It is three years since Oblates of Jaffna
Province launched a Relief Mission in those camps in Cheddikulam area where
about 238,000 people from the Sri Lankan war fronts of Vanni settled in
temporary shelters behind barbed-wires.
In early February 2009, people started to
flee from the north-eastern war territory to come to army-controlled areas.
Government forces brought them to Cheddikulam, a north-central region in the
district of Vavuniya. Fr.Celestine MASCHRINGHE, who was the parish priest, acted
promptly to cater to the people, for they were without anything except their
very lives. The Oblates in the neighbourhood also appeared on the scene to join
in the relief work. Eventually a massive relief operation was undertaken by the
Oblates.
Cheddikulam by nature is a mission area in
the far end of the Diocese of Mannar, sharing its border with the central
District and the Diocese of Anurathapura. Being on the border, it has been affected
severely by the three decade civil war. A good number of people here are either
Tamil settlers from the South or re-settlers after the relative calm situation
in the area. Now it has become a refuge for the fleeing masses from the North.
It is hard to be involved in any sort of
relief work without the knowledge and permission of the military. It is still
harder to be involved with the most deserving people from the war fronts of the
North. But the Catholic Church did its best to help the people in need.
Caritas, diocesan institutions and other religious humanitarian organizations
extended their timely assistance by being close to these little ones of Jesus.
Fr.Celestine, as the pastor of the area, was
there fulltime to coordinate and to be directly involved in the huge relief
mission. Along with his spiritual and sacramental services, Fr. Celestine offered
cooked meals, dry rations, medical and sanitary care, education facilities,
clothes and baby-needs, family reunions etc. to these hundreds of thousands of
internally displaced people (IDP) –who were both Hindus and Christians. The
pastor did not leave his flock unattended. Another young Oblate, Fr. Sathiyaseelan
PATHINATHAN joined Fr.Celestine in this noble mission to the poor. Fr. Celestine
built 15 churches, all of them permanent, except three inside the IDP camps.
Consequently weekly masses were organized in those
churches, especially inside the camps, with the help of the neighbouring priests. Some 20,000 buns were distributed
daily to the people in the camps. In organized vision clinics, more than 1500
were given spectacles. More than 1500 preschool kids were given fresh milk
daily; former militants in detention camps were helped with clothes, toiletries
etc. The most deserving people were helped financially for their daily living
and 30 students were gifted with bicycles without which their education would
have remained in doubt.
It was, on the whole, a massive Oblate
endeavour to respond to the needs of the time. What is observed here is not the
monetary value of the assistance but much more than that, the closeness to and
the solidarity with the needy. The personal care of the Oblates with these
people stands out and is fresh, even after years of Oblate presence in the
camps and in the areas. Now a similar mission is being undertaken by some
Oblates in other areas where it is needed now – of course always close to the
people. (OMI Newsletter, January -
April 2012 www.omijaffna.com)
