Gaja cyclone has destroyed the future, people have built over by many years of their hard work. People of the Delta districts in Tamilnadu have lost the belongings at home and their source of income in the fields: Cultivation. They are not able to come to terms with the reality that they have lost everything. The Delta districts are known for paddy cultivation. After the issue of Cauvery and the uncertainly over the flow of water, most people have moved from paddy cultivation to cultivation of coconut trees, teak wood and red sandal wood trees. I know from my own experience that coconut trees can bend even reaching the ground, but they will not break. But here, in the Delta districts even the coconut trees have been broken by the cruel and ruthless Gaja Cyclone.
The extent of devastation is so much that it would take months and years for the life to return to normalcy. The scar that Gaja has left behind will take time to heal. When the food packets were distributed by Bon Secours College, Thanjavur, children, women and men were running to collect. Men were in tears explaining the loss. The Bon Secours sisters were in tears when we had a meeting with them in their Provincial House, Thanjavur as they explained the suffering of the people they witnessed.
After seeing the devastation and hearing from people who suffered loss, we, the Franciscan Family in Chennai, had meeting on 25th November 2018. In that meeting, we have decided to collect relief materials from Franciscan Family who are working in Chennai. During that meeting, it was decided that Sr. Anthoniammal FBS, Br. Victor Singarayar OFS, Sr. Arul Mary FMM, Br. Christy OFS and I would go to the Franciscan Congregations to collect relief materials. The response that we have received from Franciscan Family in Chennai is overwhelming. Everyone that we met so far has responded very positively. We are hoping to take the relief materials by this Friday. Br. Josephraj, Nesakkaram, Chennai
|
Date |
Name of the Friars |
Events |
Year |
|
01 |
Charles Mathew Kolanchery |
Birth |
1947 |
|
02 |
Joseph Raj M. |
Birth |
1975 |
| 03 | Bl. Helene Enselmini, OSC | 1242 |
|
|
04 |
St. Charles Borromeo, OFS Bl. Teresa Manganiello, OFS Charles Bernard |
Birth |
1584 1876 1963 |
|
05 |
Lawrence Simon Bala Marneni + Thomas Thannikary + Bernard D’ Silva |
Birth Birth Home Home |
1949 1962 1996 2010 |
|
06 |
Bl. Marguerite deLorraine, OSC Singarayar A. Salvador D’Souza |
Birth Birth |
1521 1970 1979 |
|
07 |
St. Didacus of Alcala, OFM Bl. Raynier of Arezzo, OFM Hemant Xess |
Birth |
1463 304 1975 |
| 08 | Bl. John Duns Scouts OFM | 1308; |
|
|
09 |
Bl. Gabriel Ferreti, OFM Saji P. Mathew |
Birth |
1456 1975 |
|
10 |
Bl. Louis Guanella, OFS Augustine Pinto + Wilbert Smit |
Birth Home |
1340 1936 2003 |
|
11 |
Bl. Mary Crucifixa, OFS Fulgence Ekka Basil S. Lobo |
Birth Birth |
1826 1964 1971 |
| 12 | Bl. Giovanni della Pace, OFS | 1433 |
|
| 13 | St. Didace d’ Alcala, OFM | 1463 |
|
|
14 |
Franciscan Martyrs of Palestine + Mark O’Rourke Salvador Drego |
Home Birth |
1391 1974 1984 |
|
15 |
Bl. Sebastian de Jesus OFM Bl. Mary of the Passion FMM + Anthony Almeida |
Memoria Home |
1734 1904 1970 |
|
17 |
St. Elizabeth of Hungary Patroness of the OFS Bl. Jeanne de Signa, OFS |
|
1231 1307 |
|
18 |
Bl. Salome of Cracow, OFS |
|
1268 |
|
19 |
St. Agnes of Assisi, OSC Bl. Maria Milagros, OSC Thomas Joseph +Kamal Ekka |
Birth Home |
1253 1936 1962 2008 |
|
20 |
Franciscan Martyrs of Spain Irudayaraj Fernando + Bonaventure Davis + Bishop Ambrose Y +Jesu Irudayam |
Birth Home Home Home |
1936 1966 1971 1997 2009 |
|
22 |
Franciscan Martyrs of Armenia +Joachim Tinneny |
|
1895 2009 |
|
23 |
Bl. Marie de Jesus, Third Order Regular + John C. O’Dowda Maria Ratheesh Jenive |
Home Birth |
1902 1982 1999 |
|
24 |
Bl. Timothy Trajonowski, Conv Rajesh Praveen Kumar |
Birth |
1942 1994 |
|
25 |
All Deceased of the Seraphic Order St. Humilis of Bisgnano, OFM Bl. Elizabeth of Reute, Third Order Regular Carlos Dias Tojy M. |
Birth Birth |
1637 1420 1959 1970 |
|
26 |
St. Leonard of Port Maurice, OFM Balthazar Pinto |
Feast Birth |
1751 1960 |
|
27 |
St. Francis Anthony Fasani, Conv Johnson M. V. |
Feast Birth |
1742 1969 |
| 28 | St. Jams of La Marca, OFM | Feast | 1476 |
|
29 |
All Saints of the Seraphic Order Dependent Custody Foundation,North East. Amaladass Manickam |
Feast Erection Ordination |
2008 1985 |
|
30 |
Bl. Antoine Bonfandini, OFM Prasad Papabathuni |
Birth |
1482 1970 |
