Hobbies vs Apostolate

 The other day we had a meeting of the Leaders and in the Varia points as part of the Agenda there was a discussion about one of our earliest communities.  The point raised was, what can we do at _____, given that it is one of our earliest Salesian initiatives in the Province?  The whole idea is triggered by this misinterpretation of 'Master plan'.  The itch for this is to see what NEW can and should be done, because we are already there for donkeys years. 

Sitting and listening to the proposals and ideas being proposed, I made no attempt whatsoever at getting involved.  Several months or more than a year ago itself I had made my stand clear:  Our 'Master plan' is primarily in response to a local need.  What more we need to do for the young people of the locality is what needs to be our guiding principle and criteria.  And that should not begin and end with infrastructural additions.  Rather it should be initiatives which are tested and if found worthy of investment (financial and personnel) time and our commitment will tell.  

However, since then the discussion of a 'master plan' is in the air, without any consideration of what is the need that we are addressing.  The whole focus is on what 'we want to do'!!!  But is that what we want, the same as what is NEEDED by the young people?? Secondly, the whole craze is to have new buildings! What for? The same things we already are doing!  So my basic question is what improvement have we done or wish to achieve, other than new buildings??  

Sitting in an ac hall we discuss matters about what we want.  That's deciding on hobbies, not finalisation of apostolate! 

Informed citizens

 A recent headline that caught my attention...

Read the full article, published on Down to Earth, which hits the nail on the head, not just about the Ganges and the right way of protecting it, but about everything that we hold important and valuable!

Felt truly good reading the content of this article.  After long, came across the following words, phrases and their interlinkages: curiosity, conservation, nature interpretation, 'the river we see, but don't understand', context-specific content, engagement vs information sharing, informed and engaged public, measuring success beyond buildings, creating connections, the greatest achievement is still not the number of people who walk through their doors, but the transformation that takes place after the visit, informed advocates rather than mere spectators, lasting impact depends on something less visible, but equally important (understanding)...

Infrastructure vs Empowerment

 In the last council I had to AGAIN speak strongly about rethinking our investment and the priorities of our mission.  

Most of our financial reserves and earnings are being funneled into buildings and renovations!  Truly a black hole!  I firmly believe that we should shift the emphasis on building people, rather than buildings!  

Investments on infrastructure are a trap.  The attention they need and the constant care that eats ones time, resources and energy is huge.  That's one of the biggest drawbacks of institutionalisation.  We never have 'enough' of buildings and institutions!  We first invest in construction, then in maintenance, then in renovation and constantly seek beautification!  Not even half of that is invested in, what I feel is the most essential: people!  Skills, training, education, creativity, thinking... these need and demand attention.  That should be what we Salesians should be pouring ourselves (and our resources) into.  And for most of these, infrastructure is not the most essential; even if it is, very minimal of it would do.  

 I am convinced that if I truly offer QUALITY training or education, no matter how poor or little infrastructure I have, young people will soon realise the CONTENT and be the most direct beneficiaries.  

Personal commitment

 I had another round of discussion with a confrere this morning, again very profound and touching some of the basic issues concerning our Salesian apostolate across the province and in the individual communities.  

One of my primary concerns - was and - is that we Salesians have become numb to the challenges of the youth!  We have found our safe haven in our houses and in our own worlds.  Our commitment to respond to the needs of the youth, is lost when faced with the slightest of discomfort or smallest of a hurdle.  We have basically losing or lost the SPARK!

I truly believe that if I am passionate about working with and for the young, and I notice that there is a challenge which the young people are struggling with - not in the air, but in my vicinity - I will pour out myself, in response to it.  Literally, pour out myself.  I will use every bit of space, every tiny infrastructure, every resource around me, every ounce of my strength and give my best to assist the young or the needy.  I need to 'own' up that challenge, with and for the young.  I will not wait for a mega project to be sanctioned, a new building to be put up, extra space/land to be provided, or someone from somewhere giving me directions as to what to do.  I will just do whatever I can, with whatever I have.  

