CMIssion for July-September 2017

Kainakary Chavara Fest 2017

CMISSIONNews and Views on CMI Mission around the GlobeVolume 10, Number 3 July-September 2017CMI General Department of Evangelization and Pastoral Ministry Prior General’s House Chavara Hills, Post Box 3105, Kakkanad Kochi 682 030, Kerala, India

CMIssionNews and Views on CMI Mission around the Globe(A Quarterly from the CMI General Department of Evangelizationand Pastoral Ministry)Chief Editor: Fr. Saju Chackalackal CMIEditorial Board: Fr. Benny Thettayil CMI, Fr. James Madathikandam CMI, and Fr. Saju Chackalackal CMIAdvisory Board: Fr. Paul Achandy CMI (Prior General), Fr. Varghese Vithayathil CMI, Fr. Sebastian Thekkedathu CMI, Fr. Antony Elamthottam CMI, Fr. Saju Chackalackal CMI, and Fr. Johny Edapulavan CMIOffice: CMISSION CMI Prior General’s House Chavara Hills, Post Box 3105, Kakkanad Kochi 682 030, Kerala, India Email: [email protected] Phone: +91 9400 651965Printers: Viani Printings, Ernakulam North, Kochi 683 118Cover: Jesus the Guru, Mosaic Art from the Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart Cathedral, Rajkot For private circulation only

CONTENTSEditorial 7 12CMI and Community Mission Mandate 15 Fr. Saju Chackalackal CMI 47 55Prior General’s Message 60We Are Made for Mission 68 79 Fr. Paul Achandy CMI 87Mar Januarius Palathuruthy CMI: Visionary of theChurch on the Peripheries Fr. Thomas Chirapurath CMICMI Mission in Argentina Fr. Antony Akkappillil CMITo the Ends of the Earth: CMI Chilean Community Fr. Noble Joseph CMIPadmabhushan Father Gabriel Chiramel: A MissionAccomplished with and for the People Fr. Wilson Tharayil CMIA ‘Complete’ Missionary: Father RaymondMancheril CMI Fr. John Chakkanatt CMIA Man of the Poor of Chanda: Father JosephKoikara CMI Fr. Varghese Puthuparampil CMIA Visit to the Land of Alpacas and Machu Picchu: APeruvian ‘Missionary Mine’ Thirsting for MoreEnergetic Workers Fr. Sebastian Thekkedathu CMI 3

Carmelites of Mary Immaculate 4 CMIssion July-September 2017ACMI in South Africa 96 100 Fr. Sibichen Kalarickal CMI 105Celebrating Interreligious Harmony: Azhicode Mar 107Thoma Pontifical Shrine 125 Fr. Jose Frank Chakkalackal CMI 129 135An Extra Mile! CMIs Reaching Out to the Homeless 142 Fr. Varghese Kokkadan CMI 156Inner Smile Meditations: A Wholesome Approach 162to Mysticism and Enlightenment 170 Fr. Varghese Kottoor CMICMI Mission in Australia Fr. James Thiruthanathy CMIFather Thomas Felix CMI: A Pioneer Unparalleled Fr. Thomas Mampra CMIFamily Vision of Father Canisius CMI Fr. Paul Kalluveettil CMI‘Not to Argue and Win, but to Know and to BeKnown’: Reminiscences on Chavara Cultural Centre Dr. K. S. RadhakrishnanAmala Institute of Medical Sciences, Thrissur Fr. Francis Kurissery CMIThe Holy Spirit, Protagonist of Any AuthenticDiscernment: Address to the Newly AppointedBishops Pope FrancisContributions Solicited for Free Bible and ChristianLiterature Distribution 4

CMIssion 5 ContentsBeing a Disciple of Jesus Means… 171 Fr. Benny Mukalel CMI 174News from CMI Mission 176 178Kainakary Chavara Fest 2017Chavara Family Darshan Renewal Fr. Wilson Tharayil CMI & Fr. Johnson Panthalanickal CMI



Editorial CMI AND THE COMMUNITY MISSION MANDATE Fr. Saju Chackalackal CMI General Councillor for Evangelization and Pastoral MinistryThe Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of Pope John Paul IIVita Consecrata (1996) has categorically stated that “sense ofmission is essential to consecrated life” (VC §72). Echoingthis definitive affirmation, the CMI Constitution sees therealization of primary evangelization thrust in the veryfoundation of the religious community: “The charism forevangelization was an essential factor of the Christ-experience and the Church-experience of our foundingFathers” (CMI Constitutions §63). This affirmation points tothe fact that call to the CMI is fundamentally acommunitarian as well as a missionary call. In other words,mission is an integral part of the CMI communitarianexistence; without the ecclesial mission, which evolves froma commitment of the CMI community to the person of JesusChrist, whose life and life principles are enshrined in theGospels, there is no reason for the constitution and existenceof the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate, or for that matter anyother religious congregation within the Catholic Church. The CMI Congregation began as a spiritual movementinitiated within the Church by a group of renowned andspiritually motivated priests. As captured in the CMIConstitutions, it “grew out of the intense God-experience inChrist of [the] founding Fathers, Thomas Palackal, ThomasPorukara, and Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara… Inspired bythe Holy Spirit, they committed their life to intense prayerand deep recollection and the building up and renewal ofthe Church” (CMI Constitutions §1). Originally, the CMI 7

Carmelites of Mary Immaculate 8 CMIssion July-September 2017mission evolved from the personal as well ascommunitarian Christ experience of the founding Fathers. Although the three founding Fathers were well-acceptedand well-established in the then ecclesiastical milieu, theyfelt deep within themselves that forming a community andliving a life of consecration in community would make theirpriestly existence and pastoral outreach more meaningfuland their ecclesial mission more effective and fruitful. Forexample, it is not difficult to see the deep connectionsbetween the intense “Appa experience” of Saint KuriakoseElias Chavara and his attempts to transmit the same to thepeople of God through the various missions and apostolicactivities undertaken by the CMI community, especiallywith a focus on the spiritual renewal and socio-culturaluplift of the people. It is a cherished conviction that an ‘isolated’ or ‘solitary’Christian is a contradiction in terms. As it is enshrined in theGospels and the subsequent life-examples of renownedChristians, Christian existence is fundamentally acommunitarian existence: either in a family or in acommunity. It is interesting to note that although the threefounding Fathers of the CMI were well accepted in theecclesial community and were very much sought after bypeople, they probably felt a vacuum in their spiritual life,which led them to form a community so that they couldmore effectively achieve not only “one’s own salvation” butalso “that of others.” Thus, constituting a community ofconsecrated persons was initially identified to facilitate ahealthy and vibrant ambience for growing in Christianperfection in terms of personal and communitarian spiritualpractices, which was integrally associated with theenhancement of the social and cultural ethos of the people. Looking at the constitution of the CMI religiouscommunity by a group of three well-renowned priests,attests to the fact that they subscribed to the principle of

Chackalackal 9 Editorialsynergy operating in a communitarian context. Ascommunion of hearts among those who subscribe to theteachings of Jesus Christ is a very basic expectation, theprinciple and practice of synergy should be spontaneous forevery Christian, especially those who take the mandate toclosely follow him through a life of consecration. Synergyadmits that one plus one is always more than two. Thecompany of Malpan Thomas Palackal and Malpan ThomasPorukara along with Malpan Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara,in association with Jacob Kanianthara, brought intoexistence the CMI community, which transformed thenature and style of faith life within the Syro-MalabarChurch; indeed, many aspects of Christian life lived in thecontext of Kerala underwent positive transformation underthe auspices of this newly constituted religious communitythat operated basically from a familial perspective. According to Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara, all CMIs arecalled to live like “siblings of the same parents”(koodapirappukal) and should act with one heart and mind. Ifwe could read the introductory statement of Oru NallaAppante Chavarul (Testament of a Loving Father), whereSaint Chavara states that “a good Christian family is theimage of heaven,” along with the above statement,naturally, the dynamics of the CMI fraternity, committed forthe mission of God, are patterned after the Holy Trinity and,hence, communion of hearts of the CMIs is not only anessential ingredient of community life, but also of the verymission fulfilled. Constitution of the community, though originally hadtheir own personal salvation as its goal, got evolved with abroader but thorough Christian emphasis. It is visible fromthe letter the CMI founding Fathers submitted to the Bishop,requesting permission to start a new religious house, whichwas unheard of till then among the native Christians. Theletter states: “It is necessary that in this territory there is a

