THE LIFE AND MISSION OF ST. FRANCIS XAVIER’S CHURCH THEVAKIRAMAM, ALIGAMBAY

BACKGROUND

Sri Lankan Gypsy people are an ethnic group from Sri Lanka who trace their origins in India centuries ago. They are generally nomadic and are found throughout the island. They mostly speak Telugu, also known as Sri Lankan Gypsy Telugu, a Dravidian language natively spoken in the Andhra Pradesh state in India. Various Governments, NGOs and Missionaries have made attempts to settle them down, and thus some are settled in villages. Among the majority Sinhalese speakers they are known as ahikuntaka, while among the minority Sri Lankan Tamils and Muslims they are known as Kuravar. They make their living by fortune telling, snake charming and using monkeys and dogs in performances. Those who are settled in resettlement villages are subsistence farmers and farm hands to other farmers. They also speak Sinhalese or Tamil based on their area of settlement. Most seem to be settled in the Eastern Batticaloa district. Most follow rudimentary elements of Hinduism, while some are Christians and yet others adhere to Buddhism. The Christians settled in a village called ‘Aligambay’.

EMBRACING CHRISTIANITY.

In the past many of the older generation of priests have set a great example of zealous and sustained work in evangelization in various part of the diocese Due to their untiring and pioneering efforts and endeavors and in spite of many difficulties, lack of fast means of conveyance and communications, and strains on financial resources, many new Catholic communities and mission stations have been opened and developed. The latest of these series was the successful evangelization work of Fr. Godfrey Cook SJ, a German Missionary, among the gypsies in the southern part of the diocese, at Aligambay. They were people most neglected and uncared for by all sectors. They were not used to any type of residential enterprises, but as Fr. Lange remarked a sort of 'dolce fa niente' (happily doing nothing) type, hunting in the jungles, and going around from place to place and house to house with their snakes and dogs, eking out a meager existence. Fr. Cook's efforts at persuading them to stop their wanderings and settle down somewhere finally met with some success. He obtained crown land for them at Aligambay 12 k. m. away from Akkaraipattu town, and settled them there in 1955. Besides simple hut like houses, Fr. Cook built for their children a school and got a teacher too. In fact Fr. Cook meant everything for them. Finally on April 9th. 1961, about 200 of them were baptized by Bishop Glennie. So, their Christian faith experience is only about 50 years.

THE ARMED CONFLICT AND DISPLACEMENT

The armed struggle in Sri Lanka between the Armed Forces and the Liberation movements of Tamils officially began in 1983 with rioting across the country and organized violence against Tamils in the South. The war has been divided into three phases: Eelam Wars I, II and III. All three wars have been marked by armed confrontations between the government’s armed forces and Tamil militants, massacres and mass displacement of civilians. Eelam War II, 1990-1994 is marked by mass population displacements. An estimated 1 million people were displaced between June and September 1990 in the north-east; approximately 80% of the population in these areas.  The fighting and mass displacement continued into late 1999. By the year 2000 UNHCR estimated that 800,000 people were internally displaced and another 500,000 were living outside of Sri Lanka (UNHCR 2000).

DISPLACEMENT AND RETURN OF THE PEOPLE OF ALIGAMBAY

The people of Aligambay also left their own lands and got displaced in the south east town of Thirukoil. They left their houses and the area in 1990.

In February 2002 a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by the Sri Lanka Prime Minister and the leader of the LTTE agreeing to cease all military operations and attacks against civilians. Many people returned to their houses after the ceasefire agreement. The people of Aligambay also have returned to their own village in 2002, after the gap of 12 years. When they return they have seen all their huts/houses were destroyed and total livelihood was a problem.

CLARETIAN MISSIONARIES TAKING A PARISH IN THE EASTERN PROVINCE OF SRI LANKA IN 2015

We the Claretians have come forward to take up the parish of Thevakiramam, Aligambay in the diocese of Batticaloa from January 18^th 2015. Fr. ThevarajanPeiris CMF and Bro. Rohan Peiris CMF were appointed to pastor the parish. It was a wonderful day when Rt. Rev. Dr. Joseph Ponnaiah, Bishop of Batticaloa and Rev. Fr. Rohan Dominic CMF, Rev. Frs. Milfer and Innasy Joseph, Superior of Kandy community and Procurator of Baticaloa diocese joined the Thanksgiving Eucharistic celebration of handing over the parish to Claretians.  Rev. Fr. Joseph Mary SJ also was present and Bishop thanked for his services to the people for 2 years.

          Since then, we the Claretians humbly began our mission. We concentrated on different aspects in which we needed a speed and rapid development and change. They are

1.     EDUCATION :

a.     Raise the school to the Ordinary Level

b.     The Inauguration of Jesu Preschool with 36 children

c.      Participating in zonal and provincial level sports meet

d.     Organizing night study Programmes

e.      Intensive Vocational Training programmes for Post Ordinary and Post Advanced Level children

f.       Special Classes for Grade 9 to 11 students from 2.00 pm to 5.00pm.

g.     Regular Tamil Classes for the Primary students from grade 1 to 6.

2.     PASTORAL AND SPIRITUAL ACTIVITIES :

a.     Formation of New Pastoral Council

b.     Regular practices and good preparations  for the Liturgy

c.      Initiation of Small Christian Communities

d.     Regular Masses offered

e.      Lenten Pilgrimage and preparations for Easter Celebrations

f.       Special Pre Cana classes and seminars for Families, youth and children

g.     Organizing different Pious Associations such as Holy Childhood movement, Choir, Legend of Mary, Vincent De Paul, Youth, Catechism School, Small Christian communities. ( some of the entities of our Parish)

h.     Administering Sacraments of Baptism, Confession, First Holy Communion, Confirmation and Marriage and Rectification of Marriage with proper preparations.

i.       Nine days of Novena and Feast Celebrations

j.       Regular House Visiting

3.     COMMON ACTIVITIES :

4.     CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW PARISH CHURCH AND THE CONTINUATION OF THE MISSION HOUSE:

5.     VISITS

6.     FORMATION OF THE LAITY

7.     CLARETIAN WAY OF LIVING AS A COMMUNITY

We have balanced all the above activities in our pastoral missionary works. We try our best to make them participate in all the activities of the parish. We concentrate in both pastoral and social works in the style of our Founder St. Antony Mary Claret. The formation of faith experience and quality of life with discipline and moral life by the education is stressed in our parish pastoral plan.  We the Claretian Missionaries live an exemplary life in being a symbol of God’s presence to the people. The life is very challenging and hard with minimum facilities and difficulties but the missionary satisfaction and joy is immense.

  By - Rev. Fr, Devarajan Peries CMF

         077 5151907

devcmf@gmail.com