Without that bit of will, that tiny effort, that initial investment of myself - all of myself - (and the little I have), no amount of money or resources or infrastructure or land or even God himself (by Himself, all alone) can make any meaningful and sustained impact.  

Construction

 The construction work is laborious - naturally for the one doing it, but also for the one who is carrying it out (the owner).  Without supervision, there are a hundred and one things that can go wrong, which the masons and team will not bother look at or see to. Not that the mason and team are bad or malicious, it is just that they are so focused on their task that they do not tend to notice any other tasks their job has created! As the home owner, one looks at the whole house, rather than just one portion that is being built or renovated. 

But one thing is sure, investment in construction and worse, renovation, is a dead investment! 

Rethinking apostolate

 We Salesians have earned for ourselves a reputation for 'going big'. Our interventions on behalf of the young are often mega events and involving large numbers.

Our buildings and homes are huge. So much so, that if we have a small residence or building we feel claustrophobic - the young therein are absolutely not bothered by the size of the building though! 

Perhaps this has been one of our characteristic style of operating. But we need to realise that we have huge multiple buildings but no children therein! If we do, they are so few that even if we allot a room for each, we will still have rooms to spare! We may still be blessed with 6-7 digit figure project funding, but those projects define our apostolate; not the need of the place or the poor that define our mission. 

Sooner than later we will need to radically rewire ourselves, our attitude and our approach to see apostolate as disjoint from buildings, projects, and a 'me-first' outlook. Move from 'going big' to 'going deep'.

Don Bosco's boys spilled all over the place and then he built bigger places; he didn't build mega houses and then look for boys to fill the house!

The person, people as the Church

 The readings of the day, led me to a surprising twist at the end... much like a thriller movie with a very unexpected and unprepared twist to conclude with.  

The first and the second readings speak of the structure of the temple. The second one speaks of the waters from the sanctuary, flowing left, around, this way and that way... emphasising the life it spreads wherever it flows.  

The gospel of the day begins with Jesus in the temple; his rage at the commercialisation of the sacred space and his eventual chasing out of all the vendors. However, the concluding line of the gospel is a total surprise: He was talking of his body!  Rebuilding of the temple again! 

With all the emphasis all along on the structure of the temple, the building, the sanctuary, the edifice... the best is kept for the last - the person!  

The church as a person, the people!  While the physical structure of the church is part of the understanding, tradition and need of the living out of our faith, the highest form and integral part of the understanding, tradition and need of living out the same faith, is the person!! 

Personally for me, especially in my present role, this concept of the emphasis on the living person, much more than the physical infrastructure and all the amenities and functionality, is an endorsement of where our investment should most be!  

Of course, I don't think Jesus would differ in my subtle deviation when I say that the building up should be of the people of God, not myself!  I am not the temple - atleast not the most important or the best decorated or guarded.  Shouldn't.  

Missing out

 I've begun to realise that we often miss including or remembering to include the accessories and other tiny aspects of the bigger plans and projects. Every time we prepare and budget a project, we tend to miss out the small aspects that also cost and need finance!  We either take those needs for granted or at that time, feel that we can manage, without funding for them. 

Worst part of this issue is that the complementary part or item that is not listed costs as much as the whole project itself!! 

For example, we appeal for a solar power unit. But miss out calculating the cost of upgrading or replacing the transformer itself. 

We get an RO water plant; but end up paying the same amount for the accessories (pipes to the water outlets, water tanks, taps, motors, tin shed to cover it, exit pipes...) 

In our project proposal for a new building, we include only the construction costs; but fail to see the hidden costs, before, during and after the construction.  Even the ones directly related to construction, leave alone complementary or not related to construction.  Building permissions, land conversion, architects plans, demolishing and clearing existing sheds or rubble, water connection, non-salty water for curing and construction, 3-phase electricity connection, meter charges, transformer to the central console in the building accessories, lift (civil and equipment)... 

Construction and creativity

Reviewing and inspecting very many construction and civil works in the last three years, that being one of my responsibilities (although without any experience in this field!), I’ve begun to realise how routine or monotonous most contractors and engineers tend to be. 

