Dimapur: 25th June 2017
As an annual event, the hostels of thahekhu village region came together in Salesian College of Higher Education on 25th June 2017 and held its ‘INTER-HOSTELS MEET 2017’
There were originally 6 hostels, 3 hostels could not participate due to some reasons and 3 hostels, namely, Nongbri, St. Alphonsa and Kids Care hostels participated in this annual Event. There were around 100 participants who took part in this event. The events include indoor competitions: Solo and Group songs, Extempore and Well-prepared talks and Dancing according to the tune etc. The Out-door games would include: Passing on the Message, Calling out name, Decoration of Picture and Treasure Hunt. The core team of the organization is the team of Proprieters of these Hostels together with the residential students of Salesian College of Higher Education. Earlier, in the morning, the inaugural ceremony kicked off with the lighting of the lamp and message from the Chief Guest Dr. Policarp xalxo sdb, the Principal of the salesian college of Higher Education who had underscored the need to use everyone’s potentials to the utmost. The Guest of honour, Fr. Christudoss, the Youth Director of Salesian College gave away the winning trophy to the Champion, St. Alphonsa Hostel in the afternoon. Nongbri and Kids care stood as first runner up and second runner up respectively. The Guest of honour stressed the need to give one’s best in everything that alone counted. Everyone departed from the campus with the lingering memories of enriching day.
The Salesian is awarded by his Parishioners
Kazargode: 12 June 2017
Fr. Thomas Kalapurackal, sdb, presently ministering with the Mising tribal community of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh was today honoured in his home town of Palavayal, in Kazargode District of Kerala. He was awarded by the pastor and parishioners of St. John’s Parish, Palavayal, for his 33 years of ministry in Northeast India, especially among the Mising tribal community. A plaque and a shawl were presented to Fr. Thomas in the presence of about 800 people.
The pastor of the parish, Fr. Thomas Pattamkulam, mentioned that, “it is a matter of pride for the parish of St. John’s, Palavayal, to hear about the excellent missionary work done by Fr. Thomas, and especially to hear about the number of local, national and international awards he has received. The awards are particularly praiseworthy because they were given for his work for marginalized people, for serving the poor.”
The coordinator of the parish council and Sunday School Headmaster, Mr. Tom Vattoth, gave a short life story of Fr. Thomas, and elaborated on the number of awards received by him in various forums. He said, “Fr. Thomas is so near, yet so far. He is from our church, but works about 3000 km away in Northeast India. We hardly see him, except when he comes for his home visit and that too with young people of Northeast India.”
In his thanksgiving address Fr. Thomas said: “I stand in the middle, as Pope Francis mentioned, in northeast India, looking at the periphery, serving those who matter most, the under privileged. I was anointed at my priestly ordination, with the sacred chrism in this parish, and sent to the periphery.”
At the conclusion of his address to the parishioners, Fr. Thomas knelt in the middle, asking the people to pray over him.
Fr. Thomas was ordained in St. John’s parish, on the day the new church was consecrated, on 26 December, 1983.
