Church thanks PIME for its 150 years in India
Eluru (AsiaNews) The events celebrating the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME) in India have come to an end. At a mass in Eluru (Andhra Pradesh), Archbishop Oswald Gracias said to a congregation of 7,000 that the "Church in India is thankful to the PIME fathers for all the work they have done in Andhra Pradesh, in Bengal and also in my Archdiocese of Agra".
Currently, PIME fathers are present in Mumbai, Irla, the Church of Our Lady of Vailankanni, and at Swarga Dwar ashram in Taloja. A major PIME seminary is found in Pune.
Since its arrival, PIME has been instrumental in creating13 dioceses; the latest one was set up this year in Gulbarga.
One hundred and fifty years ago, two Italian missionaries landed in the harbour of Bombay as Mumbai was then known on their way to Hyderabad.
The two PIME pioneers were Fr Domenico Barbero, who became Hyderabad first bishop in 1870, and Fr Francesco Pozzi, first bishop of Krishnagar in Bengal.
Their work opened the way to 150 missionaries, priests and lay brothers, who worked for the evangelisation of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Warangal, Nalgonda, Eluru, and Khammam. Many others went to Bengal and still are working in today's Bangladesh.
The PIME sisters, Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate, joined the venture in 1948.
The wonderful thing is that, now, those Telugu people who received the faith in the past century, are already going abroad to witness the love of God in far away countries like Papua-New Guinea, Cameroon or Hong Kong.
"I am privileged to have been baptised and formed by PIME missionaries," wrote Mgr Marampudi Joji, archbishop of Hyderabad, in presenting my book History of PIME in Andhra.
Every time I leave my ashram, Swarga Dwar, in Taloja and walk on the old Bombay-Pune road, I think of that May 1855 when two bullock carts were passing on the same spot, carrying two Italian missionaries and their luggage. It took them one month to cover the distance from Bombay to Hyderabad.
On June 19, 1855, Fr Barbero sent a letter from Secunderabad. "The hospitality we received in Bombay from the Capuchin Fathers was very cordial and sweet almost as though we were brothers of the same congregation," he wrote.
"We remained there till May 14th, then we took leave from those Rev Fathers and started off for Poonah (sic). This first part of the journey over land we covered it in two days. From Bombay to Poonah we came across beautiful mountains and pleasant valleys, but our mind was elsewhere".
"From Solapur to Hyderabad we can say that there is no road, in fact between the two cities we could not see any cart except just when we got near to them. At last, after nine days of journey, we reached here at Secunderabad, by the grace of God, in good health."
"And here I do not have words to explain to you, our dear Superior, what kind of reception was given us by the Vicar Apostolic, Mgr Murphy and by the three missionaries who were with him. He received us like his own dear children, with all the warmth of his tender and loving heart."
PIME was founded in Italy by the bishops of Lombardy to give diocesan priests and laymen an opportunity to dedicate their life to the evangelization of non-Christians.
The founder was Angelo Ramazzotti, a lawyer who left his profession to become a priest, who was later appointed Bishop of Pavia. He eventually became the Patriarch of Venice and elected Cardinal.
Lombardy-based, the institute became the leading Italian missionary organisation. Worldwide, it is second only to the Paris-based Missions Étrangères (Foreign Missions) and is now present in 15 countries.
Young people and diocesan priests from every nation are welcome to join and witness their faith in foreign lands.
Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police Shri Swaranjit Sen was among the guests of honour at the celebration in Eluru. He said that "the service done by the Church in this area, particularly for Dalits, is not comparable to that of any other NGO".
Eleven bishops from Andhra Pradesh were present and so was PIME Superior General, Fr Gianbattista Zanchi.
Addressing the missionaries, Archbishop Oswald said: "Before knowing the local language you knew and spoke the language of love and that was the secret of the success of your work".
*Fr Carlo Torriani is a PIME missionary. He has been working in the diocese of Mumbai since 1969. He is the author of History of PIME in Andhra.
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