The
“stories” are all about specific people and places, but they resonate with
the experience of universal human nature. They can, therefore, find an echo in
the heart of every reader across the globe. They weave a range of emotions,
joyful or otherwise; they provide inspiration and awe. They evoke prayerful
reverence.
We
trust you will truly ‘enjoy’ these missionary tidbits and appreciate the
depth of spirituality, the sincerity of purpose, the motivational idealism, and
the total commitment to fulfilling a mission... that form the leit motif
of this Selection of Stories that come from the heart of the Loving Fields.”
(Foreword)
EXCERPTS
7.
A powerful kick
Fr Joseph A. Arroyo
It
has often been said that the train and public buses are excellent ‘pulpits’
to let others know our faith. Be it through our example or a friendly
conversation... How on earth could I suspect that a powerful and well-directed
kick was to create around me an atmosphere of admiration, friendliness and
respect?
We
were no more than six passengers in that compartment, when the train left
Ahmedabad one warm Sunday evening. All of us were a peaceful lot. Well, all
except one who soon proved to be gifted with a high-pitched, provoking voice. It
happened like this. The door at the left side, though which we were expected to
descend, was apparently locked. Already at the second stop, people, trying to
get in, blamed those inside for taking unlawful measures to travel comfortably.
That
misunderstanding irritated my ill-tempered neighbour. From then on, at every
station he would lean out of the window and shout out, calling the guard,
officers and railway authorities bedding them to do their duties, etc., etc. At
Mehmdabad, where the train stopped longer, things took a bad turn. The guard
actually came, people thronged around the spot... and finally a conductor
produced a bundle of keys. Soon they discovered that the door was not locked but
jammed due to the heavy rains. So two men pulling from outside and the irritated
passenger pushing from inside, tried their best to throw open that door. But to
no avail.
Finally,
I stood up and came close to the scene. Getting ready from a distance, I kicked
the door with all my strength and immediately it flung open, amidst the
consternation of both parties, seeing a white cassock hiding such powerful
limbs. I am sure they never suspected that a Catholic missionary could make use
of his legs so efficiently... “Blessed are the feet of those who preach the
Gospel.”
8.
Lofty heights
Fr Eduardo Gadea
“At
last I have thought it time to take advantage of the offer of His Highness the
Maharana of Porbander and fly there from Rajkot. His Highness wished his
Secretary to assure me of His great pleasure in sending me a free ticket. It was
10.15 this morning, November 12, when we left Rajkot. The pilot, Mr Rogers, is a
Catholic, and had the honour of piloting H.G. the Archbishop of Bombay when over
the Island a fortnight ago. We flew at a height of 2000 feet between Rajkot and
Jamnagar. Here we landed for ten minutes to take in the mail, and then rose to
an average height of 4000 feet to avoid the mountains of central Kathiawar.
We
landed safely at 11.30. It takes about 12 hours by train!
During the journey I said my Itinerarium and part of the Divine Office, to
praise God from the air with the official Prayer of the Church, and to thank Him
for putting these modern and rapid ways of transport within the reach of a poor
missionary. How small the earth looks when we look up at the skies! But how much
smaller when we look at it from the sky! The mightiest building and towns there
look just like children’s toys...
Taken
for a ride
It
was in a third class compartment of the B.B. & C.I. Railway. A deaf and dumb
man approached us for an alms. It was quite a genuine case, if we had to believe
the writing on his breast announcing the fact. I knew that Fr Bastons had
neither gold nor silver. Imagine my surprise, when he produced a Rupee and
showed it to the beggar.
“Explain
to me,” coaxed the Father, “how you became deaf and dumb and I will give
this to you...”
At
the sight of the shining silver, the answer came forth at once in rolling
Gujarati to the amused gaiety of all the passengers...
BISHOP'S
MESSAGE
Rt
Rev Thomas Macwan, Bishop of the Ahmedabad Diocese [Gujarat], gifted each of his priests with a copy of “The Loving Fields” at Easter
2006. In his message enclosed in the book the Bishop stated:
“I
am happy to present this memento on the occasion of Easter. This small book
contains the actual stories of some of the
pioneering Jesuit missionaries who worked relentlessly in Ahmedabad diocese and
in Gujarat. Their earnest zeal for souls and enthusiasm for evangelization was
extraordinary. They lived a simple and prayerful life. They had very little to
provide for themselves and to give to the people of God. Their total dependence
was on the Providence of God.
The
small seeds which they had sowed have germinated into mighty trees with the
passing of time. This is precisely because they nurtured young plants with love,
care, concern and spiritual food. Today we are enjoying the fruits of their
labour. It is worthwhile going though the life stories of those great
missionaries who have left a legacy for us to reflect and to imitate.
I
thank and appreciate Rev Fr Hedwig Lewis, SJ, the editor of the book named, “THE
LOVING FIELDS true stories of Pioneer Missionaries”, who has taken special
interest in compiling these beautiful hidden stories of our missionaries from
the TAM.
Perspectives
Fr
Lewis continues to regale us with interesting reading which is also
inspirational, especially for the younger generation. In this booklet he
collects stories, most of them by twenty pioneers of the Gujarat Catholic
Church, five of whom are Indian and the others Spaniards (their photos are given
in the index page). They all died between 1882 and 2002. The stories had been
published in a small bulletin
called The Ahmedabad Missionary (TAM) and refer to the lives of those
missionaries who worked among the poorest of the poor between 1930s and 1960.
The missionaries are not always the heroes of these snippets: heroes like Lucy
the young and proud mother, or the 73 years old Sabina, touch the heart. They
show us the real stuff of Christian living.
G.
Gispert-Sauch, SJ, Vidyajyoti Journal of Theological Reflection, July
2006, p 545
The
sub-title "True Stories of Pioneer Missionaries," perhaps is
misleading. These aren't stories but actual life experiences of the
Catholic missionaries who worked in Gujarat. They evoke a range of emotions in
the readers: joy, pity, surprise, humour, and sorrow. They m
provide inspiration and awe. Fr Hedwig, a prolific writer, articulates the faith
of the pioneer missionaries and love they exhibited towards the people. These
tidbits will surely enchant all those who read and help one develop a spiritual
outlook towards the day-to-day events of life.
Francis
Gamailyel, SDB, JIVAN, October 2006, p 24
