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50 Years As A Friar Minor – An Interview with Br Augustine Pinto OFM

 

1. Father, could you please tell us about yourself and your family?

Though, originally from Goa, I was born and bred in Ajmer, Rajasthan. We were seven siblings, four girls and three boys. I was the second youngest, followed by my youngest sister. My father expired in February 1947 when I was ten years old. My eldest brother had just started working in January 1947. We were far from being rich, though we had just enough to eat. We could never dream of luxuries. During the Second World War 1939-45, the prices of all commodities, not only food items, began to rise rapidly. This caused everyone a lot of anxiety and tension. I remember my mother being told that after the war, the prices would come down but they never did. We witnessed and experienced some really hard and trying days.

2. Could you please share with us your vocation story?

It was about the time when I was in the eighth standard that I seriously began thinking about my future. Priesthood was out of the question for me. Intellectually and health-wise my two elder brothers qualified for the priesthood. God should call them and certainly not me! I felt sure I had neither the brains nor the health for it.

In 1951 when I was fifteen years old, a cousin of mine who was living with us from his childhood, my eldest brother and eldest sister, all three of them, were already working. Then my elder brother too started working. So there were four members of the family who were working and we began to witness and experience better days, financially and otherwise. We had a big radio; magazines which were not there before, began coming in and what is more, we had friends and visitors frequenting our home. In Ajmer there were a lot of Anglo-Indians and periodically they would organize dances in a big hall of the railway institute. My two elder brothers would go for these dances. Our whole life-style had changed drastically. What I noticed was that despite the fact that we were financially better off now, and were the recipients of all what I mentioned above, all this did not enhance my joy in the least! On the contrary, I experienced more joy during the time of deprivation when my father was alive.

That was the time I seriously began thinking about the religious life. From the ninth standard onwards, I, on my own, would wake up in the morning and go daily for Mass. In those days (1954) we went straight from High school to Intermediate College. I was good at Maths so I opted for Inter-Science. About six months through my Inter-Science, I felt a strong call to the religious life. The call was so strong that I felt there was no point in continuing with my studies. I neglected my studies, failed miserably, and didn’t even collect my progress card. 

I really had no idea as to which Order or Congregation I should join. I heard of the SVD’s in Indore and decided I would join them. When I told my mother of my desire, she and my eldest brother objected to my joining any religious congregation. They said, “You liked Maths and had decided on your own to opt for Inter-Science and now you don’t want to continue. You will never persevere in the religious life so it is better you don’t join any congregation.”

My parish priest too said, “Why go outstation to Indore and make a big noise about your vocation, go instead to the Minor Seminary here in Ajmer. In two weeks the rector will tell you whether you have a vocation or not.” This proposal was acceptable to my mother and brother as they thought that in all likelihood I would be back home in two weeks. I had no alternative, so on the 4th of July 1955, that cousin of mine who was living with us, accompanied me to the Minor Seminary. My cousin was twenty-five years older than I was and he was like a second father to us. A week or so later he came back to the seminary and told the rector that before I came to the Seminary, he had made me apply for a job. Now I had received a call for an interview for the same job. My cousin told the rector that if I were selected for the job I would not return to the Seminary, but if not selected I would return. Surprisingly, the rector agreed to this, but I told the rector and my cousin that I would not go for the interview. I said to myself that this is not a matter of some choice being set before me: Christ or the job! No, not in the least! I have opted for Christ and the matter ends there. There is no turning back. After spending two years in the Seminary, I was sent to the Major Seminary in Allahabad for my philosophy.

3. Why did you choose to become a Franciscan and how did you become a Franciscan?

My mind never changed about wanting to be a religious. The spiritual director in the Seminary was a Capuchin, I told him of my desire to be a religious. Though he was a Capuchin, it was he who advised me to join the Franciscans. He said that for my constitution it would be better not to join the Capuchins. At that point of time (1959), they were stricter and more austere than the Franciscans.

I had mentioned that priesthood was out of the question for me. I was sure I did not qualify for it and like Jeremiah I was terribly afraid of venturing into that territory. All I can say is that God had literally pushed me into the religious and priestly life. It was he who gave me the courage for it.

