Sunday, August 8, 2010

Teaching at S.B.College: Lecturer

Lecturer:

As per the direction of Msgr.L.J.Chittoor who was the administrator of the Diocese, I was appointed a lecturer in the Dept.of English. Rev.Dr.Antony Kurialacherry took charge as the Principal of the college in 1970.He is the one who appointed me to the college.

Prof.V.J.Augustine was very gracious to me and gave me the opportunity to teach in M.A.classes right away which he did not give to many of the other lecturers who were senior to me in the Dept.

In my first year as a lecturer, I was sent as a delegate along with Prof.V.S.Joseph to participate in a National Conference on American Literature organized by the American Embassy.I presented a paper on D.H.Lawrence.The participation in the conference made me enthusiastic to go for research in the U.S.

Another memorable thing is that we formed a Brains Trust under the auspices of the Dept. of English for faculty improvement. I presented a paper on "The Impersonal Theory of T.S.Eliot."

After a couple of years of teaching, in 1973, I was appointed the warden of St. Joseph’s hostel which increased my public role in the life of the college.The role as the warden gave me more opportunities to work with the students on various levels .Most of the students in the hostel were were very studious .I was happy that I got a chance to get involved in their lives and to help them to get motivated not only in their studies but in other extracurricular activities.

An unforgettable incident that happened in 1976 was the sudden and accidental death of Fr.James Valiaparampil.We were ordained together and did our postgraduate studies at the same time at S.B. . We also joined the college in the same year.He was one of my close friends as well as a great mentor.Even though we were classmates,he was two years older .We were wardens of neighboring hostels.While I was at St.Joseph’s, he was at St.Thomas’.On March 13,1976,Fr.James Valiaparampil went with his colleagues in the Dept.of Chemistry on a boat tour.I saw him waving his hand towards me in the morning as he was leaving for the tour .It was in March 1976 that Fr.James passed away.The funeral was attended by a large crowd.He was loved by all.H always was ready to help any one who asked him for assistance. He was a good friend of mine and I miss him sorely in my life.

In 1976, I got permission from the Archbishop to go for higher studies in the U.S.I applied to several Universities.Indiana State University offered me teaching assistance. I did then apply for a visa . I went to Madras for the visa after the Christmas celebrations in the hostel.I was able to get the visa and when I came back, I told my students after the night prayer about my decision to leave them and proceed to the States.I saw most of them crying . I was also sad in the sense that I won’t be able to see many of them in my life. They would all drift into different walks of life. Life’s journey would take them to different places. I got a shadow of that experience while I was returning from Madras after securing the visa and met some of our students at the Ernakulam bus station on my way to Changanacherry. They were the members of the Basket Ball team leaving for some college for the match. A good number of the players in the team was from my hostel.When I told them that I was returning form Madras with a visa for the States, they too broke down.

Everything moved fast and I was leaving India immediately after Christmas.I had to join the course at the Indiana State in the first week of Jan.

The hostel honored me with a farewell meeting at the Archbishop Kavykattu Hall.The parents were also there and some of them spoke at the meeting.My mother , brothers and all the students came to the airport.The students came in a bus.Fr.Maroor took pictures of the departures at the college as well as at the airport .

The fathers who were teaching in the college were very warm and friendly to me.The Principal,Rev.Dr.Antony Kurialacherry had written several reference letters for me to different Universities.

I also remember a trip that I had with him when he invited me to accompany him on a trip to Madras by car from Changancherry.He had tremendous confidence and courage.He decided on constructing some new buildings on the college campus—a new library ,a big Auditorium honoring the late Archbishop Mar Matthew Kavukatt and a staff hostel.The problem was the shortage of cement.Fr.Kurialacherry wanted to go to the office of the cement controller in Madras.That is why he wanted to go to Madras.I was just a fresh appointee at the college.But he wanted someone to go with him.We went to the office and I was waiting outside as he went in.But after an hour he came out beaming with joy.During the conversation, it happened that they found out that they were both students of the Loyola college, Madras. Permit for the needed bags of cement was granted immediately Fr.Kurialacherry got what he had asked for.Wagon loads of cement bags came to Changanacherry at a low price.

I enjoyed teaching.I was staying at the Staff Quarters with other bachelor lecturers as companions.After the class, we used to play badminton.It was a very fun time.We were back again in the court like young college students.Those who would like to play would wait for their chance.Those who came first after the evening tea break were the first to enter the court.Fr.Enas who later became the Principal of St.Thomas College,Palai was a very good player.In one of the annual competitions , my team with prof.T.J.Kurian won the prize.

In my first year of teaching, I received the Proficiency prize and the special award for my MA.Final Exams at the college Day celebrations.All my students clapped very heartily and cheerfully when I got on to the stage to receive the prize.

It was said by Fr.Mutttath who was then in Malayalam B.A class that Prof.Ulahannan Mappila remarked very positively about my teaching in his remarks to them as he got a chance to observe one of my first classes.

Prof.Ulahanna Mappila was my teacher while I was an undergraduate student at S.B.He had always treated me with great fondness.

Another remarkable thing was that I was appointed the Managing Editor of the college magazine and that gave me a lot of interaction with the teachers and students.I was also appointed the Managing Editor of the college souvenir published in 1973.The editing and the publishing of the souvenir gave me ample opportunity to work with the senior Professors in the various departments of the college.Prof.Ulahanna Mappila wrote a superb history of the college.That history is still a land mark.At that time many said that it was more on Prof. Mappila than on the college.But I did realize the importance of his writing and allowed it for publication without making any changes in it.

For the funds for the publication , I went with Profs.K.V.Joseph and A.E.Augustine to several firms in Cochin.We were successful in garnering some amount through advertisements.

It was Fr.Kurialacherry who changed the academic map of the college by erecting a big auditorium known as the Kavukattu Hall,the four storied Library and a Staff Quarters with chapel and a dining hall.He was a visionary and an inspiring presence on the campus.I was privileged to work with him and it gave me a lot of confidence.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

My Life at the College as an M.A.Student

I stayed at the Staff Quarters.Prof.V.J.Augustine was the Head of the Dept. He took a special interest in me and encouraged me to do my best in studies. it was his encouragement that enabled me to do well in exams. i was placed in the fourth Rank at the Kerala University exam.

It was while I was in the first year of M.A. that Archbishop Kavukatt passed away. While I was about to finish the mass in the private chapel I was told about the demise of the Archbishop.Myself and Fr.James Valiaparampil went to to the Archbishop’s house right away after the mass. In those days , fans were very few at the Bishop’s house.Our two table fans were given to be used there at the hall where the body was lying in state.

The demise of the Archbishop was a sad moment in my life. Even though I never had any close interaction with him except on formal occasions, I knew that he cared about me and that he knew me well. He allowed me to go for graduate studies and told me even before I started the course that I would be appointed in the Dept. of English. He changed the whole course of my life. What a gifted and saintly person he was. All through my stay in the United States for my doctoral studies, I kept his picture in the Bible I was using for daily reading and reflections.
His voice and his words are still unforgettably stamped in my mind. At one of the meetings after the Liberation struggle, he said the following words: " Hate communism but don't hate communists." It was the ideology that should be resisted and not the people. He was the one who gave very strong leadership for the historic Liberation struggle against the communists in Kerala.When the communists were determined to pass their notorious Education Bill, the Archbishop ordered all the schools to be closed and not to be reopened after the summer vacation.

At another meeting in the Kallarakal hall, quoting from Tennyson and said: " It is better to have loved and lost and never to have loved at all."

I was one of the coffin-bearers in the funeral procession when his body was taken for the funeral.I feel privileged and happy that he was the one who ordained me and sent me for higher studies. All that I did as a preist was because of the initial start he gave me in my life.

Tour:

After the viva for the M.A., some of us priests went on an All India trip.Fr.James Valiaparampil,Fr.Antony Kadavil and Fr.Thomas Mattappally were in the group.We went straight away to Calcutta and stayed at St.Xavier's college.From there, we proceeded to Mother Teresa’s convent .We visited the places in Kalighat where the old and sick were nursed by the sisters as well as to the place where the abandoned children were taken care of.Mother Teresa was not there.We talked with some of the sisters .Some were from Changnacherry.We met a young foreign-born sister.We asked her how it came about that she joined the convent.She told us her story of meeting Mother Teresa at the Eucharistic congress in Bombay when she came to attend it a tourist from Germany.At a lunch hosted by the Archbishop of Bombay, she was sitting opposite Mother Teresa.During the lunch, the Mother was looking at her.After the lunch, she asked her why she was looking at her.Mother Teresa then told her that if she would join her convent , she would give her a sari.She left for Germany after the Eucharistic Congress but then came back and joined the convent.She was the first non-Indian to join the Congregation of Mother Teresa.

During that trip, we visited Darjeeling, Kurseong etc.The visit to some place in Darjeeling to see the Sun rise early in the morning around 3a.m. was unforgettable. We did also travel to Kalinpong in Sikkim.

From there ,we returned to Kerala through Nagpur.At Nagpur, we stayed at St.Charles' Seminary and also visited Raipur.At Raipur, the German Bishop himself came to the railway station with his jeep to pick us up.We stayed at the Bishop’s house.At night, we slept outside as it was very hot inside.We visited Fr.Mattappally’s brother who was a pastor in a nearby parish.

When I came back from the trip, I heard that one of my friends,Mr.Joe Tharakan had passed away.Jose was supposed to leave for the States the week before.It was a tragic piece of news.It was conveyed to me by Mr.Cherian who was a gardener then.Later Cherian worked at the college office.



Thursday, August 5, 2010

Major Seminary and Ordination

St.Joseph's Pontifical Seminary

Going to Carmelgiri, the philosophy section of the St.Joseph's Pontifical Seminary was a new experience.The seminary almost looked like a college. The building looked fresh and new. The cold winds blowing through the windows at night made us feel cold and shivering.Long corridors, big library, big class rooms, more facilities, courts etc were the new conveniences available for us.

The professors were Spanish Carmelite priests.Fr.Firmin who passed away at a very early age—a year after our ordination- was very much loved by us. I felt saddened at his passing away.Fr.Aurelian was the Superior at Carmelgiri. Before our arrival , he was the Rector of seminary. He was the quintessence of humility, simplicity and gentleness.His bent figure, walking along the corridors of the seminary and greeting the students with a gentle smile , will never be forgotten.

Since some of us came with undergraduate degrees, the study in the seminary was very easy. I secured “stella”(star) ,in most of the subjects all through the seminary years.It was great hearing Fr.Michael Angel announcing the grades on the Schola Brevis Day. I enjoyed hearing him announcing my name with Stella in most of the subjects. All the students who secured more than 90% at the annual exams were given" stellas"(stars).

When I was a third year student in Philosophy at the Carmelgiri seminary, I was appointed the Prefect of the second year students. Some of the students were very artistically talented. In one of the exhibitions organized by the batch, the model of the Taj Mahal created by them won the admiration of many. I have to thank specially the Father Prefect,Fr. Alex Chettiath who was very supportive and encouraging.When he left for visits abroad, Fr.Parampath became the Fr.Prefect. I worked with both of them very cordially .I have actually enjoyed the year when I was the Br.Prefect of the second year students. Some of the students in the batch have become Archbishops. Abp.Chennoth and Abp.Kallarackal belong to that batch. It was also a time that I could interact with with Fr.Aurelian more persoanlly.I remember him patting on my back when I cracked some jokes with him.

It was while I was in the third year that we received the sad news of his demise. It was a great shock. We participated in the funeral services .A lot of priests came for his funeral. He taught us ascetic theology. It was all taught in Latin. he was loved and respected by all the students.He washed his own clothes and hence his cassocks always looked a pale yellow color.

One of the teachers I remember from the Carmelgiri days was Fr. Firmin O.C.D. He was a good teacher and he was our Fr.Prefect in the first year. I think he gave me rides in his car a few times. He died very young .He died in the first year after my ordination. I did attend his funeral. Fr.Raymond taught us philosophy .Of course,we cannot forget the four Indian professors teaching at Carmelgiri at that time: Fr.Mankuzhikary(later Bishop),Fr.Parampath, Fr.Chettiath and Fr.Thurthel.All were loved by the students and had a very good influence on the lives of the students.Fr.Mankuzhikary’s ontology classes were very famous as he used to teach in peals of laughter because of the many jokes he cracked during the classes.He was also very eloquent and sharp in his comments.

I also remember the time when I had the chance to participate in the first Shakespearean drama enacted at the Seminary. I got the role of Iago and I think, from the comments after the play, that I did my role very well. We had to memorize all the passages and it was a Herculean task. We did well. The staff from the U.C.college were also there to watch our performance .It was for the first time that the roles of ladies were played at the seminary.Two seminarians took the roles of Desdemona and Ophelia. Fr.Aurelian who watched the play walked out when he saw the ladies appearing on the stage.Fr. Mankuzhikary had to do some explanation for allowing the roles of the ladies.

I was also invited to do a role in a Malayalam play later. But I don’t think it was a great success.I was also not interested in doing any roles in Malayalam plays.But later at the theology section(Mngalapuzha),Fr.Senan Buckley invited us all to act in T.S.Eliot’s “The Murder in the Cathedral.”I think I got one of the roles of the Tempters.But it was not as exciting as the role of Iago that I did in Othello.

