The Unique CMI Legacy of Education of Thevara - 1881-2031 (to be further researched and documented)

November 12, 2025

The Chavara Legacy of Educational Ministry

It is a matter of pride for the CMIs and perhaps, for the Indian Church as well, that St. Chavara established a 'Sanskrit School' in 1846 at Mannannam, which had incorporated very many modern practices of inclusion and indigenisation: 1. Selection of Sanskrit as the medium. I am yet to come across what inspired him to make a decision of this sort.  Christians of Keralam, as such, were not all that progressive with the 3Rs of education, let alone to have the classical Sanskrit to have any fascination for them. It was the language of authority (read, domination); however, for a normal Indian of those days, it could have been an aspirational domain of learning, reserved for those of the higher echelons of life (read, caste) then. That appears to have been a daring step.  Besides, the teacher for the task was a Hindu, said to be a disciple of Thunchath Ezhuthachan, one Kunjunni Asaan. 2. Admission was said to be open to all, including the most marginalised of those times (the Dalits, the modern rights-based approach nomenclature) 3. With provisions for mid-day meal to attract the learners to the school and retain them there. 

This happened when formal modern schooling was hardly ever heard of in Keralam, or in most parts of the Indian subcontinent. The schooling that existed was under the direct supervision of a knowledgeable male elder, generally termed Asaan (most likely a corruption of Acharya-n, an educator who teaches by practice), and such home-based or temple-based centres were called kalari (circle of mastery of arts, including martial arts).  At that time, for a native Catholic priest to have come up with such an ideal was simply astounding, radical!! However, the initiative appears to have died down soon. Or else it might have got absorbed into the mainstream of formal education that began to become popular by the end of the 19th century. Nothing much is heard about any other educational initiative until Bishop Bernardine Baccinelli comes up with a pastoral letter promoting education in 1857, followed by an order (a circular) issued by his Vicar General, Fr Chavara Kuriakose Elias, making it obligatory on the churches to start schools, failing which their power to minister sacraments would be withdrawn (amsa mudakku). This was a very serious step. 

I was very curious to know what the impact of this circular was. How many parishes obliged? Are there any records? Or did they manage by setting up a typical 'aasaan kalari' attached to the churches. For a quick survey does not reveal the establishment of several schools immediately after that circular.  However, the CMIs seemed to have taken the matter to their hearts. 

Chavara Legacy Sustained by the CMIs

The CMI initiatives can be traced thus: 

In 1857, the group of pious women (precursor to the present CMC), Chavara and Leopold had gathered together at Koonammavu were instrumental in initiating what later became a formal school for girls. Then we find a series of schools being established by the fledgling religious society, one after the other - the usual list goes thus:

St. Ephrem's, Mannanam - 1885

St Aloysius, Elthuruth - 1888

St Joseph's, Pulincunnu - 1898

Infant Jesus, Vazhakulam -1911

St Joseph's, Mutholy - 1918. 

The Unique Position of Thevara in the CMI Education Ministry Map

I was surprised and happy to discover that a very important year and institution have been missed out in this listing. I was super glad to learn that St. Mary's school, Thevara, established in 1881 by Sacred  Heart Monastery, which itself was established only in 1879, should be considered the first formal school established by the CMIs, and run by the CMIs.  It was at the small island of Chammanatukara, for those days, far removed from Ernakulam (about 5 kilometres), which is now called Thevara. As in the case of almost all other listed schools, it also had its origin as a primary school, attaining high school status in 1924, and having a higher education institution, the first ever by the CMIs, as an outgrowth of it.  This is Sacred Heart College, established in 1944. 

Thus, perhaps, in the district of Ernakulam as well, it could be one of the oldest schools. My search locates SRV school as established in 1844/45; The establishment year of KP LP school, Perumanur, which I consider very old - could not be located. Santa Cruz School of Fort Kochi, under the patronage of the Latin diocese, was established only in 1888.  That would put St. Mary's - SH school as the no. 2 or the no.3 oldest school of the district. 

Thevarites could be proud of, so too the Kanatt family, and deservedly so, as it was Fr Jacob Kanatt of Thevara, as a member of the young religious society,  who paved the way for its establishment. And heartians everywhere, too!

When the experienced and visionary CMS missionaries established a school as early as 1817, which grew to a college in 1838, the young, inexperienced native order of the Carmelites was visionary enough to start with education as an outflow of its faith praxis, with the first school emerging in 1857. However, it had to wait for almost another century to venture into the more challenging arena of higher education (1944).

Even then, it can be included among the pioneering institutions in the field in the state of Keralam. 

Barring the government initiatives (Maharaja's Trivandrum, Maharaja's Kochi, Thalassery Brennen), the missionary initiatives of CMS college, Kottayam and UC College, Aluva and the diocesan initiatives of Changanachery (St Berchman's 1829), Thrissur (St Thomas 1922), the CMI initiatives come next, only after the great initiative for women by the CSST congregation in 1925. Thus, on the higher education map of Keralam with more than 1000 colleges, Sacred Heart College stands 9th overall, 6th by the Christian community, 4th by the Catholic community, 2nd by a religious order, and 1st by a religious order of men (or women) in the Syro-Malabar church.  It began as a men's college, and after 30 years of its establishment, by some act of providence or a deliberate act of the CMIs, in the international year of women, 1975, it became a co-ed institution - becoming one of the first such men's colleges to open its doors to women as well. 

Today it stands tall among the HEIs of the state, with a consistent national ranking averaging top 50 in the past 10 years, and always rated no.1 in the state by various independent surveys.  It holds a unique place with its co-ed policy, and a deliberate support for student participation, academic excellence without compromising on the promotion of excellence and talents in the fields of sports, arts and culture. 

RETHINK - RESTORE

I received this article shared on the WhatsApp group of the Peace and Justice Forum of the Catholic Religious groups. I am just reproducing it, because I don't think such radical and unique models would be easily available. This case points to the possibilities in critical Re-thinking of our policies, positions, possessions etc., and very radical step to Restore - to the people what should have been theirs, which in turn, might restore the original (hopefully better) ecology of the region, the system. 

Environment & Climate

Jessica Kutz: Gender, climate and sustainability reporter

Published -

November 7, 2025, 11:56 a.m. CT

For the first time, Catholic sisters return land to a Tribal nation

"This return represents more than the restoration of land — it is the restoration of balance, dignity, and our sacred connection to the places our ancestors once walked."

Sister Karen Kapell speaks with Mildred "Tinker" Schuman, a tribal member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians as part of a ceremony on October 31, 2025 that celebrated the historic land transfer. (COURTESY OF FRANCISCAN SISTERS OF PERPETUAL ADORATION)

On a sunny afternoon on the shores of Trout Lake in northern Wisconsin, a Catholic sister and a Tribal president sat together at a table and made history. 

Two years ago, the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, a Catholic congregation, had approached the Lac Du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, a part of the Ojibwe Nation, and the original caretakers of the land, with an unheard of proposition: Would they like a piece of their land back? 

The question took the tribe by surprise, said Araia Breedlove, their public relations director. They had never had a private property owner offer up a piece of land, much less Catholic sisters. But after ironing out the details, the two parties were able to close the deal last Friday. 

With a flick of a pen, Sister Sue Ernster signed a document to formalize the land transfer with Tribal President John D. Johnson Sr. for a two-acre lakefront property that the sisters had owned since 1966. The appraised value for the land known as Marywood, which includes a retreat center and cabins, was $2.6 million. It was sold back to the tribe for just $30,000, the price the sisters paid to buy it.  

“This return represents more than the restoration of land — it is the restoration of balance, dignity, and our sacred connection to the places our ancestors once walked,” said John D. Johnson, Sr., Tribal President in a news release. “The Franciscan Sisters’ act of generosity and courage stands as an example of what true healing and partnership can look like. We are proud to welcome Marywood home, to ensure it continues to serve future generations of the Lac du Flambeau people.”

It is believed to be the first such transfer of land from Catholic sisters to a tribe in the country.

Bishop James Powers, John D. Johnson, Sr., Tribal President of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, and Sister Sue Ernster pose in front of the Marywood property which was returned to the Tribe on October 31, 2025. (COURTESY OF FRANCISCAN SISTERS OF PERPETUAL ADORATION)

“It’s a huge step forward for our Land Back Movement and reclaiming what was once ours,” said Breedlove. “The land is in a predominantly White area, and so to have a piece of our culture back where it belongs is extremely important for us.”

The two parties’ histories are intertwined in more ways than just the land. Between 1883 and 1969, the sisters operated the St. Mary’s Catholic Indian Boarding School, part of a larger project by the federal government and the Roman Catholic Church to forcefully assimilate Indigenous children and strip them of their culture. Ojibwe children were sent there, mostly from the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, but also from the Lac Du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, according to the La Crosse County Historical Society. The Lac Du Flambeau Band also had a government boarding school on its reservation. In the United States around 500 boarding schools were built for the purpose of anglicizing over 60,000 Native children. 

The Rhetoric of the Manipulative Steward of the Mammon

November 7, 2025 Friday

Lk 16:1-8

A Confused Preacher or a Crafty Rhetor

My friend George expressed his doubts as to what this parable would mean. The great storyteller Jesus, as was his wont, introduces this parable to his followers. Yes, he is on his tour of villages and communities but heading to Jerusalem. The great narrator Luke inserts most of the teachings of Jesus through his engagements and conversations en route.  So his audience is the ordinary people, his bunch of disciples and followers, and a few of his constant detractors - perhaps, the elite of those times. 

