A Mission in Companionship

By Novice Vijaya Raju

Loyola Jayanti Vidyapith in Bankura is a Jesuit run boarding for the Santal children of classes V to X.  I was there for my work experiment for about two weeks as part of my training in the novitiate.  During these two weeks I was enriched by different experience through which I came to know myself better and also witnessed the life of Jesuits working hard and trying their best to give a bright future to the children in the boarding.

The most touching experience was the inspiration that I got from the life of the Jesuits there.  It deepened my desire to join in this great task of helping the downtrodden and healing this broken world.  Fr Joseph Pulickal, the priest in charge of the boarding, was an inspiring character with his creativity and exemplary life.  Fr Francis Koikara, in his seventies, is very committed to his mission and simple in life style.  The working in the field along with my three novitiate companions also taught me the true meaning and the joy of companionship of the companionship.  Accepting one another’s uniqueness and sharing the joys and sufferings together has been a wonderful experience.  It also helped me to be aware of my egoism and taught me to grow to be other-centred.

Overall through this experiment I deepened my conviction that this life style gives meaning to my life and I experienced great joy throughout the experiment.