Fr. Amatus Kallarackal

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139 IX FR AMATUS KALLARACKAL CMI (1924-2008) A CHOSEN ONE TO BE ON THE ALTAR Fr. Dr. Varghese Koluthara CMI Life is a journey. Heavenly Father designed it for us out of His love and each of us has a unique experience of it. But for Fr Amatus, Heavenly Father designed it to be a special 'pilgrim's progress' all through his life's journey. When I look at his pilgrimage amidst us, I see it as an epitome of divine experience. He was a walking saint among us. He walked his life with us in roaring silence. Grooming a saint at the lap of his mother He was born as the second son of Mr. Chandy and Mrs. Mariam in Thudanganad near Thodupuzha of Pala Eparchy (Diocese) in the family called Kallarackal (Varikkamackal) on 19th August 1924. He was christened as Mathew. But he was fondly called at home as 'Kuttappan' by his parents. He was raised like the Jesus of Nazareth. His parents instilled in him, love of God and gave a taste for leading a life of the chosen one. They set in him an urge at an early age to lead

140 an exemplary life. The love for God made him realize that he was meant for a divine life, a life of religious priesthood. He grew up enjoying the company of his siblings Abraham, Elykutty and Mariakutty (Sr. Dolores SMMI). At the age of 5, his father passed away. It was a shock for the whole family. But his mother was a bold woman and she groomed them without giving the shock of the death of her husband. Thus 'Kuttappan' grew up under the caring protection of his mother. It is his mother who groomed him in her lap to discern what is right and what is wrong, and he grew up with utmost sincerity, simplicity, and openness. His mother’s prayerful life and readiness for fasting and doing penance instilled in him a natural thirst for religiosity. From childhood onwards Kuttappan used to show enthusiasm for reciting rosary and doing acts of penances. This family background created an ambience in Kuttappan to choose the religious life at an early stage. Mr. Alexander Kallarackal (Joy) his nephew, a professor of St. Thomas College, Pala, writes that in his school days at leisure time Kuttappan and Ousepachan (later Fr. Blais OFM) used to enact funeral service at home. Either Ousepachan or somebody else will enact oneself as a dead

141 person and will lie down in the coffin and 'Kuttappan’ will sing the songs that they used to hear at funerals and will incense the body and sprinkle it with water imitating the funeral rituals. He completed his schooling in three places namely, Mundankal, Thudanganad and Piravithanam in Pala. It is said that his mother used to send him with noon meals in a packet every day in his school days. Very often without the knowledge of mother he used to give it to his poor colleagues who were hungry and 'Kuttappan' will wash his hands and face along with others making others feel that he had full meals. He used to do it in anonymity. His mother or family members did not notice it. Above all he learned the Christian virtues and religiosity at the lap of his mother. Blooming to be a Religious It was Fr. Chrysostom CMI who was the rector of Dharmaram College and his maternal uncle who guided him and encouraged him to join in the CMI religious community. At the age of 18 in 1942, 'Kuttappan' Kallarackal joined in the pre-novitiate at Mannanam and he was under the guidance of Fr. Isaias CMI. After the pre- novitiate training, he was sent to the St. Theresa's Novitiate in Ambazhakkad. His novice master was Fr. Garvasius CMI. The beautiful part of Fr. Amatus is said to be the time he had spent in the Novitiate. Here he started the taste for

142 religious life, it is said that whatever virtues he learned in the Novitiate he continued to practice till the death of his life on 8th September 2008, on the feast of the Nativity of our Blessed Mother. He enjoyed the silence, the meditation methods that were taught to him, the thapasa methods of purifying oneself. He used to place small pieces of rocks under his sleeping bed and under his pillow. He used to wear 'mullaranjanam' to practice self- mortification. He continued these practices of self-mortification wherever he stayed. It is said that during the novitiate he used to compete with his own colleague, Fr. Manjus CMI, in practicing virtues and growing up in the path of sanctity. Thus, he understood the meaning of religious life and the motive behind St. Chavara's dream of leading a thapasa life in the midst of very many activities for proclaiming the kingdom of God and different dimensions of Christ's life. At the end of the novitiate, he made his first profession on 15th October 1948 and Kuttappan Kallarackal became Amatus Kallarackal CMI. It is in Koonammavu, he studied philosophy. Fr. Casianos was his master during those years of studies. He continued his theological formation under the guidance of Fr. Paulinus CMI, and Fr. Canisius CMI. He was ordained priest on 6th December 1955 along with his colleagues