For most of the contractors, construction is basically building: brick, cement, steel, and stuff. The same stuff, the same way, all the time. They don’t seem to pick up any practical – leave alone, innovative – aspects of constructions which enrich their work, over time. 

I guess, their whole concentration is on completing the work or getting the basics right, that they don’t really bother to add finesse or value or utility enhancing features to their works. Or perhaps, being an outsider to this field, I under-estimate their learning or application of their skills. 

Perhaps, they’d be wondering in similar lines (or worse) about my financial and administrative skills!

Construction and comfort

With new constructions and renovations being planned and executed in very many communities, most confreres prefer to now go for AC-utilisation mode – all in the name of modernisation and better living conditions. This means reduced ventilation spaces and special painting and low-ceiling and tiled floors... However, what I have a difficulty is the inability of our guys foreseeing the additional expenses and inconveniences these modifications incur. Besides laying separate wiring, sockets, and the cost of the AC unit itself, there are the hidden but certain costs of higher electricity bills, extra load on the total consumption, even to the extent of leading to the necessity of having an independent transformer. Add to that the uncertainty of continued power supply in most of our locations. So we’ll sooner or later need to buy generators – that too, those which can support the load of these AC units. 

The greatest disadvantage in planning of exclusively AC rooms is that when the AC is inoperational, the room is as good as an oven, given our hot climate. The greatest risk of enhancing the comforts in our rooms and offices, is that we eventually get stuck to these rather than our active apostolate AMIDST the young. Between the dirty streets or the scorching playground or the sweaty hall and the air-conditioned office or room, the temptation to seek refuge in the latter is too overwhelming. 

I’d rather prefer that we plan and construct rooms, halls or buildings which have the maximum arial ventilation and light. Even those limited and selected rooms where we wish to use AC units, there should be a reasonable option for natural ventilation and/or fans.

 

Tying our own feet...

More than ever, I've come to realise that the more we invest in infrastructure, the more we are tying down our own selves, especially in terms of our apostolate. With our ever increasing craze to build structures, even with already built buildings lying idle or under utilised, we tend to push for newer buildings. 

The skewed logic being: We needed the space, so we built. But over the years, the numbers are constantly dwindling and in quite a few places we hardly have any resident students or boarders. And since the building is there, we feel the need to fill it up with children. Even if the need isn't that or has totally changed.  So the reason for staying behind and doing the same work as before is that there is the building!!  

I'm reminded of an incident in Hollywood which struck me very deeply...Ward Kimball was an animator for the Walt Disney Studios in the 1930’s. He was on the team for the first full-length animated feature by the Disney studio, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).

He spent 240 days working on a single four-and-a-half-minute scene. In that scene, the dwarfs were cooking a meal for Snow White, and he covered every detail. When the time came, to review the film, Walt Disney personally reviewed the scene and commented: “That scene is hilarious. It’s terrific.” 

Then, he added, “But, I think it interrupts the flow of the movie so we need to cut it out!” 

So off went that scene - 240 days of immense work, scrapped in order to preserve and enhance, the greatness of the film! 

I wish we had that courage and vision of Ward Kimball to be able to see the greater picture and adapt accordingly, however painful it may be. 

I managed to get a clip of the same production... 

Grandiosity

Aiming for the sky is always considered a challenging and motivating factor.  However, practically speaking, that long distance goal is only good in theory.  In real practical life, it is one step-at-a-time. 

Most often we Salesians fail, and miserably at that, because we think too big.  Well, dreaming of huge grand plans is nothing harmful.  The danger is embarking on it purely on the dream alone.  Not really testing it out in bits and learning from it, before going for the big kill.  We often are in a hurry to make it big!  We forget that it takes years of hard work and effort, including a humility to constantly evaluate ones own work and learn from it.  Humility also to accept the fact that we do not know-it-all.  Therefore the need to involve and learn from others who are experts in that field.  Once we have worked on a small task, involving people, gaining experience and wisdom, and have significantly proved it to be successful, then present it as a working model.  Then take up something bigger and gain from that experience... learn, evaluate, experiment, involve, reflect, plan.  By this time you have a network in place (of people, places, contacts, experiences, information).  Bigger tasks will naturally come your way or be entrusted to you. 

