FR DENIS COELHO (1861-1918)

Fr Denis Coelho, SJ

Among the Mangaloreans who joined the Society of Jesus in the very first years of the opening of the Novitiate 1883, we find two, of whom it could have been asked: What good could they do? What work could they turn out? "Sickly, thin, austere in face, they lived most of their life on liquid diet. And yet both were remarkable for the amount of work they did for more than twenty-five years as priests". One of these was Fr Denis Coelho, the first Mangalorean to join the Jesuit Novitiate, and the other Fr Gregory Coelho.

As a parishioner of Milagres in his boyhood days, Fr Denis was prominent in all church activities. Here is what a writer of the time notes: "We must not fail to mention two names in connection with the celebration at Milagres of the feast of St Aloysius. They took the greatest interest in the solemnity. St Aloysius has amply rewarded them for their labour of love. Fr Denis Coelho joined the Society of Jesus in which he died a holy death, after a long and arduous career of apostolic labours. And Mr. Pedru Saldanha led a very exemplary life in the world always first and foremost in works of charity and zeal". After his high school studies Fr Denis joined the Jesuit Novitiate at Jeppu on 6th January, 1883.

In their fifth year in Mangalore, the Jesuits formally opened a Jesuit Novitiate at the Seminary itself. And Fr Denis was the first to step in. Five others followed him that very year and a regular novitiate was in the making by the end of the year with Fr Zanetti as Novice Master. It is for the historian of the province to detail the opening and closing of the Mangalore Jesuit Novitiate. Suffice it to note here that fourteen Jesuits had their novitiate at Jeppu, before it was closed in 1895. At this distance of time, it is difficult to know the real reasons that led to its closing down. Was the policy changed? Was it due to severity in admissions as only one was admitted between the years 1887 and 1895? Whatever the human factors which may have played their part in the closure of the Novitiate at the direction of Fr General, from 1892 the novices went to Shembaganur for their novitiate, till once again a novitiate was opened in the province, at Calicut in 1933.

We have not with us the diary the Novitiate but only of the Juniorate. And it is in good old Latin. But we have the book in which the First Vows taken by the novices were noted. Fr Denis Coelho is the third in the list. He took his first vows on 6th January, 1895. Next day he began his scholastic studies in the Juniorate at the Seminary itself. The present long low building of the orphanage was the study hall for rhetoric, philosophy, and moral theology. After his philosophy Fr Denis studied his F. A., while doing at the same time some supervising work at the St Aloysius College. A year of regency in the Seminary was followed by theological studies. On December 2nd, 1894, he was ordained priest in the Seminary chapel. He had his first experience as a priest at the Catechumenate attached to the St Joseph's Asylum Industrial Works. In 1896 he went to Ranchi for his tertianship and on his return in 1897 took his last vows on 15th August. Now at last he was ready for his priestly apostolate.

When a scholastic, Denis had several times expressed a desire to devote himself to the conversion of non-Christians. After his ordination, he renewed his request but the superiors had to turn it down for reasons of health. Fr Denis writes in one of his many letters: "While encouraging me, my superior (Fr Cavadini) expressed his fears on account of my health which was very poor. At that time on account of my weak chest and bad throat it was difficult for me to preach or to teach and after my last vows, for several months I was entirely forbidden by the doctor to preach, teach or even to hear confessions." In another letter, he notes that he had to admit to his superiors that, for many years, he had to live on liquid food, and that he has some heart trouble too.

But zeal knows no barriers; it overcomes all obstacles. For twenty years Fr Denis had to fight his bad health, the ill will and opposition of his enemies and overcome the reluctance and even opposition of his ecclesiastical superiors to satisfy his zeal for souls. He persevered in his request to be sent for the conversion of non-Christians and finally obtained his wish. Hearing of the death of Fr Maffei, he wrote and even personally requested the Bishop to be allowed to take the place of Fr Maffei. The Bishop yielded and decided to send him provisionally, not to the lonely place of Fr Maffei at Nellikunja, but to Bajpe as an assistant to Fr Balthasar Aranha. Thus began the missionary activity of Fr Denis. From here he began to visit the neighbouring places. Seeing his zeal, Fr Aranha suggested to him that he could visit Suratkal and do some work there among the non-Christians. Fr Baretto, the Vicar Forane, helped him in his new venture and offered to build a small residence at Suratkal.

Thus began the great work of Fr Denis at Suratkal with its ups and downs. He was specifically sent there to work among the non-Christians and had no jurisdiction over the Christians. He had his heart’s desire, but he was to experience afterwards that the division was not for the good of any party, but a source of scandal and trouble. With his mind full of plans and ever planning, Fr Denis went all out to better the spiritual and material lot of the non-Christians and converts who were his charge. In January, 1901, he took charge of the new residence and in February of the same year the church and presbytery were blessed.

Then came the first hurdle. The strain of work must have been too much for Fr Denis. His health which was always poor, failed him and he was called to the Seminary to look after the Catechumenate. Fr Denis took the transfer in his stride and it turned out to be a blessing, as later on he could send his new converts and would-be converts for instruction or treatment to the Catechumenate. It was all for the good, as one writer observes: The immense good in the Catechumenate in the first half of the centenary was made possible by the combination of charitable, social and apostolic work started by its founder, Fr Diamanti and collaborator Fr Denis. "But Fr Denis Coelho persevered in his efforts to return to the mission field. Once again, the superiors yielded to his importunate requests and after seven months of absence, he was again back at Suratkal.