143 Manjus J Kalappurackal CMI, E C John CMI and Thomas Kalarickal CMI. Proclaiming the Good News to the World in Roaring Silence Immediately after his ordination, he was asked to be in the Novitiate to help the novices at St. Theresa's Novitiate in Ambazhakkad. He was sincere to the core. They looked at him as a role model to learn the first lessons of religious life. In 1967 he was asked to be the Procurator at the monastery in Vazhakkulam. In 1968, he was asked to be teacher of Syriac language for scholastics at Koonammavu. From 1969-1972 he served as the Councillor for Finance at S.H. Province, Rajagiri, Kalamassery. At the completion of his tenure as the councillor for finance, he was transferred to Christ the King Novitiate in Karukutty. There he was teaching Syriac language to the novices and he also served as their spiritual director and confessor. It was during this time I met Fr. Amatus for the first time in my life. It was in 1973. He was an inspiration for us novices. During the examination of Syriac language, he used to put the questions to us and if we were found struggling to answer them correctly, he used to help us to

144 answer them through his affectionate promptings. For us novices we had two strong pillars of spiritual inspirations on which we could depend and confess our spiritual struggles and they were Fr. Amatus and Fr. Isaias at Karukutty in those days. The parishioners of Karukutty used to address him as an 'angelic priest'. Fr. Romulus Payyappilly narrates that’ when Amatus was in Karukutty on an evening when he was coming from Mampra village to the monastery, a drunkard followed him till the door of the monastery calling him out that, “Here is our Lord Jesus Christ walking in front of me.” When Fr. Amatus opened the door to enter the monastery the drunkard saluted him with 'praise be to Jesus Christ' and went away'. We, the novices have seen many a time Fr. Amatus stretching out his hands and holding rosary in his right hand and looking incessantly in front of crucifix. None of us dared to break the silence there and disturb Fr. Amatus who used to be in his ecstasy. We learned the lessons of silence from him at Karukutty. The same is narrated by Fr. Joseph Edakkery when he was the superior of the Novitiate house in Thandavapura that 'when everyone was asleep in the late night, Fr. Amatus was seen stretching his hands before the crucifix fixing his eyes on Him speaking to Him in silence forgetting the ticking off the clock for long hours. Fr. Joseph Edakkery

145 affirms that he has never seen Fr. Amatus without a rosary in his hands and ejaculations of divine name on his lips. A Passionate Missionary to the Frontiers of the Syro- Malabar Church Under the compulsive invitation of Fr. Frederick Mundathanath, then Regional Superior, Fr. Amatus joined Mysuru province in 1978 at the age of 54 after twenty-three years of religious-priestly ministry in his mother province at Rajagiri, Kalamassery. It is God's providence that instilled in Fr. Amatus the courage to come out of the comfort zone of Rajagiri, Kalamassery S.H. Province and to reach to the frontiers of the Syro-Malabar Church in Karnataka. It was an exodus from the mother province to the mission land in Karnataka. He is a saint sent by God to guide us and to inspire us in our initial struggles to spread the Good News of the Lord in a strange land and in Kannada language. He was a saint walking along with his own CMI missionaries who came from Kalamassery and began to serve the people of God who were struggling in their lives to meet both ends. It is the story of the trekkers. Fr. Amatus was the 'ark of hope’, giving the spiritual energy as 'the pillar of cloud' and the 'pillar of fire' to these missionaries, with his endearing smile and receiving the people with folded hands communicating the inner joy to all those

