(Goa, India) The 16th February 2020 marked a special day in the history of the St. Gerard Majella House of Study at Varca, Goa in the V. Province of Majella. Fr General, Fr Sebastian Anidato (General Consultor), Fr Jovencio Ma (Conference Coordinator) the Provincial of Bangalore Fr Edward and his Council, the Provincial of Liguori Fr Biju and his council and the V Provincial of Majella Fr Joseph Ivel Mendanha and his council visited the Philosophy House at Varca.
The St Gerard Majella House of Philosophy Study belongs to the V. Province of Majella but is the Joint Philosophy House for the students of Bangalore and Majella who study Philosophy in the Dominican Institute of Philosophy nearby. At present, there are 11 students of Philosophy in the 2-year program from the Province of Bangalore and the V Province of Majella. The house also is the formation house for the Students in Orientation who are preparing for the novitiate. There are 5 candidates from both Bangalore and Majella.
The students apart from their study of Philosophy engage in pastoral ministry in teaching Catechism in the nearby parish Church, visiting the homes for the sick and elderly of the parish, visiting a senior home, and above all participating in the school for slum and migrant children run by the V. Province of Majella.
The young juvenists of the V Province of Majella from Alangar in Mangalore also made it to this historic meeting. Fr General inaugurated the Jubilee year of St. Clement, blessed a gallery of Redemptorist Saints, Blessed, Martyrs, and Venerable, interacted with the students and formators and then planted along with the Provincials and councils a total of 18 saplings in honor of Laudato Si and the Care for Mother Earth.
This was the first-ever visit of Fr General to this House of Formation in the V. Province of Majella and it marked a special day of celebration for the students in the formation. The students of the formation community were all inspired by Fr General’s message. It was equally a moment of celebration for the visiting provincials and their councils.
Fr. Joseph Ivel Mendanha, C.Ss.R.