Perhaps, Jesus observes the cleverness people in general employ in their daily affairs almost instinctively - deploying their resources (material and relational - human) in such a way as to secure their lives, their future. This adroitness that comes out from a survival instinct is appreciated by the Master Teacher! However, he just stops with a statement of the fact - "the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than the children of light"

Doubts are regarding: 

1. Is this prudence? It is more of a terminological question, I feel. It could also be cleverness or efficiency.  The Master was broad-minded enough to see the cleverness of the steward, beyond his manipulativeness. 

2. Resources for the Reign Does the parable speak about ends and means? I don't think Jesus' focus is on attaining ends by any means.  I think he is concerned about the lack of adaptive responsiveness on the part of those who claim to be or want to be in the track of light. Are they generally dull-witted? 

It is more about utilising the opportunities before you while you can. Not later, not after you have been thrown out of your stewardship 

That would mean when you are alive and active, when your faculties are in order, when you are able-bodied, when you have possibilities to make good for the time when you would be 'thrown out' not as a punishment, but as a natural progression of your life. 

Everybody's Stewardship While you are on the earth, in this body - you have the stewardship - starting with your body, your surroundings, the network of your human and other relationships/engagements. It is the time you could 'cleverly employ' your powers to have people or treasures stored up for eventualities. 

In the first reading, St Paul (Rom 15:17-18) speaks (boasts) from the assurance of having been a clever and efficient steward in this respect, which he ackno\wledges as 'accomplished by Christ through me'. 

Apparently, a bit confusing, when we read Jesus as the one who went about doing good, it is perhaps very much in line with the arch teacher's general deployment of paradoxes to drive home messages for life - an appeal to shed complacency and work with vigilance, optimally (?maximally) employing earthly resources for the looked forward to access to heaven - the passport to the realm where God reigns. 

The Middle Path of the Radical Is it a balancing act by Jesus? Elsewhere, he tirades a set of curses to those who possess wealth, saying 'woe to you, who are rich' (Luke 6:24-26), contrasting with the poor, who are the blessed.  While that too can be viewed as a rhetorical statement of Jesus, here is indicating a practical wisdom - that wealth and money which can easily become means that take you away from the divine realm or path of righteousness, the very 'mammon' can be deployed in the right manner (tactfully) to ensure access there (Lk 16:9). 

And amply proven by the many who have followed the path, including kings and queens of this world!!

My Stewardshpi Prayer I am reminded of my stewardship on the planet as a great opportunity and a task -and my resources of money, material, time, talent, energy - to be tapped wisely - not necessarily to secure that coveted passport, but rather to be part of building up (establishing) that realm of righteousness!!

Lord, guide me on your path of righteousness, while I enjoy your blessings of life on this wonderful planet, our common home!! Amen! 

P.S. But the question still remains, does the Almighty need such round-about ways of teaching to tell people to do good and avoid evil, using their resources prudently, that extremes of a straight-thinking minister or a paradox-loving rhetor of the word is forced to confess that s/he is confused?

Ecological and Sustainable Education - A CMI perspective

ECOLOGICAL AND SUSTAINABLE EDUCATION – A CMI VISION FOR 2030

 

 1.       Common Home in Christian Spiritual Tradition

A recent doctoral thesis in English Literature by a Malayali nun (Rev. Sr Alphonsa FCC) studies the Christian tradition of environmental sensitivity as seen through the Christian spiritual literature - starting with the first book of the Bible to the writings of modern saints like St. Theresa of Lisieux and other Christian authors through the centuries. She presents a very rosy picture of the Christian literature, almost proving that there has been a consistent ecological (under)current as part of Christian spirituality throughout. However, the lived history of Christian societies often diverged from this theological ideal.

Though the thesis proves a point, an objective survey of human history, especially with the establishment of Christianity as the official religion of many nations, reveals that human and common home interface had been one of 'exploitation' of non-human elements as resources for human material benefit, leading to endangerment and disappearance of many species.  It often lacked any reflection regarding the other beings as fellow creatures, with humans as the crown of creation (Ps 8) having the vocation and responsibility  (call and command) to take care of them as faithful stewards with the task to ‘till and keep’ (Gen. 2:15; LS 67). 

A radical rethinking of Christian life as a creation spirituality is seen with St. Francis's thinking and living in the 12th century. However, that was more of an exception to the norm of ruthless control and exploitative use of the earth's resources as the ones given the mandate to 'be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it...rule over ... every living creature...They will be yours for food' (Gen 1:28-29).  Whether it was the scriptural mandate that led to the unbarred exploitation of the rest of the created world by humans (even of other human populations by the invading dominant cultures to the extent of promoting the slave trade), or whether that merely endorsed the human tendency for the same, is debatable. Parallel to this Western trajectory, other civilizational traditions evolved markedly different relationships with nature.

1.       Human Interface with the Common Home: Dominant Western Culture and Other Cultures

This culture of exploitation, which historically evolved as a predominantly Christian-European industrial culture, could be contrasted with the culture of indigenous communities across the planet, which ensured that the rest of the creatures are not used wantonly, using them rarely beyond the limits of their needs. Even very established civilisations like that of India, as seen from the Indian scriptures (Sanskrit-Hindu; Pali-Buddhist), indicate a culture of reverence and awe, and a less invasive approach to utilising them as resources. 

Two Vedic texts are indicative of this spirit, though the majority of Indians might be unaware of them: 

• "यत्ते भूमे विखनामि क्षिप्रं तदपि रोहतु | मा ते मर्म विमृग्वरि मा ते हृदयमर्पिपम् ||"
• (yatte bhūme vikhanāmi kṣipraṃ tadapi rohatu | mā te marma vimṛgvari mā te hṛdayamarpipam ||)  (Atharva Veda 12.1.35)
• What of thee I dig out, let that quickly grow over, Let me not hit thy vitals, or thy heart”. 

While accepting the need to extract from the planet, the action is accompanied by the prayer so that the process may not be fatal, and that the wound or gap thus created may be healed or filled soon with new growth. 

ॐ द्यौः शान्तिरन्तरिक्षं शान्तिः
पृथिवी शान्तिरापः शान्तिरोषधयः शान्तिः ।
वनस्पतयः शान्तिर्विश्वेदेवाः शान्तिर्ब्रह्म शान्तिः
सर्वं शान्तिः शान्तिरेव शान्तिः सा मा शान्तिरेधि ॥
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः || (Atharva Veda 19:9:14-15)

This prayer seeks peace on all realms of the common home - its atmosphere, earth, water, vegetation, energy sources and in human subjects, almost implying the interconnectedness of all beings for sustained peace!

Though the majority of the Indians remained excluded from the knowledge mainstream, the dominant culture of frugal living had percolated down to all realms, with the likely exception of the very small minority of ruling and, in some cases, priestly classes.  When the Sanskrit tradition articulated such lofty sentiments, the vast majority of society performed the function of making the earth productive, leaving provisions for its rejuvenation. The indigenous communities followed a pattern of sustenance bordering subsistent living by harvesting the abundance of the Mother Earth, hardly ever taking more than what they needed. 

2.       Education and Alienation from the Common Home – Indian Experience

It can be observed that the more educated (in the conventional sense of the term) the more alienated the individuals and community from the common home.  This can be very well observed in the Indian context.

3.1. Introduction of Western education (early 19th century)

With Lord Macaulay’s Minute on Education (1835) and the establishment of English-medium institutions:

• Education in India, whatever its spread or status, shifted from local knowledge (agriculture, crafts, Ayurveda, philosophy) to Western science, literature, and rationalism.
• Practical, nature and faith linked learning was replaced by bookish, abstract education.
• Manual labour and indigenous technologies were devalued in favour of clerical, urban professions.
• The idea of “progress” became tied to industrialisation and consumption, not harmony or balance.

A gradual cultural detachment from traditional ecological wisdom and a rise in aspiration for Western-style modernity and material comfort became mainstream thinking, with a swelling educated middle class becoming the ambassadors of the new culture as the beneficiaries of the new education system.

3.2. Economic and lifestyle transitions

• Ashis Nandy (1983) shows how Western education restructured Indian consciousness, leading to self-alienation and a craving for Western lifestyles. It helped Indians enter colonial bureaucracy and professional classes, drawing people away from village-based, low-impact livelihoods.
• This encouraged urban migration, the use of imported goods, and dependence on the cash economy.
• Handicrafts and handlooms declined, while industrial goods rose, leading to ecological and social disruption.
• Education created a mindset of comparison — seeing the West as the model, leading to consumerist aspiration. Local knowledge systems lost prestige; the “educated” became alienated from the rhythms of the land. By the mid-20th century, economic success became the new virtue, displacing contentment and moderation.
• Madan (1997) and Varma (1998)  discuss how Western-educated Indians developed urban, consumption-oriented lifestyles detached from rural realities. Frugality, a trait of the Indian lifestyle,  came to be seen as “backwardness”, while abundance and ornamentation were linked to modernity. 