After the three years of philosophy,we moved to Mangalapuzha.While I was in Mangalapuzha, I was put in charge of the Shop in my first year.That was not my forte. My aptitude was for something connected with writing or reading.While at Mangalapuzha, Fr. Alex Chettiath informed me that Archbishop Kavukatt wanted to see me .So I went to Changancherry to meet him. He asked me whether I could meet the expenses for going to Rome.I told him about my brothers studying in colleges at that time .But then, nothing was heard about it. But I was happy pursuing my studies at Alwaye.

One of the incidents that remains in my memory was the time when I was in charge of the shop.During one of the vacations, we had to remain there to take the inventory of the things at the shop.One night one of the seminarians wanted me to teach him how to play cards.He and his friends came to my room in the Deacon’s block.Fr.Michael Angel somehow saw them entering my room.The next day, in the morning, as we were working in the shop we saw the Rector pacing back and forth before the door of the shop.I asked my friends to open the door of the shop more widely.He then came to us and asked me to accompany him to his room.He asked who were in my room that night.I told him the facts.He asked me to tell them to leave the seminary right away .I thought he was dismissing them.Later ,we found out that he was asking them not to stay during the vacation days at the seminary.But they had to leave that day itself.It was hard for them.

Later,when I visited Rome in 1979,he was the Rector of the Damascene college.I told him all about these past incidents.He laughed and laughed very heartily.It was the first time I heard him laughing so much.Of course, the burden of being the Rector was not there.He could enjoy all the stories from the past life.

It was decided that we would be ordained in December and not in March as was the usual practice. .I think we presented some memorandum to the Bishops for the early ordination.Things were moving very fast hence for us.After the Ordination, we were expected to come back and continue our studies for three months more.The authorities never expected that the newly ordained priests would really use the occasion to free themselves from the strict observance of the seminary rules.Some began to come late after they went out.Others went for shopping and outings.It was becoming difficult for the Fr.Prefect to control the newly ordained priests from enjoying their new found freedom.They discontinued the custom of ordaining the Deacons in the middle of the year after that.

But one thing that happened during my deacon year devastated me.That was my father’s death.Unthinkable that such a tragedy would happen to me.

In fact all through my seminary years, I was praying for the health of my parents and was asking God to keep them alive to see my ordination day.It was not to happen in that way.

For some reason, when I went to Cochin, I went to see my eldest brother Mr.M.J.Pailo who was working in the Foreign Exchange Dept. of the Bank of Cochin.He told me that the father was taking rest after a heart attack.It was not even mentioned that my father had an heart attack.The only thing that was mentioned was that he sweated profusely and that the mother took him to see the doctor.The doctor after treatment advised him a month's rest.In those days, there was no strict observance of the rest.

When I returned to the seminary, I asked the Rector permission to go home and to see my father.I never thought I would get the permission.It was unusual in those days to get permission to visit the parents even when they fell sick.He granted me the permission right away.

He had always a soft corner for me.He never denied my requests. Maybe because, I was getting good grades in the exams.

I went home and spent the few days with my family.I wrote some letters for my father and he signed those letters.One of the letters was for my brother Joychan who was in Ethiopia with his family.The letter was a letter of congratulations on the birth of Jojo.

I told him that I would be leaving the next day .He told me to go the day after that.So I changed the date.That day, one of our priests and father’s friend,Fr.Pulickal came to visit him and they had a very long conversation together. After the evening prayer and supper we all went to sleep.But early in the morning, we heard a sound , and waking up , we saw mother weeping.The lights in the house all on and I heard mother saying that she had hard some sound from father and found immediately that he was not moving. One of my brothers, Josy, ran to bring the priest and he came to give anointing of the sick The doctor was called in.It was all too late.Father said goodbye to the world.It was sudden and all happened within a flash of a second.

I remember going for the mass on that morning and all through the mass tears were rolling down my cheeks.He was such a permanent presence in our life and we could not imagine that he would depart from us so fast.The funeral was held in the evening.It was a rainy day but the rain stopped for a while at the time of the funeral.Since our house was just across the road from the church, it did not take much time for the procession to reach the church.

