This is a translation from original French that was done for a friend as they are trying to put together a case for Fr. Leveil's canonization.
It is certainly worth a read.
Testimony
____
Father Louis-Marie
LEVEIL
of the Society of
Jesus
(1884-1973)
________
65 Years in India
Preface by Bishop
DIRAVIAM
Archbishop of
Madurai
Table of Contents
____
Preface – Bishop Diraviam...…………………………………………………………………… 5
I. Childhood and Youth ..………………………………………………………………………. 9
- The
Call ……….………………………………………………………………………… 11
II. Toward India ………….……………………………………………………………………. 12
-
Scholasticate ..…………………………………………………………………………. 12
-
Regency ...……………………………………………………………………………… 12
III. Priest ……………………….………………………………………………………………. 14
a.)
Andavoorani ……………………………………………………………………………. 15
-
The little children..……………………………………………………………… 15
-
Father of the poor……………………………………………………………….. 16
-
Oriyur..………………………………………………………………………….. 17
b.)
Ramnad ………………………………………………………………………………… 18
-
Zeal for Souls.…………………………….…………………………………….. 18
-
Tests ……………………………………………………………………………. 20
c.)
He Gave Nothing But Love…………………………………………………………….. 22
-
Kindess………………………………………………………………………….. 22
-
Man of prayer…………………………………………………………………… 23
IV. Last Step
a.)
Sarakanei.………………………………………………………………………………. 24
-
The good shepherd……………………………………………………………... 24
-
Man of God …………………………………………………………………….. 25
-
He became a mendicant...……………………………………………...……….. 25
b.)
Priesthood Golden Jubilee ……………..……………………………………..……….. 26
c.)
Waiting for the Lord …………………………………………………………...………. 27
-
Final mass…………..……………………………………………………..……. 28
-
Glorious apotheosis……………………………………………………….……...29
PREFACE
It is with great
pleasure that I present to many friends and admirers of his native country
these notes on the life and work of Father Louis Marie Leveil in his adopted
country.
The grandeur and
heroism of this admirable and sympathetic missionary priest merit to be more
well-known, and it is with the firm hope that, for the Glory of God and the
edification of all, the facts recounted here will only be a foretaste of a more
complete biography which will comprise the atmosphere of Marava where they
lived.
I only knew Father
Leveil during the last years of his pastoral ministry, but the echoes of his
almost legendary fame (we do not lend this to the wealthy) reached me well
before. To tell the truth, my personal experience far from disappointed me,
only confirming my reverence for the model priest truly worthy of his noble
calling.
Whoever says priest
says “man of God for others.” This ideal was only perfectly achieved by Christ,
the Priest by excellence of the New Testament. Jesus came into the world “to
serve and not to be served.” Jesus who loved his Father and was so loved and
whose life, from cradle to cross, was a tangible revelation of divine love for
us.
At the example of
his Master, Father Leveil gave himself completely to God, self-love no longer
had a place in his heart and this total gift of himself led him to a total
dedication to serving others. Stripped of everything, forgetting himself,
taking Jesus “in the form of a servant.” (Philippians 2:7). It beamed around
him, in his person and in his acts of love with which he was filled.
I pray fervently
for all who read these pages on Father Leveil, recognize in him the ideal of
the priest and pray that his colleagues in the ministry of Christ follow his
noble example and in turn become “men of God to others.”
Madurai, May 8, 1980.
P.
J. DIRAVIAM
Archbishop
of Madurai
At the death of Father Leveil, March 21, 1973, the region of Marava, in
the south of India, lost (but basically won for heaven) one of the holy priests
whom God sometimes bestows upon some nations to make him the instrument of his
blessings upon a people.
In the three sectors of Marava where he worked one to the next, you will
find few men, women or children who didn’t know him and who bow their heads in
respect when you say his name. They would have traveled for miles to get his
blessing and then returned home full of joy and confidence.
Why was he so famous?
Was he a politician publicizing? A social worker? No. He was a simple
priest filled with love of God, a simple servant who demonstrated, not only by
his words, but by his patience, his kindness and by all his actions, the
presence of God.
Father Leveil gave a profound impression to those who came to see him
that they were in the presence of a “man of God,” seeking only to do good like
his Divine Master. His reputation was quite exceptional and rare; a reputation
of holiness uniquely his own. The “voice of the people” is there to recognize
him and spread not only amongst the Catholics but also amongst Hindus, Muslims,
Protestants of all denominations as well as the rare English or Canadian
officials who were stationed in the District. All were convinced, when they
came to find Father Leveil, that they had approached a “man of God,” and they
were willing to do whatever he asked of them.
We need his family to have some details on his youth.
I – Childhood and
Youth
The young Louis Marie
was born in Laillé, in the diocese of Rennes, April 6, 1884, while the parish
was celebrating the Palm Sunday procession. He was a very frail and sickly
baby, so much so that his dad hurriedly called his godparents to take him to
the church to obtain the grace of Holy Baptism that same day.
He was the youngest[1]
of ten children, in a landowning family, where faith was as solid as the Breton[2]
granite ground. From the large family farm, perched on top of a hill, they
enjoyed a magnificent view, and the child’s eyes kept the memory of those
beautiful, peaceful horizons, of the fields and green meadows that stretched to
the riverbanks, until the last days of his life. He liked to recall the memory of
this image in his letters, as well as the image of the Virgin with her hands
pouring our rays of light (Miraculous Medal) hung near his bed. He wanted a
similar picture to be given to the members of his family for his Priesthood
Golden Jubilee in 1970. On the back, he had this text printed: “As a little child, from my little bed, upon
waking my eyes fell on the image of the Virgin with the Rays of Light, never doubting
that the Immaculate Virgin drew me to herself to protect me and to direct me to
her Divine Son, for now and for all eternity.”
The farm was very
important, and everyone had his or her place and work, their virtuous parents
watching over everyone and preaching by example. It was in this Christian
living environment, one of simplicity and joy, that the young Louis grew up
amidst brothers and sisters who cherished him dearly.
