FIRST NATIONAL PAULINE COOPERATORS SEMINAR
28TH – 29 TH JANUARY – 2006
MUMBAI

‘The Pauline cooperators' apostolate is not something to be taken lightly. It is an important task you are accepting, a serious matter”, said Fr. Joseph T.C. at the Inaugural Mass for the 2.day seminar for Lay Pauline Cooperators on Saturday 28 February 2006 . Fr. Joseph, Vicar Provincial of the Society of St. Paul, and brother of Sr. Teresina, Coordinator of the Pauline cooperators, reminded the participants gathered from Ahamedabad, Goa , Kolkata and Secunderabad besides those from Mumbai, that both the Church and the Pauline Family need the involvement of the laity in the apostolate of the media. He welcomed us into the Pauline Family and assured us of an abiding remembrance in the spiritual works of the Pauline family.

The seminar commenced with the participants introducing themselves. There were 3 from Goa , 1 from Kolkata, 2 from Secunderabad and 4 from Ahmedabad, besides 12 from Mumbai. The Cooperators were accompanied by a sister from the respective communities.

Sr. Clare Ukken warmly welcomed us to the seminar-introduced the sisters who would be giving the input sessions, and read to us the Agenda of the seminar. Thereafter we' the participants began introducing ourselves. We soon became familiar with one another and friendliness was noticed in the air.

Sr. Claudette took the delegates right through the history of the Church, tracing the route the followers of Jesus took to experience the presence of God in their lives. Sr. Caludette explained that the Daughters of St. Paul vowed to be faithful to the teachings of the Church, following in the footsteps of the Founder Blessed James Alberione. Open to the signs of the time, they were committed to a creative expression of their apostolate. They strive to be disciples of the Lord before becoming Apostles of the Media, which is precisely what the Lay Pauline Cooperators have been called upon to do.

Sr. Clare gave the Cooperators a clear picture of the importance of the lay faithful in the life and mission of the Church and of the lay cooperators in the life and mission of the Pauline Family.

Sr. Felicita touched on the Spiritual Experience of Alberione, the Prophet of the 20 th contrary. She dwelt at length on the experience Alberione had that famous night of 31 December 1900 before the Blessed Sacrament in the Cathedral at Alba. It was the decisive moment for the Pauline Family that was to be born in the due course of time of the Eucharist. Sr. Felicita spoke of how prayer formed the bulwark of the Founder's vision and function as the initiator of the Pauline Apostolate. She elaborated the 4 parts that Alberione's prayer was divided into, viz., Adoration, Thanksgiving, Examen of Conscience and Petitions. James Alberione, she said, was a man of deep faith and intense prayer. He never lost the slightest opportunity to remind his sons ad daughters that from the Eucharist comes everything. Spending three and a half to five hours day in prayer, he insisted that no greater contribution than prayer could help further the Pauline mission.

Speaking of Pauline Spirituality, Sr. Shalini elaborated the basis of what constitutes Pauline Spirituality, viz., JESUS MASTER, THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE.

She explained well what inspired Blessed Alberione to form the Association – the various ways through which they could collaborate in the Pauline life and mission. This roused our interest to get really involved, to be active members.

Sr. Shalini also apprised the participants of the fact that the Pauline spirituality stood on 3 pillars, viz., Jesus Divine Master, Mary Queen of the Apostles and St. Paul the apostle. She stated that it was in 1958 that James Alberione declared Mary Queen of the Apostles as the patroness of the Pauline Family. Every Pauline strives like her to live Jesus and give to the World, Jesus. Every Pauline strives to know Mary, love her, pray to her and to make her known to the world, in effect, working towards bringing the world to God and God to the world.

Sr. Shalini also gave the participants an inkling of what Pauline spirituality can do for us by speaking about he holy men and women of the Pauline family. She spoke about Blessed James Alberione, Founder, Blessed Timothy Giaccardo the first priest of the Society of St. Paul, Sr. Tecla Merlo, the first woman follower of the Founder, Co-foundress of the Daughters of St. Paul and the Mother of all the 10 Institutions that go to make up the Pauline Family; Sr. Rivata, Co-foundress of the Pious Disciples of the Divine Master etc.

The first session was a presentation by Sr. Teresina on the life of Blessed Alberione. The concluding session was a presentation of the practical aspects of the apostolate by Ladislaus whom Sr. Clare introduced as a veteran to the participants! This session was divided into 3 parts. The first part dealt with the collaboration given by various lay people to St. Paul in his ministry, demonstrating how they ran errands for the apostle, provided hospitality and financial help, gave him emotional support besides saving his life when in danger and very faithfully prayed for him and his work. In effect, a Pauline cooperator came through as one who assumes the mentality of Paul, fired by the same spirit as Paul, and lives the spirituality of the Pauline family. A cooperator is in essence and ‘Apostle'. In the second part, the participants were taken on the “Walk down the corridors of the Apostolate” whereby they were enabled to see the work involved in Mumbai, with the sisters in charge of the various departments/sections explaining various procedures. The third part dealt with the ways and means of exercising the Lay Cooperators in the respective areas the delegates came from.

We also had an hour of prayer together with the whole community (sisters) in the main chapel. Right through the seminar, there was much interaction among us, each coming up with views, ideas and suggestions.

Right through the seminar, there was much interaction between the participants, each coming up with views, ideas and suggestions that made it very clear that the purpose of the seminar was actually served. All expressed much satisfaction as regards the proceedings and expressed the desire to meet annually.

The finale came in the form of a cultural programme put up by the Postulants, Novices and Juniors of the Daughters of St. Paul during which a number of participants, led by the Sister Coordinator, shared snippets and anecdotes that had the house rocking with laughter.

Ladislaus L. D'Souza (Mumbai) and George J. Fernandes (Ahmedabad)