Carmelites of Mary Immaculate 10 CMIssion July-September 2017community of persons who are continuously engaged inprayer and good works for the greater glory of God and theedification of the Church.” From this first letter of requestsubmitted to the bishop in 1830 to begin a community ofconsecrated life, we understand that the constitution of theCMI community at Mannanam (on 11 May 1831) had atwofold goal: (1) greater glory of God and (2) the edificationof the Church. Undoubtedly, the visualized twofold methodoffered the noblest mode of existing as consecrated persons;for, again, it consisted of (1) continuous engagement inprayer and (2) continuous engagement in good works(kannil kanda nanmagalellam). If this this praiseworthy blend of prayer and good works,or the approaches of Mary and Martha, is lost, it would leadto a serious lacuna in the present day missionaryengagements of the CMIs as well as most of the consecratedand ordained clergy. As it is clearly exhibited in the life ofSaint Kuriakose Elias Chavara, it is a personal encounterwith the person of Jesus Christ – which is challenging andchanging the self at the same time – that would offer thetriggering point for missio ad gentes as well as involvement innew evangelization as envisaged by the Church. For, onlyan authentic Christ experience can facilitate one’smeaningful involvement in the “mission of Christ” (Col1:10). Indeed, it is nothing but the authentic life witness tothe Gospel Joy in the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ thatwould become the best form of proclamation whether it is adintra or ad extra. It is clearly exhibited in the history of the Syro-MalabarChurch, particularly the missio ad gentes opened up at thebeginning of the CMI Congregation, that withoutcommunities of persons committed to consecrated way oflife, missio ad gentes as well as new evangelization initiativesmay not begin or may not be effectively carried out; in turn,it may also mean that without communities of consecrated

Chackalackal 11 Editorialpersons who have a heightened mission consciousness, theChurch would lose her credibility, as without engagementin missio ad gentes and new evangelization, she would loseher being and identity as the Church of Jesus Christ. Hence,just as a consecrated person or a consecrated community inthe Church without a genuine sense of mission ismeaningless, a Church that does not facilitate andaccompany the consecrated persons and consecratedcommunities is on the verge of becoming redundant. TheChurch, therefore, shall exercise its responsibility to ensurethat the consecrated communities are placed in her heart(VC §72), and that the heart functions well to ensure thepassage of life-blood of mission throughout her body, themystical body of Jesus Christ.

Prior General’s Message WE ARE MADE FOR MISSION Fr. Paul Achandy CMI Prior General“Today’s life is rich, blessed, happy and joyous. Where doesour happy life come from? Who gave it to us?” With thefiery zeal of a preacher, Xie Hong addressed her class of 50fourth-grade students, all in matching red tracksuits. Therewas only one correct answer, and she had worked tirelesslyto ensure her students knew it. “It comes from the blood ofrevolutionary martyrs! From the Red Army! The blood inthe past gave us the life we have today. A lot of othercountries want to invade our country again, so we have tostudy hard and make sure that doesn’t happen,” said KuangYanli, an eleven year-old sixth-grade student. Howpassionately the communists indoctrinate the young to beimmersed in their way of thinking! As Tertullian put it, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed ofthe church.” One Sunday each year, the Church throughoutthe world publicly renews her fundamental commitment tothe missionary movement. On Sunday, 22 October, thisyear, we celebrate World Mission Sunday 2017 with thetheme “Mission at the Heart of the Christian Faith.”Pentecost was the very first Mission Sunday and on that dayCMI family celebrates the CMI Mission Day. The feast ofPentecost paints a picture of the future Church. Theapostles, the first bishops, gathered with the Mother of Godand received an anointing of fire from the Holy Spirit. TheChurch is founded for mission and continues to exist andflourishes because of the mission. As in the past, the HolySpirit is calling many Catholics to be missionaries across theglobe. Let us re-live today this grace of Pentecost and say“Yes!” to mission. 12

Achandy 13 Prior General’s Message I was in Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir, border of India,to meet with our missionaries. On 13-14 October 2017, therewas firing and shelling and the sound of the firing disturbedpeople. The people were so panic and worried about theirchildren in the school in Degwar, the village very close tothe border. Fr. Mathew and Fr. Lijo could not take holidaysfor the last two years as almost every day was a crisis day.Fr. Mathew could not even attend his mother’s funeral; buthe has no regrets. He finds more joy in living with and forthe people who live in the war torn area. Fr. Mathew became so passionate in explaining the storyof transformation in the Catholic community. From a groupof scavengers they have been transformed into a family ofcommitted followers of Christ and now they have biggerdreams for their own life and others. Education has enabledthem to dream big and many have made great breakthroughin social, career, and economic mobility. The parish has beenfound very active with a sense of unity and inculturation inthe cultural context of Poonch and their expression of faithhas been heart-touching. Despite all the challenges andstruggles, eleven CMIs who work from Jammu to Poonchhave been found very happy, jovial, and content. I do salutethem for their resilience and commitment to move to theperipheries of the country to be the joy of the Gospel. Missions are those “particular undertakings by which theheralds of the Gospel, sent out by the Church and goingforth into the whole world, carry out the task of preachingthe Gospel and planting the Church among peoples orgroups who do not yet believe in Christ… The properpurpose of this missionary activity is evangelization” (AdGentes 6). In his message for World Mission Sunday, PopeFrancis writes: “The Church’s mission impels us toundertake a constant pilgrimage across the various desertsof life, through the different experiences of hunger andthirst for truth and justice.”

Carmelites of Mary Immaculate 14 CMIssion July-September 2017 Today, the state, the political parties, and corporateentities target the young to be their customers andstakeholders. Students in Chinese school are taught to singthe ‘Chinese dream’: Chinese dream for 1,000 years, Chinese dream for 100 years, The dream carries on, the dream embraces all, For the revival of China, for the revival of China!The young people are the hope of mission. They are streetpreachers joyfully bringing Jesus to every street, every townsquare, and every corner of the earth (EG 106). In thischallenging and changing world context, global missionneeds imagination and creativity. There are many youngpeople who volunteer to preach the gospel of peace andharmony among the laity, religious, and the priests. That isthe sign of hope of the Church. I have witnessed this realityof the courage and stamina of the youth to move to anytough or rough terrains sacrificing the comforts ofhometown and affinity of language and culture. Religious life and priesthood are a call to be a missionaryand to take the road less travelled and our Lord promisesthat their names will be written in the Book of Life. They arethe genuine vocations we need today. If we are notmissionaries, we would no longer be the disciples of Christand worthy members of the Church of Christ. Let usawaken the missionary in us so that we will be blessed andwe will be a blessing to the people. Indeed, we are made formission!

CMI Shepherds with a Mission Mandate MAR JANUARIUS PALATHURUTHY CMI Visionary of the Church on the Peripheries Fr. Thomas Chirapurath CMI1. IntroductionMar Januarius Palathuruthy CMI (1913-1995) was the firstbishop and architect of Chanda, the first Syro-Malabar adgentes mission. The Chanda Mission was establishedthrough the papal decree Ad Lucem Sancti Evangelii, dated 31March 1962. Fr. Januarius was appointed the MissionSuperior on 12 June 1962 and he formally assumed office on15 August 1962. Chanda was raised to an Exarchate in 1968,and was made a diocese in 1977 and Fr. Januarius wasappointed its first bishop. His Episcopal Ordination tookplace on 3 May 1977. He was in office until 1990 when heresigned on superannuation, and slept in the Lord on 28March 1995.2. Childhood and Family1Mar Januarius was born on 20 March 1913 at Konthurutthi,Ernakulam. His parents were Kunjumatthiri and JosephPalathuruthy. He was named Paul at baptism after hismaternal grandfather. His mother belonged to theKozhippatt family, originally hailing from Mattoor,1Most of the information in the section on “Childhood and Family” is collected from interviews with his family members who included his late sister Kunjamma Mathew Mundackal and her children; Thresiamma and Tomy Palathuruthy, Alappuzha (daughter-in-law and son of Vakkachan, elder brother of Mar Januarius), Sister Shanti Kozhippatt, Kakkanad; Ritamma Chakkunni, Pulikkottil, Chittattukara, Trissur; Celine John Palathuruthy, Ernakulam, and Jose Varghese Palathuruthy, Ernakulam. 15

