It was hot in the chapel here in Sirsi, India, during the final profession ceremony of Ronald Saldanha. Quite a few of us were momentarily distracted as we watched and wondered how far the drooping candles on the altar would bend over before spilling wax on the altar. The sacristan came in the nick of time.
It was appropriate that the participants at the ceremony were mostly children and youth and widows. A life of chastity has enabled Ronald to be a father to orphans. A life of poverty has enabled him to share all that he has with those who have nothing. A life of obedience enabled him to say “yes” to the request of taking in a few needy kids. Ten years later his “yes” has welcomed about 100 underprivileged children who have passed through the Udaya Nakshatra Home for boys. The ceremony on April 8, 2013 formalized the commitment that Ronald has been living for the past 25 years. The vows have now strengthened his bond with the Lord.
The solemn occasion was deemed so important for Ronald and Miles Jesu that Fr. Barry sent a delegate here all the way from Rome, an arduous trek to another world that took 24 hours. The only shod participant at the event, Fr. Robert Nicoletti, lead Ronald through a ceremony that expressed the total-giving of oneself to Christ in a way that even a first-grader could understand (and did understand).
After Mass all of the participants, mostly our older boys, and our Catholic and Hindu neighbors joined in the agape. We didn’t invite our Muslim neighbors this time because pork was on the menu. Our two cooks, Mai, the grandmother of 2 of our boys, and Jyoti, a young widow and the mother of two of our boys, spent the whole day in the kitchen preparing the spicy pork, the chicken kabab, the rice and curry. Sushita prepared the paysa. Bananas from our garden were given. After the meal there were a lot of little faces smeared with vanilla ice cream.
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