BEHALA REVISITED and a BANGLADESH ‘FIRST’
The UK Committee felt that one of its members should attend the Annual General Meeting of the Oxford Mission Trust Association (which manages the Behala compound) on 14 September; and so I found myself selected for this task. I had previously been to Behala twice, the first time in 1966/7 and again in 1994; but I had never been to Barisal or Jobarpar, so it was a good opportunity to put that right. I was delighted that Mary Marsh volunteered to come too, not least because that meant being able to rely on her excellent organisational skills and local knowledge, which made the strenuous journey much easier. more >>
LETTER from BEHALA
Dear Friends, more >>
RETURN TO BEHALA
In July my wife Lynne and I visited the Oxford Mission at Behala. For me it was a return - I had been previously in 2003: for Lynne it was her first time, and indeed her first visit to India. Ever since my first visit to OM, Lynne had made me promise we would one day visit together. I had told her all about the wonderful work the staff are doing, and had shown her photographs of the boys. more >>
A BRIEF VISIT TO BEHALA
The main purpose of my visit to Kolkata was to see how my nephew Robin was getting on: he was spending, at my suggestion, six months of his gap year working at the Future Hope Home/School in central Kolkata. But having read the Letters from the Oxford Mission of Father Theodore Mathieson BE (edited by my godfather’s wife, Gill Wilson) I wanted to see the Oxford Mission as well. Living in Oxford, and having been educated at Rugby, Father Theodore’s old school, gave added impetus. more >>
MEMORIES
Trees and their Fruits more >>
NURSING SISTER HELEN SLAWSON
The following excerpts from ‘A Hundred Years in Bengal’ give us an idea of the dedicated person we all knew as more >>
MARGARET MARY RABSON
In the late 1930s Margaret Mary Rabson, born in 1915, a schoolmaster’s daughter, went up to Oxford University, joining the Society of Women Home Students (now St. Anne’s College). There she became one of an inseparable trio of friends. On their graduation Margaret taught at St. Dunstan’s Abbey in Plymouth, then in Exeter before moving to Greater London. One of her friends tested her vocation with the Oxford Mission Sisterhood of the Epiphany, and was professed as Sister Jane SE. So began Margaret’s long association with the Oxford Mission. more >>
LETTER from BANGLADESH
Dear Friends, more >>
LETTER from FATHER MARTIN
It is our joy to let you know that we have celebrated the Second Consecration Day of our Brotherhood on 30 June, 2005. Father Francis SPB was in India for his three months’ retreat at the time, but Mother Susila CSS was present with the Sisters. We had also many priests, Brethren, Sisters and other guests from different Churches at Barisal. more >>
LETTER from BARISAL
The news from the Brotherhood and Sisterhood will be given you by Father Martin and Mother Susila themselves. more >>
LETTER from CHRISTA SEVIKA SANGHA Jobarpar and Barisal
The monsoons will soon be over. The heavy rains bring much relief and coolness after the hot, hot summer, but there are problems caused by the incessant rain. We have to cope with leaking roofs - there are buckets and basins all over the place, and thousands of white ants feasting on wet wood; and as usual plenty of slippery paths. As the water rises in our tanks (ponds), the beautiful little kingfishers (some are midget in size) do not have to dip so deep to catch their fish - which we put there for our food too - and the frogs have stopped their croaking. more >>