A visit to Fathimapura

Life goes on and on... Its going to be two years as priest. To be exact I will be completing two years as a priest on 21st April 2018. Still few months to go. I'm reminded of my ordination today because my junior companion Friar Santhosh was ordained today(18th January 2018) at Fathimapura Church, Sakleshpura. I attended the ceremony. On 14th of January it was the ordination of Friar Kiran Monis. It was held in Gardady Parish and i  attended this event too.
This morning we started our journey at 5.30am and reached the Fathimapura church by 9.30am. The journey by our TUV vehicle was wonderful. Fr Salvadore drew the vehicle, Fr Melwyn, Fr Manohar and Fr Maxim gave a good company. 

The best part of the Eucharist was the Sermon by Bishop T. Anthony Swami, the Bishop of Chikmagalur Diocese. He shared the significance of a priest in the life of the faithful and the world at large.  The authority granted to a priest to forgive the sinners and administer the sacred sacraments is a blessing that the Lord will never take back. Listening to his sermon I thanked my Lord of this wonderful gift of Priesthood. The choir was wonderful. The offertory hymn made me emotional.
After the ordination ceremony I met good many children. I shared with them the vocation calendars and cards. I also met many friars who came from different communities. I returned home with a sense of joy and happiness.

I wish both Fr Santhosh and Fr Kiran a wonderful life as priests in the holy Catholic Church and joyful Friars in the Capuchin Order.

Here below are a few photos clicked randomly on my phone.

On the way to Fathimapura in a coffie canteen we met the Friars of Dayalbagh Ashram

The altar boys and girls.

Fr Charles 

Fr Dolphy Pais, the provincial with Bishop 

T Anthony Swami.

Bishop with the New Priests Fr Santhosh and Kiran

With Fr Charles

With Fr Royston and JB Gonzalves. 

Teachers are special...

Indeed teachers are a special creation of God. Mother or a parent is the first teacher on earth they say. On the course of life's journey, we come across a number of teachers who add wealth and richness to our lives. We don't choose teachers rather we are destined with the gift of teachers.

Today I gratefully remember and thank God for the gift of teachers in my life. They are numerous. Yet, without naming them I bow my head and with utmost respect pray for them.

God bless you, my teachers for your selfless service to the humanity.

Yours is a Vocation and not just a profession. God be praised through you!

Simplicity is his attitude...

Recently I visited my friend priest Fr Santhosh, the Parish Priest of Ranipura Church, Mangalore. I first met him years back during my Vocation ministry at St Rita's Church, Panja - Sulya Taluk.

Along with Bootry

He is Chickoo

With Fr Santhosh

This mother cat was brought from my parental house.

He is a gentle man. He has such a generous heart that he accepts and loves everyone who comes on his way. One common thing between us is that we both are animal lovers. 'My precious possessions are the pet animals', he says. 

If you ever visit him you are sure to find dogs, cats, birds, and plenty of flower pots around him. The love of creatures makes him more approachable and simple. 

He has taken up the work of building the presbytery of his parish.  I wish him all the best in his priestly parish ministry. 

Namma Bengaluru

The Karnataka Regional Vocation Promoters conference was held at Bengaluru Arch Bishop's house on 27, July 2017. Since I was the part of the commission I had to attended it. I reached Kengeri, Deena Seva Ashram (Dharshan Theological College) in the morning. Along with Fr Prakash Colaco, I traveled later to Bishop's house and reached in time for the conference.  Meeting the friars and brothers was indeed a nice experience. It was a beautiful opportunity to recall few of the memories. Deena Seva Ashram was the place where I spent 4 precious years of Theological studies. 

Here below are few moments captured through my phone

Our pet Mr. Boby.

During my stay at DSA, I was the dog master and I had the opportunity to feed and take care of him. Yes! He was still remembering my voice and this is how he posed for a Photo.

Fr Prakash Colaco and Me

Fr Richard Britto, the secretary of this KRVP commission

Arch Bishop Bernard Moras, Arch Diocease of Bengaluru.

He enlightened all the aurdiance with his insight full thoughts on Vocation Promotion in today's context.

Panel discussion with Fr Rayappan, the speaker of the day.

While returning from the Bishop's House to Kengeri I traveled for the first time by the Namma Metro Train. It was a wonderful day. I met many Sisters and Priests who shared some of their experiences. 

A beautiful Journey!

In the Acts of the Apostles, 4:20 there is an expression, ‘As for us, we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard’. Here I come up with my own expression saying, ‘I cannot but stop sharing something about this great human being Rev Fr Joel Pinto’. He was a Capuchin religious priest loved and revered by many from the beginning of his priestly ministry. Just like some of you I too have had the opportunity to live around him for four years during my theological studies at Deena Seva Ashram, Bangalore.