Carmelites of Mary Immaculate 16 CMIssion July-September 2017Angamaly. Kunjumatthiri fell sick at an early age and diedat the young age of 28, leaving behind four children,namely, Vakkachan, Pailochan (Mar Januarius), Kunjammaand Thankamma, and her husband. The children grew up intheir mother’s house, under the care of their grandmother,Kunjumariyam (sister of Msgr Jacob Naduvathussery) andAdvocate K. P. Ittyerah Kozhippat, their uncle, famouslyknown as Ittyerah Vakkil. Joseph Palathuruthy died whenJanuarius was still a seminarian. Pailochan, who later became Mar Januarius, began hiseducation at his native village. It was said that for somereason, he had to discontinue his studies at STD V for twoyears or so. His later school education was at Perumbavurand North Paravur (for, during his childhood, he hadmoved to his maternal uncle’s house along with his sickmother and other siblings) where his uncle Ittyerah Vakkilwas practising at the Taluka court and district court,respectively. It was while at North Paravur that Pailochanjoined the CMI Congregation as an aspirant. Vakkachan (P. J. George), Mar Januarius’ elder brother,was employed with the William Goodacre and Sons, IndiaLtd., at Vallarpadam, Kochi, later shifting to Alappuzhawhere he got settled. He married ThankammaValiyaparampil, Veroor, Changanassery, who, incidentally,was the niece of Fr. Maurus Valiyaparampil CMI, the formerPrior General of the CMI Congregation. Vakkachan retiredas secretary to the manager of the same company. He diedin 1999 and his wife in 2010. Vakkachan-Thankamma couplehave six children: Jolly (Thiruvananthapuram), Jessy (late),w/o Thomas Kizhakkethottam (Kalamassery, Kochi), Jomy(Palarivattam, Kochi), Sabu (Ernakulam), Tomy, and Lucy(Palladan House, Cherthala). It is Thomas George (Tomy),married to Thresiamma (Chirayil family, Alappuzha), whois at home taking care of the property and business he

Chirapurath 17 Mar Januarius Palathuruthyinherited from his father at Arattuvazhi, opposite PankajTheatre, NH 47, Alappuzha. Kunjamma, the elder of the two sisters of Mar Januarius,was married to Matthai Joseph Mundackal of Kothavaravillage, Vaikom. She has three sons and three daughters.They are: Lilly Joseph Parappuram (South Amballoor), RosyDavis Mundiyempilly (Champakkara, Marad, and Kochi),Babu (late), Tomy, Sr. Theresa Mundackal (CamillianCongregation, Germany) and Roy. Mr. Matthai Joseph diedin 1972. Of late, Kunjamma lived at Elamakkara, Ernakulam,with the youngest son, Roy. She slept in the Lord in thecentenary year of her life on 22 May 2017. Thankamma, the youngest sister of Januarius, had optedfor consecrated life. She joined the Missionary Sisters ofAjmer, Rajasthan. Sr. Alice, as she was known in thecongregation, fell sick at a young age and was being treatedin Goa where she succumbed to her sickness and died inearly July 1941 at the age of 22 and was buried there in Goaitself. Mar Januarius owed a lot to Ittyerah Vakkil, his maternaluncle, for his formation in childhood. Vakkil had asuccessful legal practice at Perumbavur, North Paravur, andThiruvananthapuram, his career reaching its culmination inthe high court of the Thirukochi State at Kochi. At the sametime, he was very much a churchman, too. He who devoteda maximum of his time and energy towards the end of hislegal career into contributing his share towards ‘positiveliterature’ was the founding publisher, and long-time soul,of the popular “Book-a-Month” Club.3. Formation, Ordination and Pre-Chanda YearsPailochan joined the CMI Congregation in 1932 and madehis religious profession on 25 November 1934. The namegiven to him on the occasion of the profession was Januariusof Jesus and Mary. He completed his priestly studies at

Carmelites of Mary Immaculate 18 CMIssion July-September 2017Koonammavu, Kandy, and Mangaluru and was ordained apriest on 7 March 1942. As a young priest, Januarius did his graduate studies(BA) in Economics at Sacred Heart College, Thevara, Kochi,during 1944-1947. As a student, he belonged to the firstbatch of students of this institution. For some time heworked there as the hostel warden too. Fr. Januarius was then sent abroad for higher studies. Hecompleted his PhD in philosophy at the GregorianUniversity, Rome. In 1952, he was already a teacher of theseminary students at the CMI Study House, Koonammavu.Later, when the first group of the CMI missionaries toRaigarh-Ambikapur were being given a send-off at the PriorGeneral’s House, in 1955, Fr. Januarius was very muchpresent there with a responsibility. Fr. Christian, who leftfor Raigarh-Ambikapur in 1956 recalls: As if a pre-planned arrangement of the Divine Providence, it was Fr. Januarius Palathuruthy CMI, who was predestined by God to be the first CMI missionary bishop of North India that made the necessary arrangements and preparations for the send-off programmes and safe journey of the pioneer missionaries going to North India.1He was on the teaching staff of the CMI Congregation’sSacred Heart Study House, Chethipuzha.2 Later, when thisstudy house was shifted to Bengaluru and re-established asDharmaram College, he too moved there. With the firstgroup of students he reached Dharmaram in May 1957. Hewas the master of the senior students, and was very originaland creative in guiding them. “He was one among the firstten members who constituted the administrative body ofDharmaram College under the first Rector, Fr. Chrysostom.1Christian Plakkat CMI, A Shining Light amidst the Thriving Forest, 51.2We find his name in a list of transfers from Chethipuzha to Bengaluru in Karmelasandesham 1957.

Chirapurath 19 Mar Januarius PalathuruthyWhile Fr. Jonas Thaliath was primarily immersed in theworks of the physical layout of the institution andestablishing it on solid economic foundation, developingcattle and agriculture farms, Fr. Januarius was given thecharge of grooming the students besides teachingphilosophy and allied subjects.”1 He was their professor,spiritual director, prefect, director of art and music, directorof social apostolate and Dharmaram Mission League, etc.2Many of the first generation Chanda missionaries werehandpicked by him, as he knew them personally. He wasknown for his persuasive skills and putting across his ideasvery clearly before others. This quality put him in goodstead also later in the first ad gentes mission of the Syro-Malabar Church. All those experiences and formativeinfluences were pointers to the substance that he was: “aphilosopher by profession, a pragmatist in theology, and amissionary by nature.”34. On the Uniqueness of the Mission EntrustedMar Januarius, the new Ordinary, in a two-page letter titled“The New Ordinariate of Chanda” 4 to the Syro-MalabarHierarchy, requested the bishops to announce for the firsttime the good news to the people: “No attempt has beenmade hitherto by its Ordinary to publicize this epoch-making event because he thought that it must be, in the firstinstance, announced to our people by no less an authoritythan the Hierarchy of Kerala itself.” On the importance of1Thomas Kadankavil, “Bishop Januarius Palathuruthy,” in Luminous Stars of the CMI Congregation, Kochi: Chavara Hills, 2013, 258.2George Pullankav, ed., Shraddhanjali: Supplement to Chanda Diocesan Bulletin 6, 1 (1995), 16-17.3Mar Joseph Kunnath, “Evangelization in Adilabad: A New Face of the Syro-Malabar Church,” Third Millennium 16, 1 (2013), 52.4Undated; perhaps the document had a covering letter which has not yet been traced (Balharshah files).

Carmelites of Mary Immaculate 20 CMIssion July-September 2017the new mission, he wrote: “It seems that in the wholehistory of the Church no mission ad paganos has beenundertaken by the Oriental Church after the great Nestorianexpansion into the Central Asia and China. It is also abreakthrough for the Syro-Malabar Church of Kerala. It is,in fact, a recognition by the Holy See of the coming of age ofthe Kerala Church and her ability to be the mother Churchof North India.” Referring to it as an invitation, he also said:“This new Ordinariate is actually a challenge to ourcommunity. We have to build up the whole Mission frommere scraps.” He continued: “Only a truly supernaturalapproach and a sublimation of our common egoism canmake us equal to this task. It is beset with great difficulties,arduous labour and self-sacrifices.” He concluded the letterthus: “It is my request that my Lord Archbishops, Bishops,and the people of Kerala should take this as their ownachievement and should render all possible help andencouragement.”5. Gentleness, Tact and Faith: Care of the Already Existing CommunitiesWhat Mar Januarius and companions inherited in Chandawas a vast territory with the minimum Catholic presence.According to the 1962 Directory, the strength of the Catholiccommunity in the whole of the Chanda territory, i.e., morethan one and a quarter the size of Kerala, was some 500 plusin all, with just two resident priests (i.e., at Wardha andKagaz Nagar). There was just one community of womenreligious (two sisters of the Holy Cross Sisters)administering the Fatima Nursing Home, Kagaz Nagar. TheCatholic presence was limited to the railways, factories,mines and the civil lines, with no local persons as membersof the Church. During the thanksgiving gathering at the Archbishop’sHouse, Nagpur, on 23 August 1962, a week after the formal

