published by diocese of Neyyattinkara, on the outskirts of the state capital.

Pushed on the back foot, the church has withdrawn the issue and stopped publication till further notice. Vincent Samuel, secretary to the local bishop, said ‘‘the mistake’’ had crept into the magazine as an oversight. ‘‘It happened without the knowledge of the clergy.

Both priests and laymen constitute the editorial board of the journal, but the former are concerned only with the content. Design and layout are done by laymen,’’ said Samuel. He added that no such error had ever occurred in the past 12 years of its existence.

‘‘The picture in question seems to have been downloaded from the internet and blown up,’’ he said, adding that ‘‘the publication of the journal has been suspended indefinitely’’. Asked if any action had been taken against any employee, he said since the magazine has stopped publishing, the employees are naturally out of job.

Fighting hard to hide the embarrassment, church officials refused to reveal the name of the magazine’s editor. As protests intensified, the diocese issued an apology and promised to look into the issue.

Kerala Temples: Holiday Rush: Waiting for Darshan

Waiting for Darshan can be up to 4 hours in major temples like Guruvayoor.

Please make programs accordingly.

Holiday Season

Summer when the schools and colleges are closed.

Dusserah: when schools may close for a week or more

Chrismas and New Year: When schools may close for up to two weeks.

Waiting time for darshan at temples like Guruvayoor can last as much as 4 hours. Devotees should take note of this delay when making their program. Possibility of a second darshan is remote unless you stay over night.

In many temples like Guruvayoor there is a separate Que for ladies. Even so it can take up to an hour even for ladies.

Rush of pilgrims during the holiday season, has resulted in a massive number of devotees thronging to visit temples.

When Schools and colleges are  closed, and parents think it is an excellent time to take their children out. Movement of Keralite families especially from the north to south is at a peak during the summer holidays, when a visit to ‘native place, is a must.

Obviously a visit to Guruvayoor, Chottanikkara, Vaikom, etc are considered a must by most.

Ed

(The above is based on the personal experiences of Guruswamy SA Padmanabhan, and Shri Mohan Krishnan the Ed and their families who are regular visitors to Kerala)

Jesus ‘bleeds’ in Mumbai church or is it monsoon?

Archnishop refuses to title it ‘miracle’ just yet, but people of all faiths turn up to have a look at Christ’s painting in Mumbai Church

Mumbai: Christians, Hindus and Muslims from across Maharashtra continue to descend on St Michael’s Church in Mahim to witness — what they believe — is a miracle.

The dark red patch around the heart on a painting of Jesus Christ has grown since it was discovered on Friday afternoon, and so has the queue around Mahim’s packed streets. Hundreds of people visited the church over the weekend.

Almost euphoric, people queued for up to six hours to spend just two seconds in front of the painting. They were allowed to touch and kiss the protective glass before being moved along.

Many broke down after seeing the ‘miracle’, some wept and several fainted.

However, the Catholic Church in India denied this miracle. “The Church is cautious about declaring something a miracle,” said Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Mumbai. “God can work miracles, but it is too early to say that this is a miracle. It’s probably due to climate conditions from the monsoon. People should not get euphoric about this, but if it brings them closer to God, it is a good thing. I’ll visit the church soon to see it for myself.”

Clearly flustered by the unprecedented attention and a sleepless night, Parish Priest Father Raphael, stated that this was no miracle. “People can interpret it as they want to, but the picture is not bleeding and this is no miracle,” he said. Despite early chaos — when a stampede entered the church after the mark was first discovered — volunteers and police controlled the crowd and 500 metres long queue was formed. Ambulance crews were also on hand.

News of the ‘miracle’ spread fast and believers from Goa, Karnataka and Gujarat have made the pilgrimage to see the 3 by 4 foot painting. Several local schools gave children the day off to visit the church.

“It is a sign from God that Jesus has returned in this time of violence, sin and evil to give the message that he is dying for us again,” said David Serrao, a pastor at St Michael’s. “The blood started as a small red drop and was discovered by children playing in the church. It has now spread as Christ’s heart bleeds.” It is not just Christians that are flocking to Mahim. Large numbers of Hindus and Muslims are also coming to witness the image.

Maryam Shah travelled with her husband and three children from Malad. “I cried when I saw the blood,” she said. “We are Muslims but that does not matter when something like this happens.

People of all faiths should appreciate the message.”

© Copyright 2008 HT Media Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thanks to Ketan and TOI for this information

ED

She equips these special ‘kids’ with vocational skills

Ketan Tanna I TNN

Mumbai: The incident happened last week. Fifty-one-year-old Bhandup housewife Lata Das was travelling with 27-yearold Chetna and her mother in an autorickshaw on a pothole-riddled suburban road. It was raining and the insides of the vehicle were a little cramped. Suddenly the rickshaw lurched, and Lata, who was near the exit, almost lost her balance. Then, to everyone’s amazement, Chetna put her hand on Lata’s shoulder and held her tight so that she would not fall out.
To those who wonder at the use of the word ‘amazement’, Chetna is mentallychallenged and incapable of carrying out even normal daily functions like taking a bath and using the toilet. It is rare for such people to exhibit emotions.

