Day 4, August 14

Today was Fr. Mariappa’s turn to take me around town. It is interesting to note how a priest’s understanding of a town is different from a layman’s. The first venue for this day was the Silicon Valley of India, a group of very modern office buildings called ITPC. We then went to a Hindu Ashram called Satyashaibebe. It was large complex with a great deal of posters of the swami who is its central focus. Interesting to me was the similarity between it and Catholic structures I have been visiting. Asking questions of the young people there, we found him to be revered but not thee at this time. The largest buildings on the site were hostels where the visitors to the Ashram stay. Everything seemed clean and proper.
After changing money at a very good rate from a money changer, we went to St. Mary’s Basilica, the other great Catholic site in Bengalore where miracles are common. Fr. Arulappa, the rector, saw me for a second since he had a couple in his office. We went upstairs into a common area where two priests were relaxing after hearing confessions. The chat that ensued was no different than any I have had with priests in the U.S.
That’s one place where the twain does meet. Certainly, the English language does not unite us. Our pronouncing of the words is quite different. We accent different syllables and our inflections differ as well. But priests’ conversations are happily a place I felt at home. Our seminary education, or our common experiences, or the unity of the Church, or other factors overcome the East-West dichotomy and, for once the twain met.
I enjoyed a whole evening of this unity at St. Anne’s rectory in Mestripelya. Fr. Chinnappa, our host invited us and some other priests over. He brought out some Kingfisher Beer ( the local brew in Bengalore; and pretty good) and snacks and we shared stories until time to go home for the night.