Donbosco Chennai Province
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| The first missionaries set sail from Genoa on 17 December 1905. Don Michael Rua had requested for them a blessing from the Holy Father who replied through the Secretary of State, Card. Merry del Val: “The Holy Father imparts his special blessing to Fr. George Tomatis and his companions who are about to leave for India, that God not only protect them during their long journey but also render fruitful their efforts, so that the new mission may render the sons of Don Bosco all the more distinguished in the Church.”
(Bolletino Salesiano 30, 1906, Annali III, 571. KAPPLIKUNNEL, p. 16)
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| | These missionaries of Don Bosco have left their country and parents and have come here, not to deceive our children nor for gain, but to increase God’s glory. They were the first to introduce education in our district…To them our gratitude.”
(Typed account of the president of the Panchayat Union of Kotagiri -
a Hindu, 1951. THEKKEDATH, p. 973)
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| | Under the caption ‘Good Citizenship in Don Bosco’s High School’ (Matunga) The Illustrated Weekly of India of Sunday, 13 September 1942 wrote: “Courtesy, a regard for others as a guiding principle in life, and idealism have their appeal to youth, and these qualities are being fostered and admirably exploited by the priests who run this grand institution.”
(THEKKEDATH, p. 295)
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| | These missionaries of Don Bosco have left their country and parents and have come here, not to deceive our children nor for gain, but to increase God’s glory. They were the first to introduce education in our district…To them our gratitude.”
(Typed account of the president of the Panchayat Union of Kotagiri -
a Hindu, 1951. THEKKEDATH, p. 973)
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| | “Building on foundations laid by the Salvatorians and Jesuits, the Salesians have just completed the first decade of their work in Assam…In the course of the ten years they have made remarkable progress,…But for economic difficulties over which they have no control, their progress would have been even greater.”
(The Herald of Calcutta, 1-5-1932, THEKKEDATH, p. 161)
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| | “We have to face the reality and not deceive ourselves with illusory dreams. The youth of Calcutta need Don Bosco, and all of us should give a helping hand, so that the Salesians may repeat here what they have done in so many other cities of the world.” The conclusion of the speech of Fr. Populaire S.J. at the commemorative function in honour of the newly canonized St. John Bosco, attended by a throng of 3000 people on 6 January 1935.
(THEKKEDATH, p. 206)
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| | . In 1922, the Madras Mail adjudged the Salesian industrial school of Tanjore as one of the best in the Madras Presidency. The Governor, on his visit to the institute had this to say:
“The Salesian Mission does its best in every way possible to impart to Indian youth an education proper to the vocation of each one. An education imparted according to individual inclination and vocation is of utmost importance in the formation of young India. It is necessary to make young people grow up with the idea not so much of becoming government employees, advocates or secretaries as of taking up a trade that will render them all really useful and productive citizens.”
(Bolletino Salesiano, 46, 108. KAPPLIKUNNEL, p. 90)
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| | “Dear Father, we are animated by the firm hope that the future of this mission is going to be as prosperous as its beginnings are bristling with difficulties. May our Lady Help of Christians being our wishes one day to fulfilment and my your blessing hasten that day.”
(Letter dated 15 April 1915, of Fr. Carpené to Fr. Paul Albera, Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Salesian Central Archives 389, Tanjore. KAPPLIKUNNEL, p. 31 )
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| | . “The virtue of gratitude, which is especially difficult among these people seems to have penetrated the hearts of our youngsters and we already taste the consoling fruits in those who have left the school after having completed their studies.”
(Letter dated 15 April 1915, of Fr. Carpené to Fr. Paul Albera, Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Salesian Central Archives 389, Tanjore. KAPPLIKUNNEL, p. 91)
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| | Today, 95 years after the above letter was written, the South Asian region, consisting of 6 countries, viz., India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Mynamar, Kuwait and Yemen, has 2380 Salesians working in 380 centres, with an average age of 41. It is second only to Italy, which has 2731 Salesians in 227 centres with an average age of 65.
(Statistics 24-5-2005, taken from the South Asian and Italian Regional Secretariats, Direzione Generale Opere Don Bosco, Rome.)