A lot of people and many priests were present at the funeral. My youngest brother,Bernard, was in the Pallotine seminary at that time and hence the German fathers who were his teachers came for the funeral.No one from the Major seminary came for the funeral.My friends did not get the permission to come for the funeral as it was not the custom for the seminarians in those days to attend the funeral.But Fr.Joy Palakunnel and Fr.Chemmazham somehow came the next day to see me.It was a great consolation.My brother Joychan and his family were in Ethipoia at that time and hence they were not present.

After a week, I went back to the seminary and I remember myself weeping silently during the classes for weeks as the thoughts about my father's sudden demise came into my mind often.

The time came for our ordination on 18th of December.We went to the Cathedral at Changanacherry for the ordination.Archbishop Mar Kavukatt ordained all of us in one ceremony at the Cathedral.I said the first mass in the evening of Dec.18th.My brothers did all the arrangements.Fr.Reynod Purackal, the director of St.Antony's orphanage, gave the homily at the first mass.

The reception was held in front of our house and I remember Fr.Ithiparampil speaking at the reception.When I spoke in reply, I had to mention my father’s absence and the reference to my father filled my eyes with tears again. I wrote a poem about my father on the back of the picture cards that I distributed.

After a few days of vacation, we were back at the seminary.

Then , when the holidays came, we were sent home.

All of us together met the Archbishop and while we were taking leave of him gave us each Rs.150 as stipends for 30 masses . It was a lot of money then.We went on a trip together to Kanyakumary and then went on our different ways for the Easter duties.

I was waiting for my assignment.I was sure that I would not get a chance to go for higher studies although I was one of the top students in the seminary.

The Archbishop at our ordination emphasized that we should not look for opportunities for higher education but should get interested in any assignment that would be given to us.May be because three of us in that batch were graduates.

Since I did not get any assignment, I went to the Archbishop’s house one day as I heard that others were given parish assignments.Fr.Paul Urumpackal who was the secretary of the Archbishop told me not to wait there but to go home.Later word was sent to me through Fr.James Valiaparampil to meet the Archbishop.When I went there, Kavukattu Pithavu told me to go to the college and meet the Principal,Msgr.Kalacherry.He told me also to take English for my M.A. as there would arise a vacancy in that Dept.How thoughtful he was!I can never forget him.He even praised me once when I made a visit to the Bishop’s house.He mentioned to the fathers when I left that I had secured a triple class in my B.Sc.

I am deeply grateful to Archbishop Mar Matthew Kavukatt for giving me this opportunity in the academic world and also turning the direction of my life. His decision also made me much more attached to the diocese .It made me resolve deeply to do my utmost to work for the college, for the diocese and for the Church with all my heart.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Years at the Minor Seminary and S.B.ollege

Minor Seminary

When I got the result of the S.S.L.C exam , I told my parents about my decision to join the seminary to study for the priesthood. They did not place any objection although I was the first one in the family to be placed in the first class in the S.S.L.C exam. Before I told my parents, I had already looked into the rule book of the seminary by getting it from one of the seminarians from our parish. At that time Br. Kaithanthara, Br.Joseph Alummoottil and Br.Mathew Mepreth were the ones from our parish studying at the seminary.Bro. Mathe Mepreth took me to see the Minor seminary and meet with Abp.Mar Matthew Kavukatt.The Archbishop was very much impressed by the marks and asked me how I got such good marks in English.I also met Fr.Andumalil, the Manager of the Press and also Fr.Ithiparmapil who was at that time the Vicar of Nedumkunnam church. It was Fr. Zacharias Kaithara who prayed and blessed us at the church before I went to Changancherry to see the Rector and the Bishop .Later, I went with my Father to Changanacherry for admission to the seminary.

The first few days in the seminary were very hard. I used to spend the nights in tears. That was the first time I was away from home. At night we used to hear the tuk-tuk sounds made by the wheels of ox carts moving along the road in front of the seminary on market days. The sounds kept us awake at nights.

The first year students had no cots to sleep on .We slept on the coir carpeted hall .We had to carry our own beds to the hall for our sleep and later in the morning after waking up we had to roll them and put them back on the second floor. When the bell rang at 5.30a.m., we had to rise up and say the prayer aloud. Looking back now, it looked very surprising how we did all these in those days. But we were young and we had all the desire to study for priesthood. Any sacrifice for the pursuit of our ideal was worth taking. It was a time of total giving . We had nothing as our own and everything was shared.

Fr.Olassayil was the rector and he was very gentle and kind. We had only heard stories of the imperious nature of the previous rector, Fr.Thomas Porookara. I did not get a chance to see him but all the seniors had stories about his serious nature. He was very draconian and the students lived always in fear of him. He would ask the students, the story goes, to plant small mango seedling upside down to test their obedience. No questions could be raised with regard to correctness of the planting . Implicit obedience was required of the students!

