CMI Fellowship at Herrington and the 'Padilla' Fathers

It was a great fellowship of BJP (Bijnor - Jagdalpur Party) in the US (of all places).  I too was roped into the company thanks to my association with Abraham who was always friendly with me (I have hardly any friends in the congregation or even outside - perhaps, it ought to be so, with Jesus alone as the true friend.  But I cannot make such claims as well, though I love the song 'What a friend...').  

Community praying had always held an attraction for me, and it still retains its charm for me, despite 43 years gone in this lifestyle. In the past few years, I have made it a point to do the obligatory mass by the priest, to the extent possible, with a community. 

So, when I heard about this online prayer group of CMIs praying the liturgy of the hours together daily, I was fascinated and requested to be added to the group, which they did gladly.  Then I observed that most of the members were either from Bijnor province or Jagdalpur province - and I consider myself, even now, part of the Bijnor CMI community and diocese.  Technically, now I am made part of it on deputation by the Provincial for this term.

It was an added blessing that I could fit my limited free days in the US with the planned gathering of the group at Herrington. We had a great gathering, fellowship and good fun. 

I was glad to be in the quaint rural town of Herrington, Kansas.  We had a strenuous day with a 480-mile ride, with just two stops. The first one was at the border between Colorado and Kansas - Kanarado. It was a great place to welcome someone into one's state.  Even a welcome tea/coffee! The two officers at the post are keen to introduce the state and its possibilities for an exploring traveller.  They encouraged us to take with us the packets of sunflower seeds, sunflower being the state flower - the region having had huge 8ft tall species. 

We reached at around 4 pm in the sleepy town, where the Church is a prominent institution. Fr George and the visiting young CMI from Ghana, Fr Jomi were busy preparing food - the former engrossed in the classic 'asiad' (the high-range version of the mix of tapioca & beef, considered to be a wholesome meal) within the rectory and the latter, with frying fish, Kerala style, in the garage, lest the rectory starts smelling foul.  It had been almost 30 years plus since I had ever involved in any such matter. There was fish and shrimp to be fried.  Four of us with our limited expertise salvaged the fish and shrimp, fit to be eaten, even delicious!! Our MSJ sisters from Denver gave the finishing touches to the typical high-range kappa biriyani.   (I also learnt that in these regions, besides the term 'cassava', tapioca is also called 'yucca root'.) 

Our exploration around the place led us to the park of the town - Fr Padilla park! This was interesting for us Malayalees. പാടില്ല പാടില്ല നമ്മെ നമ്മൾ പാടെ മറന്നൊന്നും ചെയ്തുകൂടാ!  We interpreted it as a deliberate ploy by the lone priest who is a Malayalee to warn his guests against the prevailing situation of anti-clergy sentiments, especially with respect to sex scandals.  

So 'Fr. Padilla' was meant to be an indirect warning to all those Malayalee priests, his only likely guests, without making it obvious, that they 'should not indulge' in any such activities not befitting priestly sanctity! So we took pictures with each of us against the board, warning and reminding each of us 'Fr Padilla' (instead of saying 'beware! father!).  

Fr Padilla was the founding father of the Christian community of Herrington - more than a century ago.  According to Fr George, he was an Italian priest. The park has a stream flowing into its centre being managed as a reservoir, and fountain in the middle of it and a walkway around it. Trout could be fished with permission from the town office.  

The small township has two other church buildings - of some other christian denominations - almost in a dilapidated condition.  Many houses were found to be empty, perhaps left with no occupants any more.  Yet the township had a common area for work out, and a swimming pool, as well - as early as 1980s, indicating a thriving community in those times!  But we found them to be in a state of neglect. There was a small restaurant and a pub, and the whole area seemed to be quiet.  A police vehicle passed by and stopped and said hello, perhaps, a pleasant way of ensuring that strangers in the neighbourhood mean no trouble. 

About 20 miles from the St. John the Evangelist Church is a local pilgrim centre of the local young man turned military chaplain, SoG Fr Emil Kapaun, who is now reckoned to have exhibited extraordinary moral courage as a priest and a Christian when he served the US military in South Korea, where he was put to death by the Korean military in the 1950s.  We were enthusiastically taken around and guided by the parishioner and volunteer custodian of the pilgrim centre. 

We visited the old time Chec-parish in the name of the Immaculate Mother, with the church dedicated to St. John of Nepomuce, who happens to be the patron of our mother parish, Konthuruty,  and in a way, even my own! 

Our fellowship discussions traversed frivolous territories with elements from the texts of liturgy and the hours. One of the puzzles was where in the liturgy was 'Benny' found to be listed among the patriarchs - we found the same in 'പൂർവ്വ പിതാവാമബ്രാഹം ഇസഹാക്ക് യാക്കോബെന്നിവർ' - courtesy, Provincial Fr Benny Nalkara;  Now it's argued that even Benny (Benjamin) is among the patriarchs! Then there was the puzzle of where coffee making was considered to be a biblical mandate for men - and we discovered in the Hebrews (as He brews).  All of us, irrespective of our liturgical schools regretted the deletion of a vital theological statement from the new Zero-Jesus text of liturgy - ദൈവത്തോടുള്ള സമാനത മുറുകെ പിടിക്കേണ്ട കാര്യമായി പരിഗണിക്കാതെ... - and found that the deletion of this attitude was behind the entire conflict on the basis of the ritualistic celebration.  People seem to have many things to be 'held tight' (മുറുകെ പിടിക്കാൻ) with great possessiveness, and with least Jesus possession!

At night the gathering gained momentum with the arrival of Fr Benny Ayathupadam with whom I had spent one year at the Bishop's house, Bijnor; Fr James Panackal and Fr Cyriac who was at Dharmaram when we were pursuing philosophy courses. It happened to be the feast of Abraham, the patriarch. So Abraham's patron's day, and

completion of 60 (shashtipurti! Oh boy! Can't imagine that we are all growing old, and turning sixty😇, hopefully, still managing to be not nasty), goodbye to Fr Jomi, welcome to me etc. were part of the celebration, with karutal father (Fr George, who even otherwise has an aura of an ammachi) taking care of greeting and gifting everyone.  (My younger brother and through him my entire family had come to be much attached to Fr George, as he took the initiative to take care of him and enquire after him, when he was struggling with acute sinusitis while being a fresher at St. John's, Bangalore).

The morning saw the MSJ associates also joining the celebration leading to a solemn eucharistic celebration which Jomi and I had to miss out as we had catch our plane back to New York. 

With our dean Fr George in the lead, we found a Bijnor fellowship too - with me being deputed to work in the province for next 3 years, we were four of us there! 

We felt that it was high time that Fr George was acknowledged as ബദ്രിനാഥിൻറെ വാതിൽ (akin to the ancient Archdeacon as മലബാറിന്റെ വാതിൽ).  So we had a special picture taken. 

Jomi was indeed on an 'odyssey' with a 3 hour trip to New York - then next morning, a 13 hour flight to Dubai, a 10 hour halt there, and then another 8 or 9 hours to West Africa, Ghana!  I hope he enjoyed it!