But that day Lata realised that deep within even the mentally- challenged there are latent sentiments that can surface any time. “I was touched that she cared so much for me. I still can’t get over it,’’ she says.

Chetna may not be able to articulate it, but evidently stores a deep recess of love and gratitude for Lata, a volunteer at the MBA Foundation School in Powai. For over three years, Lata has been volunteering here; she teaches vocational skills to the mentally-challenged, spastics, autistic and even the physicallychallenged.

She teaches thrice a week for three hours and has almost become a family member at the school—so much so that on the day she does not go, the inmates of the school feel incomplete, says Robert Aranha, assistant administrator of the school.

The ‘children’ that Lata cares for are not children in the strict sense. Most of them are grown up and anywhere between 18 and 45 years of age. But most appear much younger. “When I first entered the school I could not believe that some of them were my children’s age,’’ says Lata who has two grown-up sons.

Lata entered the field of voluntary work after her children grew up and she found herself with a lot of time on her hands. She wanted to teach children but with age not on her side, finding a volunteer slot for this was difficult.

She then approached SOSVA, an NGO that places various volunteers across different organisations depending on their skill-sets and the requirements of the job. SOSVA asked her if she was willing to teach the special ‘children’ of the MBA Foundation School at Powai.

Lata said yes. But on her first day, she found herself depressed. “When I saw the children, I was saddened. I wondered why God is so unfair. But then I shrugged off the feeling and got to work,’’ she says. Since then, she has been teaching the kids vocational skills like candle-making; at times she also teaches them meditation, painting and even English-language skills.

The MBA Foundation is an NGO working for integrated care services for persons with disabilities, with two care centres in Chembur and Powai. It was started by the parents and relatives of special children, and currently has 45 children, some of whom are boarders. The idea behind setting up the school was to train the mentally and physically challenged in various vocations and help them earn a living. Fourteen-year-old Krishna is one such child who has a muscular degenerative disease but a razor-sharp mind. “He is the boss of the other children and I have seen him guiding them,’’ says Lata.
Lata’s family has been very supportive of her voluntary work—she regularly chronicles her experiences at the school and emails them to her elder son who is working abroad. As for the future, Lata says she will continue teaching and taking care of the kids till they need her.
ketan.tanna@timesgroup.com

Lata can be contacted on 9322137293 and latamanidas@yahoo.com

New life for 40 kids with heart problems

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: One-year-old Gautami from Chikmagalur frequently fell ill. Her nails would turn blue and unlike kids of her age, she walked with a limp. She was diagnosed with a heart problem, but doctors refused to operate because it required a huge sum.

Gautami’s father works in a hotel and could not afford the treatment. But he saw hope for his kid after Rotary officials met him and asked him to come to Bangalore. Gautami was recently operated in Manipal Hospital and today, the one-year-old is a healthy kid.

Like Gautami, there were other children with heart problems who were cured with help from welfare bodies. Around 16 children from poor families were operated in Manipal Hospital for free.
Manipal Hospital and Rotary International have joined hands to operate on 40 children of poor families suffering from congenital heart disease. So far, 16 surgeries have been successful.

Some of the children who were operated upon are Mithun (7) from Mangalore, Jaipratap (2) from Salem; Mohammed Shahid (5), who discovered the heart condition from a check up done at school; Manjesh (10), son of a labourer from Shimoga and Hemant (10) from Mandya, who was born with a hole in his heart.

Dr Prasad Krishnan, cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon at Manipal Hospital, who operated on 16 children, said the youngest was a 25-day-old baby. “It was a complicated case of open-heart surgery. With advanced medical technology, a baby’s heart the size of a fist too can be operated upon,” he said.

“Children with heart diseases become blue, are unable to walk and do certain activities. After treatment, a drastic change is seen. All of them can now lead a normal life,” he said. The other paediatric cardiologists who operated on these children are Dr Sreekanth Raghavan and Dr Ravi Narayan.

“Around 1.5 lakh children are born with congenital heart disease in India every year, out of which around 5,000 get treatment mostly with sponsorships and government aid,” Dr Krishnan said.
toiblr.reporter@timesgroup.com

Mr Watwani says:

Have a wonderful life…………….!!!!!!!

“Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment.

As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they’ll dump it on you.

When someone wants to dump on you, don’t take it personally.

You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.

You’ll be happy you did.”

I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me?

And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people: at work, at home, on the streets? It was that day I said, “I’m not going to do it anymore.”

Life’s too short to wake up in the morning with regrets.

Love the people who treat you right. Forget about the ones who don’t.

Believe that everything happens for a reason.

Never let the garbage truck run over you.

