Three Phases of Life

The younger son, the elder son and the Father

 Henri J.M.Nouven, in his book ‘The Return of the Prodigal Son’ says that the three characters of  the parable, the younger son, the elder son and the father can be compared to the three  phases of spiritual journey that most religious and priests  make. A close  look at the parable as well as an honest assessment of the various phases of our life will reveal  the truth of that statement.

 The younger  son

It is easy to be identified with the younger brother. He rebelled against authority. He went to a far-away country. The other side looked greener so he moved on. He had enough money. Even to hire a vehicle for his journey. He had many friends. He had all the freedom he wanted. He had no botheration for his father or brother or anyone in the family. He moved on, going where he wanted, when he wanted and as he wanted. 

 Our life-style especially when we were younger perhaps closely resemble that of the younger son. We had perhaps long years of activity - teaching, preaching, ministry, formation of candidates, involvement in many groups and movements, meeting with people of all types, travelling far and wide. There are others who may have taken many risks, tried out many things. Some may have rebelled against authority. Others have not bothered about one’s family or community. We wanted to do our own thing, our own way. Eat when we wanted and what we wanted. Meet those whom we wanted and pray if we wanted and the way we wanted. We had little respect for time table or discipline.

  At this  stage we looked for freedom and independence.  I know of a young bursar who is also a driver. On a regular basis, soon after breakfast he would take the vehicle and go out. He is the bursar and he has the vehicle and the money. Seldom permission was sought  from the superior. No one knew  where he was going,  whom he was meeting.  Being bursar of the house,  he presumed he had the right to do what he was doing. He came back late evening, took  early dinner and went to bed. He wanted to live his life as he wanted, totally independent, wanting to do his way. Once he remarked that at home there was only trouble and grumbling and  the same people that one met. 

 Some call this phase of life as the expansion stage or the experiencing stage. Others call it as the  growing or  the gathering stage. At this stage we grow physically and mentally,  we expand our  social circles.  We want to make a name for ourselves,  establish a status, get a Ph D, find a job, begin a family, buy a car, build a house.  For some this first phase of life is also the  gathering stage. They gather  many things -  vehicle, computer, laptop, phone,  furniture.  I know of a young Vice-Principal who has three offices - one in the School, another in the Boarding and a third one in the Residence,  all the three  well equipped with computers, home theatres and latest sound systems. He is at the gathering stage.

 It is easy to identify oneself especially when we were in our twenties and thirties  with the  younger son, who went to the far away country because the  other side looked greener and he so move on. He had enough money, he could travel the way he wanted,  he had freedom, there was no one to check on him. Not once he thought of his father or brother or his family.  At the end of it all, now perhaps we may find ourselves lost,  tired and wanting to return home. 

 The elder brother

What is more difficult to identify with is the elder brother. Perhaps in our forties and early fifties we may have been closer to the elder son than the younger. We have not run away from home, nor rebelled against authority. We have obeyed our parents, teachers and superiors. We have not wasted money on too much pleasures of life, and we have not been drunkards.  We have been mostly responsible, traditional, homebound, dutiful, obedient, chaste and poor. We are almost ready to be a candidate for canonization!  With all this goodness we can be as much lost as the younger brother.

 Once a friend and a Priest close to me, shared with me his pain with tears in his eyes, “ See so many years I have been a  Principal, and  did so much to bring up the standard of the school. I have done so much for the congregation as a silent worker.  Now I am growing older and retired, no one notices me, no one wants me. I am shunted out. See who is being rewarded?  Who is climbing up the ladder? The one against whom even news papers published negative remarks.  He is the darling of the superiors. Why did I do all this? I should have been also like him! “

 We perfectly understand the pain of this elder brother. He worked so hard. He never disobeyed, he never wandered. After all that, see who is dancing at home now? I am so often the elder brother,  lost like the elder  son,  jealous at others good fortune, angry, touchy, heavy,  self -righteous,  complaining, full of resentment.  Though at home, he is lost as much as the younger brother. Though working hard in the farm, he has never tasted the joy of being at home. Grumbling at generosity of the master to others. Instead of being grateful he is  resentful, jealous of his younger brother who had a good time  and is welcomed back . 

 This is the stage when we demand recognition for something done and if we don’t get it, we are angry and upset. We try to get attention by talking about our problems, trying to make an impression through possession, knowledge, good looks, status, physical strength, angry reactions, feeling offended, making oneself right and others wrong, wanting to be seen and appear important. We criticize, accuse condemn, find fault. We don’t do and don’t allow others also to do. Angry with our superiors, for being good to the wandering, sinful ones.

 There are as many elder brothers as there are younger ones who as they reach the age of  forties and fifties and early sixties with folded hands stand by and judge, condemn , accuse, criticize.   They often don’t see anything good in the younger brothers nor any goodness in the father.  Basically it is a case of not being happy with oneself.  

 For some the expanding stage continues to the second stage. One  may not be gathering too many things but we are jealous  and accuse others of gathering too many things, the very thing we are guilty of or at least we were guilty of in our earlier days.   

:The Father

 This parable is the Story of the Father. The central character of the story is the father. Jesus told this parable to bring out the character of the father.

