Rev Fr R V Mathias remembered

Fortieth day remembrance of Rev Fr R V Mathias former IYCW Chaplain Brussels, Belgium

The fortieth day remembrance of Rev Fr R V Mathis former IYCW Chaplain, Brussels, Belgium was organized by his relatives and friends in chennai at Dhyana Ashram at 10.30 am 28th December 2011. the concelebrated holy Eucharistic service was conducted by Rev A Thamburaj S J former principal Loyola College, Chennai, Rev Bernard Lawrence former DYC Director, Fr Joe and two others. The mass was followed by a meeting to honour the dear annan Mathias.
Prof Victor Louis Antoine from LIBA Chennai, S V Rajadurai, Christy Samy, Subhadra, and Ruben CCI Chennai are the prominent speakers at the podium. Victor in his inimitable style recalled his close relationship with annan and thanked him for stirring up him to contribute two books on the ill effects of globalization on the marginalized. He was unequivocal about the man Mathias –probably annan would have stirred in his grave for using the highly gender-ised word ‘man’ instead of ‘human’- and uncharitably called other commoners as ‘biological accidents’.

Annan would have again took fight with Victor for belittling the commoners as ‘biological accidents’ for annan believed that people - the nameless and faceless people - led by the workers are the real heroes and writers of change and world history. Annan was hugely influenced by the Worker Priest Movement of the southern France during the early 60s and cherished the lofty ideals of French people as well as the Germans (Karl Marx).

Victor is deeply affected by the sudden passing away of annan and recalled in the last forty days he made pilgrimage to the grave three times. He recalled when he was transferred from Pazhaiya koil, the milkmen came around with a pot full of cow’s milk and said that every Sunday they used to be very attentive to to his Sunday sermons.

He experimented with new ideas when the church and the laity were still orthodox. For the feet washing ceremony on Maundy Thursday, he selected the women instead of men. That earned the wrath of the conservative laity and the church hierarchy. He was an avant-garde in all sense always experimenting with some thing. When he is at rest he used to write hymns and lyrics compose music.

Annan was instrumental in building the church in Tiruverumbur which was a fledgling industrial township as the M/s BHEL have anchored their prestigious Boiler Plant and the Small Arms Factory established by Ministry Of Defence.

There is only one word difference between “grave” and “grace”. When we look at any key board it will be noticed that both the words are adjacent and the letter “C” prceeds the letter “V”. annan’s grace is full of grace. Grave had turned into grace indeed.
S V Rajadurai known for his scholarly Tamil writings on the communalism, existentialism, EVR, and many more subjects has been acquainted with annan through Samy founder director AREDS Trichy. He was rather so close to annan, that he could take the privilege of calling annan as ‘bogus priest’. He recalled whenever, he wanted to surprise him with any news or book or CD, already he would have heard, bought or received.
His recounting of the joyous movement he had with annan though he is a non-believer. They were friends rather brothers he annan and SVR thambi though SVR is just one year younger to RVM.

His blood realtives Christina Samy and Subadra (Chuttum vizhichudar) wife of former AICUF Full timer Johnny from Trichy also recalled those joyful moments they had with RVM. His aunt sang the song he composed both lyrics and music for the year of Priests observed by the church.

Ruben Agniraj former YCW and presently CCI convenor spoke of his times with RVM during the tenure as the IYCW chaplain how he used to be full of enthusiasm and vigour to go around the globe to express his personal solidarity with the struggling workers. He also declared that on behalf of CCI a website dedicated to the memory of RVM at http://www.rvmathias.com/.

The meeting concluded with the vote of thanks and a resolution to collect the photographs, articles, essays and other related recordings to publish a memoir in honour of the life and times RVM.