3.3. Paradoxical outcomes — reformers and revivalists

However, Western education also produced critics of modern excess:

• Mahatma Gandhi, educated in Western law, used that exposure to critique industrial civilisation (Hind Swaraj, 1909), advocating “simple living and high thinking” and an education (Nai Talim)  for skill-based self-sufficiency (Iyer, 1973). Tagore’s Santiniketan and Aurobindo’s philosophy (leading to the experimental commune in Auroville) sought to blend scientific rationality with ecological and spiritual rootedness. 
• Thus, the same Western framework that disrupted traditional sustainability also generated awareness and intellectual tools to defend it.

• Since the late 20th century, the rise of environmental movements and sustainability studies (ironically again influenced by Western thought) is creating a slow rediscovery of the significance of the traditional Indian frugality.

3.       The Ecological  and Educational heritage of the first Indigenous Christian Religious Society in India (CMI)

Against this background of dominant Christian (western) culture with its 21^st century critique by Pope Francis, and the modern Indian development agenda influenced by Western education imposed upon the Indian people, I would like to examine the CMI Christian spiritual tradition of India. Now on the threshold of completing two centuries as a 'spiritual movement', it is worth looking at the CMI heritage of sustainable living.  

Starting with Mannanam, CMIs held a tradition of having a life dependent on the wise management of the land, hardly ever treating it as a spiritual core, rather as a reasonable response to the needs based on the culture of the time; at the best treating it as response to the predicament to 'earn one's living by the sweat of one's brow' (Gen 3:19). They built land assets and while engaging in the ministry of the word in various modes, made their engagement with the land earning a living by that. 

It synced well with the Carmelite spirituality of 'orare et laborare' (literally, to pray and to labour), implying a combination of contemplation and action, including cultivating the land. Their monasteries always remained centres of biodiversity, fruit trees, shade trees and areas demarcated for vegetables and paddy, making the term 'Carmel' (garden of God) a lived reality. 

However, the reflection of the material progress and consequent culture of India was seen within the CMI circle as well - diversity had easily been substituted by monoculture, as that appeared more affordable and lucrative. The development of CMI institutions had led to the CMIs being more focused on educational and social welfare-oriented institutions, and gradually moving away from the conventional engagement with the land in the production of food.  Even the floral biodiversity of the campuses became more ornamental than sustainable (read, indigenous). The movement from lived ecology to institutionalized education mirrors the broader Christian journey from stewardship to managerial modernity.

The CMI educational institutions in the post-1950s (post-independence period of India) registered remarkable growth in terms of number and quality, and have been rated well for the same. However, the ecological movement or education emerging in the late sixties and mid-seventies did not find the CMI educational institutions becoming any exception to the general lackadaisical response to this scenario by the mainstream educational institutions.  The middle of the 2010s saw CMI institutions waking up to the demands of energy transition, safe food, etc. Some institutions initiated efforts to tap renewable energy sources, generally inspired by its economics, and some models or tokens in the direction of biodiversity, organic farming, food production, etc., were also initiated. 

While Mitradham energy centre at Chunangumvely launched as an extension centre of Sacred Heart College became a model and pioneer in sustainable energy education (1997), Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, through its extension services, established several replicable models. Mundanmudy solar village (where 390 families were supported to have solar energy for lighting and running water supply based on gravitational force requiring no pumping - 1998), biodiversity register, wealth from waste (vermicomposting) project leading to income generation, bio-gas unit to manage domestic toilet and kitchen waste etc. Both Rajagiri and Sacred Heart campuses were recognized with awards by the state government for their contributions in biodiversity and energy management.  Similar efforts in the direction of community education were pioneered by the Social Service Centre of Preshita province, Coimbatore at Palakkad. 

4.       The Laudato Si Challenge for Education for Sustainability

The Catholic Church had been making token utterances regarding the importance of a sustainable lifestyle as a Christian duty from the time of Pope Paul VI, who is said to be the first Pope to use the term 'ecological crisis'.  He did use forceful language in 1971 in Octogesima Adveniens, warning that humanity "by an ill-considered exploitation of nature," risks destroying it and becoming "in turn the victim of this degradation."

Pope John Paul II, in his World Peace Day message on January 1, 1990, called Christians to a life of 'Peace with God the Creator, Peace with All of Creation'.  He termed ecological crisis as a 'moral crisis' leading to the 'uncontrolled exploitation of nature' and destruction of 'the earth's varied forms of life'.  He designated St. Francis of Assisi as the patron saint of Ecologists in 1979.  Pope Benedict was called the Green Pope. In his encyclical Caritas in Veritate (2009), he emphasised that the environment is part of “integral human development” and established ecology as 'the grammar of creation' through his teachings. He introduced solar panels in the Vatican, leading to it being made 'carbon neutral' in 2008-09.  However, the Church mainstream never took it seriously as a matter of Christian education or Christian spirituality.  There were exceptions to it, and some exceptional works were being accomplished by Catholic agencies, especially those in the field of social development. 

Then came Pope Francis, and his encyclical 'Laudato Si'. It was a 'glasnost' in the Church towards the reality of environmental issues, ranging from global warming to climate change, always having a reference to the suffering humans, especially the poor. In 2015 (June), this work stood as a light leading the world nations to the path of the 2030 goals for sustainable development (September 2015). The encyclical stands out with a chapter devoted to Ecological education.  While what Pope Francis did was that of a comprehensive re-presentation of the ecological thinking since the mid-60s, with an aligned re-reading of the Biblical texts, he did manage to make the mainstream Church to start talking about the ecological crisis and introduced insightful terms such as 'integral ecology' and 'ecological conversion'.  All the same, after 8 years, he realised that this aspect has yet to get integrated into Catholic spirituality as he expresses in Laudate Deum. 

It is worth the while exploring the key elements of 'ecological education' as proposed in Laudato Si (chapter 6). 
5.1. Education for Sustainability and Human Solidarity

Laudato Si’ views education as the seedbed of ecological conversion — a lifelong process that reshapes our relationship with ourselves, nature, others, and God. The present ecological crisis cannot be addressed by any single discipline.

• Holistic humanism and interdisciplinary learning: “We urgently need a humanism capable of bringing together the different fields of knowledge, including natural sciences, economics, ethics and spirituality in the service of a more integral and integrating vision” (LS 141). For this, education must integrate local knowledge, cultural diversity, and community-based innovation in addressing environmental challenges.
• Freedom for research: Continued, open scientific inquiry is vital to understand ecological realities and develop solutions (LS 140). Such integration promotes innovation and entrepreneurship grounded in ethical and ecological responsibility — creative solutions serving the common good rather than profit alone.

5.2. Solidarity with Local Cultures and Indigenous Cultures

Solidarity as an ecological virtue: As Caritas in Veritate (2009) notes, “Every violation of solidarity and civic friendship harms the environment.” Hence, ecological education must form people for solidarity, cooperation, and civic friendship. Such solidarity demands dialogue with local cultures:

• “A consumerist vision of human beings, encouraged by the mechanisms of today’s globalized economy, has the effect of levelling out differences” (LS 144).  Imposing one “dominant lifestyle linked to a single form of production” can easily consume cultures which are on the periphery and may be as destructive as damaging ecosystems themselves which may be culture-dependent (LS 145). 
• This requires solidarity with indigenous communities that teach that the land is sacred — a gift from God and the ancestors that must be protected while lived upon (LS 146).

5.3. Education for the Common Good and Intergenerational Solidarity

Education should form consciences to recognize that the Earth is our common home, and that sustainability involves justice between generations:

• “Sustainability and intergenerational solidarity are inseparably linked” (LS 159).
• Education must help people to recognise the world is a gift, not a possession. It must pose the question before the learner: Do we hand it over richer or poorer? Our dignity depends on this moral accountability (LS 159–161).
• The unsustainable pace of consumption and waste “can only precipitate catastrophes… The effects of the present imbalance can only be reduced by our decisive action, here and now” (LS 161). Education must train the learners to start with their lifestyles, rightly presented by the Indian Prime Minister as Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment – Pro-planet People - https://missionlife-moefcc.nic.in/aboutLiFE.php) at COP26 in Glasgow in 2022.

Thus, education for sustainability is education in responsibility, gratitude, and hope — empowering individuals to act today for the well-being of tomorrow.

5.4. Education to Counter the Culture of Consumerism

Laudato Si’ identifies consumerism and postmodern individualism as roots of the ecological crisis:

• “Mass man accepts the gadgets and technics forced upon him… they are the forms of life itself” (Romano Guardini, cited in LS 203).
• “The emptier a person’s heart is, the more he or she needs things to buy, own and consume” (LS 204).
  Education must therefore cultivate interior freedom — the capacity to find joy in simplicity, not in possession.
• It should lead the learners to accept “Purchasing is always a moral – and not simply economic – act” (LS 206); and going further to engage in the unavoidable act of consumption  as a spiritual act tinged with a spirit of sacrifice, as enunciated in the ancient Sanskrit wisdom tradition of Isa Upanishad:

Īśāvāsyam idaṃ sarvaṃ yat kiñca jagatyāṃ jagat,
tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasyasvid dhanam (Isa Upanishad 1:1)

“All this — whatever exists in this changing universe — is pervaded by the Lord.
Enjoy (or protect) it with renunciation.
Do not covet, for whose is wealth, really?”

