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18 September 2019

A full circle: Fr Lens

At last the autobiography of Fr Lens has seen the light of the day!  It has been rolling around offices and desks for the past 5 years!  I'm sure Fr Lens is smiling away from his place above - not at the former fact, but at the latter dynamics! 

I think it was Thathi's visit to Europe that really propelled the text to the printers desk.  Luckily Baly is now in-charge of publications and he got Salva to "redo" the design and layout.  Kalyan, while he was the Province Secretary, is the one who initially got it typed out (from the printed paper that was originally handed down by Fr Lens).  I proof-read and edited it a couple of times (always starting afresh from the original text) over the past 5 years.  Fr Pandi, I'm sure will know the text by-heart, for he has done the greatest amount of work on correcting it again and again for more than half a dozen times (Asked twice by me, by Fr Balaraju, Kalyan, then by Benny, and then by Ashok...and a couple of others in between!). 

Thathi informed me that the obituary too has been printed - though only a few copies.  That was another of my attempts to force out the publication of Fr Lens' autobiography.  I had individually asked some confreres to pen a few of their memories with Fr Lens.  Was a bit disappointed to see that not all those who sent in their precious testimonies have been included.  I guess that is what happens when things keep rolling from desk to desk - they get lost, especially if they are loose bits and not bound together! Those who sent in by e-mail, I surely would have it in my inbox.  But there were others who sent me hand-written notes.  Those I'm not sure where they are at present.  (I need to keep the rough drafts or get the rough drafts and digital copies of such kinds with me - no use blaming others for misplacing them years later!).

Of course, thanks to Fr Lens himself for having put down his life story.  But greater thanks to Fr Balaswamy who "ordered" him to write it!  I was the first to hear of the existence of this text from Fr Balaswamy a day after Fr Lens passed away in 2014.  Fr Lens had given the text (printed hard copy) to Fr Balaswamy, on condition that it would be made public only posthumously. So during the funeral Mass at Karunapuram, Fr Bala made the official announcement of its existence and handed it over to Fr Balaraju, the then Provincial.  That was in November 2014.  Now it is September 2019! 

There is a book release planned and being organised by the Belgium Salesian province on October 5 - the birthday of Fr Lens!  Thathi has carried with him copies of the printed work for the occasion. In one sense, am happy that Fr Lens is making it a full circle: he was born in Belgium and now one of his own testament (written) is returning to Belgium 98 years later!  I'm sure his sisters (know not how many of the 5 are still alive - but that some are!) would are thrilled and looking forward to this occasion.  While the book itself is a 'relic', his greatest legacies are all of us, those privileged to have known him and been inspired and touched by his life!  

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