Indian Film 'Christaayan' breaks ground

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It's a country that's known for its 'Bollywood' films, but most recently Indian producers broke ground with a different kind of genre-a movie about Jesus. It's titled 'Christaayan' which translates to the 'The Path of Christ.' The Hindi film is more than six hours long, but a shorter 53 minute version has been released as well.

More than 19 million Catholics live in India. The high number though, only accounts for about 4 percent of the country's population. Producers are hoping that films like these, will give an extra push to the New Evangelization, especially in countries with a Christian minority.

Fight against caste system in India unites Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox

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There is one week a year where Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox pray together for the same cause. It's known as the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Over the course of the week, Christians from several denominations highlight their similarities, rather than their differences.

This year, organizers included a group of university students from India. They integrated their concern for the “dalit,” or the untouchables, the lowest caste in society which often suffers discrimination, and who make up a large portion of Christians in India.

MSGR. BRIAN FARELL
Secretary, Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
“India is one of those places that division and injustice is very visible. Every year we have a reason to go for ecumenical dialog to India, and it takes a long time to understand of the separation between social classes, religious groups, and the consequences suffering that this division in society brings.”

For Brian Farell, the Year of Faith is an opportunity to promote ecumenism because it emphasizes going back to the roots of Christianity. He says the New Evangelization will only be possible if all Christians are united.

MSGR. BRIAN FARELL
Secretary, Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
“This prayer must be one that the World believes. Well, of course, if we are not one, it can be much more difficult, if not impossible, for the World to believe the Christian message.”

This year's theme, “What does God require of us?” looked to initiate dialogue between the Christian denominations to overcome divisions. The goal is for a self-assessment of whether they discriminate each other, the way other castes discriminate against dalits in India.

Woman Healed through Intercessory Prayer made to Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa Clipart

The following article appeared on The Times of India

A Miracle Revisited Every Day

By Subhro Maitra


KHOANAKOR, DANOGRAM, SOUTH DINAJPUR: Monica Besra does not need an occasion to remind her of the angel who would be saint. Pottering about her shabby hut, feeding her goats, stacking hay, she keeps murmuring Mother Teresa's name under her breath. It's her life's chant.

After all, she owes her life to the mother. Each day for Monica begins with a 'pronam' before the Mother's statue. It ends there as well.

The 40-something mother of five says she was cured of an abdominal tumour by Mother Teresa on September 5, 1998 the first anniversary of the the Blessed nun's death. It was recognised as a miracle by the Vatican in 2002 and led to the beatification of Mother Teresa, a step closer to possible canonisation. Monica was even taken on a tour of Vatican City in 2003.

Monica knows that the world is celebrating Mother Teresa's centenary. She does not mind that the glitter has not reached his rickety shack in Danogram, some 375 km north of Kolkata. She has been invited to one such event, though. "On the 28th of this month, there will be a special prayer for Mother Teresa at Alampur Church. Our sisters have asked me to attend," she said. "I have to go. I cannot miss an opportunity to pray for her," she said.

Monica was first admitted to Balurghat hospital with tubercular meningitis on June 11, 1998. In August, she was diagnosed an ovarian tumor. "I was in great pain. I was so weak that the doctors were afraid I would die on the operating table. They told me to return after three months. I felt so helpless," she recalls.

Her sister Kanchan took her to a Missionaries of Charity home in Potiram village, about 50km from her home. On September 5, 1998, the sisters held a special mass. That evening (Monica remembers her pain was particularly severe), two sisters placed a tiny aluminum medal blessed by Mother Teresa on her stomach, prayed over her and tied it around her waist. She dozed off but woke with a start at 1am on September 6.

"I remember the time clearly as my bed was next to a wall which had Mother Teresa's picture and a clock. I felt my stomach and was stunned to realise that the lump was gone," she said. When she told the sisters of the miracle cure in the morning, they immediately informed the church authorities in Kolkata, who instituted an inquiry into the miracle. The probe lasted from November 1999 to August 2001. In December 2002, Pope John Paul II officially attributed the miracle of Monica's healing to Mother Teresa.

This miracle' also led her to convert to Christianity. "Earlier, we worshipped Marangburu, like other Santhals. But Mother led me to Christ." Tears well up and she chokes on her words. "I often dream of Mother. I see him walking before me, leading the way. What would have happened to my children if I had died then? It was Mother's blessings that saved me and my family."