OFM Franciscans - India

News & Events

CARP Does an Oyster !

03 May 2020: How do you approach a Pandemic and the consequent lockdown that seems to be one of the ways (a ‘pause button,’ as Mr. Rahul Gandhi would put it) to manage this situation? The present situation of course has brought along with it a plethora of problems as well as opportunities. The medical staff, the law enforcement personnel, and volunteers are doing their best to manage this Pandemic. Our friars in India and abroad are doing commendable work to help people cope with this situation. On the other hand, today the social media is filled with images of people managing this particular time in creative ways.

 The story of Oysters is familiar to us. When something goes inside the shell of an Oyster, even a grain of sand, it gets hurt. To manage this crisis, it has a mechanism. It produces a powerful stuff that begins to cover the irritating thing over and over again. Eventually this stuff is transformed into a beautiful pearl. Twelve artists from CARP (Company of Artists for Radiance of Peace) decided to do an Oyster! They had a novel approach to this Novel virus. They painted…. The result was an online painting Camp ad exhibition, a first of its kind as far as we know. Twelve among the CARP members residing in different parts of India, came together online under the theme “Caring Strokes,” with a tag; Carp Covid Creations. CARP is an association of artist - friends, who are like minded, from all walks of life, like, Religious, Priests and lay men and women. Their sole aim is to become people who radiate peace through their art. They conduct art camps for school children and adults in a non-competitive atmosphere. The resultant art works are often exhibited for the public.

Art in different forms, as we know, play a vital role in transforming people. A visual art form, like painting has proved that it can act as a powerful tool of resistance, dissent and revolution like Banksy, the anonymous artist, whose art is always satirical, antiauthoritarian and witty. It can act as a reminder to humanity of the atrocities it has committed. Pablo Picasso’s Guernica is a grim reminder of the ravages of war and at the same time a protest against such bloody undertakings by humanity. The attack by the Germans and Italians on Guernica, one of the Spanish cities, took place on a market day when ordinary folks gathered on the streets as usual, buying and selling. The notoriously famous carpet bombing was experimented for the first time then that was designed to destroy everything systematically. The survival of humanity depends on the ability not to repeat the mistakes of the past. Guernica, as a painting, has acted as a conscience keeper for generations. A simple cartoon can expose the fact that the king is indeed naked.

The following were the participants in this online art Camp: Fr. K.M. George, Roy M. Thottam, Joseph Joyson,OFM Cap., Sunil Jose, CMI, Fr. Manoj Ottaplackal, Mariakutty,CSI, Vincy Kallidukkil, HSM, Sandra Soiya, SFN, Athulya Priya, Fr. Ebey Edassery, Vimal Kallokkaran, RCJ and Jamesmon,OFM. Fr. Ebey Edassery was the coordinator, organizing it in a very creative way. The works of art were then exhibited online. The artists not only painted but also made a few comments on their works of art for the benefit of the viewers. Through their works they reflected on various elements of this Pandemic and their personal perspectives and discoveries that have enabled them to cope with it, and many of them considered it as a learning curve as well.   

Fr. K.M. George named his painting, ‘The Blessed Plant.’  This title comes from certain Christian traditions of understanding Christ as a blessed Plant, that heals the humanity with its medicinal powers. Through deep contemplation one can transform oneself and become a source of healing to all. Lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu from the Sangama traditions would rightly illustrate to us. As the world is seeking healing once again, all of us can delve into the reservoir of our being and spread this energy of positivity all around us.

Times of trials and Tribulations are also times of creativity and Aesthetic productivity. We see the touches of care and solidarity, the  Contradicting / complimenting ,the Female-Male energy, the YIN YAN of our existence, and the soul of humanity gets so tangible and being seen around us so vividly at these times of a pandemic. Roy M. Thottam, SJ brought  out this ongoing wheel of life through his work titled ‘Caring Hands.’

Joseph Joyson, Ofm,Cap. titled his work the ‘AC-BC Divide,’ (After Corona –Before Corona) the historical context that this Pandemic is creating, which  is also throwing light on our life experiences, filled with light and darkness, our strength and helplessness.

Corona acts as a Bodhi tree that brings enlightenment to all, bringing along with it a wisdom that brings people together in solidarity and fellowship, transforming the world through a new understanding, as Fr. Manoj Ottaplackal reflected through his work of art tiltled: ‘Bodhi.’