 The father looks out and sees the son from far. He has compassion on his son, not anger. He runs to meet him. The old man running through the streets may have been a comical sight. The heart of God is revealed in the running father. He runs until his arms are on the shoulders of his son. He embraces, he kisses,  he cuts short his confession.  He  gives him a  ring and sandals. He gives him not any robe but the best robe, he kills  not any calf but the fattened calf. There is no question of  where, what, how many times? He just gives and forgives.

 The father comes out also for the elder son. He  pleads, he invites. All he receives in return for his goodness is abuse and accusation. The elder son accuses the father of never giving him anything. He knows the number of years he has been slogging. He  accuses his brother of going with harlots. He is more  upset with father than with his brother. He blames the father for the waywardness of the son.  Each accusation is like a dagger piercing the heart of the father. Yet he does not argue or debate, he does not justify or ask for proofs. He  does not raise his voice in defense of justice and truth. There is no greater falsehood than to suppose he has never disobeyed him. There is no greater injustice than to say that the father has never given him anything. Yet this Father does not raise his voice and fight for justice and truth. He listens silently, he suffers alone, he accepts the blame, he  takes the blame  on himself. He dies many a death. He wants right, truth to prevail. . What is right for him is forgiveness, compassion and love.

 Our Vocation to be the Father

Whether we are the younger sons or the  elder sons, we are  called to become the Father. We have been looking for friends all our life,  craving for attention,   appreciation,  affirmation, looking for freedom, independence and crazy for a thousand of things. Time has come to claim our true vocation,  to be the  father  who can welcome his sons without asking  questions,  without wanting anything in return.  

It is much easier to see oneself as the spendthrift younger son or the resentful elder son but to see ourself  in the bearded old man  who  has lost all, wants to give all,   overwhelms us.   We are called  to be the Father than the younger or elder son.  Claim you spiritual fatherhood, taste the joy of laying hands in a gesture of forgiveness and a blessing,  a father who wants only to welcome the prodigal children  home .                                                 - Fr T.V. George sdb

 

 

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 [TVG1]

 

more

        “How much more” Mt 7.11

 

We are quite familiar with the chain of supermarkets named MORE. I suppose the owners chose this name to tell the customers that they can get more than their money’s worth from these stores.

Our Father’s store of goods is also named ‘MORE’.  Here also we can get more than what we pay for.  What we deserve for our payment is too little. The Father gives MORE than we deserve, MORE than we ask for. But there are some rules. We are not allowed to horde or waste. For luxury and cosmetic items one has  to pay. These items are not essential for life instead some of them may be harmful.  It costs us to do ourselves harm. The labels are clear. One has the freedom to choose.

 Essential goods are free. The air we breathe,  the water we drink, the sunshine that makes all things grow, all these essential items are given free, regardless of whether we have membership of  the store or not, “for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous” Mt 5:45.  One can have all these essential goods as much as one needs. There is enough for all.   But we cannot store to satisfy our greed or pollute or destroy. That is against the rules.

The Son who has come among us from the Father wants us to recognize the magnanimous heart of the Father and  invites us to take advantage of his generosity, “If you know how to give good gifts to your children, HOW MUCH MORE will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him.” ( Mt 7.11) . The Son was never tired of recounting the goodness of the Father in his parables and preaching.  Every page of the New Testament is a testimony of “ HOW MUCH MORE THE FATHER GIVES.”

When the prodigal son returned home, he was hoping that he would be received back as a  hired worker. He hoped for accommodation in the servant’s quarters and eat their  food. But the Father gives him a ring and a robe and sandals and restores him as a son. He kills the fattened calf and calls for a celebration. Father gives far ‘MORE’ than the son ever hoped for.

The last comers in the parable of the vineyard hoped to get perhaps one-fourth of the wages but they were pleasantly surprised when they got a full day’s wage and went home whistling and rejoicing.          “ How much MORE the father gives…”

In the parable of the Wedding Banquet, those who were invited at the last moment from the lanes and by lanes, hoped for the left-overs and a place at the servant’s quarters but they were pleasantly surprised to be given wedding garments and seated in the wedding hall and served the choicest of foods and  as much as they wanted. “ How much MORE the father gives… “

Peter asked Jesus the question, “We have left everything and followed you, what will we have?”.  In reply, Jesus promised a hundred percent in this life and everlasting life in the next. What MORE could he ask for?

Peter gave his boat to Jesus as a pulpit to preach from, and in return he got a boat full of fish. A fisherman could not have asked for MORE.

The Samaritan woman gave Jesus  a bucket of water and in return, she got a perennial spring.  What MORE  could she be given in a parched waterless land?

At Cana, the servants filled the jars with water and in place of water they got fresh new wine, “up to the brim”. “ How much MORE the Father gives…”

The boy gave two fish and five barley loaves to Jesus and in return, he gets twelve baskets full after five thousand people had eaten. “How much MORE the father gives… “

“ Give, and it will be given to you,” says  Jesus “ a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put  into your lap .” ( Lk7.38)

“Ask and it will be given you, search and you will find, knock and the door will be opened…” (Lk 7.7)

“ What father among you would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or hand him a snake instead of a fish? Or hand him a scorpion if he asked for an egg? If you then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, HOW MUCH MORE, will the heavenly Father give to those who ask him!”  Lk.11.13                                                                                 - Fr T.V. George sdb

 

 

 

 

Something Greater than Solomon

Something greater than Solomon is here… Something greater than Jonah is here.” Lk 11: 31,32

 

  Solomon was a man great wisdom. The Queen from the South took much trouble to come and listen to the wisdom of Solomon. Jonah had great power of persuasion and he preached destruction if people don’t repent, “ In forty days Nineveh will be destroyed.”

