Pune is my home in India: Peter Vizenetz

Pune is my home in India: Peter Vizenetz

CAMIL PARKHE

Sakal Times

http://www.sakaaltimes.com/20120917/4635028146702087547.htm

Monday, September 17, 2012 AT 12:25 PM (IST)

Tags: India-Germany,   businessman,   Peter A Vizenetz,   Megacraft Enterprises,   AMA,   Pune,   Camil Parkhe

German businessman has been visiting the city for 2 decades

PIMPRI: German industrialist Peter A Vizenetz (78) who has been visiting Pune almost every year for the past two decades, says the city has now become his home during his sojourn in the country.

Vizenetz, who is the Executive Chairman of the Megatron Group, is presently on a fortnight-long business visit to Pune.He says that he is happy to choose Pune as his base during his India tour.

The German industrialist has business partnership with Bhosari-based Megacraft Enterprises, owned by Anjali and Shreekant Apte. He has also set up factories in France and China.

“I have a hectic schedule during my visit here, but I always find some time to meet people, visit local shops and markets for purchasing items of my special interest and even read the local newspapers,” Vizenetz told this correspondent in Bhosari on Sunday.

Vizenetz says during his stay in Pune, he reads local newspapers throughly. “I am interested even in the news of the local dams filling to their capacities. I also read advertisements and then choose to visit the sales and exhibitions to purchase paintings, antiques and brass items,” he says. “My recent acquisition is a statue of Lord Ganesh, carved in modern art style,” he added.

“While returning, I always choose the airliner which allows me to carry maximum luggage in cargo and also in my hand bags,” says the industrialist.

He has been instrumental in the recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Berlin-based AMA Association for Sensors with the local Entrepreneurs International. headed by Santosh Lalwani.

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‘Time’ reporter to talk on Vatican II meet in Pune

‘Time’ reporter to talk on Vatican II meet

CAMIL PARKHE

http://www.sakaaltimes.com/20120920/5327203990623948528.htm

Thursday, September 20, 2012 AT 12:57 PM (IST)

Tags: reporter,   Robert Kaiser,   Vatican,   Vatican II,   Church,   lecture,  Pune,   Camil Parkhe

PUNE: Robert Kaiser, US-based award winning 'Time' magazine correspondent, who covered the Vatican II Council in 1960s will deliver a lecture on the humane side of the historic Church meet at the Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth on Nagar Road on Sunday evening.

Kaiser, a former Jesuit, covered the Vatican II Council (October 1962 to December, 1965) on behalf of the ‘Time' magazine, and won an international award for his highly professional work.

Kaiser (82) recently arrived in India on a three-week long lecture tour to deliver lectures on the Church in Kolkata, Pune, Mumbai and other cities in the country.

Kaiser has won an award for reporting on Second Vatican Council. He has authored 13 books, four of which are based on the Catholic Church. His latest book is 'A Church in Search of Itself : Benedict XVI and the Battle for the Future.'

Pope John XXIII had convened the Vatican II Council in 1962 to discuss and formulate the Church's policies on various issues. The Council, later presided over by Pope Paul VI, was attended by 2000 bishops from all over the world.

The Vatican II Council is said to have modernised the Church and its approach towards people of other faiths. The first Vatican Council took place in 1870.

Fr Noel Sheth, a Sanskrit scholar from the Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth, said that the lecture has been organised as a part of the forthcoming 'Year of the Faith' declared by Pope Benedict XVI to commemorate the golden jubilee of the Vatican II Council.

The Year of Faith will commence on October 12.

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Pune's St Anne’s Church enters 50th year

St Anne’s Church enters 50th year

CAMIL PARKHE
http://www.sakaaltimes.com/20120725/4848857293787076440.htm

Wednesday, July 25, 2012 AT 12:19 PM (IST)

Tags: St Anne's church,   church,   Solapur Bazaar,   camp,   19th century,  christian,   golden jubilee,   Pune,   Camil Parkhe

PUNE: St Anne's Church, which was first built as a small chapel in Solapur Bazaar in Pune Camp in early 19th century to serve the Goan officers in the Peshwa's army, is celebrating the golden jubilee of its foundation this week. The church community has arranged a four-day celebration, starting on July 26.

The church constructed in 1963 has a unique architecture. It is the only church in the city having its front view in the shape of a 'gopuram.' In fact, many people find it difficult to believe that the building is a Christian religion shrine.

