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

WE WILL MAKE TWO

 The editor of the missionary magazine Mondo e Missione published my first circular letter as a sign of my first conversion.

At the beginning of the foundation of MANI TESE, not only I insisted that the movement should be open to the four Italian missionary institutes, but I did all I could to give broad base to the same. Since the purpose was to fight hunger and work for the development I did not want to restrict its scope to the catholic world and to the people moving around the parishes. During the sixties in Italy there was a polarization between Catholics and Communists. 

The first requests for help came, of course, from the missionaries. But many times they were requests for building churches, for sponsoring seminarians or catechists. It was not easy to convince the missionaries that we could not take in consideration this kind of requests. Many of my confreres started doubting about my missionary spirit. So, when my first circular letter came out, they started saying:  “He got converted; he understood the purpose of a chapel”

 Letter No.2, Bombay, June 1970

 Dear Friends,

            Six months had gone since I wrote to you at Christmas time. Our chapel is now a reality.

They are covering it with the roof. It has been a moving experience. I wanted to write to you early to tell my joy. In one moth the necessary funds had been collected. A priest, friend of mine, offered to collect the full amount among his friends and asked to dedicate the chapel to the Divine Love. But many others sent donations, and  I was embarrassed. I wanted to write an other letter saying: ”Please stop! We have enough.” But I came to know that my letter had been reprinted by other magazines and quoted by the radio. I could not stop the flood of the Divine Love! We collected more than double. The needs are many . But I confess my embarrassment, when money comes easily, temptations come also easily.

I hope I am not scandalizing anybody. But one can think of making a bigger or luxurious church  when a chapel is enough. I was impressed in Goa to see all those big cathedrals in ruin. Five big churches, a few hundred meters one from the other, built by five different congregations, with gilded altars, just for the sake of the congregation. Now they are empty, abandoned and in ruins. They had been built just because the money was easily available. These things did not happen only in the sixteen century.

    Why am I saying all this? I  that you will be satisfied with my sincere thanks without demanding “to see the accounts”. But as a priest I feel I am a public servant and I think it is my duty to account for whatever has been entrusted to me. We in PIME do not have the vow of poverty, nevertheless we must leave in poverty and give account of  whatever money we receive. Accountability is the first condition for a life of poverty.

    Then, what to do with the remaining money? You had given for the purpose of building a chapel, we will build two chapels. Next time I go to Andhra I will see another place where the chapel is needed as we said, and I will tell you.

    Now I want to give some information on the chapel under construction. For pastoral reasons it has not been possible to build it where I told you, but in another village. Garla, that become Christian one year ago. It is a few  kilometers from Dornakal, where resides the missionary, in the diocese of Warangal. It will be used by 200 Christians of low caste, madiga.  Fr. Antonello, the missionary in charge of the parish, is having 40 Christian villages, but only 15 had a chapel in masonry.

    Many of you wrote to me asking why my first request was about a chapel. That is not surprising, if you remember how many times, when I was secretary of MANI TESE, I objected to give money for a chapel. But now  I am a missionary, who not only look after material needs, but also spiritual needs. In the circumstances in which we are a chapel, a common place, fulfills both of them.

The prompt response that I got, shows that many of you have understood this. This is consoling for me. And  since I am not yet on the field, but still studying, then I can only help and wait.

    My waiting is a preparation, in fact, after finishing my MA in Theology in Pune, I enrolled myself  in the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Bombay for a two years course for MA in social work.

Every week I will be required to do two days of practical work in some social welfare agency. That will me to be introduced to social problems of India and to see where more is the need for my service.