- Target:
- Office of the Holy See
- Region:
- India
Your Holiness,
As Your Holiness know that St. Norbert of Xanten founded the Order of Canons Regular of Premontre (Norbertines or Premonstratensians) are a Roman Catholic Religious Order. The Norbertine Priests (1) live in community, (2) share all things in holy poverty, celibacy and obedience and (3) dedicate themselves to active ministry (pastoral service in parishes close to their abbeys or priories).
The Norbertine Fathers arrived in Quilon, India to explore the possibility of establishing Canonical life of the Order. The then Bishop of quilon Diocese, Rt. Rev. Dr. Jerome M. Fernandez asked them to search for a place to establish a religious community. They went around the diocese and found Eravipram. When the fathers suggested this place, Bishop Jerome happily accepted the proposal and agreed to hand over the parish to the pastoral care of Norbertine Fathers. On 26.07.1977 His Lordship Bishop Jerome called a meeting of the parish priest of Eravipuram and parish committee over which the bishop himself presided. It was unanimously agreed upon to hand over the parish to the pastoral care of the Norbertine Fathers nad establish religious community in Eravipuram. Hence on 24.08.1977, the fathers took charge of Eravipuram parish.
Later on Oct. 1979, a permanent contract regarding pastoral service in Eravipuram parish was signed by the Norbertines and Rt. Rev. Joseph Fernandez, the Bishop of Quilon after Bishop Jerome.
The Norbertine Fathers invested millions of rupees for the social, educational and material development of the people by way of providing the fishermen fishing boats and nets, auto rickshaws, tailoring machines, housing projects, scholarships for the poorest children, providing school uniforms and notebooks, vocational training, marriage assistance, legal aid, small saving schemes, family benefit schemes, assistance to widows and their children, establishing destitute homes and orphanage etc.
Today, we the ordinary laity of Eravipuram parish are highly educated, socially forefront, financially sound, all due to the selfless service of Norbertines. They developed us spiritually too. They were our good shepherds. People loved and respected them since they touched the hearts of people.
We, the undersigned, call on the good office of Holy See to reinstate the Norbertines in our parish as our shepherds.
Our parish is the biggest one in Quilon diocese. The present Bishop, Most Rev. Stanley Roman, without any genuine reason taken back the parish from the pastoral service of Norbertines on Jan 2105 and appointed the priests under him (Diocesan priests). Norbertines had to vacate the parish. Thus, he violated the contract between the Diocese and the Norbertines unilaterally. This prayer is to reinstate Norbertine Fathers in Eravipuram Parish of Quilon Diocese, India.
During the time of Norbertines’ service, there was a parish committee formed from the laity and the parish accounts were transparent. Now the Diocesan priests have no such transparency. The accounts for one and a half year (extends since mid Jan 2015 till the time of this petition) have neither been published nor been audited by an external auditor.
If any part of a human body functions well, there is no need to remove that part from the body. Norbertines were good to the people, but Bishop Stanley Roman removed them from us and replaced them without our consent.
We want the religious head of our diocese to resolve our issue.
Thank you for hearing us
Dated this the 11th September of 2016
The Ensure Justice for the Norbertines in our Parish petition to Office of the Holy See was written by Eravipuram Social welfare Society and is in the category Religion at GoPetition.