SANTVANA - A Community of disciples

To “make disciples of all nations”

The Beginning

In 1989 while Fr.Dheeraj Sabu IMS. was serving in the I.M.S. Retreat Center

in Alleppey, Kerala, he received a mandate from

the Lord to go to north India to preach the Gospel and to prepare the laity for

evangelization.

The Beginning

Initially he began a ministry known as

‘Suvishesha Kahalam’(Trumpet of Good News),

aimed at motivating Christians for evangelisation

The Beginning

Then in 1992 in collaboration with Jesus Youth, he

organised mission expossure programs in North India for a

group of young men. The ministry now came to be known as ‘Preshit 2000’.

The Beginning

In December 1994 with a group of young people who

joined him, the team pitched its tent in Varanasi. Since then

the team was called “Santvana” and gradually the

team developed into a lay missionary community.

The Beginning

Three major factors that contributed to the formation of Santvana Community

1.Catholic Charismatic Renewal in India

2. The Call of Pope John Paul II for a new evangelization

3. The Charism of The Indian Missionary Society.

The Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services has contributed much to the formation of this Community.

Most of its members and supporters are from the Charismatic background and from Jesus Youth, a Charismatic Missionary Youth Movement.

Catholic Charismatic Renewal in India

The Call of Pope John Paul II for a new evangelization

“Look to the future with commitment for a

new evangelization, one that is

new in its fervour, new in its methods

and new in its expressions”

(Pope John Paul II)

The Constitution of IMS upholds that “ Sharing in the mission of the

church, this Society has pioneering evangelization as its specific aim and

the reason for its existence.”

The Santvana Community has drawn inspiration from the

constitution of the IMS.

The Charism of The Indian Missionary Society

The Constitution of IMS enjoins to involve the laity as collaborators in the apostolate.

“Art.18. Moreover, we instill in this community an awareness of its missionary responsibility towards the whole Church so that one day it will be ready in its turn to pass on the message of salvation which it has received from others.”

“Art. 19. Conscious of the role and potentiality of the laity in the building up of the Christian community we shall endeavor to involve them as our collaborators in the apostolate…”

Canonical Approval

On 7th July 2003 the community receives canonical

approval As an Association of the Faithful from

Vincent. M. Concessao, Archbishop of Delhi.

The Sanskrit word

‘Santvana’ means consolation. Our

loving Father’s most beautiful gift through which He consoles the humanity

(gives santvana), is the salvation through Jesus

Christ. Through the prophet Isaiah God says, Console, console my people..” (Is

40,1) Hence we seek to bring this Good News of

salvation to every strata of humanity.

A disciple of Christ is one who has heard the master’s call (Mt 9,9)

and have responded to it by following him. “Being a disciple means a sharing in a

fundamental experience made and communicated by the Master.

DISCIPLES

It means being caught up in the vision of the Master, being on fire with the fire of the Master”

Disciples are expected to become like the Master, to represent Him in the world today and to

“make disciples of all nations” Mt.28, 19

DISCIPLES

Being a community of love and bringing out the beauty of brothers and sisters living together in

harmony is itself a mission and a challenge.

COMMUNITYCOMMUNITY

For the members of Santvana, the community is the nursery of love where the members learn the alphabets of love and learn to walk in the path of love, “PREM MARG”.A community of disciples who live in love is the sign of the kingdom of God, a sign by which the world will recognize the disciples.

THE NATURE OF THE COMMUNITYThe Santvana Community of Disciples, is an association of faithful consisting of both

married couples with their children and single women (lay missionary sisters), single men

(lay missionary brothers) and priests consecrated to the Divine Master as disciples.

Members of the community commit themselves to lead a common life, in a spirit of simplicity, sharing of the material goods with a

common vision, work together to build the kingdom of God.

“Santvana is a Community of disciples committed to strive together to follow the

Lord in the PATH OF LOVE, with a mission to be incarnated in the culture of the people, to build the kingdom of God through PRAYER

and PROCLAMATION of the Word.”

The Vision statement

POSSIBILITIES OF BEING PART OF SANTVANA

1. Life time members form the core community consisting of those who dedicate their entire life for fulltime ministry by living in the community.

2. Associate members are those who stay in their own homes and offer part time service and support to the Community’s ministries.

3. Mission partners are those who have made a formal commitment to support the Community regularly through their prayers and love-offerings.

MINISTRIES OF THE COMMUNITY

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

Prayer of intercession, 

Catholic Enquiry Centers

School of evangelisation

or Kerygma course

Pro-Life Ministries

Counselling Services

Retreats and conventions

Life Orientation programmes

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament 

By organising Perpetual Adoration the Community

makes the healing and consoling presence of the Lord available to people.  

Prayer of Intercession 

Prayer can change the flow of events, and often it is the only means that can bring this about. Considering the power of intercession the community engages itself in fervent intercession in order to bring divine consolation and blessings for the church and for the entire world.

Catholic Enquiry Centers

One of the specific apostolate directed to leading people to Christ is

Catholic Enquiry Center. It is a ministry of seeking the seekers.

Santvana has a special commitment towards the apostolate of CEC. We

are trying to form more animators for this ministry.

School of evangelisation(Kerygma course)

It is a ministry of high priority for the community.

Objective

To equip the faithful for evangelisation

Pro-Life Ministries

Prolife activities and awareness building

especially against the evil of female foeticide

is a major concern, along with programs with an emphasis on

woman and child health.

Counselling ServicesOur counselling services are extended to those who find life

burdensome and see no meaning in it, to those who are bogged down by guilt and other negative emotions, those having problems in their

social life, personal life and the like. Most of those whom we serve through counselling are teenagers, youth and couples. 

Retreats and conventions

Retreats and convention are a means by which we build up the faith of the believers and bring divine consolation and healing to the people of God. Intercession retreats, Marrage encounter retreats,Discipleship formation programs, Leadership formation programs etc. are our special focus.

 

Land MarksInitial inspiration

– 1989First Mission exposure

– 1992First Center, Varanasi

– 1994Branched out in Agra

– 1997Branched out in New Delhi

– 2001Canonical Approval

-2003Prayer house at Burari

– 2004

Commitment of the 1st batch – 2004

Commitment of the 2nd batch – 2006

Branched out to Ranchi – 2006

Purchased land for the main house– 2007

Commitment of the 3rd batch – 2008

Prayer house at Kottayam, Kerala – 2008

Construction started for main house -2008

Land Marks

WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE WITH COMMITMENT

To promote a Catholic way of presentation of the Gospel, bold

yet non-threatening, presentation of the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit, with cultural relevance

and sensitivity to people of traditional local cultures as well as

to the post-post-modern global culture.

To build up a group to study and analize the post modern global culture inorder to explore the possibilities of meaningful presentation of the Gospel.

To form Commited group of Christian journalists for evangelisation through mass media.

WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE…

Building up of many Adoration and intercession centers so that evangelisation might become effective by the grace of God.

To revive in every Christian believer the burning conviction of Paul, who cried out: "Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel"

WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE…

To work in collaboration with every groups that are working for the common goal presentation of the Gospel of salvation.To support and compliment every effort to build the Kingdom of God.

WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE…

And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the

harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”(Luke 10:2)

OUR PRAYER:

THY KINGDOM COME