Lent in Andhra Pradesh Calls for Even Deeper Sacrifice

Fr. Varghese helped an older priest with Lenten ministry for a
day at the new Roman Catholic mission in Tuni,
an area still largely undeveloped, but known for its
250 varieties of mangoes, cashew nuts and rope. 

Third-world living takes on a deeper level of sacrifice in Lent, with Fr. Varghese and other missionaries and faithful giving up meat, fish and eggs for the 40 days. Fr. Varghese is praying the 33-Day St. Louis De Montfort exercises, re-consecrating his life and vocation to Jesus, through Mary, just like St. John Paul II did. Three of Father's parishioners are pressing into Lent as Catholic Deeksha's, a strict spiritual walk unique to India. They put aside shoes, sleep on the floor, fast from entertainments and unnecessary chit-chat, and delve into daily Scripture readings and Rosaries with Fr. Varghese. Like other priests across 98% non-Catholic Andhra Pradesh, Father is leading Living Stations of the Cross, and helping to preach, hear Confessions and concelebrate Mass at other missions. Chicago-area families helped Father pay medical bills for the orphan Akhila, and covered utility and water bills at Sacred Heart of Jesus Mission in February.

            

          Frs. Varghese, Sridhar (shown here) 
         and the other missionaries in this 
          part of the world, often sleep on the
         floor on jute mats in the churches
             they serve.

Fellow missionary Fr. Sridhar, shown here at right and below, is finally having a humble priest residence constructed for his mission on the Bay of Bengal. Until now, he's been sleeping on the floor of his little church on a jute mat. He's been struggling with high blood pressure and other health issues made worse by the strain of heading up five scattered church outposts, so please keep Fr. Sridhar and other remote missionaries like him in prayer.

Friends from the U.S. are helping Fr. Sridhar
with medical expenses,  and helped buy
him a little refrigerator that he
keeps in his sacristy, until his new little
presbytery is built. 

Fr. Varghese sent this photo from a feast he concelebrated
honoring Our Lady of Lourdes in Yanam. These overflow
crowds are great in an area less than 2% Catholic!

Oriental flare is obvious in this lovely church where
Fr. Varghese preached this Lent.

Climbing to Mount Calvary

Fr. Varghese and other priests helped relocate Fr. S. Baskhar (shown below) to his new jungle mission, Infant Jesus Mission in Kothakota, last June. He converted an old school into a simple church and sleeps in a rented house nearby. Fr. Baskhar shared these photos from a Catholic form of Padayata, the Hindu term for a pilgrimage by foot. He led village faithful in a procession to a "mount" that "resembled Mount Calvary," wrote Fr. Baskhar. He and visiting priests conducted a "Way of the Cross with Holy Mass."

Merry Christmas from Sacred Heart Mission

Jackets for St. Thomas Orphans

A couple days before Christmas, Fr. Varghese visited St. Thomas School in Panduru to deliver blessings and 30 jackets to little orphans, a gift he provided through the help of his "friendly circle" back in America.

God's creatures add life to Sacred Heart Mission

 Gowry the mission cow is as loving and mischievous as any pet. Named for a famous Marian shrine in India (Nirmalagiri, Mary Martha Shrine near Gowripatnam), she came to Fr. Varghese at a previous mission when a grateful villager had prayers answered, and presented her as a gift to the missionary. She has a tendency to wander and explore, and was already caught far from the mission compound, down by the seashore.

"She's a part of my life now," says Fr. Varghese, shown here with Gowry and Alpha the dog. When Gowry was younger, she would come knock at the shutters to tell Fr. Varghese she was hungry, and he would hand her a plantain out the window.

Although Father now serves a city mission in Kakinada, his compound is home to a lively variety of animals, which bring a little country into the city. They delight visitors of all ages, help provide food for Father and hungry families (his buffalo were gifted by a family in the U.S. and provide good, pure milk), guard the mission, and are even used in ministry.

