Back from Bangalore

At the end of January I left Rome with John Antony for visitation in Karnataka, South West India. I had been looking forward to this visitation as I am always happy to be among the Indian people. I find them a very welcoming and courteous race. And I love Indian food!
I was not disappointed. The Capuchins in Karnataka are a great group of friars. They have many vocations: young, energetic and seriously searching young men, eager to learn about Francis and the Capuchins, eager too to give themselves to the Lord in the Order. Obviously all of them will not remain, but the experience of spending some years in formation houses of the Order will be of certain benefit to them in the years ahead.
The economy in India is booming, but, as in many other places, the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Bangalore had become one of the world's centres for IT, literacy rates are high but there are still many visible signs of poverty, neglect and abandonment. The traffic is horrrendous. Going for a walk in the evening meant stepping out into blue air, so great was the volume of traffic and the noxious emissions, especially from the autorickshaws.
But the sense of hospitality is wonderful: garlands, cultural programmes, specially prepared food, personal accompaniment everywhere - all combine to create a great sense of being valued and welcomed. We have much to learn! We were graciously welcomed into his home by a grand-nephew of one of the friars who, together with his wife and two sons, entertained us royally.

The friars are engaged in all kinds of apostolates: parish, schools, social work, formation. Most of their work is among the very poor. The schools cater for all religions; Catholics/Christians are a minority in all of them. There is a very successful programme for the empowerment of women in the villages, carried out in several centres throughout Karnataka. Initially the men were suspicious, but now that the women have become earners some of this opposition has drained away. There is still opposition from some Hindu groups, who look upon this work as an invitation to convert to Christianity, but gradually they are realising that this is not so.
There are pockets of fundamentalist Hindu opposition, resulting in attacks on churches and shrines but a protest demonstration in Mysore drew thousand in to the streets, including several thousand Hindus and Muslims, who wanted to dissociate themselves from such behaviour.
All in all, a great trip, hard work, lots of miles. But worth it.