A LE T T ER FRO M I NDI A
Physical Distance, Social Nearness by Jacob Mar Barnabas Aerath, O.I.C.
A
t 6:15 a.m. on 1 May, the fifth anniversary of the inauguration of my eparchy, I went to the cathedral to celebrate the Holy Mass together with my priests and seminarians. I was surprised to see around 25 people at the gate. I asked them why they were standing there. “Bishopji, where shall we go? We don’t have any other place to go. Please help us.” After Mass, I came out and talked to them. They shared their desperate situation, their difficulties. I saw a young man and a small girl standing off a ways, and called to them. When they came near, I realized he was blind and his daughter was guiding him by holding his hand. I also realized that both of them had not eaten properly for at least two days. I invited them inside and gave them a kit of food. I told the others I would try to help them, as well. At that time there appeared a man in a wheelchair, who told me he is in difficulty and requested my help. I helped him also. There are different plans and projects declared by the government for the well-being of the poor people. But there are also people who do not belong to the necessary categories for this assistance — namely, homeless people living on the streets, under the bridges, in the parks, pavements, etc.,
and people living in the slums who are migrants from many other parts of the country. The lockdown period has really broken their backbone. Day laborers have nothing — no work, no money — and they depend totally on the mercy of other people. We started a community kitchen with the permission of the state government in the first days of the lockdown. Every day at noon, between 700 and 800 people come to the cathedral and wait under the scorching sun to get one package of cooked food. From morning till evening, there are around 50 people in front of the church waiting for me, or a priest or a seminarian or a religious sister, so they can get one of our larger food kits. This morning, when I was going to the community kitchen, I saw a group of people standing before the cathedral gate. The volunteer told me one lady was here for the fourth day in a row. When I inquired, she told me she is a widow and she finds it difficult to carry on. I told the others, “I don’t have enough food for all of you, but this woman is a widow and is in difficulty. Therefore, I will let her in and we will share what we have with her, and I will try to get more food soon.” The people in the group told me, “Bishopji, please help that old lady sitting at the corner of the gate.” I went to her and asked her where she lived. She started crying loudly. For all the questions I asked
“God has called me to radiate his love and care to these brothers and sisters without looking at their faith, caste, color, language, etc.”
Bishop Jacob Mar Barnabas Aerath of the Eparchy of St. John Chrysostom of Gurgaon-Delhi visits a health clinic in Delhi.
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF CNEWA
23
