Chapter 1

THE EARLY YEARS

It was the morning of the twenty-third of December 1960. The bells of all the Churches of Mangalore were tolling to announce the passing away of a well-known elderly priest of the Diocese of Mangalore whose life had spanned the two centuries - part of the nineteenth and part of the twentieth. The retired Vicar General of the Mangalore Diocese and the Founder of the Congregation of the Bethany Sisters had yielded his soul into the hands of his Maker in the early hours of that morning in his little cottage near the Motherhouse of the Bethany Sisters, where he had spent the years of his retirement. At his bedside was Father Marian Castelino, the first boy whom he, as a young priest, had inspired to enter the priesthood and several of the Sisters of the Congregation he had founded. His room was as barren of comforts as his purse was empty, but across the alley one could see the Motherhouse Chapel, one of the many sanctuaries for the Lord that he had erected, and where hundreds of young girls of India had vowed their life to the service of God and fellowmen. A seeming contradiction: this juxta-position of poverty and riches ! Yes, the life of Monsignor Raymond Francis Camillus Mascarenhas was a contradiction. He was a hero and a saint to many, many people in and out of India, yet, he was not without his enemies. Raymond was the seventh of the thirteen children born to Lazarus and Joanna Mascarenhas on January 23, 1875. It was the feast of St. Raymond Penyafort and a Saturday. The fact that he was born on a day consecrated to Mary influenced his devotion to the Mother of God throughout his life. On the 27th of the same month he was baptized at the Sacred Heart Church of Shimoga and given the name of Raymond Camillus.

Family Background: He was born in a God-fearing Christian family and this was an important influence in his upbringing. His roots can be traced to one of several Christian families that emigrated from Goa in the 18 th century. The precise time and reason why the Mascarenhas family left its native soil is not definitely known. According to a family tradition the first emigrants from Goa settled down at Bidre (now known as Moodbidri), but later moved on to Bondel, and then to Mangalore. From the earliest records available, we learn that in 1784, Antony John Mascarenhas I was living on his ancestral lands at Bondel. This was the time when Tippu Sultan invaded Mangalore and began his persecution of the Christians. Antony John and his entire family were taken captive on February 24, 1784 and were deported to Srirangapattanam. Except for three children, Antonys family perished under Tippus tortures. The three surviving children: Paul, Annie and Regina returned to Mangalore in 1799. Paul, who at the time of Tippus capture was still a boy in his teens, is the great grandfather of the Right Reverend Monsignor Raymond Francis Camillus Mascarenhas. When he returned to Mangalore with his two sisters, he found that their ancestral property had been forcibly occupied by the patel of the place. Consequently, they were constrained to settle down in a house erected by Bosthu Saldanha (a local landholder) in the land allotted to him in the Karandhadi village. This relationship led to the union in marriage of Paul and Maria, the only daughter of Bosthu Saldanha, by whom he had six children: five sons and a daughter. The last of these children was Domingo I, the grandfather of Raymond Mascarenhas. Paul, in partnership with one Falnir Martin Prabhu and Salvadore Saldanha built up a prosperous timber business. His timber trade gradually extended all the way up to Malabar and Honnavar and he even supplied timber to the Bombay docks and to the military forces there and elsewhere. The partners owned nine elephants which were brought to Mangalore during summer for a rest. These elephants and those that belonged to the Coelho family of 2

Falnir, were brought on Sundays to the Milagres Church Maidan, and at the time of the consecration at Mass they had to make the jhuk salaam, by bending their forelegs to kneel and then raise their trunks high up in the air indeed, an imposing spectacle. Besides the timber business, they also started a coffee plantation in the Ghats. The coffee estate was known by the name of Kerloo Kumair, which adjoined the Horikhan estates. Eventually the plantation was sold. After Pauls death his sons took over the timber trade. One of them, Domingo married Nathalia Coelho, the daughter of Bosthu Coelho of Phanegal, by whom he had six children. Lazarus, the eldest, married Joanna, daughter of Lores Castelino. Later he moved to Shimoga where he was employed in the Deputy Commissioners office.

Family house in Shimoga Shimoga was a predominantly Hindu area in the Deccan. A few Mangalorean Catholic families had settled there. The men in these closely knit families were generally employed as government officials. They helped one another in times of trouble or distress and shared their joys and sorrows, and thus the bond that held them together became firmer by the day. 3

Founders Father

Lazarus and his wife Joanna were known in the entire Christian community for their piety. Joanna was a woman of determination whose strength of will was tempered by Christian tenderness. Lazarus and Joanna reared their large family of thirteen children, eight boys and five girls, with great care and as good parents, instilled in them from a very tender age a deep love for God and the Church, and a filial devotion to our Blessed Mother.

Lazarus and Joanna had no illusions about the hard struggle before them. To bring up the thirteen children in the faith, to provide adequately for their education and support is a difficult task at any time and in any place. It was especially so in colonial India in an area dominated by non-Christians. But the determination they evinced is not uncommon in families, such as theirs. They displayed a great trust in God, a deep religious sense, and an open-handed generosity, which Founders Mother later became characteristic of their children. Boyhood: Nothing very spectacular or very eventful occurred in the early life of Raymond. He grew up in a normal family of those days where faith and piety reigned under the vigilant eye of parents. 4

Raymond was most fortunate in his parents, especially his mother, a woman of faith, who ruled with love. She laid the foundation of a character based on solid piety coupled with a tender devotion to our Lady, and trained her children in the ways of the Lord. Raymond lost nothing of this training - the advice given, the punishments meted out, the accidents and incidents of home life. All had their place in forming the strong character of the future priest. It was under the guidance of his mother that the innate qualities, of a strong will and a spirit of adventure were moulded into the habits of sustained endurance, remarkable tenacity, and dogged perseverance which manifested themselves in his later life. A few casually chosen incidents will bear this out, and give an insight into the home education imparted to the growing boy, Raymond.

Sacred Heart Church, Shimoga On one occasion, he and his brothers were caught red-handed at some pranks, and naturally incurred their mothers anger. She locked them all inside a room excepting Raymond, as she 5

considered him too young and just following the lead of his bigger brothers. But Raymond regarded this exclusion as a worse punishment: What fun the others must be having inside the room, sighed he, playing some game together. I wish I was locked up with them inside the room, too! While at Shimoga, the Deputy Commissioner and his assistant, two Englishmen, were being entertained one evening at Mr. Mascarenhas house. As usual they had their sun hats on. Some days later, five year old Raymond and his older brother of ten decided to play the English Deputy Commissioner and his assistant. Their mother had gone to the bazaar and they were left alone. They found a brass vessel (toplem) with a wide brim which they tried for the hat. Simon tried it first, and his head could easily slip in and out. Next came Raymonds turn. His head was slightly bigger than that of his elder brother. With some difficulty he put on the imaginary hat and went about the house solemnly with a stick in his hand. However, when the game was over, try as he might, the hat would not come off his head. Of course, Simon did his best to extricate his brother from the hat but in vain. Meanwhile their mother returned home only to find the comedy turning into a tragedy. She tried her best to extricate Raymond from his misery, he had brought upon himself. With all her skill she could not help the boy, who was now sobbing bitterly. At this juncture, the father arrived from his office and walked into the confusion. Quickly he sent for a copper smith and had the vessel cut off the head of the culprit. On another occasion, an epidemic of smallpox was raging in the neighbourhood. Raymonds mother in her charitable zeal had gone to attend a boy who was stricken with the disease. She had warned her sons not to leave the house until she returned. In spite of the mothers orders, Raymond managed to follow her at a safe distance with two of his brothers. They even walked into the water that had been used for bathing the sick boy. All three of them fell victims to the epidemic and one of them died. Raymonds attack of the smallpox was so severe that some permanent marks were on his face. 6

Joanna, his mother, lived only for the children. Her one aim was to inculcate Christian virtues in them, above all, a lively faith, confidence in God, a spirit of prayer, and a tender devotion to Our Blessed Mother. The evening family rosary was a regular feature of their daily schedule. She took the children to Church every Sunday and on the days of obligation. She also encouraged them to go to Church for daily Mass, and from her the children, particularly Raymond, learned to appreciate and love the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Eucharist. It was also from his mother that he inherited a certain characteristic he was known for: a well-disciplined firmness, a measured appreciation for life, and extreme tenaciousness. From his father he received the daring and courage to venture into the new and the unknown. On Sundays after the family rosary, Raymonds father would gather his children around him and ask them to repeat any sentence from the days sermon at Mass which had impressed them. While every child would say something Raymond would repeat quite a number of ideas, almost the whole sermon. He had a retentive memory. This was the family atmosphere in which the active and gifted Raymond grew up strong in faith, grounded in piety and virtuous habits, under firm parental discipline. The stories of the trials and sufferings of his ancestors in captivity under Tippu Sultan which he heard from his father and mother further deepened his faith in God and increased his love for the Church. Raymonds habits and the games he played unconsciously revealed his future career. Nature had given him a lively disposition and he enjoyed setting up little altars to imitate the priest at Mass. Often he would call his friends, holding a towel in his hands, Come, lets play a game. What game can we play with a towel? his friends would ask. Little Raymond would smile and say, Ill be a priest, and you assist me. So saying, he would drape the towel around him and begin his Mass which invariably included a sermon. His brother who was a regular participant in these games would often tease him saying, Here goes our future priest. 7

He liked to be with and around priests, and at times he would ask questions which revealed an intelligence far beyond his years and the first glimmerings of a Divine call. Education: As the children grew up, Lazarus found that the educational facilities at Shimoga were inadequate; so after his retirement from Government service he returned to his native Mangalore. Raymond received his early education at Milagres school. Later he was admitted to St. Aloysius College High School. Discipline in these Catholic Institutions was strict and there was great insistence on the development of a strong spiritual life. As a student, both teachers and classmates alike admired his intellectual abilities. He was a born scholar. Even in the solitude of his later declining years one would see him surrounded by paper, pens, dictionaries, Bibles, the Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and popular hymns translated from Latin or English into the vernacular for the use of the less educated people. Father Denis Fernandes, SJ, even in his later years would remark: Raymond Mascarenhas was one of my brilliant pupils. I had to be alert and have my wits about me to give satisfactory explanations to his searching questions. Usually, Raymond did not loiter after school hours but returned home immediately. One evening, just as he returned he overheard a lady visitor remarking to his mother, This son of yours can be an instrument either for a great deal of good or a great deal of evil. Raymond is said to have declared his firm resolution, Why should I be an instrument of evil? I would rather go about doing good. He lived up to this ideal till the end. As Raymond moved from one grade to the next it was evident that he was endowed with rare talents. Everybody expected a great future for this brilliant young man. At a time when matriculation was known as the slaughter of the innocents because teenagers from high schools often competed with the seniors from Colleges, he obtained a first class in his examinations when he was just sixteen!

It is very easy for a highly gifted person to become proud and selfish. Raymonds success however, did not puff him up with pride. He was always considerate of others even in little matters. In those days, before electricity was available, he had to study by candlelight or a kerosene lamp. When he stayed up late at night to read his lessons, he would sit with a candle under a table screening himself with bedspreads all around. He would say, My studies should not disturb anothers sleep. This same unselfishness also characterized his later career as a seminarian, a priest, as the Founder of a religious Congregation. First and foremost among the influences on Raymonds early life and character was his pious mother who instilled in him a deep and practical sense of Christian living. The educational institutions that he attended were a second important influence. In keeping with the strict educational system of those days, he developed a disciplined approach to solving problems and the determination which later proved to be the secret of his brilliant achievements. In 1885, at the age of ten, he received his first Holy Communion in the Milagres Church. All those present were edified by his piety and fervour. The Fathers of the Society of Jesus whom he held in great respect and reverence even to his dying days were another great influence on his life and character. Raymond completed his high school studies under the tutelage of the Jesuits of St. Aloysius College, Mangalore, in 1891. His keenness of intellect and application to duty made him outstanding, but it was his singular piety that endeared him to all. Every year Raymond came out first in all his subjects and was praised highly for his work. It was not unusual to see after his name some such annotation as very good or excellent. Teachers, professors, and classmates held him in high esteem for his lofty ideals, his unfailing joviality, his sincerity, his openness. Their prediction was that he would turn out to be a most extraordinary man. Future events proved just how right they were.

Chapter 2

THE CALL OF GOD

Raymonds brilliant success did not awaken worldly ambitions in him. By now he had made up his mind what he wanted to do. He had decided to follow the voice of the Divine Master calling him to priesthood. Deep within his heart he cherished the desire of becoming a minister of the Church so that he might be able to dedicate himself to the welfare of his beloved native land. But there was one difficulty that baffled him. He could not sing a note. All efforts to overcome this disability having failed, Raymond had recourse to the intercession of St. Francis Xavier. He prayed to this great missionary of India to give him sufficient voice to sing those parts of the Mass which he as a priest would be required to sing, and vowed, that if this favour were granted he would add the name Francis to his baptismal name as a constant reminder of the favour. His prayer was heard and Francis became his middle name. From then on he was always known as Raymond Francis Camillus or familiarly RFC. As the time came near to act on his decision, Raymond had to encounter other difficulties, too. Many people near and dear to him could not understand how a young man with his talents could turn his back on a world so full of opportunities. Some of them were disappointed that he did not follow in the footsteps of his brother Simon who was studying to be a medical doctor; they wondered why he would forego his chances for a brilliant career in order to choose an uncertain ministerial service as a priest of the Church in a mission land. The Seminarian: It was not easy for Raymond to resist the pressures from many quarters to go on for higher education. A college degree would 10

bring him added power and prestige. Much to the displeasure of some of his relatives and friends, he entered St. Josephs Seminary in Mangalore on February 23, 1891, at the age of 16. St. Josephs Seminary then, as now, was staffed and managed by the Fathers of the Society of Jesus. It was the usual practice for the young men applying for seminary training to make the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises under one of the Jesuit Fathers. Accordingly, a short time before entering St. Josephs Seminary, Raymond was called to make this retreat at the Jesuit College of St. Aloysius where he had attended high school. He must have received many graces during these days of concentrated prayer, for he often referred to this retreat with special affection. While he was making this retreat, the Matriculation results were announced in the local papers, and Raymond was anxious to know how he had done in the examinations. That evening as he was walking along the College corridor praying the rosary, a Muslim classmate of his, Mohammed by name, shouted within his hearing, Results have come, man! Results are out! But Raymond stifled his curiosity and did not even raise his head. Years later, when he mentioned this episode to one of his friends, he said jokingly, The fellow could have told me directly my result, instead of merely rousing my curiosity. This incident insignificant though it may seem to some, was weighty enough for a student whose future plans would depend upon the examination results. It also showed the self-control of this young aspirant to the priesthood, and how seriously he had taken this retreat. As a student in the seminary, young Raymond had no difficulty in remaining at the top of his class. Speaking about this fact, in an article written about Monsignor Mascarenhas in 1950 at the occasion of the latters Golden Jubilee of Ordination, Father John G. Pinto remarked, The studies in the seminary were mastered by him as few had done He was quite popular among his classmates and was always surrounded by a band of eager friends. Even in his class, his friends vied with each other to sit next to him, so as to enjoy his sharp and intelligent questions, witty answers and stories. His prodigious memory (they say in the seminary, that on one occasion he had memorized about 300 lines of Latin poetry in two 11

days) and his keen intellect enabled him to master successfully the course of studies in Philosophy and Sacred Theology. The extent to which he had acquired knowledge from his books and instructors can be gauged from the fact that later on, after laborious years in the Sacred ministry, with very little leisure for contact with books, he could give a talk on De Universali: or De Ente as if he was fresh from his studies. Those who listened to him in later years have said that to hear him dilate on the possibilities of creation so aptly described by Father Faber in his book Creator and Creature, was a treat. Reverend Father M.F. Barboza, SJ who knew him as a seminarian, says, I marvelled how Father Mascarenhas could rattle off whole lessons on Church History almost word for word. He was very successful in other subjects, too. Although far ahead of his companions in intelligence, he was unostentatious and humble. He kept his companions happy and would impressively argue with them on different subjects. There was nothing of an outward show in his piety, but only solid virtue. Even as a young man in the seminary, he was very fervent, detached, and faithful to the minute prescriptions of the rules and regulations of the seminary life. He tried to forego even the ordinary legitimate comforts and joys such as the desire to see his mother. She would seek opportunities of meeting him. Those were the days when rules and regulations were very strict about visiting privileges, and seminarians were not allowed to entertain visitors too often. His mother imagining the difficulties of a common life in a seminary, would take her stand at the seminary gate with some of the choice home-made delicacies which she had prepared for her son. The son setting out for the seminarians usual evening walk would spot his mother from a distance and change his route going out through the other gate. In later years, when he reminisced about this, he acknowledged that it did cost him a great deal to disappoint his mother and not accept this her token of love. However, in explanation he would add, It was on the lap of my mother that I had learnt the first lessons in self-discipline, self-control and selfdenial. 12

Raymond never frittered away his time even during the holidays when he could come home from the seminary. He went about doing good. He spent his vacation time with his family in Mangalore where he continued to be an active helper at the parish. There he came in contact with some of the elite families of the Milagres parish. People admired him wherever he went. He was always considerate and full of concern especially to the poorer people of the parish. With great pleasure and enthusiasm he would collect all the tiny tots in the neighbourhood and teach them Catechism and prayers. The children who often gathered in his house for the same purpose grew extremely fond of him. Mothers of these children too were happy when he came from the seminary for his vacations. But apart from visits to his family during vacations, he discouraged them from coming to see him too often at the seminary, because he was zealous of his life of recollection. Raymond possessed all the qualities of leadership that would gain for him the reputation of being a born leader. It was small wonder then, that he was appointed prefect in the seminary, a position he justly earned by the good example which he gave consistently in small things as well as in great. Instead of becoming conceited these honours made him still more humble and strengthened his resolve for a life of dedication. In preparing himself for the priesthood he focused his attention as much on growth in virtue as in the attainment of knowledge. From the letters he wrote some years later to one of his nephews in the seminary, one can guess what his preparation must have been and the seriousness with which he followed his vocation. Lay up a large fund of virtues now, he wrote, it will stand you in good stead when you are a priest. He, on his part, had fortified himself spiritually for his sacred ministry of over sixty years. It led him to place his confidence in Divine Providence and progress steadily forward in the face of trials, sorrows, dangers, labours, and oppositions in life, which he courageously and patiently bore for the greater glory of God. Time and time again he reminded this same nephew while he was in the seminary that his was a glorious vocation which required that he daily prove himself worthy of it. He for one, set a living example of what he preached. 13

He longed for the solemn moment when he would be ordained a minister of God. That was not far off. He completed his course in Philosophy and received Minor Orders. In order to better attain the sanctity and perfection so ardently desired, he made it a point to forego small liberties that were permitted by the rules of the seminary. He restricted himself voluntarily to a much more severe mode of living and divided his time between study and prayer, stimulated by the thought of becoming a priest dedicated to the salvation of souls. Before his Ordination, however, God demanded a big sacrifice of him. Towards the end of August 1895, sorrow enveloped the Mascarenhas family. Raymonds father, the head of the family, suddenly took ill and died after being fortified by the rites of the Church. It was like a bolt from the blue not only to the entire family, but also to those in the neighbourhood. On hearing the news of his fathers death Raymond wept bitterly, for his father would not be there on the day of his Ordination to see his son a priest of God, something that meant a great deal to him. He bore this sorrow in his usual stoic manner, feeling confident that they would meet again in heaven. The long preparation of nine years for the priesthood must have been a special period of grace for Raymond. As his later life attests, his fervour in the service of God and of his fellowmen, especially the poor and the neglected, never slackened. What a revelation it would have been for him at this time had he known that the Lord was preparing him to be the Founder of future religious Congregation which would spread within thirty or forty years, from the Simla Hills in the north, to Cape Comorin in the south, from the plains of the Punjab in the west, to the Assam Hills in the east, from the Arabian sea in the south-west to the Bay of Bengal in the southeast! But the marvels of God are revealed to us slowly and gradually.

