(Continued from last week)
Commonly the missionary works of the sisters include rural tours, catechesis, health care and sanitation awareness, social service, education, family visits, youth counselling, vocational guidance, manual skilled training, evangelisation ,manning shelter homes for destitute children and the aged including assistance in the parishes. To uphold the sanctity of their vocation, he (Bishop Ferrando) stressed the importance of five great loves or devotions — 1) for Jesus, 2) for Mary, 3) for Don Bosco, 4) for the missions and 5) for the people.
Archbishop Ferrando expired on June 20, 1978, at Genoa and his mortal remains interned at Rossiglione, but through Divine miracle after nine years his non-perishable remains were brought to Shillong as per his wish and permanently interned at St Margaret’s convent Chapel, adjacent to the Provincialate. He was raised to the status of Venerable by the present Pope Francis last year. When Archbishop Mathias was transferred to Madras-Mylapore, many of the church’s ambitious projects suffered setbacks for sometimes.
When Bishop Ferrando took over things started moving again at an accelerated pace, that through his sheer vision and fortitude the former stalled programmes saw fulfilment to completion. The prevalent situation during his tenure made him dependent upon the available SDBs, FMAs, RNDMs and SCJs for all the pioneering enterprises, until the MSMHCs came to the rescue. Later under arrangement with Archbishop Mathias, he got some diocesan priests also trained at Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu; the first among Khasis was Fr Albinus Iawphniaw.
Reading through the biography of Ven Archbishop Ferrando, the writer would like to share more findings through his personal experience. During 1959 Bishop Ferrando celebrated the silver jubilee of his Episcopal ordination. One week before the annual Grand Eucharistic procession by first week November, 14 Bishops came to take part in the commemorative function.
On Saturday afternoon prior to the procession, a magnificent drill display was performed at the top first ground of St Edmund’s School to felicitate the bishops and other dignitaries. All Catholic schools at that time took part in the programme. Don Bosco Technical School with its 260 contingent of boarders accompanied by the school band conducted by Bro Solomon Marak, Sdb came out in full strength. The writer also participated as a small boy. Since the dining hall in the erstwhile Bishop’s house was too congested for accommodating the guest bishops and their entourage, a study hall of the day scholar students at the old building built by Fr Igino Ricaldone was vacated to convert into a bigger makeshift refectory.
The footfall at the Eucharistic procession from Friday onwards was exceedingly massive; those from far away rural areas travelled on foot because of poor communication. Bishop Morrow when he celebrated Mass in the school chapel, on Monday morning, told that the moment Don Bosco boarders appeared on the ground he was impressed with their skills and discipline and exhorted everyone to keep up this spirit of Don Bosco. In a private meeting with Fr Mario Bianchi, Sdb former Secretary to Bishop Ferrando, he narrated to the writer an interesting story.
In 1962 while Bishop Ferrando was attending the Vatican Council II meeting, the news of Chinese aggression on India was conveyed to him. He in turn informed the Bishop, while in great desperation himself rushed to meet St Fr Pio of Pieterlcina a Cappuchin monk and the last Stigmatist of the 20th century. He got the appointment immediately and Fr Pio led him to his private chapel. He asked Fr Bianchi to kneel and pray while St Pio knelt in front of the Blessed Sacrament praying intensely for Divine intercession; suddenly he saw a vision of a strange lady holding her child, covering the region with her mantle and driving away some strange looking beings. After one hour he rose up and left the chapel with Fr Bianchi, telling him to return back to his Diocese in peace, because nothing will happen to it since the region has been placed under the protection of Mary Help of Christians. Indeed in no time the Chinese troops withdrew across the LOAC or Mcmohan line dividing the two countries.
In 2006, Stephen Memorial Secondary School, Mawroh observed the silver jubilee of its foundation. To commemorate the event a Souvenir Committee was constituted for the same. In this case the Souvenir Committee decided to publish a commemorative journal and initiate naming of the road, in honour of the founder and the school, extending from Mawlai Mawroh junction to Kynton Massar-NEHUportion—1.20Km distance. The first proposal failed to take off due to deficient fund and insufficient manpower. The latter was tasked with the writer to carry out the decision. A representation was prepared to submit to the Dorbar Shnong (Village Governing Body) Mawlai Mawroh , with copy to the Catholic Managing Committee (CMC), Mawroh for follow up action.
The writer being executive member of both the locality and CMC pursued the matter thoroughly, by which the Dorbar Shnong acceded to the proposal and intimated its approval in writing to the school authorities. On this ground the documents were forwarded to the State GAD office for further action at their end, by the writer himself with due acknowledgement and was asked to wait till one month for official processing. Having not heard anything after three months, the writer inquired the matter from the dealing department but was told that no such documents were available.
He then approached the Commissioner & Secretary GAD Mr Peter W Ingty, IAS (later Addl Chief Secretary) with the Xeroxed copies of the relevant papers for which he kept with him. He recalled the file from the department concerned but got the same reply. He assured the writer that he would get the thing done and advised him to meet the Minister incharge for further action. The writer sought appointment with the GAD Minister Mr Conrad K Sangma (later MP Tura), who promised the writer to obtain approval in the ensuing Cabinet meeting. After five days the order came from the I&PR Director Mr Peter S Dkhar, IAS (later DC Shillong) to the writer’s table for official notification to the media; simultaneously St Paul’s Road from Polo Umkhrah Bridge to Shyiap (Belle Fonte) also got approval. Now Stephen Memorial Road Mawlai Mawroh bears witness to the fact of being the only road, named as a tribute to the founder of the MSMHCs Ven Archbishop Ferrando, in the whole world.
The pedestal at Don Bosco square, Shillong has its own story to relate. The monument was built for two important purposes by the then Bishop Mathias to commemorate the canonisation to sainthood of St John Bosco on Easter Sunday 1934 and ordination to bishopric of himself and Bishop Ferrando in November the same year. Its maintenance is being done by the Don Bosco Technical School and the Don Bosco Past Pupils Association, Shillong.
After the years passed by Fr Ganguly, CSC became the first local Bengali Archbishop of Dhaka and died. The cause for raising him to the status of saint is under process. Bishop Morrow of Krishnagar founded his own Congregation the Sisters of Mary Immaculate(SMI),with headquarters at Krisnagar (WB); so also Acrhbishop D’Rosario his society the Visitation Sisters of Don Bosco (VSDB), with its headquarters at Madonna Convent, Nongkseh, Upper-Shillong, Meghalaya. Both congregations are affiliated to the Salesian family. Incidentally out of 10 siblings in the Colussi family 6 entered religious life with Gaudio, Attilio, Dino, Daniel and Joseph as SDB priests while Sr Rina as FMA; the lone survivor Fr Luciano Colussi, Sdb is their cousin, working with the Australian Province.
(Opinions expressed are the writer’s own)