Today is the death anniversary of Fr Ronald Menezes, a Salesian Priest from Mumbai. I was in the same community as he in the year 2003 at Matunga. I was a student then, studying outside the community or the Salesian educational institutions.
I remember him for his gentle ways of keeping all of us in the community together. He was a hard worker and expected everyone also to contribute their mite in keeping the works going on smoothly. One of his most striking features was his enthusiasm. He was always optimistic and enthused about life. That was really contagious. Be it among the confreres, the school teachers, people who came to the Shrine, or even the boys in the campus.
He was always present in his rectors office which was in the school building. Every school day morning, he would be at the entrance of the primary section greeting children and parents - always in his cassock. He was such a familiar figure among the tiny tots that one day one of them walked up to him and said, 'Your mummy is at the gate!' Ronnie was shocked. (His parents were long deceased). Looking at his face the boy realised that he didn't believe him. So the little one took Ronnie's hand and dragged him to the entrance. And whom does Ronnie see there? A nun, in a habit! The little one had linked the 'matching clothes' and figured out that the one in the habit would be the mother of the one in a cassock!
I most appreciated his love and care of the boarders. We then had nearly 60 boys with us in the Matunga boarding. And he knew each of the boys, their family background and their strengths and weaknesses. It was he who warmly exhorted us, three Brothers, to visit the homes of the boys during the holidays. We went grudgingly. But that one visit to the homes of the boys, made a big difference for our relationship with the boys. When the boys returned to the boarding, most of them had a totally different outlook towards us. They saw us Brothers as friends and relatives, who knew their families, their homes, their real living condition. They didn't have to put on masks because we knew their real condition, and didn't treat them any different or less because of that.
Ronnie was also very good in relating to people and roping them in to assist in the various works of the boarding or school. He was keen that we three Brothers meet him every month. And he was keen that we keep him abreast of our reading material and progress. I think that was because he himself was an avid reader. It was evident from his sermons and reflections.
Anyway, I was blessed to have him as the Rector of the community when I was in Matunga. And today, I thank God for him, in a special way.
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