The one thing that frightened us was the custom of clipping our hair short by the barber. By sheer good luck , all those who were going to college for higher studies were given the privilege of retaining their hair styles.

I had to spend five years in the Minor seminary as I went to college from the seminary. It was when we joined the college that the Pre-Unversity course was introduced. There was no choice with regard to science or arts major. It was after the Pre-University that one joined the three-year degree course where one could choose the courses in the science or arts stream.

The highlight in the Pre-University course was that I was awarded the Proficiency prize at the college Day. The Governor of Kerala, Mr. Ramkrihna Rao was the chief Guest at the college day program.It was a great honor to receive the prize from him. Being a seminarian , I did not take it a as very prestigious honor as I did not want to show any feelings of excitement . Hence I did not even tell the rector about the award.

Fr.P.C. Mathew was the Principal and his strict administration helped the college to keep a very high academic standard. Fr.Kattady was the Syriac teacher and he was very friendly with us. On the first day of the college, I slipped on the front porch of the college as it was wet and slippery because of the rain and sullied my clothes. It was to Fr.Kattady’s room that I went and got my clothes tidied.
In the final of the year degree course, I participated in the Science Competition held by the Dept. of Physics and was awarded the first prize in the Science Test. This time, I received the prize from the first Cardinal of India, Cardinal Valerian Gracias who presided over the college celebrations.It was at this meeting that the Cardinal made the remark of Fr.A.C. Eapen who was not present at the college day celebrations, referring to Fr.A.C. Eapen's low profile in public events: "Speech is silvery; silence is golden."
I was really fortunate in getting great teachers like Prof.C.A.Sheppard for English, Prof.Ulahanna Mappila for Malayalam and Prof.S.L.Thomas for Physics. Prof.Ulahannan Mappila was endowed with an unmatchable eloquence in Malayalam. His boisterous laughter and powerful voice do still sound in my ears.

I did participate in the speech and essay writing competitions held at the seminary and was awarded prizes in these competitions

Archbishop. Mar Matthew Kavukatt used to visit us once in a while at the seminary and would address us during these visits. His quote from Wordsworth about Bl.Virgin Mary that she is the tainted nature's solitary boast is fresh even now in my mind.

After finishing up our studies at the college, we had to spend a year for the study of Latin and Syriac before joining the major seminary.

I was appointed the Asst. Prefect . Joseph Thuruthmaly and Joy Palakunnel were the other office-bearers. We were a friendly group. Another important friend at that time was James Valiaprampil We were the four graduates in the batch of nine students pursuing the final year of studies at the minor seminary.

One priest I have to mention as a close adviser was our spiritual father, Fr.Thaiparampil. His affection and guidance were always there in my life. He had a very good collection of books and he used to spend his money for buying books on literature and religion. It was from his collection that I came across the works of Thomas Merton. I got the autobiography of Thomas Merton “ The Seven Storey Mountain " from him and I remember reading the whole big book within a week He was a source great encouragement while I was studying in the minor seminary. All of us enjoyed his company. I remember spending the whole night in his room with my other friends listening to the news of the election of John F.Kennedy.

After the final exam in Latin for the entrance to the Major Seminary , we went home for the holidays. The rector was Fr.Gregory Thycherril. He was very rigid and strict. He was a former Headmaster of S.B. High school.

Another memorable thing in our minor seminary life was our attendance at the graduation ceremony. We , four of us, Palakunnel, Joseph Thuruthmally, James Valiaparampil and myself, borrowed the suits of our teachers and left for Trivandrum for the graduation ceremony at the Senate Hall. We stayed at the Lourdes church. Fr.P.C. Matthew gave us a ride to the senate Hall for the graduation ceremony. The day before, we had to go for the rehearsal. After the graduation, we went to the studio and had our pictures taken with the gown and hood .We got pictures in different sizes. I remember carrying the pictures home with great excitement and my family, including my father , all looked at the pictures with great joy.

I have to say that our minor seminary life was happy one. I thank the fathers for having given us such a beautiful time. Our evening prayers were always said at the Parel Chapel. I was leading the prayers in English and Latin.

We had so many moments of pure happiness and joy while in the seminary. Fr.Thaiparampil kept us in very good spirits. His friendship and love continued until the end of his life. I miss his presence in our life even now. He was well read and educated and hence we could feel very comfortable in our dealings with him.