Carlo Torriani

SWARGA DWAR

The conversion of a catholic missionary

presented by

Card. Simon Pimenta

PIME Publications, PIME Regional House, Eluru - 534 0-07, A.P., India

PROTEST IN CHUNABHATTI 

Letter No. 14, Bomaby, March 1980

 Dear Friends,

    May be the things we want to say are always the same. We keep repeating. But the persistent remembrance of you does not allow us to stop writing and thanking you. You write and we answer.

    The work in favour of leprosy patients continues. The area of control had become more than doubles. The number of people assisted had increased. The medical staff had increased. Agnese Paleari is of great help. She was e secondary school teacher in Monza, Italy, she asked for leave of absence and she intend to work in our pre-primary schools for two years as volunteer.

    Some time we have to face difficulties and moments of crisis. It happened just before Christmas. Usually at Christmas time we distribute the cloths that we receive. We cannot satisfy everybody. Some of those who did not get according to their expectation made a commotion. They threatened our staff and they stopped them from entering the slum of Chunabhatti. We stop going for two months till they came back pleading sorry. It has been a painful decision but necessary, for our and their growth.

    We went back because we understood that their condition of misery and desperation was a hindrance to their human growth. The great majority welcomed us back thankfully, but their protest made us thinking whether we can do something more or something better. Doling out and distribution of clothes or grains is not enough. May be we can do something more to give them not a dress but a habit, the habit of their human dignity which will enable them to walk in society as equal. Let us hope.

Hope is the great mover that allows us to start again. These difficulties and crisis can make us think and assessing our systems and our sentiments.

    It is difficult for us to challenge our systems and our habits. But this that continual conversion of which the Gospel speaks. One of you wrote to us encouraging us to “accept the provisional aspect of the daily life and dynamics of divergence”. Thank you the gentle lady who gave us this bit of advice.

    May your prayers and the help of Heaven assist us.