Permanent Commitment

Three Indian Christian Brothers take their Final Vows

(l_r) Roshan, Jayanti, Ryan

The chapel of St Pius X Seminary in Goregaon in Western India resonated to the voices of scores of Christian Brothers, as Brothers Jayanti Chauhan, Roshan D’Cunha, and Ryan Fernandes pronounced their Final Vows in the Congregation.

Brother Peter Dowling accepted their commitment on behalf of the Congregation. A second member of the Congregation Leadership Team, Brother Francis Hall, in his address put the ceremony within the perspective of the spirituality of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers of 2009. He spoke of the experience of praying in a mosque in Sierra Leone – which positioned this event on the world stage, and gave new meaning to the theme for the day, “Remain in my love” (John 15:9). As a result the generosity of these young men was thrust beyond the narrow confines of parish, or even Church, and situated within a kingdom far beyond their wildest imaginations.

Jayanti, Ryan, Roshan (nearest) cutting the cake

Twenty brothers renewed their Temporary Profession immediately after the Final Vows. In addition, five new brothers had pronounced their First Vows at the Novitiate in Bhopal, Central India, on 19 December. This First Profession, which started with a lively Adivasi tribal dance, was an historic occasion because it was the first time the whole ceremony and liturgy was in Hindi.

Some of the families of the three Brothers making Final Vows had come from more than a thousand kilometers away, and returned soon afterwards because the Professions were a prelude to the Indian Province-&-Region’s Assembly which began in the late afternoon of the same day. Ninety-five brothers had gathered from all corners of the sub-continent to set in motion a process of re-structuring that will carry us over the next decade or more.

Len Noronha cfc

published January 2010

Photographs supplied by Senan D’Souza cfc

The text of Francis Hall’s homily on this occasion, “Remain in my love”, may be found by looking up CHRISTIAN BROTHERS / LEADERSHIP TEAM / SPIRITUALITY.