REPORT OF UAC FORMATION IN INDIA

Fr. Thomas Vijay SACUAC National Promoter for India

• I am very happy to report that in last 3 years the interest in UAC has grown in our country, though in a slow manner.

• All the 6 entities have taken some steps to promote UAC in their own places.

INTERNATIONAL UAC THEOLOGICAL SYMPOSIUM 2011

• The International theological Symposium held in Prabodhana Theological College in June 2011, was a great moment in the history of UAC in India. There were 124 participants included people from India, Australia, USA, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, Ireland and Italy. The resource people were also both from India and abroad.

UAC Charism and Challenges : Key-note Address at UAC Theological Congress, at Prabodhana Mysore, June 25th 2011 by Very Rev. Fr. Jacob Nampudakam SAC, The Rector General of SAC

I. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES• Essential components of UAC, our

charism. By- Bishop Seamus Freeman.• Response : Fr. Jacob Nampudakam

• Realization of the Charism – a historical perspective and our challenges today. By- Fr. Derry Murphy

• Response : Fr. Paul Rheinbay

II. BIBLICAL FOUNDATIONS OF OUR CHARISM 3. Scriptural Foundations of the UAC.

By-Fr. Joy PalachuvattilResponse: Fr. Anthony Das

III. THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF OUR CHARISM4.Vatican II Ecclesiology and Pallottine charism. By- Fr. Frank DonioResponse : Fr. Paul CA

5.Mission in the Union – a shared responsibility. By- Fr. James Thomas

Response : Fr. Emmanuel S

6. Mary Queen of Apostles & Cenacle. By Sr. Bernadetta TurekaResponse : Fr. Mathew Panakal

IV. PASTORAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE CHARISM

7. Pastoral Implications of our Charism.By- Fr. Thomas VijayResponse : Fr. Bipin Minj

V. SPIRITUALITY FLOWING FROM OUR CHARISM8. A Spirituality which flows from the Union and fosters Union.

By-Henry Angel

• The Symposium was a memorable experience. It was instrumental in opening the minds of many Indian members to UAC as our charism. The papers are edited and published as a book by Pallotti Institute Mysore

• Formation is continuous for all. We have started UAC groups in different places. A basic formation text “Chosen to Bear Fruit That Endures” is already in use in India. This training manual is already translated into Hindi. Efforts are on to get it translated into other languages.

FORMATION OF UAC GROUPS

• The first group of 39 laity took commitment in 2009 in Nagpur. A second group of 7 laity took commitment in Nagpur in December 2011 and a third group is in formation. The first group of 14 laity took commitment in Trivandrum in January 2012.

U.A.C Goa

Another group of

laity (4) took commitment in Goa on

16/05/2012.

• On April 13th 2013, the first batch 30 of UAC lay members took their commitment in Raipur. With all these, the total number of committed lay people went up to 94.

• Kristusevikas in Poona is preparing a group of laity to take commitment in the near future.

• Another group of laity is being trained in Trichur. • Fr. Susayan in Salem and Pallottine Sisters in

Edakochi are also forming lay groups.

• The life of St. Vincent Pallotti written by Fr. Augustine Kolanchery is translated into Malayalam. This will be a great help for the ordinary people of Kerala to know St. Vincent more and his vision more.

• A further study theme was explored. FAMILY was a topic the Nagpur unit proposed and all the members present in the meeting endorsed.

• As a preliminary step, a 2 days study session on Family today and ways to approach our text preparation will be scheduled in PAC Nagpur around the 2nd week of September.

• We will invite all members who have done their studies on Family Apostolate and some prominent lay people to this study sessions.

• The seminar was held on September 13th and 14th 2012 at PAC. It was attended by experts in family apostolate from entities, representatives from entities and lay persons. We have decided to take up family renewal as an important area to work with UAC families.

• GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS• The Golden Jubilee Year of the Canonization of

St. Vincent was a boon for all the members. Each entity held seminars in local languages in several places. Bangalore Province held seminars at Chennai, Madurai, Mangalore, Goa, Mumbai, Bangalore, Secunderabad. The Raipur Province held seminar for a group in Bilaspur.

• GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATIONSOnce in 3 years we conduct a UAC retreat for Fathers and Sisters in which several members participate. In October 2012 two retreats were held for the convenience of Fathers and Sisters.

PALLOTTI’S BIBLE

• Through the special initiative of Very Rev. Fr. Jacob Nampudakam, the Bible which Pallotti used is in circulation as a relic for the promotion of Pallotti’s spirituality.