5.5. Education for Ecological Citizenship

Laudato Si’ proposes a broad vision of ecological education that:

• Begins with scientific information, leading to moral and spiritual awareness.
• Critiques myths of modernity: individualism, instant gratification of needs, unlimited progress, unregulated markets, and utilitarian thinking.
• Promotes harmony within ourselves, with others, with nature, and with God (LS 210).

It calls for forming simple habits of care:

“Avoiding the use of plastic and paper, reducing water consumption, separating refuse, cooking only what can be consumed… planting trees… reusing something instead of immediately discarding it, when done for the right reasons, can be an act of love” (LS 211). The Mission LiFE presents a set of such simple habits under energy, water, food, waste management - single-use plastic, e-waste, bio-waste, etc.

Education must lead beyond “information” to habits and virtue, forming ecological citizens who act out of love and responsibility towards every member of one’s Common Home (vasudhaiva kutumbakam – the earth indeed is the family).

5.6. Spaces and Agents of Ecological Education

Ecological formation is a shared task of family, school, media, community, and Church (LS 213–214):

• Family — the “first platform” of environmental education, nurturing gratitude and moderation and learning to live accommodating others.
• Schools & Universities — learning the fundamentals of environmental education, and practices and attitudes that lead to sustainable lifestyles, developing aesthetic appreciation of the world around, fostering interdisciplinarity in research and innovation in problem solving, and a sense of moral responsibility.
• Political institutions — to promote awareness and accountability, but also to nurture self-discipline and moral motivation through sound policies and community education.

• Pope Francis says, “Good education plants seeds when we are young, and these continue to bear fruit throughout life”(LS 213). Such education of the people to form ecological citizens with changed lifestyles, even through consumer movements and boycotts, can exert “healthy pressure” on power structures (LS 206), as has been amply demonstrated by the Indian independence movement.

5.7. Aesthetic and Spiritual Formation

Pope Francis includes Churches and seminaries as spaces for aesthetic and spiritual formation — to form the people in “responsible simplicity of life, grateful contemplation of God’s world, and concern for the poor and the environment” (LS 214).  It implies:

• On-going catechesis of the community  - appreciating the human position as embodied, and thus being part of the physical environment, and having responsibility for its care and conservation for future generations, “not optional or secondary” but integral to a life of virtue (LS 217).
• An education ensuring aesthetic sensitivity and spiritual depth (LS 215–217) with the ability “to admire beauty in the world around us” that fosters protection and reverence, and for “deep enjoyment free of obsession for consumption” (LS 222) leading to the biblical wisdom that “less is more” (contentment devoid of exploitative accumulation of goods).
• Catechesis must teach that being protectors of creation is Gratitude, gratuitousness, and compassion (LS 220) help us relish our communion with all beings.
• Training of candidates for priesthood and religious life as ministers who would be leaders of a Christian spirituality that extends to human relations with other human beings (especially the poor), and other beings of the Common Home.
• Creating platforms for people of other faiths and people who profess to have no faith in God or religion, where the reality of the Common Home and its sustainability could be a starting point for collective and collaborative action.

“Education in environmental responsibility can encourage ways of acting which directly and significantly affect the world around us” (LS 211).

Laudato Si’ envisions education for sustainability as a conversion of the heart and imagination — moving from consumerism to communion, from isolation to solidarity, and from exploitation to stewardship. It unites science, ethics, culture, and spirituality in forming persons who live gratefully, act responsibly, and hand over to future generations a more habitable and humane world.

In this way, Laudato Si’ presents ecological education as the moral heart of sustainable development, anticipating and complementing the secular vision soon formalized in the SDGs.

5.       The Challenge of 2030 Goals of Sustainability - SDG 4 - Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)

It is heartening to note that the vision of the Church revealed through this official teaching is very much in alignment with the aspirations of the secular world articulated in the light of scientific and economic calculations. It is not certain whether the emergence of both these documents in 2015 was a mere coincidence or if Pope Francis had anticipated such needs in the COP21.

It is pertinent here to examine the global consensus achieved in this regard with the landmark Paris climate change summit of 2015. Among the 17 global goals in the direction of sustainable development accepted by the world nations, the fourth is: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.  It has seven targets as given below:

SDG 4.1. Primary & Secondary Education: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes

SDG 4.2. Early Childhood: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education

SDG 4.3. Equal Access to TVET & Higher Education: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university.

SDG 4.4. By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults with relevant technical and vocational skills for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.

SDG 4.5. Equity and Inclusion: By 2030, eliminate gender disparities and ensure equal access to education and training for vulnerable groups

SDG 4.6. Literacy and Numeracy: By 2030, en.sure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults achieve literacy and numeracy.

SDG 4.7. Education for Sustainable Development & Global Citizenship: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including:
• education for sustainable development (ESD) and sustainable lifestyles;
• human rights;
• gender equality;
• promotion of peace and non-violence;
• global citizenship;
• appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.

Indicators:  SDG 4.7.1 – Extent to which (a) global citizenship education and (b) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed at all levels in:
(a) national education policies;
(b) curricula;
(c) teacher education; and
(d) student assessment.

Three additional targets are listed as 4.a. (infrastructure and learning environment), 4.b. (scholarships as part of development assistance) and 4.c. (availability of qualified teachers).  These are targets which each of the institutions in the field of education (basic and higher) ought to examine and ensure that quality is ensured, maintained and possibilities of improvement is sought.

SDG 4.7 stands as the secular articulation of the very educational vision Laudato Si’ calls for. The lead agencies that support monitoring and implementation of this agenda are UNESCO (custodian agency), UNEP, and UNFPA, which could serve as a bridge between the secular and religio-spiritual platforms to ensure and enhance the common good.

The challenge now is to translate these commitments into everyday pedagogical and institutional practice. In this context, the CMI vision and practice can be transformed as an instructive example.

6.       The CMI Pro-active green vision  - The CMI Environment Policy 2022

It is a matter of gladness and pride that the 195-year-old Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI), with a recognisable footprint on the field of education (in India), have taken cognisance of the environmental challenges and have adopted the concern for the common home as a major challenge in their life and ministry. This led to the 2020 policy statement to have 12 items of cross-cutting significance related to ecological challenges facing the world to be addressed through CMI formation, lifestyle and ministry (Chapter 3).

Further, it describes the features expected in a CMI – member or trainee or institution – to be recognised as GREEN (chapter 4) and provides strategies to arrive at these ideals within the structure of the organisation (chapter 5).  The annexures provide a checklist to make assessment of these aspects quantifiable (Annexure 1).

A random assessment in this regard reveals that efforts to spread awareness have taken place in the course of the past four years, and replicable models have been created in certain domains. There have a been a few institutions which have done pioneering work in this regard and have been recognized by the state. However, there is immense scope for further action, and if the CMIs deem themselves to be leaders in the field of education, much more radical steps have to be adopted to resonate the spirit of Laudato Si and targets for sustainability (SDG) as reflected in the CMI Environment Policy. 

With its wide network of over 500 schools and around 50 HEIs, including two universities, 4 engineering colleges, 1 medical college and several institutions and centres for social and cultural development, the CMIs, as the oldest existing indigenous Christian organisation of India, are to take up the challenge to give a Christian leadership for the nation in the direction of sustainability.

The most important aspect is to perceive and accept education for sustainable development as a vital component, interrelated to all other domains, irrespective of the field – candidate formation, theological education, secular education (beginning with early childhood care through higher, technical, professional and research levels) and community (pastoral) education (religious and neighbourhood) (LS 141, 213, 217).

Other aspects to be taken up in this regard could be:

Setting a common minimum agenda applicable to all CMI institutions which themselves form part of ESD – e.g., waste minimisation, waste segregation and effective waste management; rain water harvesting, efforts to increase and maintain biodiversity of the campuses, and documenting the same of the campus and the neighbourhood, creating eco-friendly neighbourhoods as extension programme, etc.

Incorporation of sustainability aspects in terms of graduate attributes and learner outcomes to be incrementally attained through the basic education stage have to be identified and articulated by the individual institutions, and support for the same to be provided by the provincial or general departments.

Forging collaboration with other organisations and seeking affiliation or recognition under the allied schemes by the state and international bodies like UNESCO (adopting the Green School model envisaged by UNESCO).

7.       Concluding:  I feel glad that the CMI ecological vision enshrined in its environmental policy operationalises Laudato Si’ and SDG 4.7 with adoptable measures making campuses educative, the curriculum tuned to sustainability and CMI formation leading to awakening the spiritual core.

Thus, CMI institutions, rooted in India’s cultural soil and the Carmelite tradition, stand poised to embody the integral ecology envisioned in Laudato Si’ and the sustainability goals of SDG 4. In doing so, the CMI tradition re-affirms that faith-based education, when rooted in cultural wisdom and ecological consciousness, can serve as a bridge between spirituality and sustainability.

 

References

CMI Environment Policy. (2022).

Francis, Pope. (2015). Laudato Si.

Iyer, Raghavan. (1973).  The Moral and Political Thought of Mahatma Gandhi 

Madan, T.N. (1997).  Modern Myths, Locked Minds: Secularism and Fundamentalism in India 

Nandy, Ashis.  (1983). The Intimate Enemy: Loss and Recovery of Self under Colonialism 

Varma, Pavan K. (1998). The Great Indian Middle Class. 