Chirapurath 21 Mar Januarius Palathuruthyinauguration of the Chanda Mission, Archbishop EugeneD’Souza spoke highly of the CMI Congregation and Fr.Maurus, the Prior General. Wishing Mar Januarius, he said:“From what we have seen of you for the past few weeks wecan see that the Holy Ghost has not made any mistake. Thetask before you is arduous and delicate, but your gentlenessand tact, coupled with your deep spirit of faith, will go agreat way in furthering the Kingdom of Christ in this cornerof the vineyard of the Lord.”1 A few incidents and events inthe Chanda Mission in the initial years proved that this wasvery true. On several occasions, it was Mar Januarius’ tactand prudence that saved the situation and nipped a fewpotential problems in the bud! In tricky situations, healways sought guidance before making a decision. In the beginning, there were a few problems atBalharshah as certain people, who had been tenants on theproperty of the church there, were reluctant to vacate theplace. Some of these tenants had occupied the kitchen too.2Another situation was that the only group of nuns in theMission who were already there when the CMIs took overthe Mission, were about to leave on short notice and therewere no alternative arrangements in place, especially withregard to the running of a dispensary. He immediately1Nagpur News Bulletin, September 1962.2 In his letter, dated 10 August 1962, Mar Januarius wrote to Archbishop Eugene: “At Balharshah we are still struggling with the problem of getting a certain John vacated from our kitchen and the courtyard. I am trying to persuade him without taking recourse to any harsh or government action.” In September, he wrote again: “John is still hesitating to quit the kitchen. He promises to leave soon, but postpones from day to day. I met the DSP of Chanda… He showed interest and immediately sent word to the inspector at Balharshah to make use of his influence to get John vacated. I hope it will work. I will tackle other cases after this one.”

Carmelites of Mary Immaculate 22 CMIssion July-September 2017wrote to Archbishop Eugene, his mentor in the Mission: “…I am not in a position to replace the Sisters earlier than thefirst week of December… I shall, however, make someattempts to find out whether they can take over earlier. Is itgood for me to go to Kerala and find out the possibilities?”1 Owing to the unavailability of priests, and the resultantpoor sacramental life, there were a few issues in thesecommunities which the new missionaries were trying tosolve and settle. In some Catholic communities, thisincluded preparing the grownups for baptism!2 Some of the Catholics living in the area refused to co-operate with the introduction of the new Rite. The people atKagaz Nagar had reservations against the introduction ofthe Syro-Malabar liturgy. It took a few years to overcomethese problems. Fr. Januarius, the Mission Superior, wasvery particular to remove the misgivings and prejudices inpeoples’ minds. He went there himself on four to fiveconsecutive Sundays to instruct them and gradually winthem over. There was a positive response to this noblegesture and thereafter their participation in the liturgy,which was introduced in English. Liturgy in English wassaid to be all the more creative.3 Fr. Januarius inspired the priests to organize a churchchoir, the members of which would also offer help at1Mar Januarius’ Letter to Archbishop Eugene, dated 5 September 1962.2Karmelasandesham, January 1963, 13ff.3One reason for appointing George Pullankav CMI (who was a musician and good at bhajans and kirtans) as the assistant priest- in-charge at Kagaz Nagar was in answer to the demand of the people who felt for some time that their music and hymns (Latin Rite) and language (English) were lost forever. See, “Interview Notes” with Hermangild Paikada CMI, Joseph Manjaly CMI, and George Pullankav CMI.

Chirapurath 23 Mar Januarius Palathuruthydifferent places. 1 These gestures helped to energise thealready existing communities who otherwise would havefelt altogether abandoned.6. “Peripheries-to-the-Centre”: Chanda’s Ad Gentes MissiologyEven while taking care of the small Catholic communities atthe already existing centres at Pulgaon, Wardha,Balharshah, Kagaz Nagar, and Bellampalli, Fr. Januariuswas sure that his folk included a few million people livingin thousands of villages and hamlets in Telangana andVidarbha. So, he made clear, in his own unique style ofcommunication, what he meant to do in the large areascommitted to his care: starting with a few centres, forexample, at towns like the Tehsil headquarters and, then,penetrating the interiors. He appeared quite sure withregard to the steps and methods to be adopted in a vast landwhere himself and all about him would look strange. Hewrote elaborately about some of the first encounters andexperiences, and his cautious responses to them: Thesudden appearance and journeys of the kashaaya clad monkswere a problem to some in the town. The Carmelitemissionaries would respond that they were there to workamong the Catholic community as there were very fewpriests in the Archdiocese of Nagpur. “Our primary target isto get settled in the different centres in the territory wherefrom we could move (inward)… In order to start withsomething, we want that ours should be a response to the1“On 20 October 1963, in connection with the celebration of the titular feast of the church at Sirpur Kagaz Nagar (Our Lady of Fatima), they had a Solemn Sung Mass with the choir newly organized at Balharshah under the leadership of Eugene Thomas and Daniel Thottakkara. The same choir sang at Bellampalli at the feast there on 8 September.” See, Karmelasandesham, January 1964, 8.

Carmelites of Mary Immaculate 24 CMIssion July-September 2017expressed requests of the local people. Hence, our task is tocreate in their minds an interest about us.”1 Right from the beginning, Fr. Januarius made it clear thatwe needed institutions and centres, and, at the same time,that our aim was not establishing institutions in themselves,but a community of believers who are ready to accept JesusChrist as the Lord. Accordingly, he prepared a plan for themissionary personnel. As per the plan, a few schools in theChanda Mission in the initial years would be managed bythe Sisters. The services of the priests, who were not toomany in number, could be best made available for theformation of indigenous Christian communities and not forthe management of service centres like schools andhospitals, which the Sisters could very well conduct. (Theimmense contribution of the Sisters with the assistance ofcatechists in the task of faith formation cannot be belittledeither, it rather needs to be highlighted.) Every newmissionary priest would undergo a short term course (threemonths to six months long language (Telugu or Marathi).Many of them would be given some time for an exposure incertain other Missions. The vision of Fr. Januarius for the Chanda Mission andhis methodology find an expression in the letter which hewrote to the Oriental Congregation at the completion of thefirst year of the declaration of the Chanda Mission, dated 20March 1963. He had a master plan for the entire area andpeople; at the same time, it is a pointer to the low profile,slow, and steady method of development. On his canvasthere was time and space for an entire spectrum of peopleand places. At a time when it was perhaps the trend toreceive the maximum and spend in a similar fashion, herewe find a style in contrast. It speaks volumes about the1Karmelasandesham, January 1963, 13ff.

Chirapurath 25 Mar Januarius Palathuruthyuniqueness of this missionary genius and the roadmap hehad for the times to come. May I submit my request for an extraordinary subsidy… May I bring to the kind notice of Your Eminence that this Ordinariate was entrusted to me seven months ago with not even a single pie to begin with, and that it has no income whatsoever… I am struggling hard to make a hand to mouth existence. I am living on the meagre time- to-time donations from our own Congregation. Your Eminence may be surprised why I did not make a request earlier. I purposely abstained from it so that I may begin in poverty, with no over-haste, and with a well-conceived plan for work, after sufficient thought and prayer. During these seven months I was making all possible contacts with the prominent men of the different regions of this territory and I am happy to inform Your Eminence that I have succeeded to some extent to earn their sympathy and to create demands for Catholic institutions in their localities. There are five such places… Another item that demands our immediate attention is the acquisition of land in different places… owing to the strong prejudices that prevail against Christian missionaries, once we make our appearance they refuse to sell their land to us… I have selected 15 such places where we can start the nuclei of our Mission Centre where our Fathers and Sisters can silently settle down in simple prayerful life, doing only personal services to the neighbours (small scale social work) and can prepare themselves through a slow process of acclimatization to the social environment.11 Letter to Gustavo Cardinal Testa, Secretary to the Oriental Congregation, Rome, dated 20 March 1963.

