By Becky Berreth

Father Matzko had the opportunity to concelebrate Mass on several occasions while in India. He took this picture while the people were gathering. The churches did not have any choirs, but the congregation would sing as loud as they could and in four part harmony. “It was enough to take your breath away.” Parishioners were also very welcoming of the group. “We came across a wedding and the priest told me that since we were Catholic we were just as welcome at the ceremony as anyone else who was there,” said Robert Doody.

   A young nun wandered out into the garden behind the school. She was going to pull a tapioca root from the ground. After scrubbing, pealing and chopping the root, it was ready to be served. This root would become a special treat for the visitors to her school. A three hour process for a treat that would take minutes eat. 

   “It was a simple gift, but not so simple because it took so long to make,” explained Robert Doody, vice president of administration at St. Francis Mission. “And everyone took such joy in giving it.”

   “People over there were very generous,” added Father David Matzko, SJ, pastor of St. Isaac Jogues, Parish Rapid City.

   The two men, along with six other laity, converged on the Jesuit residence in Guwahati, India, December 31, as part of an immersion program to the Kohima Region of northeastern India. The region has been twinned with Wisconsin Province of the Society of Jesus since 2002. The objective of the trip was to meet with the Kohima Jesuits and the people they work with and it was the second such visit to the region. 

The group had the opportunity to see one of the schools in the process of being taken over by the Jesuits.  According to Robert Doody, the school was made of bamboo, corrugated metal, and had dirt floors.  “I saw the school and remember thinking ‘That’s a shack!’”

   Kohima is the state capital of Nagaland, located in the far northeastern corner of India. Nearly 80 percent of the state’s two million people live in rural areas accessible only by foot. Over 90 percent of the population is Christian. During British rule, it was decided that Baptist missionaries would be sent to the region; however, Catholics now make up a small portion of the population.

   Originally assigned to establish a preparatory school, the Kohima Jesuits now work in the fields, live with the people, and help build schools across the state. The Jesuits work together with the Naga people to grow crops and evangelize others. Because of the mountainous layout, priests are not able to travel to the villages very often so they train lay leaders to lead prayer groups and other events. “Their energy is amazing,” said Father Matzko. “Once the Jesuits feel the group is self-sufficient they are able to move to the next area.”

(Left) Father Matzko in some of the traditional tribal clothing. After a Mass the group was lead to the main square for folk dancing and singing. A tribal elder then gave a speech and made the travelers honorary tribal members. The blue skirt was added first, followed by the white cloth, the spear and the headdress. They gave shawls to the women. Over 2,000 people, nearly the entire village, turned out for the event. (Below) After the ceremony the group was posed for photographs. (l-r) Robert Doody, Eagle Butte; Beth Furlong, Omaha, Neb.; Lydia Cooley and Anne Downey, Milwaukee, Wisc.; Laura Lathrop, Minneapolis, Minn.; Stephanie Quade, Milwaukee, Wisc.; Father David Matzko, SJ, Rapid City; and Rory Gillespie, Wisconsin province office. (Photos courtesy Father David Matzko, SJ, and Rory Gillespie)

   “It was interesting to see how the Jesuits interacted with the lay people,” Doody elaborated. “I did not feel any distinction between the two.”

   It is that kind of interaction that the two hope to bring back to their ministry in the diocese. “I brought back a new appreciation for working on the reservation and with indigenous people,” said Doody. “The Jesuits are working in a different environment with some of the same problems, but the level of dedication is the same.”

   “The church over there might be small, but it is strong,” added Father Matzko.