A collection of the experiences of fifty years of a Missionary Priest in central India.
Chapter IV
Ordination and first Appointment.
The exciting news ! A priest for ever-
Fr. George Pallivathukal.

Anointed to Bless and to celebrate.
Soon praparations for the ordination started. Information to my sisters and relatives,retreat,printing of cards and souvenirs etc. Bishop Dubbelman wanted to ordain me and my companion Bro.Lucas with his own hands in our Cathedral Church at Jabalpur. So we came to Jabelpur on the 6th of September 1962. On the 7th morning we were ordained deacons by our Bishop. By this we were commissioned to baptize as an official minister of the church,to preach the gospel and to officially distribute communion and assist the sickand the dying.

The First Mass.
The next day on the 9th September I celebrated my first Mass in the St.Thomas' church, Ranchi, one of the parishes of the Jabalpur city. Bishop arranged for my first Mass in Ranchi Parish because my sister Mary George was a member of the Ranchi convent. The parishioners of Ranchi, the Montfort Brothers and the sisters of St. Joseph convent made the celebration of my First Eucharist a memorable event. Bro. Eugene Mary, the Superior of the Montfort community who later became a prist, took care of my relatives from the time they arrived in Jabalpur until they left the place. So I had no worry about them. One of the boys who served at my first Mass Diago Fonseca later became a Norbertine Priest.
My second Mass.
My second Mass on the 10th September was celebrated in the convent chapel of the F.M.M. sisters at Napier Town.The then Superior Mother Xavier (Sr.Maura O'Conner) and the sisters of St.Norbert were very kind to the new priest and they had played an active role during our ordination. The F.M.M sisters are a combination of Franciscan Hospitality, Mission spirituality and Mother Mary's sensitivity.The celebration of my second Mass in the F.M.M convent was a sign of gratitude towards them.
Back to the seminary.
After a week long celebration in Jabalpur Fr. Lucas and myself went back to Ranchi to continue our studies. In the evening I reached the seminary, Fr. Eelen, my spiritual father came to my room and said that he wanted to make his confession. I was nervous and so I tried to make a number of excuse to send him away. But he was insistent. Finally I told him that I did not have stole with me.He took out a stole from his cassock pocket and gave it to me and said here is the stole and knelt down by the side of me. This was the first confession I heard the absolution I gave in my priestly life.We had to attend regular classes and the same time we had plenty of oppertunities to do priestly ministries in the Archdiocese of Ranchi.
We, the new priests were permitted to go home for Christmas holidays. My first Mass in my home parish, Elamgulam, was fixed for the 3rd December 1962, the feast day of St. Francis Xavier. Mass was in Latin. The seminariens from Ranchi who had come for holidays formed the choir. It was a grand celebration. My maternal grandfather was still alive. Tears of joy rolled down from his eyes when he kissed my anoited hands. He gave me a chalice to celebrate Mass every day. I had the joy of meeting my teachers both the of primary school,Elangulam and the high school,Chengalam. Fr.Jacob Kanjirathinal who awakened the desire in me to become a missionary priest was the happiest person on that day.
One of my maternal aunts was very angry that I went for priesthood. She had no children and her husband had died. She thought that after my studies I would get married and have a family of my own and I would look after her. Her calculations went wrong and for pristly studies. Hence she was very angry with me she had stoped contacting me as long as I was in the seminary. But on the occasion of my first Mass at home she was present and bitterly cried for being angry with me for ten years.
Last months in the seminary.
After a month long holiday at home I went back to the seminary for my last semester. We had still to complete our course in Scripture and in Dogmatic Theology. By April we finished our classes as well as the exams. Now it was time to leave and go back and go back to the diocese. Thre of us Hatia missionaries went to Hatia to say good bye to our friends whom we have been assisting. We also visisted and thanked those who have been helping us in defferent ways. Finally I visited all my professors and thanked them personally. Rector Fr.Mathijjs told me that the entire staff was happy for having had me in the seminary. They appreciated me for my studies as well as my activities outside the seminary. He told me that the staff had recommended me to the Bishop of Jabalpur for studies in Rome. I could shine well in canon low,he said. Canon Law was my favourite subject.
On 20th of April 1963, Fr. Lucas and I said good bye to our Alma mater and left for Jabalpur. We were now ready to accept the challenge that the lord had in store for us. "Go out into the whole world... Mk. 16, 16,-18."
Assistant Priest at Junwani.
After the ordination the Bishop had given me an appointment to join the Dullopur mission as assistent to Fr. Antony Thundiyil. So I was mentally preparing myself for several months to go to Dullopur and work there. People of that place were predominantly "Baigas", a primitive tribe of Madhya Pradesh.They were culturally and socially different from the people of other parts of the diocese. However when I came back from the seminary after finishing my studies another letter from the Bishop was waiting for me. Bishop wrote that Fr. Otto Paymans of Junwani was asking for my services and therefore he was cancelling my appointment to Dullopur and sending me to Junwani. So I started with a transfer already before I started my ministry.
Keine Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen
Hinweis: Nur ein Mitglied dieses Blogs kann Kommentare posten.