Letters

News from India

Fr Francis Pinto CSsR

Contents - Dec 2006 - Buy a copy now Editorial: The first Christmas - Peter Westmore Benedict XVI challenges 'de-Christianisation' of society - Michael Gilchrist News: The Church Around the World Sydney RCIA conference for 2007 on authentic formation of new Catholics - Paula Flynn 'Lost!' controversy: Archbishop Bathersby's reply - AD2000 Report Catechesis of the Good Shepherd: the Montessori method for RE - Anne Delsorte A 'best practice' guide to priestly vocations Modest dress: Suitable attire for Mass: the moral dimension - Bishop John W. Yanta Religious Life: Tyburn Sisters' communities spread around the world - Tess Livingstone 2006 National Church Life Survey: important questions overlooked - Michael Gilchrist Shrines: Marian Valley: Queensland's centre of pilgrimage - Peter Westmore Letters: Vatican guidelines on Holy Communion for politicians - Vincent Bemowski Letters: A must read for faithful Catholics - Frank Bellet Letters: Liberal Catholicism - Paula Gartland Letters: News from India - Fr Francis Pinto CSsR Letters: Church teaching - Mark Moriarty Letters: Infant Baptism Letters: Community? - Peter Gilet Letters: Christian differences - Alan Barron Letters: True Church - E. Makaus Letters: Linguistics - Matt Bruekers Letters: Liturgical language - Ted Hayhoe Letters: Why apologise? - Concerned Catholic Books: The Shroud Story, by Brendan Whiting - Peter Westmore (reviewer) Books: COME, LORD JESUS:Reflections on the Advent and Christmas Seasons, James Tolhurst - Michael Gilchrist Events: Advent and Christmas Ceremonies - Priestly Fraternity of St Peter Books: SACRED PLACES, PILGRIM WAYS: Catholic Pilgrimages in France and Belgium - Michael Gilchrist (reviewer) Books: New Titles from AD Books Reflection: Jesus' law of love and the Ten Commandments - Fr Dennis Byrnes

Greetings from Kolkata [Calcutta], the city of Joy! I find it strange to address you anonymously in such a way. But I need to thank you for contributing so generously in sending so many rosaries over the years through Mr Jim Smith. You are succeeding in deepening and strengthening the faith of a great many and spreading the love of our Mother Mary to many more.

I am a Redemptorist based in India. For the past 10 years I have been based in Kolkata. During this time Jim Smith has been sending me rosaries, copies of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), back issues of AD2000 and other religious materials. My Redemptorist work takes me to different parts of India and on my missions I distribute the rosaries and religious articles and conduct sessions on the Catechism.

The people love to wear these rosaries around their necks and pray it regularly. The latest parcel sent by Jim will help in reaching out to many poor in the parish and I will be preaching the Novena to our Blessed Mother in preparation for her Feast on the 8th of September. The rosaries will be distributed to the people who come for the Novena. I will ask them to intercede for your intentions.

They are most enthusiastic about the copies of the Catechism and thankful to you because they find it such a wonderful resource book to be animated in their faith. I carry these copies around with me to explain the book and they are enthused to buy copies for themselves.

I am most grateful to you and to Jim Smith for making rosaries and copies of the CCC available. Although you are so 'down under' and far away you are evangelising and helping many to hold on to their faith and the correct teaching of the Catholic Church.

May God bless you and your families. A very happy Feast to all the readers.

FR FRANCIS PINTO CSsR
Calcutta, India

(Editor: Fr Pinto's address is, Redemptorists, Fatima Shrine, P. 63, Scheme 52 CIT Rd., Kolkata 700 014, India, tel +33-2244-6363)

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 19 No 11 (December 2006 - January 2007), p. 14