India: A unique tribute to Ignatius in the Ignatian Year

Jesuit Lunch

The Society of Jesus all over the world celebrated 500 years of the conversion of Inigo, as the Ignatian Year closed on 31 July 2022 with various programmes all over the world.

Jamshedpur Jesuit Province in India had a very dynamic and vibrant Social Centre in Phulbani, the headquarters of Khandamal district of Odisha. But in 2008, the Centre was closed down and no one lived there for more than eight years. In that year, Khandamal district witnessed the worst persecution of Christians, India has ever seen. Churches, convents and Christian institutions including hundreds of Christian houses were destroyed. Christians were murdered for refusing to give up their faith in Jesus; hundreds of Christians escaped into the nearby forests for their safety, hiding themselves among the woods for several weeks. The wound is yet to be healed. The Jesuit centre in Phulbani, known as Shavikas had its share of the persecution.

A new Provincial, Jerome Cutinha SJ, was inspired to re-open the Centre and named it Sahavikas (welfare for all). The centre works for peace and reconciliation involving youth in the newly formed youth clubs, sports clubs, music clubs, farmers' club and so on. Both non-Christian and Christian youth joined the clubs. Members were very clearly instructed that they should focus only on the club and its activities and never to bring religion and political parties into it. Religion and politics should be kept out.

As the activities of the centre progressed, more youth belonging to different religions and social groups became members. Slowly, prejudices and suspicions against the other are slowly disappearing, giving way to mutual understanding and mutual support for social development resulting in 'Peace and Reconciliation'.

A unique way to close the Ignatian Year

There are no Christians living in the vicinity of Sahavikas. Nearly 50+ families of very poor people who migrated from different parts of Odisha, live just outside the compound of Sahavikas.

The feast of St Ignatius and closing of the Ignatian year were turned into a wonderful opportunity to celebrate both the grace-filled moments with the poor living around us, irrespective of caste, creed or culture. Nearly 40 of them very willingly and joyfully came when we called them for a meeting. The majority of them were women, members of Mahila Samithi. All of them unanimously responded very positively when we told them that we wanted to celebrate our feast with them, generously saying that they would cook a vegetarian meal provided they were given all the food stuff, cooking utensils and other facilities like gas, water and a place to cook food for the programme.

Miracles started happening slowly when their request was accepted. More and more people got themselves involved in planning for the programmme and the women from the Mahila Samiti started cooking at 8.00 am on Sunday 31 July.

Meanwhile, the parish priest and his two companion priests living about three kilometers away and a Religious Community of M.J. Sisters living about six kilometers from here and the M.C. Brothers living about 16 kilometers started arriving to join the unique celebration. All of them were completely surprised to see so many non-Christians from the neighbourhood cooking and very generously preparing for the celebration. The Catholic Youth also volunteered to help them in organising the programme. A very delicious vegetarian lunch was served by 1.30 pm, with over 120 people gathered for the celebration.

Since it was a unique way of celebrating the Feast of St Ignatius and closing the Ignatian Year, we decided to ignore the traditional ways of celebration in order to give importance to the generous poor people and to make the celebration more informal and homely.

It was decided that every Sunday will now be a 'Hunger Free Day'. Since most of the people are very poor and a sizeable number of the elderly people, women and children are under-nourished, and seeing their enthusiasm in celebrating the feast of St Ignatius, we plan to give one free lunch every Sunday. The Lord's Day is turned into a 'Hunger Free Day' for the people of Phulbani. At least one day a week let all the people of Phulbani have a good lunch!