Hindustan Paigam Aman - हिन्दुस्तान पैगाम अमन

October 29, 2025  

हिन्दुस्तान पैगाम अमन 

मेरे मन में तेरा नाम 

मेरे तन में तेरा नाम 

राग राग में भर लूँ नाम 

होवे जय जय जय जय नाम|| 

जान गण मन का अधिनायक तू 

पंजाब सिंधु गुजरात मराठा 

बोले दिल से चाहे मन से अमन 

'वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम' बोले मिलकर 

ॐ शान्ति अमन 

सीमा सब में हो तेरा यश गान 

और पैगाम सदा यह रहे - अमन || 

जान गैन मन हो विकसित भारत 

चाहे द्राविड़ हो या उत्कल बंगा 

विंध्य हिमाचल गंगा ब्रह्मा 

कृष्ण गोदावरी  कावेरी 

सारे कल कल राव में बोले 

जय जय हिन्दुस्तान 

सब जन तन मन माटी मिलकर 

होवे जान-जंगल स्वास्थ्य पुकार - अमन|| 

Prof. Raju Varghese - the bridge builder for Rajagiri

https://www.facebook.com/1251360683/posts/pfbid0m8mgV6DjADfDdBRCcb7r8sPxPKnx4TMgxb7ezjVAYF3GSb4x99UxdtmfWvZnzi2Nl/?app=fbl

Prof. Raju Varghese was a person of good heart, after the Sacred Heart, where, I believe, he began his career as an academic. He was spotted and brought to the Sacred Heart campus, by its visionary founder Rev Fr Francis Sales, who had the knack of identifying individuals of academic excellence and bringing them into the Sacred Heart fold.  When the MSW programme began in the department of Social Work in 1962, he was inducted, and not long after the the programme was shifted to the campus at Rajagiri (1966?), Kalamassery, he had left the campus and had gone to the US - sometime around 1966. 

Prof. Raju had his MSW from Madras School of Social Work and another MSW from the University of Pennisylvania. He got his Ph D in Education (EdD) from the Temple University and MPH from John Hopkins University. 

Though he had a very short stint with the Department of Social Work, Sacred Heart College, he felt that he owed it to Rajagiri, which had assumed the Social Work heritage of Sacred Heart, and the Rajagiri leaders adopted him as their foster father in building a Social Work bridge across the cultures. When Rajagiri was struggling to establish some such tie-ups in management under the initiative of Prof. Athappally of Western Michigan University, embraced gladly by the Principal Rev. Fr Alex, it was Prof. Raju Varghese, who said that why we didn't have a tie up with Maryland University where he was a Professor, and he guided both the sides through the formalities in a matter of a couple of months, and what had been lagging over almost 2 years, happened in the span of a year, with students and faculty starting to move in both the directions - opening a very novel dimension in higher education in India, very specially in Kerala. 

He counselled, guided and brought several batches of faculty and students, and even interested individuals, under that banner. And thanks to the hint from Fr. Alex, perhaps, I was given an opportunity to be a visiting faculty member at the School of Social Work, University of Maryland, Baltimore, in 2001.  The rest of the vibrant partnerships Rajagiri possesses now were more or less a repetition of the model, with some improvisations here and there, except that with Rev. Fr. Saju bringing in a vital dimension of research into it. 

He had been a shelter to the students and teachers visiting from Rajagiri and SH, and his home was a home for them all in the United States.  

I could see the grip slipping away from him, and hence I made it a point that in spite of my lack of time, I would visit him this time I was in the US. I am glad that I did, that in spite of the late hour, we did spend some happy time, reminiscing about the good things of the old. 

He was a conventional believer - a church follower, and tried to support his church to the best of his ability - perhaps, building more than one church in Maryland under his patronage and leadership.  Aunt Molly  (Dr Sarah Korah), took care of him so that he was put to the least trouble; and in the easy passing out of Prof. Raju, at least she is blessed to see that he did not have the pain of languishing in bed in prolonged suffering.  At 88, Raju sir seems to have lived his life full, with a very long academic career in professional social work, having been a support and mentor to many, with his three children (Sanjeev, Suja and Saji) doing well in their own fields and being around when needed, and his beloved wife and all the children being around in prayer to pass him over to the life beyond the curtain!! 

If I read him well, he was all set to establish endowments for academic programmes both at Rajagiri and, thanks to my prompting, at Sacred Heart as well. I hope these will happen and perpetuate his memory for posterity. 

The Making of Civilisation - Simplicity is the King?

In short, isn't civilisation the process of making simple things complex and feeling good about it? Civilisation may not be about refinement, but about layering convenience, ritual, and symbolism over simplicity until we confuse effort with meaning.  Culture may be the way we live meaningfully; civilisation, the way we complicate that meaning to sustain systems.

Yes, feeling good is what matters - when the so-called uncivilised groups feel good with the least complexity in life, not even being aware of their being fulfilled, the so-called civilised groups feel good by making things complex and finally feel good about having accomplished something. 

The Basic Act of 'Eating' as an Example

Basically, we eat to survive - energy needs for our functions as living beings.  

It can be coarse and uncooked material, obtained through gathering or hunting (a kind of gathering).  Availability is a contingent factor. Contingency is removed through the cultivation of food, growing food, and harvesting it. This process makes culture, and the varying modes of the process lead to civilisation. 

From raw material to cooked material is another step towards civilisation. This adds to the complexity. The animal survival mode is refined or made complex, leading to greater vulnerability. Once used to this stage, having no cooked and readily available food can leave humans helpless and susceptible to illness. 

Perhaps, both agriculture and cooking came to be by sheer accident, and finding them useful and advantageous, they were improvised and refined further to make them part of the lifestyle. 

In the initial stages the food could have been eaten directly as obtained. Now it requires vessels to store, vessels to cook and vessels to eat as well. From a standing position, one needs to sit to eat. And once eaten sitting on the floor, is refined further to sit on a tool that makes sitting easier and then a tool to keep the vessels so that human beings could eat without the trouble to bend low. 

The next step is avoiding the trouble to use one's hands to insert food into the mouth, which necessitates washing of the hands, to keep it clean for other activities. Cleaning typically requires water which is cold in the witner, and this is avoided by introducing tools that help one to insert food into the mouth without soiling the hands - spoons, fork etc. Or if one has to use the hands directly, a towel to clean it, without having to wash it during the meals. 

To avoid the trouble of washing those tools - utensils, what could be used and thrown away is conceived - disposable plates, cutlery and tissues. 

An entire manufacturing chain is created to manufacture materials that help one eat - of varying qualities like durability, safety, beauty, etc., making the process further complex. 

There are ancillary processes at each stage or with each aspect of this complex process. Thus, in growing food, there are efforts to boost growth - faster and abundant. A whole lot of inputs are created for that, and research and experiments for the same are carried out in a big way. 

While promoting growth and abundance, there pestilences emerge and then there are any number of efforts to check them leading to the devising and manufacturing of pesticides. 

Then there emerges threat from pesticides and there is need to introduce safety standards and processes for the same - at each stage of the food creation and consumption chain - seeds, soil, harvest, storing, processing, eating and post-eating. 

And education and training for all these aspects and processes as well. 

And policies to govern and control all these and personnel to guide and enforce them!!

At this complex stage, eating and related activities - growing food, processing it etc. become culture. And activities like cooking become an art, a profession, a job calling for education and training.  Even agriculture could take the form of an art in some cases. 

This is how civilisation is built by making very simple things complex and further complex, and undertaking those complexities with precision, and feeling good about having done this. 

I recall the story told about the culture of eating - no offence meant to anyone.  Some so-called modern civilised man gets into the hands of a forest-dwelling community, still practising the culture of cannibalism. Naturally, he is tied down.  Then comes the chief, dressed in the traditional attire of the people, but he addresses the man and converses in chaste English. Despite the horror of the imminent death, the prisoner is not able to contain his curiosity, and he shares the same with the chief: "You appear highly educated.  Didn't your education make any difference to your approach to this practice?" He responded warmly: "Oh yes, yes... In earlier times, we used to eat this feast with our bare hands. Now we feast using fork and spoon, and knife, and use tissues to wipe our hands."

Whether the complexities make a finer being out of the persons engaging them, and lead to greater happiness - for themselves and others - that should be the test of a culture.

Religion: Christian Eucharistic Culture as an Example

Another case that comes to my mind is that of religious rituals: typically, the topmost among the rituals Christians follow - the Eucharist. 

I believe that Jesus did hold a passover meal, just before his death - the traditional Jewish ritualistic meal; but away from his family of birth (perhaps, his mother was there), but establishing a wider family of the children of God. Forseeing the imminent persecution for his teachings and actions, it is likely that he made the meal symbolic of his life and approaching sacrificial suffering. And his instruction, 'do this in memory of me, ' in all likelihood, was an injunction to follow his model of sacrifice and suffering for the principles he stood for - for approaching God with the freedom of the children of a loving father, of setting aside all rules and regulations for increasing goodness around oneself, for making people happier through fellowship, meals and making them whole. 