In early 20th century, the then British government had given a piece of land in Mule Lines to St Anne's Chapel, which was used for building St Vincent's Poor Home and a school. In 1925, the school had 157 students. Veteran Jesuit Fr J B Hass looked after St Anne's Church which was still a part of the St Xavier's Church in Pune Camp.

In 1979, St Joseph's School, which was a purely Tamil medium school, turned into an English medium middle school. An independent St Anne's Parish was established only in 1983.

Church's parish priest Fr S A Louis told Sakal Times that the jubilee celebrations will be launched by Nashik diocese Bishop Lourdes Daniel with a mass at the church on July 26 evening.

Heads of the Pune provinces of the Jesuit and Salesian religious congregations, Fr Bhausaheb Sansare and Fr Michael Fernandes will celebrate the mass on July 27 while emeritus Bishop Valerian D'Souza will celebrate the mass on July 28.

Pune Bishop Thomas Dabre along with emeritus Bishop D'Souza will concelebrate the mass on the last day of the jubilee celebrations on July 29. The festivities will conclude with a community. The oldest members of the church and former parish priests will be feliciated during the jubilee celebrations.

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Bishop Valerian D’Souza’s sermons on Facebook

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Emeritus Bishop Valerian D’Souza’s sermons on Facebook a hit online http://www.sakaaltimes.com/20120717/5030742391848188986.htm CAMIL PARKHE Tuesday, July 17, 2012 AT 10:44 AM (IST) Tags: bishop,   Valerian D'Souza,   facebook,   social networking,   Pune,   Camil Parkhe 79-year-old prelate has 1,775 friends on Facebook. His spiritual reflections are getting much love in cyberspace PUNE: Emeritus Bishop Valerian D'Souza who administered the Pune diocese for 31 long years has begun posting sermons on Facebook. The 79-year-old prelate has as many 1,775 friends on Facebook and is receiving many hits to his posts from youngsters across the globe. The Emeritus Bishop who is also known as the singing Bishop for his penchant for playing the guitar during his preachings opened his Facebook account in March 2010. However, he began posting his spiritual reflections and short sermons on the networking site only a few months back. “I have won over 1,775 friends on Facebook and the list is increasing rapidly. Every day, I get at least 10 requests for confirmation as friends ,” the Emeritus Bishop told Sakal Times on Monday. The net savvy Bishop was busy working on his laptop at the Viannny Home, the home for retired clergy in the Bishop's House complex on Empress garden road, when this correspondent paid him a visit on Monday afternoon. As the former Bishop of Pune, Rt Rev D'Souza has been a much sought after speaker at religious discourses in India and abroad. He has published three collections of his sermons. Until a few years ago, some cable networks used to telecast video CDs of his preachings, especially during the Holy Week comprising Good Friday and Easter. In his Facebook profile, D'Souza, an alumnus of the St Vincent's High School and the Nowrosjee Wadia College said, “Now in retirement, but busier than before. Slowly changing into a lower gear, with more time to myself.” Besides posting his sermons and spiritual advices on Facebook, the retired Bishop also uploads and tags pictures, shares links and greets and blesses people on their birthdays and anniversaries.

बिशप डिसोझा यांची 'फेसबुक'वरून जगभर प्रवचने

बिशप डिसोझा यांची 'फेसबुक'वरून जगभर प्रवचने

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http://www.esakal.com/esakal/20120717/5105214348076612140.htm

Camil Parkhe

Tuesday, July 17, 2012 AT 01:15 AM (IST)

Tags: bishop d'souza,   facebook,   pune

बिशप डिसोझांचा 79व्या वर्षी उपक्रम 

कामिल पारखे 
पुणे- ख्रिश्‍चन समाजाच्या पुणे धर्मप्रांताचे निवृत्त बिशप व्हॅलेरियन डिसोझा यांनी वयाच्या 79व्या वर्षी "फेसबुक'च्या माध्यमातून प्रवचने देण्यास सुरवात केली आहे. त्यांच्या उपक्रमाला अल्पावधीतच चांगलाच प्रतिसाद मिळत असून, जगभरातून सुमारे अठराशे मित्र जोडले गेले आहेत.