146 whom he met in his stay in this missionary land. He was a saint walking along with us unassumingly. From Thandavapura, he was appointed as the superior at Shanivarsanthe. After his tenure as superior there, he was asked to take up the pastoral ministry in a typical parish in Marakkadavu, near to Pulppally, Wayanad of Manathavady eparchy. I think, it is the only parish where he served as the parish priest in his life-time. The people of God at Marakkadavu realized soon that they are having a saintly priest as their parish priest. He organized the parish so systematically within a short time that when final bell is gone on Sundays the church would be packed with the parishioners and no one would be late for the Sunday Qurbana. I realized it when I became his successor in Marakkadavu in 1984. They felt that this saintly priest is not making any compulsive notes in his homilies but only instructs them with a compassionate touch. On 1st July 1984, when he started to move out from the Marakkadavu parish, he forbid me not to accompany him. He told me and the people of God gathered there in large numbers that nobody should come with him to see him off to Mysuru as he had no luggage except a small iron trunk and an umbrella. Then he blessed us and started waking to bank of Kabani river, which separated Kerala and Karnataka. Though I stayed back following his instruction, the

147 parishioners followed their 'god of Marakkadavu' touching him and saluting him speaking to him from behind till he crossed the river Kabani at Perikalloor kadavu. For the people of God at Marakkadavu, always they used to ask me on and off regarding the whereabouts of their saint of Marakkadavu -Fr. Amatus-when gone to Mysuru during my one-year stay there as their parish priest. \"A Little Better Always” After his pastoral ministry in Marakkadavu Fr. Amatus was appointed as the superior of the CMI house in Periyapatna in 1984. After three years he was transferred to the CMI house of at Kandali in Hassan. During those years of his stay in Kandali, Fr. Amatus narrated an incident that happened on 17th June 1988. He narrated it during the golden jubilee celebrations of his priestly ordination. There he describes that when he was cleaning the surroundings in our compound in Kandali near to the 10 HP motor pump, the bottom side of his cassock got stuck with the motor pump accidently. In the split of a second he fell down. The cassock was torn apart from his body and he was saved. Fr. Amatus acknowledges with a throbbing heart full of gratitude to the providential care that he experienced at that moment: \"It remains a mystery for me even today of who tore my cassock away from my body at that split moment so that I was saved totally even without a scratch on me.\"

148 Like Mother Mary Fr. Amatus acknowledges and sings with joy and contentment the hymn of Magnificat: \"Almighty has done great things for me and He is great.\" This was the sum and substance of the spirituality of Fr. Amatus. Fr. Thomas Kunianthodath CMI, recollecting back his juniorate experience under the mastership of Fr. Amatus, reminds us that, Fr. Amatus always used to say \"a little better always.\" He was a man of simplicity and enjoyed the company of 'lady poverty' and whenever a transfer comes for him from one place to the other during his pilgrimage in Mysuru, he had only to carry an iron trunk box and an umbrella and nothing else. Fr. Thomas Vithayathil CMI makes a portrait of the holiness of Fr. Amatus in the following words, \"Fr. Amatus spent a good amount of his lifetime in prayer and spiritual reading. Since he had a fundamental spiritual rootedness his presence in the formation houses was a blessing. Simplicity was the hall -mark in his food habits, dress code, health care and journeys. He was a person with warmth in his dealings with others, he cared the poor to the core. He encouraged others to read good books and he made it a point that every CMI house should have a collection of excellent books and a neat library. He took pleasure in working in the library

149 and organizing the books. Receiving the guests with joy and feeding them with care was his trade mark.\" He was the roaring silence of conscience to the authorities when they begin to lose the right track. It is a riddle for me until now why Fr. Amatus dared to come to Karnataka in his late 50's. He did not know the language Kannada but he had the love for Christ burning in him and he wanted to share it to others. In the words of St. Paul, the patron of our province, Fr. Amatus said to himself, 'who can separate me from the love of Christ, and who would block me from preaching the Good News of Christ'? At the fag-end of his Pilgrimage He started his missionary life in Thandavapura and he ended up his life in Thandavapura after forty years of silent but powerful missionary work in Mysuru. On the eve of the feast of the Nativity of our Blessed Mother, before I left for Europe, I went to Fr. Amatus’s room and greeted him the festal wishes, received his blessings and kissed hands. He enquired with me whether I was leaving for Europe and when I said 'yes’ he gave me a smile and wished me a safe journey. 1 never knew that it was going to be the last meeting of me with this saintly soul. At the of 82 he breathed his last on 8th September 2008 evening on the

