Travels are a big distraction - an international travel for a person like me - with a very limited budgetary elasticity - it is a major engagement - usually involving about a month-long or more of planning, contacting, booking. Unlike many others of my ilk, I am usually unable to gather the support of friends, relatives, confreres or well-wishers - rare exceptions notwithstanding. I have observed with admiration, how some of my friends bank on these categories of people to ensure that they are hosted well and taken care of during their stay abroad. I also have a feeling that I would be a drag on them, or they feel like that (usually so with the American Indians, typically).
The rare exceptions to this norm had been my sister (cousin) Brigit - the person whom I have visited most, my neighbour and friend Sunny (Sebastian) Manickath, my KG classmates Anil and Henry (at least for once), my confreres Frs. Abraham Kannampala and George Chalbhagam. So all these years of my travel in the US - 25 years - hardly anyone of them except these have shown any interest in taking someone coming from India on a short trip around, show them something new or attractive there or put him at ease. In this case, the most exceptional person was Sunny, who would not only take care of me, but also
Since 2001, I had been banking on the provision of substitute priests in the New York parishes for such excursions, usually adding to some sightseeing along with that.
Thus, my outing in 2001 helped me have a view of Niagara (my friend Sebastian drove me there) and Canada; later, in 2005, I ventured almost around the states - at least from the Southwest to the Southeast (up to Florida) by Greyhound bus. Usually travelling at night and reaching a point in the morning. During my prolonged stay in Washington, Sunny and his brother James (who was my thick friend in school days) took me to some interesting places in and around Washington. A distant trip was the Lurey caverns of Philadephia state and the Hamish country.
In that trip, I covered the famous attraction of the Grand Canyon and walked all the way down and up in a day, with minimal food and rest. My sister received me in Pittsburgh, and I had a good time there. Similarly, in Houston, Aniyan, my brother-in-law, took me around several times - I think I have visited them at least 3 times, even to the famous NASA centre. In Florida, the only time I visited, my friend Anil took me around, though my confreres hardly showed any interest, but were gracious to accommodate me. I spent a couple of days there, and he booked a flight ticket for me to get additional days, so as to avoid my having to depend on Greyhound buses. (In those days, the greyhound had a fabulous service where one could get a ticket of about USD 600 and could travel all around US and Canada, wherever the greyhound services would take you, for 6 months. That was indeed great.) We visited the fancy places there, including Disneyland.
In 2017, I had the good fortune to serve at a Southern parish in Nashville, Tennessee. And that was concluded with a trip to Ecuador, with Fr Kariamadam accompanying. In 2023, my trip included a visit to Fr Abraham's place - sponsored by him and it took me around Denver and some very attractive features there, and a visit to my good old senior friend, Fr Chalbhagam.
In 2024, my trip, had the appendix to Peru, where I visited Lima and the fabulous Indian cultural site rediscovered - Macchu Picchu, an expensive affair. However, worth it. I would love to go there again.
In 2011 or 12 (or when, I forget), I went for another outing to the Hawai islands where my good friend and former colleague Jyotsna was studying and working. So that was an outing to the famous Hawaian islands. I don't remember much of our explorations - even vaguely of the visit to a volcano and crater site. I regret that I had not really planned it well.
Thus, my notes reveal that I was received well, and thanks to my relatives (Brigit, Celine chechi), friends (Sebastian, Sunny, James, Anil, Tony Plackal, Innocent - all of them except Sebastian, SH students) and my confreres (Jose Kuriedath, Abraham, Biju Naranath, Joseph Kanavally, Antony Punnackal, Joseph Wadakkan, Joseph Palackal, Johny Chenglan, Zacharias Paikatt, Thadathil) and the list continues. I thank these good souls.
In these 25 years, at least till 2017, I found hardly anyone supporting me financially while I went around meeting them. Some of them offered gifts which I had to carry and could give to someone else. The best gift I received from these outings was a binocular gifted by my friend and neighbour Sunny. Generally, I have not sought or looked forward to such gifts or financial support - but this one gift, I was very glad to have and possess it even now, though the humid weather of Kerala had its impact on its effectiveness. I have used it well on my trips to identify our avian friends. But since my trip in 2023, I have found at least some of my friends, confreres and even the faithful being very generous, sparing a currency note of 50 or 100 or even 200 USD, in a secretive manner - I have made good use of them - either for the college or for the province, and also ensuring that I have a regular healthy foreign exchange balance๐.
Since 2017, I have tried to find a few days on such outings to visit a new place - thus, in 2017, I had a quick survey of our Ecuador mission, in 2022 - Fr Abraham graciously sent me ticket and took me around in Denver, in 2023 - I was inspired by my Theology formation master, Fr Areeplackal, to visit his mission for past 25 years - Peru, and within the limited time, I explored Macchu Pichu, the great Inca Civilisations remnants. Now this time, my outing has led me to Mexico. It had been on my bucket list. However, this year we have an apt opportunity.
Since 2006 or so, I have been active with the organisation called the International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU). During our exploratory visits to European universities in 2004, thanks to the invite from Katho, Kortrijk, Belgium, Dr Benny Joseph (currently, CEO of Jubilee Mission Medical College, Thrissur) and me, stopped over at Catholic Univeristy, Lille, where the President Annemmie Vandendries inspired us to seek membership with IFCU, which on return, I pursued and in a matter of one year, we were accepted as members. In 2006 or 07, prior to the General Assembly to be held in Honduras, we made a planned and collective effort to involve Catholic (secular) colleges into this, and managed to have the incumbment for the lone representation to the Executive Body, Rev. Dr Job Kozhamthadam, a reputed scholar, to be replaced by Rev Dr Thomas Chathamparambil CMI, the Principal of Christ College, Banagalore. While the Honduras Assembly had to be cancelled on account of a coup or earthquake there, it got transferred to Rome, where I took part and tried to make my presence felt by pertinent interventions. However, I realised that the body named Catholic was in fact, a Eurocentric (in vision), more Theology and Social Science oriented, with very little concern about Catholic Higher Education elsewhere, especially in the South Asian region. I also found that the rest of the Catholic world - South East Asia and Australia, Africa and South America - were rather having a similar orientation, whereas our situation appeared totally different, pronounced by its near total lack of attention to the Greco-Roman Philosophico-Theological orientation in higher education.
However, the body was good - it gave the opportunity to various HoIs of Catholic Higher Education the world over to come together - deliberate, exchange notes, arrive at collaboration and have a good time. My repeated efforts to make it more accessible to people like us - enormous membership fee, very expensive fees for participation in the general assembly or training sessions, even outdoing the normal corporate conferences as far as India is concerned - all have fallen into deaf ears.
I attended the subsequent session in Australia, somewhere in 2015 or so, and in Ireland in 2018. When the occasion came for a new election in 2015, Dr Chathamparambil suggested the name of Sr Jacinta Quadros, the Principal of Stella Maris - he asked me if I wanted to be on the board, and he decided it would be too taxing for me to find resources to attend the AB meeting. Thus Jacinta had the honourable and advantageous position of being on the Admin Board, where board meeting travel expenses are also met; When in 2018, at Ireland, finally, my name was proposed by Xavier Board, with no Chathan influence, I had the disadvantage of being merely an AB member, having to pay from one's pocket to attend the meetings, usually held in Europe.
I tried my level best to raise the issue of membership - its exclusive nature and proposed several other means to rethink the way it tries to serve Catholic Higher Education globally. But all that fell on deaf ears. In spite of all my efforts, they have stuck with the predominantly Eurocentric Catholic view and views on Higher Education, with hardly any representation of South Asia.
