Can anyone imagine how exciting I was to go to Odisha for the Mission experience as I was there for a year about 17 years ago. I was there in rented house in Basnthi colony. Yes a small seed had grown to sapling and now has become a tree and it was great joy to experience that the mission has expanded with the various activities.
The culture of odisha is very rich with many symbols as dance, music, washing of feet or hands, arts as I could experience in our house and all the places where I visited, the way they welcomed us with their whole being, it was expression of their hospitality and the visitors are like God for them “AATITI DEVO BHAVA” of the Indian culture. All the catholic greet one another after the Mass “jai yesu” isn’t that wonderful.
We went for the mass in Kahuchuva village very far from our house; I could experience the Faith of the people in that very cold morning, small children, youth, men and women far from the village had come for the Eucharistic celebration. Liturgy very much alive and three baptisms were there but very symbol. After that again another mass where whole village people were waiting for us and welcomed with typical cultural ceremony and performed program for us and after that scrumptious meal which cooked with the fire wood and served in the leafs which collected from their surroundings and again dance was performed. I was enjoying every bit of it. One elderly person narrated their story how they had landed there in that mountain called Kunjam. In that village some of them are educated and have good jobs. They were very much delighted to tell us that there are vocations as already one priest, two sisters are there. People were very hospitable, simple and generous. It was an unforgettable day.
I was very much taken up by visiting the self-help group. Their enthusiasm and unity and organised program creatively and they are empowered and still can implement self-sustainable program and one of the groups who are catholic where we can have children’s group and can have ACI family group too for the future.
Being interacting with the Rickshaw pullers and the street children and each one of them had their unique story to tell .They were very happy to come to our house and clean oneself and have food. They feel at home with our sisters. They thoroughly enjoyed the game which was conducted for them though it was difficult to make them understand.
We also had the opportunity to extended our mission experience in IMS (Indian Missionary society) in Varanasi and stayed in JVS (Jan Vikas Samiti) .This was established as the social wing of the Varanasi province of the Indian missionary society which focus on the empowerment of the Dalit, person with Disability, women and children. Fr. Chetan accompanied us to different places. In spite of his busy schedule, we experienced his availability, generosity hospitality and simplicity
Here also we visited three self-help groups where they are implementing the IGP (Mashroom cultivation, Soap powder, harpic toilet cleaner, phenyl etc). which help the women to stand at their feet financially. Some are starting and others are restarting after a complete lock down and the pandemic which all of us experience.
Also very interesting visit of IMS mission where they have Ashram: all religion as one comes there to pray and they are called chritst bhakta .
I liked very much Cafebility- serves with difference where they have café & Restaurant. This is carried out by the children with physical disability and one priest to supervise. This increased my hope to implement this type of project in our special schools, a conviction it is possible.
The visit of River Ganga: For me the shocking experience was the boat ride through River Ganges. The amounts of dead bodies are burned on the bank of that holy river and the heap of ashes and remains were there. It was unbelievable. The river was polluted very much, yet it is holy for the People who have devotion and belief that they receive salvation by dipping oneself in this river or burning the bodies closer to this River Ganga.
I enjoyed everything from day one of the mission experiences till last day with all the richness of the place as we were in two states and thank God and especially Sr.Bindu making it to happened and to my sisters in the group. I was enriched and relished the wonderful time.
Kochuthressia Konath aci
My mission experiences start from my journey from Kerala to Odisha. It was my first time; travel to Odisha, as well as it was 2 days of journey. Before starting the journey, Sr. Mary Mulloor said that I might meet so many people, variety and I would feel that God has so many children in the earth. Which I had not seen before.It was really like that the train was fully packed by evening of first day and most of the passengers were without proper ticket. All that they wanted to reach to their home, no matter, how bad their journey, but their destination is their home to meet their loved one. As I had the reservation ticket and upper berth. I went to sleep after my meal. Next day when I got up, and I could see the train was fully packed and I could not come down to put my feet on the floor. Even people were sitting on my sit. Somehow I came down and brushed my teeth. After that I took my food bag and went up and remain there, I had breakfast, lunch and supper after that only I came down to go the wash room, before going to sleep on the second day. On the 3rd day early morning, I reached at Rourkela station and went to the Snehadhara Community and freshen up and rested for some time. It was so cold and I felt that I was in Europe. In the morning our sisters and candidates and Hostel students welcomed us according to their culture. They welcomed us with Arathi and washed our hands with water alone with the music as a jester of welcome.
We had short experience of different Apostate our community. I like the generosity and simplicity of the tribal people during our visit to their village. The way, they had welcomed us with dance and washed our hands and feet and put the oil on our feet before the mass. I also like the way; they had brought the things for the offertory. Each family offered whatever they had from their work, without any external covering and exaggeration. It shows the simplicity and generosity of the people, they also shared their food with us in the leafy plate. I really enjoyed having the food in the natural way.
They are the one who really touch the heart of the nature. I was also happy to meet the priest, who is in charge of the village, who helped us a lot to visit the villages, and prepared the people, for all the celebration. Through this visit helped me to understand what it means by Atithi Devo Bhava, for this tribal people , they see God in a guest, no matter of his background, where they come from, rich or poor. They could find God in each guest .During this days in Odisha , we were like celebrities.
I also liked the interaction with the street children. Once a month, they come to our house to clean them and to have some food, in that group some of them were married and separated…They live at the railway station and street, but in their heart they had lots of dream and desire for their next generation, for their education and not to have the same experience of being in the street. The sad part which we could hear from them that as the state preparing for the World cup of hockey at Rourkela. The police were chasing them from the common places, so that outer world will not see the poverty of the country. They were separated from their group and scattered to different places.
I was happy to see the empowerment of the women through SHG group. They were really grateful to the sister, who helped them to stat the SHG group. I really enjoyed being there and to be part of the mission for short time as well as grateful to the Lord and to the Institute for this experience.
After that we went to visit the mission place of IMS fathers at Varanasi,Fr.Chetan who was the one invited us to visit his place. He was so hospitable to us, and sharing with us, how they work with the SHG group in different villages. They were coordinating the work so systematic with professional people, that is the reason, I could see the changes and developments. We also could get the chance to visit river Ganga, as well as chance to visit IMS Ashram, it is mixture of Indian culture alone with Christianity.
.It was incredible journey, and long journey with different climate. It was like a incredible India. Each day was a new lesson, New culture of people…
I also enjoyed the company of our group; sisters came from different community. We were with different age group but with same the team spirit of mission and szal for meeting people and share the joy of our vocation as handmaids.
Sr.Tincy aci