Carmelites of Mary Immaculate 26 CMIssion July-September 20177. Micro-Methods and Projects for Micro-CommunitiesRight from the beginning, Fr. Januarius exhibited a passionfor villages. He travelled extensively within the diocese andvisited practically all the villages there, and wouldencourage his missionaries to reach out to the unreached.His famous “walking distance, cycle distance, bullock cartdistance, motor bike distance, jeep distance…” was in orderto connect to the otherwise unconnected people far andnear. He felt for the poor and the marginalized. So, he ledhis missionaries to these vulnerable sections in the society.That is itself the meaning of his methodology of“peripheries to the centre.” In order to reach out to thepeople, he approached funding agencies like the CRS,Miserior, IGSSS and others. He did not have for them anymajor projects, except the minimum which could beexecuted at the local village level. The projects he submittedfor the all-round development of the people were essentiallysmall in size, easy to implement, and rural and familyoriented. Here is a sample “Farm Project for a Mission Centre,”which was one among many of what he had envisaged forhis people in the villages: The total cost is $5,000. The project would include: Price of land, fencing, levelling, bunding, two wells and two pump sets, two pairs of bullocks, other agricultural implements, seeds, fertilizers … and a small farm house. Advantages: This will avoid the danger of the “Mission Station becoming a big business and agricultural concern.” The Mission Centre can easily get integrated with the small farmer group of the village... Building up local communities in strange and remoteplaces was not an easy target. The first journey undertakenby Chanda Mission Superior was to look for assistants for

Chirapurath 27 Mar Januarius Palathuruthymissionaries in the actual situation, namely, catechists. Inthe process of training local catechists and teachers, he didalso ensure that we have efficient local teachers, poets, andleaders. Pundalik Gaigole, Yogapati Ramgirkar, KisanTirankar, Datta Togre, Eknath Ghogre and the like fall inthis category. For the sake of his missionaries, catechists,and rural animators he approached individuals andagencies, and would easily move them to action, winningtheir hearts and imagination. It is amazing to observe how Mar Januarius movedpeople to be partners in his mission, in building upcommunities in the remote corners of Chanda. He wrote toSr. Laetitia, a benefactor, on 17 February 1966: Thank you most sincerely for these good thoughts for me; above all, for the big gift you have made for Chanda. … Do you want to know how I will make use of it? There is a new Mission Station ‘Gudlabori’. There are 40 Catholic families there. All are very poor farmers. They had no priests. It is in the forest. One missionary used to visit them now and then. He had no house there to stay. He made a hut covered with leaves and bamboos. He had no bed, no chair, no utensils to cook, and no plates. Now, that you have sent the money…, I made use of DM 1500 for the necessary articles for this missionary. Your money has gone immediately for the help of a mission station. Now, he will stay there permanently. There are many other pagan villages around this one. From this place the Father will begin his mission work… There is another station ‘Wirur’… There is a good catechist. He had to go around to several villages. He was in great need of a cycle. He goes with the missionary priest. I have bought a cycle for this catechist with your money. Do you like it?Elsewhere he communicates to a benefactor: “Can’t youimagine a group of village people adoring the Lord in the

Carmelites of Mary Immaculate 28 CMIssion July-September 2017Holy Eucharist?” He had said earlier in the same letter thathe was purchasing a small monstrance for the villagecommunity. He, thus, managed to get the good will and cooperationof people who expressed empathy towards the cause herepresented. Young CMI priests who were pursuing higherstudies in Europe were ready to help Mar Januarius inseeking the Europeans’ good will and support for theMission. A lady benefactor replied to a letter from MarJanuarius, thus: “Since my meeting with the missionaries ofIndia, the European way of life is now a sacrifice for me.This abundance, this cold materialism, all this, disgusts me.It is with great eagerness that I follow the news of India…”8. Collaboration with Other Agencies in the RegionMar Januarius’ focus was giving Christ and his Gospel tothe people. He did not believe in huge projects beingexecuted by the missionaries. He perhaps positivelydiscouraged his missionaries from it. But he cooperatedwith the plans and projects of people and agencies whowanted to bring changes to the area. For example, therewere so many industrial houses, educational and medicalinstitutes in and around Chanda. Most of them had come upin modern times. People who would come from outsidefound it difficult to educate the local people. Practically,many backed out, as there were no facilities available. It was this context that brought Dr. Sushila Nayar,Mahatma Gandhi’s physician and the founder of theSewagram Medical College and Hospital, to the bishop ofChanda to seek help in starting quality education for thechildren of the doctors and others at the Sewagram MedicalCollege and Hospital. The diocese did not own a school, butgave a quality teacher to the Kasturba Vidya Mandir in theperson of Sr. Pawlyn Lutgardis SJB. In his scheme of things,he wanted a few of the priests and nuns to work in

Chirapurath 29 Mar Januarius Palathuruthyinstitutions like those in Sewagram. The FCC and SJB sistersstill continue working there giving witness to Christ andChristian values. Mar Januarius wanted a qualified CMIpriest to join the Srikrishna Jajoo Rural Institute, Pipri,Wardha, to teach English when they asked for a person. Itwas very much part of his mission philosophy that we savethe energy, time, and resources instead of heavy materialinvestment and its management, and that we make use ofthe facilities available from other agencies who are willingto accept our collaboration, in order that we concentrate onradiating the Gospel message. There have been educational institutions managed by theChurch at the Awarpur Cement Factory, ACC Mancherial,ACC Devapur, ACC Ghughus, etc. In most cases, thediocese did not own the whole thing. Motivation wasservice to the people directly and indirectly. They wereindirectly instruments of humanizing evangelization.Nagorao Kadam, a local Catholic, who was the programcoordinator at the diocese’s social work department for along time, speaks about the educational institutions run bythe diocese for the companies: “Because of these schools thestaff members of the factories were ready to stay and work;and because of these factories, thousands of local people gotemployment. The face of this area began to change and a rayof hope began to be seen by the people of this area.” Hefurther quotes P. P. Marakwar, then President of the ZillaParishad, Chandrapur: “According to me, for thedevelopment of Chandrapur district, no other person hasworked so much, has done so much. And among those whoworked for this district, the best and the maximum wasdone by our Bishop and his name shall be written in goldenletters in the annals of the history of Chandrapur.”11 Nagorao Kadam, “Evangelization and Social Development in Chanda,” in Thomas Aykara, ed., A Missiology for Third Millennium, 164.

Carmelites of Mary Immaculate 30 CMIssion July-September 20179. Evangelization as ‘Sharing Everything Dynamically Divine’Mar Januarius was convinced of the fact that, as the head ofthe Church in Chanda, the three million people of this vastterritory was entrusted to his care. He assumed hisresponsibility conscientiously. His motto “SambhajemahiDivyani” was an expression of his mandate in the light of thesecond Vatican Council’s teachings, which he received firsthand, attending its sessions. Along with very elaborate explanations for his motto,Mar Januarius had also put it very succinctly: “We shareeverything with you – both material and spiritual.”1 Thevision behind this attitude of sharing was the convictionthat the one and only God is the ultimate source of all ourresources and that these resources are meant to be sharedwith and partaken by all our fellow human beings.According to him, “It can mean nothing other thanconsciously getting involved in the great process ofredemption and development.” The story of the growth ofChanda Mission is a testimony to the fact that the MissionSuperior had directed all his resources – manpower,infrastructures and materials – towards the realization ofthis sharing.10. Entry Points to the PeripheriesA Chanda missionary would reach a centre in order to reachto the unreached, those who are on the peripheries of thesociety. Chanda developed a missiology of its own withregard to the first contacts that are established in a newplace. Fr. Joseph Koikara CMI refers to an incident when aboy came to meet him in the presbytery:1 “Exarch’s Letter,” in Exarchate of Chanda Newsletter, January- February 1973. A write-up by Mar Januarius on his motto “Sambhajemahi Divyani” is given at the end of this article.

Chirapurath 31 Mar Januarius PalathuruthyI entertained him opening the radio to hear some music. Idid not ask for his whereabouts. After sometime he wentaway telling me that he stayed at the Balharshah Basti. Inarrated this incident to Mar Januarius when he cameback from Rome. He expressed his displeasure as I hadnot collected more information from the boy and wentwith him to his house to maintain the contact.1According to Mar Januarius, an acquaintance with a personshould lead a missionary further to reach out to families, thevillage, and its leaders (the mukhya or tribe’s head in the caseof the Adivasis).A medicine kit was part of a missionary’s gear on avillage visit for it was a dire need. Fr. Daniel ThottakkaraCMI, the first missionary of Brahmapuri, would have somemore items meant for the children in the village. In the firstweek of his arrival at Brahmapuri, he wrote to the MissionSuperior:2I request Your Lordship to grant me the followingsubsidy:Initial survey and study of the area 075.00Medicine Kit (carried along during village visits) 100.00Entertaining Children 015.00Another entry point was buying agricultural land andstarting model farms. The Chanda missionary was carefulnot to have a farm house, bungalow, gaadi-ghoda type ofappearance before the poor peasant folk of the village.Perhaps, he was the only Catholic or Christian in the village.His lifestyle should not be a hindrance to the missionary inestablishing a centre in a strange place and among a peopleto whom he would belong. The remote station at Koperali inthe district of Gadchiroli was named Kisanwadi, where themissionary began with agricultural operations and went on1Joseph Koikara CMI, On His Way in Chanda Mission, 2013, 18-19.2Daniel Thottakara CMI, Letter from Brahmapuri to Mar Januarius, dated 27 July 1966.