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| | “I have the spiritual care of 2,000 converts. They all belong to the depressed classes, they are all very poor, very often hungry, sometimes hopelessly sick, all living from hand to mouth, with nothing to fall back on tomorrow in case of sickness or any unforeseen event. As it is, I feel it is no use telling them that they must do something to improve their condition. They could do something if they were helped…”
(Fr. Dabove’s letter from the Mission of Arni, 1946. THEKKEDATH, p. 1077)
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| | . “We have not as yet received even the monthly contribution of September! In the house we have just 4 annas during the last 15 days. We have taken a loan even from the cook. In all the shops we have huge debts and old ones…We cannot go on like this.”
(Fr. Pianazzi to the Rector Major, Fr. Ricaldone, 4-2-1939. THEKKEDATH, p. 1225-6)
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| | “The thought that God is everywhere and that working for Him we should be happy and contented everywhere, strengthens me…My ambition is to make Don Bosco known and loved. I would like to flood India with Don Bosco. This filial and ardent desire which almost devours me, makes me daring, strong and courageous, even through I am no longer so strong as I was once.”
(Letter of Mgr. Mathias to Fr. Ricaldone on 3-4-1935, on the occasion of his transfer from the diocese of Shillong to be Archbishop of Madras. THEKKEDATH, p. 455)
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| | Fr. Tomatis describes his living conditions as follows: “I do not have a room at my disposal, I sleep in the dormitory of the boys, separated by a thin wall of about two metres. It is impossible to do serious work even for an hour, and this corner where I sleep is also the general store for sugar, coffee, oil, candles, medicine, brooms, linen, laundry and the like. With all this no wonder that my health deteriorates rapidly under this torrid climate.”
(Letter of Tomatis to Gusmano, dated 14-9-1914, ASC 389, Tanjore. KAPPLIKUNNEL, p. 80 )
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| | . “The Christians in the villages are parayas, the lowest caste and they suffer much under their lords. We try to liberate them from their tyranny by giving them land to work on , and wells to draw water from because they are forbidden to draw water from the wells belonging to their lords. They are well disposed towards the Salesians because we do something concrete for their souls and bodies.”
(Letter of Fr Arulsami to one of his superiors 28, June, 1921, ASC 389, Tanjore. KAPPLIKUNNEL, p.47)
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| | The first work ever to be taken up by the Salesians in India had for its scope: “to provide a home for poor and destitute orphans and to give them all the rudiments of an elementary education, besides teaching them a suitable trade by means of which they may be enabled to earn an honest livelihood.”
(Report 1911, 15. KAPPLIKUNNEL, p. 81)
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| | The Salesians began by learning the local language. They started a local unit of 40 Salesian Co-operators, all of them heads of families. They had the direction of the parish school of 130 students. They opened two industrial schools of shoe-making and smithy, which were later substituted by carpentry and weaving. The orphanage admitted both catholic and non-catholic boys. The construction of a building began on 8 December 1906 with the blessing of the foundation stone. The chronicle of the house reveals their struggle: “The dearth of means was such that during the construction the Salesians were reduced to extreme poverty, the extent that they reached a point when there was nothing left in the house either for themselves or for the orphans. They were even refused a loan of just Rs. 5/- by those who could very well have afforded it. It was really testing by fire.” The new house and chapel was blessed on August 28, 1907, but Mgr. De Castro, Bishop of Mylapore.
(KAPPLIKUNNEL, p. 16-19.)
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| | . Fr. Tomatis lists the difficulties endured by him and his confreres at the beginning of this new missionary enterprise: “The small number of the confreres, the difference of character, nationality and formation, the insufficiency of work, the isolation, the privation of relationships, the distance from other confreres and superiors in an extremely hot climate…”
(Breve relazione of Fr. G. Tomatis dated 17-9-1908, ASC 389, Tanjore. KAPPLIKUNNEL, p. 80)
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| | The first Salesian missionaries reached Bombay on 5 January 1906 and arrived at Mylapore three days later. After a week they proceeded to Tanjore where a royal welcome awaited them at the station. They were driven to the orphanage by coachmen in livery on carriages belonging to the descendants of the Raja, with a military escort and to the accompaniment of music. Later, in the orphanage hall they were greeted with songs, recitals, speeches and bouquets. Fr. Tomatis replied in French, which the parish priest, Fr. Xavier Coelho translated into Tamil. A thanksgiving prayer and the blessing of Mary Help of Christians initiated the Salesian presence in India. (BS 30,1906, p. 79-82, also Annali III, 571. KAPPLIKUNNEL, p.16) |
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| Rev. Fr. P Stanislaus Swamikannu sdb, |
| The Provincial of Chennai Province, |
| The Citadel, 45, Landons Road, |
| Chennai-600 010. India. |
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