Tuesday, May 1, 2018

26 Years of Priest in the Capuchin Order!!!!!!!!

This morning I celebrated the Eucharist with gratitude to the Lord for granting me 26 years of Priesthood in His vineyard. I am looking back exactly to that day, date and year when 8 of us were Ordained by Bishop Thomas Dabre of Poona. I recalled to mind the 8 days of preparations and practicing under the able guidance of Bishop Edwin Colaco, then parish priest of Holy Spirit Church Nandhakhal, they were the days of intense preparations but excitement and expectation was in the air. The summer of 2nd May, 1992 was like the summer of today, it was pleasant weather, family and relations all excited and the village preparing for a big celebration for their first son getting ordained, the environment and weather of that summer really cannot be forgotten. 8 of us processing to an open air altar along with 150 priests and religious and three bishop, filled my heart and mind with the love of Jesus. I knew that I was going to commit myself totally to Him. We were excited and awaiting for the moment of Ordination, the choir singing all known hymns so the congregation around 10,000 of them singing along, the whole area filled with sweet voices praising and thanking the Lord for us.

 My first year as a priest in the Mission of Ambajoagai, Maharashtra....Br. Leo D'monte was my post novice....I Baptized a child who is now married .....


 The celebrations that followed were too many but I had to participate, Eucharistic celebration in different parishes and friaries was a privilege and challenge for a young newly ordained priests. Everyone waiting to hear a good homily and sung mass and I met around 85% of their expectations. Though trembling in fear and nervousness I celebrated and preached in various places. Slowly mustered courage and constant surfing in the newly purchased books on homilies helped me a lot. Day by bay it became clear that people are hungry for word of God and good homilies connected to their situations. I had some priests in mind who were good preachers and initially I imitated them blindly but later realized that each one has his own style to deliver sermons. 
The first appointment after the honeymoon period actually put me in the real field of Christ. Far away from home and city, a mission place in state of Maharashtra, challenges were plenty for which in formation house nothing was spoken, open in the field with God’s love in the heart I began my ministry among the non-Christians and only 15 Catholic families. Step by step over came the hurdles and difficulties. The house in which I lived was not a real house but it a temporary make shift house with a tin sheet roof. In summer the heat was unbearable, in winter the nights were severe and in monsoon the water poured on the bed making sleepless nights order of the day. Rats and snakes were constant companions in and around the house, little ants were part of day today existence, no electricity made evenings more romantic and pleasant. Toilet was not close by but a walk of 5 minutes would bring me to it. During the day it was a big test of self-control, as we could not walk down to the toilet as the curious neighbors would wait to watch the Capuchin monks. A lot of challenges and difficulties 2 years went by happily serving the Lord in mission stations and in the small school that we ran for the poor people of the locality. Two years of pastoral work and school ministry laid solid foundation for my priesthood, there were moments where I had make decisions all alone, travel for about 60km to celebrate Eucharist for 6 families every Sunday really strengthened my faith in God and Eucharist. The longing of these families for the Eucharist further made me love Eucharist more.
From Mission to formation house to be a formator…. different challenges….i accepted to be of use to the young brothers…..all what I had studied and learnt in the formation came handy in formation house….but two years were of different experience which have impressed me much….the household works, shopping for the house….going round for preaching and assisting the Charismatic group made my priesthood stronger and deeper. And the call came to fly to Rome for higher studies in Franciscan spirituality…had a second thought but the encouragement form the provincial and the spiritual director landed in me in Rome…beautiful experiences…. encounter with many international Capuchin friars gave me picture of the Internationality of the Capuchin Order….

No comments: