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

TAGORE
Letter No. 15, Bombay, December 1980

 Dear Friends,

    Here we are, also this year, at our postal rendezvous. The occasion is again Christmas, for exchanging our greetings and our news. Our work, our joys, our difficulties you already know them. Since long you are following and helping us. There is something new. Antonio Salafia is now doctor, after a short holiday in Italy, he is at work with the other two doctors in LSS. The staff is still increasing, we are 45, and the number of patients in October was 2204.

    An other piece of good news is that the Government of Maharashtra, our state, had granted a pension to all the handicapped people, including the leprosy patients. Since years the organisations working for leprosy control were pleading for this. Sixty rupees per month will be given to any deformed leprosy patient. It is not much, but is something. People are getting registered, let us hope it will be soon implemented, so that those who are begging or cannot work will get a sure income every month.

    Agnese Paleari, beside the supervision of the balwadis, with the help of a group of volunteers, she looks after the adult education in the evening at Chunabhatti.

With the beginning of the new year and assistant director, Mr. Oswin Pereira, will help Fr. Torriani in the management and administration. He will have more time for animation and pastoral work.

Sr. Luigina has got an assistant nurse to help in the dispensaries which had become now 18 weekly. In Italy there are other volunteers on training, we hope they will get the visa and they will be able to come to India.

    I want to share with you a nice poem of Tagore that express so well the longings and prayers of our soul.

For this I pray to you, o Lord,

Give me the strength to put my love

In useful and fruitful service to you.

Give me the strength never to disown the poor,

Never to bend my knees

To the insolence of the powerful.

Give me the strength to lift up my thoughts

Over the misery of the daily life.

With love we greet you and wish you Happy Christmas and Prosperous New Year.