150 feast of the Nativity of our Lady, when the community in Thandavapura was having their evening prayers. It might be a blessing given to Fr. Amatus by mother Mary to be called to the eternal rest on the feast of her Nativity. It is said that it is unique for this CMI priest to be called on the eternal rest on the Nativity of our Blessed Mother. Fr. James Mekara in his funeral homily of Fr. Amatus expressed that today we are not bidding farewell to his tomb but we are giving a solemn send off to him to his abode in heaven at the end of his pilgrimage on earth. He made his life a melodious song of love and his death was a song of victory. Dear Fr. Amatus, Your life's journey was an example of excellence and truth, bless us with your prayers.

151 X ഞോൻ അറിയുന്ന അമോത്തൂസച്ചൻ ഫോ. ഡ ോമീഷ്യൻ മോണിക്കത്തോൻ സി. എം. ഐ മശ ോ വോക് കർമ്മങ്ങൾ സമരസപ്പെട്ട വയക്തിത്വ മുള്ളവപ്പരയോണ് ഉത്തമ പുരുഷ- ന്മോപ്പരന്നു ോാം പറയുക. ചിന്തിക്കുന്നത്് ഒന്ന,് പറയുന്നത്് ശവപ്പറപ്പയോന്ന്, പ്പവർത്തിക്കുന്നത്് മൂന്നോമപ്പത്ോന്ന് എന്ന വിധത്തിലുള്ളവപ്പര ഉത്തമ പുരുഷന്മോരുപ്പെ ഗണത്തിൽ ോാം പ്പപെുത്തോറില്ല. ല്ലത്് പറയുകയുാം പ്പവർത്തിക്കോത്ിരിക്കുകയുാം പ്പചയ്യുന്നവരുപ്പെ സ്ഥോ വുാം ദുർബുദ്ധികളുപ്പെ കൂട്ടത്തിലോണ.് വന്ദ്യ ോയ അമോത്തൂസ് കല്ലറയ്ക്കലച്ചൻ ഒന്നോമത്് പറഞ്ഞ ഉത്തമ വയക്തികളുപ്പെ ഗണത്തിൽപ്പെട്ട- യോളോപ്പണന്ന് ഉറെിച്ചു പറയോാം. സത്യാം, ീത്ി, സ്ശ ഹാം ത്ുെങ്ങിയവയുപ്പെ പ്പശ ോഷകൻ മോപ്ത്മല്ല അശേഹാം. സവജീവിത്ത്തിൽ ആർക്കുാം കോണോവുന്ന രൂപത്തിൽ അശേഹാം അത്് പ്പചയ്തു കോണിച്ചു. ആദയകോല ശസവ രാംഗങ്ങളോയ അമ്പഴക്കോെ്, വോഴക്കുളാം, കൂ മ്മോവ്, കറുകുറ്റി എന്നിവിെങ്ങളിൽ ‘മോലോഖയച്ചൻ' എന്നശപരിലോണശേഹാം അറിയപ്പെട്ടിരുന്നത്് എന്ന് ഈ ശലഖകൻ ഓർക്കുന്നു. അധികാം ആളുകൾക്ക് അവകോ പ്പെെോവുന്നത്ല്ലിത്.് ക്പ്കസ്വത സുകൃത്ങ്ങളോയ ദോരിപ്ദയാം, അ ുസരണാം,