For seventeen years Suratkal became his field of mission activity. Amiable, kind and charitable by nature, he attracted a number of non-Christians. They came to see his church, to see him and even to discuss religious subjects. Fr Denis wrote at this time: "I have begun to go round to neighbouring places and to speak kindly to all the people, letting them know that I had been sent by my superiors especially for the good of non-Christians. At first, I spoke in a general way but as acquaintance increased, I began to speak directly and explicitly about religion". Through paintings and pictures, he made the teaching of religion attractive. He was particularly kind to children, and the small presents he gave to them won the goodwill and esteem of the parents. The author of 'In Memoriam' writing on Fr Denis remarks that "pity gave before charity began". But it was a pity and charity of a zealous missionary seeking out souls everywhere. He seemed to fulfil in himself St Paul's definition of a priest Ordained for men in the things of God".

Fr Denis lived for others unmindful of himself and made himself "all things to all men", making use of all things to turn the hearts and minds of men towards God. His love for the poor and in particular the sick, his deep interest in their daily life and all that concerned their welfare, won for him the hearts of all. He regularly visited the sick, helped the dying and often helped them materially too. This interest in the welfare of the people, both Christian and non-Christian won the respect, appreciation and affection of all. The people were quick to see that the priest was for them. And Fr Denis was quick to make capital out of this attitude of the people. He sought to break down the prejudice of the non-Christians by freely mixing with them, by allowing them to attend the services in the church, by organizing public feasts on a grand scale in the open. The Hindus came willingly but somehow would not seek for baptism. They admitted the truths of the Catholic religion but refused to leave the religion in which they were born. 2

The Bombay Synod of 1893 had stressed the need of being mindful of material welfare of the people when doing missionary work. In his boundless sympathy and charity towards the poor and ignorant, Fr Denis took up the suggestion earnestly. He was not satisfied with individual help doled out as needed, but sought to put the material welfare of his people on a more social and stable foundation. He started a cooperative Society at Suratkal. With the same end in view, he instituted a congregation under the patronage of St Francis Xavier to help new converts materially and spiritually.

But the most effective work for the uplift of the people was in the field of education. Again, his authority was the Bombay Synod which had strongly recommended the opening of schools to dissipate ignorance. With the full support of his Christians, but in the face of great difficulties especially from the Brahmins, he opened his first school in 1903 without government aid. This first school was followed by five other schools. Thus Fr Denis awakened in the people of Suratkal a taste for learning. Further, with a view to make the converts materially self-supporting and self-reliant, he obtained land from the Government, built houses for them and taught them to cultivate their small plots to meet their common daily requirements of vegetable and farm products.

In the execution of all these works opposition was not wanting, and we must sadly note, opposition was not wanting from ecclesiastical authorities too. Fr Denis had to bear false reports, misunderstandings, apathy and want of encouragement, God seems to have demanded from him all sense of self-esteem, self-achievement and satisfaction. Poor in health, poor in the estimation of his superiors, he had to leave Suratkal with a sense of failure. We can well imagine his pain when in June, 1917, Suratkal ceased to be a mission station and became a parish for the convenience of the old Christians who were not quite reconciled to the idea of having to mix with converts.

Fr Denis bowed to obedience and even undertook to build the parish church and laid the foundations for it. But before the basement was completed, he was transferred to the Seminary. He obeyed once again and handing over to his successor all the material and money he had collected from his many benefactors, he left for the Seminary. We find this note in an old document: "Bishop Perini may have thought that the difficulties of Fr Denis were due to mismanagement of his six schools. So, he had appointed a successor to him who was well experienced in the management of schools". But the first act of his successor was to close down four of the six schools. Only the Sacred Heart and the Holy Infant Schools were kept. Not long after the next Parish Priest handed over the Holy Infant School to a Hindu, and we learn from records, this is the present Suratkal Board School.

Fr Denis had to be a silent spectator of his work of years crumbling. What was worse, the converts seem to have left the place, abandoning the houses which Fr Denis had built for them on the land he had obtained from the Government. The land reverted to the Government. Fr Denis Coelho's suggestions, requests and appeals had almost the opposite effect. So now he would not speak. The impression that he had gathered from his superiors was that his mission at Suratkal was not a success, quench his zeal for souls. But even this failure was not to When once again he got orders of transfer to go as an assistant to Fr Corti at Naravi, he willingly obeyed and lost no time to pack his few things and to send them ahead. But he was not destined to reach Naravi. His battle had been fought. He bowed to God's will and went to his eternal reward. He had never allowed his work to suffer on account of his weak health and his death was not due to any of his many infirmities. He fell a victim to the Spanish influenza that was sweeping across India, after the First World War. Following a few days of high fever he quietly died at Fr Muller's Hospital, Kankanady. It was the 23rd of October, 1918. Fr Denis was fifty-seven and had been a religious for thirty-five years.

This above material is taken from the book "Restless for Christ - Lives of Select Jesuits who toiled in the Karnataka Province" Series - III