NOUVELLES DE JÉRUSALEM - Pâques 2019

News
Pastoral work for the Indian Catholic Community
in the Holy Land
I came to École biblique at the
advice of the Master of the Order
on the 30th of April 2014 (on my
30th sacerdotal anniversary). Back
in India, as a Priest, I was hardly
exposed to pastoral ministry. I was
engaged in teaching Scripture in
the Seminary, preaching retreats
for religious and priests, formation
and administration. Here at the
École I found a golden opportunity
of combining biblical studies with
pastoral work. It was the then Prior,
Fr. Guy Tardivy, who encouraged
me to get into a little pastoral work
on week-ends for the Indian Catholics
employed in Israel.
There are around 5 to 6 thousand
Indian Catholics who are employed
as caretakers in Israel. They largely
come from four states of India:
Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, and Gujarat.
The Konkani- speaking Catholics
(from Coastal Karnataka and
Goa) form the majority of them.
They land up in Israel because of
the poverty and unhappy situations
back home in India. Almost
all of them are employed in Jewish
homes, taking care of the elderly
or the handicapped. They are able
to communicate in English and
have a little knowledge of Modern
Hebrew. Some of the employers,
particularly the Orthodox Jews, do
not permit them to keep Christian
pictures, images or books in their
rooms. But most of them are very
happy of the way they are treated
by their employers. And naturally
by their dedicated service they win
the hearts of their Jewish employers.
Some of them have a free day
only once a month, but many are
free on Sabbath. There are three
Indian priests who assist Fr. Tojy,
the Chaplain, in taking care of their
pastoral needs. My week-end is
usually spent in celebrating mass
and administering the sacrament of
baptism. The Eucharist is celebrated
in Konkani language on weekends
at four Mass-centres in Tel
Aviv, one at St. Saviour’s church in
Jerusalem and one at Haifa.
Three celebrations in the liturgical
year attract over two thousand
Konkani-Catholics: Christmas,
Holy Week and the feast of the Nativity
of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Every year, on the second Saturday
of Advent a walking pilgrimage
from Jerusalem to Bethlehem is organized.
On Good Friday morning,
an open-air Stations of the Cross is
enacted at Kedron valley, which is
followed by the liturgical service.
The feast of the Nativity of the
Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated
very solemnly. The celebration
consists of honoring the Virgin
Mary with flowers, thanking God
for the first fruits of the earth, and
the family meal. The Christmas
and Easter masses at Tel Aviv are
celebrated in rented halls as no
church can contain over two thousand
participants.
In the last five years it has been a
very enriching experience for me
though it meant sacrificing a bit of
my time. Back in India I never had
such an opportunity of preaching to
a big gathering. Here I have baptized
at least 50 to 60 infants and
blessed a few marriages. Besides
celebrating the Eucharist and administering
the sacraments, there
are many other areas where pastoral
care is needed. There are so
many moral issues such as illegal
relationships, broken marriages, alcoholism,
gambling etc. Listening
to their stories of joys and sorrows,
pains and doubts, and their simple
faith has made my biblical study
and preaching more relevant and
meaningful. It has also provided me
some contacts with Jewish brothers
and sisters as they occasionally participate
in our celebrations.
Fr. Dominic Mendoca, OP
Professor at the École biblique
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Lettre aux amis de l’EBAF - N° 97 - Pâques 2019