21st Century…

Our communication – Wireless

Our dress – Topless

Our telephone – Cordless

Our cooking – Fireless

Our youth – Jobless

Our food – Fatless

Our labour – Effortless

Our conduct – Worthless

Our relation – Loveless

Our attitude – Careless

Our feelings – Heartless

Our politics – Shameless

Our education – Valueless

Our follies – Countless

Our arguments – Baseless

Our boss – Brainless

Our Job – Thankless

Our Salary – Very less !!!

Kerala bishop’s trust in legal trouble

Ananthakrishnan G | TNN

      Thiruvananthapuram: Bishop K P Yohannan, a popular evangelist in Kerala, is in trouble with the law. A preliminary inquiry by the intelligence department of Kerala police casts doubts on how a trust he runs spent a massive Rs 900 crore of donations from abroad. 
   

       The trust, according to reports, received Rs 1044 crore since 1995 from Texas-based Gospel for Asia apparently for charitable purposes but had spent only Rs 144 crore towards this purpose. No satisfactory explanation was given on how the rest of the amount was spent, police said. 
  

       The matter is now pending with the state home department which is said to be considering a detailed probe. Any inquiry would necessitate central assistance as it involves money from abroad which falls in the purview of the Reserve Bank of India. 
 

        Yohannan is the founder president of the Gospel for Asia and the Believer’s Church, both of which enjoy huge assets bases. What has raised eyebrows is that most of the trusts floated by Yohannan has on its board his family members. The trust, sources claimed, had recently purchased 40 acres of paddy fields in Pathanathitta district and filled it up to evade the Land Reforms Act. 
   

      Also under the lens is a land transaction worth Rs 130 crore said to have been undertaken by the trust some months back. The Church, however, denied the charges and claimed that its working was transparent.

Sikh to play Canadian football wearing patka

Gur Kirpal Singh Ashk | TNN

      Patiala: Navraj Singh Bassi of Vancouver will be making history when he will take the field in the Canadian Football League with his ‘patka’ on. The 6 ft 6 inch Sikh footballer will play for Grey Cup champions Saskatchewan Roughriders.
   

     Till now the ‘patka’ was considered a hindrance among Sikhs who wanted to play the game. If he plays in his team’s match against BC Lions on July 4, he will be the first Sikh to play football with a ‘patka’.

         Navraj has his family’s full support in pursuing his passion. ‘‘We are very excited that he will be given an opportunity to showcase his talent and by the grace of god he will excel in the sport he has loved since childhood,’’ said father Kulwinder Singh Bassi. Talking about Navraj’s team, his brother Pavan, a super heavyweight champion, said, ‘‘Saskatchewan coaches are really impressed with his abilities and he is really enjoying the team atmosphere.’’
  

       Harbans Singh Jandali, former president of Ontario Sikh and Gurdwara Council told TOI from Toronto that Punjabis living in the area are eagerly waiting for the match and a large number of them would be in Vancouver to cheer Navraj. Navraj attended college at the University of Oregon. Despite receiving more than 40 offers for football scholarships, the North Delta Secondary School player chose to stay in the northwest to remain close to his family. He played a few seasons with the Oregon Ducks.
  

       Leading Punjabi broadcaster in Canada, Kuldeep Deepak, said with obvious pride, ‘‘We have already registered our community’s presence on the football field.’’

Magazine in soup for calling Arjan Dev ‘golfing guru’

Khushwant Singh | TNN

Washington: The Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund (SALDEF), the oldest Sikh civil rights’ and advocacy organisation in the US, has asked premium golfing magazine, Golf Digest, to apologize for depicting Sikhism’s fifth Guru, Guru Arjan Dev, as ‘‘Golfing Guru’’ in its May edition.
The storm was kicked up after an American Sikh, Harjit Singh Sandhar, noted the depiction while on flight to Washington DC from Tulsa. He and his cousin, Sartaj Singh reported the matter to SALDEF.
‘‘The image appeared along with an article — the Golf Guru — on the magazine’s 66th page. It appeared at the beginning of the article, which answers readers questions on golf,’’ SALDEF said, adding, ‘‘The image, at first glance, appears to be a south Asian bearded, turbaned man with golfing gloves and stick.

But the image is a picture of Guru Arjan Dev.’’ In a letter to the Golf Digest publisher, Thomas Blair, SALDEF said, ‘‘The decision to use the picture shows cultural and religious ignorance of Golf Digest staff and executives.’’

SALDEF chairman, Manjit Singh, said they had brought the matter to the magazine’s notice, about a month back. ‘‘Since we got no response, SALDEF decided to raise the matter within the community,’’ he said, adding, ‘‘Since the mistake has been brought to the editor’s notice, it should be corrected.’’

Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE) has also condemned the depiction and described it as blasphemous. ‘‘The way Golf Digest doctored the image is clearly blasphemous and shows they are insensitive. They should have first determined who Guru Arjan Dev is before using his image,’’ SCORE chairman, Rajwant Singh, said.

Golf Digest is self-proclaimed number one publication in its genre. Published by Advance publications, the magazine is a generalist golf publication covering recreational and competitive golf.