Oblates of Shantivanam

BECOME A FRIEND OF SHANTIVANAM ASHRAM AND SUPPORT OUR MISSION

                The community at Shantivanam would like to invite you to become a friend of the ashram. This is a friendship that will be cultivated around the spiritual vision and mission of the ashram with benefits extending to the many poor and needy associated with us directly or indirectly, whether working with us or simply because of living in the extended vicinity of our neighborhood. For our ashram’s mission is simultaneously spiritual and social, encompassing 100% love of God and 100% love of neighbor.    

                In addition to a deep contemplative life that we live daily ourselves, we are committed to providing a conducive atmosphere for anyone who wishes to deepen their spiritual journey, and, quite importantly, we are engaged in inter-religious dialog, a vocation that we inherited from our founders Jules Monchanin and Henri Le Saux and Bede Griffiths. And we, like them, are inspired by Jesus himself, who said, “Blessed are the peace makers for they shall be called the children of God”. Our world, as you know, is in conflict largely because of the lack of understanding and harmony between religions. Together, we can make a difference in our world today!

                St. Paul said: “Christ came to proclaim peace. He himself is our peace.” In his time, Jesus did this by breaking down the walls of division between Jews and Gentiles. In our time, this playing field is much larger and more complicated. It is, however, our mission to foster harmony and understanding between religions. We, at Shantivanam, have been quietly and consistently engaged in inter-faith work from the very beginning of the inter-religious movement, and have contributed immensely to its development both here in India as well as throughout the world without much fanfare. We now need your support and friendship to continue this mission. Take a moment to consider the missions focused on by our founders:

                Jules Monchanin’s mission was that the ashram be “fully Christian and fully Indian”. Since we cannot separate the spirituality from the culture of India, we are both Christian and Hindu in the deepest sense. This is no simple witness, but one that challenges us every day. Swami Abhishikthananda focused on us bearing witness to the “The Hindu -Christian Meeting Point”. This entails living the mystical depth of two traditions simultaneously. And our dear Fr. Bede Griffiths not only wrote extensively on “The Marriage of East and West”, he exemplified this harmony in every facet of his life urging us to follow suit.

                Ours is a tall order following in the footsteps of three powerful founders. Additionally, we are grounded in the inspiration of the Gospel as well as the vision of the Upanishads. Our founders worked tirelessly to build bridges among the great world religions and we feel compelled to continue this mission. They were peace makers through which they became children of God, consciously. Their lives inspire us to pursue the path of peace makers and to consciously become children of God, too.

                We want to invite you to join us in this mission, to be peacemakers in the world, fostering better understanding among the world’s religions while living out of our own mystical depth and peace.

                However, we have always balanced our spiritual mission with a strong social dimension. We have never spoken publically of the many projects and people we have been supporting and continue to support over many, many decades. We support children, the elderly and infirm, labourers in debt, girls needing marriage, families needing homes. Over 500 homes have been built to date on the average of about 25 a year. We support thousands of children in the villages nearby with books and supplementary items so that they can study better. There are so many cases when people need medical help or help of one kind or another. We are always there for them. And we want to continue this in addition to sustaining our ashram. Our own needs are very simple but we are always seeking to try and improve the living conditions for guests who visit here, guests just like yourself. With this in mind, please consider the following request:

                We are asking you to make a commitment unit of 30 Euros or US$40 or 25 Pounds a year (2.5 Euros,$3.5 a month and 2 pounds a month)!

                Imagine your annual 30 Euros or US$40 or 25 Pounds a year supporting everything we’ve stated: our inter-religious mission, thousands of children, the infirm and elderly, building houses in the villages, and so much more!

                The reason we solicit your friendship and support is because the cost of living here in India is escalating with inflation. The ashram’s budget for all its needs are about 30,000 Euros, US$40,000 25,000 Pounds a year which we can easily achieve with the support of 1000 friends such as yourself. This will give us the stability to focus on our mission 100% and you can be a vital part of it!

We have factored one unit of contribution as 30 Euros or $40 or 25 Pounds as the basic commitment. If someone likes to contribute more than one unit, it would be deeply appreciated.

2 Units is 60 Euros, or US$80 or 50 Pounds  per year.

10 Units is 300 Euros or US$ 400 or 250 Pounds per year

20 Units is 600 Euros or US$800 or 500 Pounds per year

50 Units is 1500 Euros or US$2000 or 1250 Pounds per year.

                Your commitment can be fulfilled at any time during the year, or distributed over the course of a year, or any time you feel inclined to do so.

                It is best to wire transfer money into our account or send us a check in the mail. Wire transfers are preferred as it is the safest and fastest and easiest method for us.  Checks take long to clear or get lost in the mail.

IMPORTANT: When you make a wire transfer, please remember to send an e-mail to Fr. Dorathick at dorathick@yahoo.co.in informing him of the amount that you have wire transferred and the date that you have effected the transfer. Please copy in shantivanam3@gmail.com

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