Jesus seem to have  a very positive attitude to himself. He considers his wisdom far greater than that of Solomon and  his preaching greater than Jonah. Is it a vain boast? In what way is Jesus greater? He was born in a crib. Died on a Cross. He had fishermen for followers. He had no home of his own.  No army or servants or a palace as Solomon had.  His friends betrayed him and he died all alone and was buried in a borrowed grave. He had nothing usually associated with greatness . Yet he claims to be greater than Jonah and Solomon .In what way is he greater to Solomon and Jonah?

 St Paul writing to the Corinthians says, “Christ crucified is a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the gentiles but to those who are being saved, he is  the power and wisdom of God” 1 Cor  1.24.   The Cross is the wisdom and power of God,  says St Paul.  

  Jesus used the word ‘greater’ again when he spoke about his death. “There is no greater love than this…that a man  lay down his life for his friends. ” For Jesus,  greatness is not in wealth, sword, or army. His greatness is in his compassion, humility, forgiveness, and love. The Cross is the sign of his greatness. “There is something greater than Jonah here”

 Jonah preached and may have run away from Nineveh so that he may not be caught up in the destruction. Jesus does not run away. Jesus preached forgiveness and love and received the punishment on himself  on our behalf. He does not preach destruction and run away. He destroys himself so that we can live. The Cross is the greatest sign calling us to repentance and conversion. “There is something greater than Jonah here… There is something greater than Solomon here”

Every time we come into the church and look at the Cross let us see in that sign something greater than Jonah. Every time we see the open book, the Bible, let us see something greater in his Word than the wisdom of Solomon. 

St Paul says the Cross is foolishness to the Jews and to the Gentiles. So often we are also very much like the gentiles.  We don’t see the greatness of the Cross or the wisdom contained in his Word. In our daily options and choices what are we choosing?  Do we not spent more time and energy studying Aristotle and Descartes, and Karl Marx than studying the wisdom contained in the in the Gospel? Do we not prefer the political and cricket commentaries to listening to the breaking of the Word? So often Bible classes are sacrificed for science classes or for co-curricular activities or to listen to some lecture sometimes given by  non-believers and even atheists . In our daily choices we study the wisdom of  Karl Rahners. and Karl Marx and Carl Jung  rather than the wisdom contained in his Word.  

 Lent is the time once again to recognize the wisdom in his Word.  It is the time to recognize in the Cross a sign greater than that of Jonah. If we don’t repent during this time of Lent, there may not be a better opportunity for repentance. Pray that every time  we step into the church we may  see  in the Cross a greater sign than that of Jonah and in his Word a greater wisdom than that of Solomon.                                  - Fr TV George sdb

 

 

The Third Temptation

“If you are the son of God throw yourself down…” Lk.4.9

 

The tactics that the devil uses to tempt Jesus are very subtle and looks very innocent. The first temptation is not so much to provide oneself with bread but placing a kind of doubt in the mind of Jesus, “If you are the Son God, command these stones to become bread.” Devil knows that Jesus is strong and will not jump in to satisfy his carnal desires by providing himself with bread. Even before he attempted, the devil knew that he would fail, so he had a second strategy ready.

This time, it is an invitation not to satisfy his carnal desires, but to satisfy what every human being aspires for - the desire for recognition, status, glory, power, and money, “To you I will give glory... authority… power and splendour .... if you worship me.” The devil was sure he would succeed with one of these two temptations, as he often does with the majority of people. But not with Jesus; he has not come to seek glory and power and money. 

The devil has a third strategy ready up his sleeves, in case he failed in the first two. This time, he knows well, there is no use baiting Christ with physical or mental satisfactions. In the third temptation, there is no personal gain involved, there is no question of bread or glory or power. There is nothing gained by jumping down from the temple. In the process, he may lose his life, but then, if he has a Father, as he claims, he will not allow that to happen. The third temptation is a test of his sonship, whether he is the Son of a caring Father. If he has one, he will protect him and will not allow any harm to come to him, for death, destruction, pain and sorrow are incompatible with a loving Father. So the devil suggests to test out whether he is truly the Son of a Father.

The Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign. Jesus too, is tempted to ask for a sign. His third temptation is not to take things for granted but to test out the care and concern of his Father for him. Satan would come again with a similar proposal when Jesus was on the Cross,  “Let the Messiah come down from the Cross” (Mk 15.32)  Jesus did not jump down from the temple nor did he come down from the Cross. His love for his father was not on test.  He needed no sign, no guarantee.  The devil tried his best to argue that pain and suffering, death and hunger, poverty and humility are contrary to his Father’s love for him.  Jesus did not need a certificate from the devil about his Father’s love for him. He was not going to put his Father to the test, and he told the devil in no uncertain terms to get out of his way.