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Chapter 3

PRIESTLY MINISTRY

It was a great day of rejoicing for Raymond and his family when the day of Ordination arrived. A young man of 25, he was ordained priest on the fourth day of March 1900, by the titular Bishop of Mangalore, Bishop Cavadini, SJ. His fathers absence was conspicuous on this occasion, but undoubtedly, he must have been praying for him before the heavenly throne. Reminiscing about his Ordination day Father Mascarenhas would say in later years: It was the most wonderful day of my life, and he would then tell how he prayed at this Mass for all those who had helped him. I recommended to God all my professors, my spiritual and temporal benefactors, and especially my beloved father who always had a tremendous influence on me. A week later, on March 11, 1900 with deep humility, Father Raymond Mascarenhas celebrated his First Solemn High Mass in the Milagres Church of Mangalore, the Mother Church of the Mangalore Diocese. His parents, relatives, friends were present and proudly rejoiced. He was extremely happy because now he could devote himself completely to the care of souls. His lips which had uttered the words of command to God himself could now speak Divine words of absolution; his hands, still sweet-smelling from the holy Chrism, could be joined more ardently than ever in prayer and extended over others in the act of blessing. He was completely unaware, however, of the lofty plans of God for him, in his Providence just as, a few years before, he had had no idea that the St. Josephs Seminary was to lead him to many ministries. What did he look like? He was solidly built with the square-ness of body, rather tall for an Indian, with thick black hair surrounding his broad 15

forehead and round, somewhat full face with eyes whose twinkle lightened the solemn set of his countenance in repose. In company, a smile lit up his face as if laughter came easily to him. He was endowed with masculine voice and a calm manner of speech which, in combination, rendered him exceedingly friendly. In appearance, then, he looked sturdy, exhibiting those physical qualities of latent strength and endurance which were backed with great determination and the ability to turn his hand to anything. Together with an extraordinary nimbleness of mind, these traits stamped him as one well equipped for the years to come perhaps as parish priest, in some hilly village, caring for the flock far beyond the strict limits of duty, sacrificing his strength, and wearing himself out in the interests of his parishioners. Assistant Pastor: Immediately after his Ordination to the priesthood Father Raymond was sent as assistant to the pastor of his own home parish, the Milagres Church. He continued in this capacity until his appointment to the Mount Rosary Church, Kallianpur, in July 1900. A year later, he was appointed assistant to the late Very Reverend Father Aloysius Fernandes, parish priest of Milagres Church, Kallianpur. Working under this good priest proved very profitable to him and in later life, he often mentioned about his indebtedness to him. His love for children and for the Mother of God tempted him to start two sodalities for boys and girls respectively, which became the nursery of many vocations to priestly and religious life. As an energetic and active young priest, he won the hearts of the young and the old. About this time he was also requested to act as pastor of the parish at Kirem, in the absence of the pastor who was on holiday in Goa. And then, at the very early age of 28, came his appointment as pastor of Udyavar parish. The Pastor: At Udyavar: It was in June 1903, that he took charge of the parish of Udyavar. At the turn of the century, this was a very poor parish. One of the parishioners recalls: Young and enthusiastic Father RFC Mascarenhas devoted himself to the service of the poor and ignorant 16

people of Udyavar. At that time the Church building at Udyavar was only a small chapel on the site where the present higher elementary school stands. The zealous priest constructed quite an imposing Church building which was large enough to accommodate also the people of Udupi who had no Church of their own. The people of Udyavar at that time were very poor farmers and their houses were several miles away from the Church.

Udyavar Parish Church Father Mascarenhas visited the sick and the sorrowing in their homes, in good and bad weather, in rain and in sunshine. He was especially concerned of the poor farmers living along the riverside whose huts got washed away during the monsoons. In his compassion he tried to help them in every way. He did not hesitate to appeal for help on their behalf even outside India. Epidemics of small-pox and cholera were a common occurrence at Udyavar and many fell victims to these terrible diseases. Father Mascarenhas was a father and doctor to them. Many a time, even in the middle of the night, there would be a knock on his door and

17

the response would always be an unhesitating, Yes, I will be there or I shall come immediately, son. He would then rush to the Church for Holy Viaticum and hurry to the bedside of the dying man and his sorrowing family. He spent much of his time, energy, and resources in relieving the misery of these suffering people. Several parish priests have succeeded him, but the name of Father Mascarenhas is still fresh in the memory of the people of Udyavar. Even to this day, the grand-children and the great-grand-children of the parishioners of those days remember him gratefully. No wonder that Father Mascarenhas was held in high esteem by his parishioners. He built the Church and the presbytery on land acquired for this purpose, but it was always the spiritual welfare of the people of his parish that concerned him most. He was ready to go to any remote part of the parish day or night, to offer spiritual aid and solace to his people. The number of projects he undertook or planned for their spiritual betterment are far too many to be enumerated. In his unflagging zeal he preached retreats, furnished the people with abundant opportunities of receiving the Sacraments of Penance and Eucharist, arranged for classes in religious instruction and provided facilities for the education of children. Above all, he was their good shepherd, a priest who by his word and example taught them to pray and led them to God and His Blessed Mother. Mr. Alex Pais, advocate of the High Court of Bombay who saw Father Mascarenhas for the first time in Udyavar wrote thus in 1949 while Bethany was preparing to celebrate his Sacerdotal Golden Jubilee: While visiting Udyavar one Sunday morning I went to Mass there. Father Mascarenhas, the celebrant at the altar was offering his Mass with such unction, such deliberateness and such absorption, that the picture is still before me. No other priest at an altar service had ever produced such an impression on me. People there spoke highly of their parish priest and yet he was only a young man, then. He had no money, his people were poor. No one knew how he would secure the funds required

18

for all his works. It was said that he was seen every evening at the site of the new Church, kneeling and at prayer with his hands raised. His income was small, and he could not count on donations from the Diocesan funds. Yet he would not go from house to house begging. He knew it was Gods work and he trusted God to provide the means for it. He invested all his own money into the building of the Church and presbytery and left no claims for honours like perpetual Masses, candles, etc. When he bade adieu to that parish he had no bank balance to his credit; he paid the debts of the Church while working at Agrar. And Father Mascarenhas himself confirms Mr. Pais words: On the day the corner stone of the Udyavar Church was laid and blessed, I had not even a rupee to begin with. I cannot forget what the venerable Bishop Cavadini, SJ of happy memory spoke to me on that occasion. He told me that I was not to expect to succeed in building the Church by waiting for large donations to come, but it was small sums of even less than five rupees which I would receive, that would enable me to obtain my end. The good Bishops words have been to me a prophecy and a blessing and an encouragement in difficulties. The works that I began at Udyavar and continued elsewhere have been a verification of the words of the great Bishop. In the farewell address presented to Father Mascarenhas on the occasion of his departure from Udyavar parish the people described him as a good shepherd, who had sacrificed his life for his flock. At Agrar: It was a sudden decision on the part of the Bishop of Mangalore in 1910 that sent him from Udyavar to Agrar. One of his friends points out that he left Udyavar with his old umbrella, his crumpled hat, and his faded soutane. With his usual foresight and business acumen he realized that Agrar would eventually be subdivided into several parishes. Accordingly he acquired 12 acres of land for the future parish of Siddakatte, five acres for Nirkan and six acres for Alipade. The physically fatiguing work at Agrar parish can easily be understood when one notes its extent and the peculiar terrain which makes travel a veritable Calvary. 19

Agrar Parish Church At Bendur: In the early 1900s Mangalore was a fast developing city. The number of people was doubling every five years, and there was urgent need for new parishes to take care of such rapid growth in population. On August 23, 1914, at the special request of the people of Bendur, Father Raymond Mascarenhas was appointed as the first pastor of the newly constituted parish of St. Sebastian. By this time Father Mascarenhas had already made his mark as a builder and as a convincing preacher of Gods word. He was received with universal joy and affection. This was the birth day of a new parish with a new pastor. A look at St. Sebastians parish at Bendur twenty years later as compared with what it was in 1914, shows plainly the achievements of Father Mascarehnas. The term Bendur which is made up of two words: Benda + ooru meaning dry or barren land, is a good physical description of the area. It was distant, barren, neglected outlying part of the more developed parishes of the Mangalore Diocese such as the Milagres and the Cathedral. Yet, he was able to turn it into a blossoming garden humming with life and activity, with schools and other institutions in only a short time.

20

A small shed of 20 feet by 15 feet with a thatched roof served as the original Church. He acquired land, put up new buildings, and opened schools being careful not to lay financial burdens on his poor parishioners. As in all his undertakings his sole reliance was on God. When he had no money, the work stopped temporarily. As a result, his buildings made

St. Sebastian Church, Bendur slow progress, rising gradually, stone by stone. He was so completely taken up with the plans for a beautiful Church for the worship of God as to be oblivious of his own needs. His house was a poor rickety one, hardly an apology for a rectory. The present two-floored rectory was started only after the completion of the Church and the school. His primary concern was the worship of the Lord and the needs of his people, especially for the education of their children. Today, St. Sebastians parish with its three schools is among the most important parishes of the Diocese of Mangalore and one of the best in the city. Barren Bendur has blossomed like a beautiful garden in Gods vineyard. A tribute to his work in Bendur is best expressed in the words of the farewell address presented to him by his parishioners on the occasion of his appointment as Vicar General of the Diocese of 21

Mangalore on 23 August 1931: Seventeen years ago, when you came here as the first parish priest of a newly created parish, you stood on this barren land one Sunday and asked, Will these dry bones ever live? This Sunday, after seventeen years, you have the answer. The buildings and the institutions of this parish with the dynamic life in them, give evidence that not only have the dry bones been covered with sinews and filled with life, but this parish stands out decked like a beautiful, young bride. After mentioning in the farewell address, all the achievements of their pastor, the parishioners concluded, It is impossible to enumerate all that you have done for this parish. To name but a few of the things: The Altar Servers Sodality, Sodalities for men, women, boys, girls and the St. Vincent de Paul Society. As a shepherd of the flock entrusted to you, your concern for their spiritual welfare led you to plan regular retreats, sermons, and spiritual guidance, without considering the price you had to pay in terms of time and energy. Your hidden charity for the sick and the poor was always at the cost of some sacrifice, to your own self and of your own needs. Your intense desire to uplift the parish led you to establish schools in locations where people would benefit the most. Consequently, in addition to the St. Margaret Mary Higher Elementary School for girls and the St. Sebastians Higher Elementary School for boys in the vicinity of the Church you established the St. Josephs elementary school at Kankanady. Last but not the least of your projects was your Magnum Opus, the Congregation that you started in the parish, of the Bethany Sisters of the Little Flower, which is a monument to your desire to see the Lord in his poor loved and served. Scarcely six years after the parish was founded, its growth was so rapid, that one priest could no longer serve the needs of the parishioners. Therefore, in June 1920, Father Sylvester Menezes was appointed as the first assistant pastor of St. Sebastians Church. Father Mascarenhas seems to have had the rare abilities of dealing tactfully with all types of people, especially with his colleagues. They seemed to have worked together very harmoniously. The young assistant was very much impressed by the clear and convincing sermons of his pastor and the way his words touched the hearts of his hearers. Father Menezes often mentioned this fact in speaking about his first pastor at his first parish. Father Liguory D Souza was his next assistant at Bendur; he too 22

expressed open admiration for his pastor. Father Raymond Mascarenhas in reminiscing about their working relationship once remarked: We had nothing that was mine or thine. His last two assistants at Bendur were Fathers Gilbert Noronha and Basil Peres. The latter subsequently was consecrated Bishop of Mangalore. As a priest Father Mascarenhas took keen interest in promoting vocations, especially to the priesthood. Someone had once remarked that he was not a banyan tree under which nothing else could grow. On the contrary, he was like the leaven in the bread or hidden catalyst, whose presence inspired many persons to devote their lives to the Lord. He was never too busy to instruct young aspirants to the priesthood. According to Fr. John Cornelio, one of the boys of his parish, The good example he set by his own priestly life, the vigilant eye he kept and the timely advice he gave to many young men must have, no doubt, brought many vocations to the priesthood among the men of the parish in which he was working. It must have been a matter of great satisfaction to him to see so many seminarians in cassock surrounding him and seeking his fatherly blessing, advice and guidance. They liked to be with him, and he with them. Bendur parish in his time could boast of having two or three new priests each year to work in the service of the Lord, both in the Mangalore Diocese and outside of it. This is proof, if any were needed, that fatherly advice and loving guidance by the parish priest at an opportune moment, has much to do with building character and fostering vocations to the priesthood. Brother Philip of the Congregation of the Olivet Brothers, then working at the Codialbail Press, wrote in 1949 just before the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Father Mascarenhas Ordination, Father Mascarenhas was most obliging to one and all, especially to me. Despite the many activities and projects he was involved in, all the time, his great desire and zeal for vocations made him want to give his time for the young boys and girls who sought to speak to him. During my school days I often used to see him cycling, with his long beard blown by the wind into two halves and flowing over his shoulders. I felt a strong desire to be like him and to imitate him, and as soon as I expressed my desire he was so happy that he consented to teach me the first lessons in 23

Latin Grammar. From that day onwards, I was his regular disciple for some months as his ardent zeal for vocations made him leave aside his other work to make time for me. Among the priestly vocations from the Bendur parish were three who later became bishops: Bishop Basil Peres of Mangalore, Bishop Mendonca of Tiruchinopoly, and Bishop Patrick D Souza of Varanasi. At a reception given in his honour after his appointment to the See of Mangalore, Bishop Basil Peres jokingly called Monsignor Mascarenhas the bishop-maker. The Bendur parishioners dearly loved their pastor and used every opportunity to express their affection in small but tangible way. His birthday on January 23 was celebrated in the school and his visits to bless the homes or to comfort the ill or sorrowing were eagerly anticipated. A unique opportunity occurred for the parishioners to show their affection for their pastor on March 4, 1925, the Silver Jubilee of his priestly Ordination. After a high Mass, the parishioners, the various confraternities, sodalities, and schools profusely thanked him for his unstinted service to the Church at large and to Bendur in particular. It was a day to be remembered. There was a lot of picturetaking and sweets were distributed to all those present. Much of his apostolic influence was due to his excellence, both as a speaker and as a writer. In English as well as in Konkani, he had a gift of rare eloquence. As a preacher he was unrivalled. His fluency of speech was remarkable. Even as a young priest he was sought out as a preacher and homilist on very important occasions. This singular gift rightly earned for him the title of Bossuet of Mangalore. People came from distant parishes to hear him especially during the Lenten and Holy Week services. He was in great demand as a preacher throughout the diocese and beyond. In the early 1940s as one Sister recalls, the rector of the Seminary in Alwaye, Kerala, had written to the Bishop of Mangalore asking him to send them a retreat preacher, a priest that would inspire their staff and seminarians by his word and example. Father Mascarenhas was selected as the person who would fit that description; so well was he recognized and respected for his ability to inspire people. 24

Among the many masterful talks that brought high compliments from even non-Catholics were his oration at the Cathedral on the occasion of the funeral of Father Frachetti, SJ and his matchless sermon at the Diocesan Eucharistic Congress in Mangalore in 1938. Mr. L.C. Pais, the retired M.L.A., also mentions a retreat preached by Father Mascarenhas, during which he vividly illustrated the theme of death, by taking the people into the cemetery to choose the site of their own future grave. Essentially Father Mascarenhas was a true shepherd to his flock. With deep faith in God and filial trust in our Blessed Mother, he had plunged into the work of creating a parish. Where there was once nothing, his successor found a well-established parish. One wonders how he was able to accomplish so much starting literally from the scratch. The answer is, he was a man of God. He had adapted and made his own the saying of his favourite saint, Teresa of Avila: Raymond and a couple of rupees can do nothing; but Raymond, a couple of rupees and GOD can do everything. In the evening, one would often find him kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament or seated on a pile of construction stones for the Church, praying his rosary or breviary. The manifold works of his parish were never an excuse for omitting his spiritual exercises; rather this was the motivating force behind his zealous activities. His Household: The people he employed were selected not so much to cater to his own personal needs as to serve the needs of the parish and to enable the recruits themselves to fulfil a mission in life. He was full of concern and compassion for each of them, especially those who came from poorest levels of society. He provided them with opportunities to develop whatever talents or abilities God had given them, so that they could become partners in his apostolic work. His aim was to give them a sense of dignity by helping them to help themselves. An outstanding example is Mr. Jacob Correa, a boy of 12, hailing from Mulki village, who came to Bendur seeking some hope for the future. Father Mascarenhas recognized his natural talent for instrumental music, and had him trained to play the organ, and engaged him as a 25

sacristan at St. Sebastians Church. The influence of Father Mascarenhas moulded him into an ideal and dedicated sacristan who proved to be an asset to the Bendur Church. He served in this capacity under a number of pastors until his retirement. In appreciation of his valuable services and for his exemplary life as a Catholic he was honoured with the Bene Merenti Medal on the occasion of his diamond jubilee as sacristan of this Church. This papal award coming shortly before his death greatly consoled him. The Bendur parish responded with a similar gesture of appreciation by granting him the singular privilege of a free burial site in the Church itself, significantly the last one to benefit by the concession now abrogated by the Government. Another example of Monsignor Mascarenhas concern for the poor is Piadade and Mona Tauro, two dedicated workers, one as a cook and the other as an assistant sacristan and jack-of-all trades. Another poor lad, Shila Fernandes, was 12 years old when he found in this priest a real father. At first Shila worked as an errand boy. He proved to be very faithful and trustworthy. When Father Mascarenhas was presented with a car of his own by the Bendur parishioners when he left them in 1931 to be the Vicar General of the Diocese of Mangalore, Shila went with him. He was trained to be a driver, and thence forward he was his patrons faithful and loyal chauffeur to the end. The paternal affection, interest, and confidence the pastor placed in his employees were reciprocated with a corresponding affection, deep interest, and loyalty. They stood by him and served him through thick and thin until the end.

SHILA FERNANDES
Founders Driver till the end

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Chapter 4

BETHANY: THE SOWER AND THE SEED

Inspiration: Six or seven years after getting the St. Sebastians parish of Bendur on its feet, Father Mascarenhas mind and heart were still busy finding ways of bringing God to his people and his people to his God. Among other things, he opened a school for boys and another for girls; he established sodalities for boys, for girls, and for Mass servers, as well as a society of Vincent de Paul for men who wanted to be more than just

Jesus in Bethany : With Martha and Mary

27

Sunday Catholics. However, he was still not satisfied. His heart was restless, because as a confessor and director of souls, he had recognized another need in his apostolic field. There were quite a number of young women in his parish and outside of it who wanted to consecrate themselves to God and his Kingdom in a religious life, but were unable to do so for many reasons. For one thing, the existing religious institutions were mainly missions of foreign foundations. While doing magnificent works in India they were rather restrictive in admitting native candidates into their Congregations. Among the prerequisites to enter any of the groups that did receive native aspirants were a fat dowry and higher education, which only a few families in Mangalore could afford in British India in the early 20th century. For many an eager soul these were insurmountable obstacles to answering the divine call to give herself generously to the service of God in religious life. Father Mascarenhas also observed that those religious Sisters who were engaged in the educational apostolate were mainly caring for the needs of the upper and upper-middle social classes so that their activities were necessarily confined to the more developed towns and cities. Consequently, a large segment of the population, particularly in the villages and the rural areas was deprived both of an education and religious instruction. Father Mascarenhas heart ached for this sector of his parish. These were the poor and neglected so dear to the heart of Our Lord, and for whose sake he was ever ready to work miracles during his earthly life. Thus motivated and almost obsessed with the evangelical urge to have the Gospel preached to the poor and to help them in other ways, Father Mascarenhas, as was his wont, first turned to prayer in order to learn the will of God in this matter. Soon it became clear that he must meet the challenge in whatever way might be open to him. Ultimately he conceived the idea of founding a Congregation with the double aim of making religious life possible for many young girls and, in doing so, to prepare apostles to carry the Good News of Christs Kingdom to the poor and the neglected to all parts of the county. 28

He lost no time in placing his plans before his superior, the Right Reverend Paul Perini, SJ, Bishop of Mangalore, and sought his guidance. He noted in all humility, I speak as if in foolishness But the Bishop saw the hand of God in this plan and gave him much encouragement, saying: Act, if you have an inspiration to do so, making use of the opportunities you have. These things are not made to order as it were, but have to commence from simple and unostentatious beginning and develop gradually. What you may do by way of commencement would be to get a few of these lady teachers to live together in a house of their own and follow a simple rule of life, then await further developments. By way of illustration, the good Bishop, however, added that when Saint Ignatius began his work he had no idea of founding the Society of Jesus and did not even know what he was going to do. Strengthened with this smile of encouragement Father Mascarenhas committed his project to the Lord, prayed over it, and waited for God to send him some generous lady teachers who would be willing to offer their time, services, and talents, to serve the poor. In the mean time he went about his work as usual taking care of the spiritual and material needs of his parishioners. Not long after this, Father Mascarenhas made his usual rounds of the parish to bless the homes during the Paschal season. One particular day he happened to be in the home of Mr. & Mrs. Sebastian Mathias of Kadri who had two grown up daughters, Flora and Alice. Flora was of marriageable age and her parents were looking for a suitable match for her; however, she disappointed them by saying that she had other plans. Poor Flora was in a bind; she felt very strongly an inner call to give herself in religious life to the service of God, but could not figure out how and where to answer that call. Alice, her younger sister, who was just finishing high school, had already begun the process for admission to the Carmel Convent of Trivandrum. After blessing the house, Father Mascarenhas, as was his custom, sat down for a short chat with the family in course of which he remarked to the father: Mr. Mathias, it wont be long until you will be looking for 29

some good sons-in-law for yourself. No Father, he replied, both my daughters are not inclined toward marriage; so, I have decided to let them be with me as long as they want to stay home. Father Mascarenhas recognized at once the action of Providence. Here were two young girls from a decent, God-fearing family wishing to serve God in a religious life but were forced to look far and wide because Mangalore had nothing to offer them. Flora Mathias was already employed on the staff of St. Josephs Asylum School for girls, in Jeppu. After learning that Flora would be happier to find a teaching position in a school of her own parish, Father Mascarenhas prevailed upon Father Lunazzi, SJ, the manager of Floras school, to release her from his staff so that she could teach in her own parish school. Reluctantly, Father Lunazzi acceded to this request and with the beginning of the new academic year in June 1918, Flora found herself on the staff of Fr. Mascarenhas school in the Bendur parish. It did not take too long for this perceptive priest to recognize that Flora was a reserved, well-mannered, balanced person, deeply religious and duty-conscious. In course of time, when he got to know her well enough, Father Mascarenhas shared with her his plans for starting a new religious Congregation when Gods will seemed to be more manifest and the time was ripe for it. He asked her to pray earnestly to our Blessed Mother for the realization of this plan, if such were the holy will of God. Flora felt privileged and excited about being a part of this plan. She redoubled her prayers and made many small sacrifices that the holy will of God for this Congregation and for herself might be revealed. Her younger sister, Alice, who was coming toward the end of her schooling noticed a gradual change in her sisters behaviour and asked her what was behind in all this seriousness of purpose and increase of prayer in her day. At first Flora did not want to say anything about the secret in her heart, however, Alice would not stop questioning her. So, after a great deal of coaxing, Flora disclosed to her sister what was in her mind and the plan that the parish priest had shared with her. Alice got very much interested in Floras private project, and from then onwards the 30

two girls were of one heart and mind in knocking on heavens door in fervent prayer for their special project. It did not take long for Alice to give up the notion of entering the Carmel of Trivandrum in order to join her sister in this venture. While all this was taking place in Mangalore, the Lord was acting also in another part of South Kanara, in Kallianpur. Miss Marcelline Menezes of Falnir, a well-known and much loved teacher in the parish school of Kallianpur, was looking for a teaching position in her home town of Mangalore. Accordingly, she made an application to St. Sebastians School of Bendur, of which Father RFC Mascarenhas was the manager. With her reputation of being a very effective school mistress she had no problem of getting the job; the priest-manager was only too glad to have Miss Marcelline Menezes on the staff of the parish school. As soon as the school year opened in June 1918, Flora and Marcelline became fast friends and began exchanging confidences, which included information about the proposed enterprise. It did not take Marcelline long to make up her mind since she was already on the lookout for a Congregation where she could serve the Lord in prayer and service. Now the way seemed to be clear, she decided to join the other two aspirants in the preliminary preparations. Within a few weeks they were staying after school hours every Friday, for an exhortation by Father Mascarenhas on the spiritual and religious life. While still at home they were learning, as far as possible, to adopt religious practices in conformity with the life-pattern they were to follow later. About the same time, Father Sylvester Menezes, the assistant pastor of St. Sebastians confided to his pastor, Father Mascarenhas, the desire of one of his penitents, Miss Regina Gertrude Gonsalves of Kadri, to become a religious Sister. He pointed out, that while she was at the Suratkal parish, the parish priest there, Father Denis Coelho, SJ, knowing her aspirations and intentions had told her of a similar plan and was looking upon her and training her as a prospective candidate. Father RFC Mascarenhas decided to spend some time praying over the matter.