Carmelites of Mary Immaculate 32 CMIssion July-September 2017to establish a Christian community. Almost similar was thecase of Balapur (Talodhi) where the mission station wasestablished even without a single local Catholic family. The CRS sponsored Food-for-Work programme was agreat relief for the underemployed and starving thousandsin the Chanda villages for several years. In addition to thesocial and economic benefits that the villagers received, theprogramme was a means to contact the villagers. It was alsoenvisaged as a self-help programme for the poor villagefarmers. Under this scheme, practically all the missionstations of Chanda had undertaken projects of levelling theagricultural land, construction of the village roads andwater reservoirs, drilling wells for drinking water andagriculture purpose, etc. Fr. Mathew Njarakkat noted thatunder such schemes, at certain stages, up to 600 people wereemployed under the supervision of Prabhu Sadan, Tarsa, ona daily basis.1 In the beginning of the Chanda Mission, attached toevery centre, there was a rural dispensary, helped by acentral hospital. Alapalli, Wirur, Wasa, Brahmapuri,Bheemaram, and Indervelli were such hospitals, which werea consolation for the sick and the invalid rural folk; thesewere not in the urban centres. Christ Hospital, in the heartof Chandrapur, came into existence only in 2002. Practically, Balbhavans at all Mission Stations weremeant for the education and all-round development of thevillage children as responsible citizens. The boarding housesalso became a means of establishing contacts with newfamilies and villages, and of consolidation of the faith of theneophytes.1Mathew Njarakkat CMI, “Interview Notes from the Documen- tation of the History of the Chanda Mission,” 3.

Chirapurath 33 Mar Januarius Palathuruthy11. Small Farm Projects for Mission CentresChanda Mission had made a preferential option for the ruralfolk. Agricultural activities attached to Mission Stationswere envisaged as an entry point in all new missions. Theyalso provided the priest-in-charge with plenty ofopportunities to acclimatize himself with the groundrealities there. Farming was spontaneous for all the Chandamissionaries, who had hailed from agricultural backgroundin Kerala. The vision behind it was captivating, and easilytempting the potential collaborators to be part of this nobleand modest project. However, the missionary wasconstantly reminded of his mission, i.e., evangelization, andnot any other subsidiary work. For example, see the detailsof a project submitted to the CRS: To bring under wet cultivation using the best available methods about 10 to 15 acres of land; to make the mission centre basically self-supporting at a cost of $5,000 which will include price of land, fencing, levelling, 2 wells and 2 pump sets, 2 pairs of bullocks, other agricultural implements, fertilizer, improved seeds, and a small farm house. If we can raise 200 cwts of rice or wheat per year, we can reasonably support a station of 12 persons. The advantages of the scheme are: (1) This will avoid the danger of the “Mission Station becoming a big business and agricultural concern.” (2) The Mission Station will easily get integrated with the small farmer group of the village. (3) This can easily become a source of inspiration and model for all the people around. (4) The centre can easily form cooperative societies of farmers, becoming itself a leading member of it…1The above mentioned policies and programmes are part andparcel of the vision for the expansion of the Churchactivities in Chanda for several decades.1Project received by the CRS India Program, New Delhi on 2 April 1968 (Balharshah Archives).

Carmelites of Mary Immaculate 34 CMIssion July-September 201712. Interplay of Social Apostolate and EvangelizationIn the early days, social engagement was met withindifference and prejudice from many people. This,however, resulted in opening up new avenues for theevangelizers. At first we met with opposition everywhere. We found the people non-receptive and even prejudiced against Christianity. However, we had certain objectives, plans and policies… Together with the spreading of the message of the Gospel, we aimed at the improvement of the socio-economic conditions of the people. As we preached the Word of God, we fought against hunger, disease, and ignorance.1These activities were helpful to create a disposition amongthe people whose good will was gained. These activitieswere entry points to the villages and tribal pockets inremote areas. As they preached the Word of God, they fought againsthunger, disease, and ignorance. The missionaries gave thepeople “something to eat,” physically and spiritually. Theywere “consciously getting involved in the great process ofredemption and development.” Nagorao Kadam, the ProjectCoordinator in the Department of Social Work, Diocese ofChanda, once recalled: “In the sixties, the socio-economicsituation of the majority of the people of Chanda wasdeplorable. The pioneering missionaries of Chanda, underthe dynamic leadership of Bishop Januarius, did not ignorethe socio-economic needs of the people while meeting theirspiritual needs.”21Mar Januarius’ Address at the CMI Bishops and Major Superiors’ Meet, Ernakulam, 1978.2 Nagorao Kadam, “Evangelization and Social Development in Chanda,” in Thomas Aykara, ed., A Missiology for Third Millennium, 164-165.

Chirapurath 35 Mar Januarius Palathuruthy According to Fr. Eugene Thomas Kizhakkethalackal CMI,who belonged to the first group of missionaries and workedin Chanda for over four decades, Bishop Januarius askedthem not to give to the people the creed as it is: What Father Januarius asked us to give to the people was not the creed as it was; for it would have been indigestible for the people. If the creed was preached, I doubt whether Christianity would be planted here and grown at all… Most of the interior villages of Chanda were neglected by the government and the non- governmental agencies at that time… In this context, Bishop Januarius asked us to give Christ … who took birth from a poor woman … in a manger and who lived as a poor man for the salvation of humanity. He wanted us to present Christ who was rejected, persecuted, abused, and killed for sinners. We were asked to communicate the mind of Jesus, who could feel with the people, who fed the hungry, who shed tears with the weeping and identified with the marginalized. This made a tremendous difference in our whole missionary endeavour. We had to live what we preached before we went to the people. We had to make the people convinced that we who had come from a distant land sincerely meant their physical and spiritual liberation. Bishop Januarius knew if Christ is not presented in this way to the people of Chanda he would not be acceptable to them.1In fact, all these concepts were already included in hismotto. He wanted it to be sound theologically,sociologically, and economically. The term sharing,according to him, included whatever virtues we wish totransmit and communicate:1Eugene Thomas Kizhakkethalackal CMI, “Bishop Januarius, Our Father,” in Thomas Aykara, ed., A Missiology for Third Millennium, 173-174.

Carmelites of Mary Immaculate 36 CMIssion July-September 2017 In choosing a motto I wished that it should be deeply spiritual and capable of satisfying the deepest spiritual cravings of the human soul. It must also reflect the highly modern attitude of the human society in its theological, ecclesial, and social vision. Finally, it should be one that could be realized in all our day-to-day ordinary efforts in the Mission. ‘Sambhaje’ is the word that suggested itself in Christian theology. It is the highest expression of the mystical and dynamic divine existence of the most Holy Trinity. It has also the flare of the finest relation. Between man and man of this age, between one who gives and one who receives, one who teaches and one who is taught, one who serves and one who is served. Even the words ‘serve and service’ have already acquired a notoriety of a bourgeois society; service has become the privilege of the ‘privileged’. The present mood, however, is of sharing. Besides, sharing is the great process of redemption. Incarnation of Christ is nothing but a sharing of the Divine with the human and that of the human with the Divine. We become partakers of the Divine (2 Pet 1:4). In its Sanskrit form, sambhaje is borrowed from the Vedic literature (Rgveda).1The missionaries of Chanda realized that, in their efforts, thespiritual should embrace the material, or else the juggernautof secularization will swallow human beings; for, such wasthe speed of science and technology affecting every aspect oflife. Church cannot afford to lose sight of the dark realitiesof ignorance and poverty. The Chanda initiative was laudedby Bishop Antony Cardinal Padiyara, the head of the Syro-Malabar Church: “The society in which we live isundergoing a profound transformation. The process ofevangelization must search for new horizons and deeper1Newsletter of the Exarchate of Chanda, December 1973, 1-2.

Chirapurath 37 Mar Januarius Palathuruthydimensions. And in this regard, I am glad to note that thediocese of Chanda proposes new initiatives, tries newexperiments, and joins the struggle of the Indian society toliberate itself from the dungeon of ignorance, slavery, andpoverty.”1 The vision of Chanda included the mission to rescue andlead the people, especially the vulnerable sections, towardsa new society based on love, freedom, equality, and justice –the Kingdom of God, which was Christo-centric. The mainobjective was to liberate all those who were on theperipheries of the society – the poor, the marginalized, thetribals, harijans, and women. Over and above the several programmes arrangedperiodically, it is the life of witnessing, which contributed tothe faith formation of the people. Reaching out to the ruralpockets of the territory, living there with the people and forthe people, initiating developmental programmes for them,etc., largely contributed to the formation of the communitiesof believers, and consolidation of their new faith. Right from the beginning of our mission in Chanda, Bishop Januarius used to tell us that we are here not for establishing monasteries or constructing buildings. We are here to penetrate the interior villages and to work for the Lord. Our people are in the villages. We have to go to these villages to preach the message of our Lord and give them the love of Christ, through our actions and effort and make small communities. It is true that his instructions kept me going until today. I don’t regret that I have come to Chanda and mostly worked in the villages. I could be with them, I could identify with them,1Mar Antony Padiyara in Joseph Koikara CMI, ed., 25 Years of Chanda Mission, Silver Jubilee Souvenir, Balharshah, 1987, 7.

