Divine Call Centre Reopens for Retreats
Dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
I am extremely pleased to inform you that by God’s grace and your kind co-operation we have been able to reopen the centre for the regular retreats from 06-06-2009. I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all of you who have extended us your support as we were going through difficult times. May the good Lord continue to bless you all and the good work you do for His glory. Special thanks to all the friends in the media for keeping all our well wishers round the globe informed of the developments at the centre.
After the announcement of the reopening of the centre for retreats, we have been receiving calls from unknown persons threatening to create problems during the retreats.
Miscreants have also warned of damaging the image of the Centre by confusing the people by creating false stories and by getting it published in the media. Threatening our fellow priests not to preach and blackmailing to print untruth matter in the media has really hurt our emotions.
We have understood that the hidden agenda behind this is to create havoc and lead to confusion – where anti social elements can easily take advantage of the situation. As you all are aware that some cannot bear to see the Centre prospering and are determined to get the centre closed. Hence in the interest of Divine Call Centre, I request you all not to pay heed to these created and cooked up stories and sincerely request you to maintain peace and harmony in the coming days. Let us work together to preserve our faith and be truly witnesses of the Risen Lord in these challenging times. May the Lord bless you all.
Yours in Christ Jesus,
Fr. Cyprian Lewis, SVD
Director, Divine Call Centre, Mulki
Further
Clarification - Divine Call Centre
Dear friends,
As I had offered some clarification to you with regard to the painful developments at Divine Call Centre couple of days ago through the Daiji World, many of you have expressed your support and cooperation to restore the sanctity of Divine Call Centre. I am sincerely grateful to you for the same. At the same time, there were others who have personally called me and requested me to give the exact reasons in detail that led to the temporary closure of the programmes at the centre. Hence I wish to offer further clarification on this matter with those facts that are appropriate to present here.
We were forced to temporarily close the retreat programmes on two grounds:
- Administrative reasons
- Security concerns
Most of
the Divine Call Centre employees- office staff, singers, musicians,
kitchen, garden, farm, cleaning & maintenance staff -told us on
17-05-2009 at about 4.00 pm that they are boycotting the work at the
Centre if Fr. Jerry is transferred. In fact, most of them left the place
immediately and caused much confusion in the functioning of the Centre,
as the six days retreat was to begin for about 350 Sisters at 6.00 pm
on the same evening. This sudden boycott of the employees at the last
minute left us shell shocked and paralyzed the Centre. We had to take
the help of the caterers to get meals for the Sisters and carry on the
retreat till 22.05.2009. We were able to overcome these trying moments
through God’s grace and with the cooperation of local volunteers who
came in large numbers, to render voluntary service at the Centre. During
the week some of the boycotting employees came and threatened those
giving the voluntary service at the Centre. Two of our employees who
did not join this boycott were forcefully taken at night to an undisclosed
place without our permission. Under these circumstances we were left
with no other alternative than to lay off all our employees by giving
them one month notice pay and close down the Centre temporarily in order
to re-organize and make room for the smooth functioning of the Centre
at the earliest.
Security Concerns:
In the recent developments at the centre which I had mentioned in my letter of clarification couple of days ago, it was clear that the faithful were getting divided on the issue of Fr. Jerry’s transfer and people were getting agitated. Since the print media published certain sensitive news regarding Fr. Jerry, situation was turning volatile. In this context the security intelligence warned us that the forces that are against the Divine Call Centre can take undue advantage of the situation. The security agencies advised us to temporarily close all the programmes until it is safe for the faithful to visit the Centre and promised protection. Hence the police higher authorities deployed required police personnel to provide protection and the one day retreat on Saturday, 23rd May and the five day retreat which was to start on Sunday, 24th May was cancelled.
The situation is improving fast. We hope to reopen the Centre for its normal programmes within a couple of weeks. We thank you for the love, prayers and support you have given to the Divine Call Centre especially during these painful times. We count on your continuous support and co-operation in the days to come. May God bless you all and may the Divine Word continue to inspire us to take the right decisions for the good of all the faithful and Divine Call Centre.
Fr. Cyprian Lewis SVD
Director, Divine Call Centre
Clarification to the Media about Divine Call Centre
Divine Call Centre, Mulky was inaugurated on 1.10.2004 with the motto “Glory to God” for the purpose of helping the faithful to have an intimate experience of God through prayers, retreats and ministries. This Centre came into existence because of the vision and mission of the Society of the Divine Word (S.V.D.). The competent authority had given the permission to Fr. Jacob Gerald Sequeira SVD to start the Centre at Mulky with the backing of many S.V.D. priests and the co-operation of many volunteers and good willed people. Over the past five years Divine Call Centre has grown to the present stature and many people have experienced the presence of the Divine. Thanks to the sacrifices of thousands of faithful and the abundant blessings of God.
But in the recent times the sanctity of this place and the purpose of the Centre is not actualized because of some administrative, security and other reasons. Hence, a new Director, Fr Cyprian Lewis SVD was appointed on 26th February 2009 by the SVD – India Mumbai Provincial administration. Accordingly, Fr. Cyprian Lewis took charge of the Centre and the administration. The previous Director, Fr. Jacob Gerald Sequeira is transferred to Mysore with effect from 4th May, 2009. However, Fr. Jacob Gerald has refused to accept the transfer and has not vacated the office and has made it difficult for the new Director to function. This has caused much confusion and has disrupted the normal functioning. The employees of the Centre too have not co-operated with the new director instigated by the out-going director. The out-going director has also called upon the faithful to support him and has pressurized the Provincial administration to revoke the transfer. A group of faithful have demanded repeatedly to retain the out-going director and when not heeded they have disrupted the services by making announcements during the service without permission and by issuing provocative statements to the faithful. This has resulted in confusion and has led to group violence. All this has prevented the Centre and the new director to function and carry on the religious services for which the Centre was established. Due to all these reasons the Managing Committee of the Society has taken the painful decision of closing the Centre temporarily till the order is established and the sanctity and purpose of the Centre is upheld.
Fr. Cyprian Lewis SVD
Director
Divine Call Centre, Mulky.
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“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts. 1:8).
“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him” (Acts 10:38).
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth.” (Rom.1:18). In the previous verses Paul was writing about the relationship with God into which a man can enter through the faith and trust. In contrast with that he sets the wrath of God which as man must incur, if he is deliberately blind to God and worship his own thought and idols instead of Him.
“On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed King of Kings and Lord of Lords”
In the next a few issues I would like to share the reflections on St.Paul’s letter to the Romans. Accompanied by Paul we will grow in our spiritual strength to face the challenges of our daily life. In 49 A.D. the emperor Claudius expelled the Jews from 
“The soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. And they stripped Him and put a scarlet rob on Him. When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and a reed in his right hard. And they bowed before Him and mocked Him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews’. Then they spat on Him and took the reed and struck on His head”
One day a woman went to meet a priest. She told him that she was not able to forgive her husband. The priest was very kind and understanding and wanted to help her to forgive her husband. During the course of their conversation the priest came to know that this woman was very deeply hurt by her husband, and she had a very deep grudge and hatred towards him. The priest tried his best to console her and make her understand, but the woman was not ready to forgive her husband. 
St.Paul concludes his first letter to the Thessalonians with a chain of pearls of a good advice which every Christian should ponder it. 
