lawrenced

An autobiographical sketch

1. Family background:

I was born in a village called Maravepatti Pudur, about ten kilometers from Dindigul- the head quarter of Madurai province. My family was known for its piety and as well-knit joint-family-system. It was only in the month of May 1991 that we gracefully parted from each other. My parents as well as my uncle are teachers, working in the same village. Besides, having been born in an educated family, I am also lucky to have been born as the youngest son, to receive care and affection not only from my parents but also from my two older brothers. The desire to have younger brothers to play with, came through the birth of my cousins (all the 3 are younger to me). The desire to have a sister remained unrealized.

2. Important events:

As I sit back and view my past, I come across a number of events which have helped me to be what I am today. The events narrated below do not have the order of importance but it is in the chronological order.

a. My fathers’ death:

I was educated at my native place up to the 6^th standard. The following year, I was sent to Dindigul for my further studies. Besides getting accustomed to the town culture, I had to get accustomed to the hostel life, which was forced upon me. In the beginning I had to

undergo the painful experience of being away from my parents. In the later part of the academic year, came the disastrous experience of the loss of my father. Moreover the day before my father’s death, I was hospitalized for a leg injury, while playing hockey. As a result, I could not perform the last rites that are to be performed by the youngest son of the family at the time of burial.

b.Retreat:

When I was studying in the 8^th standard, I had the opportunity of attending a three-day-retreat preached by a Jesuit priest. It was an important event in my life. The priest dwelt very much on the meaning of life, the unavoidable experience of death and life after death. These themes made me reflect on the experience of the loss of my father. At the end of the retreat, I came to a conclusion that to lead an n exemplary life or a meaningful life, one should be open to the call of Jesus.

3. Vocation to the Society of Jesus:

Though from the age of 13, I cherished a lurking desire to become a priest, yet I had not mentioned it to anybody at home. During the years of my stay at the hostel, we used to receive a number of vocation promoters from various provinces of India. It was at one of those encounters, where I met a priest from Gujarat and decided to opt for Gujarat.. I chose to come to Gujarat for various reasons. First of all, I had the understanding that to be a good priest – to be self sacrificing priest, one should dissociate oneself from one’s family bonds and go out to an unknown place. Secondly I was aware of the family pressures on the local priests in granting jobs, especially the allotment of the vacant posts in schools. Thirdly a companion of mine too had opted to go to Gujarat.

Fr.Lawrence Dharmaraj s.j