152 സശഹോദര സ്ശ ഹാം, ദീ ോ ുകമ്പ, ക്ഷമ, ലോളിത്യാം, വി ുദ്ധി, ഭക്തി ത്ുെങ്ങിയവയുപ്പെ ആൾരൂ- പമോയിരുന്നു ബഹു. അമോത്തൂസച്ചൻ. ശവഷ- ഭൂഷോദികളിൽ മോപ്ത്മല്ല, രീരഭോഷയിൽ ശപോലുാം ലോളിത്യാം ിറഞ്ഞു ിന്നിരുന്നു ആ ജീവിത്ത്തിൽ. അമോത്തൂസച്ചൻപ്പറ ജീവിത്ത്തി ്പ്പറ രണ്ോാം ട്ടാം എന്ന് വിശ ഷിെിക്കോവുന്ന മുെത്ു വർഷാം (1978- 2008) ക്മസൂർ മിഷ ിലോണ് അശേഹാം ജീവിച്ചത്.് അശേഹത്തി പ് ്പറ “ഫലോഗമകോലാം” എന്ന് അക്കോലപ്പത്ത വിളിക്കുന്നത്ിൽ പ്പത്റ്റില്ല. മ ുഷയമഹത്വപ്പത്തെറ്റി സങ്കീർത്തകൻ ഇപ്പകോരാം അത്ഭുത്പ്പെെോറുണ്് “കർത്തോശവ, അങ്ങയുപ്പെ ചിന്തയിൽ വരുവോൻ മോപ്ത്ാം എന്തു ശമന്മയോണ് മ ുഷയ ുള്ളത്്? അവിെുപ്പത്ത പരിഗണ ലഭിക്കോൻ മ ുഷയ ് എന്ത് അർഹത്യോണുള്ളത്്? എന്നിട്ടുാം അവിെുന്ന് അവപ്പ ക്ദവദൂത്ന്മോശരക്കോൾ അല്ാപ ം മോപ്ത്ാം ത്ോഴത് ്തി; മഹത്വീകരിച്ചു. മഹത്വവുാം ബഹുമോ വുാം പ്പകോണ്് സവന്താം കരശവലകൾക്കുശമൽ അവ ് ആധിപത്യാം ല്ിക . എല്ലോറ്റിപ്പ യുാം അവിെുന്ന് അവ പ് ്പറ പോദത്തിൻ കീഴിലോക്കി...” (സങ്കീ. 8:4-6) ശമൽ കോണിച്ച ത്ിരുവച ാം അമോത്തൂസച്ച പ് ്പറ ജീവിത്ത്തിൽ സഫലമോയത്് കണ്് മുക്ക് സശന്തോഷിക്കോാം, ക്ദവത്തി ് ന്ദ്ി പറയോാം. അവിെുശത്തക്ക് സ്ുത ത്ി.

153 XI അശേഹം തൃപ്നത ോയിരുന്നു ഫോ. ശ ോണി ശ ോയിക്കര, സി.എം.ഐ അശേഹാം ത്ൃപ്ത ോയിരുന്നു എന്നുാം, എശെോഴുാം, എവിപ്പെയുാം. ഭക്ഷണത്തിൽ, വസ്പ്ത്ത്തിൽ, പോർെിെത്തിൽ, മറ്റ് ഉപശയോഗവസ്ുത ക്കളുപ്പെ കോരയത്തിൽ ഒന്നിലുാം ഒരു പ്പശത്യകത്യുാം ശവണ്ോയിരുന്നു, ഇല്ലോയിരുന്നു. ഒരുപപ്പക്ഷ അത്യോവ യത്തി ് ശവണ്ത്ുശപോലുാം അശേഹത്തി ് ഒരു ിർബന്ധമോയിരുന്നില്ല. ക്ദവത്തിൽ സർവ്വ സമ്പന്നത്യുാം, സർവ്വ മഹത്വവുാം, പൂർണ്ണ ത്ൃപ്ിത യുാം ദർ ിക്കോൻ കഴിഞ്ഞിരുന്നു എന്നത്ോണ് അമോത്തുസച്ച പ് ്പറ വിജയരഹസയാം. സഭയിൽ ശചർന്ന ോൾ മുത്ൽ അശേഹാം ൽകിയിട്ടുള്ള വി ുദ്ധ പ്പശചോ ദ ങ്ങൾ പ്പചറുത്ല്ല. പഠിച്ച്, സവന്തമോക്കോപ്പ ങ്കിൽ ഒരുപോെ് ഉണ്് ആ പുണയശദഹത്തിൽ വിളങ്ങിയിരുന്ന ന്മകൾ. എപ്ത് പരിമിത് സോഹചരയത്തിലുാം ഇണങ്ങി ജീവിച്ചിരുന്നു എന്നത്ു മോപ്ത്മല്ല അവിപ്പെപ്പയല്ലോാം അശേഹാം ത്ികച്ചുാം സന്തുഷ്ട ോയിരുന്നു എന്നത്ോണ് പ് ശദ്ധയാം. ന്മകൾ കണ്ോൽ അത്് എപ്ത് പ്പചറു- ത്ോപ്പണങ്കിലുാം, ആരിലോയോലുാം ഹൃദയയമോയ അഭി ന്ദ് ാം, ശപ്പോൽസോഹ ാം ഉറെ്. ഒരിക്കലുാം