We are always in a hurry and we take no notice of the little delights the nature offers us. We claim to have drunk from the elixir of knowledge, and exploit everything around us to our own advantage. But a little organism could put a break on our unbridled horses of narcissistic wanderings. We have become like a helpless babe, says Suil Jose,CMI through his work titled ‘Dissolutus.’

Caring strokes that accompany us as we go through life, from the time we start breathing on this planet till we stop, is what finds expression in a work called ‘Caring Strokes’ by Fr. Ebey Edassery and he ponders, ‘how grateful are we’? He reminds us about our need to create a culture of care and gratitude at the same time.

Vimal Kallokkaran, RCJ, a Rogationist priest painted a very intense moment that speaks volumes about eyes that are anxiously and expectantly looking out ward to a better future with better living conditions. He feels that the whole creation is in a reset mode. He calls his work, ‘A New Outlook’.

During this pandemic, people are ‘being cared’ and there are people offering care, though their own life is at stake, like Doctors, Nurses, health workers, administrative authorities, Police men, NGO’s, volunteers and other law enforcement personnel. This intense, dynamic relationship is portrayed by Sandra Sonia, SFN through her Untitled work.

 Vincy Kallidukkil, HSM felt that a little virus called Corona could bring about a kind of insight about our need to stop, reflect and proceed with much caution about our existence, our need to be responsible with ‘the given’ of our nature and life as a whole. ‘Protecting Strokes’ is the title of her work.

Athulya Priya, an artist from Trivandrum, portrayed India within a bubble, which stands for the lockdown on which we harbor our hope. But this bubble, as we know, is very delicate and therefore the need to take care. Our carelessness can cause much harm to everybody. She calls her work, ‘Lockdown.’

Mariakutty, who belongs to the Secular Institute of Caritas, paints the earth as ‘a beautiful lady with a rainbow’ that adorns her. The present situation is something that we need to deal with by caring for one another.

Though we are often addressed as the stewards and care takers of the nature, we have become a head ache to the planet Earth. But during this lock down, which many countries have adopted to wage war against this novel virus, we are increasingly noticing the positive movements that are taking place in the nature. The nature, the flora and the fauna, is breathing easy once again. Jamesmon, OFM tried to portray this through his painting titled ‘Return.

CARP exhibited the paintings online and the response was quite encouraging so much so that they are already planning another online camp where more participants are showing up from the CARP family. We believe that works of art gets in to the thought process of people in a deeper way and gives lots of insights and enlightenment about the present situation the humanity is facing. Art has and will play a very important role in forming our response to this pandemic.   

                                                                                                                                                       friar Jamesmon, Ofm.

 

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI

ST. FRANCIS

ST. FRANCIS

FRIARS' BIRTHDAY (May)

Date

Name of the Friars

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Year

02

Arulsamy A.

Mesia Elias Moses M.

Arvind Kerketta

Benedict Gomes

Ordination

Ordination

Ordination

Ordination

1991

1999

2005

2008

03

Charles Arulanandam

Alwyn D’ Souza

Birth

Ordination

1978

2006

04

Davis Kallookaran

Tommy T.J.

Arockiasamy P.

Thomas Manakuzhiyil

Saji P. Mathew

Arun Devasia Nattalil

Roshan Lobo

Francis Michael Velcy Barreto

Birth

Birth

Ordination

Ordination

Ordination

Solemn Vows

Solemn Vows

Birth

1950

1959

2002

2004

2004

2017

2017

1992

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Mathew Koottumkal

Jesu Maharajah G.

Peter Saleth Nathan J.

Andrew Thomas

Ordination

Solemn Vows

Solemn Vows

Birth

1999

2010

2010

1997

06

Jayaseelan P.R.

Fulgence Ekka

Thaddeus Baxla

+ Leopold Vaz

Xavier Durairaj

Manoj Xalxo

Baikim Chadra Minj

Birth

Ordination

Ordination

Home

Ordination

Ordination

Ordination

1970

1997

1997

2000

2009

2012

2012

07

Vincent Soosai

Salim Baxla

Augustine Tirkey

A.J.Mathew Joseph

Bipin Kishore Kandulna

Ushar Kachhua

Ordination

Ordination

Solemn Vows

Solemn Vows

Solemn Vows

Solemn Vows

1999

2011

2017

2017

2017

2017

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Julius Arul Rayan

Robin Lakra

Ajith Kerketta

Shanborlang Wartde

Ordination

Ordination

Ordination

Solemn Vows

2004

2007

2011

2017

09

Joy K.D.