Carmelites of Mary Immaculate 38 CMIssion July-September 2017 and I could suffer with them, with the inspiration from our Bishop.1The visionary leader’s enthusiasm was infectious. It wasnatural for him to encourage his missionaries by beingbeside them and also pointing the way ahead for them. Inone of his Christmas messages to the fellow Chandamissionaries, Bishop Januarius said: God-made-man is a sign and symbol of the great transformation of man and matter to which we are totally committed. It is incomprehensible that God be found in a manger in a dark and silent night. It is likewise almost incomprehensible that men of great learning, talents, imagination and abilities exile themselves into the rustic labyrinths of an unknown land, clad in hated rags, relishing the rustic bite of jowar, enjoying the comforts of an unfurnished cottage, seeking the company of illiterate, forlorn, uncouth, half-clad and poor people, mixing themselves with their misery and needs. It is equally blissful to witness, through this identification and transformation, the same poor people sprout, grow and emerge into a handsome, respectable and responsible people of God. It is this wonderful miracle that we are witnessing in the far-flung rural and forest areas of our Exarchate [Chanda].”2In 1972, at the completion of the tenth year of the ChandaMission, Mar Januarius reminded his confreres and otherfellow missionaries: “The supreme aim of the Mission is toproclaim the Good News of the Lord Jesus. Therefore, let usgo forward, enter the farthest and the remotest cornerswhere no one has reached so far. If we need personnel forthis purpose, we need to have them.”1Philip Neri Payyappilly CMI, “Ecstasy and Agony,” in Thomas Aykara, ed., A Missiology for Third Millennium, 175.2Bishop Januarius Palathuruthy CMI, “Christmas Letter, 1972.”

Chirapurath 39 Mar Januarius Palathuruthy13. ‘The Desert Has Blossomed’With his vision and strategy for the peripheries, MarJanuarius had not positively ‘constructed’ much - buildingsor institutions - in the towns and cities. Nor did he for thatmatter go after ‘projects’ aiming solely at the socio-economicdevelopment of his people at the cost of proclaiming theGospel. Archbishop Eugene D’Souza, who was instrumental inmaking the Chanda Event of 1962 (an ad gentes mission forthe Syro-Malabar Church in north India) possible, recalledon the occasion of Chanda’s silver jubilee: It was literally a wilderness and often I would find it hard to remain in the few stations that we had at Balharshah, Sirpur-Kaghaz Nagar and Bellampalli. We had only an old priest taking care of the faithful in what was then the far flung areas of the Archdiocese of Nagpur. Some time ago I had an opportunity of coming back to Chanda and Balharshah and in the process I visited a few stations. The whole place is charged and is buzzing with activity. So many new stations have been opened out and so many labourers, Priests, Sisters, Brothers have come to work in this part of the vineyard of the Lord. Truly the desert has blossomed and bloomed.Mar Januarius spoke on the same occasion of the Jubilee,thanking everybody: Our efforts were mainly people-oriented. Our contacts were family-to-family and with small village groups. We started from the periphery, the abandoned, difficult areas – and slowly moved towards towns and cities with institutions later as a support of our new Christian communities. The method had its effects. We could establish a living church – a people of God, spread out in the interior regions of the diocese. The only reason we achieved

Carmelites of Mary Immaculate 40 CMIssion July-September 2017 this much success is the continuous and abundant support of the Holy Spirit who was hovering over Chanda as the same spirit was doing during the first centuries in other parts of the world. Another factor is the total dedication and willingness of our missionaries to encounter any difficult and unpleasant situation in this effort of carrying the Good News to every corner of Chanda.When Chanda was entrusted to the Syro-Malabar Church, itwas considered an ‘experiment’ by many. The CMICongregation, Mar Januarius, and his band of dedicatedmissionaries took this ‘experiment’ with due seriousness.Theirs was a march to the peripheries, creatively involvingthemselves in the lives of the people of the region, sharingwith them everything that was dynamically divine. Whatthis band of missionaries was doing was to deliberately getinvolved in the redemption and development of the peopleentrusted to their care. The ‘Chanda experiment’ wasconsidered to be succeeding when Chanda was raised to anexarchate and, then, a diocese and new territories wereentrusted to the Syro Malabar Church. Chanda was, thus, considered a trendsetter. In the wordsof Mar Januarius: Our Mission was a land where the message of Jesus Christ was not announced, and there was not even a single Catholic belonging to this place. But, by the grace of God, we have now more than 20,500 Catholics who willingly accepted Christ newly from this land itself. The method that Chanda followed in its efforts of evangelization is nothing but the repetition of what the Apostles did in their own time. We did not imitate or compete; rather, Chanda was a challenge to the time…11Mar Januarius, “25 Years of Chanda Diocese,” in Joseph Koikara CMI, ed., 25 Years of Chanda Mission: Silver Jubilee Souvenir, Balharshah, 1988.

Chirapurath 41 Mar Januarius Palathuruthy14. ConclusionIn his first letter to the Syro-Malabar Hierarchy in 1963, sixmonths after his taking over as the Mission Superior, MarJanuarius had said about the relevance of the ChandaMission: “It is an invitation … to make use of new methodsin the evangelization of India – and new methods areurgently needed.” The long 28 years of his being at the helmof affairs in Chanda was a time of applying simple methodscongenial to the local ethos, and comprehensible to thepeople of the locality, in building up a Church from theperipheries. The architect of Chanda Mission relinquished the officein 1990. He was then 77 years old. Post-retirement, hecontinued to live at the Bishop’s Home at Balharshah. Hehad suffered from the loss of memory which had put him tosome difficulties and sufferings. The words of his confidanteand long-time associate, the late Fr. MathewKaniamparampil CMI suffice to conclude this narrative,which attempted a sketch of a great missionary leader:“When bishop Januarius received the call of the Lord to hiseternal reward at 7.20 pm on 28 March 1995, he was acontended man, who saw in his own lifetime his visionactualized, his mission largely accomplished, andvigorously forging ahead under the leadership of hissuccessor Bishop Vijay Anand. The personality and thecharismatic leadership given by Mar Januarius will ever beremembered in the golden annals of the history of theChanda Mission, and of the ecclesiastical history of centralIndia. His personality was so inspiring and his methodologyso unique that his own desired epitaph reads thus: ‘He didnot imitate; he did not compete; but he was a challenge ofthe times.’”11 Mathew Kaniamparampil, “A Unique Approach to Evangeli- zation,” in Thomas Aykara, ed., A Missiology for Third Millennium, 40. “His desired epitaph” inscribed on the tombstone at St.

Carmelites of Mary Immaculate 42 CMIssion July-September 2017Appendix 1: Mar Januarius’ Motto and Coat of ArmsThe genius of the philosopher guide of Chanda is at its bestin the selection of the motto and coat of arms. That hecreated a verse in Sanskrit for the motto was quite a novelty.Given below is the explanation offered by Mar Januariushimself in 1973: Sambhajemahi Divyani: “Let us shareeverything dynamically divine.” Mar Januarius writes as early as 3 June 1964 to the Inter-Nuntio to direct him with regard to making a logo andmotto. His background in philosophy and at-homeness withwhatever is genuinely local and people-related in theirmaterial and spiritual needs find a reflection in the symbolsand words selected for the motto. ‘Sambhajemahi Divyani’ is aSanskrit phrase which can mean nothing other than“sharing everything dynamically divine,” i.e., consciouslygetting involved in the great process of redemption anddevelopment. His explanation reads as follows: “I could not translate Sambhajemahi Divyani into Englishwithout doing violence to its rich content and connotations.Sambhaje means ‘to share’; sambhajemahi is optative, firstperson plural, meaning ‘let us share’; divyani means all thatis pertinent to God. “In choosing a motto I wished that it should be deeplyspiritual and be capable of satisfying the deepest spiritualcravings of the human soul. It must also reflect the highlymodern attitude of the human society in its theological,ecclesial and social vision. Finally, it should be one thatcould be realized in all our day-to-day ordinary efforts ofthe mission activities. “Sambhaje [sharing] is the word that suggested itself inChristian theology. It is the highest expression of themystical and dynamic divine existence of the most Holy Thomas Cathedral, Balharshah, is part of Mar Januarius’ own speech (quoted above) at the silver jubilee celebrations which highlighted the methodology of Chanda Mission.

