By Thomas Scaria
Manimala, June 14: Renowned social activist Father George Kannanthanam, who on June 14 led the funeral services of his mother, says he owes to her his vocation and passion for social work.
“I have inherited my vocation to priesthood as well as my passion for social work from my parents,” the Claretian priest said as he prepared to bid farewell to Brigit Kannanthanam at Manimala village in Kerala’ Kottayam district.
The 90-year-old mother of 11, including former federal minister Alphonse, died in New Delhi on June 10 due to age related ailments.
“You taught me to walk and walked with me all along. You loved me and taught me to love,” wrote Father Kannanthanam in his obituary notes, which is shared with his friends.
Earlier speaking to Matters India, the 56-year-old priest narrated how he was influenced by the acts of social service by his parents as he grew up in the traditional Catholic Kannanthanam family in Manimala.
“I was immensely motivated by my mother, who despite feeding her 11 children, took it as her major mission to help several other children also in their education,” he recalled.
“We were not from a well to do family, and our single bedroom thatched house was always leaking in rainy season like this,” said Father Kannanthanam who explained how his parents lived a worthy life even in poverty, sharing all what they have with others.
“I also grew up watching my father who was a member of Vincent de Paul Society, going from house to house collecting rice and utensils and distributing them to the poor families”, he said.
Brigit’s main social work was to educate poor children. She also built a few homes for the poor. “Our poverty ended only when my elder sister started earning after education,” he said. “But my mother continues to educate other children.”
The mother of nine children adopted two more and brought them up as her children. “Now, we are 11. She not only educated all of us, but continued to educate other deserving children in the village too.”
All 11 children had gathered to celebrate her 90th birthday a few months back in Manimala and the only birthday gift she asked from them was a share from their earnings to develop an education fund for supporting poor children.
Father Kannanthanam, who has inherited her commitment to the poor, initiated several projects of social apostolate and won the best social worker award from the President of India, besides several other awards.
The priest has built more than 1,500 houses for the poor, especially for those affected by leprosy, HIV/AIDS and disasters, and supported thousands of children for their education, during his 28 years as a priest.
He was engaged in an intensive rehabilitation mission among Covid-19 victims in Bengaluru.
His mother’s funeral took place on his birthday.
“Now you want me to send you off to the everlasting home of joy, on this very day you gave birth to me,” he wrote in the memorial note.