What are our temptations today? The devil in all probability, will not come to us proposing to us to eat more bread or drink more wine. He knows we avoid the ways of gluttony. If he fails, he will try and propose to us with ways of making more money, finding recognition,  glory, and power. This is one of the most successful strategies of the devil. Many fall victim to this temptation, including some of those who were successful in the first. In all probability, the devil will come to us the way he came to Jesus in the third temptation. He will very subtly tell us that perhaps we are in the wrong place, doing the wrong job; it is not the Father’s will that we should be where we are, it is politics, manipulations that have brought us to where we are. With this background prepared he will tell us just to test and see if we have a caring Father. He will invite us to ask for a sign. 

Don’t be too sure that we are not falling into this third temptation. This temptation comes at times neatly packed as even service to God, something that we must do, not just for ourselves but for the success of our God-given mission. We can fall prey to this temptation as individuals and as a group. He will prompt us that we need to make money to help the poor, that we must make provision for our future and to move towards self-sufficiency in our mission. These suggestions may well be camouflaged temptations from the devil. He will tell us that these measures are needed to be at the service of God’s people; it is a necessity and a prudent measure for the success of our mission. The tempter may quote even the Bible and give high moral arguments like, ‘God helps those who help themselves.’

The third temptation is basically a temptation about our identity. Who are we?   Who has sent us? What is our mission? What are our priorities? Our pride, our show of strength, our overconfidence, our overconcern for providing for the future, our guarantee projects are all signs of our identity crisis. It is a lack of faith in the one who sent us. We are saved by God, by Faith, and by Providence and not by our Babel towers, our guarantee projects, our godowns, and our showrooms. Let us pray to the Lord that we may not fall prey to this Third Temptation.                                                                 - Fr T.V.George sdb

 

 

 

 

                                          History and Memory: Lest We Forget

In contemporary times, the word memory often evokes images of computers, storage devices, 

and digital capacity. While modern generations are increasingly familiar with memory cards 

and data storage, they may know far less about the memories of the people who preceded 

them—those whose sacrifices, vision, and generosity shaped the institutions and traditions we 

now inherit. This gap between technological memory and historical memory poses a real 

danger, especially during moments of celebration.

The Kolkata Province is presently celebrating its Centenary Year. While such an occasion 

rightly calls for gratitude, joy, and pride, it also carries a subtle risk: in the enthusiasm of 

celebration, we may overlook or marginalize the contributions of those who made it possible 

for us to reach where we stand today. Undoubtedly, the names of Salesian pioneers, leaders, 

and confreres who played decisive roles in the growth of the Province will be recalled and

honoured. Yet, alongside them, there exists a group of collaborators—bishops, religious 

congregations, clergy, and laypersons—whose contributions are not always adequately 

recorded in history books or commemorated in marble memorials. It is to some of these 

collaborators that this reflection seeks to draw attention.

Archbishop Perier

Among the earliest and most significant collaborators in the foundation of the Salesian presence 

in Kolkata was Archbishop Ferdinand Perier, Archbishop of Calcutta. His role in the early 

history of the Salesians in this region was both decisive and generous.

In 1922, the pioneering group of Salesians en route to Shillong stopped in Calcutta and stayed 

for two nights at St. Xavier’s College. During this brief halt, Mgr. Louis Mathias visited the 

Bishop’s House on both days and engaged in long conversations with Archbishop Perier. 

During these meetings, Mgr. Mathias shared Don Bosco’s dream for Calcutta, while 

Archbishop Perier, in turn, shared his own hopes for the Salesians in the Archdiocese. From 

this very first encounter, a strong bond developed between the two men. Both were French, 

and their shared language and cultural background may well have contributed to this immediate 

rapport.

Archbishop Perier arranged for the Salesians to visit the Cathedral and the Catholic Orphan 

Press (COP) before they continued their journey to Shillong. This initial encounter laid the 

foundation for a relationship marked by trust, encouragement, and collaboration.

Two years later, in 1925, Mgr. Mathias returned to Calcutta to explore concretely how Don 

Bosco’s dream for the city could be realized. The Archbishop was delighted at the prospect of 

a Salesian presence and made an extraordinary gesture of generosity: he offered the Cathedral 

and the Catholic Orphan Press to the Salesians. The Salesians were poor and had no financial 

resources to purchase the machinery required to run the press. Recognizing this difficulty, 

Archbishop Perier proposed using the fund left behind by the Salvatorian missionaries in 

exchange for the Press.

Thus, despite their material poverty, the Salesians were able to assume responsibility for the 

Catholic Orphan Press and the administration of the Cathedral. This marked the first official 

Salesian presence in Calcutta, made possible entirely by the benevolence and foresight of the 

Archbishop. At the official handing-over ceremony on 31 December 1925, Archbishop Perier 

blessed the Salesians and their mission, saying prophetically:“I bless this humble beginning in 

Calcutta, and I am sure that Don Bosco will work here also the miracles which he has worked 

in other parts of the world.”

History has vindicated his words. The Salesian presence in India has grown abundantly. From 

the single Province that began in 1926, eleven Provinces have since emerged. What began as 

one presence in Calcutta on 31 December 1925 has now grown into forty communities across 

India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.

When the Salesians proposed establishing a Technical School in Calcutta, Archbishop Perier 

once again offered his wholehearted support. Yet again, the obstacle was financial: the 

Salesians lacked the funds to purchase land. At this critical moment, the Archbishop intervened 

decisively. The Parish Priest of Howrah, Fr. De Wachter, SJ, had accumulated a sum of Rs. 