Chirapurath 43 Mar Januarius PalathuruthyTrinity. It has also the flare of the finest relation betweenmen of this age, between one who gives and one whoreceives, one who teaches and one who is taught, one whoserves and one who is served. Even the words “serve andservice” have already acquired a notoriety of a bourgeoissociety; service has become the privilege of the ‘privileged’.The present mood, however, is of sharing. Besides, sharingis the great process of redemption. Incarnation of Christ isnothing but a sharing of the Divine with the human and thatof the human with the Divine. We become partakers of theDivine (2 Pet 1:4). In its Sanskrit form, sambhaje is borrowedfrom the Vedic literature (Rgveda). “Divyani eludes all translation. I conceive it as“everything dynamically divine” – God in his pureexistence, in all his reflections, creating and preserving – allthe process of action and reaction, evolution anddevelopment towards the total fulfilment. “Hence ‘Sambhajemahi Divyani’ can mean nothing otherthan “sharing everything dynamically divine,” i.e.,consciously getting involved in the great process ofredemption and development.”Motto Incorporated in the Coat of Arms“We have tried to symbolize all these ideas in our Coat ofArms. At the centre we have a letter similar to OM inSanskrit; but in reality it is AM in Sanskrit, i.e., Alpha andOmega. Here we have the same teaching of using shabda toname the inexpressible God according to both Hindu andChristian traditions. “It also represents the Holy Trinity – the Father, thecreator by Alpha; the Son, the redeemer by a strokeresembling a Cross, and the Holy Spirit, the sanctifier, lightand guide, by a dot in the form of a burning wick. “The dynamic existence of the Holy Trinity isrepresented by three concentric rotating circles. This life is

Carmelites of Mary Immaculate 44 CMIssion July-September 2017eternally diffusing. This external dynamism is representedby three parallel wave-like lines running in both directions. “The effect of this Existence is the whole creation both inits static and dynamic forms involving material andspiritual beings. Material really consists of a gamut ofexistence – beginning from the minutest atom reaching upto the perfect man. In between we have millions of formsacting and reacting, evolving and developing. Food standsin the middle of this long chain. Hence, to represent thewhole evolution and development of this created world wehave chosen jowar the staple food of Chanda; thesupernatural is symbolized as light – a cosmic one – thecrescent. It is chosen also because Chanda is another form ofchand or Chandra meaning the moon. Besides, the moon hasa special significance in the Carmel of Mary Immaculate. Wehave tried also to give expression to our artistic involvementin the process by a lotus which is the goddess of Fine Arts(media communications) in the Hindu tradition. “This whole “dynamically divine” with our consciousinvolvement is enclosed in two palms in prayerful pose. Itsshape gives us the impression of a Vedic Altar where burntsacrifices were offered. Hence, we are led to imagine that wego into this “great work” in a pleasant and artistic pose ofprayer and sacrifice. “One casual observer has a very simple way of gettinginto the sense of this Coat of Arms. He takes lotus for sea,jowar for earth, moon for heavens, and the shabda in rotatingcircle for the dynamic man in the centre of universedirecting it. This whole universe is carried in prayerfulhands towards God as its growth and fulfilment. I amsurprised at this insight. “Another friend had a different version. He takes thecrescent for Muslim, lotus for Hindus, and jowar for theAdivasis. All these communities of people were broughttogether in a prayerful curve of arms carrying them to their

Chirapurath 45 Mar Januarius Palathuruthyfinal fulfilment. This ecumenical commentary gives us avery happy and delightful sidelight of our theme which I donot exclude. I pray again: Sambhajemahi Divyani: PravartaniTridevatah.” Mar Januarius Apostolic Exarch of ChandaAppendix 2: The Seven-Point Programme of Mar JanuariusMar Januarius, very much concerned as he was about thefaith formation of the new Christian communities,envisaged a seven-point programme which helped theflowering and fruition of Christian life in Chanda. The sevenpoints are symbols of Christian identity which form thebasis of catechesis, formation and transformation of the firstChristian community of Chanda. These are based on thefaith in Jesus Christ and His Teaching handed down to,maintained and proclaimed by the Church. It is aremembrance of our life incorporated into the body ofChrist by sacraments and nourished by the Eucharist. The seven points are divided into two groups: (1)Symbols of Christian Family and (2) Symbols of ChristianBehaviourSymbols of Christian Family1. Cross of Christ: to bear the burden of our neighbour (Gal 6:2)2. Picture of Christ: person and personality of Christ whose mind we must have3. Bible: Word of God, the answer to all our problems4. Lamp: Christ, the light and guideThese four symbols are installed and enthroned in thefamily with some solemnity. Every evening, at sunset, themembers of the family gather together, light the lamp, saythe family prayers, sing a bhajan, perform arati and veneratethe four symbols by touching them with hands and

Carmelites of Mary Immaculate 46 CMIssion July-September 2017forehead. This is a daily expression of their faith in theperson of Christ.Symbols of Christian Behaviour1. Communitarian Prayer in family and in parish: Approach to God as Our Father2. Unconditional Forgiveness: Approach to others as our brethren3. Sharing what we earn with the needy: Approach to things as family gift of the FatherThese three symbols are the base and norm and fulfilment ofthe ‘New Society’ and ‘New Man’ envisaged in the mysteryof incarnation and redemption.

Celebrating CMI Missions CMI MISSION IN ARGENTINA Fr. Antony Akkappillil CMI St. Paul’s Province, MysuruIntroductionThe preliminary works of CMI Argentina Mission wasstarted, in 2004, when Fr. Thomas Ayankudy was theProvincial. Fr. Roy Kochuvelikkakath, Fr. JoyKuchupurackal, Fr. Chacko Parakkattukuzhy, and Fr.Abraham Kandathinkara were the pioneers in the mission.They worked in the Diocese of Oran in the North Argentina.Fr. Abraham and Fr. Chacko had to return due to healthissues; Fr. Joy and Fr. Roy continued and, later, Fr. ThomasAyankudy joined them as he completed his tenure asProvincial. Later, our Fathers had to move to Buenos Aires,Diocese of Lomas de Zamora of central Argentina, wherethey had better facilities. Fr. Jose Panthaplamthottiyil, thethen Prior General, and late Fr. George Thanchan visited ourmission. Provincials Fr. Varghese Koluthara and Fr. JosephRathapillil also visited the mission during their tenure asProvincials. In 2013, Fr. Thomas Ayankudy moved to theDiocese of Azul, to a parish church owned by CarmeliteFathers. In the same year, Fathers Antony Akkappillil, JoseJoseph Pallattu, and Joy Kamugumpally joined the mission.In 2014, Fr. Joy Kochupurackal moved from the Diocese ofLomas to Azul to join with Fr. Thomas Ayankudy.CMI Mission Centres and ParishesIn the Diocese of Lomas de Zamora, we are entrusted withthree parishes. Fr. Joy Kamugumpally is the parish priest ofSagrado Corazon de Jesus and Nuestra Sra del Rosario deSan Nicolas. The parish consists of a main parish church andfour station churches. This church is handed over to him 47

Carmelites of Mary Immaculate 48 CMIssion July-September 2017from Fr. Joy Kuchupurackal. This is a vast zone with aroundfifty thousand Christians. But only 5 per cent of the totalChristian population attends the church activities. It is verydifficult to reach out to the people as the population is hugein number. The people are generally poor. There are issuesof drug, violence, robbery, etc. But none of them pose anythreat to our Fathers. Daily Eucharistic celebration,attending funerals, visiting the sick people, organizing aidfor the poor, house visits and inviting people to the church,conducting baptisms in a massive manner, organizingretreats, catechism of children and adults, etc., are the mainactivities in this community. Holy Masses with Charismatichealing services attract many people to the church. There are many people waiting to be baptized. There arethousands of people to receive the Holy Communion andother sacraments. As priests, we visit houses and catechizethe people; they respect priests and co-operatewholeheartedly. Our Fathers have worked a lot andrenewed this church into a lively and vibrant one. Theyhave a special love towards Indian priests. Large numbersof people gather together for our Eucharistic celebrationscompared to that of Argentine priests. As per local practices,anybody can attend services in any church; there is noparish restriction as we strictly observe in Indian situations.Due to our presence in this church the community has got afacelift in their spiritual life as well as their overall welfare.Naturally, therefore, people look forward to have moreIndian priests.Father Jose Pallattu CMIFr. Jose has been appointed the administrator of the parishImmaculado Corazon de Maria, Monte Grande, in 2015.This is a beautiful and well-organized church. It has got twostation churches also. Around 300 children participate in thecatechism. Family catechism is another mark of this church.