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UNLESS THE SEED DIE

Sister M Violette DSouza, BS

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UNLESS THE SEED DIE

A Brief Sketch of Monsignor RFC Mascarenhas

Founder Sisters of the Little Flower of Bethany Mangalore, India

Sister M Violette DSouza, BS

Institute of Religious Formation Saint Louis University St Louis, Missouri U. S. A. 1981-1982

MSGR RAYMOND F.C. MASCARENHAS

Founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Little Flower of Bethany

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Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit (John 12 : 24 ).

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Bethany Publications
Bethany Generalate Lower Bendur Mangalore - 575 002 Reprinted : 2010

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Bethany Generalate Lower Bendur Mangalore, Karnataka State, India My dear Readers, The occasion of the reprinting of the book, Unless the Seed Die is allied with three happy events. They are: the 25th year of the publication of the said book, 50th Death Anniversary of the Servant of God Raymond Mascarenhas, our Founder, and the 90th Foundation Year of Bethany Congregation. This book is a priceless gift given to us by late Dr (Sr) Violette BS who left for her eternal reward on 16.05. 2007. She, having been a spiritual daughter of the Servant of God, his typist, and sharer of his confidences in the first seventeen years of her religious life, has fathomed his spirituality to a great extent. I remember her gratefully on this happy event. The book is reprinted retaining its originality. However, the statistics that are on page 109 are revised. The idea of reprinting became a need because of the increased number of researches on the life and mission of the Servant of God, especially after the Cause of beatification of the Servant of God was initiated. The increase in the number of formees and the communities too necessitated the same. It was fifty years ago, the seed had died leaving all the hearts in great sorrow. Today we see this seed in glory, blossomed in the heavenly abode and dropping fruits of blessings not only on Bethany but on the world at large.

(Sr M. Wilberta BS)

29 July 2010
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Superior General

Bethany Convent Mangalore December 1985 My dear Sisters, December 23, 1985 marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of our beloved Founders departure from this world. Even though he has left us for a better life, his spirit has been with us, constantly guiding us. We have experienced his continual intercession on our behalf and we have felt his guidance in a variety of ways during the last two-and-a half decades. The increased membership in the Congregation and the multiplication of its works in and out of India is only a minor indication of his powerful intercession for us. This is also the twentieth anniversary of the Decree on The Appropriate Renewal of the Religious Life (Perfectae Caritatis). In this Decree the Second Vatican Council exhorted all the Religious Sisters to go back to their original founding charism and spirit. To fulfil this mandate we have been looking for ways and means to disseminate the knowledge of our Congregations charism and spirit as envisioned by our Founder in its early days. It was our desire to mark these two significant events by publishing a simple biography of our Founder so that it could provide our Sisters some insight into the mind and heart of this man whom we affectionately call Father Founder. Our attempts at this project have not materialized yet.

Therefore, we are making available to the members of our Congregation the short biography written by Sister M. Violette. Although brief and modest, our Sisters will find in this booklet, entitled Unless the Seed Die enough to acquaint them with their Founder and his deep love for the Congregation. May it also inspire all of us so that we can become active apostles in spreading Gods Kingdom especially by identifying ourselves with the poor and the needy. God bless you. Yours affectionately,

(M. SYLVINE B.S.)

Superior General

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE Chapter 1. THE EARLY YEARS Boyhood Education Chapter Chapter 2. 3. THE CALL OF GOD PRIESTLY MINISTRY Assistant pastor Pastor - Udyavar - Agrar - Bendur His Household Chapter 4. BETHANY: THE SOWER AND THE SEED Inspiration The First Four Growth and Development Bethany Apostolate Chapter 5. OTHER APOSTOLIC ACTIVITIES Vicar General Pilgrimage to Rome The Twin Jubilee Chapter 6. MAN OF GOD AND MAN OF THE PEOPLE Sense of Humour Man of Vision Spirituality 1 4 8 10 15 15 16 19 20 25 27 27 34 36 41 44 48 52 53 60 61 63 65

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Man of Prayer Devotion to Mary The Will of God Confidence in God Love for the Poor Zeal for Souls Spiritual Director Detachment and Mortification Relationship with the Bethany Sisters Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter 7. 8. 9. THE TESTING TIME THE LAST YEAR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT 73