Perhaps, the initial century of Christianity, starting with a group of Jewish followers of Jesus, gradually realising the broader meanings of Jesus' teachings, made itself more inclusive by absorbing members of other communities, generally despised, threatened and persecuted by the Jewish leadership and the Roman authorities, continued the practice of fellowship meals in which they shared whatever they owned with the members of the community, and blessed God for that spirit.  

Gradually, over a century or two, the movement gets established as a sect, a religion, and the matters related to God becomes separated from that of the material welfare, and then, a cadre is evolved to take care of those matters, with those aspects becoming distinct, formalised. The spiritual is getting distinct from the material welfare, and symbols and formulae are getting infused into the former to establish rituals. And a few traditions emerge from the linguistic and cultural contexts and get solidified. They become so solid that anyother form of reliving the Jesus experience of the divine in the world becomes a heresy, a threat, a sin, a crime. On the other hand, the rituals become much more complex - with specific space, furniture, decor, vestments, prayer formulae, trained and dedicated people. 

Thus the simple meal fellowship emerging to address the basic need of sustenance, where sacrificial sharing of material resources was the core of a spirituality leading to wellbeing of all, became a highly nuanced ritual, bordering the magical.  The thanksgiving (Eucharistia) for the spirit of goodness that prompted self-sacrifice, became a ritualistic thanksgiving borrowed from the Judaic tradition. 

Making it further magical, the meal aspect got reduced to the real presence in the matter (species) of the Eucharistic ritual, which was induced through the utterance of the magical formulae (institutional words) by duly consecrated priests.  And then emerges the practice of storing that material presence for emergency access, whereas the promise of the presence in the fellowship in Jesus' name as well as the presence of God in each of the fellow humans, became conveniently forgotten. Abuse of a fellow human could easily be tolerated, whereas abuse of the magical sacramental presence could not be. 

Now, further rituals are developed around the magical presence confined (imprisoned) in the presence of consecrated bread (wafer host), and you have any number of devotions around that - perpetual adoration, 40-hour, 13-hour, 1-hour adoration, with any number of theories and explanations surrounding them. To my mind, such ingenuity in piety is parallel to the formulation of three-day, one-day and limited over cricket!! (Phew, this might sound very irreverent) There is a science about the presence of Jesus in the consecrated bread, formulated with fantastic philosophical concepts of form and matter, substance and accidents, and evolving such terrific concepts as 'trans-substantiation'. Height of theological imagination!! 

There are fasts and feasts around its celebration, and they themselves become pious practices and rituals. The piety entrepreneurs don't feel satisfied with the annual solemn celebration of the passover time of establishing the sacrament of the Eucharist (the presence of Jesus in fellowship meals reimagined), that they created a special feast for the Eucharist, with solemn 9-day (what is the significance of 9 days? After the 9 planets?) preparations, fasts (in Germany there are fasts of one week to 3 days in preparation for this feast) and processions along the streets where the encased eucharistic prisoner is taken around. 

A business and culture is developed around the devotion - 1) the material for manufacturing the wafer hosts 2) the method for the same 3) the machines for the same 4) vessels for storing the unconsecrated hosts 5) the vessels for storing the consecrated hosts - ciborium 6) the equipment for exposing the consecrated hosts for veneration - the monstrance of various designs - gold or silver plated, with its specific receptacles 7) the ornamental cloth covering of these vessels 8) the special vestments for raising the hosts for veneration and benediction 9) the special cloth cover to shade the minister and the monstrance taken around in procession. 

There are special prayers, hymns, music, methods, and symbols for all these details. 

The efforts involved in learning and recalling the names of these very many forms of rituals, their materials and the liturgical vessels and items are themselves a task!!

And yet, there are genuine and simple souls who have experienced the divine through such paraphernalia of rituals and blindly believing in this whole system of imprisoning God and imprisoning minds, being elevated to greater visions and noble acts of charity. 

However, it is to be admitted that all these put together do not match the amount of goodness the faithful generate around them within their households or in their neighbourhood. 

The Contradiction: The Ritualistic Religion Devoid of the Spirit of Christ 

And the 21st century Kerala church has shown the folly of all this, with all these kept in tact, priests, consecrated persons and men and women claiming to be folowers of Jesus (perhaps that has taken a backseat, they are merely Christians, another sect built around the faith in Jesus Christ, but very little bothered about his mission or methods) fighting in the Churches, fighting at the altar, fighting reciting prayers, and fighting in the streets and in civil courts, clearly giving a damn to the person of Jesus around whom all this has emerged. 

The preachy Christian leadership has not bothered if the rituals being introduced really make sense to the people concerned, or whether there could be possibilities of accommodating the popular aspirations in how the communitarian celebration of faith or communitarian worship is held. 

Dom Helder Camara, the radical and martyr bishop of Reciffe is said to have commented when there was an act of desecration of the Eucharist in one of the Churches, addressing the gathering in atonement and protest: 'We are pained at the desecration of the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist; however, we are unconcerned when the presence of God is desecrated in our fellow human beings subjected to exploitation and want.' (paraphrased). 

PEACE - ONLY IF

Oct 10, 2025

Only if peace would grow on mango* trees, and I could pluck

Only if peace would bloom like jasmine buds, which a child could gather! 

Only if Putin could put in the effort to enlarge peace

Only if Trump could triumph in augmenting peace. 

As dust gathers in the Gazan alleyways 

As peace blooms in the laughter of the Gazan kids 

And in the smile of the people awaiting the release of their relations

May peace be the balm for the wounded hearts on the east of the Mediterranean 

May the green fields where the red-white balls roll

To be blown by the willows over the borders to count four and six

Where the green turf would merge the blue and the green

Blur the borders of war into peace

May it be that 

The homes are schools where peace is taught 

The schools are homes where the families extend

The churches are places where peace is the music

And the muezzins would muster the devotees to salaam

But beyond all ifs and buts, 

If only peace could bloom in the heart of my heart

In the crown of my consciousness 

As the thousand-petalled lotus of my sahsrara chakra!

And my prayer is - still very old and borrowed: 

Make me a channel of your peace!!

*Living in Sitapur, UP, a mango region, that is the best and first fruit that comes to mind. The juicy refreshing Dasheri!!

Fr Mathew Vattathara (1950-2025)

I am not spontaneously led to writing this blog, though I did think I would jot down my memories and reflections on Fr Mathew Vattathara CMI. I can't explain this dwand, in spite of his being rather close to me. We lived under the same roof in a peaceful fellowship. My first appointment after completing post-graduation in 1997 was to Yesu Bhavan, where he was a member, as head master of the school, with Mr Vadakkel assisting him. Most of us in the house got along very well - Fr Kariyil, the principal of Rajagiri College, Fr John Pynadath, the Rector and house superior, Fr Vattathara and myself. Fr John was soon gone - transferred to Angamaly.  I observed that the teachers and the students loved Fr Mathew; however, it appeared that he was not happy to continue with that job.  His doctoral studies had been, to my understanding, to his taste - it was on something related to liberation Theology, with justice as its foundation. "

I recall him asking me earlier as a freshly ordained priest or as a student of Social Work, whether it was enough to study thus - though he did not specifically mention anything, I sensed that it was a call to a life of integral liberation, beyond the confines of the institutions - however, I sensed in him, also a kind of helplessness as to what could be done about it, or how to go about it. This is only my guess - which I had sensed those 30 odd years ago; and have tried to articulate right now at his passing. Had he been around now, I could have vetted the hunch by clarifying with himself. That great dream of being an apostolate of liberation could not be given any concrete shape by either of us.  Nor did we ever have a serious discussion thereafter. I had borrowed from his collection couple of books of Paulo Freire to use for my sessions on Social Action. They are still with me as part of the very small collection of books I possess. 

Soon, that is in about a year, he left that community of teachers, students and the Rajagiri campus priests, where he was appreciated and where he belonged. He went to the major seminary of Dharmaram, perhaps teaching Theology of justice, if there was any such thing.  We decided to drive him to Bangalore. In the Maruti Zen of Vishwajyothi, Varghese Puthussery, Joy Kilikunnel and I accompanied him. Joy and me taking turns at the wheel of that cute little car, carrying the luggage of Fr Mathew.  We placed him at his new home, the faculty residence of Chavara Bhavan in a matter-of-fact manner - devoid of the kind of solemn send offs and farewell of the present times.  Having a Maruti Zen itself was deemed a great privilege in those times.   The completion of that term saw him being elected as Provincial and I being elected as a member of his council, in charge of social apostolate.  With my professional training, and with the inspiration received from the initiatives of my predecessor Rev. Kariyil (who had then been elected the General), I went about with some passion - planning, animating, trying to raise corpus for our trusts through pooling resources from the houses, adding an environmental dimension to the social apostolate, and in all the efforts I had his blessings, never any clash. Even my ambitious proposal for a rural coastal campus at the land pruhcased at Vypin was easily okayed by him (as he was looking after that piece of land). However, neither me nor the college could initiate foundational activities that would take the campus off in that direction - though I did initiate some rural outreach programmes and mangrove conservation efforts, with the next ministry, it was all cleared and before long another school project was initiated there. 

The next Ordinary Provincial Synaxis elected Fr Augustine Thottakkara as the provincial, and he would have been happy to have me as his councillor for social apostolate. However, I said I would rather focus on the Ph D, and suggested the previous Provincial himself be in-charge of that so that what was being built up, could be consolidated.  And Fr Vattathara had no issue being a councillor after stepping down as the Provincial.  He was made Vicar Provincial. 

