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Laudato Si’ Week – Be a friend to the earth not master says Arunachal Bishop

The year 2020 marks fifth anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment: Laudato Si’ (Praise Be), subtitled ‘On Care for our Common Home’,  addressed not just to the Catholic Church, but to the whole of humanity as we face the global climate emergency. To mark this event, the Holy Father has invited the whole world to celebrate 16 – 24 May 2020 as Laudato Si’ Week, especially in the context of Covid-19, a pandemic that could be best described as manmade disaster due to his selfishness and disregard for our common home, Mother Earth.  Participating in the this weeklong celebration, Bishop George Pallipparambil sdb of Miao Diocese in Arunachal Pradesh reminded the people to be friend to the mother earth and not master. In the open-air holy mass he officiated at the Little Flower Convent in Neotan village of Changlang district, on 22 May, which is also celebrated as Biodiversity Day, Bishop George highlighted the importance of caring for nature and environment now more than ever. “The corona virus pandemic has taught us that we are not the master but the earth is the master” he said. Reflecting on the creation story of the Bible, Bishop George said, “After the creation, God asked man to subdue the earth and not subjugate the creation. This global disease followed by the worldwide lockdown is not only a time for us to reflect our interconnectedness with the creation but also a time for the earth to heal itself of the damage we have caused”. The 20 odd people gathered for the celebration expressed happiness at being part of the global celebration in a small way in their own village to become aware of the interconnectedness with the creation. “We thank our Bishop for involving us in the Laudato Si’ week celebrations and for encouraging us to build a better world together”, said Mrs. Likro Mossang, the Women President of Miao Diocese. The faithful presented saplings together with bread and wine at the offertory procession. “Our small effort today here in our village, we hope, will inspire someone in some part of the world to be more caring and to be friend with the Mother Earth”, said Kamjan Mossang, incharge of the local quarantine facility centre in the village. The celebration concluded with planting saplings around the campus of the Carmelite Missionary Nuns in the...

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Happy Birthday Bishop

The 66th Birthday of Most Rev. George Pallipparambil, the Bishop of Miao Miao Diocese was celebrated quite low-key due to the lockdown. May God bless our Bishop with many years of good health and a long life. Happy Birthday,...

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Interfaith prayer meet held in Arunachal Pradesh to overcome coronavirus pandemic

Responding to the call of Pope Francis, an interfaith prayer meet held at Christ the Light Minor Seminary, Miao in Arunachal Pradesh to implore God to help humanity overcome the coronavirus pandemic on 14 May 2020. Pope Francis had accepted the proposal from the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity for May 14 2020 to be a Day of Prayer and Fasting and Works of Charity to pray for deliverance from the pandemic. He made this announcement after praying the Regina Caeli from the Library of Apostolic Vatican Palace on May 3. Responding to the call of the Holy Father, Bishop George Pallipparambil of Miao Diocese in Arunachal Pradesh organized an interfaith prayer meet with the various heads of religious communities present around Miao town in Changlang district. Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and leaders from Catholic and other denominational churches were present. Head Monk of the Buddhist Monastery at Miao, Narindra Bhikku, said that we are fighting an invisible enemy and prayer is the only weapon we have to fight him. Pandit Ravishankar Pandey of Shiv Mandir in Miao town also echoed the same sentiment and said God is very pleased with us today to see us gathered as brothers and sisters. Stephen Yobin, who represented the Church of Christ in Miao, said it is a special time given to us to stop a while and introspect our way of life before God and pray for his mercy. Evangelist from Town Baptist Church Miao, Chomtang Chamtang also prayed at the meet. Fathers David and John Doley who represented the Catholic Church read the prayer composed by Pope Francis and sang the psalm of deliverance. Bishop George thanked everyone for responding to the global interfaith prayer event in a short notice and praying for deliverance from the coronavirus pandemic and Bishop Dennis Panipitchai, the Auxiliary Bishop of Miao Diocese led the concluding candle light prayer in which all made spontaneous prayer. Similar prayer events were held across Arunachal Pradesh and all the states of North East...