31

At this time, Regina Gertrude Gonsalves had obtained a teaching position at the St. Josephs Asylum School at Jeppu. She lived at home with her parents in the Bendur parish. One evening as she was returning home after a short visit to her parish Church, Father Mascarenhas sent for her to discuss her career plans and related matters. When, finally, he was convinced of her genuine desire to serve the Lord, he asked her if she would like to join the other three in their weekly instructions on religious life. She was delighted and started coming every Friday evening. Father Mascarenhas assured her that if she wished to be on the Bendur parish school staff, which would make it easier for her to attend the conferences on Fridays, she could do so at the beginning of the new academic year in June, 1919. It was a very happy day for Miss Gonsalves who returned home that evening. There were now four candidates, and it was time to build on these four pillars. The new venture was a leap into the unknown for both the Founder and the founding Sisters. There were many uncertainties to ponder. Were they ready? Would they be able to bear whatever burden

The First Four : BETHANY PIONEERS

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the Lord in his Providence might lay upon their inexperienced shoulders? In spite of all their anxieties, their faith was strong enough to leave everything in the hands of God. Now began the search for a little plot of land, with a small house where they could live together and experience what community life is like. After a great deal of searching, a tiny plot of half an acre with an old house was found. It was ideal location near the Bendur Church and the parish school in which they were employed. While this modest residence was poor in quality, it answered their immediate needs. The deed was registered on March 16, and three days later, on the Feast of St. Joseph, the four pioneers led by Father Mascarenhas and accompanied by Father Sylvester Menezes took possession of the property. Their first act was to place in the prayer room a crucifix and the pictures of St. Joseph and of the Little Flower of Jesus who had been beatified that very year. The house, however, needed some repairs and modifications before they settled in it permanently. Four months later, at 5.00 p.m. on July 16, 1921, the feast of our Lady of Mount Carmel, a touching scene was enacted at the Bendur Church. Reverend Father Mascarenhas and his assistant, Father Sylvester Menezes, warmly received the four young women who were accompanied by their parents and relatives. There were a lot of tears, and expressions of love and support. The young teachers who had eagerly awaited this day, knew that the family relationships, the sweetest, deepest and the tenderest of human ties had to be broken for the sake of the Kingdom. Their parting was painful especially because it was such an uncertain venture on which they had embarked. The candidates, however, had no doubt that their sacrifice was well worth the reward that God had in store for them, since he can never be outdone in generosity. The two pastors who received them, spoke words of encouragement and instruction. Kneeling before the statue of our Lady, Fr. Mascarenhas recommended The Four to her protecting care saying, O Blessed Mother, protect these your children whom you have entrusted to me in all confidence, for the extension of your Sons Kingdom. All present knelt and joined him in prayer for the young women, amidst sobs and 33

tears. Mrs. Menezes, Marcellines mother speaking on her own behalf and that of the other parents, offered them to the Lord in the person of Father Mascarenhas. He consoled them saying that Christ had accepted this tremendous sacrifice they had made in offering their dear ones for the service of the Master. He pointed out that the sacrifice of the parents in giving up their children for his service will never go unrewarded. Comforted with these words of their pastor, the relatives left for their homes. The seed of Bethany was now sown on this Feast of our Lady of Mount Carmel July 16, 1921, in the parish of St. Sebastian, Bendur of the Mangalore Diocese. Like the mustard seed in the Gospel parable, Bethany has now grown into a sturdy tree in Gods garden, like a tree planted near running streams, irrigated by the waters of sorrow and affections, which have ever since nurtured and fructified it. In his later years it was not uncommon to hear the Founder remark: Bethany is the garden of our Lady, and I am only the gardener for the time-being. The First Four: As the first four Sisters of the Bethany Congregation began their religious and community life together, Father Mascarenhas appointed Flora Mathias, superior of the group, and Marcelline Menezes as the minister of the house. This first house of the community was named Bethany so that the members of the new Congregation-to-be would ever remember the same spirit that motivated Martha and Mary should also govern their lives. This was a spirit of love for the person of Jesus and for his Mystical Body manifested by active service. The mystery of the Annunciation, Father Mascarenhas told them, was to be the ideal of their life, and Marys word, Behold the handmaid of the Lord, their inspiration and motto in the service of God and neighbour. This would be a perpetual reminder to them of their place in the Church as the handmaids of the Lord. In all Biblical literature, there are few words more expressive of total obedience to God, than those beautiful lines in which Mary responded to God: Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to your word. Nowhere in the New Testament is there a more tender 34

manifestation of friendship with Jesus, than the story of Christs visit to Martha and Mary, in the little house of Bethany, where he was always welcomed as a friend. It was a friendship so warmly reciprocated, that he wept when he heard that Lazarus was dead, leading the mourners to marvel, Behold how he loved him! It was for Lazarus and at Bethany that he performed his most dramatic miracle. On the feast of our Lady of Snows, August 5, 1921, the Sisters duly prepared by instruction and prayer made their promises of the evangelical counsels: poverty, chastity, and obedience. To signify the change in their life-style and as a reminder of their new way of life they changed their baptismal names to new religious names: Sisters Mary Martha of St. Joseph (Marcelline Menezes), Sister Mary Clare of the Sacred Heart (Flora Mathias), Sister Mary Lourdes of the Blessed Sacrament (Alice Mathias), and Sister Mary Gertrude of Jesus Crucified (Regina Gertrude Gonsalves). August 5, 1921 was an eventful day in other ways as well for the first four Sisters. On this day special permission was granted to celebrate Mass in their little house, after which each Sister received a typed copy of their new way of life. As a token of their consecration to God, the Sacred Heart of Jesus was enthroned in the Bethany home. The parish as a whole also celebrated this day by blessing the foundation stone for the two parish schools: the St. Sebastians Higher Elementary School at Bendur and the St. Josephs Elementary School at Kankanady. Slowly but steadily, Bethany took shape and grew into a religious community. Many hands, minds, and prayers were enlisted in helping the infant community grow into what it is today. Special thanks are due to the Fathers of the Society of Jesus from St. Josephs Seminary and St. Aloysius College, both of Mangalore, who served the community as chaplains, confessors, retreat directors and preachers for weekly spiritual exhortations. On March 25, 1922, the feast of the Annunciation of our Blessed Mother was celebrated for the first time as the titular feast of the Congregation. It was preceded by a novena of prayers. On that day, 35

Sister Martha was appointed superior and Sister Lourdes as the headmistress of St. Margaret Marys Higher Elementary School of Bendur. They were extremely happy to have as celebrant on this day His Excellency, Bishop Paul Perini, SJ, in their midst. By setting his seal of approval on this new foundation he further boosted the morale of the pioneers. The first anniversary of the foundation was marked by an addition to their number. Another lady teacher, Miss Appoline Menezes, joined the community. She was received with great affection by the Sisters and the Founder. The newcomer, very jovial by nature, was indeed a welcome asset to the group. Two more candidates, Christine Peres and Maggie Alphonse, were admitted into the community on the second and third anniversaries respectively, so that by July 16, 1924 they were seven in number. Another stepping stone in the Congregations development was the first election of a superior which took place on March 21, 1925. Sister Mary Martha was installed as the first elected superior, for a period of three years. Growth and Development: The child was born. Will it survive? was the question of many. However, the history of religious Congregations attests that their foundations were usually small beginnings which had to grow and develop through periods of suffering and sacrifices, trials, and tribulations. Bethany was no exception. This venture is too poor to last, Father Mascarenhas Sisters will die when he dies - statements such as these were frequent in the mouths of people who should have known that the work of the Lord does not proceed according to human standards. Sufferings due to lack of resources, poverty, ill health, and the criticism of people in and out of Church became part of Bethanys growing process - a sure sign that it was the work of God. A foundation like this seemed foolishness in the eyes of men, but so was the Incarnation of the Son of God. The undaunted faith and childlike 36

confidence of Father Mascarenhas withstood the criticism which frequently enough came from the so-called good Catholics. They termed the new Congregation a fool hardy undertaking and predicted that it would soon vanish. These people were accustomed to the religious Sisters in India who had the financial and personnel backing of strong European Congregations.

The First Four: Twenty-five years later They did not have faith enough to believe that a Congregation could come out of their own native soil. Of course, one cannot blame them for such thought patterns, since they had grown up in a colonial India where the people were kept dependent on foreign resources. In later years, the Founder would reminisce about these years, I carried on the work of founding Bethany in the face of warm appreciation and bitter criticism. He and the early members of the Congregation were extremely grateful for the timely encouragement and advice of their Bishop, Rt. Rev. Paul Perini, SJ of happy memory, whom the Founder always appreciatively referred to as his benevolent supporter. With his trust in Divine Providence, Father Mascarenhas never hesitated to take chances. Often he commented: I did not feel I had the capacity for it. However, following my general principle of action to make use of the opportunities as they presented themselves and make the best of the 37

situation, I ventured to do what seemed to me to be the will of God, leaving the rest to his Providence. Our Lord and his Blessed Mother under whose special patronage I have placed this work were pleased to bless it with unexpected success. On March 19, 1925 the Founder presented a report on his infant Congregation to the Bishop of his diocese, his immediate superior, which concluded as follows: This is the report on Bethany, which I beg to submit to your Lordship. I must explain why I did not do it earlier... I felt that the work must go on slowly and unostentatiously, and develop in a natural way, as your Lordship had told me in the very beginning. Besides, before reporting about it, I had to have something substantial to show which would justify the existence of the work, proving its utility and giving hope of its success. Now that the number has steadily risen from four to seven, with the well-founded hope of its being doubled in a short time, and their own common life together with the works entrusted to them, having been blessed by God with more than ordinary success, requests for their services elsewhere are forthcoming and I feel that it is time to submit this report to your Lordship to give an account of this my humble work. In concluding, I beg your Lordship to come once and visit Bethany, and give me your blessing and encouragement to go on with this work. The Bishops reply was as gracious as his person. His Lordship wrote back, I have read with much interest your report on Bethany, and as you ask me come and see, I shall be happy to visit Bethany in the course of this week. And so his Lordship did. It was a happy day for the Bethany community when he made his first visit on the feast of the Annunciation and was well pleased with what he saw. He left Bethany and its Founder happy with his blessing and encouragement. In the meanwhile, the number of Sisters had risen to thirteen and there were requests for their services in other parishes. A convent was accordingly established at Puttur on May 29, 1925, under the patronage

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of the Little Flower who had been canonized that year and whom the Founder considered as the most suitable second patroness for the Congregation. Bishop Perini, SJ encouraged the progress of the Congregation at every step but could do nothing towards its canonical establishment. At that time he had ceased to be the Bishop of Mangalore and was only its Apostolic Administrator. The canonical establishment of a religious Congregation was the right only of the permanent Bishop of the Diocese. He, however, wrote to the Founder on July 21, 1927, Your third report of Bethany shows that this young institution which has just completed six years of its existence, has already attained considerable strength and is doing much good in Bendur and Puttur I feel confident that Bethany will soon secure that recognition and stability which will give it the canonical status of a religious Congregation. I bless Bethany and every one of its members and their Founder. New houses of the Congregation were established in Kokkada in January 1929 and in Balkunje and Bajpe in 1930. The following year saw the opening of three more houses at Kinnigoly, Permannur and Uppinangady, the last being entrusted with the charge of an orphanage for neophytes. The first formal step prescribed by Canon Law towards the Canonical establishment of the Congregation was taken by Bishop Perinis successor, Bishop Valerian J. DSouza, the first Indian Bishop of Mangalore, who obtained from the Holy See through the Sacred Congregation of the Propagation of the Faith, a rescript permitting him to found in his diocese the new institution of the Sisters of the Little Flower of Bethany. It was unfortunate that the Bishop had to leave immediately for Europe and unexpectedly met with an untimely death while abroad. The delegate apostolic, the Most Rev. Leo P. Kierkels, who had come to Mangalore for the consecration of the new Bishop, Rt. Rev. V.R. Fernandes, visited Bethany, and offered Mass at the little house. 39

After breakfast with the Sisters of the community, he exhorted them to play the role of Mary and Martha in their apostolate, and to be serviceable to the Church. The new bishop, V.R. Fernandes, after fully acquainting himself with the institution issued a Decree of Canonical Establishment and very graciously placed it in the hands of its Founder whom he had appointed Vicar General of the Diocese the previous year. It was a gift on the feast of his own patron, Saint Victor, July 28, 1932. On the following day the feast day of Saint Martha, the patron of Bethany and also of the superior of the community, he celebrated Mass in the Bethany Chapel during which he promulgated the Decree of Erection of the Congregation as a religious institute. Bethany thus became a religious Congregation according to the Canon Law just eleven years after its foundation. At that time, the Congregation numbered 86. The Founder presented each Sister with a printed copy of the Constitutions on the feast of the Presentation of our Lady on November 21, 1932. The Sacred Congregation of the Propagation of the Faith, taking into consideration all the circumstances of the Institute since its inception as represented by the Founder through the Bishop of the diocese, permitted those members who had already gone through the required training to make their profession by pronouncing the three vows, and those who had not, were allowed to make a years regular novitiate under one of its members. Consequently, the novitiate was formally opened on May 15, 1933, and sixteen candidates were duly vested with the religious garb; Bishop Fernandes presided at the ceremony. Meanwhile, two more convents, the Santa Cruz Convent at Kulshekar and the Rosa Mystica Convent at Gurpur were opened. The latter was established in honour of the Queen of the Holy Rosary. Rosa Mystica was the favourite spot of Father Mascarenhas. He called it the garden of Our Lady. Part of this land was acquired by the Congregation and part of it was the dowry given to Miss Dulcine Rego (Sister Dulcise of happy memory), a novice. It was a deserted spot at the time, but today it is a flourishing garden teaming with life and activity, with flowers and fruit trees, with schools and orphanages. In 1952, the 40

novitiate was transferred to this place, and since then, Rosa Mystica has been the favourite haunt of most Bethany Sisters, both young and old. On May 26, 1934, in virtue of the indult granted by the Sacred Congregation, fifty-four Sisters who had already spent several years in Bethany and gone through the required period of spiritual training, made their religious profession, as members of the new Congregation. The following day, the novices who had entered the novitiate on May 15 of the previous year pronounced their first vows. Ten new postulants were also received into the novitiate by His Lordship the Bishop of Mangalore who presided over all these ceremonies. A new house, Massabielle Convent was opened at Bantwal on July 2, 1934, feast of the Visitation of Our Lady. Unfortunate circumstances necessitated that it be closed ten years later. In 1937, another house was opened in Taccode and a year later, Eudes Convent, the first house outside the diocese of Mangalore was started at West Hill about two or three miles from Calicut, in the Calicut Diocese. From then on, Bethany spread its wings far and wide, throughout the length and breadth of India so that at present it has 167 houses in the 44 Dioceses of India, including houses in Nagaland, Mizoram, and other tribal areas of Assam and 8 Dioceses of Europe and Africa. In addition, there is a house in Rome where pilgrims are entertained and two other communities in West Germany, Dulken and Aachen, where the Sisters are serving the needs of the aged of that country. Bethany is now a full-fledged religious Congregation of Pontifical status. Its members are working in India and abroad, a tribute to Father Mascarenhas bold vision and undaunted courage; a courage that drew all its strength from his calm confidence in God and our Blessed Mother. Bethany Apostolate: It was not uncommon to hear the Founder remark with great satisfaction and legitimate pride: Bethany has provided the grace of religious life for scores of our girls, who for want of sufficient higher 41

education or substantial dowries could not find admission into the older Congregations of the diocese. At the time of his death in 1960, the Congregation numbered 440 and had 27 houses spread over in five dioceses of India. He would also chuckle to himself: Bethany has provided the benefits of Catholic education to hundreds of poor children all over India, not only by means of the schools under its care, but more by the example and impetus it has given to other Congregations to take lively interest in this good work and make it a success.

MOTHER M. MARTHA OF ST JOSEPH The First Sister and the First Mother General of Bethany In accordance with the Founders desires, the Bethany Sisters give themselves wholly to God in consecrated love for the building up of the Church, the Body of Christ. In Christ, the Congregation supplies the Bishops of the dioceses with a body of faithful auxiliaries who devote themselves chiefly to the education of children, religious instruction in parishes, and any other religious or charitable service that may be demanded of them. In a vast country like India, with its teeming millions

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there is no dearth of opportunities to serve Christ in his Mystical Body. Accordingly, the Sisters are engaged in schools, boarding houses, orphanages, the care of parish churches, religious instruction of children and adults, direct evangelization and apostolic field work, homes for the elderly, health clinics, and agricultural pursuits. The Founder was very solicitous about inculcating in the members of his Congregation a respect for manual labour after the example of the Holy Family. He insisted that the Sisters should develop in themselves a healthy attitude toward manual work and that they should not be ashamed to undertake any type of labour for Christ. He wanted to wipe out the popular notion that a nun is someone who is neatly dressed and is either praying or engaged in some occupation of a liberal nature. To many an Indian the idea of a nun weaving, carrying water, or engaged in manual labour is abhorrent. My trust is that Bethany will outlive all these prejudices, be a witness to the dignity of labour, and continue to set an example worthy of imitation. As someone remarked, the distinguishing feature of this Congregation founded by Father Mascarenhas is that it is purely Indian, the work of an Indian priest with purely Indian materials and Indian means.

