A Respite

Sakal Times
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A Respite
- CAMIL PARKHE Tuesday, 6 August 2013 - 03:27 PM IST
Tags: blog, Camil Parkhe

“There is a snake ahead on the road,” a woman told me as she passed by me during my morning walk today. It took a few seconds for me to register what she had said and by that time I was in front of a small snake wriggling right on the middle of the road. I was pleasantly surprised the woman had alerted me about the snake without even raising an alarm or creating panic as most people would have done. I halted to watch the snake and that drew attention of another morning walker to the snake. His immediate reaction was to call to out to a labourer at the under-construction building there, to warn him of the snake moving slowly towards that building.

“Please don’t do that, he’ll kill the snake!,” I said.

“It may not be poisonous snake. Let us move it towards the nullah there, it will be safe there and also won’t harm anyone. Otherwise, crows and other birds will also start pecking it on the open road,” I suggested.

Before I had concluded, the young labourer who had just got up from his sleep had rushed there, with a twig in his hand. But his first sentence relieved me immediately.

‘Today is Amavasya and holy Shravan month is starting tomorrow,” he said, bringing an instant smile on my face. Now there was absolutely no possibility of him killing the snake. By that time, three to four persons had gathered there to watch the snake which had coiled itself near a compound wall. I resumed my walk but stepped back for a moment. “Before you disperse, please inform others that it is Amavasya today,” I told the people present there.

I resumed my morning walk, fully assured that the young reptile would not be harmed today. Perhaps, even for a period of a month if it was sighted again during the Shravan, I hoped.

Church leaders pay tributes to Cardinal Simon Pimenta

Church leaders from Pune pay tributes to Cardinal Simon Pimenta http://www.sakaaltimes.com/NewsDetails.aspx?NewsId=5142287103793569427&SectionId=4924098573178130559&SectionName=Latest%20News&NewsDate=20130722&NewsTitle=Church%20leaders%20from%20Pune%20pay%20tributes%20to%20Cardinal%20Simon%20Pimenta
- CAMIL PARKHE Sakal Times Monday, 22 July 2013 - 05:27 PM IST
Tags: Church leaders from Pune, Cardinal Simon Pimenta, Simon Pimenta, Bishop Thomas Dabre

Pune: Church leaders in the city have paid rich tributes to Emeritus Cardinal Simon Pimenta, the first  Marathi-speaking clergy to be elevated to the rank of cardinal, whose funeral will take place in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Pune Bishop Thomas Dabre described Pimenta as a veteran leader of the Church in the country who had also advised Pope John Paul II on various vital issues including inter-religious dialogues.

“He was the vice-principal of Thomas Baptista School in Papadi in Vasai  when I was a student there. I was touched with his simplicity when he, along with students, used to clean out the weed in the school garden,” Bishop Dabre told Sakal Times.  

Describing Cardinal Pimenta as a real pastor who cared for his flock, Emeritus Bishop Valerian D'Souza said that he had personally known the Pimenta for the past few decades. “I was touched by his integrity, honest and forthrightness,” Bishop D'Souza said.

“One of the major steps taken by the Pimenta as bishop and later as archbishop was to insist on establishing only Marathi medium schools in Mumbai archdiocese in order to preserve Maharashtrian culture,” the emeritus bishop said.

Simon Pimenta, born at Marol, Andheri in Mumbai in  1920 was head of the Mumbai archdiocese from 1978 to 1996 He was also president of the Catholic Bishop Conference of India for three consecutive terms. 

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Comment

Errol - Tuesday, 23 July 2013 - 05:13 PM IST

Eternal rest grant unto Rev Cardinal Pimenta, oh Lord and may perpetual life shine on him, may his soul rest in peace Amen

JOE KASBE - Monday, 22 July 2013 - 08:50 PM IST

I had got a chance to met him twice & I have known him very kind-hearted and loving personality.He had the quality of attracting people towards him, and always had secular thinking and this kind of person has not been or will never be in future.May god bless him and may his soul rest in peace. PRESIDENT CATHOLIC ASSOCIATION OF PUNE (Vadgaonsheri) JOE KASBE

PCNTDA Traffic Park sees huge rush, helps people understand rules better

Traffic Park sees huge rush, helps people understand rules better
- CAMIL PARKHE Sakal Times Saturday, 8 June 2013 - 12:19 PM IST
Tags: traffic park, PCNTDA, Moshi, Pimpri, Camil Parkhe

PIMPRI: The state-of-the-art Traffic Park in Pimpri Chinchwad New Township Development Authority (PCNTDA) is receiving good response since its inauguration in February this year.

