(John and Ethel Fopeano recently received this letter from Fr. Mendonca who hosted FIC visitors in Varanasi, India in 1987. Many of you will remember his visit to several FIC chapters in the U.S.)
Dear Ethel and John,
Christmas is about two months away and we shall be busy preparing for this great feast. Year 2008 kept us so busy that it has passed sooner than we expected. It is twenty years since we have met each other and also I had visited you in Clarence. So many changes have taken place. We have become old. Yet we have been keeping contact with each other. I wish you a very happy Christmas. May the year 2009 bring you blessings and joy in your life. During Christmas you will have again the joy of family union with your children and
grand children.
My work has made progress and now there are more than five hundred children in the school. I am sending you our school magazine. It will give you some idea of the activities of the school. It is a pleasure to work among the children. They are very much attached to us and also make us feel young.
My health is good. I must have written you that about one and half year ago I had cancer. With prayers of many people and a proper medical care I am almost cured though I have to visit the hospital every six months.
There have been attacks on Christians in different parts of our country. Some of them were also killed by Hindu fundamentalist groups. It seems that persecution is coming to our country too. Some have lost everything except their Christian faith. They have remained firm and have not given up their faith though many of them are poor. The central (federal) government is taking action against the attackers . But the people have already suffered. In my place we are
still safe. Please pray for our country.
I wish you once again a happy Christmas. Please give my regards to your children and grand children.
Yours sincerely,
Fr. Lawrence Mendonca