Our Pilgrimage to Mother’s tomb

By Novice Rintu Mondol

St Ignatius called himself a pilgrim.  In the beginning his pilgrimage was a physical journey but gradually it became a spiritual journey.  Following the footsteps of St Ignatius we, the novices of the Calcutta province, made a pilgrimage to the tomb of Mother Teresa. 

We started our journey at 4 in the morning after a cup of tea and a couple of biscuits, under the guidance of Fr Sajeev Painunkal, our socius.  As we walked out of the campus, we had a short stop at the statue of Our Lady, praying to her and asking her for her assistance all through the journey.  We walked in groups of two.  All through the way we were praying, reciting the rosary and sometimes making spiritual conversations with the spiritual companion.  We took nearly four hours to reach the Mother House from Dhyan Ashram, a distance of about 20 kms.  It was a tiring walk, but our prayer gave us strength and enough energy to walk and filled our hearts with great delight.  In the middle of our journey we had a short break.  Those lagging behind for lack of energy once again restored the strength with a cup of tea and a packet of biscuits.  After that we resumed our walk and around 8 o’clock, we reached our destination.

After reaching the Mother House we offered our prayers and petitions through the intercession of Mother Teresa.  Meanwhile the good sisters arranged the altar for a mass next to Mother’s tomb.  Soon after that we entered into the Eucharistic celebration with great devotion.  The mass was the climax of our pilgrimage.  Fr Sajeev reminded us that the pilgrimage is not in the walking; it is in why we walked!  We offered all our intentions and petitions with the concsecration of the bread and the wine.  I felt a deep union with the Lord during the doxology.  I really encountered God in the silence of my heart.  I remembered Mother Teresa and her abounding love to satiate the thirst of Christ among the poorest of the poor.  We thanked God for the gift of Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity to the world.

After the mass and after visiting the small exhibition, we walked to Prabhu Jisur Girja and Br Christu had arranged a good breakfast for us.  It was a nice time to relax after the tiring morning.  Then Fr John Rojerse took us to the LTS Centre and explained to us the history and work of the movement.  After that we were on our way back.  We reached Dhyan Ashram right in time for lunch.  As we entered the campus, we spent another few moments in prayer at the statue of Our Lady, thanking her for her assistance during our pilgrimage.

Our day out at Bokhali

By novice Manu Tomy 

Dhyan Ashram community went out on a picnic to the beaches of Bokhali on February 9. It was a nice occasion for us to set aside our worries about study and work to enjoy a beautiful day God gave us. We were also joined by the Juniors, some of the fathers and our co-workers.

While on the way, none of us could shut our mouths for a second because our happiness and excitement were coming through our songs. The fathers who came with us tried to shut our mouths by giving us buns, bananas and eggs. But they increased our energy to sing louder than before.

On the way to Bokhali, we had to take a ferry. We had to wait for a long time to get the jankar which would take the bus across the small river. In the meantime we had a lot to learn and experiment: the life and movement there with all the fishermen and vegetable vendors were exotic. Most of us saw a squid for the first time. After crossing the river, our old bus was going so fast that some of us were wondering if the tyres of the bus were really touching the road (we still took more than four hours to reach there!). As we approached Bokhali, some of us were very excited, especially those who had never seen a sea before. But after reaching there, we were a little disappointed because the sea was without any waves (we learned later that the ‘real sea’ was beyond the silt that stood about a kilometre away).

As soon as we reached the beach, we started games on the beach and in the water. Our games in charges had already planned out everything. At first we had a sweet volleyball match in the salt water. Some of us really tasted and saw that the sea water was salty. Those who hesitated to get into the water for fear of getting their clothes wet were thrown into water. We all had a lot of fun. After the volleyball match we were divided into two groups. One of the groups played a thrilling cricket match while the other group had an enjoyable ‘seven-stone’ game. By the time we finished our games our stomachs were growling. We had a delicious lunch in the company of many cows and dogs. As soon as the lunch got over we went to play cricket again. The cricket match was a golden opportunity for our co-workers to show how talented they were. For them the picnic was a time to forget themselves and relax a bit from their work.

Those who did not play walked beyond the silt to experience the ‘real sea’. Some were busy catching crabs. But it was hard work as the crabs never allowed themselves to be caught. In the meantime some of us set out for an expedition along the sea shore. Their expedition was very fruitful because they came back with different kinds of fish, including some star fish which were washed up on the shore.

By the time we finished our games we were very tired, and it was time to return. We left around 3.30 pm, with hearts full of unforgettable memories of Bokhali. While coming back most of our friends showed how innocent and harmless they are (when they are asleep!). But there were some merry makers to spoil others’ sleep and others who had not yet used up their singing energy. Once again our bus driver proved that he was not only a good bus driver but also meant for ‘higher and loftier’ vehicles. With God’s grace and blessings we reached home safely. As we all got down from the bus our hearts were looking forward to another picnic like this.

Calcutta Novices in Dumka

By Novice Rakesh Mondol

 For eight years now, the Jesuit novices of Calcutta and Dumka novitiates come together for a week every year for an inter-novitiate programme, alternatively in Kolkata and in Dumka.  This year it was in Dumka; and on the 5^th of January, we, the Calcutta novices along with our socius Fr Sajeev, set out for Dumka.  We journeyed all night from Kolkata and around 5.30 in the morning we reached Dumka.  For most of us it was the first time to experience such a thing called ‘the biting cold’.  Fr Xavier and Fr Stephen, the novice master, were very kind to come to fetch us from the bus stand.  In ten minutes we reached Jisu Jaher, the Dumka Jesuit novitiate.  All the fathers and the 12 Dumka novices welcomed us warmly.  After the morning ablutions (for which the water was too cold) and some refreshments, we accompanied our Dumka friends to a sub-station for the Sunday mass.  We were given a grand welcome by the people in their own traditional way.  We really felt happy and blessed.

On Monday morning, we began our course, titled, ‘Walking towards God as men and women’.  Fr Xavier, Fr Saliba and Mrs Marcette very efficiently enlightened us on various topics.  The first year novices had sessions, sharing and discussion on human sexuality.  The second year novices continued from where they left last year with an intensive course mainly focused on the vow of celibacy.  We had a lot of input sessions, discussions etc.  Mrs Marcette threw some light on the present problems in celibate life, and the challenges and demands it presents.

During our stay in Dumka, we also visited a couple of the Jesuit missions in Dumka: St Xavier’s College, Maharo, and a Jesuit run parish cum hostel at Purana Kesari.  It was quite inspiriting for us to witness the dedicated service of the Jesuits for the uplift of the tribals.  One afternoon we went to see the famous ‘hot springs’ in the area and the adjoining hills.  “It is amazing for me to see a mountain for the first time”, remarked Rintu, a first year novice from Kolkata.

On the last day, we had a fitting conclusion to our week ling course by a recollection given by Fr Sajeev.   He emphasised on the virtue of openness in the area of sexuality.  It was an opportunity for us to assimilate and reflect on all that we learnt during the week.  On the 12^th evening we bid good bye to everyone and left Dumka with so much to carry home with.

Overall it was a wonderful experience for all of us, to see things differently, and to understand the beauty of human sexuality.  It has helped us to expand our knowledge with regard to our sexuality.  We hope to grow continually in this area of life.  We are grateful to God for having given us this opportunity.