Very early, however,
came the test: the death of a little sister, the death of his youngest brother as a saint at the age of 24, and of
the father of the family taken by a heart attack. He was 54. Father Leveil
brought up the memory even in his old age: “I
had just turned 7 and I clearly remember the good advice that this revered
father gave us after receiving Extreme Unction (Last Rites). Very calmly, the
dying [man] exhorted his children to respect their mother, to conduct
themselves obediently to her orders and her advice, and to console her in her
grief with their affection and good spirit…” He was listened to, for the eight
children who surrounded their grieving mother always showed themselves worthy
of their generous parents.
This mother could have
counted on her eldest son to help her with this difficult task. He was taken
the following year as the result of an accident. But nothing brought down this
courageous woman who taught her children to discover God’s will in all things,
even in that event. “This admirable mother,” we read in his correspondence, “was
able to show herself as a strong and courageous Christian in all circumstances.”
With prudence and
know-how, she continued to manage the farm, combining firmness and kindness in
the purest evangelical spirit. There was no one unhappy in her village, as she
knew how to delicately help one who was in need…A bed was always ready for the
poor passerby, and he had a place at the family table.
The children were
taught well, and Father Leveil often evoked in his letters the memory of his
holy mother whose example impacted him and his siblings: “We can reflect,” as
we read in his correspondence, “on the life of our dear mother, so full of
suffering and hardship. Despite her infirmities, how much work did she not give
to raise us? Divine grace was her strength and her prayer continues. However,
the memory that will forever revive our mother within us, is it not the evening
prayer in commune? Was that moment not sublime? Locals, strangers, poor
overnighters, everyone bowed to her voice, so clear and that prayed so well…”
It is not surprising
that the young Louis Marie, in this atmosphere of truth, of goodness and piety,
understood very early the gift of self to God and to others. One of his
sisters, Victoire (Victoria), seven years his elder, had a specific influence
on him. She often trained her brother at the church, about three kilometers
distance, to pray before the Tabernacle, to do the stations of the cross on
Friday, and when she went into the fields, he still followed her…it was there
that she told him one day: “Louis, you should become a priest.” “I sat at her side,” he writes, “watching the cows graze, and did not
understand what she was trying to tell me. I was only 6 years old, but this
advice[3]struck
me and I kept the memory very clearly without remembering many other things.”
At that age, he started
to go to school but became, perhaps due to successive family bereavements,
hypersensitive, shy and very fearful. He cried in class because he wasn’t with
Philibert, the beloved brother who was his playmate who preceded him [in death]… He told us about becoming fearful one
morning while going to school and hiding in a bush on the path, where he stayed
until evening waiting for his brother [who was] worried and upset to find him
there.
The Call
Elementary school ended, [and] Louis Marie joined his siblings to help
with the farm chores. He was twelve years old when, he said, “the second bell
ring was given to me by a young pastor of the parish. After a confession, he
asked me, ‘What is your vocation?’ [Just] a young peasant, I didn’t understand
the meaning of this word ‘vocation,’ but I informed mom about the pastor’s
question.[4]
Two years later, I was 14 when, one afternoon around 4 in the evening, while
working I heard a voice without luster or any outside noise say to me clearly,
‘Louis priest!’ This struck me, and since I kept thinking about this
suggestion, I spoke with my mom a couple days later and asked her to drive me
to the pastor’s house. He received us kindly. After having listened to us, he
gave me a Latin grammar manual and instructed me to memorize the first five
pages of the book. I had to come to recite them to him within three days time.
I took the manual and tried to memorize the first declensions: Rosa, rosae,
rosam…, but this new language wouldn’t go into my brain. It seemed so difficult
to me that I started crying. Never the less, I went back to the pastor’s house;
the lesson was recited and he assigned me another. I would have perhaps been
discouraged if the young pastor, a newly ordained priest, hadn’t come to my
rescue. He committed to explaining the lessons to me; lessons which became
easier and easier and, above all, he had me admitted into the secondary school
Sainte-Croix de Vitré (Holy Cross of [the town of] Vitré). This was in 1900. I
was 16 years old and I did my secondary studies there.
“I entered into
the Seminary of Rennes in 1904. To
become a priest was decided, but where? In France or as a missionary? A Jesuit
Father from the Province of Toulouse came one day to give us a session on the
[projector][5]
and the next day gave us a conference on the Mission of Maduré to which he
belonged. During this conference, I felt strongly attracted by the call made in
favor of this mission…This appeal required just the same a confirmation. I did
a novena of grace to St. Francis Xavier and multiple pilgrimages to Our Lady of
Miracles in Rennes. One of my classmates in the Seminary, Father Soufflet,
already in the Jesuit Novitiate, wrote me a letter for the feast of the
Assumption of the Holy Virgin, and this letter dissipated all of my
hesitations. After my military service, I would go into the Novitiate and not
into the Seminary…”
And so it is that on
October 6, 1906, Louis Marie entered into the Novitiate of the Jesuits in the
Limbourg province of Belgium. He said he was “as happy as a fish in water.”
After two years of probation, he came back to his native country and left the
things which he should never see again. The goodbye[6]
was hard for all but especially for his elderly mother, saddened to see her
last who, more than any other, had surrounded her with respect and love, leave
for so far and forever.
II – Toward India
The departure from
France was made from Marseille in September 1908, but Father first passed
through Lourdes in order to be healed in the hands of Our Lady, with those who
he was leaving and with those with whom the Lord had entrusted him. We have the
story in the letter he wrote while aboard the ship. They were twelve ordinary[7]
missionaries who “fixed their eyes on
Notre-Dame de la Garde[8]
for over a half of an hour, a time to bid farewell and murmur some prayers…then
it was finished! A large rock rising from the sea came to steal from our eyes
but not from our hearts, because God willed that his love follow us
everywhere.”
SCHOLASTICATE[9]
Father Leveil reached
Bombay then the Mission of Maduré, situated in the south of the State of
Madras, on October 14, 1908. With young Jesuits from all the missions of India,
he started his religious formation up to and including philosophy, at the
Scholasticate of Shembaganoor situated 6,000 feet[10]
above sea level in the Ghats [mountain] range.
Before moving to
theology, Father Leveil, according to the custom of the Society of Jesus, had
“to do his regency,” that’s to say to be for a few years applied to teaching or
some other employment in one or another educational institution.