68 71 72 74 76 77 79 82 85 96 107

10. THE SPIRIT AND CHARISM OF THE FOUNDER 112 Charism in General Charism of Fr R F C Mascarenhas 112 113

Charism and Spirit of Bethany Congregation 116 APPENDIX: LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT 118

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PREFACE

In the Decree on The Appropriate Renewal of the Religious Life (Perfectae Caritatis), the Second Vatican Council called on religious Congregations to foster a renewal by returning to the original inspiration behind a given community and pointed out that loyal recognition and safe-keeping should be accorded to the spirit of the Founder. The Congregation of the Bethany Sisters of the Little Flower, like many other religious communities in the Church, has been striving to carry out this recommendation. It was soon realized that an adequate life of the Founder of the Congregation was lacking. Several of his contemporaries had already gone to their Eternal Reward while others were rapidly advancing in age. The early members of the Congregation formed by his word and example were also fast declining in health and vigour. A need was felt to capture his spirit and document it by recording the impressions and experiences of these personal witnesses even if it were to be done in a sketchy manner. An opportunity presented itself when the writer of this short account was expected to undertake a project of some importance and usefulness to her Congregation as part of the requirement of participation in the Institute of Religious Formation at Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, USA, during the academic year, 1981-1982. This modest study is an attempt to bring together some of the facts of his life and apostolic activities in so far as these could be discovered, and to present them in the context in which he lived. To write a biography, however sketchy, is a formidable task and serious responsibility. It is essential but not enough to be a

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painstaking researcher, a good historian, but she must also be truthful, objective, unbiased, accurate and not the least of all, compassionate. This is particularly true in the case of a man like Father Raymond Camillus Mascarenhas where it is important to portray his exceptional and, at times, controversial characteristics, in the light of his times. Many people have admired Monsignor Mascarenhas for the role he played in his diocese. Comparatively few, however, have been able to see beyond his successful career and penetrate into that deep interior life which gave his earthly existence its definitely supernatural imprint. It is this spiritual side of our Founders life that I will try to stress. I shall rely upon evidence drawn not only from the events of his life and the many phases of his work, but also, and particularly, from the austere beauty of his silent virtues, from the holiness of his teaching, and from the lasting impression this man of God made upon his spiritual daughters in particular, and upon Indian society in general. As his typist and sharer of his confidences in the first seventeen years of my religious life I was able to work with him and to observe him not only on formal occasions, but also in his unguarded moments of life. It seems essential to see the figure of priest and founder against this varied background simply because his priestly virtues were concealed under the appearance of an ordinary life. They should become known if they are to serve as a source of inspiration for so many Sisters who did not have the privilege to come into contact with him, especially, those who entered the Congregation after 1960. It has been a challenge to put together this incomplete and brief sketch of the life of Monsignor RFC Mascarenhas because at the time of his death hardly anything had been published about him. In the absence of any written documents and letters, I am constrained to fall back upon the oral testimony and stories related by his numerous friends and acquaintances, his employees and colleagues, his parishioners and others who came in contact with him, above all, the Sisters of Bethany and the Sisters of other Congregations who had known him personally in many capacities. xv

Many peoples efforts are involved in this work. Unfortunately, it is impossible to name them all. However, special mention must be made of Mother M. Macrina, who during her three terms as Superior General of the Bethany Congregation made every effort to bring together whatever information she could, both written and oral, so that a brief life of the Founder could be made available to the more recent members of the Congregation. She took personal interest in the collating of materials as far as it was in her power, and constantly encouraged this writer to get started on this work. Through her insistence and encouragement, Sisters Theresine, Noreen, Bertha, and Potence spent a great deal of time in organizing the available information. Father Philip Nazareth, Chaplain of the Motherhouse, was also a powerful motive force to record the facts of the Founders life while people who had been personally influenced by him were still alive and well. Last but not least, the present Superior General, Mother Sylvine with her urgent prodding and insistent requests led the present writer to decide upon this historical work as her project in her IRF program. Numerous other persons members of the Bethany Congregation, diocesan and religious priests, religious Sisters and many lay people - saw the value of such a work and contributed oral and written material. To each of them I wish to express my gratitude. It is hoped that this amateur attempt to present the bare outline of a portrait of the Founder of our Congregation will serve as an incentive to more competent persons in the future to make a deeper study of the personality and achievements of this man of God, who placed his talents and extraordinary gifts of grace and nature at the service of God and of his fellowmen.

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