As the bible says there is time for a beginning and there is an end, there is time for planting and there is time for plucking. There is time for everything under the sun........ How true is it.....? There is time for everything.... Now it is my time, to say good bye to Bhuigaon and to the parish of Holy Family church there. I came to the Holy family church in Bhuigaon on 19th of October 2008 and I have been there till 2nd of August 2009.
Always I had great desire to go to Africa and work in Madagascar. There SCJs have house for the AIDS and HIV+ people. SCJs have some teaching centre there for these children. I wanted to do MA in English and then go there to teach. I like English very much..... But my superior wanted me to go Vasai and begin our congregation there. So soon after my priestly ordination I was in Maharashtra state, in the district of Kolhapur. There MST (missionaries of St. Thomas) has a Marathi centre, called asmita. So was there learning Marathi and then came to Holy family church to practise what I had learned. It was a wonderful experience. Now after 10 months of being in the parish, this has been a wonderful experience. And now on 2nd of August 2009, I said goodbye to all of them. On the Sunday morning, I preached in the parish and said word of thanks to all of them. From the parish, they gave me a suite case and two bed sheets and bouquet to show their love and appreciation for what I did in the parish.
Now we have rented a house in Babola, which is just behind the Vasai Bishop’s house and we two priests are just staying here, soon we will go to find a place for us to build our own community and house then soon we want to shift from this apartments. Because I feel that this is very expensive to live here. Because we have to pay every month, RS.6000 for the house and then Rs: 1700 for the house for the maintenance. I feel that is too much.
Thankful to the Lord for the wonderful experience that I had in the parish. The parish is very local parish. Because in Vasai, one would find very difficult to find who are the original or local people. Every year there is lots people who are migrating from other states to Bombay and especially to the town of Vasai. So it is most of the mixed community. But the parish where I was, it is a very local and original Vasai people. One could call them the “Sons of the soil”. They are very generous and loving. Most of the people would some or the other things for the parish daily. And their love for the church very huge. Specially after coming from Andhra Pradesh, where such mentality is too little or little, this experience for me was very touching. So many people daily coming for the Daily Eucharistic celebration and so on. That is something that is very peculiar to the church in Vasai, daily people coming for the Eucharistic celebration. I had that privilege to celebrate Eucharist in Marathi and that feels something special in the heart.
Now in the community, just we two priests and the third one will soon join us. So until then wait......... for another experience.
Always I had great desire to go to Africa and work in Madagascar. There SCJs have house for the AIDS and HIV+ people. SCJs have some teaching centre there for these children. I wanted to do MA in English and then go there to teach. I like English very much..... But my superior wanted me to go Vasai and begin our congregation there. So soon after my priestly ordination I was in Maharashtra state, in the district of Kolhapur. There MST (missionaries of St. Thomas) has a Marathi centre, called asmita. So was there learning Marathi and then came to Holy family church to practise what I had learned. It was a wonderful experience. Now after 10 months of being in the parish, this has been a wonderful experience. And now on 2nd of August 2009, I said goodbye to all of them. On the Sunday morning, I preached in the parish and said word of thanks to all of them. From the parish, they gave me a suite case and two bed sheets and bouquet to show their love and appreciation for what I did in the parish.
Now we have rented a house in Babola, which is just behind the Vasai Bishop’s house and we two priests are just staying here, soon we will go to find a place for us to build our own community and house then soon we want to shift from this apartments. Because I feel that this is very expensive to live here. Because we have to pay every month, RS.6000 for the house and then Rs: 1700 for the house for the maintenance. I feel that is too much.
Thankful to the Lord for the wonderful experience that I had in the parish. The parish is very local parish. Because in Vasai, one would find very difficult to find who are the original or local people. Every year there is lots people who are migrating from other states to Bombay and especially to the town of Vasai. So it is most of the mixed community. But the parish where I was, it is a very local and original Vasai people. One could call them the “Sons of the soil”. They are very generous and loving. Most of the people would some or the other things for the parish daily. And their love for the church very huge. Specially after coming from Andhra Pradesh, where such mentality is too little or little, this experience for me was very touching. So many people daily coming for the Daily Eucharistic celebration and so on. That is something that is very peculiar to the church in Vasai, daily people coming for the Eucharistic celebration. I had that privilege to celebrate Eucharist in Marathi and that feels something special in the heart.
Now in the community, just we two priests and the third one will soon join us. So until then wait......... for another experience.
2 comments:
Wow! I am sure it was a great experience for you. People in Bhuigaon and the rest of vasai are very loving. They have great respect for their priest. Your story is so inspirational! Originally coming from Andhra Pradesh with no background whatsoever in Marathi, then learning Marathi and then actually going to a remote village to preach in Marathi, is indeed very inspiring. I grew up in vasai and am presently in the USA. My kids are growing up here in USA, but I think I was lucky to be able to grow up in a place like vasai.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE AND COMMENT........... BHUIGAON IS MY FIRST PARISH AFTER MY ORDINATION AND SO ITS SO CLOSE TO MY HEART...........
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