ABODE OF THE MOTHER

When I mentioned to a friend that there was a post office in Varanasi named Christnagar, he was astounded. It did not ring true. That person would be equally amazed to know that in Kanpur there is a place called Mariampur (The Abode of Mother Mary)!

It was probably the prophetic vision of Fr Faustian Alva, then Parish Priest of St Xavier’s Church, Ghusramau, to give Indian names like Mariampur and Kumari Udyan Vidhyala, long before the ecclesiastical reforms of Vatican II.

It was my privilege to write for the Silver Jubilee of Mariampur Hospital in 1986, and now to recall its pleasant memories as it celebrates its Golden Jubilee. According to the Book of Leviticus, in the Old Testament, it is the 50th year (after 7 sabbaticals, 7x7=49) that a jubilee is commemorated. The English word Jubilee has its etymological roots in the Hebrew word Yobel, that means horn, the one that is sounded to herald glad tidings. A jubilee is therefore a time of blessing and thanksgiving, gifted by the Lord.

It is a matter of great joy that Mariampur Hospital is celebrating 50 years of its existence. For me it is an occasion to journey back into the past, and to thank God for His mercies and gifts of healing through Mariampur Hospital. When it was first built it was much smaller than what it now is. It had huge rooms named after different saints, like St Joseph and St Rita. There was a lovely garden, and a lot of sunlight and fresh air. It had an aura of peace and tranquillity, truly the “Abode of the Mother”.

As children we often visited the sisters, including the first batch that had made great sacrifices to come all the way from Italy, to serve the poor and needy of Kanpur. My earliest memory of the hospital is when my father, Peter, was operated upon for gallstone in 1965. Back then, every operation was considered a major one, with serious consequences. I remember my Uncle Stanley, who was not much of a churchgoer, pacing nervously outside the Operation Theatre, and fervently praying the rosary. Our prayers were answered. As a token of gratitude the family presented the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes that adorns the front portico. It was a symbol of the “Abode of the Mother”.

I remember the services of the sister doctors – Giovanna (Joanna), Gesualda and Fernanda. My second memorable experience of Mariampur was when I had typhoid in 1975. Sr Gesualda immediately got me admitted and took great care of me. It was a turning point in my life, when I was searching for the answer to God’s call. Even Bishop Alfred Fernandez of allahabad came to spend time at my bedside and guide me. Sr Adel, who was then in charge of vocation promotion, would pray with me every day. Srs Naomi, Giselle and Marcelina were ministering angels to me. But my most amazing experience was when I saw Sr Gesualda late at night lying prostrate and praying silently in the chapel in the dim light. There was an aura of grace and peace, and I knew deep down in my heart that the Lord was calling me to be His disciple.

The first time that I had felt that somebody was in close communion with God is when I first met Blessed Mother Teresa in 1968. This experience was repeated in Mariampur in 1975 when I saw Sr Gesualda praying. Even now, 36 years later, she prays for me everyday, a powerful intercessor for a frail mortal like me. Can I ever repay such a debt?

Both our children were born in hospitals run by the Ursulines. Mariam was born in 1985 in Holy Family Hospital, Mumbai, where mother and child were lovingly ministered to. I spent ten days there in the hospital. For several years I had a stomach ailment, but the doctor who treated me in Holy Family gave me some enzyme regeneration treatment, to counteract earlier over dosage of antibiotics. Ever since, the only problem with my stomach is that it is still a bit on the rounder side! Even at that time in Holy Family, I experienced an inner healing in the chapel, where I was praying. When one of the sisters came to announce the birth of a baby girl, at that very moment I decided to name her Mariam Florence.

A second child, Avinash, was born in Mariampur in 1987. Since my daughter was named after my mother I thought it appropriate that the son be named after my wife’s father – Salvador. But Sr Martha would have none of it. She insisted that he be called Peter. So the sisters of Mariampur have left an indelible mark on my family, and for generations to come.

There is another aspect of Mariampur that I can never forget. It is the blood donation. Very often Sr Riti would phone me for blood donors, and I have donated blood several times over the years. Sr Riti herself would insist on giving me fresh limejuice. Once there was an emergency, and I had just donated blood, so my wife Meera volunteered. The patient was sinking fast, so Sr Riti took the calculated risk of transferring my wife’s blood straight to the patient, and he survived. These are miracles of God’s grace.

When my wife had to undergo an operation, our bill was a fraction of what a friend of ours had paid for a similar operation in a private hospital. So Mariampur was providing excellent services at a fraction of the cost.

I also recall how the Community Health Department collaborated with my wife for an outreach programme across the Ganga in a village called Paramsukh Khera. Some years later, when Shuklaganj was ravaged by floods, the sisters willingly joined the effort of the Kanpur Catholic Association and other organisations in holding a three day medical relief camp, where hundreds of flood effected people got free treatment and medication.

This remembrance would not be complete without also recalling the services of stalwarts like Srs Francisca and Alphonse. Truly one can say that for the people of Kanpur, Mariampur Hospital has been a source of great blessing and healing, of body, mind and soul. I salute all these dedicated sisters who have served there these last fifty years. Indeed Mariampur is the “Abode of the Mother” of peace, tranquillity and healing.
JANUARY 2011