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Chapter 5

OTHER APOSTOLIC ACTIVITES

With all the work involved in organizing a new parish, constructing a church, two schools, and a presbytery, and raising funds to finance them, it would seem that Father Mascarenhas had enough to occupy his days and the greater part of his nights without taking on any further burden. This is especially true since his lack of resources forced him to live a hand to mouth existence. Although it has been necessary to describe separately the events leading up to the foundation of Bethany Congregation and its rapid development in the course of a few years, thus giving the impression that it accounted for the whole of his activity, to imagine that it did so would be far from the truth. One of the difficulties facing the biographer of a many-faceted personality is to portray him as he really was. Despite every effort to be true to life, some distinguishing trait or some particular activity, which he combined with all the others, seems to escape. One characteristic of Father Mascarenhas that needs to be stressed was his willingness to improvise, using whatever means were available at the moment and leaving the rest to God. By portraying him in relation to his work as pastor and Founder, it is necessary to omit some of his other activities and to pass over in silence some aspects of his life. His zeal was all-embracing and his activities extended far beyond the confines of his parish. He had at heart the interest of the entire community, Catholic and non-Catholic alike. In an elaborate memorandum sent to the Director of Public Instruction at Madras in 1927, he exposed the shortcomings of the District Educational Council of which he was a member. 44

When the Chief Minister, Dr. Subbaroyan, visited Mangalore in 1928, a group of Catholics enlisted the services of Father Mascarenhas to prepare a Memorandum in which he described the educational and other grievances of the Christian community. Among other things the Memorandum stated that the education of Catholic children in Catholic schools was a sacred obligation binding on the conscience of their, parents. Just as the Mohammedans demanded their own schools in order to fulfil the precepts of their religion, the Catholics needed theirs. The demands of the former had been complied with, whereas the Catholic schools were either refused recognition or it was delayed and if granted conditionally was hedged about with harassing restrictions for reasons so unconvincing as to savour strongly of jealousy or religious prejudices. Father Mascarenhas and Mr. M.S. Shreshta were the members of the delegation that met with Dr. Subbaroyan. The result of their representation was the Government Order of 1929 which may be called the Magna Carta of the Catholic schools, recognizing as it did, the special rights of Catholic schools. His intellectual acumen was so well recognized that in 1929, when the Simon Commission visited Madras, the Catholic Association of South Kanara deputed him as one of its representatives to meet with its members. In 1931, Father Mascarenhas became president of the Catholic Association of South Kanara and was in a position to take a more active part in its work. His breadth of vision, his mastery of details, his clarity of thinking and his ability to discriminate between the essentials and the non-essentials were greatly admired. Once a decision was arrived at, he was firm in seeing it put into effect even when others tended to vacillate and procrastinate. With Monsignor Mascarenhas at the helm of the Catholic Association, efficiency in time and energy became its half-mark. He also figured prominently in the civic activities of the city and the district displaying consummate tact and skill. Father Mascarenhas was an influential member of the District Educational Council, serving for two terms from the time it was established. He was the only member in that Council to represent Catholic 45

schools. There are many stories of the tough fights he had to put up in that Council, for the Catholic causes. He was a power to reckon with as his opponents soon learned. The responsibility was a heavy one and required careful handling. It obliged him to make a careful study of the educational problems of the area so that he became the leading authority in the diocese on questions relating to elementary education. In 1923, he was spontaneously elected to Municipal Council without any efforts on his own behalf. Here again, he had to deal with educational problems. During the years that he was a member of the Council, he was listened to with great respect when he spoke on any issue. He was also director of a variety of other organizations and activities. For example, he was president of the Mangalore Roman Catholic Pioneer Fund from 1914 to 1942. For several years, he was also president of the Konkani Catholic Truth Society. Father Mascarenhas was a popular preacher and prolific writer. We have already referred to the fact that he was a clear thinker and eloquent speaker, both in English and in Konkani. In addition to this, he also wielded a facile pen. His efforts to spread literacy among the Konkani-speaking people, especially the poor deserve a special mention. To enable them to learn to read and to write by instructing them in their mother tongue, he published a primary reader entitled Poilem Pustak written in a familiar nursery language. With a view to promote the active participation of the congregation at the liturgical functions and devotional exercises, he translated a number of liturgical and devotional books, hymns, and prayers and contributed some original ones of his own. A good idea of his work as a translator can be gained from the following examples: Little Office of the Immaculate Conception, Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Office of the Dead, Funeral Rites and Rituals, Masses for the Dear Departed, The Four Gospels, The New Testament, A Few Minutes with Mary on Saturdays, The Imitation of Mary (a translation of his previous publication in English published by the Catholic Truth Society at Trichinopoly). In addition to these, he also translated more than fifty hymns from Latin

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and English into Konkani. Many of these have become very popular with the people and are sung in the Churches and in the homes. Most of these hymns have been included in the Shembor Kontigo, the Konkani hymnal. The Little Office of the Immaculate Conception (Lhan Office) rendered by him into Konkani is the one that is generally used by the Marian Sodalities. Even in his last years when he was an octogenarian, he was still busy writing books and preparing a harmony of the Gospels and a life of Christ in simple Konkani verse, suitable for children. His translations of the Four Gospels were indeed a boon to the common folk. It was published at a time when this was one of the greatest needs of the Konkanispeaking Catholic community. The book was sold at the very nominal price of two rupees, so that it could find its way into every Catholic home. People acclaimed it with joy, for the Word of God in an intelligible language had come to their very doors. A letter from Rome showed its appreciation of this labour of love of a man of 75 years, who because of his ripe old age could not serve the Church actively except by using his pen. In reviewing his translation of the Four Gospels, Reverend Father Belleri, SJ of St. Josephs Seminary remarks: It is a shame for a Christian who is able to read, and perhaps reads many another book or newspaper, not to read the Evangel, that is, The Good News that comes from God and tells of our Saviour and guides us to salvation. A priest feels like blushing on meeting good people who do not know nor care to know the names of the two apostles and the two disciples who wrote the Gospels. The Konkani-speaking public will have no more the excuse that no such book is available. Father A. Macry, SJ, the well-known Canonist of St. Josephs Seminary says: I congratulate you, dear Father, on this very creditable work Your skill in managing the Konkani language is remarkable. In the labyrinth of heavy scriptural passages you move with astonishing ease. Toward the end of his long life, as he was failing in health, Father Mascarenhas undertook the work of translating the whole of the Old 47

Testament. In Gods design the work was left for someone else to bring it to completion. Vicar General: In all his activities as a parish priest, he was never interested in bettering his own social position or in ecclesiastical advancement. He paid little heed to the glory of such earthly honours, a bit of dust to be swept away by the wind. The salvation of souls was the one thought

that filled his prayer and motivated his actions. When the talk of a first Indian Bishop for the diocese of Mangalore was in the air his name was often mentioned; but this was not something that occupied his mind. Several of Father Mascarenhas qualities invited the confidence of his superiors, namely, his background, his keen intellect, his perceptive ability, his deep spirituality, and his ardent missionary zeal. Scarcely two years after his Ordination he had been made the pastor of a difficult parish. The Bishop of the diocese was not slow in using this young priests 48

many exceptional talents and he proved to be highly successful in any apostolic or educational task to which he was assigned. Before long, he became known as a priest of solid piety and extraordinary spirituality. In 1931, Bishop V.R. Fernandes appointed him his Vicar General after he had served for some time as a councillor. This appointment called for a great deal of detachment and letting go for the sake of the Lord. He loved his parish at Bendur where his name and the name of the parish had become one, where the parishioners loved him dearly as their first and only pastor until now. He had brought this parish to birth, nurtured it through its infancy, watched over it in its childhood and adolescence, and now after seventeen years as it grew into adulthood, he was called to shepherd a larger flock. There was another reason why he found it difficult to leave Bendur. This was the home of his beloved Bethany, the apple of his eye. The little Congregation which was only ten years old still needed the Founders care and attention, especially since just at this time Rome was being asked to raise it to the status of a religious Congregation. It seemed almost as if an insurmountable obstacle had been put in the way of his giving to Bethany the time it needed. The newly appointed Vicar General, however, bowed to the will of God and without turning back or looking ahead, threw himself whole-heartedly into the new life the Lord had mapped out for him. In the role of the Vicar General, he met numerous people and was called upon to serve in many capacities both inside and outside the diocese. He was also named Officialis of the Diocesan Ecclesiastical Court. These and many other important assignments were not undertaken at the expense of priestly piety or apostolic zeal. God was the one and only goal of his life and second to this was the salvation of souls. He constantly prayed that he might be able to scale the heights of holiness. While serving as a Vicar General, he was well known to all the priests and lay people who dealt with him, as a man of impartiality and fair-play. Guided by justice in his deliberations and judgments, he invariably spoke up for the truth even when others might have thought it advisable 49

to remain silent or might have withdrawn from the controversy to protect themselves from biting tongues and sharp invectives. Opportunistic solutions were foreign to his make-up and he hated duplicity as much as he did an outright lie. He did not know the meaning of the word compromise.

The Founder with his Friend : Rev. J. L. PAIS As years went by, tension grew between the Bishop and his Vicar General. Both were strong-willed, tenacious, and stubborn but good men; both were unwilling to yield their respective positions on matters under consideration. On many occasions when Monsignor Mascarenhas was called upon to represent the Bishop, it was evident that he was by no means a yes-man. Even as a Vicar General his heart was drawn first and foremost to the work dear to his heart, the Bethany Congregation. He continued as its director and chaplain. Many of the Bethany Sisters were engaged in the parishes of the diocese where things did not always go smoothly. 50

Often, in these natural tensions of ordinary human relationships, the Vicar General was constrained to choose the position of the Sisters rather than that of the parish priests. Many priests were alienated from him and even some Sisters began to lose confidence in their Founder. Eventually, he was asked to make a choice between being director of Bethany and the Vicar General of the Diocese. In his own mind, he had difficulty understanding why he could not do both. In his estimation working for Bethany and working for the Diocese were both working for God; it was all one package. Little time was allowed to make a choice and he was torn between the two alternatives. He made a retreat under the direction of his confessor, and he consulted his friend, the Apostolic Nuncio, but by then the time had run out and he was no longer the Vicar General of the Mangalore Diocese. The actual situation was far more complex than this simplistic way of explaining how he retired from being a Vicar General, in 1940, at the age of 65. From then on, he

The Cottage where the Founder lived in his Retirement years took up his residence in a cottage on the Bethany Motherhouse grounds and served the community as a chaplain and its director.

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Pilgrimage to Rome: The year 1933-1934 was one of special significance for the Catholic Church. It was the Holy Year Jubilee. On February 26, 1934 Father Mascarenhas with a few other Mangaloreans left for Rome and the Holy Land on a pilgrimage. They also visited Lourdes and Lisieux. On April 1, 1934, Easter Sunday, he attended the Canonization ceremony of St. John Bosco, for whom he had a great veneration. He always wore on the chain of his pocket watch a medal of this friend of the poor he had brought from Rome. It served as a reminder of Don Boscos zeal for souls. On his return from Europe, the Catholic Association of South Kanara warmly welcomed him and the other Mangalorean pilgrims. Monsignor Mascarenhas, as the spokesman for the group, thanked them for this affectionate gesture and gave them a few of his impressions. Among other things, he said the beauty of the Catholic Church as manifested by its unity was brought home to him in a profound manner and that he would like to make the sentiments of St. Teresa of Avila on her death bed his own: My God, I thank you, that I am a child of the Catholic Church. This unity of faith made more evident when four hundred pilgrims coming from the remotest parts of India, Burma, and Ceylon, joined together as one Catholic family, children of one mother, the Church. These feelings were intensified when the pilgrims met Catholics from many other countries at Rome, at Lourdes, at Lisieux, and in the Holy Land. Another thing that seemed to have impressed him was the Little House of Providence in Turin, founded by St. Joseph of Cottolengo. It was a living miracle, he said, and a mature fruit of Catholicism... In that Institution are grouped together in various houses, infirm people of all descriptions, the deaf, the dumb, the lame, paralytics, epileptics, mentally ill, in all about 12,000 under the care of 2,000 members of different religious congregations founded by St. Cottolengo. This House of Providence requiring a million lire per month for its upkeep has no funds, no endowments and no bank accounts. It depends entirely on

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charity which Providence sends it day after day. The whole is a miracle of Divine Providence and an object lesson of the highest heroism. Monsignor Mascarenhas wished that Catholic Mangalore was imbued with something of that spirit. The Twin Jubilee: A memorable date in the retired life of Monsignor Mascarenhas was March fourth, 1950, when he celebrated his 75th birthday and fiftieth year of his Sacerdotal Ordination. As a tribute of affection, respect, and admiration to their revered Founder, the Bethany Congregation marked this twin jubilee with much celebration.

At the Founders Twin Jubilee It was the diamond jubilee of his life and the golden anniversary of his priesthood. The Bethany chapel was filled to capacity for the Eucharistic celebration. The presence of His Lordship, Bishop Victor R. Fernandes of Mangalore and the numerous priests and nuns bore testimony that it was a day of great rejoicing for all his relatives and friends. The Jubilarian sang the solemn High Mass assisted by his two priestnephews, Charles and Stanley. This man of God was always at his best

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when he was at the altar but on this day one could see how much the Eucharist meant to him. Father William Sequeira of the Society of Jesus preached an eloquent homily, his theme being that the Jubilarian was a man of vision who worked hard to make this vision a reality. A feeling of great friendliness pervaded the atmosphere. After the celebration of the Mass, the clergy as well as the friends and relatives of the Jubilarian were entertained at the Motherhouse. He spent the evening of this great day amidst his own spiritual daughters, the Bethany Sisters, who gathered around him at the Motherhouse to felicitate him. They spoke of their love and respect for him in word, action and in song. One could see he was very happy. Gratitude to God marked all that he said that day. On the following day, a Sunday, the St. Sebastians parishioners celebrated his Jubilee in their Church with Mass, flowers, greetings and a concert. He had been their first parish priest and he had worked among them for seventeen years. Their great loyalty and gratitude were a tribute to the excellence of his character and achievements. During the High Mass which he celebrated for them with his two nephews, Father Lawrence S. Pais, the first child baptized by the Jubilarian in the newly created parish, delivered the homily. An open-air dramatic concert was staged by the parishioners in his honour, in the evening, during which a purse was presented to him as a token of their appreciation of his valuable services to them. On the following day, the celebrations moved to the ancestral home of his family built by his great-grand-father a century earlier. The day began with the celebration of the Eucharist at Milagres Church, the parish in which he grew up, and in which he had celebrated his first Mass. Then the party visited the cemetery where Monsignor Mascarenhas blessed the grave of his brother, the late Dr. Simon Mascarenhas and imparted a general absolution to his dear departed parents and other relatives. In the evening the Jubilarian arrived at the ancestral residence from Bethany via Hampankatta in a beautifully decorated car for the 5.30 reception. After the family group photographs were taken, Father Mascarenhas blessed the house which was newly wired for electrical

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lighting, and recited the act of consecration to the Most Sacred Heart, renewing the consecration of his whole family. Offerings of garlands and bouquets of flowers, speeches and refreshments followed. When drinks were served, Mr. L.C. Pais, member of the Legislative Assembly

The Founders Ancestral Home, Mangalore of Madras and a close friend of Father Mascarenhas, raised a toast to the Golden Jubilarian. The latter acknowledged it in thankful appreciation of the evenings festivity. Among other things he made special mention of their family, which through the years had remained unchanged in its loyalty to the Church of Christ. He was very grateful to God, his Creator, that he was born in this particular family with its old religious traditions and spirit of piety, particularly devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary who is honoured there as Our Lady of Milagres. After a vote of thanks the orchestra which was in attendance throughout the evening brought the function to a close by playing, God be with you till we meet again. Celebrations in other parishes which were indebted to him followed. The same spirit of gratefulness and loyalty for his selfless labours was

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again expressed in Udyavar, Katpady, Udupi where he had also worked. On Monday, March 20, he was delighted to go back to his Alma Mater, his old Seminary, for the celebration of its titular feast of St. Joseph. He was invited to sing the High Mass and give the homily to the entire staff and student-body of St. Josephs Seminary. It was here that he had preached his first sermon after Ordination fifty years ago, and it was on this same feast day, Divine Providence had brought him a full-circle. His reminiscences were full of gratitude to the Lord whom he had served so faithfully for full fifty years. The event of this double jubilee also attracted much attention elsewhere. Many were the letters, messages, and telegrams he received on that occasion from friends and admirers in and out of India, wishing him well and expressing warm regards for him. It is impossible to quote from all the letters; but the two following ones were among the letters he cherished most. One from Cardinal Fumasoni Biondi of the Congregation of the Propagation of the Faith seems to sum up the sentiments generally expressed. Vatican City, January 7, 1950 Congregatio De Propaganda Fide Very Reverend and dear Father R.F.C. Mascarenhas, I would like to take this opportunity to felicitate you on this memorable occasion of your Golden Jubilee in the priesthood which you will celebrate with Gods blessings on the 4th of March and on your 75th birthday. Words are inadequate to express our profound appreciation for the tremendous work that you have accomplished during your fifty years in the Sacred Priesthood. Where our words fail, your endeavours, your labours on behalf of the many parishes and institutions of the Diocese of Mangalore, on behalf of the cause of education and Catholic Literature,

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all will bear indelible testimony to your priestly zeal. You have left lasting monuments in the Churches and schools you have built. Undoubtedly, you have been a useful and intelligent instrument in the Provident Hand of God and many of His special graces have guided you. To crown your noble work, you have founded the Congregation of the Little Flowers Sisters of Bethany, now comprising more than 250 members working for God and country in four dioceses of Western India. Your children are grateful to you after God for the tremendous opportunity you have given

Letter of Card. Fumasoni Biondi 57

them to perfect themselves and at the same time to aid others to follow in the footsteps of the Master. This Sacred Congregation de Propaganda Fide acknowledges with gratitude the work you have done for the Missions and heartily invokes Almighty God to shower you with singular blessings. With best wishes and beseeching the Good Lord to continue to bless you and all dear to you, I am, Very sincerely yours in Christ, (Signed) P. Card. Fumasoni Biondi, Prefect Other letters reiterated many of the things that the Sacred Congregation has cited. Bishop L. Raymond of Allahabad, his letter of February 6, 1950 commented: Not your Diocese alone but the whole Church of India, and particularly the Indian bishops and priests, are proud of what you have done, and regard you as one of the most outstanding priests of this generation. Few of us who have laboured for the Church in this country can parallel your achievements, particularly those which will live after you, your translation of the Scriptures, and the Congregation of nuns which you have founded. Bishop J. Mendonca of Trichinopoly voiced similar sentiments in his letter of February 26, 1950. Among many other things he added: It is with feelings of heartfelt joy I thank God for the enviable grace of a long life of fruitful labours in His Vineyard with which he has blessed you. I am personally acquainted with your manifold activities in the Diocese of Mangalore during the long years of your priestly life. Zealous with a consuming zeal you have spent yourself ungrudgingly in the service of the people entrusted to your care. Souls hankering after perfection have found a sure guide and an able organizer in you. Your

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selfless charity has saved many a family from starvation and despair. Among all your works of zeal and charity, the Institute of the Sisters of Bethany will stand as a monumental work. Its present flourishing state and high spiritual level are a testimony to your powers of organization, your breadth of vision and the thoroughness of your direction. At 75 years of age, he was still apparently in good health, and vigorously active. Watching him walk from one end of the Rosa Mystica compound to the other, or seeing him always so erect and attentive as he presided at the solemn functions in Bethany, St. Aloysius College, or elsewhere, or hearing him carry on a conversation with all the vigour of a young mind, one would have said that this man would surely live to a ripe old age.