Fabianus Toppo

Deen Dayal

Birth

Ordination

Birth

1970

2008

1983

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+ Clement Griffith

Alwyn D’ Souza

Lourdu Augustine

Hemant Xess

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Solemn Vows

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Ordination

1950

2001

2001

2006

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Gabriel Mathias

Joseph Raj M.

Baptist D’ Souza

Praveen Henry D’ Souza

Salim Baxla

Ajit Kerketta

Anil Xalxo

Anil Xalxo

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Solemn Vows

Solemn Vows

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Fulgence Ekka

Jose Palimattom

+ Baptist van de Sande

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Salvador D’Souza

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Solemn Vows

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Shaju Paliyathil

Jesu Maharajah G.

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Kulandaisamy M.

Felix Vijay M.

Nijil Chiramel

Leos Ekka

Malom-Noatoli – Church

Simon A.

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Alwyn D’ Souza

Mukti Prakash Ekka

Fabianus Toppo

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Santosh Ekka

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Ordination

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2004

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Simon Pinto

+ Paul Ryan

+ Egbert Barnes

Jerome Kispotta

Prasad Papabathuni

Joy K.D.

Naveen George

+ Bala Sundar Raj

Peter Shashikanth Reddy G.

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Balthazar Pinto

Anthony Pushparaj

Arokiam John

Charles Arulanandam

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Bryan Carneiro

Arvind Kerketta

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Solemn Vows

1969

2003

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Shaji Nicholas Vadachery

Jugal Kishore Lakra

Ordination

Solemn Vows

1999

2002

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+ Thomas Province - INDIA

Bernardine of Siena

Pradeep Kalliath

Matthew Koottumkal

Jayaseelan P.R.

Jamesmon P.C.

Thomas A.

Joy Valooran

Sushil Beck

Joy (George) Sebastian

Xavier Durairaj

Santosh Ekka

John Sekar

Alangara Boniface

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Lalith Kujur

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Guwahati Mission

Sandesh Manuel

Balaswamy Gundiga

Benedict Gomes

Vijay kAmirtharaj A.

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Anthony Alex Martis

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Dedication of the Basilica of St. Francis

Pradeep Kalliath

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Jose Palimattom

Sleeva Reddy

Vincent Soosai

Matthew Koottumkal

Johnson M.V.

Shaji Nicholas Vadachery

Joy Valooran

Tojy Mandapathil

Mesia Elias Moses M.

Anthony Roobandass A.

Arokiam John

Charles Arulanandam

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Basil Lobo

Varghese Lakra

Solemn Vows

Solemn Vows

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Jerome Kispotta

Fulgence Ekka

Cajetan Lourenco

Francis Agnelo Rozario

Sagaya Soosairaj

Singarayar A.

Prasad Papabathuni

Thaddeus Baxla

Joy K.D.

Assisi Bhavan, Chippilithode

Phyrnai Lyngdoh

Madhu Sudhan Reddy

Deen Dayal

Nathaniel vTirkey

Jesu Raja A.

Johnvinzen Lyngdoh

Teiborlang Wartde

Rajasekhar Reddy Gopu

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Scaria Varanath

Thomas M.M.

Dayanand

Bala Marneni

Paul Kallan

John Chrysostom

Regi Matthew

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Gregory Fernandes

Fidelis D’ Lima

Augustine Pinto

Sidney J.M.

Nicholas D’ Souza

James Kallarackan

Charles Mathew Kolanchery

Joy Prakash

Gabriel Mathias

Amaladass Manickam

Jayaseelan P.R.

Jamesmon P.C.

Thomas A.

Tom John

Arockiasamy P.

Cajetan Lourenco

Francis Agnelo Rozario

Sagaya Soosairaj

Singarayar A.

Irudayaraj Fernando

Austin Francis

Mukti Prakash Ekka

Francis Xavier

Wilson Paul Nattalil

Basil S. Lobo

Thomas M.J.

Julius Arul Rayan

Alwyn D’Souza

Sushil Beck

Saji P. Mathew

Lourdu Augustine

Shaju Paliyathil

Bryan Carneiro

Ignatius Baa

Regi Matthew

Bhaskar Reddy

Tomy Palackal

Benjamin Jojo

Joseph Raj M.