REGENCY
In fact, from December
1912 to 1916, he found himself assigned to the Secondary School of Saint
Francis Xavier of Palamcottah, capital of the Southern District, which had
45,000 inhabitants. He was given the role of a science teacher as well as, more
notably, that of “overseer” of the First Division of interns.
This latter task was
not an easy one, but contact all day long with a growing youth proved to be
very useful as a first stage of learning in the life of a future pastor of
souls.
“So I do the class,” he wrote, “but I am
primarily responsible for supervising children in the study, in games, in the
bathroom, in the dormitory, on walks, etc…The youngest are only 8 or 9 years of
age, others nearly 20 years old, coming somewhat from everywhere and belonging
to various castes.
“It’s all a matter of making it work with 250
students divided into 9 groups. The small ones are no less spirited than the
bigger ones. For me, the main point is to excite them and to maintain a level
playing field. On certain days, I develop competitions, but it would cost me.
Our students are happy with very little: a knife, a mirror, scissors…This would
suffice to make them happy, but what was necessary to get these? If it was a
question of competition with students from another school, they didn’t care
about the prize, the honor of victory was enough for them…
“It was also very useful for me to have
postcards in order to show the students things from Europe about which they had
no idea: snow, the return of spring with the budding trees, mills, etc…The
English books they studied often spoke of these things, but these children had
never seen them.”
Father also shared his concerns during the
great heat which starts in April and last several months:
“The sun is just above our heads. It is
burning and the atmosphere is very, very hot. Our lone well is insufficient for
our 360 residents and the faculty of the school…
“We have water to quench our thirst but we
must manage it. We would like to give a daily bath to our children. They are
fond of baths, and the lack of water exposes them to catch skin diseases which
make them suffer a lot and are contagious. But our wells would dry up very
quickly. We allow them only every two days to pour water on their heads and
bodies with their cups. The period of rain doesn’t begin until October…Consider
our predicament and pray that we will find the money necessary to build a new
well.”
In this small school environment entrusted to
the vigilance of Father Leveil, there were sometimes even small disputes and
quarrels, susceptibilities and rustlings of castes, but Father knew how to
reprimand and to encourage wisely. Always in a good mood, helpful and thankful
with chores, he had his way of applying the balm of Christian charity and never
gave in to movements of irritation.
This apostolic prelude of Father already
reveals what would be a long life filled with faith and prayer, of courage and
of love.
III – PRIEST
His regency completed, Father left
Palamcottah and continued to Kurseong, on the slopes of the Himalayas, the
cycle required for theology.
Ordained a priest on January 13, 1920, he
passed his third year in Ranchi, in Nagpor
Chettu, and in 1921 he returned to Madurai. From this point forward, all
of his priestly life will pass by in this vast region and more precisely in the
Ramnad district (formerly the Kingdom of Marava), whose ground was sanctified
by the visit of St. Francis Xavier on the Fishery Coast in 1542, and by the
apostolate of St. John de Britto, martyred in Oriyur in 1693.
This terrain of Marava, with its killer
climate, is a vast desert plain, drab and hot. Often visited by natural
disasters (floods and droughts), it poorly nourishes a dense and very poor
population where famine and epidemics are frequent. It is among these simple
and poor people that Father Leveil lived for fifty-two years, sharing with them
a life of deprivation and sufferings.
a) ANDAVOORANI
The first parish
entrusted to his care was in Andavoorani, in the northeast of Marava, where he
arrived in April of 1921. Everything was in a poor state and we still wonder
today how a European priest could live and adapt in this lost place which, at
the time, had no roads, no water, nor any means of obtaining food to live!
The population, very
poor and illiterate, had about 25,000 souls. They lived dispersed as
Andavoorani, the missionary home, was at the center of an immense parish
[region] which stretched to infinity with a number of villages and hamlets…We
wondered, what could a young priest, small and sickly in appearance, do who
arrived all alone and without pastoral experience?
Father Leveil,
undeterred, went straight to work as he was sure that the Good Lord would
be there and would come to his aid. His
confidence was unshakable. He prayed and prayed..
“I am in charge,” he
wrote his family, “of 4,000 Christians, but also of 20,000 pagans who I cannot
forget. I am here for them all, and the miserable state in which these poor
excites my compassion…the task is beyond my strength, and feeling alone and
helpless, I turn to you and beg you to help me by your fervent prayers, an
exemplary Christian life, a tangible help when you can…”
His first project was
to build, at the center of Andavoorani, a spacious church that could gather all
his people. After six years of difficulties of all kinds, it was consecrated in
1928 and placed under the patronage of Our Lady of Mercy.
He did not neglect, in
spite of all this, the distant villages. They also had their own small chapels.
There were approximately fifteen, and the first was dedicated to St. Thérèse of
Lisieux, of whom Father was particularly fond.
THE LITTLE CHILDREN
Father loved little
children. Early on, he met them: “I am pleased to see that they are not afraid
of me. In my time on the village paths, they never even fail to greet me saying
as a pious custom of the country, ‘Glory to God.’ The toddlers who only babble
also make salutation by joining their little hands and bowing. The follow me to
the church, kneel beside me without saying a word. When I take the path they
follow me to every station, kneeling with me and doing everything like me…”
Concerned about the future of these
children, he realized immediately that the country’s development could not be
achieved without a school.
Quickly, the boys had
theirs installed in a shed covered with palm leaves. “It worked for a year,”
wrote Father, “but with heavy monsoon rains, everything is so wet that the
children cannot, as usual, sit down. I cannot, however, send back these dear
little ones and tell them, ‘There is no more school!’ No, I need to build them
a school where the water won’t come in…”
For the girls’ school,
he took action in a very personal way. Without speaking about his project, he
invited two Indian nuns to spend three days in his parish, simply to visit some
non-Christian villages, in order to distribute medicine and to baptize dying
children. The result was immediate. People flocked from all sides to seek their
remedies and, in three days, they sent to heaven twenty-six little angels. This
visit so deeply moved the sisters that soon after a school, convent, and
orphanage became a reality.
The parish immediately
gained importance and hearts were opened to hope. Many children had the
opportunity to learn, to get jobs[11],
and even some priestly and religious vocations were not slow to reveal
themselves.
This was, for Father
Leveil, solace from the hardships which he lived out with his people.