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Chapter 6

MAN OF GOD AND MAN OF THE PEOPLE

To better understand the spirituality of Monsignor RFC Mascarenhas, we need to view it against the background of his human personality. Only then can we see the harmonious blend of his physical, psychological, and moral traits with the grace of God within him. The preceding pages have described the multiplicity of his apostolic and civic activities. The present chapter will attempt to bring into focus his human traits. He was tall and erect with broad forehead and piercing eyes. There was something majestic about his bearing which made the visitor feel that he was in the presence of an unusual man. After some conversation he also became aware of a very creative mind coupled with a strong determination to further the cause of the Church and the welfare of the people of India, especially the poor. Father Mascarenhas was a highly integrated person, single-minded one might say, in the good sense of this term. His thinking, talents, and energies were directed to the one aim of loving God by serving his neighbour, in a word, literally spending himself for the salvation of souls. This was the unifying thread that stitched together all his diverse activities. He threw himself whole-heartedly into whatever work he undertook. At the same time, those who knew him admired the calm way in which he accepted the obligations, the conveniences or inconveniences, the mishaps and surprises of everyday events. It was enough for him to know that if Divine Providence had not directly willed them, it had at least allowed them to touch his life at this time, so he accepted everything as coming from the hand of God. The ordinary life of a simple priest concealed many extraordinary virtues which he practised continuously. They had been so deeply interiorized as to seem a natural part of his personality. 60

He enjoyed being with people and liked to engage in pleasant and uplifting conversation. In the event anyone became sick or suffered bereavement at home, he was always on hand to comfort them. In dealing with his employees as a parish priest it was seldom necessary to take severe disciplinary measures. All that was needed was a word, a gesture, or a look from him. People reciprocated his love and affection. The bond was such that they never hesitated to go to him when in need. The following is not an unusual incident. During and immediately after the Second World War, the most essential goods were rationed. In the case of clothing, each adult was allotted only five yards of material per year, and a permit was required to buy it. A college girl, a friend of one of the Bethany Sisters was about to be married. She needed some extra material for her wedding trousseau. She first asked her sister friend if the Bethany Convent would let her have one of their clothing permits so that she could buy five more yards of material. Since they did not have one to spare, she immediately headed for the cottage where Father Mascarenhas resided saying: I know where to find what I want. I will ask the Monsignor if he will let me use his permit for cloth. Either he will let me have his permit or he will work a miracle and make the material that I have stretched sufficiently so that I will have enough. After the visit with him, she left him very contended. We will never know what type of miracle was worked, but it was a happy bride-to-be that remarked to the Sister on her way home, I knew he would help me! He was also known for his eloquence as an orator. His addresses were simple, direct, and thought-provoking. He continued to be called upon as an eminent orator even after his retirement. People frequently sought him out as spiritual director, retreat-master, or confessor. There was a note of authentically in his whole life and bearing which revealed a depth of spirituality that was unusual. Sense of Humour: Despite an outward reserve and the serious way in which he took his spiritual life, he was a past-master in the art of joviality. While his 61

conversation was frequently spiced with playful good humour it was beautifully constructed as if he were dictating for publication. In speech as in action his kindness and gentleness were evident. He treated everyone with sincerity and exquisite courtesy because he saw in each person a child of God. He was a sensitive man of keen intellect whose calm, unhurried speech and humour often made friends of those who had first opposed him. With encouraging words, and a little humour, he calmed the fears of those who came to him. For instance, when the two Sisters who were going abroad for higher education came to bid him good-bye, he blessed them and said, God bless you and may he go with you. Dont forget you are not going alone; go with our Blessed Mother, stay with her wherever you are... Then in a teasing vein, he turned to the one who had an inordinate fear of storms, adding, Sister, in case you run into a storm or hear a clap of thunder, while in flight, please dont try to step down off the plane ! Three or four days before leaving for the U.S.A. one of the Sisters in saying good-bye to him expressed an anxiety that she might not see him again and wondered if she could have something that belonged to him for a keepsake. With an innocent smile on his face, he remarked, I have just the thing for you. The Sister was quite excited and wanted to know what it was. When I was a parish priest in Agrar, I had to cross many paddy fields and marshy areas to visit families in my parish. I used to wear knee high rubber boots at that time. I will see that you get that pair. The Sister was exasperated and said, Father, cant you think of something smaller than boots? Then he tried to be serious and said, Dont worry, my child, we shall see The next morning he gave the Sister the medal which he had so proudly worn on his watch chain ever since he attended the Canonization ceremonies for Don Bosco in Rome. On one side was the engraving of Don Bosco, his model, and the other side was Holy Father Pope Pius XI. Not infrequently Father Mascarenhas was nicknamed, The Don Bosco of India. A number of people including the Sisters believed that Father Founders blessings and prayers could cure their ailments. Some even 62

would touch things belonging to him. One such person was Sister Salome, who was a Sister who did a lot of little odd jobs at Fathers house, sitting in the community room nursing a headache. Sister Salome suggested that the Sister get something that belonged to Father Founder and touch her forehead with it, and as a proof of the power of her remedy recounted how she herself had found her headaches cured by placing inside her bonnet the letter that Founder had written to her when she was in Dharwar. The next morning, the Sister with the headache decided to use Sister Salomes recipe as a cure, and while on some assignment in Fathers house tried to find an old handkerchief in his wardrobe. In her concentrated search for the handkerchief she did not notice Father Mascarenhas peering over her shoulders wondering what she was up to. When, finally, he learned that she was looking for an old handkerchief, he insisted that she take a new one if she needed a handkerchief. So, she had to tell him that she really preferred an old one because it had to be something he had used. Finally, she mentioned that Sister Salome had found relief from headaches by using his letter as a remedy. His response was: How ridiculous! How can any one be cured by a letter or a handkerchief? Here I have been wearing my pants for the past 75 years, and I am not yet cured of my rheumatism! Man of Vision: One reason why Father Mascarenhas was able to meet the wants of people around him was that he did not get bogged down by the immediate needs and limitations. His penetrating vision enabled him to look far ahead so that the means he used in present situations could solve not only present problems but also those of the future. It was this ability to foresee the future that made him realize that after the surge of nationalism in the country at the time of National Independence, there might be a time when the number of missionaries coming to India would be curtailed for one reason or another. The Church in India therefore, should learn to stand on its own resources. Native clergy, Sisters, and laity should be trained to be the apostolic arm of the Church while highly qualified missionaries from abroad were still available to instruct them. It is common knowledge that he was one of the first and strongest 63

champions for the appointment of an Indian Bishop for the Mangalore Diocese. Incidentally, later in his life when he ran into some disagreements with the Bishop, some would rub that in saying, After all, you wanted an Indian Bishop. His answer would be a calm rejoinder; we disagree not on the issue of nationality, but on some point of principle. He was not one to stay on the beaten track if the way to the Kingdom of God was to be found elsewhere. Nor did he set out on a course of action just because it was traditional. His norm of action was: Is it right or wrong? Is it practical or impractical? Will it extend the Kingdom of God or hinder its progress? This straightforward way of acting sometimes required him to take a stand on issues differently from others. He did not hesitate to do this courageously. While the Constitutions for the new Congregation of Bethany which he had founded were being written he asked the Sisters to devise two or three models of a religious habit, so that an appropriate one could be selected from those presented. The Sisters, consciously or unconsciously borrowed elements of the religious garbs worn by the European Sisters working in India with their flowing veils, bonnets, guimpes, bands around the neck, cheeks, and the like. These were the only models available to them. When the Founder saw the sample habit, he insisted that all those wrappings around the face and the neck should be given up, since this Congregation of Sisters would be living mainly in India, a tropical country, and a habit devised for a colder climate should not be the norm. As a result, the habit of the Bethany Sisters remained very simple. He also suggested that shoes, sandals and stockings remain optional depending upon climatic conditions. This innovation in the religious habit of the Sisters in the 1930s led to a great deal of criticism by the lay people and even by religious Sisters on the grounds that the Bethany Sisters were not real Sisters because they exposed their necks, ankles, and feet. Father Mascarenhas was already prophesying the spirit of the Second Vatican Council which thirty years later decreed: The religious habit, as a symbol of consecration, must be simple and modest; at once poor and becoming. In addition, it must be in keeping with the requirements of 64

health and it must be suited to the times and place and to the needs of the apostolate (Perfectae Caritatis, 17). He was concerned too, that the people could not participate effectively in liturgical services because the Latin language was unintelligible to even the educated class in India. He did his level best to explain the services to the people beforehand and while they actually took place. In his later years, he also translated the daily missal into the vernacular so that people could participate in a more personal way. As chaplain of the Bethany Convent, he would have a Sister read the English version of the whole service while he read it in Latin. How his heart would have delighted to see the liturgical changes that came about just three years after his death, especially the use of the vernacular! These few examples show how his paramount aim was to meet the needs of the people of God rather than cling to old ways merely because they were traditional. Many innovations that he introduced in Bethany and elsewhere which were frowned upon by religious and laity alike as unorthodox for religious Sisters have become part of the updating and renewal of many Congregations. The trouble was that he was fifty years ahead of his time, and he had to pay the price! Spirituality: In spirituality as well as personality Father Mascarenhas was very much a man of his era and of his culture. His education and seminary training had been under the Fathers of the Society of Jesus who also headed the Diocese and were in charge of all the major institutions in Mangalore and its environs. In India, as elsewhere, they were esteemed as outstanding educators and spiritual directors. The Jesuit-run St. Josephs Seminary was highly regarded and candidates for the priesthood came from all the dioceses of India. Very early in life, therefore, he absorbed the principles of Ignatian spirituality which manifested itself in his manner of praying, the retreats and conferences he gave, and the constitutions of the Congregation he founded. He tried to inculcate in his spiritual daughters the Ignatian ideals of obedience and service, to the greater 65

glory of God, loyalty to the Church and its Pontiff, and a solid personal piety based on the Spiritual Exercises. Father A. Macry, SJ, a prominent Canon Lawyer on the faculty of the St. Josephs Seminary was asked by the Founder to assist him in writing the original Constitutions of the Bethany Congregation. These were taken almost word for word from those of the Society of Jesus with slight modifications to adapt them to the needs of women in a mission country. But each individual translates and lives out any spirituality in his own way, and this was true of Father Mascarenhas. Despite strong elements of Ignatian influence, the emphasis was always personal. Most of his spirituality must be gleaned from those who knew him personally as friends, fellow-priests, penitents, directees, parishioners, employees, or spiritual daughters of the Congregation he founded, since he did not write out his sermons or conferences. What is known of his thinking was revealed informally and spontaneously, as he wrote or spoke to his dear daughters sharing with them some of his insights, helping them in their difficulties, or spurring them on to ideals. While all this reflects his interior life it does not give us a complete picture. Over and above human greatness there is a divine element to be taken into consideration, namely, the life of grace within a soul, a world reserved exclusively to the mysterious action of God. For this reason, perhaps, the best pages of the lives of the saints have never been written. Many manifestations of their heroic virtues will remain forever unknown, seen only by the eye of God. A Jesuit Father, an astute observer who knew Father Mascarenhas in many capacities and under different circumstances characterized him thus: He was diligent and constant in the practice of all virtues. His behaviour was so unaffected and natural that he appeared happy and cheerful no matter how arduous the task. Even when beset by the difficulties and anxieties caused by lack of funds or other problems he

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always spoke with kindness. He persevered until death in the heroic practice of virtue, especially charity and zeal for souls. No one was better qualified than Father Mascarenhas to make the recommendation: Every day give first place in your heart to the Lord. Never act with a view to please the world or others or the self; act only to please God. If God is pleased, what does the rest matter? Nor was anyone better qualified to write as he did to one of the Sisters, Do well whatever you do; do it for God and for God alone; and your life will be a continual canticle of praise, a continual Gloria Patri No one was ever in a better position than he to make the following observation in a letter to a Sister on the day of her graduation from college: Some outward success may come your way, but what really counts is working solely for God, for his glory and the salvation of souls. As someone has rightly pointed out, much of his greatness really lies in the way he concealed his virtues rather than flaunting them. One might question which was the more edifying, his active life for the Church as a parish priest, Vicar General, and Founder of Bethany Congregation, or the hidden virtue which he was called upon to practise especially during the last twenty years of his life when he was cut off from all the active work he loved so well. He was no less the gentle priest of God in the days of his humiliation than during his active ministry. Although he was a great man, he himself remained unaware of his greatness. He loved silence, simplicity, and a life hidden in his work for the salvation of souls. He never talked having people stand on ceremony with him, so whenever he travelled by the third class coach in trains, his concern was always for the comfort and convenience of his travelling companions. The Sisters who travelled with him remember that on long train trips when the travellers would have to sit up day and night, he would worry about whether the younger ones could bear this kind of hardship. He would try to huddle up in a corner of the train seat so as to make room for them to stretch out a bit. He would insist that they did not skimp on the food which was usually carried with them in a lunch basket, 67

and he would even share part of his lunch with the Sisters, saying, Young people need nourishment to grow and to work for God. Man of Prayer: Father Mascarenhas was a man of prayer. While travelling, during free moments, or while taking walks he was accustomed to pray either the rosary or his breviary. Characteristic of his personal love of Christ, was an ardent devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Eucharist. His letters were frequently signed with some reference to the Sacred Heart of Jesus or the Immaculate Heart of Mary such as, I leave you in the Heart of Jesus, or I commend you to the care of our Immaculate Mother. The depth of his interior life was reflected in his attitude at prayer. His spiritual daughters frequently observed him in the choir loft of the Motherhouse chapel or on the veranda outside his house, rosary in hand and his head bowed deep in recollection. He was speaking out of his own experience when he advised his directees, Our ordinary, everyday life should supply our interior life with constant nourishment. External things and circumstances should serve not to break down but rather build up union of the soul with God and to act as so many opportunities for virtue rather than for weakness or imperfection. Or as he advised a Sister who was headmistress of a school, In doing good never seek applause from the world or approbation from superiors and companions, but do it solely and exclusively for God. Before all else, Monsignor Mascarenhas was a man of God. All his priestly ministry to others was an overflow of his own inner spirit of love and dedication to Jesus Christ who had called him to work in his vineyard. He drew strength for this from a life of prayer chiefly centred around devotion to the Sacred Heart, the Blessed Eucharist, and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Following his retirement from the busy life as Vicar General, one could find him praying for a long time after Mass and in the evenings, either in the choir or in the sacristy. In later years, when he could no 68

longer climb the steps leading to the chapel, he would sit outside his house on the veranda or under the tree in his front yard facing the chapel window through which he could see the Tabernacle light. In 1937 at his urging, Bethany started the perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament both day and night. During the course of the Second World War when many Sisters fell ill and some younger ones died in quick succession, he asked the superiors of Bethany to discontinue the night adoration, although the day adoration continued. It is due to his training that the Sisters of the Congregation never leave the house or return to it without first paying a visit to the Blessed Sacrament. Another custom that he introduced is to stop at the Chapel at least for a short visit after every meal or coffee break. But the best testimonial to his ardent devotion to the Blessed Sacrament are his own thoughts and sentiments about Holy Communion which he shared with his spiritual daughters in letters, in spiritual direction, or in the many conferences and retreats he gave them. In them we can perceive the cadence of an eminently Eucharistic soul. Here are just a few examples: When we receive Holy Communion, let us think of the greatness of the favour bestowed upon us. Our Lord gives himself to each one of us as if there were no one else in the world outside of him and us. Or During the day we should make frequent acts of spiritual communion so as to keep our Lord constantly within us. Again, Never deprive yourself of Holy Communion because of discouragement or feelings of unworthiness. One of the tricks of the devil is that of making us exaggerate our shortcomings so as to keep us from going to our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Finally, Let us remember that the best preparation for Communion does not consist in the recitation of set forms of prayer, often said with distractions or out of habit, but in the faithful fulfilment of our duties accepting and offering to the Lord, the trouble and opposition that comes our way with the intention of making all these acts of ours serve as a preparation for Holy Communion. One of his ardent desires was that Bethany should have a core of thirty or forty Sisters set aside exclusively for the purpose of spending

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their lives in worship and adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. He frequently suggested that perhaps, as the Sisters get older and are unable to do other work, some of these retired or disabled Sisters might select the adoration of Our Lord as their second career. From the way he expressed his ideas one could see that he very much wanted a segment of the Congregation of Bethany to perpetuate Marys role of sitting at the Feet of Jesus just as a segment of the Congregation would be busy serving him in his Mystical Body by feeding the hungry and thirsty, healing the sick and the ailing, instructing the ignorant and disillusioned, and proclaiming the Gospel of the Lord to their fellow human beings. On his death-bed, when no longer able to speak, he asked for the Superior General of Bethany, and once again asked by means of gestures that something be done to have the perpetual adoration of Our Lord to be carried on in the houses of Bethany wherever possible. His constant prayer during these last days, when he could speak only with the greatest difficulty was, Sweet Sacrament we, Thee, adore, O make us love Thee more and more. As mentioned earlier, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus was one of the off shoots of his devotion to the Eucharistic Lord. As a boy he was enrolled in Apostleship of Prayer and the confraternity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This devotion became more tender and profound as he came to maturity. After Ordination, he was a tireless promoter of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus recommending the observance of the First Fridays of the month in His honour, the holy hour of reparation, the litany of the Sacred Heart and the Act of Reparation. Above all, in each of his parishes, he urged the enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in every home just as he enthroned the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the first Bethany house immediately after its foundation. At his urgent recommendation, an act of consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is made in every house of the Congregation on all the major feast days of Our Lord, and on the anniversary of the Bethany foundation. The love and mercy of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was a dominant theme in his daily conversations, his spiritual guidance and in many sermons and conferences he gave to religious communities.

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Devotion to Mary: Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary was another special characteristic of Father Mascarenhas. She was above all, his mother and he wanted her to be a mother to each religious of Bethany. For example, in his letters to many a Sister he pointed out that she is the mother given to us by Jesus on Calvary. On July 16, 1947, the Silver Jubilee of the Bethanys Foundation, he very solemnly consecrated the entire Congregation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and expressed a desire that the Sisters renew this consecration each year on the same date. He taught the Sisters to invoke her as the Queen Mother of Bethany and to adopt as their motto and ideal the Ecce Ancilla Domini of the Annunciation. For Monsignor Raymond Mascarenhas, devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary meant getting closer and closer to Christ by knowing and loving him more with each passing day. Time and time again, he would say, Have great devotion to Our Blessed Mother, because the more you have it, the closer you will get to Our Lord. It is impossible to have devotion to her without loving our Lord more! He used to tell the Sisters, When we feel weary of lifes problems let us pick up the rosary and pray it meditatively. He was deeply devoted to making Mary known and loved. All her feasts, the months of May and October specially dedicated to her, and Saturdays were celebrated with fitting honour. Her mass, Salve Sancte Parens, was his favourite Mass and the Litany of Loretto one of his favourite devotions, which explains why the religious names of so many Bethany Sisters re-echo a title of our Lady ! It was his custom to commence any new project, open any new institution, or decide any weighty matter on a feast day of Our Lady, or at least on a Saturday, a day consecrated to her. The sorrows of Mary, especially as commemorated in the hymn Stabat Mater, were a frequent subject for meditation and he spent many a Saturday evening commenting on the verses of this beautiful hymn, to the community of Bethany. Toward the end of his life when surrounded by many controversies and subjected to a great deal of

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humiliations, the thought of his sorrowful Mother standing on Calvary at the foot of the Cross strengthened and consoled him. To one of the Sisters who wrote to sympathize with him a year before his death, he replied: Dont worry, my child, about my sufferings. It is true that I am going through very difficult times, but I am not alone. I am at the foot of the Cross on Calvary with my Blessed Mother. It pleased him to hear the Sisters sing Marys grateful hymn of praise, The Magnificat, as they did every Saturday. Eventually, he made it part of the reception and profession ceremonies, to be sung as the Sisters processed to the shrine of Our Lady. The Marian year 1954, was a special year for him. He wanted to do something to make this Sweet Heart of his, better-known and loved, particularly by his own spiritual daughters. Consequently he translated from English into Konkani two little booklets entitled A Few Minutes with Mary on Saturdays and The Imitation of Mary. He was happy that the Motherhouse of Bethany had a Grotto of our Lady of Lourdes, but could not be satisfied until as many as possible of the other houses also had one as well. Despite limited funds, he was able to erect Grottos at the Maryvale, Lisieux, Santa Cruz, and Eudes Convents. He gladly accepted any invitation to speak about Mary on any occasion. The Will of God: For Father Mascarenhas, the will of God or his good pleasure was a concrete reality. Before any undertaking he would spend hours and days praying to discern the good pleasure of God or seeking to find out, what Our Blessed Mother has to say about it. The expression, We shall see what Our Blessed Mother has to say about it, became such a common and frequent expression when he was approached about anything, that it became a standing joke among the junior Sisters who responded to any request with, We shall see This high degree of personal conformity to the will of God could only have been attained through constant self-sacrifice, yet he made it seem quite normal for any exemplary priest. There was nothing frightening or intimidating about his heroic practice of virtue. Rather it 72

captivated and inspired others to imitate his disciplined life. When we consider his lonely time of retirement, the host of inconveniences he put up with, his detachment from material things, and his extreme poverty especially during the last years, it is clear that the guiding principle of his life was to accept, moment by moment, whatever divine providence might allow to come his way. Confidence in God: Such an attitude attests to an overwhelming trust in God. The first Sisters quote his response to their fears when they were faced with the need to start a new mission but had no resources: This is indeed the work of God, but as we have no resources, we must have confidence. At times this utter confidence led Father Raymond Mascarenhas to do things which might seem foolish or reckless. When he was in financial distress one would find him praying before the Tabernacle or saying the rosary, expecting in full trust that his need would be taken care of. More often than not, he was right. His immediate needs were somehow met, sometimes so unexpectedly as to seem miraculous. He once confided to one of the young Sisters who was just appointed headmistress of a new school, and was in distress about lack of money, equipment and staff, I know I am a poor economic risk, so I dont ask you take my word. But trust in the Lord who has worked miracles for people less generous than you are. On my part, I will tell Our Blessed Mother that you have no wine and I know she will do something to get her Son to come to your aid. In the face of such obvious confidence one had no way of distrusting Divine Providence. When the interests of Christs Kingdom were at stake, he did not know the meaning of the word compromise. When a Sister who was given difficult assignment tried to refuse it, he said to her: Accept it as the will of God. We will work and suffer together out of love for Our Lord and His Blessed Mother. All for Jesus through Mary for Bethany! To work and to suffer for Bethany and for the Church! What a programme replete with challenges and heartaches! It is, of course, none other than that which Our Blessed Lord himself charted for his apostles, when he sent them out in search of souls. 73