154 ത്പ്പന്ന കുറിച്ചോയിരുന്നില്ല അശേഹത്തി പ് ്പറ പ് ദ്ധ. കൂപ്പെയുള്ളവർക്ക് ഒന്നി ുാം ഒരു കുറവുാം വരുത്തരുത്് എന്നോയിരുന്നു ആപ്ഗഹാം. അത്ി ോൽ അവരുപ്പെ പ്പകോച്ചു പ്പകോച്ചു അവ യങ്ങൾ ശപോലുാം അറിഞ്ഞ് സഹോയിക്കോൻ അത്ീവ ത്ോല്രപ യാം കോണിച്ചിരുന്നു. പ്പശത്യകിച്ച് അഥിത്ികൾ വന്നോൽ അവർക്ക് ആവ യാം വരോവുന്ന പ്പകോച്ചു കോരയങ്ങൾ ശപോലുാം പ് ദ്ധിച്ച് സോഹോയിക്കുാം. ഇത്് അമോത്തുസച്ച പ് ്പറ പ്പശത്യകത്- യോയിരുന്നു. ഒരിക്കൽ അശേഹശത്തോെ് ഞോൻ ഒരു ത്ർക്കാം െത്തി. എന്നോൽ അശേഹമോകപ്പട്ട അസോധോരണമോാം വിധാം ോന്തത്ശയോെുാം വി യശത്തോെുാം കൂെി ി ബദ്ന ോയിരുന്നു. യോയപ്പമല്ലോാം സവപക്ഷത്തോയിരി- ക്കുശമ്പോഴുാം അശേഹാം ത്ർക്കിച്ചിരുന്നില്ല, ബഹളാം കൂട്ടിയിരുന്നില്ല, ത്ികച്ചുാം ോന്തമോയിരുന്നു ആ ജീവിത്ാം. പ്കിസ്ുത വിൽ സാംത്ൃപ്ത ോയിരുന്നു. പൂർണ്ണ ത്ൃപ്ൻത

155 XII

156

157 XIV

158

159

160

161

162 XIV

163 XV

164 XVI XVII

165

166 XVIII

167 XIX

168 XX

169

FROM THE FUNERAL CERIMONEY OF FR. AMATUS Left for eternal reward. The Mortal remains of Fr. Amatus in the Chapel of St. Paul’s Carmel, Thandavapura.

171 Final homage to Fr. Amatus by close relatives

172 Prayerful good-bye from the Members of St. Paul’s Province, Mysuru to their beloved teacher and saintly companion.

173

174 Final homage by the diocese of Mananthavady Final homage by Rev. Fr. Augustine Thottakkara , Rector , Dharmaram College and the Staff

175 The Funeral Holy Mass celebrated by Mar. Joseph Porunnedam , Bishop of Mananthavady The Final Journey

176 The last rites performed by Mar Joseph Porunnedom, Bishop of Mananthavady

177 Final homage to Fr. Amatus by Rev. Fr. Thomas Olickal, Vicar of Thudanganad Parish and the Parish representatives.

178 St. Paul’s Carmel, Thandavapura. It is in this Ashram that Fr. Amatus lived in for fourteen years, including the last days of his life. Sacred Heart Carmel, Shanivarsanthe, where Fr. Amatus lived and served from 1981-1983