|
 Two weeks after the terrorist tragedy in Mumbai (Bombay) at the end of November, I left for a month’s visit to our Carmelite Family in India. Fortunately, it was an opportune time for me, since Salpointe Catholic High School, where I assist in campus ministry, had a week of semester exams and a three-week vacation for the Christmas holidays.
My visit could not have been safer, or more rewarding. My deepest impression was one of HOPE— Carmel in India offers wonderful opportunities, and there are many reasons to look to the future with great encouragement and trust. During my stay, I visited 17 different communities, trying to spend about equal time with our priests, brothers, and seminarians, as well as with our sisters and the young women in formation.
Carmelite Priests and Brothers
In India, there are now two provinces -first, that of Saint Thomas, founded by the Upper German Province, and secondly, that of Saint Albert and Saint Therese, composed of 23 former Discalced Carmelites. Very few of the members of either province are over 40 years of age! From the Saint Thomas Province, Fathers Joyson, Abraham, Joseph, and Philip are presently working in our parishes in Mississauga, Canada, while Wilson, Shaji, Jacob and Albert have lived at Whitefriars Hall in Washington, DC, over the past few years. From the Saint Albert and Saint Therese Province, Joseph Livera is presently in Washington, and Kuriakose has recently returned to India.
There were many highlights of my time in the two provinces, beginning in Bangalore (which is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka) at our philosophy/theology house, Carmeljyoti, where there are four young priests and eighteen students. From there, during my second day in India, I had a 13-hour car trip to Kosigi, Andra Pradesh, to visit a “mission” parish, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and Mount Carmel School (600 students -probably over 90% are Hindu). After my arrival, there was a full morning of Christmas “presentations,” with much singing and dancing; “Joy to the World” was a frequent and great favorite!
The following day, when I visited all of the classrooms with Father George, the school’s director, I noticed an interesting phenomenon. As I went from lower to higher grades, the number of girls decreased. In the kindergarten, the number of girls and boys was about equal, but in the eighth grade class (which is the beginning of high school in India), there was only one girl! Obviously, the girls are being kept at home for work since the value of education for girls is not greatly appreciated.
 My participation in the parish Mass that evening was truly awesome -the church filled to overflowing, complete with fireworks and processions, and some wonderful singing and dancing. I later had a meal in the convent of the three Sisters who work in the parish, and it was most rewarding to see a beautiful plaque in my name at the entrance, expressing gratitude for a grant that I arranged from the Koch Foundation to build the convent.
A fascinating place that I visited was Carmelbhavan in Karukutty, Kerala, where Father Bosco Njaliath has an impressive ministry, as he directs a lodging place for young men, who were formerly involved in crimes, drugs, and alcohol. They are striving for rehabilitation and re-entrance into society by programs that are similar to those of our AA. Part of the expenses to sustain Bosco’s ministry and to provide for the house is provided by Carmel Solid Bricks, a project that he began because of the need of building material’s in the area. Many of the youth work there as they are recovering.
I attended two ordinations during my visit, and I was a main concelebrant at each of the subsequent First Masses. Even though the ceremonies were in Malayalam and lasted for about three hours, they were wonderful opportunities to meet almost everyone in the province. Many of the priests reminded me of the occasions when I visited and spoke with them at various phases of their seminary training during the five previous trips that I had made to India, beginning in 1986.
My final three days with the priests in Kerala were spent at the minor seminary, Carmelnivas, in Kothamangalam (a mountain town)
where it was a joy to meet with the 25 young students and share with them about our history and spirituality .One regret that I did have, however, was that I did not have enough time to visit all the members and houses of the Saint Albert and Saint Therese Province. I did visit with the Provincial, Father Sedric, on three different occasions and had the chance to see the site where a formation house is being built. We are hoping that the Koch Foundation in the United States, which assists projects for evangelization, will assist them in that endeavor.
Carmelite Sisters
The Carmelite Sisters in India number about eighty .They are a delegation of the Congregation of Sisters, who were once in the kitchens at our seminaries of Hamilton, Niagara, and Washington. No Italian Sisters have been stationed in India, but incredibly these Indian Sisters are today the main strength of the congregation, serving in Italy, Brazil, Canada, United States, Philippines, Indonesia, and of course, India.
 The Sisters could not have been more welcoming and loving—not only because of the delicious food they gave me as a “break” from rice and curry, but also because of the time that I had to rest and relax, with the opportunity to celebrate midnight Mass on Christmas and New Year’s and to give various conferences on Carmelite values and spirituality.
I spent much time at Mother of Carmel Convent in Kalamassery, Kerala, since it is the central house for formation and for studies in the delegation, with over 30 Sisters living there. From that house, it was easy to visit the other convents, schools, and hospital in the surrounding areas. One very enjoyable trip was to the “mission” of the Sisters, also in Andra Pradesh among the Hindu people. The Sisters teach in two schools, and they also direct an orphanage for 25 young girls and one boy (the little four-year-old brother of one of the girls who could not be left behind!)
Fortunately, during 2008, our Carmelite Mission office was able to assist the Sisters through two substantial grants of $15,000 and $10,000 dollars from the Koch Foundation. The first was to assist their formation programs, and the second was to help their work in evangelization on the occasion of the Beatification of the Foundress of the Congregation, Maria Teresa Scrilli, in October 2006.
My visit to the Carmelite Family in India was truly enjoyable. I would encourage you to keep all our brothers and sisters there in your prayers, continuing to remember them in your sacrifices and your donations. I returned home, full of hope, realizing that there are so many reasons to be grateful to God for this new and young growth in the garden of Carmel.
|
