Salesian educators in West Bengal

Last night we were met at the provincial house by Fr Anthony Valluran and a classmate of his by the name of Fr George Ukkran, who is from the Chennai province and works in formation. Both Anthony and George joined Thomas and I in a little tour of Calcutta surroundings today.

In the morning we visited the Don Bosco school at Park Circus.

Don Bosco Park Circus is the first school built by the Salesians in this area of the country. It is an English-medium school, and includes academic and trade sectors for children, teens and young adults. The new programs for job preparation are attracting a whole new clientele and the school is under expansion, which is incredible to me in this day and age when money is scarce. Still, from all appearances, the Salesians and their collaborators are moving ahead with great enthusiasm and solid support.

Fr Anthony Valluran (Guwahati province) and Thomas Kayyalackel (Kolkata province) both participated in the ISS at Berkeley in this past year (2008-2009)

Classes were not in session because the students were on their June break, we were told. However, the school grounds were filled with students playing organized games of football (soccer) and cricket (India is a leading country for this game, of course). As we toured the plant, however, I realized that there were a number of students still at work. Those enrolled in the trade-training programs were preparing for examinations. Passing these exams would land them placement in the job market of Kolkata and surroundings, if not across India. To have a Don Bosco diploma is credential enough for those in the trades.

Don Bosco Park Circus, Calcutta: cricket for the youngsters from the neighborhood and boys from the school.

Shortly before noon we arrived at the Marian Shrine of Bandel. This shrine, situated in the Hoogly district, goes back to the 17th century and centers around the recovery of a statue of the Virgin Mary that was originally placed in a Portuguese chapel 1599, but which was recovered from the river after the siege of Hougly in 1632. She is called Our Lady of Happy Voyage, and the original statue is today situated in a niche high up in the bell tower of the church built by the Christians in the 17th century.

Façade of the Basilica of Our Lady of Bandel

The shrine was made a basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1988 and so is known as the Basilica of Our Lady of Bandel. It is the oldest church in Bengal, and the Salesians have ministered here since 1928. As part of the shrine apostolate, the Salesians have created a retreat center out of the original Augustinian priory, and this attracts groups and individuals almost every day of the year for directed and group experiences. There is also a junior seminary as part of the complex, and a parish as well which is growing each year.

Frs Thomas continued to guide us through the Shrine, which neither Fr Anthony nor Fr George had ever visited before (and of course, this was my first visit as well). We met a lot of pilgrims who came to pray: religious women and men, laity, youth and young adults, families. There were many non-Christians who came to visit the shrine as well and they did so with great devotion.

Frs Thomas and Anthony and George at Marian Shrine Bandel

The church carries all the beauty of a Portuguese mission church. In fact, the church does not look too different from what you might find the Spanish mission churches in California, New Mexico or Texas. The exterior of the church is vested in granite and stone, but this is not original. The Salesians who came from Italy had all the exterior walls completed this way, not so much in imitation of the churches in Italy, but as a way to cut down on maintenance. What a good idea!

Main altar and sanctuary, with statue of Our Lady of Bandel

The church's interior is like a jewel box. It is cool and dark, and pilgrims remove their shoes, in typical Asian style, when they enter. The sanctuary of the church follows the Portuguese style, with the statue of Our Lady of Bandel at the center above the tabernacle. Processional statues decorate side altars, and the church invites recollection and devotion.