Baptist D’ Souza

Anthony Alex Martis

Jugal Kishore Lakra

Anthony Pushparaj

Praveen Henry D’ Souza

Michael Anand

Kulandaisamy M.

Arvind Kerketta

Hemant Xess

Pradeep Kalliath

Anthony Roobandass

Arun Junes A.

Balaswamy Gundiga

Robin Lakra

Arokiam John

Charles Arulanandam

Sandesh Manuel

Benedict Gomes

Vijay Amirtharaj A.

Salim Baxla

Ajit Kumar Dung Dung

Francis Xavier

Thomas M.J.

Saji P. Mathew

Joy (George) Sebastian

Xavier Durairaj

Varghese Lakra

Santosh Ekka

Salvador D’Souza

John Sekar

Ajit Kerketta

Anil Xalxo

Simon A.

Naveen George

Lalith Kujur

Tony Marshall

Vijay Minj

Manoj Xalxo

Baikim Chandra Minj

Prashanth Wilson Fernandes

Jesu Maharaja G.

Peter Saleth Nathan J.

Prem Kumar D’ Souza

Stephen Lamin Gashnga

Jayapal Dwarakonda

Joseph Stephen

Vinoth Robin

Sahaya Dhas J.

Praveen Roshan Toppo

Felix Vijay

Eugene A.

Jeddu Praveen Chinna Reddy

Nijil Chiramel

Joseph Prasanna Kumar

Pasala Showri Raju

Christopher

Phyrnai Lyngdoh

Basil Tirkey

Vinod Kujur

Madhu Sudan Reddy

Francis Arokiasamy M.

Thumma Ranjith Kumar Reddy

Deen Dayal

Prashanth Wilson Fernandes

Nathaniel Tirkey

+ Valerian Quadros

Jesu Raja A.

Johnvinzen Lyngdoh

Teiborlang Wartde

Shanborlang Wartde

Rajasekhar Reddy Gopu

Augustine Tirkey

A.J.Mathew Joseph

Bipin Kishore Kandulna

Arun Devasia Nattalil

Roshan Lobo

Ushar Kachhua

Salvador Drego

Anand Suresh Minj

Emmanuel Christopher N.

Anto Leo

Martin Sangma

Clinton J.

Nideesh M. John

Albinus Ekka

Prasad Rao

Kasu Eliyas Reddy

Stephen Arun

Thomas Kiren

Vineet Kerketta

Silash Panna

Nicolas Marak

Adarsh Y.

Deepak Kumar

Rajesh Praveen Kumar

Avinash Kujur

Alphone Velankanni

Abhishek M.

Anmol Bara

Akshay Showry Raj

Ejekial Lakra

Francis Michael Velcy Barretto

Henry Jose

Ibrahim G Momin

Joseph Raj

Kalyan Kurmar

Manish Ekka

Marius Dahanga

Nichol John

Ravi Bara

Salun Kispotta

Sujit Ganji

Alangara Boniface

Anthony Joseph archer

Pradeep Anthony L.

Jacob Tani

Gali Bal Reddy

T.S Leo Max

Joseph Kishan

Niranjan Toppo

Peter Shashikanth Reddy G.

Ankit Kumar Baghel

Niraj Kumar Tirkey

Nelson Toppo

Avinash Toppo

Andrew Thomas

Justin Savio A.

Felix A.

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Gregory Fernandes

Fidelis D’Lima

Agnel D’Mello

Augustine Pinto

Sidney J.M

Salim Joseph

Nicholas D’Souza

James Kallarackan

Charles Mathew Kolanchery

Joy Prakash

Gabriel Mathias

Varghese Sebastian

Scaria Varanath

Thomas M.M.

Dayanand

Alphonse Moras

Gerald Lobo

Simon Pinto

Paul K.L.

Davis Kallookaran

Lawrence Simon

Arok Sundar Sebastian

Dharma L. Bernard

Johnson M.V.

Shaji Nicholas Vadachery

Joy Valooran

Mesia Elias Moses M.

Irudayaraj Fernando

Austin Francis

Anthony Pushparaj

Simon A.

Naveen George

Tony Marshall

Lalith Kujur

Manoj Xalxo

Baikim Chandra Minj

Vijay Minj

Solemn Vows

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