[ Felix Anthony ]
TEZU, 8 May: Two books on two French missionaries, who were killed on their way to Tibet through Arunachal Pradesh, were released during the closing session of the ‘diocesan inquiry of their cause of sainthood’ at St Peter’s Church here in Lohit district last month.
Fathers Nicholas Michael Krick and Augustine Etienne Bourry-the two French missionaries of the Society of Foreign Missions of Paris-were killed by an Arunachali tribe’s man in 1854.
Bishop George Pallipparambil SDB of Miao diocese has been pursuing their cause of Beatification and
Canonization from 2013 onwards. Having completed all the formal procedures, the diocese formally closed its local inquiry on 30 April in a large gathering of faithful and priests from all over east Arunachal Pradesh.
Padmasree Mamang Dai released the books titled, ‘The First Martyrs of North East India,’ which contains extracts from the original letters of the two missionaries on their journey to Tibet between 1851 and 1854, and ‘Blood and Blessing’ a musical on the life of the two missionaries, who walked through the Mishmi Hills along the Lohit river in Arunachal Pradesh.
Dai, who also has authored a book on Frs Krick and Bourry titled ‘The Black Hill,’ said: “I feel blessed to be a part of this important event. It was my quest for spiritual fulfillment that led me to the life of these two valiant missionaries and to their hometown in France.”
The closing session was attended by Bishop George Pallipparambil SDB of Miao Diocese, Bishop Emeritus Joseph Aind SDB and Bishop Dennis Panipitchai SDB.
After reaching India in 1848, Krick searched for a way to cross the Himalayas to enter the forbidden land called Tibet. After spending time studying Tibetan language at Guwahati in Assam, he journeyed through Arunachal Pradesh towards the Tibetan border, crossing areas inhabited by the Adi, Mishmi and Lhoba tribes. Finally, on January 16, 1852, he made his way to the village of Somme, near the present-day juncture of Tibet, India and Myanmar (Burma).
Tibet at that time was a closed kingdom. Nobody was allowed in, and Fr Krick faced great opposition from the unfriendly locals, who were determined to keep him out. The Frenchman could find nowhere to sleep, and the people refused to sell him any food. The missionary “was forced to collect rice grains that had fallen on the ground and to scavenge for the disgusting leftovers from other people’s meals, which even dogs refused to touch.”
After a few days of serving the people there, the locals drove Nicolas Krick out of their town and back across the border into Arunachal Pradesh in India. After recovering, Krick made plans to re-enter Tibet.
This time, he was accompanied by a young recruit, Augustin Etienne Bourry, who hailed from La Chapelle-Largeau, France. After graduating from the Missions Etrangères de Paris in 1852, Bourry applied to join the mission to Tibet and met Krick in India on December 10, 1853. On the following February 19th, the duo started their journey toward Tibet, with their sights set firmly on reaching Lhasa, the capital of Tibet.
In mid-May, Krick recorded in his diary: “For ninety days I have been marching barefoot. All my shoes are ruined except for one bad pair, which I keep for celebrating Holy Mass. For two weeks we walked in non-stop rain, which poured down as from a cloudburst and completely ruined all our books, the breviary, the Bible, and the Imitation of Christ. To complete this picture of misery-in the mountains, you may fall prey to manifold sicknesses like fever, dysentery, rheumatism, and sores from insect bites.”
Worn out from their exertions, Fr Krick and Bourry finally reached Somme, a place Fr Krick had visited during his first attempt.
The grieving villagers buried them with honour under a cairn of stones and carried the message of the death of the two missionaries wherever they went.
The people of Tezu and around expressed joy at the new impetus the process of the cause has gained. Youth from the town presented a small play on the last moments of Frs Krick and Bourry in the Mishmi Hills.
Catherine Boo, an illustrious Catholic from the town said: “We are very happy to see the progress with the cause of Frs Krick and Bourry. We pray that this day will remove the blot of stains we have acquired because of the killing by our own tribe’s man 170 years ago.”
The work of the beatification is actively promoted by Bishop George Pallipparambil of Miao Diocese, Arunachal Pradesh. After receiving a favourable opinion of the North East India Regional Bishops’ Council, Bishop George obtained Nihil Obstat from the Congregation for the Cause of the Saints. He then appointed a Historical Commission to collect all the works of these two Servants of God and for a report of the same commission, also appointed Theological Censors who made a study on the available resources and affirmed the orthodoxy of their writings without any error in faith and morals.
The team having completed its duty, the diocese formally closed its inquiry and the documents will now be sent to the Dicastery for the Cause of the Canonization of Saints.
The diocesan officials for the cause, Bishop George Pallipparambil, Bishop Anthonyswamy, the Postulator, Fr T Lourdusamy, Vice Postulator; Fr Tomy Joseph, Episcopal Delegate, Fr Joy Manickathan, Promoter of Justice, Fr Felix Anthony, Notary and Fr Shoby Simon, copyist, took oath of completion of their duty faithfully at the closing ceremony. (The contributor is with the Miao Diocese)