This unique park is the first of its kind venture in Maharashtra dealing with scientific training about vehicle driving and efficient vehicles maintenance.

Developed on a seven acre plot on Spine Road in Moshi at a cost of Rs 7 crore, the traffic park was inaugurated by Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan.

The park has artificially created road traffic situation including speedbrakers, curves, a subway and also a kuttcha road to make the learners use various gears and control speed limits to drive their vehicles efficiently.

The other attractions at the Park include a landscaped garden, a cafeteria and also an amphitheatre.

The management of the Park has been entrusted to Maruti car dealer, Mahalaxmi Automotives, on a three-year contract. The private agency uses the park to conduct theory and practical training sessions for those interested in securing four-wheeler driving licences.

PCNTDA's Chief Executive Officer Yogesh Mhase told Sakal Times the Traffic Park teaches various driving skills under one roof and is a unique project in the State.

Pimpri Chinchwad's Deputy Regional Transport Officer, Jitendra Patil, said that the traffic park offers best facilities to learn quality and efficient driving, which is imperative for safe road transport. The facilities provided are highly appreciated by those participating in it, he said.

“Such training is needed to be given in all the cities to ensure road traffic safety and awareness of traffic rules,” he said.

SMALL WINDOW

Pimpri Chinchwad's Deputy Regional Transport Office uses the traffic park daily from 11 am to 2 pm to conduct tests for issuing licences for two-wheeler and four-wheeler driving.

Pimpri Chinchwad's Science Centre

91,000 people visit PCMC Science Centre in five months
- CAMIL PARKHE Sakal Times Tuesday, 9 July 2013 - 05:23 PM IST
Tags: PCMC, Science centre, children, education, Pimpri, Camil Parkhe http://www.sakaaltimes.com/NewsDetails.aspx?NewsId=5124568466014487464&SectionId=5171561142064258099SectionName=Pune&NewsTitle=91,000%20people%20visit%20PCMC%20Science%20Centre%20in%20five%20months

PIMPRI: Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporations's (PCMC) Science Centre has received an overwhelming response and a total of 91,000 children and adults have visited the Centre since it was inaugurated five months ago.

It has fetched the civic body a revenue of Rs 43.18 lakh.

The Science Centre, with an aim to provide knowledge with fun, has an automobile gallery and a planetarium as its major attractions. The Centre, established on a seven acres of land, had witnessed heavy rush during the recently concluded summer vacation. During the day-long visit, the students are taken to various sections of the Science Centre and are guided by the education officers on various exhibits and scientific equipments.

Now the civic body's education department has arranged daily visits for students of the PCMC-run secondary schools to the Science Centre.

A batch of 250 students accompanied by their teachers will visit the Science Centre from Tuesday to Friday every week till September 19.

The Centre's Education Officer, Saudagar Shinde, said that it is one of the 42 regional science centres established by the National Council of Science Museums of the Union Culture Ministry in the country.

"It takes about four to five hours for an individual to visit all sections and exhibits,” he said, adding that the Centre receives highest number of visitors on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. The Centre is closed on Monday.

AT THE CENTRE

The Science Centre has automobile, energy and fun science galleries, an exhibition hall, an inflatable dome planetarium, a library, an auditorium and 270 exhibits. The entry fee for adults is Rs 50 and for children is Rs 30. Students coming in groups have to pay Rs 20 per head. On an average, 800 people have been visiting the centre daily.

St Anthony’s Shrine in Pune Camp is 75 yrs old

St Anthony’s Shrine in Pune Camp is 75 yrs old
- CAMIL PARKHE Thursday, 6 June 2013 - 11:57 PM IST Sakal times, Pune
Tags: St Anthony’s Shrine in Pune

Pune: Established by a devout couple as a private place of worship, St Anthony's Shrine in Pune Camp has completed 75 years.
The diamond jubilee celebrations of the shrine, now elevated as a Pune diocesan shrine,  will conclude with a mass to be celebrated by Bishop Thomas Dabre on St Anthony's feast on June 13.

St Anthony's chapel was elevated to the status of diocesan shrine by Bishop Dabre in November 2011. It is the only recognised shrine in Pune Catholic diocese.

The shrine's director Fr Anthony Paul told Sakal Times said that a place of worship is accorded the status of a shrine after taking into account the devotion of the faithful and the charitable activities undertaken at the religious place.

