FR. JEYARAJ VELUSAMY SJ
The twin institutions of St Xavier's College and St Xavier's Collegiate School crossed the milestone of 160 years of then existence and service at the heart of Kolkala on 16th January 2020. The Foundation Day of the twin institutions. It was on 16th January in 1860 that St Xavier 's College had its humble beginning at 10 Park Street. Calcutta as was known then. The first seven pioneering Jesuits were: Fr. Henry Depekhin SJ, Fr. John De Vos. SJ, Fr Louis Deynooth SJ, Fr Peter Vanderstraten SJ ( Belgian Jesuits) and Fr Henry Everard SJ, Fr Henry Shea SJ and Brother Thomas Sharpies SJ (English Jesuits). Fr Henry Depekhin led the team and started St Xavier's College thus at the same time laying the foundation of the 'Bengal Mission' from which the English Jesuit Province withdrew its members in 1846.
Sudden Death of Fr Peter John Vanderstraten As records tell us Fr Peter Vanderstraten SJ was one of the first out Belgian Jesuits to land in Calcutta. He was born on 15th December in 1818 in (Belgium) He joined the Society of Jesus on 3rd November 1844 and made his final profession on 2nd February 1855. The young priest was sub-prefect in the High School of Turnhout (Belgium) and in charge of the Brothers when he was chosen to join the team being sent to open a school in Calcutta. Along with the others he arrived in Calcutta on 28th November 1859 and yet although sickness was a permanent visitor in the college there was only one death: Fr Vanderstraten prefect and sub-prefect who ardently studied languages without bothering about the climate. In August he was struck down by a liver sickness that carried him off on September 11 at the age of 42."Bengal was then infamous for its hot and humid climate, cholera and malaria.
Miraculous Discovery of the Tomb
On the morning of 28th December 2019 when Fr Etienne Degree and myself (Fr Jeyaraj Veluswamy set out from St Xavier's College at about 10am heading towards the LC Road Cemetery we had in our hands just a small piece of paper in which were written: 'Fr Peter Vanderstraten SJ) died 11th September 1860. We said to ourselves 'Let us give it a try even if we don't succeed to find the grave it doesn't matter .We could enjoy a nice peaceful morning walk together.' lt was a three hour long search going from one disappointment to another right at the start itself the person in charge of the Burial Register could not find the name in the register and so he plainly told us 'No such person was ever buried here.'
But we ventured in going from one grave to another. It was past lunch now, We were almost giving up and about to wind up our search when suddenly my eyes fell on an abandoned cross half fallen and particularly on those two Letters "SJ" engraved on it. I told Fr Etienne. ' Please stay here on the path I see something like an SJ let me go and see it. It was 15 feet away. I went over and knell down on the grass to tried to read and it was 'SJ' at the end of a long name. I took time to read the engraved name carefully. Lo and behold it was the name of Fr Peter Vanderstraten SJ ! The engraving on the tombstone aces read thus : "SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF REV PETER VANDER STRATEN SJ OF ST XAVIER'S COLLEGE BORN IN BELGIUM DIED IN CALCUTTA 11TH SEPTEMBER 1860 AGED 42 YEARS."
Also "REVD EDWARD FERRARIO DIED 10th JULY 1917 AGED 36 YEARS." This second name on the same cross seems to be that of a Diocesan priest. who was also buried in the same grave 57 years later. Therefore it was a Min grave. Needless to say how much joy we both felt at that moment! Truly 160 years later Fr Peter Vanderstraeten came alive again Restoring and Blessing of the Grave on All SoulsDay On 2nd November 2020. All Souls Day Rev Fr Raphael Joseph Hyde SJ Jesuit Provincial in the presence of many Jesuits from St Xavier's College and Fr Jerome Francis Socius visited the grave and offered special prayers for the repose of the dead blessing and restoring the renovated grave with the sprinkling of holy water placing of rose petals and lighting of candles. Later in the morning his Grace Archbishop Thomas D' Souza and Fr Dominic Gomes the VG also visited this restored grave and offered their prayers for the two priests buried in this twin grave.
No comments:
Post a Comment