95,000 over several years. His intention was to relocate Anglo-Indian boys living near his 

parish and provide them with vocational training. Archbishop Perier suggested that this fund 

be used to purchase land and invited the Salesians to take responsibility for the training of these 

boys. With his full approval, land was acquired, and to put up a temporary shed on the land 

further assistance came from the Vicar General, Mgr. Fernandez, SJ, who provided the 

Salesians with an interest-free loan. This marked the humble beginning of Don Bosco Liluah. 

Archbishop Perier personally blessed the Don Bosco Technical Institute, Liluah, and the first 

church in India dedicated to St. John Bosco on 8 December 1937. On that occasion, Fr. 

Sruderi, the Provincial, paid warm tribute to both Fr. De Wachter and the Archbishop for their 

extraordinary generosity.

Archbishop Perier’s generosity extended far beyond Calcutta. In 1928, when the Diocese of 

Mylapore handed over Bandel, it would normally have come under the jurisdiction of the 

Archdiocese of Calcutta. However, in a magnanimous gesture, Archbishop Perier gave Bandel 

to the Salesians in exchange for the property they were relinquishing in Tanjore.

In April 1936, when Our Lady’s House in Shillong was destroyed by fire, the Archbishop 

immediately offered the Jesuits’ summer villa at Woodcot to accommodate the homeless 

Salesian students. Later, when the first group of Salesian students arrived at Sonada from 

Bandel, they were housed at St. Theresa Villa until the Gorabari brewery was made habitable.

Archbishop Perier personally visited the students at St Theresa Villa, Sonada and invited them 

to compete with the Brothers of St. Mary’s, Kurseong, in “brewing the beer of fervour and 

holiness for the Lord.” He later presided over the blessing of the first part of Salesian College 

Sonada, and again in 1962, he blessed the Aspirantate at Sevoke, marking the first Salesian 

presence in Siliguri. His benevolence during the formative years of the Salesian mission in 

Calcutta and North Bengal remains unforgettable and deserves special remembrance during the 

Centenary celebrations.

Religious Sisters as Faithful Collaborators

Another group deserving grateful remembrance is the Sisters of Charity of St. Bartholomea 

Capitanio and St. Vicenza Gerosa, popularly known as the Bambina Sisters. They had been 

working in Krishnagar for nearly sixty years before the arrival of the Salesians in 1928. Their 

early mission history was marked by deprivation and hardship, yet they persevered with 

remarkable dedication.

When the Salesians arrived, the Bambina Sisters continued their collaboration, caring for 

Catholic girls at Senior Holy Family and young boys at Junior Don Bosco. During the Bengal 

Famine of 1944, the Partition of Bengal in 1947, and the Bangladesh War of 1971, these 

sisters stood at the forefront of relief efforts. Working closely with the Salesians, they provided 

medical care and assistance to thousands of refugees and destitute families. Their unwavering 

support and close collaboration during the difficult periods of our history must not be forgotten.

Other Collaborators and a Call to Gratitude

In 1938, when Fr. Sruderi sought to purchase land at Gorabari for the future Salesian College, 

funds were once again lacking. The Loreto Sisters of Darjeeling came to the Salesians’ aid 

with an interest-free loan. Later, the land at Tengra for the Provincial House was also made 

available through their generosity.

In the early years of Auxilium Parish, the Sisters Adorers and the FMA Sisters worked 

closely with the parish priest, teaching catechism and imparting basic skills to children from 

nearby slums. The growth of Catholic families in Don Bosco Parish, Malbasey, owes much 

to the pioneering efforts of the Cluny Sisters, later continued by the MSMHC Sisters.

These are only a few names among hundreds—lay collaborators, catechists, religious sisters, 

diocesan priests, and bishops—who have walked with the Salesians over the past century. As 

we celebrate our Centenary, let us turn the forgotten pages of history with gratitude. 

Remembering them is not merely an act of courtesy; it is an act of justice and faithfulness. 

Without memory, celebration becomes hollow. With memory, it becomes thanksgiving.

– Fr. T. V. George, SDB

                                                                   Archbishop Perier
                                    History and Memory: Lest We Forget

In contemporary times, the word memory often evokes images of computers, storage devices, and digital capacity. While modern generations are increasingly familiar with memory cards and data storage, they may know far less about the memories of the people who preceded them—those whose sacrifices, vision, and generosity shaped the institutions and traditions we now inherit. This gap between technological memory and historical memory poses a real danger, especially during moments of celebration.

The Kolkata Province is presently celebrating its Centenary Year. While such an occasion rightly calls for gratitude, joy, and pride, it also carries a subtle risk: in the enthusiasm of celebration, we may overlook or marginalize the contributions of those who made it possible for us to reach where we stand today. Undoubtedly, the names of Salesian pioneers, leaders, and confreres who played decisive roles in the growth of the Province will be recalled and honoured. Yet, alongside them, there exists a group of collaborators—bishops, religious congregations, clergy, and laypersons—whose contributions are not always adequately recorded in history books or commemorated in marble memorials. It is to some of these collaborators that this reflection seeks to draw attention.

