By Nirmala Carvalho

Mumbai, Feb 21, 2020: The Catholic Church in India has mourned the death of Monsignor Hilary Rodrigues, a pioneer of Interreligious dialogue in India and close friend of Saint Teresa of Kolkata. He was 93.

The monsignor died on February 20 from old age ailments at the Clergy Home, Bandra, Mumbai suburb, where he resting after a surgery a year ago.

The monsignor, a Bombay archdiocesan priest, had spent nearly half a century trying to reform alcoholics across India. He had also served 21 as the executive director of the Catholic Nurses Guild of India.

Archbishop Felix Machado, newly elected secretary general of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, hailed Monsignor Rodrigues for undertaking pioneering work in “an untrodden field” by choosing the “Idea of Grace in Ramanuja” for his doctoral thesis.

Ramanuja was an 11th century Indian theologian, philosopher and a proponent of the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism that paved the way for the Bhakti (devotion to God) movement in medieval times.

Archbishop Machado, who is also a renowned dialogue activist, says Monsignor Rodrigues prepared “a solid path” for Second Vatican II Dialogue with other religions and specifically for Catholics in India with Hinduism.

“Monsignor Hilary prepared the ground and should be praised for what he did,” the CBCI official told Matters India. Later St. Pope John Paul II came “to tell us prophetically in Fidelis et Ratio (the faith and reason) encyclical that what we should have done and what we should do. This proves that Monsignor (Rodrigues) was far ahead of his times. It is a great contribution and that lamp should not be put under the bed.”

Monsignor Rodrigues was ordained a priest on the vigil of the Immaculate Conception in 1954 in Rome.

Monsignor did his doctorate in 1956, nearly ten years ahead of the promulgation of Nostra Aetate, considered the Catholic Church’s magna carta for dialogue

Monsignor Rodrigues used say his priest mission was entwined to the Love of Jesus, The Church and Our Blessed Mother.

Monsignor Rodrigues has served as the secretary to the bishop of Shimla for 4.5 years and later its vicar general.

His work with nurses guild forced him travel extensively throughout the India giving spiritual guidance to the Catholic nurses, and teaching them to defend life in all forms.

He also encouraged them to participate in Church activities and outreach programs to help the sick, handicapped and elderly and housebound and above all to give them the touch of Jesus through their healing ministry.

His half-a-century work as spiritual advisor of Alcoholics Anonymous had helped many, including people from other religious, to quit addiction and lead a normal life.

Rangesh Iyengar, a Hindu Brahmin chemical engineer, in a condolence message said, “I can say today that Father Hilary played a very important role in my early days into the fellowship. I used to go every Sunday evening for almost two years.”

He also said once he had to sue abusive language with priest, who in turn smiled and sat quietly. “I remember one day in St. Andrews after my session with him I was walking out from his room with full of guilt about my rebellious actions, he called out to me and said GOD STILL LOVES YOU. YOU CAN GO NOW .I was in tears and I still remember that day. His words had touched and brought transformation within. I remain sober till today.”.

When Monsignor Rodrigues was appointed pastor of St. Andrew’s Church, Bandra, he realized something more to be done to draw youth to participate in liturgical services. He encouraged dramatization and audio visual presentation of Biblical themes as a regular youth activity in the parish hall. He invited the Neo-Catechumenate way to give catechesis and begin an adult Christian initiation in the parish through communities.

Monsignor Rodrigues also maintained close relations with Mother Teresa. As manager of St Andrew’s college, he invited the founder of the Missionaries of Charity to bless the foundation stone of St Andrews College in Bandra.