During my maiden visit to the central provinces of India, a fascinating thing that caught my attention was the round tables in the community dining halls. As the days went by, I realized that this…
The Band of Brothers, the Unsung Heroes
This year is the 100th year of the Spanish Jesuits coming to Gujarat, a landmark year in the history of service to mankind by the Society of Jesus. Of the 95 Jesuits, 18 were Brothers.…
Lighting Small Lamps to Lessen the Darkness
The journey of the Spanish Women Missionaries [auth] "Who does not dream of doing great things in life?Of leaving a blazing trail across the heavens?Like everybody else, we too had our hopes and dreamsTo make…
Etched in my Memories
The first time I met Fr. Isudas Cueli was way back in 1973, when I joined the Jesuit pre-novitiate in Ahmedabad. When the pre-novitiate in charge, Fr. Castiella, asked me who my ‘spiritual father’ was,…
As I Knew Them
As we celebrate 100 years of the arrival of Spanish Jesuit missionaries in Gujarat, I recall memories from fifty years ago. I was studying at St. Xavier’s School, Mirzapur, and Fr Pablo Gil was the…
The Spanish Humour
Gujarat state is ever grateful to its enthusiastic, committed and hardworking Spanish missionaries. They were\are a bundle of joy too. They lived their life joyfully and went about spreading that joy through their jokes and…
Follow Which Leader? A Rethink of Leadership
THE STORY OF FORMAL LEADERSIn both secular and religious organisations leadership is expected from one or other member who has assumed formal office. The person assuming office is greeted with accolades about her qualities from…
The Spanish Jesuits in Bombay (1921-2021)
A Quick Look at their Enormous Contribution to the Local Church The Jesuits of three different countries planted and nurtured the Faith in Bombay and along India’s west coast. The first were the Portuguese in…
Go, Set the World on Fire
It is said that “the most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire”. The Pamplona event where the flames of the cannon ball turned St. Ignatius from the “Knight” in Loyola to…