FATHER OF THE POOR
Cholera, at the time,
frequently ravaged. Entire families were wiped out and the survivors have never
forgotten the heroism of Father in those years of terror.
“Most recently,” he
wrote in 1925, “I was in a village of 1500 inhabitants, where cholera had 66
victims in a few days time. These poor sick lying on the ground. Their members
are frozen and they suffer terrible pains in the bowels and severe cramping
which bends both arms and legs.
“Christians and pagans
call me because nobody dares to approach these patients to assist them and care
for them. People are afraid of contagion and think only of fleeing for their
lives leaving friends and family in distress.”
Cholera spread quickly
and reached up to fifteen to twenty villages separated from each other by
several kilometers. He had to go on foot or by bullock cart[12],
taking trails full of potholes with mud up to the wheel hubs when there was a
monsoon.
There was no public
health care for the sick or to bury the dead. Courageously the missionary
brought with him a handful of volunteers. He cared for the sick and buried the
dead, expending himself for all with the same kindness, without any distinction
of caste or religion.
Father Leveil gave an
exhausting work…It felt filled with the grace of God, and the people made no
mistake about it. They ran to him in all circumstances, as they were convinced
that his prayers and blessings were always answered.
Pets, themselves, had
their part. If cattle or goats were sick, no need for a vet, the echo resounded
immediately: “Run fast to Father Leveil,” and Father arrived. He blessed people
and livestock reassuring everyone. We are even certain that many of the wounds
were healed, epidemics stopped, rains obtained, thanks to the prayers of
intercession of Father.
ORIYUR
Not far from
Andavoorani, about six kilometers, is Oriyur, where the Portuguese Jesuit, Blessed
John de Britto,[13]
was martyred.
Oriyur did not depend
on Andavoorani, but it was attached to the parish in 1929, and it is believed
that Divine Providence, in putting this hallowed location under the
responsibility of Father Leveil, was intended with him to expand the cult of
the glorious martyr who had consecrated this earth of Marava by spilling his
blood.
Father immediately
resolved to make Oriyur a center of ‘spiritual renewal’ and to incite the
‘canonization’ of the Blessed martyr by prayer and obtaining miracles. He began
by educating the Christians on the Blessed and on Oriyur.
Retreats for men and
women were given and were very much appreciated. They returned encouraged and
improved.
A first pilgrimage was
organized by Father Leveil. He took the road with all the Christians of Andavoorani
and this pilgrimage was no picnic. Remembering the request of Our Lady of
Lourdes, ‘Prayer and Penance,’ no conversation between laymen was allowed on
the route, and all day there were prayers, exposés of the Blessed Sacrament,
processions, confessions, and, the next morning, Solemn Mass.
This example was
followed by others and soon parish after parish, led by their priests, [had]
Christians taking the road of Oriyur and praying to the Blessed who was
canonized in 1947. The joy of Father Leveil was great, but he hadn’t been in
Andavoorani since 1943.
RAMNAD
Ramnad was a quite
comfortable city, the former capital of the old Kingdom of Marava and residence
of the Rajah. It too was marked by the passage of St. John de Britto, since he
was sentenced to death by the Rajah Sedoupady and the saint came to Ramnad from
Oriyur to be beheaded.
Father Leveil arrived
there in his sixtieth year, exhausted by his deprivations and work! His
superiors, entrusting this parish to him, were convinced that the facilities of
the city would allow him a bit of rest and relaxation. It did not happen.
Ramnad was close to the
Bay of Bengal and the last relay before embarking for Ceylon. Its geographical
location made it worthy of certain administrative and commercial activity. It
was a place of continuous movement.
The population,
especially pagan and Protestant, had 25,000 inhabitants. A small handful of
very poor and outcast (just 200), formed the Catholic core…It was a real
spiritual desert! The missionary ministry was not limited to the city. It was
spread very far over a radius of 20 kilometers to the sea, in large coastal
villages, which had thousands of Hindus and Muslims, traders and fishermen.
There were also, to the joy of the priest, small Christian communities where there
are descendants of the first converts of St. Francis Xavier.
ZEAL FOR SOULS
Upon his arrival,
Father had the idea of building small rooms close to the church, in order to
facilitate the stay of passers-by who came to the city for business. At the same
time, he began to establish two schools. He had no resources, but the help of
God was manifest. The Thinagarem, uncle of the Rajah, had just died, leaving
the construction of a school unfinished. His widow (a non-Catholic) finished
the school and entrusted it to Father Leveil, despite harsh opposition by
Hindus and Protestants.
Entrusted to teachers
who were Indian Brothers, the school immediately had a good reputation and
developed marvelously. In a short time there were 15 teachers to teach 400 boys.
A school for girls was opened to, run by Indian nuns in Madurai.
Father quickly
organized catholic action meetings and retreats. Sunday, after the first Mass
celebrated in Ramnad, he went on foot and on an empty stomach, under the
scorching sun for 11 hours, making up fifteen or twenty miles, to find
Christians, also on an empty stomach, who had been waiting all morning. He
immediately began mass, preached, heard confessions, gave advice and paternal
warnings, with a word and a smile for each one. Then he went back to Ramnad.
The young novices of
the Society of Jesus and the seminarians in training who we had sent him
accompanied him in his apostolic journeys, and they were built up to the
highest point of zeal for souls, seeing him prepare his sermons carefully,
writing them, remaining always willing to listen, to help, to bless, to confess
for hours, not caring for his own comfort and never taking rest.
In 1952, one of these
young religious writing in France to Philibert, brother of Father Leveil, “What
could I tell you about Father Louis? He is a true Curé d’Ars, model of prayer
and of zeal for souls. There is also nothing surprising about how his parish
grows…
“Father is now
well-known, esteemed, and revered throughout the city because of his love and
service he gives each day to so many poor people, whether visiting them in the
hospital, or in finding work for them, or in defending their cause when they
are injured.
“I was very struck by the beautiful expression of
the faith and of piety given by his Christians on October 12, on the occasion
of the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, patroness of the parish.
“All the Christians of
his vast Pangou (?)[14]
had arranged to meet and camped for two days around the church and the rectory.
