It was with a great shock that I received the news of the demise of Prof. Scaria Zacharia. I met him a few months ago at his house and I knew that he was getting weaker. But we did manage to spend some time together and he gave me copies of his recent books and signed it addressing me. I spoke at a reception a few weeks ago honoring him at SB college and I spoke of his great contributions to the college , calling him as one of the precious jewels on the crown of SB. I remember and cherish my conversations with him during the time he was teaching at the college. He was a live presence on the college campus and we missed him very much when he left the college for Kalady University. I remember him showing his appointment written on a casual piece of paper by the new and acting VC of the University and broaching the news of his departure . He once asked me why I did not object to his leaving. I did not say anything at that time because I thought then that for him a University appointment would be very beneficial to him personally. But still it was a great loss for the college. His leadership, inspiring words and marvelous eloquence are unforgettable. We have had very close associations when we were were planning the different Exhibitions and Arts Festivals at the college. We also had several occasions to go together to meet some people in order to smooth out problems. I cannot forget his beautiful and eloquent introductory commentary that echoed through the corridors and the campus of the college before the arrival of President Zail Singh. He took the leadership of arranging the various literary conferences in connection with the two jubilee celebrations that were held during the times of Fr.Maroor and myself. His fast ascent to literary eminence that happened on account of his work on Gundert is unparalleled. He brought very eminent scholars, Indian and foreign to the college campus. When we published one of the first stories of O.V Vijayan in the college magazine, I asked Prof. Scaria to write an introduction to it, explaining its background. I am very proud of his varied contributions and feel saddened at his early sickness and demise. God bless him and keep him in His eternal presence.
Wednesday, November 23, 2022
My trip to the U.S, on Oct.2-Nov.2nd
It was with some anxiety that I left for the States on Oct.2 because of the Covid and also because of my health. But everything went smoothly as I could use the wheel chair assistance. Hence I didn't have to stand in long ques. Also the use of the lounges in Kochi, Delhi was also helpful in lessening the burden of the travel. Jogy came to the Newark airport to pick me up when I reached the airport in the morning. The stay was comfortable, although the weather was turning cool. Since I carried a blazer with me, it turned out to be OK. The primary purpose of the visit was to go to Florida to bless the new homes bought by Jogy and Sajan. We decided to go to New Hampshire to see the color change of the foliage. It was beautiful being there before they they all turned dry. We could capture the beauty of the color change at Nashua. We stayed at a hotel there and walked around the place the next day , seeing the places where the color change was prominent.
The Florida stay was very enjoyable as the weather was perfect. We could go to the nearby church early in the morning and have breakfast outside. After staying there for around three days , I left for Washington DC. My travels by domestic flights went without any hassle as I used the wheel chair assistance. Stayed at Ittyrachan's house. He took a few days off so that we could spend time together. We went for sky line drive the day after my drive. the next day , went to the Shrine and participated in the noon mass there. the time spent in the crypt church and the penitence room was very spiritually uplifting. Had a few pictures taken outside the Shrine beside the CU's Stone marker.From DC went back to NJ for a few days more and left from JFK airport to Delhi.