• The bible is received well in parishes, in UAC groups and in our houses.

• GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS• As part of the Jubilee celebration, UAC Nagpur

unit held a 1 day retreat for the UAC lay members.• Each entity made its own special celebrations for

the conclusion of the Jubilee Year. The conclusion of the Jubilee Year was a unique and memorable event for Prabhu Prakash Province. We invited His Excellency, Savatore Pennachio, the Apostolic Nuncio in India and the bishops of the 12 dioceses our members work to the concluding event at Nagpur on January 22nd 2013. A huge crowd of 3500 people also joined us for the celebration.

• MEETING OF REPRESENTATIVES OF ENTITIES FOR UAC FORMATION

• A meeting of representatives for UAC formation from each entity was held on May 31st 2012 at Kattoor, Alappy.

This meeting reviewed formation plan for UAC in each entity. A new outline for UAC formation in different stages were proposed as follows:

Basic UAC Formation at VOC/Come and See/Petulancy level (Minimum)

Life of St. Vincent PallottiFirst the booklet published by Fr. Xavier Khan

from Attappadi. It is available in Malayalam and English from that retreat centre. This is a simple and effective booklet to study for young candidates. It was felt that the booklet should be translated into other languages.

John Peter will see to Tamil translationCrispina will see to Konkani translationStudy of St. Vincent’s life by Fr. Augustine

Kolanchery

*Novitiate LevelHistory and development of UAC foundation.Development of different entities, all UAC foundations

Constitution of the entity the candidate is joining

Spirituality of St. Vincent Pallotti

*Advanced LevelUAC statutesNCCIn StatutesThe book on SymposiumNB. The book ‘Ratio Institutionis’ is to be used as a supplementary text in stages from novitiate to teach various aspects.

*Meeting with Formators of Missionary Sisters

*A meeting with the formators of the Missionary Sisters was held in Bangalore on April 30th 2013 to review effectiveness of formation programs in inculcating in candidates the spirit of UAC.

*It was found that the formation exposes the students in the various stages of their formation to many aspects of the charism.

*UAC YOUTH FORMATION

*The PYFI (Pallottine Youth Group International) initiated by Fr. George Medaikal, the Engineering college Manager with the engineering students now join regularly for World Youth Conventions, Pallottine International Youth Conventions and they are an active and growing bunch.

*This body has catholic and non-Christian members actively participating. They raise funds for the needy, pray together regularly in the college chapel (even with non-Christians) and take care of the needs of the students in the campus. The PYFI group is an inspiration for others.

PYFI

• UAC YOUTH FORMATIONLast year and this year they held camps for youth from parishes of Prabhu Prakash Province, this year in two languages (Hindi and Malayalam) which were great success stories. These camps were for catholic youth from our parishes. It is the PYFI team which sets its training programme. It does attract a lot of youngsters. The two May youth camps got together about 170 youth from our parishes in 2012. In 2013 the summer camp for youth called “Yuvolsavam” (celebration of youth) was again a great success. This will be an annual feature and will encourage a lot of youngsters in active involvement in parishes.

Pallottine Youth Festival

• UAC YOUTH FORMATION

The Bangalore Province and

Raipur Province held UAC Youth programmes as

part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations.

PAC new shrine to MQA

New Weekly Novena to MQA• New Novena to MQA in Malyalam in Kerala, prepared

by Frs. Joshi Emmanuel and Mathew PanakalA New Way of growing in cenacle

spirit

PLANNING THE FIRST UAC NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

• The first UAC National Assembly will be held at PAC Nagpur from October 1st to 4th 2013. This is a new milestone in our history. Until now, for over the last 10 years the Major superiors of the 6 entities with representatives from the entities formed the UAC ad hoc National Team. From October we will have an elected national team.

• PROBLEM AREAS• The most difficult problem is disinterest in

members, both clergy and Sisters. We still have the vast majority of confreres doing nothing for UAC. Change of mind and interest is very slow.

• Another difficulty is lack of materials in local language. Pallottines work in 12 states which has its own language. No one has taken interest in having some literature translated for awareness on Pallotti and his vision.

• On account of the language problems, the development of UAC can be activated when regional (language) set up becomes strong and motivated. The Provinces should take more interest in setting up UAC promotional bodies based on language.

FUTURE PLANS

• It is expected that the forthcoming UAC National Assembly will give strong push to the UAC growth in India.

• The Assembly itself will give new direction and new elected National Team will chart new course of events.

THANKYOU