Mere grandiosity, solely on the basis of 'reaching out' is something we religious should be cautious about.  Don Bosco did not straight away build large houses and churches!  He first started meeting boys in the streets, in the prisons, in their work places.  He then gathered them on Sundays.  Again, not in a grand place of his own.  His initial boarders were living with him in his house, not a large well-furnished boarding house!  He built up his work bit by bit.  As the felt need presented itself, he undertook bigger houses and places.  He did not build (buildings) and then start working!!  

Salisbury Cathedral

Visited Salisbury cathedral today with the CathSoc from the University.  Amazed at the whole structure. Still more amazed at the thought of having to build one such thing in the 13th century!  Crazy! 

Some quick facts:

• The cathedral was built in just 38 years beginning in 1220.  
• It contains 60,000 tons of stone (that meant the same number of horse cart rides to transport the stone from the nearby quarry to the site of construction!). 
• 2,800 tons of oak wood from the forests and even from Ireland.  
• 420 tons of lead for the roofing.  
• It has a foundation of not more than 4 feet!  The whole structure sits - or rather floats - on a mix of gravel, sand, and water! That watery depth is about 27 feet!  That makes it the largest floating Cathedral.  None would even dare start a building of that sort. 
• It has the highest Church spire in the whole of Europe. There are about 300+ steps leading up to the foot of the spire!  A spectacular view of the whole city from up above.  
• The pillars supporting the whole structure are not more than 5 feet in diameter!  Built according to the early English Gothic architectural style, the Cathedral was primarily the work of a priest Elias of Dereham.  No monastery or convent existed around the Cathedral ever!  The height of it is really crazy.  If it were to be storied and each storey dedicated for some purpose I understand, but this is just the floor and the ceiling - way, way above!  
• A water font was added to the central part of the Cathedral.  It is beautiful, with water falling off from four corners.  Some great planning is behind it as there are no bubbles arising from the water being pumped from underneath.  The font, bigger than a table tennis board, appears like glass - water being so still and not a single bubble. Got to find out how they did that!  
• The Chapter house adjoining the Cathedral contains one of the four original (of the 40) Magna Carta's existing.  Surprisingly, it is very clear and legible - even though it was written in 1215 on animal hide!  The writing is so precise and beautiful it appears as though printed yesterday!  

  

  The world's oldest working clock!

  
  
  
  
  

  

  The statue 2 feet tall at the entrance to the Chapter house, which contains the Magna Carta

  
  

  

  The statue of Mother Mary and child Jesus.  Today it is used as a 'witness' to the induction of girl choir members - when girls pass their test and are selected for the girls choir, they kneel before this statue and are given three hits with a heavy Bible on their head!  

Misguided priorities

There is a bill drafted for proposal in the Indian parliament about providing river Ganga 'protection' with an armed force which has powers to arrest those polluting the river!  I really could not believe what I was reading.  My first impulse was to laugh.  The second thought was, why not?  It's a good move, if aimed at preserving the ecology of the river and its surroundings.  However it then struck me, why only Ganga?  Why not all rivers and forests? 

So we now have civil and legal protection for rivers, cows, temples (also places where temples were once believed to be!) ... Wonder when will people, especially women, poor, disadvantaged, activists, journalists, get protection? 

Then there is the tallest statue in the world under construction in Gujarat, that of Sardar Patel.  The cost of which is 30 bn rupees.  Wonder what would that statue stand for?  Sardar Vallabhai Patel was a freedom fighter who has to his credit the feat of uniting India, as the first deputy prime minister, after we won freedom from the British.  This 'statue of unity' will certainly be a tourist spot but to reach it the tourists will have to pass through the poverty and misery of the living people!  This obsession with  investing in buildings and structures seems to be a common disease found among all those in authority, be it in politics or religious life.  

Salesian presence in Cowley, Oxford

While at Cowley, near Oxford, we visited our Salesian parish of Our Lady of Help of Christians. Fr Peter was ill and hence could not meet him.  Fr Graham was kind enough to show me around the Parish church and describe its history to me.  He is almost doing a PhD on the historical origin and growth of the Church.  Listening to him, and his enthusiasm of constructing the past from all the bits and pieces of correspondence and plaques and local news and oral memory of Salesians and the local population, was almost like viewing the whole past on a screen before the eyes.  More of its history is here.

