Joaquim Magalhães de Castro
In statements to a journalist from the Fides news agency, Father Stephen Alathara, Deputy Secretary General of the Latin Rite Bishops’ Conference of India and Founding Director of “Communio” – an initiative of the Latin Episcopate of India (CCBI) to support dioceses and religious congregations in rural areas – recalls the pastoral activity of Father Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, in India. As Superior General of the Augustinian Fathers, that North American cleric visited the gigantic Asian nation on two occasions, where he is still remembered today as “a simple man” who knew how to adapt to the local context “with an attitude of listening and dialogue”, without ever neglecting “his spirituality rooted in an intense life of prayer”.
In 2004 and 2006, Father Francis Prevost visited several Augustinian communities in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, leaving in all of them an impression of deep spirituality and closeness. On his first visit in 2004, he spent more than a week in the Augustinian houses of Mariyapuram in the Archdiocese of Verapoly and Edakochi in the Diocese of Cochin, both in the southern Indian state of Kerala. The faithful are also reminded of the Eucharist he celebrated at Mary Queen Help of Christians Parish in Mariyapuram and at St Anthony’s Shrine in Edakochi. These were celebrations lived with great fervor and hope. In particular, that of April 22, 2004 when Father Prevost concelebrated with the then Archbishop of Verapoly, Bishop Daniel Acharuparambil, the ordination mass of six Augustinian deacons at the Church of St. Francis Xavier in Kathrikadavu (Kaloor). “Your gestures of welcome and fraternal charity towards the new priests will remain forever engraved in our hearts,” emphasizes Father Alathara.
The second visit took place in October 2006, when the American priest returned to the Augustinian house in Mariyapuram to participate in the Asia-Pacific meeting organized by the Order of Saint Augustine. During this trip, despite having to deal with important matters in the region, Father Francis Prevost found time to visit the Shenbagam school in Pollachi (Tamil Nadu), run by the Augustinian priests of the diocese of Coimbatore, where he met children and young people. He also celebrated Eucharist at St. Thomas Parish in Thalapuzha in the Archdiocese of Calicut, Kerala.
“These gestures reveal his human sensitivity and his pastoral heart,” recalls Father Alathara. And he concludes: “Prevost always wanted to be in touch with the concrete reality and with the people of the communities: this is how we remember him and we hope to be able to welcome him back to India, now as Pope Leo XIV.”
The Indian Augustinians, his fellow members, also remember him fondly. “When he was here, we knew him as an extraordinarily simple, down-to-earth person, always ready to face the difficulties of everyday life,” notes Father Jacob Mullassery, OSA, who accompanied him on both visits. Prevost never asked for privileges, he traveled with his companions and accepted accommodation in very modest rooms. His humility impressed them deeply.
Father Metro Xavier, OSA, who has had several personal encounters with the Superior General, describes him as “a deeply spiritual man.” And he adds: “Before each meeting or pastoral activity, he spent much time in silent Eucharistic adoration. He demonstrated a deep love for the Church and total reverence for the teaching he carried out. His spiritual life gave us a testimony of prayer and simplicity.”
For his part, Father Wilson Injerappu, OSA, regional vicar of the Order of Saint Augustine in India, expressed with joy: “We are filled with immense gratitude. Having an Augustinian brother as Pope is a great blessing. It is also a reminder of our responsibility: we must constantly pray for him and support his mission with our daily prayer.”
Thanks to the Portuguese Patronage of the East, the Order of Saint Augustine has been present in the Indian subcontinent since 1572. Initially on the Malabar Coast – in Cochin and Goa – and later in the region of the Bay of Bengal (Hugli), then spreading its activity to – to the east – Ceylon, Malacca, Macau and – to the west – Isfahan (Persia), Muscat, Sind, Basra and Georgia, as well as a true ‘spear in Africa’: Mombasa. In 1834, the Portuguese suppression of religious orders led to the absence of the Augustinians for more than a century. Local Catholics would have to wait until 1968, when Father Augustine Trape, at a General Chapter held in the United States, proposed that the Order return to India. In 1969, they contacted the bishops of the state of Kerala, site of the ancient mission for the evangelization of the East. In 1970, the Augustinian Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus in the Philippines approved the establishment of a new delegation in Fort Cochin. The solemn opening of the building for the seminarians took place on February 4, 1982, the 425th anniversary of the founding of the Diocese of Cochin (February 4, 1557).
In the following years, a minor seminary would be opened, affiliated with the Santo Antônio de Pádua parish, in Edacochin. In 1996, the parish property was donated by the diocese to the congregation, which built a new church which is now the headquarters parish of the Augustinian Delegation in India.
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