According to the norms of seminary, every seminarian has to have a spiritual guide who keeps a track of the spiritual journey and motivates that candidate to reach the final stage of the priestly formation.

Soon after our arrival to the theologate, we were advised by the Rector to approach any senior priest and have him as our spiritual guide. Fr Joel, a white-bearded smiling priest was the choice of many. He was sick. The primary reason of his being here was to take rest. But his zeal to work in spite of the ill health was what drawing the young seminarian towards him. A few days later I approached this white bearded red skinned handsome 73-year-old priest and expressed my desire to be his spiritual son. He, with his signature smile, accepted and agreed to be my spiritual master who would guide and lead me to the Lord. I met him regularly (every month) and gained insights and sparks for my religious life. Our spiritual bond lasted for 4 short years.

I have not known his family or his achievements nor have I known his past. But living in the Capuchin Order for the last 15 years I have come across those people who have shared the beautiful heart warming stories about his life and mission. His enthusiasm and zeal to live life to the full were always highlighted. He was a gifted man. He showcased his talents not just to gain the fame and name rather bring people to one fold, ‘the love of God’. His early years of priesthood were spent among the young students in the school of Goa. There he was a strict disciplinary teacher as well as a caring father. Later on, he took up the social work ministry and thrived both in Karnataka and Uganda, Africa. He worked towards giving dignity and status to the poor children, women, and families.

I can still feel the echoes in my ears when I remember few of his admonitions and words of guidance during the spiritual guidance meeting. ‘Jawahar, you know the purpose of our meeting here today?’, he would ask in a mellow voice as I enter his room. ‘Yes father’, would be my readymade reply. He would welcome me with his reddish smile invoking the Holy Spirit. This smile was genuine, the outpouring of spiritual energy. In spite of his illness, he would talk of the spiritual realities and their influence on my priestly life. He was truly a suffering servant, who even though in his pain had time for me and many seminarians like me.

‘When you enter the holy church or chapel there is Lord waiting for you, the angels are surrounding the Blessed Sacrament. Honour them. Revere the Lord. Enjoy the presence of the Lord. Talk to him like a friend. Share all your pains, sorrows and worries. This is enough,’ these were his simple words that motivated us to Love the Lord and enjoy his presence.

Today I thank God for this holy priest in my life. Indeed he has touched me. During the moments of crisis, he stood beside me as a strong spiritual pillar. His words, though feeble in nature have ignited sparks and enlightened my journey towards priesthood.

He has played a greater role in my life. He has contributed a greater share in forming my attitudes and behaviors. His journey of Life was beautiful!

May you Rest in Peace Dear Fr Joel, The Teacher.

let peace reign and rain everywhere...

She is Sunshine..!

 

‘Just living is not enough; one must have sunshine and freedom’.

These meaningful words of a Danish author H. Christian Andersen came to my mind when I met a dynamic woman in her early eighties who visits the sick in the hospitals of Mangaluru consoling and instilling hope in their broken lives. This morning I had the privilege to accompany her in her mission of visiting victims of Cancer in the Indiana Hospital of Mangaluru.

She was here in our Friary parlor asking for a priest who could administer the holy communion to one of the cancer patients at the hospital. I agreed to her request and prepared myself and traveled with her in the auto rickshaw to the hospital. While on the way to the hospital we only introduced ourselves, our work and ministry.

She’s Mrs. Tilly Peris, a resident of Nazareth Niwas, Bondel Parish who spends her time and energy driving away the shadows of sadness and instilling light and hope in the lives of sick, hopeless and lonely people. What surprised me was her energy, the confidence and faith in the Lord in spite of her own ill physical health.

It was a wonderful experience to see the smiling faces of people when she entered the wards and rooms. One of the patients even exclaimed with happiness, ‘our Sunshine is here!’ I was so glad to be there in the hospital and spread the positive energy along with Mrs. Tilly.

On our way back she shared quite a few concerns she has for the rich (materially) yet poor people who live a lonely life in Mangalore city. There are many elderly people in the city whose children live in far away foreign countries suffer from this sickness of loneliness. Mrs. Tilly, a widow who doesn’t have her own children is a proud mother of hundreds of lonely people. She says, ‘I never go to the parties and functions. People who invite me do so because of the formalities and they never miss me. I love visiting my poor lonely friends because they miss me’.

Though I met Mrs. Tilly only for an hour I’m filled and energized with her confidence and a strong will to visit and console the sick. She is really participating in  Christ’s mission of visiting and healing the sick. If I get a chance to meet and spend more time with her again I shall surely do so and share more details about her.

Eleanor Roosevelt the wife of the 32nd President of the United States of America  Franklin Roosevelt often said, 

It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness. 
Indeed Mrs. Tilly is a hope and light for many lives. May we learn from her. God bless and long live Mrs. Tilly.