The shrine located on St Vincent Street was built by Henry Williams and his wife Constance at their bungalow in 1938. Williams, an accounts officer in the controllerate of defence accounts, had found a statue of St Anthony of Padua while digging for the construction of his bungalow. The couple built a shrine in honour of St Anthony and the devotion to the saint. Prior to her death, Constance had handed over the shrine to Pune diocese.

The  number of faithfuls visiting the shrine is highest on Tuesday, the day of the saint. The shrine volunteers also distribute weekly rations and clothes to 70 adopted families on this day.

Pune Diocese has now undertaken construction of a spacious shrine at the site. 

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Pune churches to join June 2 prayers to set world record

Pune churches to join June 2 prayers to set world record
- CAMIL PARKHE Saturday, 1 June 2013 - 11:09 AM IST Sakal Times, Pune
Tags: prayer, Bishop, catholics, christian community, Corpus Christi, world record, Pune Camil Parkhe

PUNE: Bishop Thomas Dabre will lead Catholics in Pune diocese in prayers on the feast of Corpus Christi on June 2, as a part of the simultaneous global prayers to be presided over by Pope Francis at the Vatican. The feat is likely to create a world record.

Parishes in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, along with parishes all over the world, are slated to simultaneously hold prayers on that day.

Pope Francis will lead the prayers to mark the feast of the body and blood of Christ at St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican on Sunday evening. In India, churches have been asked to join the prayers on Sunday at 8.30 pm to coincide with the Roman clock (5 pm local time).

Bishop Dabre will celebrate a mass at St Xavier's Church in Pune Camp on June 2 at 5.30 pm, followed by an adoration service at St Anthony's Shrine.

Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) president, Mumbai's Cardinal Oswald Gracias has appealed to Catholics in the country to join in the prayers. The global prayer is also being held to celebrate the ongoing Year of Faith and the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council which introduced many reforms in the 2000 year-old church.

The Feast of the Corpus Christi is observed to commemorate Jesus Christ's suffering with bread and wine that symbolise his body and blood.

Apostolic Nuncio, 12 bishops to attend Pune meet

Papal delegate, 12 bishops to attend city meet CAMIL PARKHE Wednesday, August 29, 2012 AT 11:59 AM (IST) Tags: church,   catholic church,   bishops,   conference,   FABC,   christian community,   Pune,   Camil Parkhe To participate in 'Asian conference of new evangelisation' PUNE: In what could be a rare occasion, Apostolic Nuncio Cardinal Salvatore Pennacchio, the highest ranking official of the Catholic Church in India, and 12 bishops of various dioceses in the country and Asia, will be in the city next week to attend a conference. The senior members of the church hierarchy will participate in a three-day 'Asian conference of new evangelisation' at the Ishwani Kendra in Vadgaonsheri from September 4 to 6. The apostolic nuncio is also the ex-officio Vatican's ambassador to India. Mumbai Cardinal Oswald Gracias, secretary general of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conference (FABC) and president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India, FABC chairman Thomas Menamparampil and Pune Bishop Thomas Dabre will speak at the inaugural ceremony of the conference on Tuesday morning. The Pune meet is being conducted as an Asian and Indian contribution to the Synod of Bishops which is scheduled to be held in Rome from October 7 to 28, this year. The theme of the synod is 'The new evangelisation for the transmission of the Christian faith.' The other senior church officials attending the city meet are Cardinal George Alencherry, major archbishop of the of Syro-Malabar Church, Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Thottumkal, major archbishop of Catholicos, Syro-Malankara Church, Nagpur archbishop Abraham Viruthakulangara, Delhi archbishop Vincent Concessao, Varanasi bishop Raphy Manjaly, Bishop Jacob Mar Barnabas, Manila auxiliary bishop Broderick Pabillo. Priests and nuns of various congregations as well as members of the laity will also attend the three-day meet, Fr Joy Thomas, Director of the Ishwani Kendra, has said. The papal delegate will also concelebrate a mass along with the visiting cardinals, archbishops and bishops at St Patrick's Cathedral at 12 noon on September 4. Join Sakal Times on Facebook: www.facebook.com/SakaalTimes

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Comments On 29/08/2012 05:21 PM diago almeida said: Hi Camil It is encourging to see you write in your papers about the imp. events about the Christians and Catholics , I am one of the laity from Pune who will be attending the meet. On 29/08/2012 05:09 PM Fr.Joe Gaikwad,s.j. said: Thanks for the information regarding the conference.