CMC Sacred Heart Province
Mananthavady
Our Ministries
Faith Formation
Faith formation is our first and foremost apostolate. Sisters are working as full-timers and part-timers in this field. They are engaged in rendering their valuable services to the people of God especially the women and children by bringing them up in faith and sanctity.
Faith formation services are rendered in the following fields:
Bible Nursery
Children were introduced Jesus, Mother Mary, Saints and Angels. Taught them Bible stories, ejaculations, action songs and images through our nursery schools. Thus we sowed the seeds of the Word of God in them.
Carmel Buds
Children from catholic families are brought together. Programs and meetings are conducted in association with each convent. Classes related to Carmelite saints are given to them. We help them to grow in Carmelite spirituality.
Christian retreats
Three days Christeen program was arranged in parishes of our province. After the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, online one-day program was arranged for our students in our parishes and schools.
Holy childhood
Children are trained for alter service. They are also trained in reading the Holy Bible fluently. They were made to learn the Word of God. Online competitions for Bible reading, singing, memorizing the Word of God are conducted occasionally.
Mission league
Children are motivated to be little missionaries. The lives of missionary saints are introduced to them through online programs. They are motivated to say the Rosary. They are trained to do little acts of penances and sacrifices. Various competitions are arranged to motivate their missionary zeal and they are also rewarded. They are trained to collect mission funds from families in the parish to help poor mission stations.
Youth ministry
Here the youth were trained both in spiritual and secular skills. Life-based skills are taught. Value-oriented online classes are conducted. Online activities such as rendering speech, poster making of saints, group discussion, etc are conducted. They are trained to practice virtues. To check their growth in virtues timely evaluations are done. They are trained to live with discipline and order. Trained for proper and responsible use of media. The love for the church evoked in youth by making them involved in church activities. They are trained for Jesus' band. The online convention conducted once a year. Values are also given through dance. Jesus youth lifestyle means to love like Jesus, to pray like Mary and to work like Joseph. Thus the youth are trained to practice this life style.
Preparation for First Holy Communion
Various series of Malayalam and English online classes based on the themes, God the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, seven sacraments, preparation for confession etc were conducted. Thus children are prepared well to receive the first Holy Communion. They are trained how to worthily receive Jesus in the Holy Communion. Along with the children their parents are also given a preparation retreat.
Campus Ministry
Sisters visited the schools, they met the students and helped them to overcome the obstacles, gave them counseling if indeed even their parents were given guidance. Small prayer groups were formed in schools and they gave leadership in prayer. Helped the students to discern their vocation and promote it.
Jesus youth
Here they are motivated to become a powerful witness for Jesus in this modern world. They were trained for praise and worship, evangelization with modern media creatively. They practiced a regular disciplined lifestyle. Awareness classes, discussion, study circles and quiz programs were conducted online. Weakly food distribution to the poor and needy was done. They also rendered their services in charitable homes.
Divine smart personality development
This program was conducted for all students in different schools. This one-day program was conducted by teaching various personality traits, workshops, games, group activities, action songs, skits and video clips. Holistic personality development is the outcome of these sessions.
Judith Forum (for widows)
Spiritual and psychological counseling was rendered to them. Online one-day classes based on the challenges faced by them, given to them through Google meet. Group meetings, sharing sessions were conducted.
Nazareth Forum (for families)
online day classes were arranged for the familiesin the parishes based on the issues faced by them during this Covid-19 pandemic. A rapport was kept with the families through the phone. Whenever in need, they were also given guidance and support.
Family unit meeting
Unit-wise prayer services were conducted once a month in each unit. The sisters distributed Bible, prayer leaflets, bookmarks and rosaries (after reciting 7 rosaries for each one person) etc. for the needy.
Catechism
On every Sunday, online classes were conducted for the children. Quiz based on the life of saints were conducted through various competitions. The best students were rewarded. By visiting hospitals and old age homes they were taught to share food and to render services. Faith motivating practical experiences was given to them through visiting charitable homes and other activities.
Home mission
Home mission was done with a team of fifteen sisters both full-timers and part-timers. It was an intense family visit by staying in each parish. By visiting each house in the parish within a destined time their spiritual needs and problems, family issues were given guidance and encouragement. Those who are away from sacramental life and church were brought closer. During the Home mission get-together of the families sisters arranged prayer sessions, value-based short films and preaching of the Word of God. Due to Covid-19 pandemic, such intense family visit was reduced to short visits.
Contemplative meditation
By visiting the schools gave training in contemplative prayer to the students of Kindergarten to higher secondary. Based on the age groups, duration of contemplation was decided. This increased their concentration power, smoothened their mind and stimulated their positive energy.
Pre-marital guidance and spiritual counseling
In association with each convent, pre-marital counseling was given to youth preparing for marriage. They were also given the necessary guidance and support to enter family life with holiness and faithfulness. Guidance was given to bring up children after marriage. Prepared them to attend a retreat before the marriage.
Tobit Forum (for unmarried men and women above thirty to find their partner)
In the province level together and also a separate session was arranged for them. Prepared them for the sacrament of reconciliation. During the Covid-19 pandemic, an online session was arranged for them.
Jeanna Forum (for pregnant women)
In association with each convent, the pregnant woman was personally given counseling and suggestions. Also, this was done at the province level together and separately. The pregnant woman were given the leaflet also the booklets with the prayers to be made each month. Spiritual guidance to bring up the children after birth. During the Covid-19 pandemic, online sessions were arranged for them.
Ruth forum (Mixed marriage)
Sisters helped both young men and women marrying from other religions by teaching them prayers, preparing them for baptism, for the rectification of marriage. Regular training was given to them to grow in faith in association with each convent.
Retreats
One day, three days and five days retreats were conducted for sisters, teachers, nurses, families, youth, and seminarians for the vocation promotion. During this pandemic, these were reduced to one-hour to two-hour online retreats.
Spiritual Sharing training (Gifted Counseling)
All those who are interested in this field were given individual training and also given training in groups.
Spiritual and Psychological Counseling
Counseling such as pre-marital counseling, pregnancy counseling, counseling for reconciliation and harmony in broken families, trauma counseling to support in times of tragedies, sickness and death were provided. Thus, families, youth and children were helped spiritually and psychologically according to the need.
House visits under the leadership of convents
With the focus to establish a good relationship with families, to listen to their problems, to deepen their sacramental life, the visits to the houses in the parishes were arranged. During these visits, sisters provided the prayers for the families, Word of God, leaflets of St. Chavara, St. Joseph, Laminated frames of Bible quotes for each family, booklet of St. Chavara –‘Nalla Appante Chavarul’ and so on.
Preparation for a good death
Sisters visited the house of those who are in death bed, also those who are hospitalized and prepared them for a good death. Prepared for a good confession, they said the Mercy Rosary ejaculations at their bedside, gave them the courage to embrace death peacefully. Special care has been given to those who have fear of death.
Spiritual assistance in the home of the Dead
Sisters visited the houses of the dead in their respective parishes. Arrangements to have continuous prayers in that house were done through the recitation of Holy Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet and songs for dead. The sisters gave prayerful support to the family members in their sorrowful moments.
Preparation for the Great Jubilee-2033
Great Jubilee Word of God bookmarks were distributed to all the families by our sisters in their respective parishes. Those children who will be 33 years old in the Great Jubilee year (they are known as Great Jubilee kids) were given special classes and motivation by our sisters in small groups to grow in the likeness of Jesus. This group of children are growing today as the little missionaries of Jesus, they are praying every day prayer for world evangelization.