When a quarreling married couple comes for counseling, Fr. leads them to the lovebirds who live so companionably, preening each other and cooing in harmony. He says, "See how God's creatures care for each other? You need to do that, too!"

A Rare Visit Home

Fr. Varghese (fifth from left), made a rare visit to his home state of Kerala to visit his family. He stands with co-missionaries from his current home state of Andhra Pradesh. His father Jose stands with cane, his niece Anna Maria is center, and his mother Philomena and sister Rinty are to the right.

When priests serve mission dioceses, they often bid family goodbye for years. Fr. Varghese answered God's call to serve where he was needed most, and left 30% Christian Kerala in southwest India, to serve missions along the eastern Bay of Bengal, in an area less than 3% Christian. Visits back home have been few over the ten years since Father's ordination for the mission Diocese of Visakhapatnam, because needs are heavy in the missions and resources scarce. 

Before he left for his visit home, Fr. Varghese
celebrated his birthday with parishioners at his
Sacred Heart Mission in Kakinada.

"I am happy to be a priest," says Fr. Varghese, who puts his primary focus on teaching his people to love the Mass and the Sacraments, and on Eucharistic and Marian devotion.

He was also thrilled when a chance arose this past September to visit his parents and their home parish two hours drive from Ernakulam. A year prior, Fr. Varghese forego an opportunity to visit home after cyclones hit his missions. He used funds earmarked for his trip, to provide safe tankers of water for his people around Holy Family Church in Yeleswaram and its five mission stations.

Fr. Varghese's sister Rinty, above, and niece
Anna Maria, below, feeds him a piece
of birthday cake.

This year, a friend in America again provided needed funds so Fr. Varghese could make the two-day train ride across India to visit his family. A number of mission priests joined him, turning the visit into a pilgrimage. They all appreciated celebrating Fr. Varghese's birthday in his family home, attending the Mass he celebrated at his parent's Syro Malabar Catholic church, and touring Catholic sites and shrines in an area so richly Catholic.

Sadly, the trip was cut short after just two days when a co-priest and former rector at Fr. Varghese's seminary died unexpectedly. Archbishop Prakash Mallavarapu flew in from Rome and Fr. Varghese and the other priest-pilgrims headed back home by bus, since they could only find standing room only tickets on the train. They spent one night in a bus station and pressed into the grueling two-day trip back, making it just in time to pray at the funeral of their senior priest.

Fr. Varghese celebrates a birthday Mass at his
parents' home parish in the state of Kerala.

His parents were sad to see him go, but were understanding of the situation, wrote Fr. Varghese.

Nearly 130 priests were there for the burial. "I was deadly tired, but we made it," he wrote. "My legs are swollen, because of standing."

The day after the funeral, Fr. Varghese wrote that the "missionaries are again in action, after a long and tiresome journey. Priests in the Archdiocese were appreciating us for the immediate response to the need of a fellow brother priest." 

Mission bike and frig

"I am so happy to write to you today," wrote Fr. Varghese, "since I am doing lot of work as a missionary just because of your help." 

Father is referring to funds that come in through his "friendly circle" in the United States, a group of friends and family who tell about his needs by word of mouth, keep the missionaries and people of Andhra Pradesh in prayer, and send whatever aid they can. 

Fr. Aruliah's new refrigerator.

One family bought Akhila the orphan her first-ever bicycle, so she can now ride to school, instead of crowding on a bike with another child. Another family sent a practical gift to Fr. P. Aruliah of remote Holy Cross Church in Hamsavaram.  

"When I went to preach Fr. Aruliah's church I felt very bad," wrote Fr. Varghese. "He is having nothing, no proper food, clothing, light, etc. So I went a resale shop and bought a refrigerator for him, so that he can keep food in it."

When villagers bring Fr. Aruliah gifts of food, he has no way to keep it fresh, explained Fr. Varghese. "He will be very happy to receive (the refrigerator)."