A Dream- Fr.A.Moonnu
Xavier Green School, Waghodia Road, ANKHOL,P.O.
Vadodara
On
the morning of June 1st, 2014, I was walking hurriedly to the Baroda railway
station. On the road side, just opposite to our Rosary
school, [Vadodara, Gujarat, India] I saw something that halted my steps for few moments. On a mat spread
on the ground, was a beautiful baby, a replica of Baby Jesus in Egypt. A
little girl, certainly much younger than Mother Mary in Egypt, was fondly
mothering the tiny one. Their parents, I guessed, must have gone to find
casual labour.
Such
scenes of the children of the migrant workers flash across my mind most
frequently ever since I came to Khatamba. Almost every morning at sun
rise, I take a walk on the highway. I see the migrant families with the
little ones sleeping on the road side or under the over bridge. Once I
counted eighty families under the bridge. In such occasions, I look at them
all, pray for them and bless them. We have in our XAVIER GREEN SCHOOL two
hundred such children attending classes from K.G. to X in the OPEN SCHOOL.
In
Gujarat, the vicissitude of migrant labourers, do not seem to be as acute as
in Kerala. There every month at least fifteen migrant workers commit suicide
out of despair. Recently, a body of a migrant worker was fished out of my
relative’s well and there was no one to claim for it.
I
have not heard of any such tragic incident in Gujarat. Yet, I suggest that
ministry among the migrant casual labourers be made a prime programme of the
Gujarat Jesuit Province and of the Gujarat Catholic Church.
Our
immediate target group should be the numerous replicas of the “Child Jesus of
Egypt” found in all the cities of vibrant Gujarat. An initial important step
is that the city Communities take note of their presence, become aware that
those are our own little brothers and sisters, and, seek ways and means of
educating them. In earlier days Fr. Joe Braganza and Fr.
Erviti had given us some example and methodology. At present Fr.
Jolly Nadukudyil has organized the Xavier Green School in Khatamba.
Those
who are inspired must go into it in the old missionary style and start the
work, knowing that God provides for His work. Br. Alu and I
started Hingoria just that way. Some thirty years ago, there was only a small
mud walled chapel in the village plot. That shanty structure served as our
weekly Mass centre, hostel, class room and later, the convent for the Little
Daughters.
Though we did not have enough money in those years, as St.
Joseph did not leave Jesus in Egypt uncared; we continued to care the new
mission at Hingoria. Within six months, Felli Seth, a Parsee gentleman,
gifted us a large property and we have today the parish, the
hostel, and the school. Soon Mr. Patel was ready to sell the adjoining land
to build a convent and a girls’ hostel. I mention this, in order to tell you
not to wait for resources and for much planning.
Today
my wish is to start a small boarding for the children of migrant workers. The
children of the migrant workers will never see a school unless we take initiative.
The initiative taken by Fr.Jolly to run XAVIER GREEN SCHOOL of Khatamba is
indeed a very special one.
May THE HOLY FAMILY OF EGYPT guide
us.
A.M.D.G.
Fr.Anthony Moonnu, S.J.
Xavier Green School,
Waghodia Road, ANKHOL,P.O.
Vadodara
Gujarat, 390 019, India
E-Mail<moonnu@jesuits.net>
Mob. O9879804971
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