When I learnt about his death soon after the note from Fr Provincial that he was critically ill, it didn't come as a shock, as he had been combating a deadly illness for the past several years.  I checked with the Provincial regarding the funeral plans.  Had it been the usual way, it would have been on October 1st (the very next day), and there was no question of my participation in that.  However, by 7 pm, I got the news that it was to be on Oct. 2nd. Then came a call from Qatar if I was intending to take part, and if yes, to offer a floral tribute on behalf of Doha school. That almost made up my mind, and I looked for a ticket. I got a late night arriving flight for Oct. 1st.  Soon after that I got a call from Fr Provincial (almost in the presence of his council) that it was proposed that I do the memorial reflections during the funeral service.  I had a sort of inkling that this might happen, though I did feel that the provincial himslef, or the batchmate and vicar provincial Fr Mathew Koikara, or the regular preacher Fr Poulose, or his constant companion and assistant Fr Ajeesh, or his long time coworker Fr Varghese Puthussery could do a better job than me.  However, the provincial was almost insistent, and I gave my fiat! 

I did spend time collecting data, reflecting and jotting down the points - almost 3 times; almost 8 pages of notes of the 'Gospel of Fr Mathew Vattathara' integrating the theme of Season of Creation, and making passing references to the three readings and focussing on how Fr Mathew's life was a gospel for all. I did struggle with the language for finding apt words in Malayalam for several terms - e.g., empathy, usage like boldness bordering recklessness, rancour etc.  However, on the whole, I felt rather prepared for a delivery, though as usual with this time too, I think I skipped certain linkages making some of points remaining suspended in the air. But overall, people appeared glad to have listened to good things about Fr Mathew presented without much ornamentation. 

A TRIBUTE TO A 'GOOD MAN' where A Good Man is Hard to Find (Flannery O'Coonnor)

Introduction

The gospel according to St. Mathew 25:21 says: O good and faithful servant... enter into the happiness of your Master.  Amen!! May the word be true for Fr Mathew - let us hope, let us pray. 

Dear members of Vattathara family, CMI family, students of Fr Mathew, friends and people of good will, we listened to Gospel according to St Matthew, now I would like read with you, the gospel written by Fr Mathew through his life. For it teaches us that Straightforwardness and Goodness are synonyms of Sanctity; and that  to be transformed or transfigured into that status is a possibility for anyone, any time; and we can be Pilgrims of that Hope (especially in this jubilee year 2025). 

As Catholic church and other churches celebrate the season of creation (September 1 to October 4), let us celebrate the uniquely stupendous creature (srushti) of Mathew of Vattathara family as the gospel for the day. He is called 'Mattachan' by his freinds and near ones. 

For those happened to be in his company or approach him, he went about doing the good (Acts 10:39) he could (Chavara: Kannu Kattappetta Nanma), as an empathic presence. 

AN OUTSPOKEN REBEL 

During his formative years for priesthood in places like Vazhakulam, Kalamassery, Karukutty, Dharmaram, Christ college - Bangalore, Chethipuzha novitiate, Rajagiri School and Prior General's house - the CMI circles saw him as a gifted candidate - intellectually strong, though not really applying that in his studies, strong communication skills, a natural in the field of sports - football, volleyball and basket ball (later on, badminton, table tennis and cricket as well), a leader for the team and a mentor for juniors - at times the leadership taking the form of a bully as well. 

To the authorities he came out to be daring, outspoken, questioning with a boldness bordering recklessness, finally landing him on an extraordinary training platform termed 'compulsory regency' (CR), with an exceptional second time.  In the later years, when he rose to esteemed offices of the congregation, perhaps, being punished with a CR came to be looked upon as the recognition of a genius!! (At least, having experienced that once, I consider that to be the case😁. 

Some of the senior students found him a 'dashing young priest' when he was at Rajagiri school as a regent, with his flare for games. 

However, CMI training process, with all its limitations, deserves some praise, as it appears that the 3 years of experiential learning including the two years of CR, did do him good, perhaps tempered him.  There were a few god-fathers for him during that time - perhaps, Fr Alex Oruthayappilly, Fr Thomas More, but above all, Fr Theobald, the then general, who is said to have told him: I have brought you here, not to punish you, but to save you (shikshikkaanalla, rakshikkaan).  Perhaps, he found that spark in the rebel, and sent him to Pune for the last phase of priestly formation. 

A TRANSFORMED ANNOINTED

And in 1980, we find Fr Mathew duly ordained and presenting a submissive and transformed frame - willing to go to work among the unorganised headload workers.  But it was not to be. He was appointed at Rajagiri, and with Fr John Pynadath, well known for his fierce tempers, it was expected that there would soon be calamitous clashes - but there was none. The change was for good. It was this mild-mannered Mathew whom the members of our generation have experienced - a transformed person. 

He was there with Rajagiri school during a critical phase it had to face.  

He took his colleagues along, as I could witness being on the campus. 

He used the conventional saama-daama-danda-bheda (more of danda - corporal punishment) niti to make them walk a straight path. Helped his students to think critically on issues, and also Math. As the famous Tata Steel ad goes: He also taught Mathematics (and very well).  He was well known for his caning methods which over the years got transformed into a shoulder punch with his fist - and I found his students narrating that without any rancour. 

He knew most (all?) of them by name. He knew their families - the problems they had, as being recalled by him in later year casual conversations. Thus, his ministry of education was extended to a family ministry, and ideal for a Christian educator (or for anyone) in turn, making it a ministry of utmost happiness to hundreds of his students.  I am not sure whether he made family visits for this - I think not.  It is really heartening to see the efforts people like Fr Poulose make to deliberately reach out to the families of the students so that all concerned are involved in the learning process, and the learning includes the whole person, not merely the intellect of the student. 

To my understanding, Fr Mathew's approach was devoid of any populism, endearments or any extra-fitting - and nor was he found to be a man of many words.  But his genuineness communicated and it was experienced as care, concern, love or empathy by the students. 

But his liberal thinking and the desire for freedom led him to leave the school ministry and seek higher learning. He obtained admission for a research programme at the prestigious Catholic University of Leuven, where, under the guidance of the famous liberation theologian, Prof. Georges De Schrjver SJ, he completed a Ph. D in (Liberation) Theology, a rare feat among the CMIs. His time at Leuven appears to have been a cherished period for him, as I surmised from the very many references he used to make regarding life there. There, he was actively involved in organising the discussions on the Leuven India Theological Forum.  He was a friend in need for the CMIs who arrived there for learning, usually penniless - cooking food for them, typing the thesis for seniors like Fr Antony Vallavanthara, even monetarily being of support for the freshers like the now well-established Fr Kurian Kachappilly.  His thesis was titled: The Methodology of Latin American Liberation Theology: Towards an Understanding and a Critical Evaluation of Its Relation to Marxism (May 1992).

But arriving back as a Theologian, he was asked to serve Rajagiri school, which required some experienced hand, and that tryst lasted a long time, from which he got release only by 1999, when he was invited to be on the faculty of Theology of Dharmaram College. I am given to understand that he employed interactive learning rather than finishing off his task with the stereotypical lectures when dealing with topics like 'Trinity'. Again, that too did not last long as he was elected Provincial in 2002, and thereafter as Vicar Provincial in 2005, making him once and for all time a Rajagiri man through and through. 

Thereafter he was part of the team with Fr Varghese Puthussery in Dubai, and later on, with Fr Isaac Tharayil in Doha, to set up, what I deem as the Gulf Mission - with many of our fraternity wincing the term 'mission'  (for most of them, it is just a contract and a means for earning some money, rather than a mission).  That stint was followed by the closure of the Dubai chapter in 2017, and he came back to take charge of the Rajagiri Colleges, one after the other, which lasted till the very last. 

A CHEQUERED CAREER: From a 'worldly point of view', he had a chequered career spanning some 45 years. 

- I would count starting with his 3 outings as a regent, providing him ample learning opportunities

- then, at Rajagiri school and boarding, as teacher, rector, headmaster and campus coordinator

- then, as a faculty of Theology at Dharmaram,

- establishing schools at Dubai and Doha 

- director of Rajagiri colleges 

- Provincial, Vicar Provincial and Provincial Councillor. 

He never sought any position, but as they came, he accepted them gracefully, trying to do justice to those offices, though in the last years, his ailments and continuous treatment might have impeded his effectiveness in those roles. However, he strove to be there, active and alive and letting not the illness and the painful treatment overpower him.  In each of these, the biblical dictum of 'the stone rejected becoming the cornerstone' was getting fulfilled. 

And that is also the miracle of the transformation of a rebel into a considerate leader in authority. Some would put it as a total paradigm shift, a 180 degree turn-around, and some would say that, from a critic, he got coopted by the system. 

I have sensed a kind of disappointment in him for not having been able to be the radical he wanted to be.  Perhaps, because of that, he was never found to be a pushy task-master, and for some of his friendly colleagues, he was a 'slowcoach'.

