Former Bishop of Allahabad Mudartha Passes Away
Courtesy: CBCI site and Dr Deepak Oswald D'Souza
Allahabad, May 31: Emeritus Bishop of Allahabad Baptist Mudartha passed away at 6-30 pm on Wednesday in Nazareth Hospital, Allahabad. He was 95.
Bishop Mudartha was Bishop of Allahabad for eleven years and earlier Bishop of Jhansi for 12 years. In 1977 he was transferred to Allahabad.
His funeral will be held at 11 am on Friday, June 1 in St Joseph's Cathedral, Allahabad.
“On Sunday, May 20, Bishop Mudartha was taken to the Nazareth Hospital from the hospital annexe ‘Vianney Niketan’ for a complaint of general weakness. On Wednesday morning he received Holy Communion and prepared himself well for his eternal journey. He breathed his last this evening,” said Bishop of Allahabad Isidore Fernandes.
Bishop Isidore Fernandes was speaking to the executive secretary of CBCI Commission for Social Communications Fr Henry D’Souza.
“Mentally he was an alert man. Seven years ago he had a fall in the room and fractured hip. In spite of difficulty in walking, he was very regular and prompt at 6.15 AM for daily mass at the hospital chapel,” said Bishop Fernandes.
“Bishop Mudartha was a deeply spiritual man. Promotion of inculturation and Hindi language were his strong points,” declared Bishop Fernandes.
“Being a benevolent Shepherd, Bishop Mudartha was loved by one and all,” said Bishop Fernandes who succeeded him as Bishop of Allahabad.
Dr Deepak D'Souza adds:
Bishop B Mudartha was born on September 9, at Balegundi in Saantur village in Belman parish of Mangalore, Karnataka. He was the third child of his parents Joseph Mudartha and Martina Mudartha who had 8 boys and 3 girls. One of his sisters - Fr Thomas D'Souza's mother - and a younger brother (Fr John) are very much amidst us, being residents of Bangalore.
He did his primary education in St Joseph's Higher Primary School at Belman, and Class Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh in St Aloysius College, Mangalore. He joined the diocese of Allahabad for priestly studies in 1933. He was in Sitapur Minor Seminary for two years, studying Latin, under Fr. Clarence Geary. In 1935 he was in St. Joseph's Seminary, Allahabad, studying Philosophy under Fr. Conrad de Vitto who later became the first bishop of Lucknow.
As the Beadle of the Seminary, he had pleasant and unpleasant memories. In 1937, he was sent to Rome for Theological studies. In Rome he had to repeat the philosophy after which he did four years of Theology. He was ordained a priest in Rome on December 12, 1942, on the day of Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle, by Cardinal Fumogoni Beyondi. As the Second World War was on, he could not return to India for two years. During those two years he did his licentiate in Philosophy on 'the concept of God in Islam'.
Fr Mudartha came back to India in 1944 and was sent to Sitapur to teach Latin in the minor seminary. After 1 1/ 2 Years, he was sent to St Josephs Seminary, Allahabad to teach philosophy, both Indian and western. Fr Mudartha was a strong protagonist of Hindi Language and Hindustani Music. Fr Camil Bulke SJ was doing his studies in Hindi from the University of Allahabad and research work on Ram Katha in those days. Through Fr C. Bulke, Fr. B. Mudartha made friends with the Hindi scholars of the university. He would give them Christian hymns and ask them to translate into Hindi with Indian nuances.
These lyrics were given classical Hindustani music by Tarachaand Gaur who used to teach Hindusani music in the Seminary. Thus the first edition of Hindi hymnal "Muktamala" was brought out by Fr B Mudartha in 1962 for the whole of UP and Rajasthan. As a professor in St. Joseph's Seminary, he was a great protagonist of Hindi and Hindustani music and indigenization. All the seminarians who had become priests in UP and Rajasthan during his term in the seminary owe their Hindi language and love for Hindustani music to Bishop B. Mudartha.
In October 1962 Fr. B. Mudartha was made the Vicar General of Allahabad Diocese by Bishop Leonard Raymond. In 1963 Fr. Baptist was appointed auxilliary to Bishop F X Fenech Ofm Cap Bishop of Jhansi. He was ordained a bishop in Rome in October 1963 by Pope Paul VI with 14 other bishops from the world over. He was made a bishop in 1967 and for the next 10 years he had to struggle hard to get the diocesan priests.
He recruited a number of seminarians and ordained 12 priests for Jhansi diocese. He opened up new stations – one at Moror ( Gwalior) and Kailor (BHEL) Jhansi. He began the novitiate of the Daughters of the Sacred Heart at Jhansi which is a flourishing congregation now. He also brought Sisters of Nazareth in Manikpur, Adoration sisters in Morar, and DHS sisters in Kailar (BHEL) Jhansi.
With the resignation of the Bishop Alfred Fernandes, Bishop Baptist Mudartha was transferred to Allahabad in 1977. In a short span of time he opened up a number of mission stations, schools and convents. The first one was in Asnabandh, a school and convent, Shaktinagar school and convent, Anpara school and Convent, Rihandnagar School and Convent, Renukoot school and convent, Mirzapur school and convent, Chunar school and convent, Meja school and convent, Naramau school and convent kidwainagar school and convent MC sisters, ST. Patrick's, Kanpur, MC sisters Muirabad, St Antonys school Pratapgarh, Mudilla School Akbarpur School, Jafferganj Convent.
In spite of being hard up for finance, his quiet way of going about was highly appreciated. He was the one who introduced Indian liturgy in the Diocese, besides training a number of priests and religious in Indian music in Sangeet Sadhna Mandir, Pachmarhi.
In 1988 when Bishop Mudartha completed 75 years of age he honourably retired to Vianney Niketan, handing over the reins of the dioceses to Bishop Isidore Fernandes. Even from Vianney Niketan Bishop Mudartha, continued his zeal for Hindi. Every evening Bishop Mudartha and Fr D Bhatt used to visit their non-Christian friends trying to gather material for "Masih Shabd-sangraha", an English – Hindi glossary on theological words which was published in 1997. On the occasion of the release of this book the Bishop was awarded, Hindi Sahitya Ratna by the Catholic Hindi Sahitya Samiti of Allahabad. Besides he had been conferred the following awards: Mother Teresa award by All India Social and Literary and Cultural Organization 'EKTA' of Allahabad, Varishth Naagarik Samman, Allahabad -1999.
When Bishop B Mudartha retired to Vianney Niketan he was asked: "How much bank balance do you have?" He said: "Not a Pie. I came to Allahabad with Rs 5 in hand. All I have belongs to the diocese". That is the last willl of Bishop Baptist Mudartha.