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‘You are the real heroes’ Bishop George says on International Nurse’s Day

Hailing the nurses for their heroic approach to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, Bishop George Pallipparambil of Miao Diocese in Arunachal Pradesh termed the nurses as ‘real heroes’ at the International Nurse’s Day celebrations held at Krick and Bourry Memorial Hospital, Injan in Changlang District on 12 May 2020. Addressing the nurses at the Krick and Bourry Memorial (KBM) Hospital, its patron and founder, Bishop George said, “I really want to thank and congratulate all the nurses for the great sacrifice they make for humanity. I want to assure you and all the nurses across the world that you are always remembered in our prayers.” The World Health Organization declared the year 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and Midwifery in recognition of the contribution they make and the risk associated with nursing, in the context of COVID-19. Highlighting the risk the nurses are subjected to and the mistreatment meted out to them in some part of the country due to ignorance, Bishop George said, “As you battle COVID-19, the great sacrifice you make to be at the side of the people suffering is greatly appreciated by the whole of humanity and you are no less than a super hero.” Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Rose Tom, the Director of KBM Hospital, said the celebration of the nurse’s day is relevant today more than ever. “It is the 200th anniversary of the Birthday of Florence Nightingale at whose memory the Nurse’s Day is dedicated to and it is also a year that has tested the metals of every nurse in the world”, she said. Highlighting the theme of this year’s celebration – ‘Nursing the World to Health’, the Dr. Tom said it is an invitation and expression of the important role that nurses play in the world, especially in the context the pandemic COVID-19. Appreciating the nurses for their selfless service, the hospital management presented a small token gift to all the nurses. Dedicated to the memory of the two French Missionaries Nicolas Krick and Augustine Bourry, who were martyred in the border of Tibet on their way through the mountains of Arunachal Pradesh in 1854, the KBM Hospital is the only Church-run hospital in the north eastern most state of India, bordering China and...

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Arunachal Christians respond to Pope’s universal prayer appeal

The Christians in the remote corners of Arunachal Pradesh responded to Pope Francis’ universal prayer appeal on 25 March 2020. In the wake of the pandemic coronavirus outbreak, the Holy Father had made an appeal to the whole world to pray the ‘Our Father’ on Wednesday, which coincided with the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. Responding to the Holy Father’s prayer appeal, every family in Miao Diocese of Arunachal Pradesh prayed the Lord’s Prayer at 4.30pm, corresponding to 12 Noon in Rome. People across the eight districts in the eastern part of Arunachal Pradesh, bordering Myanmar and China joined the universal prayer event. Mr. Kamlung Mosang, a Cabinet Minister in the Government of Arunachal Pradesh, who visited the Carmelite Sisters in Changlang District to request them to make mask for the patients in the isolation wards in Miao, joined the Sisters to pray for the whole world. “I am happy to join the Sisters in this universal prayer appeal of Pope Francis. With the daily increase in the number of positive cases of the deadly Covid19, prayer seems to be the only solution. We raise our eyes and with open arms pray that there will soon be respite from the pandemic disease”, said Mr. Mosang, the Minister for Civil Supply & Consumer Affairs and Urban Development. The Bishop of Miao Diocese, George Pallipparambil, had appealed to the whole diocese to join the Holy Father in praying together the ‘Our Father’, the Angelus and Divine Mercy chaplet for relief during this critical time. “I know all our churches are closed and our country is lockdown for the next three weeks. Let us spend this time to engage ourselves usefully by reading the Bible and reflecting on the deep lessons this deadly virus can teach us. I invite everyone to pray at home to participate spiritually with the Holy Father in praying for the world”, read a note from Bishop George to the faithful. People gathered in their families and prayed the Lord’s Prayer in their own dialects. Some families recorder their prayer and shared it in social media platforms. The social communication wing of the Diocese has made a collection of these videos and shared in its social media page to encourage others to pray during this distressing...

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