MATUNGA, MAY 17, 2008:
“Ninety! Ninety! I can’t believe it!” It was a phrase we heard several times on this day last year as the grand old man of our province - Fr. Casa - turned ninety. Holding his hands over his mouth, his eyes wide open, he slowly shook his head and repeated again “Ninety!” Looking back at that day, two incidents in particular come to my mind.As I came out of my room that morning I found Fr. Casa standing in the corridor gazing at the grounds in front. I wished him a very happy birthday and then added: “Fr. Casa, ten more years to go.” He held me firmly by the shoulder as was his habit and replied: “My boy, when you reach my age, you won’t say that.” Then he turned his gaze again to the campus and continued: “I was just thinking how much God has blessed us. I remember this place when there was nothing here. And now…. what a miracle!” As I listened to him I was keenly aware that I was in front of a man who was at the heart of this miracle, who was himself a source of blessings to many.That afternoon during lunch, while we were having his birthday celebrations, the Provincial, who was out of Bombay, called on Fr. Bernard’s cell phone to wish Fr. Casa. He took the cell phone, held it first to one ear and then to the next, mumbled something into it, stared at it suspiciously, and then gave it back to Fr. Bernard saying: “At ninety how do you expect me to learn to talk on this strange thing!” We all broke into laughter, appreciating the great sense of humor of this man. A sense of humor that had helped him keep ‘sane’ through the ups and downs of a nine decade long journey; that had helped him help others see the lighter and brighter side of life. A year later as we look back at a multitude of happy memories, we lift our glasses once again and say: “Cheers Fr. Casa!”
Note: If anyone would like to share some personal memory or anecdote about Fr. Casa that could be included in the ‘life-sketch of Fr. Casa’ being written by Fr. Edwin D’Souza, please email the same to fredsdb@gmail.com or post a comment in the blog below.