A RELIGIOUS WITH A DIFFERENCE: From a religious point of view, I find him

a person unattached - while he had good relations with his family members, even in that we could find a kind of detachment.  The healthy bond he had is vouched by the fact that even we who had lived with him, know most of them, though it was not that we visited his house or they made frequent visit this side - but they were all part of that healthy network of relationships. 

an empathic person - though he did not really employ any specific technology people felt understood, and accepted by him. And in his role as the provincial superior, he could intervene effectively to help some younger members in their crisis situation, that they could attain priesthood, and could grow to give effective leadership in the province in various leader roles. 

a friend - the warmth of friendship he extended was experienced by his peers - they recall that he would leave an impact on them, that once having met him, it was not easy to forget him - his warm welcome, solicitude and smile.

He never seemed to hold any rancour for anyone, including those who had made decisions not in his favour - nor with people who held other views than his. 

a gentle-meek person - Everyone uses the term  'gentleman' (മാന്യൻ) for him.  He was indeed a gentleman, but more than  that - He was a gentle and meek person (സൗമ്യൻ), after the heart of Jesus (Mtt 11:25). Though he wouldn't preach about that, he was that. 

a man who believed in living life full - He believed in life and loved life, fulfilling the famous saying 'to be fully human and fully alive'. He enjoyed the good things of life - games and sports, good food, good movies, good books, good company. 

an example of fortitude - The last years showed the cardinal virtue of 'fortitude' shining in him - he faced the sufferings in life, as they came, in a matter-of-fact manner - never getting dejected, nor losing hope.  Trying to make the best of the situations. 

Over 30 years he was deprived of his favourite pastime of sports and games 

Over 20 years he had to struggle with the malfunctioning of kidneys and the high creatin level. 

Over 4 years he had to undergo dialysis, twice or thrice a week, and he bore with the pain and suffering involved calmly. 

In all these, there was hardly an instance of complaint, cribbing or self-pity!

In those last four years, he reminded me of the 'man' of Kipling's 'If':

'If you can force your heart, nerve and sinews

To serve your turn, long after they are gone

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the will that says to them: hold on!'

 

a 21st century educator - Nowadays, we speak about the 4Cs of 21st century as educational outcomes - Critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration - perhaps, a fifth could be added - compassion. I would say, that as an educator, he proved himself to be a model for most of them and tried to transfer most of them to his students. 

I find him a stalwart critical thinker, perhaps, questioning many things his avocation takes for granted - especially those ritualistic adherence. He felt they were enslaving rather than liberating, and like Galileo, who was asked to recant, but still soliloquised, 'it still moves around the sun', I think he found the religiosity entrapped in ritualism as unchristian, though he no longer said so, aloud. Perhaps, with 'office for the dead' pouring in incessantly in his honour or for the repose of his soul, bona fides notwithstanding, might be making him turn in his coffin!! 

Indeed, he proved himself to be an effective communicator, with a facility to collaborate with all sorts of people and above all communicating compassion through his straightforward and artless presence, disposition and company. 

a rare fusion - As we bid him farewell on October 2nd, I feel the 3 people we celebrated in the days of Oct 1 and 2, fused in him. On Oct 1st, the church celebrated a young nun confined to the carmel cloisters and doing nothing so very extraordinary, being elevated to public veneration as an extraordinary person. I feel within the circle of CMI-Rajagiri, Fr Mathew reamined in a way, very ordinary - with hardly any new institution or initiative by him, hardly any organisation which he led (though not forgetting his active role in the formation of Leuven India Alumni Forum, his active presence on ROSA platforms, and his blessings for the local youth initiative I took - FYRE), hardly ever being a renowned preacher, hardly ever being a great author publishing books or articles, nor as a social media person... but he achieved a place in the hearts of people he came across - peers, colleagues, students, parents.  He has established his own 'little way' by his simple and straigthforward presence. When St. Paul grapples with the nature of 'afterlife' in the reading from the letter to the Corinthians (I Cor 15:), this is already begun for Fr Mathew, as his 'yassha shareeram' (the body of fame). 

As we celebrate Gandhi Jayanti today, I find  him as someone who had absorbed the principles of non-violence, rather, non-agression in his uttaraashram, if not in the poorvashram. So too, as we celebrate the guardian angel (whatever that may mean), I find him a guardian angel for the many who were entrusted to his care, or to the many whom he engaged with in several ways. 

a befitting reason to celebrate the Season of Creation - As we are concluding the season of Creation, let us raise our hearts in praise for the unique miracle of the creation that Fr Mathew was, for his presence of forthrightness, for the package of gifts he brought with him, for the great example of fortitude and perseverance, for the assurance that transformation is possible for individuals, and the rejected stone can be the corner stone, and today, above all, for the gentle and prepared passage into eternity like Aaron who solemnly departs from this life (Numbers 21:)

A Personal Note of Gratitude - I am personally grateful to the Provincial council to have identified and entrusted me to pay tribute to him and proclaim the gospel that he was, though I am not sure if I could do justice to that. 

I feel grateful to God that I had the privilege of his company for over two years under the same roof, as his next door neighbour, the privilege to see him off on his venture into Theological pasture riding with him all the way up to Bangalore; and also for having given me the opportunity to be on his team of Provincial council, and in the last four years on my visits to the Provincial house, to share table fellowship with him, and to get to know his struggles without complaints. 

TRIBUTES 

I would stop with 3 excerpts from the several messages I received, unsolicited,  in the last two days:

1. By Dr M.P. Antoni, veteran social worker who had seen him for several decades on the Rajagiri campus:

പ്രണാമം 

കഴിഞ്ഞ പതിനാറാം തീയതി അച്ചൻ സാരഥ്യം വഹിച്ചിരുന്ന കോളേജിൽ ചെന്നു ഉച്ചസമയത്ത് നേരിൽ കണ്ടുമുട്ടിയ ഓർമ്മകൾ ഇന്നും ഹൃദയത്തിൽ തെളിഞ്ഞുനിൽക്കുന്നു.

അന്നു പങ്കുവെച്ച സംഭാഷണങ്ങൾ, ഓർമ്മകളുടെ ഒഴുക്കിൽ നിന്നും പൊങ്ങിയ ഹൃദയസ്പർശിയായ വാക്കുകൾ—എല്ലാം ഇന്നും മനസിൽ.

ഒരു ജീവിതകാലം മുഴുവൻ അച്ചൻ  ഊട്ടിയുറപ്പിച്ച സൗഹൃദങ്ങളും വിതച്ച സ്നേഹവും ചെയ്തുതീർത്ത നന്മകളും സമൂഹത്തിനായി നൽകിയ മഹത്തായ സംഭാവനകളും കാലത്തിനപ്പുറം എന്നും നിലനിൽക്കും.

നന്മയുടെ പാതയിൽ  സഞ്ചരിക്കാൻ അച്ചൻ്റെ ജീവിതം എല്ലാവർക്കും എന്നും പ്രചോദനമായിരിക്കും.

2. By Dr Renju Tharian, his student at Rajagiri school, now serving as a senior surgeon in Chicago. 

Sitting in the beautiful island of Santorini, looking over the blue waters of the Aegean sea, I feel so empty and sad to hear about Vattathara Achan’s passing. 

I have had the privilege of being taught and trained by some remarkably accomplished people, but Vattathara achan was by far the teacher who inspired and influenced me the most. I am not sure if my life’s trajectory would be what it is, if not for having a teacher like him during one of the most impressionable years of my life. It would probably be the same for most of us. 

He taught us more about life than just mathematics. His most important lessons for me were his lessons on critical thinking. I remember him often diverging from matrix and geometry and talking to us about philosophy, theology, current affairs and his views on almost all aspects of life. More importantly he always made sure he explained why he held those views, never expecting his students to blindly agree to his opinions and view points. It’s his lessons in class X, that changed my outlook on life in general. He gave me the confidence to realize that even an average student like me can do something worthwhile with perseverance, resilience and willingness to step out of the “ comfort zone”. I feel a deep sense of gratitude for having had a teacher who inspired me to be the best I can be and for that I can’t thank Vattathara achan enough. 

Rest in Peace, Vattathara Achan. Thanks for everything, so long and see you on the other side.

3. Rev. Fr. Jose Kariamadam CMI - his coworker and friend.

We lost one of my best friends in the CMI, a free thinker, humble, simple and a  down-to-earth guy. He was basically an agnostic.

There were times we talked about the afterlife, the existence of God, heaven, hell, purgatory etc. He was a seeker of truth and died as a seeker.  He wanted social change and had a different perspective on spirituality as a whole.  There was a little of Tony DeMello in him. 

" I don't know anything about tomorrow, but I know who holds tomorrow, and He will hold my hand!" 

My own tribute on the FB - https://www.facebook.com/1251360683/posts/pfbid0kUD7uuSsJ7xzMh49H1C1tUDCvCL3qcjXixdT4oHMdmjqYLQir9K85N64X7JHSm2pl/

PRANAMAM: Let me conclude by offering the lines of Madhusoodhanan Nair (written on Mahatma Gandhi) as  my tribute to Fr. Mathew Vattathara

തനിയേ നടന്നു നീ പോവുക 

തളർന്നാലും അരുതേ പരാശ്രയവും ഇളവും 

അനുഗാമിയില്ലാത്ത പഥികാ, 

തുടർന്നാലും ഇടറാതെ നിൻ ധീര ഗാനം (2)