Archbishop Perier

Among the earliest and most significant collaborators in the foundation of the Salesian presence in Kolkata was Archbishop Ferdinand Perier, Archbishop of Calcutta. His role in the early history of the Salesians in this region was both decisive and generous.

In 1922, the pioneering group of Salesians en route to Shillong stopped in Calcutta and stayed for two nights at St. Xavier’s College. During this brief halt, Mgr. Louis Mathias visited the Bishop’s House on both days and engaged in long conversations with Archbishop Perier. During these meetings, Mgr. Mathias shared Don Bosco’s dream for Calcutta, while Archbishop Perier, in turn, shared his own hopes for the Salesians in the Archdiocese. From this very first encounter, a strong bond developed between the two men. Both were French, and their shared language and cultural background may well have contributed to this immediate rapport.

Archbishop Perier arranged for the Salesians to visit the Cathedral and the Catholic Orphan Press (COP) before they continued their journey to Shillong. This initial encounter laid the foundation for a relationship marked by trust, encouragement, and collaboration.

Two years later, in 1925, Mgr. Mathias returned to Calcutta to explore concretely how Don Bosco’s dream for the city could be realized. The Archbishop was delighted at the prospect of a Salesian presence and made an extraordinary gesture of generosity: he offered the Cathedral and the Catholic Orphan Press to the Salesians. The Salesians were poor and had no financial resources to purchase the machinery required to run the press. Recognizing this difficulty, Archbishop Perier proposed using the fund left behind by the Salvatorian missionaries in exchange for the Press.

Thus, despite their material poverty, the Salesians were able to assume responsibility for the Catholic Orphan Press and the administration of the Cathedral. This marked the first official Salesian presence in Calcutta, made possible entirely by the benevolence and foresight of the Archbishop. At the official handing-over ceremony on 31 December 1925, Archbishop Perier blessed the Salesians and their mission, saying prophetically:“I bless this humble beginning in Calcutta, and I am sure that Don Bosco will work here also the miracles which he has worked in other parts of the world.”

History has vindicated his words. The Salesian presence in India has grown abundantly. From the single Province that began in 1926, eleven Provinces have since emerged. What began as one presence in Calcutta on 31 December 1925 has now grown into forty communities across India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.

When the Salesians proposed establishing a Technical School in Calcutta, Archbishop Perier once again offered his wholehearted support. Yet again, the obstacle was financial: the Salesians lacked the funds to purchase land. At this critical moment, the Archbishop intervened decisively. The Parish Priest of Howrah, Fr. De Wachter, SJ, had accumulated a sum of Rs. 95,000 over several years. His intention was to relocate Anglo-Indian boys living near his parish and provide them with vocational training. Archbishop Perier suggested that this fund be used to purchase land and invited the Salesians to take responsibility for the training of these boys. With his full approval, land was acquired, and to put up a  temporary shed on the land further assistance came from the Vicar General, Mgr. Fernandez, SJ, who provided the Salesians with an interest-free loan. This marked the humble beginning of Don Bosco Liluah. Archbishop Perier personally blessed the Don Bosco Technical Institute, Liluah, and the first church in India dedicated to St. John Bosco on 8 December 1937. On that occasion, Fr. Sruderi, the Provincial, paid warm tribute to both Fr. De Wachter and the Archbishop for their extraordinary generosity.

Archbishop Perier’s generosity extended far beyond Calcutta. In 1928, when the Diocese of Mylapore handed over Bandel, it would normally have come under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Calcutta. However, in a magnanimous gesture, Archbishop Perier gave Bandel to the Salesians in exchange for the property they were relinquishing in Tanjore.

In April 1936, when Our Lady’s House in Shillong was destroyed by fire, the Archbishop immediately offered the Jesuits’ summer villa at Woodcot to accommodate the homeless Salesian students. Later, when the first group of Salesian students arrived at Sonada from Bandel, they were housed at St. Theresa Villa until the  Gorabari brewery was made habitable. Archbishop Perier personally visited the students at St Theresa Villa, Sonada and  invited them to compete with the Brothers of St. Mary’s, Kurseong, in “brewing the beer of fervour and holiness for the Lord.” He later presided over the blessing of the first part of Salesian College Sonada, and again in 1962, he blessed the Aspirantate at Sevoke, marking the first Salesian presence in Siliguri. His benevolence during the formative years of the Salesian mission in Calcutta and North Bengal remains unforgettable and deserves special remembrance during the Centenary celebrations.

Religious Sisters as Faithful Collaborators

Another group deserving grateful remembrance is the Sisters of Charity of St. Bartholomea Capitanio and St. Vicenza Gerosa, popularly known as the Bambina Sisters. They had been working in Krishnagar for nearly sixty years before the arrival of the Salesians in 1928. Their early mission history was marked by deprivation and hardship, yet they persevered with remarkable dedication.

When the Salesians arrived, the Bambina Sisters continued their collaboration, caring for Catholic girls at Senior Holy Family and young boys at Junior Don Bosco. During the Bengal Famine of 1944, the Partition of Bengal in 1947, and the Bangladesh War of 1971, these sisters stood at the forefront of relief efforts. Working closely with the Salesians, they provided medical care and assistance to thousands of refugees and destitute families. Their unwavering support and close collaboration during the difficult periods of our history must not be forgotten.