“For two nights, long
processions – one of statues, another of the Blessed Sacrament. They were
followed by several thousand Christians. Right in the city, downtown, they
stopped the statue of the Blessed Virgin before the Rajah’s palace and a prayer
was broadcast on the loudspeakers…Many Muslims and Hindus followed the
procession, prostrated themselves before the statue, offered flowers, rice,
sugar, fruit or money. All manifested the utmost respect.
“If we cannot expect a
lot of conversion, we can say that Christ shines already largely in this
city…Despite his age, the good Father Louis maintains the bravery of a young
man and earned our respect.”
The impetus was given. The Church of Ramnad,
faded for some time, shined on his people with a new spiritual light.
This zeal for souls did not prevent Father
Leveil from understanding physical needs. He knew that the best form of charity
was to raise the standard of living of the poor, to educate, and to prepare
them for work. Thus he helped the fishermen of the coast to acquire nets and
fishing boats to go farther out to sea which would increase their resources.
He also had other projects when Father Arango
was given to him as an assistant in 1953. This young Jesuit also burned with
love for the poor, and the two priests got along wonderfully. They opened a
library where the educated people of Ramnad could be enriched. They decided to
start the construction of little houses for the poor outcasts of the Christian
community and to establish trade schools to ease poor children out of their
misery. Father Arango got to return to Colombia, his native country, to raise
the necessary funds. But alas! Victim of a fatal accident, he would never
return. What a trial for Fr. Leveil who, in spite of his 70 years of age, faced
so much work and bore with his people all the sufferings with which he was
afflicted.
TRIALS
In
that same year, there was an invasion of rats such as we have never seen in the
history of mankind! “These rats cut down the rice when it develops ears[15]
on such a large scale that it is reminiscent of the Egyptian plagues. The poor
farmers do not know what to do and ask me to exorcise their fields.”
In Ramnad, water is very rare, with a
practically continuous drought, causing frequent famines. Father’s letters are
alarming: “How does one come to the rescue of so many poor reduced to such an
extreme misery? They have no work and no money. Some families spend several
days without being able to buy rice to eat…Even wealthy families only have one
meal because there is nothing to be found…Every day there are new poor families
who come to ask for financial aid, widows deprived of their breadwinner and who
have to feed four or five small children, elderly men and women incapable of
working and abandoned by their married children who already cannot meet the
needs of their families.”
When it’s not a drought, it’s sometimes a
tornado, as in 1955, when it was a true disaster for the entire region. Just a
few moments and everything was violently and suddenly[16]
swept away: huts of poor people, harvests lost, etc…Father was there,
comforting, encouraging, organizing relief for those who had nothing.
In the midst of all these troubles, he
managed to expend his tender love on the small and the poor, [evidence of] his
zeal for souls.[17]
Everyone came to him, and he could truly say, “the poor are evangelists.” However, he made no mistake about it and knew very well that, in order to
have rice or work when we lack everything, we are ready to be baptized.[18]
He never asked for anything, but he felt the
grace of God acting on souls. Educated people of Ramnad – lawyers, doctors,
inspectors, all Hindus and Protestants – came to see him, to question him, and
were happy to hear Catholic doctrine explained. Father even won the friendship
of the Rajah’s brother, and, by his influence, the wife of the Rajah at the
time proved to be his only wife.
“Many of these Hindus,” he wrote to France,
“admire and respect the Catholic religion. Let us pray, because this movement
of souls is very consoling. Yes, ask the Holy Spirit to help these souls to
discern where true life is, because Christ said, “Nobody comes to Me except the
Father draw him.”
So much generous work and deprivation reduced
Father Leveil to the frame of a skeleton. He was 72 years old and could no
longer manage a great effort. He needed rest. His superiors sent him to
Sarugani (today Sarakanei) for a reduced workload; he would be the spiritual
director of the priests and of the nuns of the District.
c) HE GAVE NOTHING BUT LOVE
Fr. Leveil left Ramnad
in 1956, but not the poor land of Marava. For twenty-one years he had worked
and toiled in the North, in Andavoorani, then thirteen years in the south in
Ramnad. Next he was going to dig into the interior[20],
at the very heart of the country, as if he belonged entirely to this desert
land where he had dug deep furrows and sown the good seed, “giving nothing but
love everywhere.”
There would be much to
say about all his rounds through the rough Marava. Nothing could stop him:
neither fatigue, nor the scorching sun or the pouring rain…One could call day
or night and would always find him available.
HIS KINDNESS WAS PROVERBIAL
One night in Ramnad, he
slept on the porch, dressed in his cassock, on a small cot, when he was sent
for by a patient. He immediately left, but upon his return his place was taken.
A man, passing by there and seeing the empty bed, laid down there and went to
sleep…Upon his return, Father did not want to bother him and laid down on the
ground. Shortly thereafter, he also fell asleep. The man on the bed suddenly
heard a snore and cried out annoyed, “Who is there…who is sleeping on the
ground?” Without getting up and with great gentleness, Father simply answered
the man, “It’s me, sleep peacefully.”
The poor, the young,
the unfortunate were his passion. With extreme attention and kindness, Father
looked into all distresses, “moving heaven and earth” in order to bring relief.
As for the dark days of great calamities, he lived through all of the
deprivation and anxiety, bearing in his heart all the suffering and misery of
his people.
The poverty of the
people was his [poverty]. He was content with a frugal amount of food: some
rice and water with a little sauce and a vegetable. The treats (eggs or fish)
were reserved for guests.
During periods of
starvation, and even at a very advanced age, he further reduced his diet, only
taking one meager meal per day. He only had one plate…One day, the Provincial
was coming by…What to do? Quite simply, “Take the plate,” said Father. “I’ll
eat later.” On the other hand, when he went during the holiday season to the residence
of the Jesuit Fathers or elsewhere, he had no qualms about rejoicing in the
good dinner that was served. It was his way of thanking God for what was
served.
Most notable was his
sensitivity and exquisite charity. He never criticized anyone and was never
heard speaking ill of anyone and could not hear anyone spoken ill of…Sometimes,
in order to provoke a reaction, someone would stand before him and speak aggressively
about someone else. Father Leveil at first remained silent, then he would close
his eyes and fall asleep…
A MAN OF PRAYER
Up at dawn or before
dawn, having gone to bed at what time no one knows, he seemed impervious to
fatigue; nature was there, however, and got even.
