Prof. Raju Varghese - the bridge builder for Rajagiri

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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)