Other Collaborators and a Call to Gratitude

In 1938, when Fr. Sruderi sought to purchase land at Gorabari for the future Salesian College, funds were once again lacking. The Loreto Sisters of Darjeeling came to the Salesians’ aid with an interest-free loan. Later, the land at Tengra for the Provincial House was also made available through their generosity.

In the early years of Auxilium Parish, the Sisters Adorers and the FMA Sisters worked closely with the parish priest, teaching catechism and imparting basic skills to children from nearby slums. The growth of Catholic families in Don Bosco Parish, Malbasey, owes much to the pioneering efforts of the Cluny Sisters, later continued by the MSMHC Sisters.

These are only a few names among hundreds—lay collaborators, catechists, religious sisters, diocesan priests, and bishops—who have walked with the Salesians over the past century. As we celebrate our Centenary, let us turn the forgotten pages of history with gratitude. Remembering them is not merely an act of courtesy; it is an act of justice and faithfulness. Without memory, celebration becomes hollow. With memory, it becomes thanksgiving.

– Fr. T. V. George, SDB

 

'Follow me’

The calling of the twelve apostles and the training that Jesus imparts and their life together with Jesus as the animator, is still the best manual on religious life. In the Gospel of Mark we are told that Jesus  called the twelve, “to be with him and to be sent out” ( Mk.3. 14 ). The goal of Religious Life still remains the same. We are called to be with him, learn from him and to be sent out to others. Religious are people consecrated to Christ and sent on a mission. Consecration and Mission are integral part of Religious Life

.  Again Mark tells us that Jesus called those whom ‘he wanted’( Mk 3.13). The crisis of Religious Life today is that  many are on a mission without knowing who has send them and many are not sure of what their mission is. Many  of those who are genuinely  called are  mixed up with those who have come on their own. The apostolic community that Jesus formed was not free from tensions, all were not of the same temperament nor were they from the same background. Going back to the Scripture will help us to discern, to clarify and to prioritize.

In the encounter of Christ with the rich young man and his invitation to follow him ( Mt.19: 16 – 23) we have perhaps a clear preposition in precise words on what it means to follow Jesus. This passage  can serve as a foundation, a prologue,  for a discussion on this topic. 

The young man is enthusiastic, eager, earnest and sincere  about wanting to be good. He comes  running, he kneels, he shows respect. He acknowledges Jesus as a master and teacher.  Christ welcomes him with an open mind and gives him time and attention. The young man asks a very fundamental question, “Good master, what good must I do to have eternal life?”( Mt.19.16).  The young man was lucky to have come to the right source, with the right question, but there were some fundamental flaws in his question. The master, like a good teacher, corrects him and tells him that  when  the term ‘good’  is used for him, it should be used as a noun and not as an adjective. Jesus invites the young man to see ‘the Good’ in the person in front of him rather than just a good teacher. Again Jesus corrects and tells him that eternal life is not something he can achieve as a result of ‘his’ doing, nor can it be achieved by ‘doing‘ something. Jesus tries to make him see that eternal life is very close to him and it is by following him he will find eternal life. Did the young man understand the explanation? It was perhaps too much and too early for him to grasp. 

Christ did not want to put off an honest seeker, so to put a smile on his face, Christ goes on to suggest something in which he was good at. He points out to him the short cut, the common way to eternal life and tells him, “Keep the commandments” ( Mt. 19.17). The young man was an expert in the knowledge and in the meticulous application of the commandments given by Moses. The young man is almost testing the knowledge of Jesus when he in return asks, “Which ones?”( Mt.19.18).  Christ reminds him six out of the Ten Commandments, especially those that have something to do  with  one’s neighbor. With a tinge of pride and self conceit the young man is quick to respond,  “I have  kept all these. What do I still lack ?”( Mt.19. 20).

Christ had a good knowledge of this young man. He appreciated his efforts and the hard work and gives him full marks for his knowledge and the practice of the Old Testament Commandments. He had tried and seem to have succeeded in keeping the Commandments of Moses. If we want a candidate from the Old Testament for canonization clearly the young man is a front runner because we are told in the Gospel of Mathew, “Jesus  looked at him and loved him”(Mk.10:21). No one can be more suitable for the altars than the one  Christ loves.

 The young man is in search for more. He wants to do more. He loves challenges. “What do I still lack?” ( Mt.19:20), is a sincere question of one wanting to do good. If Christ had asked him to climb Mount Everest or to codify all the laws in a five volume work, he was prepared to do so. Anything that he could ‘do’ more he was ready.

But Jesus asks him ‘to be‘ more. Just as Christ told Martha of Bethany that she lacked one thing, the most essential thing, now he tells the young man what he lacks is the fundamental, primary, ‘the one thing necessary’ for eternal life. Just as Mary chose to be with Christ, so now Jesus  asks the young man, “Follow me” (Mt.19:21). Now that the young man has come to Christ and asked him the most important question, Christ gives him the most important way, to holiness. ‘Follow me’. The path to eternal life is following Christ. The path to eternal life is no more just scrupulously   keeping the Old Testament laws but following Christ and doing as he did.“Love as I have loved you”( Jn13:34), is the New Commandment.

