ASIA/INDIA - “Before each meeting and pastoral activity, he spent a long time in Eucharistic adoration”: Augustinians remember the Prior Provost in India

New Delhi (Agenzia Fides) – “Pope Leo XIV is remembered in India with affection and gratitude. He visited our nation twice as Prior General of the Augustinian Fathers, he is remembered as a simple man, who knew how to adapt to the local context, his attitude of listening and dialogue, and his spirituality rooted in an intense life of prayer. What was most striking was the prolonged time he dedicated to silent Eucharistic adoration,” Father Stephen Alathara, Deputy Secretary General of the Conference of Latin Rite Bishops of India and Founding Director of “Communio,” an initiative of the Latin Episcopate of India (CCBI) to support dioceses and religious congregations in rural areas, told Fides.
Father Alathara recalls the two visits the then Prior Provost made during his tenure as head of the Order of Saint Augustine: "In 2004 and 2006, he visited several Augustinian communities in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, leaving everyone with an impression of profound spirituality and closeness." During his first visit, in 2004, he spent more than a week at the Augustinian houses in Mariyapuram, in the Archdiocese of Verapoly and Edakochi, in the Diocese of Cochin, both in the state of Kerala, in southern India. "He celebrated the Eucharist at the Parish of Mary Queen Help of Christians in Mariyapuram and at the Shrine of Saint Anthony in Edakochi. They were celebrations experienced with great fervor and hope," the faithful recall. In particular, on April 22, 2004, he concelebrated with the then Archbishop of Verapoly, Monsignor Daniel Acharuparambil, the ordination Mass of six Augustinian deacons at the Church of St. Francis Xavier in Kathrikadavu (Kaloor). "His gestures of welcome and fraternal charity toward the new priests are engraved in our hearts," Father Alathara emphasizes. The second visit took place in October 2006, when he returned to the Augustinian house in Mariyapuram to participate in the Asia-Pacific meeting organized by the Order. "During that trip, despite having to attend to important matters for the Order in the region, he found time to visit the Shenbagam School in Pollachi (Tamil Nadu), run by the Augustinian Fathers in the Diocese of Coimbatore, where he met with children and young people. “He also celebrated the Eucharist at the parish of St. Thomas in Thalapuzha, in the Archdiocese of Calicut, Kerala,” adds Father Alathara. “These gestures reveal his human sensitivity and his pastoral heart. He always wanted to be in touch with the concrete reality and with the people of the communities: this is how we remember him, and we hope to be able to welcome him back to India as Pope Leo XIV.”
The Indian Augustinians also remember him fondly. “When he was here, we knew him as an extraordinarily simple person, down-to-earth, always ready to face the difficulties of everyday life,” notes Father Jacob Mullassery, OSA, who accompanied him on both visits. “He never asked for privileges: he traveled with us and accepted lodging in humble rooms, provided with the bare essentials. His humility deeply impressed us.”
Father Metro Xavier, OSA, who had several personal encounters with the Prior Provost, describes him as “a deeply spiritual man.” And he adds: "Before each meeting or pastoral activity, he spent a long time in silent Eucharistic adoration. He demonstrated a profound love for the Church and total reverence for her Magisterium. His spiritual life gave us a testimony of prayer and simplicity." For his part, Father Wilson Injerappu, OSA, Regional Vicar of the Order in India, joyfully expresses: "We are filled with immense gratitude. Having an Augustinian brother as Pope is a great blessing. It is also a reminder of our responsibility: we must constantly pray for him and support his mission with our daily prayer." (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 9/5/2025)

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