4. How were your formation years?

I had hardly joined the Minor Seminary in 1955 when I contracted what is called amoebiasis which causes amoebic dysentery. This plagued my life for at least three and a half decades and even after being rid of it, I continued suffering its after-effects. Because, of this I experienced heaviness in my head and so found my studies really tough. Along with the strong call of God, the Lord also gave me a love for prayer. I was drawn to the Blessed Sacrament even before I joined the Minor Seminary and this love for prayer continued for a good part of my Clericate. On days of recollection I could spend two hours or more in the chapel in prayer. However, that ‘sweet feeling’ which accompanied my prayer did not last beyond 1964.

5. What is it that you like the most in St. Francis of Assisi?

What I like the most in St. Francis of Assisi, is the radical and drastic break with his past way of living even to the extent of renouncing his earthly father. The other thing I liked in St. Francis is his daring in taking our Lord’s exhortation to the rich young man literally: “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come follow me” (Mt 19:21).

6. What is it that you cherish the most as a Franciscan?

What I cherish the most as a Franciscan is the freedom we are given and the freedom I enjoyed to develop my spiritual life according to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

 

7.  Who are your batch mates?

I had no batch mates, friars Fidelis and Daniel were senior to me and friars Agnello and Sidney were junior to me. As I was alone in my batch, I had to join the batch junior to me for the novitiate.

     8. Who is your favourite saint and why?

One saint who influences my life very much is St. Theresa of Child Jesus. She is my favourite saint. Hans Kung in his most superb work JUSTIFICATION: The Doctrine of Karl Bath and a Catholic Reflection (1964) presents the authentic mind of the Catholic Church and thus succeeded in rectifying Karl Bath’s misunderstanding of the authentic mind of the Catholic Church. In such a superb and highly theological work, Hans Kung quotes even St. Theresa to bring his point home to Karl Bath namely: that in the two passeages quoted below, regarding St. Theresa’s donctrine, Karl Bath would find the authentic mind of the Catholic Church with regard to Justification: what makes a person holy in the sight of God. I quote him: “Prayers can often give a better theological answer than doctrinal statements.”

Theresa of the Child Jesus-four months before her death: ‘I am very happy to go to heaven very soon, but when I think of these words of God: ‘My reward is with Me, to render to each one according to his/her works! He will not be able to reward me ‘according to my works’. Well, then, he will reward me ‘ACCORDING TO HIS OWN WORKS’

‘In the evening of this life, I shall appear before you WITH EMPTY HANDS, for I do not ask you, Lord, TO COUNT MY WORKS. All our justice (holiness) is stained in your eyes. I wish, then, TO BE CLOTHED IN YOUR OWN JUSTICE (HOLINESS) and to receive from your LOVE the eternal possession of YOURSELF.

Hans Kung has selected the cream, the very best, of St. Theresa’s doctrine. After going through these two passages of her doctrine you will understand why St. Theresa is my favourite saint. Her doctrine has boosted my confidence in God immensely.

9. What are the various capacities in which you have served in the order?

I have been mostly in the pastoral field exercising my ministry in the various parishes of the Province. In a few parishes I have been the parish priest and in the rest an assistant.

10. What was your dream as friar minor?

    To be honest I have never really been ambitious. At one point of time, I think it was 1982; I made known to those in-charges my desire for a more contemplative way of life. About that time friar Ryan from Australia had come to Bengaluru as the Visitator General. I told him of my desire and he said that I could spend a year in the hermitage in Australia. That would be ample time for those in the hermitage and for me too, to come to know whether God was calling me to that way of life or not. He said he would foot the expenses of my travel to and fro. I could call this desire of mine ‘my dream’. My dream never materialized.

11. What are your spiritual practices you keep up in your spiritual journey?

    As a religious priest I have tried to be as faithful as possible to the daily recital of the entire Prayer of the Church as required of us. Practically since 1955, when I joined the seminary, I have, for the most part, been faithful to the daily recital of the rosary. The Chaplet of the Divine Mercy today is practically the most popular devotion in the Catholic Church even in the States, among practising Catholics of course! For the last twenty years at least, I have for the most part been faithful to the daily recital of the Chaplet. I have been saying my personal morning and night prayers for many years now. They include a prayer to the Holy Spirit, the Memorare of our Lady and the prayer to St. Michael.

12. What is your word of advice to the younger generations of the Order?

    There is a conspicuous, clearly visible decline in faith. Prayer and faith are intimately connected. Faith cannot and will not survive without prayer. If you spend time in prayer, you will find that your faith is growing. We have many needs in our religious life, but the greatest and most precious of all these is faith.

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