The Old Testament path to perfection that the young man has been following was a path of negation; by not doing some things, by not stealing, not killing, not committing adultery, he could obtain holiness. But from the dawn of the New Testament,  perfection is no more a negation but a positive action. Since the Sermon on the Mount, perfection consists in wishing those who do not wish you, in  going two miles when someone asks for one, in offering the right cheek  when someone strikes you on the left,  in giving more than what is asked. , “a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over” ( Lk.6.35).

The young man wanted  a challenge and Christ  gives him the challenge  he is looking for, points out to him the path to eternal life, invites him to holiness and perfection. “ If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give the money to the poor…then come and follow me” ( Mt 19. 21).   

 In English language there are ‘active verbs and passive verbs’. Active verbs involve action and  movement. Most of the commandments that Jesus proposes involve initiative, action, movement. It is doing something, it is giving something, it is loving someone and it is following someone.  Go, sell, give, come, follow – all these verbs that involve action, movement. Holiness for Christ is no more a negation but a positive commitment. He summarized all his commandments into that one active verb ‘love’. The young man was an expert in Old Testament spirituality. Now Jesus invites him to the new way of life, to the New Testament way of life.

In the Parable of the Talents, I have often wondered why the man with one talent was punished. He kept the one talent safe and returned it to the master. In trading with the talents, the other two risked loosing even what they had. The Master praised and rewarded those who took the risk.  This is the New Testament way. He wants us to trade. He wants us to gain. He wants us to take risks. He wants us to go two miles when asked to go one. He wants us to give the coat as well when they someone asks for your  shirt, he wants us to wish those who don’t wish us, he wants us to love not just our neighbor but enemies too, he invites us to give “a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over” ( Lk.6.35).

Today we find supermarkets titled MORE. I suppose it is titled MORE because they want to suggest to us that we can get more than our money’s worth. The Christian supermarket too is titled MORE. Christ invites us to love more, to give  more and  to live more.  In his first public appearance at Cana he gave  wine ‘up to the brim’.  At the Jacob’s well the Samaritan woman asked for a bucket of water and he gave her a perennial spring. In gratitude to Simon for lending his  boat he gave  it back filled with fish to the sinking point. For the generosity of the boy who gave two fish and five loaves, he returned twelve baskets full after the five thousand had eaten. The New Testament Commandment is, ‘Love as I have loved you’. The New Law is selling all one has, it is giving ‘to the brim’, it is loving  as Jesus loved. Jesus invites the young man to this new way, the way of the Beatitude, when he says, “ Go, sell all you have give the money to the poor and come and follow me”.

In the parable of the Treasure in the field, the  farmer sells all  he had to buy the treasure. The  merchant in search of a precious pearl sells all he has to possess the precious pearl. Jesus invites the young man to give up everything and follow him. He wanted eternal life. Jesus  invites to see in him, “the way, the truth and life”.

Religious Life primarily is a joyful renunciation of all one has, to possess a treasure. There is joy in renunciation.  Renunciation is for sake of possessing someone or something. One follows Christ so that one can have a hundred fold more in this life and everlasting life in the next.   It would be a tragedy, if after selling and renouncing,  one did not possess the treasure.

The vows that religious profess are means to follow Christ closely. By Profession of the vow of Chastity, one gives up marriage and a family to have hundreds more of brothers and sisters, mothers and  children. By this vow one is set free to love especially the sick and the poor.  By the vow poverty, one gives up one’s legitimate right to own wealth, so that one is set free to work for his kingdom. At the service of the kingdom one comes to possess a hundred times more. By vow of  obedience, one gives up one’s  will, to be free to do what God wants and to go where he sends.  Christ was obedient to his father, he had no place even to lay his head, he was free to love the sick, the children, the poor, men and women.  It is in imitation of Christ, it is to experience total freedom, to be able to love all, to be at the service of kingdom that one renounces a family through chastity, one’s free will through obedience, and one’s legitimate right to property through poverty. These are values good in itself, but one renounces them up for MORE. In obedience to his invitation every religious renounces, sells, all that one has  through the profession of the  vows  and gives oneself to  the poor in imitation of Christ. 

Christ invited the apostle Mathew with the same words with which he invited the young man, “Follow me” ( Lk.5:27). Mathew got up, left his money table and followed him. The young man too got up but only to go away. Mark tells us, “he went away sad for he had many possessions”( Mk 10.22). The many possessions he had, stood in the way of following Christ.

Every young person is a rich person, a person of ‘great possessions’. Rich in gifts of both mind and body. Look at the accomplishments of young people in sports, in academics, in music, in arts, in generosity, in commitment. Let not the wealth, the beauty, the charm, the  talents, the abilities, come in the way of young people from following Christ. The young man of the Gospel went away ‘ sad’. Nothing but following his call would make him happy in life. What a sad conclusion to what could been a great classic love story! What a missed opportunity ! Not even the name of this young man is known when he could have been one of the greatest of saints like Peter or John, with names inscribed on stones and pillars, with churches and basilicas dedicated to his name.

Christ continues to call young men and women today to follow him,‘ Go, sell, all you have come and follow me.” It is an invitation to love as he loved, to obey as he obeyed his father, to experience the greatest of freedom, by giving up all.

This is the first, primary and fundamental call to a committed life. All the rest that has been written or said is only commentaries and foot notes.                           -Fr T.V. George sdb