Fr. Patrick De Melo, SJ was a man of few but deep and well thought out words

Prakash Kamat,Panaji Goa.

Fr. Merwin D’Souza SJ, Province Development Director of the Goa Jesuit Province,Panaji Goa  sent to me an article written by Fr. Agnelo Mascarenhas SJ about Fr. Patrick De Melo SJ who passed away on 14^th August, 2020. 

 

(Fr. Merwin D'Souza SJ

Goa Province Development Director,

Jesuit House, 14/A Travessa de Revolucao,

Post Box # 112, Panaji, Goa. 403001 

Contact No. 9871588406)

I publish this obituary with great respect to the memory of  Fr. Patrick de Melo SJ :1942-2020.🙏🙏🌹

The Province of Goa bids farewell to a Jesuit who served the province in various capacities: Provincial, Novice Master, Rector, Spiritual Director, Counsellor, Teacher, etc. After a brief illness he passed away at the Province Health Care Facility (Infirmary) in Porvorim. His departure has created a void thatis difficult to fill in. He entered the Society of Jesus on 06 October, 1959 in Soutelo, Portugal, and was ordained on 25 March, 1972 at Bicholim.

As a Provincial he laid great emphasis on ‘cura personalis’ which enabled him to build a good relationship with the Jesuit brethren and the Lord. His great strength was spirituality, retreat direction and counselling. He offered these strengths in accompanying Novices, seminarians, diocesan clergy, lay people and religious. This was his unique Ignatian contribution that he was well adept at and could alone make.

By nature, he was friendly and approachable, showed great interest in persons and had the great ability and capacity to listen. He was a man of prayer and made himself available to accompany individuals in their pursuit to enlightenment and fulfilment.

Fr. Patrick de Melo fondly known as Pat has always been a widely sought-after person for retreats, spiritual direction and recollection talks. His experience in these fields was vast. Fr. Pat as a Spiritual Director at the Pontifical Seminary at Rachol is fondly remembered by many a diocesan priest. They remember him gratefully because they received great support and solace from him. Everyone who entered his room with a heavy heart and a cast-down face emerged with a serene look and a heart filled with confidence and trust in the Lord. He was ‘Master of Novices’ at XTC, Belagavi from 1991 to 1998.  All his novices to this day remain ever grateful for his guidance and spiritual accompaniment during the two years of their initial formation in the Society of Jesus. He was the Provincial of the Goa Jesuit Province from 1999 to 2005, after that he has spent many years helping individuals, groups and even Religious Congregations to grow spiritually and come closer to the Lord.  

Pat was a very frugal person with very few needs. He was a man of few but deep and well thought out words. Unfortunately, his voice became very feeble during the last few years. He had so much to offer but had great difficulty addressing groups and even individuals. He also ate very little and made no demands for any particular or special food, though he was encouraged to do so. He always said, “I eat what is provided.” His austere nature made him weak and left him with very little or no energy; in spite of that he had a great desire to direct retreats and accompany individuals in the course of spiritual direction. 

What he offered individuals was the unfailing love of God. He assured them that God in his everlasting love cares for us and gives us the required graces. His life too proclaimed the same message. He was not particularly anxious about his health and wellbeing. He believed that God would always provide him with the required strength and graces to continue his ministries as long as God wanted to. This harmony between his life and his message was picked up by all who had the fortune and the blessing to come in touch with him. 

His community members, in the various communities he lived in would surely vouch for this. 

Pat had to endure a lot of pain and suffering during the past few months moving in and out of hospitals. He endured all his suffering with serenity and silence. May the Merciful Lord who sustained him during his life here on earth receive Pat into his glorious embrace where pain and suffering has been transformed, and where he now experiences the everlasting presence of the Lord he served. 

Fr Agnelo Mascarenhas S.J.

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