Fr. Saneesh Thekkethala, Fr. Rocky Roby Kalathil, Fr. Seemon Kanjithara, Fr. Wilson Perepadan; four priests who took care of the friendship in a journey leading the Lord’s flock to God. Together with the spiritual support for each other, they had a common interest, which is, making a travel. The four priests, who were fond of traveling, made a trip, like a pilgrimage, to Himalayas in a Ford Figo car, which covered 9,000 kilometers in 22 days; it has been a spiritual as well as a real experience for them. One of them, Fr. Saneesh Thekkethala, joins with Catholicnews.in.
The Four Men from Alur
Those four priests were from the dioceses of Irinjalakkuda and Kottappuram, Kerala, India. What brought them together was the fact that all of them were from the same town. All of them loved Christ and also travelling. They have been friends for years. They have been inspired by Jesus’ preaching of the gospel and his journeys. for it are the proof that there is a little traveler within Jesus Christ. Therefore, while fulfilling the great responsibilities of their vocation, they thought of going on a journey and deepen their relationship with Him. The rest of the plans were worked out after obtaining permission from the respective bishops for a journey for 22 days.
One Car; Four + Three = Seven as the Fellow TravelersÂ
As they got the permission from the respective Bishops, they decided to make the trip by car and use Fr. Saneesh’s car, Ford Figo. Of the four, three were expert drivers. And they started their trip to the Hindi speaking North India in a car with little knowledge of Hindi.
“Along with the four of us, we have had a few special companions: the Lord has been always with us; three more joined us, Saint Christopher, the patron saint of Travelers, Saint John Maria Vianney, the Patron Saint of Priests, and the Blessed Mother. These were our companions. In our prayers, too. In all our conversations, the four of us generally called them as three as fellow travelers. Hence, we were a group of seven people on our way back” – Father Saneesh shared his experience. The excitement, curiosity and energy that one feels at the starting a journey could be seen in the words of this priest.
“It has been a journey of long days; the four of us had our luggage with necessary items. But we reduced the number of items avoiding multiplication of items that can be used in common. There was only one thing that we did not compromise on: Celebrating Holy Mass. We wanted and prayed that we would not miss celebrating the Holy Mass even for a day. Therefore, we were particular to have our Maas-kit with us all through the journey.
We had to cover 500 km per day. Each night we stayed in the houses of different dioceses and other monastic congregations. The first day we stayed in the provincial house of ‘La Salette’ congregation in Bengaluru. Then the bishops house of Shamshabad Diocese in Hyderabad. Bishop’s House of the Ujjain Diocese, Sagar, Jalandhar and Jaipur Dioceses and other institutions and Bishop’s Houses. Therefore, there was no problem celebrating Mass daily. It has been a mission experience for us” – Father Saneesh shares.
Wherever they went, the people accorded grand welcome to those men of the Lord. As they thank them and bid goodbye, everyone would say: “You are a great inspiration for us; We will also make a trip like this one day.”
The Lord is my Shepherd
“Fathers, did your vehicle give you any problems during this trip?” was the most asked question by most of the people after they returned home. For the readers Father Saneesh answers once again: “From the beginning to the end, God’s blessing has been with us. Even a small carelessness could cause big accidents while traveling such a long distances. While driving at night or early in the morning, it was very difficult to detect the presence of the cows lying on the road. Despite all that, God has brought us back even without a single tire puncture.
Energy Drinks that Make CoolÂ
500 km per day, different weather in each place, fatigue in travel is common. Father’s answer to the question of how he handled such situations was heartwarming.
“Although we supported each other, what we can never forget has been that God had prepared some ‘energy drinks’ for us whenever we were tired. The smiling faces of people even unknown to us, the warm welcome by the people, the caring love expressed through sign language or saying ‘take care’… all these were for us like the rain in the heat of summer.
The caring behavior of the people comforted us a lot amidst our fatigue and weary moments. Those were the days when I experienced the most in my life how much the concern of others can comfort us in our weariness. Therefore, if you ask, ‘What benefit did this trip bring in?’, my answer would be, we came to know that through our good behavior we can become very close to others; but now we consciously try to do it,” he says.
The Holy Mass under the Tin Sheet House
The people of Kashmir can only stay there for six months. When the weather changes, they move to Jammu. That is why their houses do not have much facilities and their living conditions are poor. Most of the houses are like tents made of tin sheets, too small for one to stand upright. These priests had to live in such a ‘house’. They had to celebrate Holy Mass the next morning. They offered Holy Mass in such a place where one could not even stand upright. But they had better spirit than those who had offered amidst all the facilities.
“The Holy Masses that I offered for so long were in the midst of all prosperity and luxuries. But the vastness of the offering under that tin sheet boosted my spirit a lot. We happened to meet many missionaries of Christ during our trip. There are priests who offer the Holy Mass in a more deplorable situations; and sisters who proclaim Christ. There are many priests who celebrate Holy Mass for their faithful in some places, even knowing that their lives are in danger. Such thoughts crossed our minds at that time”
The special intentions of the Holy Mass offered on all the days of our journey were that there should be happiness and peace for everyone wherever they are.
Traveling Brings ManyÂ
“During similar trips we come across many experiences. There may things in our life that we need to let go of. Forget them all; just keep what we need. We carry in our bag only the essentials. Every journey gives us a new feelings of which we are constituted. The people and the places we encounter play a role in shaping us. Sometimes it may take us a few years to understand it. But Journey is a great textbook, a textbook of a few beautiful realizations that life can give us, new stories written that may not be repeated” – Father Saneesh concluded with the hope that this journey will continue.
May these priests still be able to impart the message of Christ to those they meet, to travel further and gain new spiritual experiences by imbibing good things from others. Catholic news.in wishes to the beloved pilgrims of Christ who shared their feelings with a faith as high as the Himalayas in one journey!
(Fr. Saneesh Thekethala is the vicar of Little Flower Church, Puliparamb, and Fr. Wilson Perepadan is the vicar of St. Mary’s Church, Nanthikara. Fr. Seemon Kanjithara serves as the Director of the Spirituality Center in the Diocese of Irinjalakuda, and Fr. Rocky Roby Kalathil is the Director of the Sanjos Bhavan in Mulangunnathakkav, Diocese of Kottapuram).
Sunisha V. F.