A couple of facts that still linger in my mind:

• Cowley housed the Provincial house and the post-novitiate of the GBR province for several years.  That was mainly because it was in Oxford and students could study at the famous college.  Though the original building, with all its structures, is no more - what remains is the Parish church, which came to be much after the other structures were closed - the influence of Salesians in the locality is still strong.  Add to that the fact that the Salesian Sisters ran the primary school just down the road from the present location of the Parish, meant a very strong Salesian presence.  
• Perhaps the social context of the place too played a major role in the dynamic growth of the Salesians: the mini-cooper car factory was a great attraction for workers.  I learnt that there were many who came from Ireland to work in the car factory.  These fervent Irish catholics found in the Salesians a great support and vice-versa. 
• Much was said about Fr Thomas McKenna, the second Salesian parish priest, and the astute administrator of funds and manager of people who almost single-handedly built the Parish and the existing structures. 
• Interesting to note was that the Parish is today existing not because of the existence and functioning of the Provincial house but mainly because of the Dominic Savio club that was started close to the present location of the parish.  The club was for years the centre of life and activity of the local Catholic population.  

A few pics of the Church interior...

This plaque is all that is to commemorate the memory of Fr McKenna. 
Most beautiful aspect of this: it was planned and placed by the Parishoners. 

 I'm thinking of the numerous plaques and inauguration slabs all over the Province that are ordered and placed by the Salesians, inserting our own names on it!! It speaks of how frightened we are of being forgotten in time.  But if we genuinely do good, we continue to live in the hearts and minds of people and in their goodness, on a small plaque like this.  No self-decoration!

Holy tourism?

I had no plans to go visiting all the churches in Rome!  In fact, had booked my return ticket on the same day the meeting concludes.  However, did the mistake of not really noticing that the meeting ends on Wednesday and not on Thursday.  Even then I was not keen on running around in Rome. Was only keen on meeting Fr Joshtrom.  Most of the confreres were quite surprised that I was not going to visit the Vatican... as if Pope Francis had cancelled all his appointments to meet me!

Anyway, Fr Joshtrom and Anthaiah and Prakash said that since I had practically a whole day, I should go and see at least St Peter's basilica.  And so Anthaiah and Prakash 'took' me to the place.  We stood in the queue for a little more than an hour just to get in the basilica.

First impression:  Too beautiful!  Magnificent!
Second impression: So beautiful that it serves better as a tourist spot than a place of worship!

Anyway, spent some time in prayer and some in seeing the grandeur of the church.

That's Anthaiah and Prakash

Don't know what that is but found it amusing while waiting for a traffic signal to cross the road

From there visited a few other churches, the Pantheon (great architecture of the early AD dedicated to the 'gods', later converted into a church!), went hunting for the skull of St Agnes and Augustine!  Found the former but only in time to be told that the Church was closing!  Except the basilicas most churches are closed for 'lunch break' in Rome.  The latter we never found.  That meant quite some walking along the Roman cobblestone pavements! Had lunch at an Indian restaurant run by Bangladeshis!  Took a quick walk through Termini, the central bus and train station of Rome before boarding the bus to return to UPS.

Anyway, am really grateful to Anthaiah and Prakash for spending the whole day for and with me!

No pillars

Most English houses do not have pillars. Even those which are double or triple storied.  Our house has three floors, and yet has not one single pillar!  It is all about architecture and style of building.  If I'm not mistaken, our Salesian house in Punganur (India) too is built without pillars - that too in stone!

Here in England the rooms are small and of low ceiling - that's to preserve heat.  The walls, made of bricks, are thicker too.  The outsides of the house are mostly not plastered.  So, much is saved on steel and cement.

I wonder why this formula is not practiced back in India.  Perhaps it would be interesting to see how constructions are done here in UK.  I've only come across renovations so far. Never seen a house being constructed from the foundations.

My Salesian residence (Chertsey)