डिसोझा यांनी 126 वर्षांच्या पुणे धर्मप्रांताच्या इतिहासात तब्बल 31 वर्षे बिशपपद भूषविले. या कालावधीत त्यांनी शेकडो मोठी प्रवचने देऊन भक्तांना प्रभू येशूचा मार्ग दाखविला. प्रवचन देताना स्वतःच गिटार वाजवीत गाणी म्हणण्याची सवय असल्याने त्यांना "सिंगिंग बिशप' म्हणून ओळखले जात असे. अशा या उत्साही धर्मगुरूंनी मार्च 2010 मध्ये सुरू केलेल्या फेसबुक अकाउंटला सर्वाधिक प्रतिसाद तरुणवर्गाकडून मिळत आहे.

यासंदर्भात ते म्हणाले, ""मी आतापर्यंत 1,775 मित्र फेसबुकमार्फत जोडले असून, दररोज त्यात सरासरी दहा जणांची भर पडत आहे.'' सोमवारी त्यांच्या निवासस्थानी भेट घेतली तेव्हाही ते लॅपटॉप घेऊनच बसले होते. प्रवचन पोस्ट करण्याबरोबरच परिचितांना लग्न आणि वाढदिवसाच्या शुभेच्छाही ते नियमित पाठवीत असतात.

पुणे धर्मप्रांताचे बिशप असताना डिसोझा यांना देशात आणि युरोपात अनेक ठिकाणी धार्मिक प्रवचन देण्यासाठी मोठी मागणी असे. त्यांच्या प्रवचनांचे तीन खंड प्रसिद्ध झाले आहेत. गुड फ्रायडे आणि ईस्टरदरम्यान एका स्थानिक केबल नेटवर्कच्या माध्यमातून त्यांच्या प्रवचनांचे प्रक्षेपण अगदी अलीकडील काळापर्यंत करण्यात येत होते.

Y B Chavan A leader of the masses

Leader of the masses

CAMIL PARKHE

Sakal Times

http://www.sakaaltimes.com/20120605/4784396601594012927.htm

Tuesday, June 05, 2012 AT 08:18 PM (IST)

Tags: Y B Chavan,   Camil Parkhe column

I joined Tilak High School in Karad as a standard XI student and soon I learnt that the then foreign affairs minister Y B Chavan was an alumnus of the school. Chavan often came to his home-town and I had the opportunity to watch him and hear his speeches from close quarters. Often, he wore his famous grin from ear to ear and mingled with party workers and others freely. These and several other incidents  flashed before my mind when his birth centenary celebrations were launched recently.

As the chief minister of the Mumbai bi-lingual state and as the first chief minister of Maharashtra, Chavan was instrumental in shaping the destiny of the state to a great extent. He outlined his vision for a new Maharashtra when the state was carved out in 1960. He took many decisions having far-reaching impact on the cultural, social, political and economic sectors of the state. The policies he laid down were followed by his successors. Under his enlightened leadership, Maharashtra became possibly the most progressive state in the country. Three decades after his demise, he continues to be a role model for political leaders and thinkers of the state.  Chavan had a flair for writing - as is noticed in his numerous writings, including the letters written to his wife, Venutai. I happened to read some pages from his first and the only volume of his incomplete autobiography, "Krishna Kath" and I regretted that he could not complete his memories. People would have got an insight into the personal life of this great personality and also into what went on in New Delhi, especially before and after the Emergency.

Chavan was a true leader of the masses. He had a direct rapport with political workers across Maharashtra. In his public career spanning five decades, he had nurtured close associations with people from different walks of life. He knew the pulse of the state, over which he never lost control, although he was in New Delhi for two decades. He knew innumerable rural leaders by name. He knew their families and even years after their last meeting, he could recognise the people and would inquire about their families - a feat few political leaders can match today. The rural folks were welcomed with open arms whenever they visited the residence of the ‘Saheb’ in New Delhi.

Chavan epitomised Maharashtra in New Delhi and belonged to the political genre of K Kamaraj and Devraj Urs. It's a pity that the tribe of leaders of such stature, values and concern for the people is becoming extinct in Maharashtra and also in the country.

Ghogargaon – First MSFS mission in Nagpur diocese

Ghogargaon – First MSFS mission in Nagpur diocese

From 

Fr Gurien Jacquier of Ghogargaon   (Catholic Mission in Aurangabad diocese - 1892  onwards)

By Camil  Parkhe 

Published by SFS Publications, Bangalore

Till the middle of the 19th century, Christianity was almost non-existent in Central India. The Christians in this area were mainly the Irish, Goan and Tamil soldiers at the garrisons of the East India Company. The Goan priests of the Golcoda mission used to visit them occasionally.  