Love for the Poor: Father Mascarenhas was not born poor by Indian standards, but he made himself poor in order to identify with the people Jesus loved most. In his conferences to the Bethany Sisters he would wax eloquent in cataloguing the blessings of poverty, how it is the highest expression of humility. Poverty, he would say, is the first class ticket to the heart of Our Lord which always went out to the poor and the humble. He himself was very detached from material possessions. His possessions were few and most of them very old. He shared whatever he had or was given to him with those who needed it inside or outside the convent. The following is a typical incident. On the eve of his birthday one year, some Sisters came to the Motherhouse from one of the convents in Deccan. Knowing his advancing age and thinking that he might need something to keep him warm they gave him a lightweight Kashmir shawl, warm but not heavy. About an hour later, another Sister dropped in from another branch house to wish him a happy birthday. Since she was coughing and looked ill, he realized her need for something to keep her warm in the damp climate where she lived, and pressed upon her the shawl that had been his for less than ninety minutes. Examples such as these were an everyday occurrence. As a parish priest, he found time to visit the poor in their homes which were little better than hovels. Not only did he comfort and console them, but also acquainted himself with their needs so as to help them in any way he could. The fastest way in those days to travel about in his parish so as to visit the largest number of families was by bicycling through the muddy lanes and uneven pathways in the fields. If he could not get the members of the Saint Vincent de Paul Society interested in certain poor families, he himself would give them money or other gifts. After Monsignor Mascarenhas death, one of his parishioners from Bendur reminisced, It requires no effort of the imagination for us who knew and loved him, to go back in spirit to those bygone days and see Father Mascarenhas 74

walking along the crooked streets and hidden alleyways where there was so much poverty. We can still see him entering the homes of those in need and bringing them the smile of his love and charity. But how can anyone try to add up all his alms-deeds and charitable acts when they were continuous and almost numberless? Like all great souls he had a passion for charity that knew no limits, a compassionate charity that helps a person without humiliating him, a pious charity inspired not by any human motives but only by love of God. The words of the Psalmist, Lavishly he gives to the poor (Ps.111:9), might have been written of him. His heart went out to anyone in distress; he was restless until he had found a way of helping the person in utmost secrecy. This kind of humble charity leaves the recipient with a sense of dignity and self-worth. He paid the rent of families who were ready to be evicted by their landlords, sought work for the unemployed who were at their wits end, found homes for children of indigent families, and when no schools were willing to receive these children, he himself opened new schools and orphanages with them in mind. In an earlier chapter I described how he founded Bethany Congregation so that young women who wanted to be religious but lacked the resources to find entrance into existing institutes, might live an evangelical life and serve the poor. During the years of his retirement people in need continued to come to his cottage on the Bethany Motherhouse grounds, and he continued to help them in any way he could. Sometimes, he would use his influence with a friend, to find them work. Often he would insist that the Sisters give them some kind of employment either at the Motherhouse or in one of their schools or other institutions. He urged his religious to have a deep love for the poor, offering them spiritual alms when they had nothing material to give. He was especially firm on this subject with Sisters who were teachers, insisting that a child should never be denied admission into school because the parents could not pay tuition. On the contrary, he urged the Sisters to search out the poor children in the parish and 75

encourage them to come to school. He is quoted as saying to them, Love all equally. If one is allowed to have favourites, it ought to be the poor, who are the least blessed by nature. Zeal for Souls: An essential element of Father Mascarenhas spirituality was his zeal for souls and for the extension of the Kingdom of God. So deep was this concern to make Jesus Christ known and loved, that he spared no effort even at the expense of his own health and well-being. Every problem he encountered, every need he saw whether it was building a church or establishing a lay association, was considered only from the vantage point of the souls to be saved. He knew how to speak of religion simply to simple people who were touched by his words. At the same time, there was no lack of vitality, originality, or witticism in his eloquent sermons. A man who heard him preach several times remarked, Here is a saintly priest, full of love for God and of divine wisdom. He possessed the energy and zeal of a true apostle for whom the love of Christ burned brightly. Like his chosen patron saint, St. Francis Xavier, the dominant passion of his entire life was, Give me souls, take away all else! When asked as a youngster why he wanted to become a priest, he promptly answered: To teach others to love God and to be good. Even then it was clear to him why he must become holy. This was no easy task for he was a quick tempered and strong-willed boy. For the sake of souls and for the love of God he practised self-discipline and mortification. Only in this way could he best attune his will to the will of God and make himself a pliant and capable instrument for good. For the sake of souls he imitated the virtues and dispositions of his models: Jesus, Mary, St. John Bosco, the Little Flower of Jesus, and St. Francis Xavier. Father Mascarenhas unrelenting work, even when it was for souls, was not a nervous, arbitrary compulsion driving him into a ceaseless whirl of activity. He recognized the value of work as a powerful weapon against useless and empty thoughts, but work was more than a defence or an end in itself. He did not build schools and institutions, churches and chapels for the sake of exhibiting his building genius or just to have great 76

architectural plants. These were only the external means of bringing souls to God. He was not dismayed if some of his plans failed, if buildings collapsed, or if creditors hounded him for payments. A man driven by compulsion or ambition would easily become agitated, lose his temper, or become arrogant when crowded in on all sides by the pressure of so many undertakings and the necessity of finding means to execute them. But Father Mascarenhas work was for God, so he remained calm. In the early fifties when the almost completed Sacred Hearts High School at Kulshekar collapsed in heavy rains on the morning of Pentecost Sunday, the Sister-headmistress of the school gave him the distressing news with tears in her eyes. His calm reply was, My child, if the Lord does not want it, we do not want it either. Let us see what he wants from us. Let us offer him this collapsed building, brick by brick. At this the Sister started weeping and added, But Father, the Director of Public Instruction expects us to move into it in two weeks as a pre-requisite to obtaining the Departmental Recognition of the school. What shall we do? His answer was still a confident one: True, however, Our Lord and Blessed Mother are aware of it. They certainly have a plan. Our duty now is to ask them to help us to see the whole plan their way, not ours. Then he went into his bed-room, sat at his desk, put his head in his hands and stayed there praying for about an hour. The Sister sat by his side watching this strong man almost wrestling with God. Finally, he looked up and asked about the extent of the damage to the building. He was told that it was beyond recovery, that everything was a big pile of destruction: bricks, wood, glass, steel, and all. He said, We will pray and start all over again. When the Sister pointed out to him that the bills on the collapsed building were still due for payment, and inquired, Where will we find the money to start over again, he smiled and said, We always draw from our bank in heaven. Our Lord and his Blessed Mother are very rich and their wealth is ours for the mere asking. Spiritual Director: As a spiritual director he was in a class by himself. Even during the annual community retreats which were usually given by a Jesuit Father,

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most of the Sisters preferred to speak in private to their Founder even though he encouraged them to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation from the other priests who were available to them. As a priest whose gaze was always centred on the supernatural, Father Mascarenhas guided souls with a sure hand and kept them oriented toward the high ideals by which he himself lived. In his spiritual direction, he was above all firm yet gentle, precise yet full of feeling. He never got lost in more theories or empty formulas. With a few well-chosen words he would point out the right road to follow and would inspire a person with courage and strength. There seemed to be a supernatural air about him that won people over completely. He understood souls intuitively, and evaluated them in relationship to God, taking into account their bright and dark sides, their troubles and difficulties. He had acquired the difficult art of listening with the utmost attention, and he showed such kindness that people were able to share with him their secret thoughts. One of the directees, a Sister from another religious congregation, had this to say: In his direction of souls he acted like a kind father. It seemed as if he was able to read the problems of a soul, for more than once that sort of experience happened to me. Another Sister whom he had directed before she entered a religious Order remarked, He was full of compassion, but demanded obedience. Once he expressed an opinion or gave advice after mature reflection, he never backed down or changed his stand. Most of his spiritual daughters would agree that he insisted above all upon absolute trust and filial confidence in God and Our Blessed Mother. He would say, It is not necessary to recite a lot of prayers, but it is necessary to pray with fervour and to pray well. Hence he always recommended before prayer the practice of spending a few seconds in placing oneself in the presence of God. A single word from him was enough to bring peace to the soul, says another Sister, it would dissipate any anxiety or agitation and put an end to any fear. He always concluded 78

with a thought on our Lords love for us. One of his favourite sayings was, Jesus loves you with a love the tenderness of which you will never know or understand in this life. Ask Our Blessed Mother to teach you to love him as she loved him, for no human being could have loved Jesus as much as she. His interest in the Sisters extended also to their family affairs, material problems and health. Any hour of the day or night he was available to them since he never bothered about inconvenience to himself. On February 25, 1960 a couple of days before he had the stroke that put an end to his letter writing, he wrote to one of the Sisters who was away from the Motherhouse, You have received a great deal from the Lord, and now you have to show your gratitude by living a very saintly religious life. Like the Little Flower of Jesus, try to do everything to please God alone. Let love of God be your sole motive for living and doing his holy will. He dealt with every individual as if he had no one else to listen on that day or at that hour. Nothing else seemed more important at the moment than the personal concerns of the individual he was counselling. Detachment and Mortification: One aspect of his life that followed logically in the wake of his detachment from earthly possessions was simple life-style. This was evident in the rectories and the presbyteries where he was the Pastor, but especially in the house where he spent his last twenty years in retirement. His bedroom furniture consisted of an open book-shelf, a small desk with a single drawer, and an austere looking bed. The living room was sparsely furnished with inexpensive chairs. Even in advanced years, he continued to use the one straight-backed arm-chair for praying, writing, or while entertaining visitors. The simple style of life and poor surroundings did not embarrass him. It was a dignified poverty. For his own personal use he had nothing of any value. The pocket watch that he 79

used had seen many a summer and winter and had gone through many monsoon seasons. He was satisfied that it still functioned with an occasional servicing. The white cassocks which he always wore were made of cheap but durable material, decorated with much mending. That is the way he always lived - extremely frugal. He never asked for this or that kind of food. With utmost indifference but great gratitude he would eat what was placed before him without manifesting a preference or ever commenting about the way in which it had been prepared. Since no one ever heard his remark that he liked or disliked a certain dish, no one knew exactly what his tastes were. This fact sometimes led to interesting situations. For example, one night after celebrating the Founders name day with a variety entertainment two junior Sisters were very busy dismantling the stage decorations and putting away the costumes and other paraphernalia used for the occasion. By this time it was late at night, and they had not found time to eat supper. Naturally they were very hungry, but there was no food available since the kitchen was locked and everybody had retired for the night. At that late hour, the Sister-in-charge of Fathers dining room arrived with an untouched food tray announcing that Father Founder didnt care to eat anything at this late hour, so I brought the tray back. Since the two of you had no supper, perhaps you would like to have this food. It did not take much to coax the two young Sisters to do justice to the tray of food. They were delighted at this unexpected gift from above. When they finished their meal, they left the tray with the dirty dishes on it, in the usual place. The next morning, when the Sister-in-charge of Fathers dining room came to take the breakfast, she overheard the chief Sistercook proudly telling others in the kitchen how happy she was to notice that Father had a good supper: Father certainly enjoyed his food last night; he ate every morsel of it with no left-overs. The two junior Sisters chuckled to themselves: We have not only had a good meal, but we also have made the Sister in the kitchen very happy. However, a few days later they told the Founder about this incident and nobody enjoyed the humour of the situation more than the good old Father Founder. 80

The Sisters who have been associated with him from the very early days of the Congregation as well as his other friends and acquaintances attest to the fact that one never saw him drinking anything stronger than the common beverages of coffee or tea. The only time he took wine was at the Eucharistic celebration and that too in a very small quantity. He was never known to eat between meals. Many Sisters recall that he tried to instil some of this spirit of mortification and sacrifice into his spiritual daughters of Bethany. Very frequently he would point out that an important characteristic of a good religious is her spirit of contentment, for example, to be satisfied with the food which is served as long as it is not be injurious to my health. His renunciation also extended to his sleep patterns. He was always up early in the morning to offer the Sacrifice of the mass at 6.00 a.m. on weekdays and at 6.30 a.m. on Sundays and holy days. By then, he would have prayed his Divine Office and made his meditation. This mortification in the matter of sleep was dictated not so much by a desire to bring his bodily senses under control of his will, as by the urgent need he felt to do Gods work. Yet, he never seemed to work under pressure nor did he rush through things. To each task he gave his full concentrated attention. Every moment was to him a precious gift not to be squandered while there were still souls to be brought to God. He was never slip-shod in his work and often said to the Sister who typed his letters: Even the first draft of the copy that you keep for your personal file should be equally neat and presentable as the final one, for it, too, is done for the love of God. The control he exercised over his tongue in conversation presupposed continual mortification. The text from St. James letter, If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man (James 3:2), was a favourite one and he frequently quoted this and other texts from chapter three in his conferences to the Sisters. Occasionally, he would ask this

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or that community to read the same chapter daily at table for a couple of weeks in succession. Here was a model for the use of the tongue that he wished to sink deep into the hearts of the Sisters. Relationship with the Sisters of Bethany: Although Father Mascarenhas was deeply interested in each individual Sister, her health, and her family, it was to the young and the ill that he showed special tenderness. The same thoughtfulness was manifested for those engaged in difficult work. For instance, when he encountered Sisters who were busy weaving or doing other hard manual work, he would ask them to take a brief rest and talk to them with unequalled tenderness. The teachers were also encouraged to remember their responsibility to watch over the children entrusted to them with great care. He emphasized that they must remain closely united to God in order to do their work effectively. He read a great deal, including the leading newspapers and magazines, both Indian and foreign, in order to follow the developments of modern thought, as well as current happenings in the Church, and in the country. Since he was a scholar at heart, he wanted to instil a love for learning in all his spiritual daughters. In the middle and late 1940s during the post-World War II period, when money was so scarce that it was difficult to buy the necessities of life, he bought a twenty-volume set of general knowledge books, The Wonderland of Knowledge, so that the Sisters who had just finished their college education would be able to spend their time usefully acquiring more general knowledge while awaiting the publication of their examination results and their new assignments. Nothing was more important to Monsignor Mascarenhas than training the Bethany Sisters in the spirit of religious holiness so that they might be more effective in serving Christ and his Church. His own example was in itself an unspoken sermon, a constant source of edification, and a daily incentive to do ones duty and strive toward perfection and holiness. 82

He always rejoiced at the accomplishments of his spiritual daughters. It was a matter of great pride for him to see those who were doing their college education receive many honours. Once he said with great satisfaction to one of the Sisters who had excelled in her studies, Go my child, to our Blessed Mother and thank her for her blessings to you, and then he added, It will be also nice to get a distinction for intense love of God and his Church. She is the best person to help you get that distinction, too. In order to stir up the fervour of his own religious, he would look for something characteristically Christ like in the other religious Orders in the neighbourhood, and hold it up for Sisters emulation. He loved his Sisters deeply. Once when someone pointed out to him, that he was wasting his life on the Sisters, he responded, Yes, yes, I think I would give up my life for them. They are the crown of my labours! However, despite his fondness for each member of the community, he did not hesitate to send recruits away if they could not adjust to the training. Father Mascarenhas was a man of high ideals who expected the same of others. Having given himself thoroughly to the Lord, he expected his Sisters to do likewise, and frequently demanded much of them. From the earliest days, he insisted on a thorough training of the novices. He himself would instruct them in the theology, the religious life and vows, and other aspects of the spiritual life. In his weekly conferences to the whole community he placed particular emphasis on prayer. He knew each of the Sisters as an individual and treated her as such. At times, his letters to superiors included very specific directives concerning the spiritual life and the general health of the community. One day a young Sister who was just recovering from an attack of influenza dropped in to see him, shortly before his lunch hour. Observing that the Sister looked pale, he insisted that she have the chicken soup just then sent to his dining room for him. This was typical of his concern for the sick, the weak, and the young. Probably, his strongest emphasis was on obedience and family spirit. In order to make their life together a 83

true community he insisted on union of minds and hearts among all the Sisters. On one occasion, when he and Sister Magdalene were on their way to Rosa Mystica Convent to check on the construction of one of the buildings, two other Sisters went along with them. As they arrived at the chaplains residence, it was raining torrentially, and they were glad to be inside the cottage. While Sister Magdalene went about her business, the two junior Sisters sat with their Founder on the veranda watching the huge raindrops coming in quick succession. After a long and deep silence, one of them noticing the Founders pensive mood, asked: What are you thinking about, Father? Quick came the response: I am thinking how can I love my God more in my children, and how to love my children more in my God. This statement just about sums up his attitude and relationship with the Sisters of the Congregation he had founded. Before the close of his life, he took great satisfaction in seeing how much Bethany was accomplishing. The Congregation had increased to about 500 members working in several dioceses in schools, orphanages, technical and craft training centres, dispensaries, etc. He took pride in all these achievements because they were a sign that the work of Christ was being carried on. Monsignor Mascarenhas also played a part in the establishment of another Indian Congregation, the Holy Family of Nazareth Sisters. He encouraged and supported the Founder of this Goan Congregation in every way he could. The first members were trained in the Bethany Sisters novitiate in Mangalore until permission was granted to open their own novitiate in Goa. Then Bethany Sisters were sent to Goa to assist them during the early years of their development.

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Chapter 7

THE TESTING TIME

Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit (Jn.12:24). Anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me (Mt. 10:38). These two sayings of Jesus testify that the path to genuine sanctity is not an easy one. He himself who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life was not exempted from calumny and suffering. Neither was Raymond Mascarenhas. From the day of his Ordination until he drew his last breath, suffering in one form or another dogged his footsteps. The grain of wheat had to fall to the ground and die if it were to be fruitful. First of all, there were the constant personal sacrifices he had to make in order to relieve the suffering of others. Another kind of suffering grew out of the povertystricken conditions in which he worked. Wherever he was stationed there were buildings to be put up without resources of any kind. At Udyavar and Bendur he had to live for a long time in primitive, makeshift lodgings while constructing the church, one stone at a time, whenever he had a few rupees. Typically this kind of sacrifice meant little to him, just as he never gave a thought to providing for the future by putting away something for a rainy day. Monsignor Marian Castelino who was his close associate testifies thus: Monsignor Mascarenhas was a great man but he lived a simple life, a life of poverty and detachment. His food was quite simple. As regards his dress, I wonder if he had more than two pairs of trousers at any time. All his life at Bendur was spent in a small building, formerly a soda shop. Being quite close to the dusty road, it continually accumulated 85

dust. One can imagine the inconveniences and nausea the pastor had to put up with for seventeen long years. As the members of Bethany gradually increased, the problem of supporting them stared him in the face. The Second World War and its aftermath was a particularly difficult period since money was scarce, and food was rationed. The non-earning members of the Congregation consisting of the sick, the students, and those under formation outnumbered the earning members. Consequently, the daily fare was less than adequate. As a result of under-nourishment a number of young promising Sisters developed tuberculosis and died. Although their edifying deaths were very consoling, they left a pang in the heart of everyone, especially the Founder. This tragedy invited much criticism from outside, not only from the sceptics but also from the supporters, friends and families of the Sisters. Although it was a trying period for all the members of the Congregation, it was the Founder who was put to the greatest test. Throughout it all he consoled himself and the community with a thought that revealed his deep faith, We have now opened our largest branch house in heaven. Realizing his responsibility in the matter, he directed superiors to go out of their way to safeguard the health of the Sisters, not counting the cost. But providing better food and care for the Sisters and improved hygienic conditions, plunged the Congregation deeply into debt. Added to this were other acute financial problems faced by the local convents as well as expensive law-suits to defend the Congregations rights. The latter arose from a combination of circumstances too complex to explain in a brochure of this size. Worry-some as these financial problems were to Monsignor Mascarenhas, they were not as painful as his relationship with the Bishop. It is not surprising that after he was retired from the office of the Vicar General in 1940, the tension between himself and his Bishop gradually increased. It was common knowledge that both, the Bishop Rt. Rev. V.R. Fernandes, and his Vicar General, Monsignor Raymond Mascarenhas, were strong-willed and inflexible personalities. In the role of Vicar General he was expected to represent the Bishop, 86

but Monsignor Mascarenhas personality was such that he could never become a yes-man. In representing his Bishop on several occasions, he was not ready to sacrifice his own principles and convictions when they went counter to his Bishops. To further complicate the matter the Bethany Sisters were engaged in many parishes of the diocese where it was natural to run into conflicts with parish priests on matters pertaining to parochial schools, Sunday religious instruction, or other matters relating to their apostolic activities. Since Bethany was the apple of his eye, Monsignor Mascarenhas was suspected of favouring them when he had to arbitrate these disputes. When one adds to personality clashes human weakness and other shortcomings it is easy to see how gradually the Bishop and his Vicar General seemed to be on the opposite sides of the fence. With a desire to resolve the situation, the Bishop asked Monsignor Mascarenhas who up until then was both Vicar General and the director of the Bethany Congregation, to give up one or the other position. It was not difficult to see where the pull in his heart would be. Before he had time to make a choice the decision was made for him and he was left with the role of being the director of Bethany rather than the Vicar General of Mangalore. This was a very difficult time for him because for although he was no longer Vicar General, this fact was not made public. There were occasions when he had to preside at official functions supposedly as Vicar General, when he knew that he was not. He wished he could tell the public the truth and not have them treat him like the representative of the Bishop, or an official of the diocese. When the official announcement was made two or three weeks later, he moved his few possessions from the Bishops House to the chaplains residence at Bethany. Externally, one would never guess that anything stressful had happened to this priest of God. Only with one or two of his confidants did he share his struggle with deep inner feelings. From now on, Bethany became his main interest. The chaplains cottage on the Motherhouse grounds was his home for the next twenty years, until he exchanged it for an eternal home in heaven. The conflict 87

between Bethany branch houses and the parishes increased in number and intensity, which led to further alienation between the diocesan authorities and the Bethany Founder. This must have caused great suffering to both sides, because both were people of good will. There were also other trials as well. Bethany was barely twenty years old, so entrance into adulthood as a religious Order was painful. The Sisters were inexperienced in Canon Law and managerial skills, so the Founder directed practically all the affairs of the Congregation, both administrative and financial. The Superior General and her council members were young and needed guidance. There were no traditions to fall back upon, since traditions and history were in the making. Because of his trusting nature the Founder tended to accept people as they are without suspecting any ulterior motives. The inevitable jealousies and manoeuvrings for positions missed him completely. Although Mother Martha and the two subsequent Superiors General were considered to be head of the Congregation, the Founder himself managed almost everything. This explains his attitude on various issues concerning the Congregation and also accounts for several harassing lawsuits with their unpleasant consequences, including the withdrawal of Sisters from some of the parochial schools, and the closing of some of the parish convents. It cannot be denied that this constitutes a sad chapter in the history of the Congregation. In 1940, the nineteenth anniversary of Bethanys foundation, the Bishop asked that it hold its first Canonical Chapter for the election of a Superior General. Until then there had been no official Chapter. At this first Canonical election on September 28, 1940, Mother Martha was elected Superior General for a term of six years. The Bishop of Mangalore who presided at this election confirmed her in office. However, even after the election, the Founder continued to be the major director of the Congregation, especially in matters relating to Bethanys outside affairs. At the end of the six years, in September 1946 the Second General Chapter met once again for the election of a Superior General. Mother 88

Martha was re-elected for a second term of six years which was allowed by the Constitutions. As the diocesan Congregation, Bethany was required to have its election confirmed by the Ordinary of the diocese. However, the Bishop of Mangalore, in whose diocese the election was held, refused to confirm Mother Martha as Superior, and no reasons were given for his action. This hurt the feelings of all the Chapter members but none was hurt more than the Founder. Six months later a second session of the Chapter was held at which Mother Petra was elected. She was confirmed by the Bishop. When the time came for the Third Chapter of Election in April 26, 1953, it was decided to hold the election at West Hill Convent, in the Calicut Diocese so that it would be the Ordinary of that diocese who would preside at the election. This was not appreciated by the Bishop of Mangalore in whose diocese the Motherhouse is located. Events such as these caused deeper and deeper rifts between the two men, causing much unnecessary suffering to all the parties concerned. After the death of Bishop V.R. Fernandes, his auxiliary Bishop Basil Peres took charge of the diocese. As a very kind gesture on his part he petitioned Rome to recognize the outstanding work of Monsignor Mascarenhas. As a result of his efforts Father Mascarenhas was made a Domestic Prelate in August 1955. It was a very happy occasion for the Monsignor who was felicitated by different groups and in different ways. For a while it seemed that the dark cloud had passed by but unfortunately it proved to be only a short lull while a major storm was brewing. One significant problem was the Madeleine High School in Mulki of which Monsignor RFC Mascarenhas was the manager. It was staffed entirely by lay teachers and was a terrible financial burden to him, but ultimately to the Bethany Congregation. Time and time again he begged the Bishop of Mangalore to permit the Bethany Sisters to open a small convent in the Mulki Parish so that they could staff this school. This Bishop had adamantly refused each time because he considered it to have been opened without his specific permission. Now that there was a new Bishop, he hopefully renewed the request, but again met with refusal.

