Dear friends, I sincerely congratulate the staff and students of St. Albert’s College Ranchi (SAC) for their constant and unequivocal contribution to the overall growth of SAC through the academic year 2022-2023. As I complete my term as the President of SAC, I feel honoured and privileged to be part of this eminent cradle of priestly and religious formation. The past six years proved to be a learning period, which offered me a number of opportunities to learn and discover. The times are fast changing and so are the roles of the students and teachers. We at SAC focus less on what to study or think; we teach our students how to study or think. Accordingly, the education/ formation at SAC is an amalgam of both excellence and creativity. We help our students to discover and cultivate their God-given talents and skills so that they mature into humble, courageous and effective agents of transformation in the society.

After much thinking and reflection, we chose the annual theme Seeking Communion with the Divine in Nature. There are many ways to enter into communion with the divine and the Albertine family explored into all these ways and means through the academic year 2022-2023. I intend to reflect on one of these, and I believe, the most urgent one, viz. seeking communion with the divine in and through creation. Pope Francis has in Laudato Si' shown us the way forward, i.e. how to love God and neighbor by loving the mother earth our common home.

One of the evils of today is the tendency to accumulate money, property, power and position. The consequences aremarginalization, poverty, injustice and pain. By committing ourselves to the values of justice and equality, we can enter into communion with our neighbour and God. Secondly, setting priorities in life seems too difficult these days. We have plenty of time for Netflix, Instagram, WhatsApp, etc., but not for prayer and scripture reading. The cry of the poor and hungry next door does not move us; but we are easily moved by the political turmoil happening far-off. Third, our wanton abuse of nature has led to frequent floods and wildfires, rapid melting of glaciers, and pollution, which has led to human beings dying very young.

Our arrogant attitude towards non-human creation, manifest in our tendency to exploit animals and natural resources, is the root cause of all these evils. Hence, the kenosis experience (sincere attempt to self-emptying) seems to be the starting point towards restoring the original order intended by God when he created the universe. The entire creation is a sacrament; i.e. sign of God’s love and magnificence. God has set human beings as the gardeners/ protectors of his creation.The present climate crisis is very alarming, andif not addressed immediately, will lead to an early apocalypse. Let us not allow our hope to fade, becauseeverything is still not lost. Life is not about what we could not do so far; life is about what we can still do.We can still change the world, because we can. We can change ourselves in order to change the world.

Let me conclude my message with a few words on the current synodon synodality. The synodal journey has taught me that the Holy Spirit is inviting us to listen to all voices in the world. Synodality calls for fundamental changes to our ways of living and functioning. The synodal path challenges, in a special way, those in power to experience kenosis and enlarge the space of their tent so that the entire people of God, including those in the margins, are able to walk together. May God bless you all.