The MSFS or Fransalian congregation was founded by Fr Peter Marie-Mermier  (1862) in France on October 24, 1838 under the patronage of St Francis de Sales. The vast mission territory of Visakhapatnam in India was entrusted to the MSFS in 1845. Fr Mermier sent his best six men for the new mission. Fr Jacques Martin, Fr Joseph Lavorel, Fr Jean Marie Tissot, Fr Jean Thevenet, Bro Pierre Carton and Bro Sulpice Fontanel boarded the ship on June 8, 1845 and arrived at Pondicherry on September 8, 1845.

Visakhapatnam mission then included parts of the present day states of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Maharashtra.  Its four mission centres were Visakhapatnam, Yanam, Kamptee and Aurangabad.

Many of the missionaries who came to India learned many Indian languages and some of them even wrote books in these languages. The Visakhapatanam mission was divided into two in 1887, forming the new diocese of Nagpur, with Alexis Riccaz (MSFS) as its first bishop. During the last 125 years, this Nagpur diocese was further bifurcated to form various dioceses including Nagpur (1887),  Amravati (1955) and Aurangabad (1978).  During these years, the Fransalians too have spread out to the other parts of India. This religious congregation today has five provinces in India, namely Visakhapatanam, South–West, North–East, Nagpur and Pune.¹

The first Fransalian missionaries, Fr Jean Thevnet and Fr Joseph Lavorerl, arrived in Central India in 1846. At that time, there were only three priests in the whole central India – Fr Murphy, Irish chaplain at Kamptee, his Tamil assistant Fr Emmanuel and Fr O’Driscoll, a military chaplain in Jalna.

            The Fransalian missionaries made several attempts to open mission centres in central India but they were unsuccessful. Fr Lavorel tried to work in Mandla in Madhya Pradesh. Fr Benistrand tried to work among the Kunbis and the Mangs in the Deccan and among the Kurkus in Vidarbha. An orphanage was also opened at Thana near Nagpur in 1865 but with limited success. ²

            The breakthrough came in 1892 when the first mission centre for the local people was opened at Ghogargaon in Aurangabad district.  There is an interesting story revealing how the seeds of Christianity were sowed in this region, now called Marathwada. 

            A mission among the Mahars had been opened by the Jesuits in neighbouring Ahmednagar district, on the other side of the Godavari River, in 1878. Other Jesuit mission centres followed at Kendal in 1879, Walan in 1889 and Sangamner in 1892. By that time, the number of the Catholic Mahars in Ahmednagar district had risen to 1,000 under Fr Marcel D’Souza, Fr Otto Weishaupt and Fr Kraig.

Some 16 miles from Kendal was Ghogargaon village, on the left side of the Godavari. It had half-a-dozen stone and brick houses, a 100 mud houses. Outside the village lived the Mahars, the Dalits who were one of the untouchable communities during those days. An orphaned young Mahar from Ghogargaon, Nathu Raphael Shingare, had married a girl from Walan. There he saw the Jesuit mission, became a Catholic and later a catechist of Fr Weishaupt. On his return to his village Ghogargaon in 1892, Nathu Raphael gave a glorious account of the Walan mission to his neighbours and relatives. The local people who were denied development and progress for generations were indeed impressed. They immediately sent a delegation to Walan with a request to the Jesuit fathers to start a mission center in Ghogargaon.

Walan parish priest, Fr Kraig, paid a visit to the village to see the situation there. As Ghogargaon then belonged to the Nagpur diocese, he informed the chaplain of Aurangabad, Fr Montagnoux, of the local people’s desire to become Christians. Fr Montagnoux forwarded the request to Nagpur. At that time, Nagpur had no bishop after the recent death of Bishop Riccaz. Thus, in October 1892, Fr Pelvat, Nagpur diocesan administrator, received a letter telling him that several people from the village of Ghogargaon were asking for a school and were desiring to become Christians.

           

Bishop Riccaz had wanted to open a mission centre among non-Christians. Fr Pelvat welcomed the proposal and appointed Fr Thomas Marian to open the first Catholic mission in the Moghulai.

References:

1) Fransalians, website of the Missionaries of St Francis de Sales (MSFS)

2) Fr Francis Moget (MSFS), “The Missionaries of St Francis de Sales of Annecy’, SFS Publications, Vinayalaya, Bangalore, Karnataka 560 055 (1985). Distributors: Asian Trading Corporation, 150, Brigade Road, Bangalore- 560 025 (pages 268-260)