Media Release
Mangaluru, Oct 5: A symposium on administration of one week duration was organised at Ryshivana. The inaugural function was held on October 5 at 9 am.
Fr Dominic Vas, OCD, the director of Ryshivana welcomed the gathering. In his welcome address he said, "We are holding symposium in Ryshivana. Ryshi acronym stands for R= Religion; S= spirituality; H = health; I= integration. All these four dimensions are beautifully blended in Ryshivana."
Further, he said, "In the symposium we will be learning how to manage the resources with responsibility, how to balance accountability with compassion, how to remain spiritually grounded while carrying administrative responsibilities, and how to handle conflicts and take different decisions."
The chief guest of the function was Dr Laveena Noronha, founder, Ave Maria palliative care centre, Vamanjoor. In her address regarding the appraisal of Ryshivana she recounted her many years of teaching in the spirituality centres of Karnataka-Goa province especially at Ryshivana. It is a place of sceneric beauty which leads a person to inner silence. She also recounted her long association with the Carmelite fathers from the days of their spiritual help to the patients of palliative care especially during the time of their death.
The guest of honour of the function was Yogacharya V L Rego. Before honouring him a short glimpse of his life was read by Fr Dominic Vas. V L Rego is the founder and president of Integral Yoga Satsanga, Managaluru. He is widely known as the Yogacharya and a pioneer in the promotion of teaching of yoga in coastal Karnataka. He has conducted more than 500 yoga camps in India and abroad. He is associated with the publication “To Christ through yoga - integral yoga”.
V L Rego is the first founder of Ryshivana as he is the one who bought this piece of property, and later handled it over to the Carmelites who continue this holistic formation and mission through yoga, retreats, symposium, seminars etc. For his great services V L Rego was honoured with a shawl, memento and a sapling.
The inaugural function was presided over by Allen C A Periera, former chairman and MD of the Bank of Maharastra, in Solutaire Global Limited Mumbai. In his presidential address he began by quoting English poet John Donne who said “No man is an island. Hence, as we are the social beings leadership and good administration are necessary factors for our functioning."
He listed 4 pillars of non-profit organisation. Firstly, organisation should be efficient, but among them there should not be competition, but collaboration. Secondly, there should be transparency which brings in trust. Thirdly, administration should be sensitive and graceful. Fourthly, it should be affordable, but not free.
"In any organisation if the overhead tank has clean water, then all the ground tanks also will have clean water; likewise if the leaders are efficient, trustworthy, sensitive and compassionate then all the members also will imbibe the same qualities," he said.
Fr Archiebald Gonsalves, OCD, the programme coordinator, compered the whole programme and gave a bird’s eye view of the whole symposium which will deal with both the canonical and legal perspective of administration.
The administration of finances, accountability, FCRA regulations, properties and assets, societies and trusts, and the new labour laws will be dealt with by well-known Mangaluru-based chartered accountant Sunil Gonsalves. Other topics, including the need for a PRO, construction works and social apostolate in religious institutions, the use of AI in administration, and empowering religious men and women in administration, will be addressed by eminent personalities.
On the final day former MLA J R Lobo will talk on “Administrative challenges faced by Christian leadership” and will award the certificates to the participants.
Thus the inaugural function concluded with a hymn around 10.45 am.