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Appointment as Domestic Prelate by Pope Pius XII

Another problem came in the shape of a three-year old boy who was left in Fathers house to play, while his impoverished mother worked in the yard or in the convent premises. The little fellow seemed to like everything about the place, and eventually got very fond of this old man who treated him with so much love and tenderness that he wanted to stay with him all the time. The mother was only too glad to let him stay, since she had other children on her hands who needed care. It was natural for the old Monsignor to lavish a great deal of affection on this little angel. It was his dream to help the boy grow up to become a minister of God. As the poor boy grew he was sent to school and given every opportunity to better himself. By the time Monsignor Mascarenhas was approaching his eighties, the little fellow had begun to take advantage of the old mans kindness. Gradually, the boy became very delinquent in his ways and developed some reprehensible habits. However, Monsignor Mascarenhas overlooked this misbehaviour and the boy further took advantage of the indulgence of his kindly patron. Father Mascarenhas could not believe the people who told him that he was wasting his time and energy and the funds of the Congregation on a worthless fellow. He had never in his life believed that anybody could be worthless. With time and love, people can be helped, was his philosophy. So, as usual he expected some good to come out of him. On one occasion, a Sister took courage to question him, Father, how can you train a youngster to discipline himself, if you never say no to any one of his demands? His reply was, Sister, I know from experience how painful it is for a child to be refused some simple things. I came from a large family, and my mother had to say no to me many times, because to say yes to me would demand that she say yes to all of us. Often I had to go without this or that toy. I remember the pain of such refusals and I would not like to do anything to cause similar pain to this little boy. His own expression summed up his attitude toward the boy: Grand fatherhood is creeping upon me. Unfortunately, this misplaced affection caused much tension between him and the administrators of the community as well as other people, and led to a great deal of misery both to the community and to the Founder himself. 91

By 1953 the third Superior General and her council were in charge of the administration of the Congregation. Bethany was 32 years old and Monsignor Mascarenhas was 78, yet he personally continued to handle all the important affairs and financial dealings of the Congregation. A change was necessary and it came about after the Bishop made a visitation of the Congregation in 1956. Even though the changes were in the interest of the Congregation, even though he knew deep down in his heart, that sometime they must come, yet it was a rude shock when they came. This man had given his all for the sake of Bethany; now it seemed that Bethany no longer needed him. It must have been a very lonely and agonizing experience. Another source of anguish was his sensitivity to public opinion regarding his reputation. He believed that as the Founder of Bethany his name was bound up with that of the Congregation. Accordingly, he had a strong inner urge to explain some of his actions which had been misunderstood in clerical and diocesan circles. He prepared a little booklet called My Apology in typed form and shared this among the friends who were significant in his life. Within a short time a counter booklet appeared called The Revenge of Monsignor Mascarenhas which was a vicious attack on the character of Monsignor Mascarenhas. He was deeply hurt by this, and in response he wrote another booklet called Aplogia Pro Vita Sua in which he exposed some of the allegations made against him in the booklet. The diocesan authorities were upset about this, accused him of libel, and demanded a public retraction under the threat of suspension. He was also ordered to recall all the booklets he had sent out. The man was completely broken now and he humbly submitted. He retracted under duress, and his retraction was published in one of the issues of the Raknno of that year. While collecting the information to write a brief sketch of his life, one prominent layman of the Milagres parish commented: It was a sad, sad spectacle to see this 84 or 85 year old priest going from house to house of his friends with a little bag in hand to collect that little booklet which he had sent them. It made us respect him more than ever, because 92

of his humble submission to what he was ordered. If his great deeds in Mangalore wont make him a saint, certainly his humility should win him a crown of glory. A priest of some influence in the diocese who wishes to remain anonymous had this to say, What he said in his booklet was the truth. But no one had the courage to back him up, not even we, his brother priests! Whether these statements are true or not we will never know until eternity. But it was all in the plan of God that this suffering should have to be, so that God would be glorified through all the persons involved in these situations. Of all the obstacles to growth in holiness, self-centredness is near the top of the list. We tend to react to everything in terms of how it affects us, often clinging blindly to the good things of this life without regard for the will of God. When we do so, these become idols. God is forever trying to wean us away from focusing too narrowly upon ourselves, knowing that we will not be prepared to enter his all-holy presence until he alone is our ALL. In his loving providence he seeks to make this happen during life rather than in purgatory. Especially in old age he strips away, one by one, the things to which we are too much attached: health, memory, mental and physical vigour, mobility, the joy of achievement, and long standing friendships through the death of friends. Those persons destined for higher sanctity may be subjected to even greater trials: loneliness, seeming abandonment, and slander, to mention but a few. Monsignor Mascarenhas suffered them all. The next three years were years of lonesomeness and desolation. He was stripped of everything. To begin with he had hardly any material possessions and these were the last things he would want to hold on. He was stripped of all status when he was almost forced to give up his office as Vicar General and began to live a very private life in the small cottage in Bethany. He was stripped of power, as he had no more control over the management of Bethany for which as he once said, I would lay down my life. He was stripped of personal affection. The diocesan administrator who temporarily took charge of the diocese after Bishop Basil Peres died on his way to Rome, ordered him to send away 93

the boy he had adopted. At about the same time, the Sisters too were ordered not to go to him for any reason. This latter order was either misunderstood or too rigidly applied. One can scarcely imagine the mental anguish of this old man who could find no comfort even among his own. A well-known Jesuit Father who used to visit him regularly at this time remarked about this period of the Founders life, His greatest sufferings came from his own spiritual daughters who to all practical purposes had deserted him. The amazing thing about him is that even at this time he never complained about his suffering or blamed anyone for them. On one occasion when he had rung his call-bell repeatedly and no one had answered it, he was on his way to the parlour to look for someone and he ran into a Sister of whom he asked, Why is that, no one has been answering my call-bell? The Sister in an honest rejoinder said, No one is supposed to take your call except the one who is appointed to do so. His answer to her was: All right, child; obey your superiors and do as they have bidden you. Also his letters at this time to one of the Sisters who was abroad were not only free from complaining but full of hopefulness: Our Blessed Mother is with me. It may be Calvary, but that is where Our Lord and His Blessed Mother are, and I am content to be where they are. At another time, when the Sister wrote and said to him, I am upset at the things I hear about you and I am also deeply upset about a letter I have received from Father X telling me not to have any contact with you even by letter. His only reference to this part of her letter was: Will you refuse to stay with me on Calvary where Our Lord and His Blessed Mother are? Love is tested and proved in the crucible of suffering. The greater the love a person bears, the greater is that persons suffering when that love is rejected or crossed. Love makes us vulnerable and open to pain of rejection. Monsignor Mascarenhas loved God intensely and that love had to be tested, tried, and proved. He loved his fellow human beings very much and his sufferings had their source in very many of these people, so that his love could be purified. His love for Bethany and his spiritual daughters was unmatched, and Bethany proved to be a source of acute mental agony, anguish and suffering. 94

He had spoken of suffering often in his life and he knew it would be a part of his life. However, suffering was never something in which he rejoiced for its own sake. He did not expect that of itself it would further his sanctification. He saw in suffering only an extension of the sufferings of Christ. To him the sufferings of Christ were not an historical episode isolated in time but were nonetheless, of infinite redemptive value. To him, living always consciously in the presence of God, the Passion was a constant, awesome reality, possessing the poignant actuality and immediacy of experiencing the anguish, desolation, and death of a beloved and friend. So profound was the impression of the crucifixion on the mind of Father Mascarenhas, that he could hardly speak of it without having his voice betray his emotion. Like St Paul, he constantly drew attention to the fact that the sufferings of the present time are not worth to be compared with the glory to come, and he was never tired of reminding his spiritual daughters that when we suffer we are sure of being close to his and Our Blessed Mother: Where can we most assuredly find them but on Calvary, one hanging on the Cross and the other one at the foot of it, then he would add in encouragement, We suffer with him that we may be glorified with him. On the road to Emmaus, Our Lord had admonished the disciples who questioned the necessity of his sufferings and death: Did not the Christ have to suffer these things before entering into his glory? If suffering was the road-map to glory for the Son of God, how can we humans believe that there is any other way for us to heaven and to the ultimate union with his Divine Majesty. Indeed all this was very prophetically expressed in the words of Reverend A. La Fleur, C.F.S. of France who had written to Father Mascarenhas on March 2, 1938 saying, Those who are chosen by Jesus to undertake such a divine work are invited to follow him not only to the breaking of bread but also to the drinking of the chalice of his Passion. Thus all Founders have to experience many difficulties and undergo numerous trials.

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Chapter 8

THE LAST YEAR

The year 1960 will always be an important year in the history of Bethany. It began with an anticipation and excitement because the Sisters were looking forward to the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the priestly ordination of the 85 year old Founder, on March 4. Less than a year before, Bethany had elected its fourth Superior General on April 26, 1959. Her first act after her election had been to present herself to her old Founder in order to ask his blessing on herself and on the Congregation of Bethany, which she had been elected to lead. The venerable old man, living alone these last few years in the obscurity of his small cottage, was very much touched. He blessed her from his heart and encouraged her in her new task. That she was blessed in a special way was evident from the amount of good she was able to accomplish for Bethany and its apostolic work. Now he was at peace. He did not have the desire for power or for the management of Bethany. But to see the Superior General asking his blessing after her election was a sign that the Congregation still acknowledged him as its Founder; it was a token that he was not an outcast in his own Congregation. From then on, he left himself in the hands of the Superior General to be cared for by the Sisters whom he considered his spiritual daughters. While physically old and feeble, he was mentally alert. However broken in spirit, there was nothing in this world that he really desired, except God. The Sisters remembered his eagerness just ten years earlier to live long enough to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of his ordination. They recalled how after the public reception given in his honour at his Golden 96

Jubilee on March 4, 1950 when he was 75 years old, he was already speaking of March 4, 1960 and of his Diamond Jubilee. The Mangalore community had been very spontaneous in manifesting its esteem at a public reception in his honour. The great man was visibly moved by the way in which different organizations of the diocese had celebrated this twin Jubilee of his 75th birthday and the 50th anniversary of the Priestly Ordination, a great event in his life. At the conclusion of it all, he had remarked to the Sisters who were with him on that occasion: Now we shall start preparing for March 4, 1960, the Diamond Jubilee of my Ordination. Little did he dream what that preparation for his final Jubilee on earth would cost him. God had asked of him a very heavy price but in spite of the anguish that wrung his soul, he had been very generous in allowing the Lord to complete the work of purification. The Divine Knife had cut deeper and deeper to take away from his heart every attachment, however small. At the age of 65 he was a retired priest with no parish, and with no office of any kind. The two Sisters whom he loved dearly and who had worked in close cooperation with him, Mother Martha and Sister Mary Magdalene, had preceded him to their heavenly home; the boy whom he had adopted and for whose sake he had withstood a lot of criticism, failed to measure up to his expectations and had to be sent away. The last years of his life were filled to the brim with sharp encounters and bitter conflicts with persons who differed from him on many important and unimportant matters including the issue of the Founders role in the Congregations life. Persons who were opposed to him were also opposed to Bethany Congregation right from its origin. This was the apple of his eye and he defended it with all his might. Deprived of all human consolations he sought comfort in prayer before the Eucharistic Lord and His Blessed Mother, whom he frequently invoked as the Man of Sorrows and the Mother of the Man of Sorrows. It was the dark night before the full light. None of these events left him bitter. He was a simple, straight-forward man. In his life 97

there were no complications, no carefully worked-out strategies, no schematic treatment in his personal religious life or his attitude toward prayer, only an attractive simplicity. He became completely detached from the things he held dear, even from his own Congregation and his spiritual daughters, so that he totally depended on his Lord and Master, whom he had now served almost sixty years. Toward the middle of 1959, Monsignor Raymond DMello of Allahabad was consecrated Bishop of Mangalore. This good Bishop with a special kindness for the sick and the poor made it a point to visit Father Mascarenhas frequently. He spoke words of comfort and encouragement, reminding him to unite his sufferings with his suffering Lord. He seemed to understand this old, humble priest, and like the good Bishop that he was, he wanted to help him in every way. These visits were a source of strength and consolation to his troubled mind and to some extent alleviated his mental anguish. As the New Year 1960 dawned, the Sisters of Bethany began preparing to celebrate the 60th anniversary of his Ordination. Because of certain practical circumstances it was decided to anticipate the celebrations by four days. Thus February 29, 1960 was to be a big day in his life and a big day it did become but for entirely different reasons. Monsignor Mascarenhas began to take a new interest in life as he eagerly awaited this day. To add to his joy, he received a congratulatory letter from Rome paying a tribute to his sixty years of priestly life spent for the good of souls, in the service of the Church. This recognition by the representatives of the Church whom he affectionately called Mother Church was a tremendous boost to his morale. On the eve of his Jubilee celebrations, February 28, 1960, his friend Reverend Father John G. Pinto spent the night with him. Monsignor Mascarenhas was full of excitement and spent a restless night. Like a child, he could hardly wait for the big day. He rose very early the next morning and with the help of Father John Pinto, got himself ready to offer the Eucharistic Sacrifice of the Mass at 7.00 a.m. in St. Sebastians Parish Church, the very Church he had erected for the newly created 98

parish in 1914 and where he had served as a pastor for seventeen years. It was indeed his big day after all the humiliations he had undergone during the last few years. One could see from his expression the excitement with which he had waited this day of thanksgiving for his priesthood. A large crowd of people had gathered in the Church: members of his family, friends and relatives, as well as many priests and religious Sisters. The Bishop of Mangalore with his Vicar General was there to honour him. After the obscurity, anguish, and agony of the past few years, it seemed like a glorious entrance for him, as he walked in procession with his Bishop and about sixty of his brother priests through the main door of the Church which he himself had built some forty years earlier. Little did he realize that this triumph would be a prelude to the final glorious entrance to the real home of his Father whom he had served so long. The Eucharistic celebration began very solemnly. Father Fredrick Veigas, SJ, preached a touching homily referring to the celebrants life and work. At the conclusion of the homily when it was time to proceed with the Mass, Father Mascarenhas was unable to move from his chair. It was feared that he had suffered a partial paralysis due to the cool breeze of the electric fans coupled with the physical fatigue and excitement of the day. Since he was unable to move or to speak, Bishop DMello gave him the Holy Communion before he was carried from the Church to his cottage, and a doctor was sent for. The confusion in the Church was kept at a minimum by Monsignor William Lewis who continued the Mass of Thanksgiving. All the activities and the celebrations took place as planned. It reminded the Sisters of a statement he had made sometime after his Golden Jubilee in 1950. Speaking of his Diamond Jubilee he had commented gravely: It is in the hands of God; I hope it wont be a play of Hamlet without Hamlet. After breakfast in the candidates hall in the convent premises the Bishop and all the priests visited him. Although he was unable to move 99

or to speak, he was fully conscious and able to receive them all in his bedroom. All the programms, activities, and functions scheduled for the day took place as planned; however, they were presided over by the Superior General of Bethany in his place. The Bethany community went to his bedside to greet him. When they sang the familiar song, When the Lord to Bethany came, which they call The Bethany Anthem, tears filled his eyes. He was happy, even though he could not speak or move. Slowly as days passed by he began to show some signs of improvement. On March 4, 1960, the actual day of the Ordination sixty years before, he expressed a great desire to go to the Concetta Hospital, a small hospital on the parish grounds in Kinnigoly about thirty miles from Mangalore. Some of the Bethany Sisters were on the staff and he hoped to improve more rapidly in a hospital environment. On March 11, on the sixtieth anniversary of his First Mass he begged to be allowed to offer Mass. Just to satisfy his desire, Father Jacob Lobo, the then director of the hospital and the pastor of the parish concurred and, supported by him, Father Mascarenhas was able to satisfy his longing to celebrate Mass on that day. Soon after this, he was moved back to his residence at Bethany where he was mainly bed-ridden. All his movements were confined to the couple of rooms in his cottage and that too with support. He improved sufficiently by April 10, 1960 to be able to celebrate Mass again with the assistance of the chaplain of the Bethany Motherhouse. He longed to offer the Eucharistic Sacrifice daily, and his inability to do so was a source of great sacrifice. Twice in August he was able to offer Mass again. After this it was necessary to bow to the will of the Lord. Every day, until his death he received Holy Communion from the chaplain. Bishop DMello too visited him quite frequently as did many of his fellow-priests and each of these visits brought him great consolation. Sister Stella, the infirmarian of the Bethany community, cared for his needs with great solicitude and tenderness. Eventually, it became 100

necessary to have someone by his side all through the day and night. A layman was hired to keep vigil by his bedside at night in order to relieve the Sisters somewhat. However, Monsignor Mascarenhas preferred to have the Sisters around since they joined in his constant prayer. The last ten months of his life on earth were calm and peaceful. The storm seemed to have had abated, as though his boat were nearing the shore. The sight of the Sisters watching by his side in turns was a great comfort. They would pray with him and sing some of his favourite hymns. His gratefulness for their multitude of kindness was visible in his face. Although Father Mascarenhas was stricken in body, his spirit remained alert and his hunger for prayer was insatiable. He constantly begged to be carried to the chapel, and be helped to sit before the Blessed Sacrament. Sometimes, it became a little difficult to comply with his request since the men who helped to carry him back and forth to the chapel were sometimes employed in other tasks about the Motherhouse. By December 8th, Feast of the Immaculate Conception, those who visited him on this day, realized that the end was not far off. Although completely confined to the bed now, and able to speak only haltingly, and with great difficulty, he repeated his favourite little prayers uninterruptedly, O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament divine, all praise and thanksgiving be every moment Thine! and Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. As the days passed he grew more and more feeble until he was unable to repeat these prayers. He kept appealing to the Sisters around him to recite them for him, and when they obliged his face brightened with an expression of appreciation. Finally, the time came to administer the Last Rites. The pastor of St. Sebastians Church, the parish in which Bethany Motherhouse is situated, came to anoint him. He was perfectly resigned and profoundly humble. The Sisters of the Congregation were informed of the imminence of the death of their Founder and many hurried to Bethany from all 101

corners of India to receive his last blessing. Despite the increasing debility, he refused to turn away any who came to seek the consolation of his presence or his last blessing. He was amiable and serene, even to the end. On December 20, his condition took a turn for the worse. Since he was unable to speak, he signalled his desire to see the Superior General who was at Sagar, about 150 miles from Mangalore making her visitation of the convent there. The Sisters around his bedside had trouble understanding who it was that he wanted. By the process of elimination, after presenting to him a number of Sisters one after another they concluded that he wished to see the Mother General and sent for her.

