Indian Pilgrimage - profound experience!

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Most Profound Experience On Holy Ground!
No one should ever die alone! These words of Mother Teresa are written on the wall of Kalighat, the home for destitute dying people in Kolkata. But these words were also seared onto the heart and mind of one of our boys who served at Kalighat.

After five and half weeks in India, we had a stopover in a Bangkok hotel so that we could debrief and reflect on some of the things that had happened during our time together. We had been promised a thousand new experiences and the opportunity of a life time! Well, we had that and much more! And although we had had the most amazing adventure and had seen sights that defy description, it was our time in Kolkata (Calcutta) working each day with destitute men, close to death, that was (and is) the most profound experience for each of us.

When we first arrived in Kolkata and visited Shishu Bivan to register as volunteers, we were expecting to be allowed to visit a new institution each day. The Sister in charge, however, told us that we could not do that, but rather she would like us to commit in our smaller groups to just one institution for our entire stay in Kolkata. She insisted that only by doing this would we be able to develop relationships with the patients. Otherwise, she said, we would be simply be visitors looking on. At the end of our time in Kolkata, we had to admit that Sisters advice was correct. At each institution: Kalighat, Prem Dan and Daya Dan, each pilgrim got to know each of our charges personally, and we were able to see past the disfigurements, disabilities or diseases, and see the beautiful person inside, who was so pleased to have someone prepared to spend a little bit of time caring for them. We felt that was least we could offer.

All through our time in Kolkata (Calcutta) the words of Jesus were our constant challenge: Whatsoever you do to these, the least of my brothers and sisters, that you do unto me. The work wasnt easy. Not all of the patients were immediately lovable, and the 4:30 a.m. rises each morning tested our endurance. But like the marathon race, we were able to lift in the final days of our pilgrimage.

Each morning we would rise by 4:30 a.m. and catch the 5:00 bus in the pitch dark of a Kolkata winter and join the Missionaries of Charity and the many lay volunteers from around the world for 6:00 a.m. Mass. At 7:00 a.m. we shared a most welcome hot cup of chai, large pieces of freshly baked bread and bananas. Then we broke into small groups and headed for our places of service all over Kolkata. Each morning as we entered our place of service, we were greeted by our new friends who were obviously looking forward to our arrival. At this very moment each day, just like Moses who took off his sandals as he approached the burning bush on Mount Sinai, we knew we were on holy ground. This was our special privilege, to serve Jesus in distressing disguise!

Our work consisted of joining the other volunteers and the Sisters in doing all of the morning chores: washing sheets and blankets, moving patients and disinfecting the entire dormitory, changing bedpans and bottles, taking patients outside into the sunshine, helping in the surgery, distributing morning tea, massaging, and making new friends through little conversations or just holding hands with patient to offer comfort. All of these menial tasks became monotonous, and quite hard, but we were told to pray the work and to remember that we were serving Jesus. The many young foreign volunteers and the young Sisters were an inspiration to all of us.

After serving lunch, we would finish up and catch our trains back to St. Marys Orphanage our place of residence in Kolkata, where we were made so welcome by the Christian Brothers and there was always great excitement as our small groups would reunite and share the stories and adventures of the day. Each evening we would join together in prayer and quite reflection when each pilgrim had an opportunity to pray for those people who had touched his heart during the day. It was during this time that we would realise just how privileged we were to have this opportunity to encounter the living God, face to face!