At the bottom of the 300 steps to the famed dome of the St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican, Fr Tom Uzhunnalil suddenly remembered an earlier motorcycle journey in Karnataka when he was younger.
“I rode 158 km from Bengaluru to Shravanabelagola to see the Gomatheswara sculpture. I climbed up all 600 steps without any hassles. But the next day, my knees were aching like anything,” the priest said, urging the others to leave him behind.
Fr Packiam Harry from Tamil Nadu was insistent though. He persuaded Fr Uzhunnalil to climb at least a few steps to the chapel. The frail priest started the climb. Somewhere I felt like he was tottering and leaned forward to help him, only to be chided by him.
“I am alright,” said Fr Uzhunnalil as he took in the vast Vatican landscape from atop the dome. He conjured up the images of a lifetime, from the childhood at Ramapuram, Kottayam, in Kerala to the captivity somewhere in Yemen.
Soul food
Fr Uzhunnalil has been treated to his heart’s content ever since he landed in Vatican after being released by the gunmen in Yemen last month. “I get all my favorite items here, like chapati, chicken curry, prawns pickle and even garlic pickle from Andhra.”
The priest said he adapted to local food quickly. “I grew up on tapioca and jackfruit dishes and chicken curry. But I can’t insist on those all the time. Wherever I go, I prefer the local food.”
Fr Uzhunnalil joined the other Salesian priests in Vatican on September 12. He had been put up with five priests who live close to the Pope’s residence. He had to recover his health and get all travel documents ready before he flew back to his home in Kerala.
He visited the Salesian headquarters at the Via Della Pisana and the Salesian University, where he shared his experiences with the students. The Vatican police were forever watching over the priest.
“This is my second trip to the Vatican. I came here first in 2003, on my way to the United States. The only thing new for me here was the tomb of Pope John Paul II,” said the priest as he paid homage to the former shepherd near the St Augustine’s chapel inside the St Peter’s Basilica.
The priest weighed 82 kg when he was taken hostage by gunmen in Aden in March 2016. When he was released, he weighed a mere 58.5 kg. He has recovered to 62.5 kg after two weeks in Vatican, thanks to the regimen prescribed by doctors and the love and care bestowed by fellow priests. Fr Abraham Kavalakkatt has been looking after Fr Uzhunnalil like a son, the other priests said.
Fr Uzhunnalil has a lot to catch up. He is ignorant of many things that happened in the world in the last one-and-a-half year. Fr Harry’s quick recaps have helped a lot though. He told Fr Uzhunnalil that Ram Nath Kovind has been elected India’s president and former Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa has passed away. He even pointed to the Internet memes involving the leaders who vied to take credit for the priest’s release.
In good company
Fr Uzhunnalil was accompanied by Fr Mathew George Karyapuram and Fr Freddy Pereira, the Salesian provincial secretaries in Kolkata and Bengaluru, on his way to India. Fr Uzhunnalil and Fr Karyapuram go a long way, from the days when both of them went to the St Augustine’s school at Ramapuram. Fr Karyapuram was four years senior.
“Fr Uzhunnalil was gentle and a darling of all students,” Fr Karyapuram reminisced. “He would complete with sincerity any task assigned to him. I have only heard good about him. When I was in the Kolkata provincial house, Fr Uzhunnalil was an electronics diploma student in the Don Bosco Technical School at the Park Circus. He remains the same after all these years. He is ready for anything and he has a strong will and clarity of mind.”
Fr Uzhunnalil passed on his duties as the leader of the Bengaluru province to Fr Thomas Anjukandam just before he left for Yemen. Fr Anchukandam remembers his predecessor as a man with a vision for the poor.
“His lifestyle is simple. He never complains or criticizes anyone. He chose to return to Yemen after he came back from his first stint. He knew the challenges he faced. He said he had unfinished work there, tending to the spiritual needs of the people and the nuns who worked in the old-age home.”
Read more: Latest Kerala news | I'm a thick-skinned person, don't use WhatsApp: Alphons Kannanthanam