How many times,
kneeling in church, he fell asleep, exhausted at 10 or 11 o’clock at night,
finding himself there the following morning. Blessed sleep that renewed him in
spite of himself…He prayed long hours, often at night; he was seen kneeling on
the veranda, or heading to church to pray there again.
At that time, there was
no electricity but only storm lanterns. Father did not use them…He used light
from a candle placed at the corner of the altar where the Blessed Sacrament
was. Tired from a day of work, where
nothing had been overlooked and, after returning home very late, he was seen
finishing his breviary, standing there, standing at the foot of the altar, in
the presence of God.
Who can tell of the
depth of the faith and piety of Father Leveil? Always in prayer or in the
service of men, he had no other aim than the glory of God and the salvation of
souls.
From his earliest
years, he had a great love for the Virgin Mary. “It is by Her that everything
comes to us,” he often wrote. “It is the sure and straight[21]
path that leads us to her son.”
When he entered the
Society of Jesus in 1906, he became familiar with Thérèse of Lisieux, who was
not yet Blessed. Immediately he found in her a soul mate, and we can say that
the absolutely loyalty of Father, the life of prayer and of faithfulness in
small things, the total gift of himself in charity, corresponded exactly to the
“little way” taught by the saint. Following in her footsteps, [22]
inheritor of her intrepid and audacious faith, of her humility and simplicity,
he lived before God, as a child, in total trust and abandonment.
“Seized by Christ,” he
had given everything to Him and it is “in Him” that he constantly renewed his
soul and strength…He had so fixed his gaze on Christ, his Master and friend,
that his every move was imbued with the love He bore in him. In addition, we
will never know the spiritual radiance of Father during his long life, for the
love he gave to all his people was as the bearer of the love and salvation of
Jesus Christ.
IV – LAST STEP
a) SARAKANEI
Father Leveil had spent
the last seventeen years of his life in Sarakanei. He could no longer bear the
responsibilities of a parish, and the intention of his superiors, in giving him
a subordinate position, was not to load him with responsibility but to give him
rest.
Sarakanei was then the
headquarters of the Ecclesial District, located at the intersection of several
roads. He had to give spiritual direction to the clergy of the entire District
and was the confessor of many convents. But how could his zeal stop there?
From [the time of] his
installation at Sarakanei, Father became the apostle of old Catholics who were
so in nothing more than name. There are indeed, in the parish territory,
descendants of the first converts of St. John de Britto.
After the martyrdom of
the saint in 1963, and fifty years later, the suppression of the Society of
Jesus – which led to the departure of missionaries – their ancestors lived in
rather dark days. It was for them a very long time (about one hundred and fifty
years) where, without any religious ministration, they suffered persecutions,
wars and famines, which devoured more than half of the population. This already
arid land was devastated and became a desert. Today the descendents of those
courageous converts of Marava[23]
kept the name “Christians,” but their wavering faith increasingly declined and
many returned to Hinduism.
GOOD SHEPHERD
How could Father Leveil
not have been moved by their abandonment [of the faith]? It was for him the
urgent call of the Good Shepherd who leaves the flock to graze chasing after
the lost sheep. He began to do village censuses discovering nearly a thousand in
Marava, only a fraction of which were still a remnant of faith. With the help
of secular (diocesan) priests, some
families returned to the fold. He helped with the education of children and,
until his death, he had to instruct their catechumens. His last project was to
undertake the construction of a chapel in honor of St. Thérèse of the Child
Jesus.
Despite his age he was
still visiting many parish villages, loving Sunday, celebrating the mass here
or there in the distant areas. Tirelessly, he remained there afterward at
everyone’s disposal to listen to them, to hear confessions, to bless the sick
and to encourage them.
He had neither car nor
bicycle, at most a bamboo cane. Small in size, curved, bony, a beggar’s beard,
his face burned by the sun but lighted by his bright blue eyes (as blue as the
sky
under which he was born), he was seen to walk to the nearest villages. When
the distance was long, he often sat on the back of someone who was on a
bicycle. One day, however, he was caught. It was in a car, one he met halfway
and who made him get into the car. Poor Father got in, so miserable, like a
thief caught red handed.
MAN OF GOD
The people, upon seeing
him, wondered if he had not received a new youth…They say of all saints that
they represent, in themselves, an aspect of the life of Our Lord. Father Leveil
represented the image of Jesus walking from village to village, blessing the
lowly, the small, and this image is the profound memory which all who knew him
keep in their hearts.
Little children were
great friends of Father. As soon as they caught sight of him, they would flock
to greet and to talk to him. They were happy to play with their “grandfather”
and he, with great kindness, instructed them with little stories while their
parents took pleasure in listening.
When father was not on
the road, he stood in the church or on the porch of the rectory, beset, from
morning to night, by an extraordinary number of visitors, poor and unfortunate
for the most part…They even came from far away to seek his advice, a letter of
recommendation, to confess, to receive his blessing…Everyone, no matter what
his caste or religion, was welcomed with kindness and the same interest…
He gave what he had,
what he was able [to give], especially his presence, his priestly blessing. One
could say that a blessing costs nothing. But many came by exclusively for that
reason…dare we say the word “holiness,” though he himself smiled to hear about
that subject. But a “man of God,” this shows itself…and around those parts, it
did show itself! His brothers, Jesuits, the numerous diocesan priests, sisters,
all the people who came to him, recognized in Father Leveil “another Christ”
and applied to him what was said of St. John de Britto: “His face is a
blessing, and the mercy of God comes[24]
from his lips.”
HE BECAME A MENDICANT[25]
One may wonder today,
how he could find the resources to build a large church, schools, convents, and
thirty-some small chapels? How could he relieve so much misery, provide support
to so many orphans, poor but intelligent children who he sent to secondary
school to pursue their education?
For Father, it was
enough to see what needed to be to get straight to the point, combining “the
Biblical simplicity of the dove with the finesse of the serpent.” He believed
in the efficacy of prayer; he prayed, he fasted, he hoped with a confidence and
a disarming[26]
patience…His two great protectors were Our Lady of Lourdes, who obtained for
him many graces, and Thérèse of Lisieux. “This little saint,” he wrote, “visibly
helps me, and the providential aid she obtains for me greatly assists me.”[27]
Until his death he was
a mendicant, and he wrote to everywhere, to America as in France. In India, his
poor Christians were shown to be generous when the harvest was good. They gave
their time to make bricks, to carry them with their oxen and to build the small
chapels in their villages.
