50th ANNIVERSARY RE-UNION AT BANDEL BASILICA

Thirty five of us from Kerala and two from Mangalore – all 12-13 year olds had landed at Our Lady’s House School ( a strange name for an all-boys’ seminary) at Bandel, next to a 400-year old church on the banks of the River Hooghly, about 40 kms north of Calcutta (now Kolkata) with dreams of becoming priests. The date was 7^th April 1962, Saturday before Palm Sunday. Later we were joined by 11 boys from Bengal, mostly from the diocese of Krihnagar in Nadia District.

From 15^th to 17the Arpil this year 14 from the 1962 batch gathered at Bandel Church (now raised to the status of a Basilica to mark the 50^th anniversary of our arrival there, to pray together and share our stories. Those who made to the occasion: CJ Sebastian, Daniel Beck, KM Jacob, KP Cyriac, KT Thomas, K. V. Paul, Lukas Biswas, MK Kurian, Peter Gomes, PJ Mathew, PJ Michael, PO Jose, Leonard Gomes and VJ John (who joined our batch later), and VM Sebastian. Four of our superiors from that period were also present: Fr. Strocio Rozario (who was our Rector for about a year), Fr. Bertie Fernandes, Fr. VV Mathai and Most Rev. Lukas Sirkar, Archbishop Emirus of Calcutta, who were then clerics and our teachers, . We were very glad that they had taken time to be with us. Swapan Gregory, from the batch before ours, joined us. He is living close to the Church.

Besides sharing our stories since we left Bandel, we also retraced some of our rituals like gathering before the statue of Our Lady of Fatima, the grotto of our Lady of Lourdes, saying our Rosary in procession up to the Balcony where we had the mass celebrated with Fr. Bertie Fernandes presiding (on the 16^th evening). We also had Mass in the Basilica on the 17^th morning at which Fr. Mathai presided.

We decided to meet again in Kerala before Jubilee year ends on 7^th April 2013. We are hoping to contact more from our batch before the next Reunion.

The following are the 47 from the 1962 batch of seminarians at Bandel Church:

AJ Thomas, AP Francis, Daniel Beck, Anthony Biswas, Francis Biswas, Lukas Biswas, Wilfred D’Cruze, Gabriel Gomes, Nicholas Gomes, Peter Gomes, Pius Gain, KA George, KA Joseph, K I Jose, KJ Anthony, KJ Peter, KL Chandy, KM Jacob, KP Cyriac, KS Joseph, KT Thomas, KV Paulose, MJ George, MK Kurian, MS Joseph, NP Kurian, Francis Noronha, PG Joseph, PJ Mathew, PJ Michael, PJ Sebastian, PK Varghese, PL George, PL George, PL Paulson, PO Jose, Pascal Rodrigues, Roy Anthony, TC Joseph, TT Thomas, UM Mathew, VA Raymond, VJ Devassia, VM Sebastian, VM Sebastian,VS Felix, VT Joseph.

Please get in touch and help to get in touch with others.