Bethany SIsters at Perpetual Adoration Rev. Mother Macrina, the Superior General of the Congregation, hurried immediately to the bedside of the dying Founder. The saintly old man had lost his power of speech, but his mind was still calm and clear. He fixed his penetrating gaze on the eyes of the Superior General and mumbled something over and over, which was finally interpreted as a request to restore perpetual adoration both day and night. He was very satisfied when it was finally understood. 102

He seemed to have some premonition of death. When one of the Sisters who was abroad had written to tell him about the progress of her studies and expressed the hope that he would be well and alive when she returned after her studies, he replied in his Christmas letter of 1959: Dont worry about the future. It will be as Our Lord and Our Blessed Mother plan it. If you are back before 1960, we will see each other. Our Blessed Mother has assured me that I will see the beginning of 1960, but not its close. I am waiting for her to come. She has made it clear to me; all my suffering will be over soon and at the end I will be in peace, and she herself will come to take me. Later in the day, on December 20th, he appeared to be in coma, but apparently was not, for he was aware of what was going on around him. The Sisters prayed by his side and sang his favourite hymns, especially the Magnificat which always delighted him immensely. Two days later, at about 2.30 p.m. Father Mascarenhas took a serious turn. He seemed to be experiencing the struggle between life and death which was perceptible in his face, his eyes, and in the gentle movement of his limbs. After about an hour, he resumed his usual calmness. The Vicar General of Mangalore, Monsignor William A. Lewis, dropped in to see him and many relatives came in the evening. The Sisters remained by his bedside praying the rosary and other prayers dear to the heart of this saintly priest. They continued in their prayer vigil around him until the end. He seemed to be unconscious when it came. Throughout the last hours of his life on earth, his close friend Monsignor Marian Castelino, kept watch by his side. He was the first youth that Father Mascarenhas had directed to the seminary and to the priesthood from the newly created parish of Bendur. Now he would be the first priest to offer the Eucharistic Sacrifice to celebrate his entry into heaven. In the early hours of the morning of the 23rd, Father Mascarenhas breathing became heavy. They knew that the end was at hand. The room was filled with Bethany Sisters on their knees praying. Father Castelino started the prayers of the dying, the great outpouring of faith with which the Church assists the departing into the presence of 103

God. It was 4.15 a.m., almost unnoticed, Father Mascarenhas gave a slight sigh and stopped breathing. Father Castelino, his long-time friend, and the Sisters of Bethany, his spiritual daughters, for whose sake, he

The Room in which the Founder died had once said, he was willing to lay down his life surrendered him into the loving arms of his Maker. When the Church bells rang out the morning Angelus, Monsignor Raymond Francis Camillus Mascarenhas had just arrived in heaven to join in the salutation to Mary, his Mother and to sing Gloria to the Holy Trinity. December 23, 1960 was a triumphant day for this veteran priest, but a sad one indeed for all the Bethany Sisters and for the city. Just before the first light of dawn broke over Mangalore this saintly man, a priest of sixty years, had returned his life to God. The bells of the Mangalore Churches tolled mournfully to let the people know that this zealous apostle of Christ, whose life had spanned the last quarter of the previous century and a little over half of the present century, had passed on to his eternal reward. 104

As the news of his death spread through the city, exclamations could be heard on all sides: He was a holy priest! or A holy priest is dead! Monsignor Castelino informed the Bishop of Mangalore Dr. Raymond DMello who was on his annual retreat at Moodbidri. His spontaneous exclamation was: Monsignor Mascarenhas was a great man, whatever people may have said about him, to which almost everyone, clergy and laity alike, would say, Amen. His mortal remains were laid in state in the chapel of the Bethany Motherhouse for the public to pay their last homage. A succession of

The Founder laid in State in the Mother - House Chapel Masses was celebrated in the chapel, by various priests of the diocese. Everyone wanted to look for the last time upon the priest whose death had stirred Mangalore so deeply. It seemed that the entire city came to his funeral. During the funeral Mass at Saint Sebastians Church, Bendur, the late Reverend John Menezes delivered the oration and his remains

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The Last Restling Place : St. Sebastian Church, Bendur were interred in the centre of the Church, just below the communion rails. There lies his body waiting for the day of resurrection while his soul washed in the waters of affliction, enjoys the beatific vision, the crown of glory, the reward of all his earthly struggles.

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Chapter 9

GROWTH OF THE INSTITUTE

The typical reaction to Monsignor RFC Mascarenhas death was that a great man and a holy priest had gone to his eternal reward. Among the large crowds who mourned him at the memorial services in the Bethany chapel and at St. Sebastians Church, Bendur were many who believed that they had known a saint. Although he was generally acknowledged to have been a man of many abilities, an outstanding priest, pastor, Vicar General and Founder, most people knew him only in one or other capacity, such as, parish priest, administrator, confessor, or spiritual director and hence did not fully understand his motivation. This was especially true of his enemies who considered him stubborn and difficult to deal with. Be that as it may, he was a warm, understanding person, a man dedicated to Christ and the cause of the poor. He was great because he was working for a great cause: Almighty God himself. He was stubborn, it is true, in his determination to help the poor even when this necessitated such projects as founding a new religious Congregation in the face of much opposition. Once he had determined that some course of action was called for to serve God more adequately, nothing could stop him. Raymond Mascarenhas was no mere theorist, but a man of uncommon foresight. Although some of his schemes were conceived on such a grand scale as to seem madness to many, they were successfully brought to completion within a relatively short time and this with the slenderest of means. He succeeded where others failed because he was a realist who looked first to the needs of the people and the utility of 107

the proposed undertaking. Was it necessary? Did it fulfil a purpose in accordance with his own clearly seen vocation? If questions such as these could be answered in the affirmative, then he proceeded straight to the objective, his whole energy focused on bringing about what he felt to be Gods will for him. Physical affliction, ecclesiastical or lay opposition, financial constrictions, the interruptions of his plans, the loss of friends, defections of his spiritual daughters, especially of those whom he loved very much, unexpected diversities, such as, collapse of buildings, property damage by floods or other natural catastrophes these were cumulative trials which pursued his life; yet he never considered any of them a cause for complaint. Father Founder is no longer with us physically, but he will continue to live in our memories, where he will be our father and friend, counsellor and critic. We also believe, as he wrote in his last will and testament to Bethany that he is constantly before Almighty God interceding for all of his spiritual daughters that they may continue to serve Christ joyfully and proclaim the Good News of salvation to the length and breadth of this world. Not too long after the Founders death, God was pleased to show by signs of expansion and development that he had placed his seal of confirmation on the work of the Founder. Just two weeks after his death, the Bethany apostolate was extended to North-west India when the Sisters accepted apostolic work in Punjab by opening two houses, one in Bathinda on January 12, 1961, and the other in Karnal on January 14, 1961. Within a year they reached out also to the people of North-east India where a convent was opened in the Mizo district of Assam. From then on, Bethany Sisters have been working throughout the length and breadth of India, from Cape Comorin in the South to Darjeeling at the foot of the Himalayas in the North, from the Assam Hills in the East to the River Indus in the West. In the 1970s the needs of the Church beckoned them beyond the subcontinent of India, and the Sisters were 108

invited to minister to the needs of the people of God in Rome and in West Germany. The following statistics show that the apostolic works of the Sisters have continued to expand: Number of professed Sisters Number of novices Number of pre-novitiate candidates Number of deceased members of the Congregation Number of houses (convents) Apostolic works: Degree College Teachers Training Institute P.U.College / Sr Sec Schools High Schools NIOS / KOS Study Centres Primary / Higher Pry. Schools Nursery K.G. Schools Balwadi/Nonformal Edn.Centres Boarding/Hostel/Orphanages Vocational Training Centres Community Colleges Production Centres Creche Hospitals Health Centers/ Clinics Homes for the Senior Citizens 1291 88 39 305 171

1 1 18 53 7 5 46 58 23 37 22 6 6 1 4 21 2

Another sign of Gods confirmation of the Founders work was manifested when the Church granted to Bethany Congregation the status of Pontifical Right in 1971 along with a Decree of Praise. This was 109

another way of saying that the Bethany Congregation had reached full development as a religious body, a wonderful compliment on the fiftieth anniversary of its foundation. The Founders work was recognized by the Visible Head of the Church, even though the Founder must have already received the recognition for all he had done from its Invisible Head when he entered into Gods glory. Moses who led Gods chosen people out of the slavery of Egypt into the Promised Land was not destined to see its glory for himself. Our

Monument to the Founder erected in 1975 at the Mother House (at the Centenary of his Birth) Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ, the founder of the Holy Mother Church had to leave the establishment of his Church to a few unlettered apostles. So it was with the servant of Jesus, Raymond Mascarenhas, who did not live to see his Congregation spread beyond peninsular India or expand its apostolic horizons outside the confines of the subcontinent and to become a Congregation of Pontifical Right. 110

Bethany Mother House, Mangalore It is now sixty-one years since Bethany was founded, and twenty one years since the Founders death. Following the model of its Founder, the Congregation is very proud to be committed totally to the cause of faith and justice, and to the cause of the poor. Many projects are underway to champion their rights and many Sisters are actively involved in alleviating the hardships of the poor in the villages. The Founders heart would have swelled with pride and joy to see his many daughters very much a part of this strata of society, helping the underprivileged to find both themselves and the God of love.

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Chapter 10

THE SPIRIT AND CHARISM OF THE FOUNDER

In the document, Decree on the Appropriate Renewal of the Religious Life, the fathers of the Second Vatican Council state, The appropriate renewal of religious life involves two simultaneous processes: 1) a continuous return to the sources of all Christian life and to the original inspiration behind a given community, and 2) an adjustment of the community to the changed conditions of the times It serves the best interests of the Church for communities to have their own character and purpose. Therefore, loyal recognition and safe-keeping should be accorded to the spirit of the founder, as also to all the particular goals and wholesome traditions, which constitute the heritage of each community. In thus insisting that religious Congregations be faithful to the spirit of their founders, the Council provides a secure criterion for judging what kinds of work they should undertake, and how to carry them out. Charism in General Every religious Congregation is an answer to some need that arises in the Church, for building up of the Body of Christ. With the march of time, new wants arise among the people of God and to satisfy them, the Holy Spirit may strongly urge someone to institute a particular form of religious life to meet these needs. This unique inspiration and way of responding is said to be its charism and the person endowed with this gift is a charismatic person. To this group belong saints like Dominic, Francis, Ignatius, Teresa of Avila, Don Bosco, and in our own times Mother Teresa of Calcutta and Monsignor Raymond Francis Camillus Mascarenhas. 112

Essentially a charism is an insight into how a current need in the Church can be met together with a strong urge by which the Holy Spirit stimulates the Founder into action. The first step is to assess both the need and the insight in the light of the Gospel. Father Piovesan, SJ gives a simple analogy to illustrate the process: A match strikes against a match box and a flame results. The match is the charismatic person, the match box is the situation, and the resulting flame is the charism. A Congregations charism forms its collective personality. Each member can say, It is what I am to the Church, while mission is what I do for the Church. There are certain qualities to look for in a charism. First of all, it is rooted in the human experience of Christ, something he did or said on this earth. Secondly, a charism should build up the believing community in the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. Thirdly, a charism has the approval of the believing community, the beneficiaries of the charism. Fourthly, the charism does not belong to the possessor alone; it belongs to the whole Church. Fifthly, a charism is typically linked to the natural talents of an individual who is exceptionally open to the inspiration of God. It is spiritual in nature. For example, Father Mascarenhas was moved by compassion towards the poor and was sensitive to the needs of his time. These two elements form an essential part of our charism. Sixthly, a charism essentially remains the same throughout history. It is the reason why the Congregation exists and since the founding of an institute is a unique event, every charism is original in a certain sense. Finally, a charism allows great flexibility in the way it is mirrored in individual religious at different levels of psychological and spiritual development. Charism of Father Raymond F C Mascarenhas It is enriching experience for a Congregation to reflect in faith on the life of its Founder, to see it with spiritual eyes as well as with the critical sense of a historian. The spiritual presence of a Founder in the life of a Congregation is a dynamic factor helping to keep alive his or her unique charism. 113

The charism of this priest of God as a Founder may be summarized in one word: Service; to extend the kingdom of God especially among those who are poor, neglected, and ignored by others. This single trait recapitulates his whole life of eighty-five years. It was a service brought to complete fruition through compassion: a compassion born of his intense concern for the poor whom Jesus loved so much and with whom he identified himself, What you do to these, the least of my brethren, you do to me. The generosity with which he devoted himself to their needs grew out of prayerful reflection on this Divine Model who spent himself on others to his last ounce of strength and his last drop of blood. With such an example to emulate, no amount of opposition, misunderstanding, or even malice could shake his resolve, although the distress these caused him was extremely painful. In this service for the Kingdom he was inspired by the works and spirit of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus, whose Constitutions he adapted to the needs of religious women working in a mission country. The Ignatian spirit fired him with zeal to work for the Kingdom of God out of an intense personal love of Jesus. He preached the Gospel from his heart, just as he taught spirituality to the Bethany Sisters with heart as well as head. Little wonder that devotion to the Sacred Heart and the Holy Eucharist, as well as Mary, the mother of God, took on special meaning in his life. He was always on the alert for better ways to serve the Lord as a zealous apostle. Led by the Spirit and with full trust in our Blessed Mother, he meditated on the Gospels to find models of service. Chief among these were the mystery of the Annunciation. The thought of Gods Son emptying himself to take the form of a servant and of Mary unreservedly surrendering herself as his humble handmaid, appealed to him very much. The more he reflected on this mystery, the clearer it became that this was the most appropriate model both for his own life and for the new religious Congregation he was founding. Through the Sisters of Bethany Marys attitude of handmaid in the service of God and neighbour could be reproduced again and again indefinitely. 114

Marys fiat was but an imitation of Christs fiat to his heavenly Father. Their joint fiat was necessary in the plan of salvation. By Marys total surrender she allowed Christ to become incarnate within her. She did not keep this God-man for herself, but gave him as a victim for the salvation of the world, painful though it was. Guided by this faithresponse of Mary to do Gods will, the Bethany Founder and his spiritual daughters welcome Christ in them, and, in turn, bring him to others in their apostolate, thus continuing Marys mission of receiving Christ and giving him to the whole people of God. All the activities of Father Mascarenhas life reveal in a special way some aspect of the Lord and his ministry. The God he encountered through Jesus Christ in the Gospels is primarily a God of compassion. He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives, and to the blind new sight, to set the down-trodden free, to proclaim the Lords year of favour (Lk 4:18-19). No better summary of his charism can be given than the words of Mathew: I was hungry, and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and you received me in your home, naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me, in prison and you visited me Whenever you did this for one of the least important you did it for me (Mt. 25:35, 40). Assuredly, this spirit of service was supported by a very strong scaffolding of prayer. Prayer came as naturally to him as life and breath. Prayer was the chief means he looked to for success in his service of others. That is why the second gospel model of prayer and service in Mary and Martha was another of his favourites. He firmly believed that just as Marthas firm faith and unflinching trust obtained for her the miracle of her brothers life even though he was dead and buried for three days, faith would also bring to life all kinds of deadness of intellect and will that he frequently encountered in his apostolic activities. Nor was he often disappointed. 115

In this spirit of prayerful service, he lived a simple, ordinary life. His choice of the 20th century St. Therese of Lisieux, affectionately called the Little Flower of Jesus to be one of his patronesses and another model for his Congregation was most appropriate. Her motto: To please Jesus alone, was the sole motive for all his undertakings. May it always also be that of the Sisters of Bethany ! Charism and Spirit of the Bethany Congregation: It is true a religious foundation is not always the work of one particular person; it is sometimes the work of a group in which no one personality stands out. Sometimes at the outset there are two or more people of equal importance, although very different from the human and the spiritual point of view. Of these two or more people, who is the true Founder, the one seized by the Spirit? Of course, there is nothing to prevent the Spirit from choosing several persons, making them coFounders. We have an example of this in the Seven Holy Founders of the Servites of Mary. It may also happen that a foundation takes place at two different times, each producing a strong spiritual personality. Who is the Founder in this case is hard to say. Nevertheless, Congregations typically have one Founder or Foundress, who stands out clearly in history. The charism, therefore, cannot be understood apart from his or her life which the Holy Spirit has seized upon, to use the analogy of St. Paul. In this case, we view the life of the Founder as the place where God unveils his intention for the new institute. In a way, every institute which takes its place in the Church is first inscribed in the life of the Founder and his or her spirit remains present throughout the life of the Congregations. This proximity and spiritual presence are dynamic factors which help a Congregation to become aware of and live its unique charism. Since the charism of a religious institute is above all, a special way of imitating the life of Jesus, every Founder looks to the Gospel for his inspiration. As mentioned earlier, Monsignor Mascarenhas, inspired by the Holy Spirit, was attracted, first of all by the mystery of the 116

Annunciation, the emptying of himself by the Son of God to take the form of a servant through the agency of Mary who surrendered herself unreservedly in faith as his humble handmaid. The more he reflected on this mystery, the clearer it became to him that the new family he was to found called upon to reproduce Marys attitude of handmaid in the service of God and neighbour. In the spirit of Martha and Mary, the original Bethany Sisters, his daughters, would work for the spread of the Kingdom of Jesus, by devoting themselves totally to the service of the poor in the field of education, charitable and pastoral activities, and missionary work. Intimately united with Jesus, these Sisters are to be to Christ in the world today what his Mother and what Martha and Mary were to him during his life time. They will strive, therefore, through contemplation and action, to make their communities genuine homes where the Lord is welcomed and loved as a friend and saviour both in the members of the community as well as in the persons to whose service they dedicate their lives. Experiencing the invisible but real presence of the Risen Lord in the community and serving Christ in the little ones and the poor, the Sisters will grow in the perfection of charity, to become true signs of the eschatological Kingdom in the Church. In this way, each Bethany community and the whole Congregation becomes a house which loves Jesus and Mary and in turn is loved by them, says the Founder in his Last Will and Testament to the Sisters. The Sisters love towards our Blessed Lord and his beloved Mother should ever manifest itself by the love and charity which reigns among them, and the perfect obedience which they show in thought, word, and deed towards those who for them take their place in Bethany. Finally inspired by the example of St. Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower of Jesus, and the patroness of the missions, the Sisters of the Little Flower of Bethany will strive to be true apostles of Christ, authentic witnesses of his love in the world through their life of prayerful activity and active contemplation for the spreading of Gods Kingdom in India and in the world.

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APPENDIX

LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT

All for Jesus through Mary

To my dear Sisters of Bethany My children in the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary

These are my last requests to you, now that our dear Lord has been pleased to take me away from you and summon me to his presence. 1. I beg of you to continue always to pray for my poor soul. Do not, in your charity and natural good opinion of me, cease your prayers for me, saying I am no more in need of them. I have received much and I have to answer for much, and I leave the world full of temporal debts to be paid in purgatory. 2. I beg each and every one of you to give me, for the space of three months after my death, the benefit of all your masses, communions, rosaries, and all other good works during that period. 3. I beg of you to remember me perpetually each month on the date of my death and give me the benefit of all your masses, communions, rosaries, and all your good works of that day. 4. I beg of you also to remember me perpetually on the anniversary day of my death, by, besides giving me the benefits as in number 3, having a low mass celebrated for the repose of my soul, if possible or convenient, in the Bethany Chapel. If, the day or place is inconvenient, kindly choose a proximate day and another place for the said mass.

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5. If our good Mother disposes that as I have earnestly desired and directed, my grave should be at the foot of her Grotto in Bethany. Do not forget to say an occasional prayer for me at my grave. 6. My humble trust is that Jesus, lover of Bethany and Mary, the Queen Mother will enable me to pray for each and every one of you, kneeling at their feet, even from the depths of purgatory, while you pray for me in this world. 7. I commit each and every one of you, now present and all those that will join you afterwards to the most Sacred Hearts of our dear Lord and beloved Mother. May dear Bethany be the house which loves Jesus and Mary and is loved by them. May your love toward our Blessed Lord and beloved Mother ever manifest itself by the love and charity which reigns among you, and the perfect obedience which you show in thought, word and deed towards those who for you take their place in Bethany. 8. May our Lord from the infinite treasures of His Sacred Heart and the rich merits of his dear Mother, Queen Mother of Bethany and the powerful intercession of his foster-father, St. Joseph our dear protector, supply abundantly my numerous deficiencies and negligence with regard to dear Bethany; and may the Little Flower who was my helper in this work from its very commencement and has sustained me in its care all along through many trials and difficulties and who, above all things, has secured for Bethany the special maternal love and care of our Mother in heaven which has kept us up and led us on, have you under her very special sisterly protection. 9. Finally, in consideration of my work for you and as a return for the little I have given you or done for you and also as a small memento of mine, I wish you to accept and fulfil this perpetual legacy, which, as specially mine, I leave to you; which also will be a constant occasion for you to remember me and pray for me:

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1) Every Saturday, the singing of Our Ladys anthem in the morning and of the Magnificat in the evening, with the reading from A few Minutes with Mary on Saturdays at a convenient time. 2) The recitation according to your convenience wholly or in part of the Officium Parvum Beatae Mariae Virginis which I have specially translated for you. 3) A constant, loving and filial devotion to our dear Mother which you will have in yourselves and earnestly promote among others. 4) Going through Mary to Jesus, have always before you the desire of having Perpetual Adoration in Bethany, during day and night, and pray and work to realize this ideal according to every means in your power. My blessing to each one of you.

Saturday, March 28, 1942 Bethany

Father

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