Father built in Marava
at least thirty modest chapels…Once there were some Catholics in the village,
one of his first concerns was to give them a place of prayer and worship
because, as he wrote, “The man who works needs to be spiritually nourished.
Christians provided with a chapel do not easily desert religion. The Church is
a symbol of our union to Christ. It is there that the newly baptized become
accustomed to prayer and that all castes gather around a priest, their spiritual
guide.”
b) PRIESTHOOD GOLDEN JUBILEE
On January 13, 1970,
Father Leveil had the great joy of celebrating in Sarakanei his Priesthood
Golden Jubilee. According to his wishes, this festival of thanksgiving was also
that of all the priests of the District because he wanted it to testify before
all of the people to the greatness of the Catholic priesthood.
But the festival didn’t
stop there…the Jubilee was all year, and of the main events was the visitation
of his niece, Sister Mary of Jesus, who, in the month of October, arrived
straight from France, sent by her Community. She came to share in the
thanksgiving of her elderly uncle and to bring him, before all those who
surrounded him, the testimony of friendship of his [native] country, of his
[religious] Community, and of his family.
Father Leveil, during
his sixty-two years in India, had never again seen his own[28],
nor France. By that time, at 86 years old, he could no longer make the trip,
but France came to him and his joy was immense… Despite his age and multiple accidents [which he always
managed to deal with]...his vitality was still high. He was happy to discuss
with his niece the distant yet ever present memories of his childhood, of his
revered mother, of his brothers and sisters; happy to hear her speak about the
new generation of whom he knew all the names and ages…his memory by heart was
amazing.
For nearly two months,
his visitor did not leave the jubilee, and he drove her everywhere he had
worked and toiled, happy to introduce her to all of the people of Marava to
whom he had given himself…All the doors were opened, from that of the Rajah of
Ramnad to the poorest of Sarakanei. Dear Father was overjoyed. Everywhere [he
went] the welcome was warm, vibrant, decorated with colors which know how to
place you right in the Orient! One of the most touching receptions, however,
deserves to be remembered. It’s one of a village among the poorest where the
animals themselves were part of the festival.
The entire population
waited two kilometers from the center [of the village], with flags and
firecrackers, but there was also a magnificent procession of fifty pairs of
oxen, each pair being driven by a man…The calculation was deserved: Fifty years
of priesthood for Father, so fifty pairs of oxen were necessary to greet him…In
India, the oxen is the wealth of the poor; he plows the land and drags the
cart…is it not fair that he should also share in the joy of man and his
recognition?
Sister Mary of Jesus
went from one discovery to another, amazed by the extraordinary and
supernatural radiance of her beloved uncle, but also amazed by the richness of
this poor people who, in their extreme poverty, keep with dignity a great
delicacy of feelings[29]
and a spontaneous, open and simple joy, one our Western World no longer knows.
c) WAITING FOR THE LORD
After the departure of
his niece, the strong constitution of Father began to decline…His very swollen
legs indicated a weakening of his heart. He lived another two and a half years,
surrounded by a respect which became a loving veneration and, until the end of
his life, there is no doubt he was treated “as a beloved relic.”
His body became
increasingly fragile. He could no longer visit the villages, but he counted to
the vicar the number of families and, in return, he asked for news, concerning
himself with the poor and the measures to be taken to help them live.
He wrote to France, “Do
not worry about my fate, the Good Lord always watches over his children with an
all-powerful paternal tenderness. As you guessed, my eyesight, and my strength
too, are declining, but the grace of God will never diminish.”
His feet which had
unceasingly walked [now] rested, but the fervent zeal of the missionary did not
diminish…Until the end, he continued his priestly ministry, accepting, in the
last days, to be carried on a chair to the Church to celebrate mass seated with
the assistance of [another] priest. His hour approached…He was waiting for the
Lord…his fingers still holding the rosary, his lips prayed and his hand never
ceased to bless those who came to see him; to bless was, for him, the way to
give of himself to others.
For Christmas of 1972,
he wrote to his family: “I no longer see clearly, my legs refuse to carry me. I
am a missionary who is passing away.” He announced his death for his 89th
birthday. “Let us prepare together so that it can be as Divine Providence wills
it and has prepared it.”
From that point
forward, the latest[30]
would be given by the Indian priests who surrounded him with much affection and
devotion. “Father is exhausted,” they said. “He eats very little and can no
longer digest. When the Lord calls him, we will all be sad. He was, during his
entire long and marvelous life, a comfort to the sick and the poor, the
spiritual joy and the beloved Father of all the priests of the region…He was
the glory and the pride of his family during his entire life here, and this
will be the same for all eternity.”
FINAL MASS
On March 20, the eve of
his death, and fifteen days before his 89th birthday, Father
celebrated his final Mass with great difficulty. He could no longer [go on]…[31]Back
home, tired after a rough night, he went to rest, something he never did.
Around 10 o’clock, he became much worse and could no longer breath…Realizing
that he was dying, he received Last Rites at 2:30, fully coherent, reciting
prayers, a rosary in his hands…A large crowd was there…Everyone wanted to touch
him, to kiss his clothes, to receive his blessing…
With great difficulty,
they managed to put him on the porch where people could pass by to see him and
to leave. He had lost neither awareness nor his memory, and he recognized
everyone: those of Ramnad or of Kilakarai…He thanked those who had helped him
and expressed the desire to see Father Veaux, a Frenchman of his generation who
had retired at the secondary school in Devakottai. Father Paul Veaux, a fellow
“bushman” of Marava, had been Father’s neighbor for years in Andavoorani and,
later, his vicar at Ramnad. They were two confreres who understood and
appreciated each other.
Around 3 PM, grasping
the hands of the priest very firmly, holding his rosary in his left hand, he
charged him [with the duty] of telling his niece, prioress of a convent in
France, that he would pray for her in heaven, he would pray for France…that he
would bless them all, the country that he loved…he repeated twice
more…France…France…Then he closed his eyes and was silent. A little bit later
his dear converts of Marava arrived. He blessed them with his trembling hand,
one by one, tracing the sign of the cross on their foreheads.
