GUYANESE DIALOGUES
Stanislaus Arul SJ tells us of what happened when he was sent from India to Guyana to ‘help out!'
Stanislaus Arul SJ tells us of what happened when he was sent from India to Guyana to ‘help out!'
I accepted the challenge, arriving in Guyana in July 2000, initially staying at the Sacred Heart Church, Georgetown then moving on to Port Mourant as Parish Priest. One of our former parishioners there, who now lives in New York, generously loaned his building for the new work.
A library and reading room was set up to enable people of the area to gather. Children were given the opportunity to learn to read through the help of members of the local community. This was followed by Yoga classes for the young people and herbal medical treatment for the sick.
In November 2001 we started to hold seminars and workshops on inter-faith concerns, parental problems and the development of self-esteem. Each event has attracted an average of over 50 people.
Meanwhile the Regional Superior, Joe Chira Si and I applied to Fr General's special fund for new works to obtain funding to buy a property in order to start a proper Institute for Dialogue with Cultures and Religions (IDCR). In December 2002 we were awarded a grant of US$ 26,315 to purchase land and property close to the present Ashram. The generous readers of Jesuits and Friends, with the help of Tony Montfort and the staff of Jesuit Missions, helped us to start the initial preparatorwork.
Since the beginning of this year we have been focussing on the building work. The old house was relocated to the back of the property and was dedicated on the feast of St Joseph, March 19th. It is called Nirmala (Our Lady Immaculate) and the new building will be called the Institute for Dialogue, Britto Hall. It will house the Institute on the ground floor, with the Jesuit residence on the first.
Paul Hamill SJ, the Provincial's representative, has been of great help in the planning process and, as a result, the foundation stone was laid on Easter Monday 21st April by our Regional Superior, Fr Joe Chira.
For Jesuits, frontiers and boundaries are not obstacles or ends, but new challenges to be faced, new opportunities to be welcomed. As former General Pedro Arrupe once stated, indeed ours is a holy boldness, a certain apostolic aggressivity.'