Shortly thereafter, it
was the Fathers of the secondary school in Devakottai. It was 5 PM. Someone
approached the ear of Father Leveil to tell him in a loud voice that Father
Veaux was right next to him. As soon as he recognized the voice of Father Veaux
speaking in French, he opened his eyes and heaved a great sigh: Ah!..Then came
the quiet and beautiful end…While the sisters recited the prayers for the
dying, in the presence of priests of Devakottai and of Sarakanei, teaching
Brothers of the Sacred Heart, and of Christians (all in tears), Father Veaux
drew closer to Father Leveil and whispered gently in his ear: “Jesus, Mary and
Joseph.” At that moment, he smiled, and he died. It was 5:10 PM. The soul of
the good and faithful servant, supported by the prayers of all those around
him, went back to his Lord and Creator. It was March 21, 1973.
GLORIOUS APOTHEOSIS
Around 7 PM, his body
was exposed in the nave of the church so that all the people could see him one
last time. Until the funeral, which took place the next night, there was a huge
crowd [of people] who had come from all over to visit him and to pray. All
night there were prayers and hymns one after another without interruption.
Masses were celebrated starting at 5:30 in the morning, with numerous
communions. At 11 o’clock, five priests concelebrated.
The burial was a “glorious
apotheosis.” Thousands of people, Christians, Hindus, Muslims, came from all
villages, beating the “drum of mourning,” weeping, kneeling beside his body to
touch him, kiss him, cover him with garlands of flowers and to ask for his
intercession. It reminded one of the exposition of the body of St. Francis
Xavier in Goa. They came from very far: Madurai, Andavoorani, Ramnad, etc.
The good people wanted to attend the funeral of Father, and, that day,
the bus service was unable to contain the huge crowd that came to Sarakanei…any
means available was good.[32]
At 4:30 PM, Monsignor
Diraviam, Archbishop of Madurai, concelebrated along with the Provincial Father
of the Society of Jesus and fifty other priests. Monsignor gave a homily
glorifying the apostolic zeal and charity of the great missionary. The
absolution was given by the Provincial Father. Then, in a long procession
around Sarakanei, his body was carried by dedicated priests, accompanied by a
sea of humans impossible to number. It was 7:30 PM when the holy body of the
man of God was placed in the grave, the place he had chosen, against the
exterior wall of the church, in front of the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. One
week earlier, Father had done the groundbreaking for the digging [of the
grave].
So that was the end of
the last day on earth of the humble missionary, praised by the people of God as
a saint of Heaven, glory of his family, having become a shining star in the
firmament of God.
Today, people come by
the hundreds to his tomb. They cry because, as they say, “He always made the
people happy…He is a saint who has left us.” As for those who knew him best,
they remain in thanksgiving for the great gift the Lord gave to India, their
country, in giving them Father Leveil.
[1] Benjamin means the youngest of a family;
it is believed that the translation of “little sister” (petite soeur) means a
young sister while “youngest brother” (cadet)
would be the youngest of all of his older brothers.
[2]
Breton: of the region of Brittany
[3]
The French word avertissement is best
translated as warning, but in this context it is believed that the best word is
advice
[4]
The original French says “Monsieur le Vicaire” which would be directly
translated as “Mr. the Vicar” or “Curate” or “Pastor.” This is a method of
formality in French that does not translate to English, so pastor has simply
been utilized.
[5]
The original French says “lanterne magique” which means “magic lantern.” This
is a term that was used for old projectors.
[6] In
French, the word “adieu” (literally, ‘to God’) has a sense of finality to it.
[7] Petits typically refers to size (small),
but research of the definition in this context seems to imply “ordinary” or
“simple”
[8] Notre-Dame de la Garde: a famous
basillica in Marseille
[10]
1800 meters = ~6000 ft
[11]
“Se faire une situation” – best translated estimated to mean to get a job
[12] A
cart pulled by oxen
[13]
Text refers to him here as “Blessed” John de Britto; he was canonized in 1947.
[14]
Not sure what Pangou refers to; perhaps a region he lived in?
[15]
As in ears of rice, develops grains at the end of the stalk
[16]
The word “brutalement” in French carries a few connotations…to the extent that
both “violently” and “suddenly” were used to fully express. The word “brutally”
(most closely a cognate) is also prudent here.
[17] A
somewhat unique French syntax here, required adding the words in brackets
thought not actually present in the original text.
[18]
This sentence in its original French just does not seem to make sense; the
translator consulted a native Francophone who confirmed that the sentence did
not make sense. It has been translated as it appears, but the understanding
seems to be more appropriately that we “ought to be ready to be baptized even
more necessarily than having food or work.”
[19]
“Distribution of remedies [medication] to a group of lepers.”
[20]
The literal translation says “Now he is going to,” but common English tense
continuity suggests that when telling a story from the past we must retain the
past tense, hence the translation “Next he was going to.”
[21]
The French word “suave” best translates as “smooth,” but in this context it
seems to imply “without impediment or obstacle,” therefore “straight” was
chosen.
[22]
“À sa suite” is officially translated as “in her wake,” but the idea is better
expressed as written above
[23]
The adjective in French used is “maravers” which seems to imply “of Marava”
[24]
The French word “accrochée” means literally “hangs/hung”…it seems to indicate a
state of “permanency” but the word itself did not entirely make sense in the
English.
[25]
Medicant is a word for a man of voluntary poverty, monks.
[26]
“désarmant” is the French word for “disarming;” in this context it seems to
imply “unshakable”
[27]
This final sentence is not easy to translate and have make sense in English
because three different words/phrases are used in French with subtle
connotation but all best translate as “help/aid/assistance” in English. The
sentence seems a bit redundant when translated.
[28]
“les siens” means “his own people, his own kindred”
[29]
“delicatesse de sentiments” only translates as “delicacy of feelings;” I could
not find any translation for this other than the literal.
[30]
“les nouvelles” means literally “news” or “the latest” meaning “updates, what’s
new”
[31]
“Il n’en pouvait plus” is a specific French phrase implying in this case “he
could do it no more” or “he was worn out”
[32]
“Tous les moyens du bord étaient bons” is a phrase basically meaning « any
way possible was good to get them there”
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