How Could They Rest In Peace (RIP) in Such a Mess? Pathetic Condition of Bejai Church Cemetery
Mangaluru: OMG! The St Francis Xavier Church- Bejai cemetery is no doubt in a deplorable condition with many parts of the cemetery littered with rubbish, dog poop, wild grass grown quite high, stray dogs etc. Being a parishioner of this Church, and also where my parents are resting in peace, I felt totally disgusted, upset and guilt-ridden when I saw the pathetic condition of this cemetery. Last year during the All Souls Day, when I went there to pray for the departed souls of my parents, the cemetery looked quite okay, with grass being cut, area cleaned- but since that November 2, 2016, no one has ever bothered to clean this cemetery, I suppose! It is just like when CM visits the City, the whole vicinity is cleaned and beautified, where as in the same manner here, the cemetery gets an extreme makeover only during when its nearing ‘All Souls Day! It appears to be a collective blindness or “It’s okay/No problem” kind of attitude on the part of the church and the management.
I am not sure how the cemeteries look like at Churches in the City, but the one at my parish looks horrible. I happened to be at Bejai church this morning, to oblige Michael Lobo, also a parishioner of Bejai Church to click a few photos to be incorporated into his report which is already published on our website. According to Michael Lobo, five years ago, the parish of Bejai celebrated its centenary. To mark the occasion the parish council sanctioned funds for the erection of a thick cemetery wall that in fact badly disfigured the appearance of this beautiful cemetery. The parish of Bejai was quite unique in that its cemetery formed part of the approach to the church – and parishioners on their way to mass, or on their return, would pause along the pathway at the tombstones of their loved ones, with a few words of silent prayer. These tombstones, once directly in the line of sight of the church (as was virtually required by Catholic practice), are now blocked by the ugly wall that is more appropriate for a jail than a place of prayer. And the cemetery as a whole, once very meticulously maintained, is now overgrown with wild plants, and garbage continually accumulates especially on the inner side of the wall. After all, what cannot be seen from the church requires no maintenance, added Lobo.
Yes, inside the cemetery at few corners that is unkempt, there is rubbish lying around, such as decayed flowers, newspapers and plastic bags, old flower pots and stands, candle boxes, buckets, and so on. Added to these there are a bunch of stray dogs, some even relaxing on the tombs. They even urinate and shit, on and around the tombs- Is that a respect our dear and near departed family members/relatives/friends deserve? You need to watch and walk inside the cemetery-because chance are that you may step on “fresh dog poop”. Lazy, selfish and inconsiderate people have designated some unoccupied plots as a convenient dumping ground for their trash, which is totally ignorant on their part.
All around, the cemetery has a sad and neglected look. There is not even any attempt at landscaping, there are broken signboards not been replaced and the periphery is overgrown with bushes. Just wondering why the church cemetery committee had allowed its so-called sacred place to be treated like a rubbish dump, and also filled with grass grown wildly. Even the Vatican had declared that the ashes of cremated Catholics must be buried in cemeteries or other sacred places. So, isn’t cleanliness supposed to be next to Godliness? I would rather have my ashes scattered on a pristine mountain and face the wrath of God than being buried in a place surrounded by rubbish, stray dogs, wild bushes etc etc
My dear mother was a fastidious and dignified woman when she was alive and I am mortified and heartbroken that both my dad and mom’s earthly remains are surrounded by rubbish every day. I somehow feel guilty for having consigned them to this ignominy. I cringe with shame that I have to walk right past the rubbish/wild grass/filth to get to my parents’ plots. At least their graves are some distance away from the piles of trash, but this is one pathetic consolation. And as a Good Samaritan and being very courteous, spending from his own pockets-my brother, Joe D’souza couple of years ago took the initiative with the help of his workers cleaned the cemetery area/also did some maintenance work around the cemetery- and that was history-because since then it seems like no one had voluntarily come forward to help in cleaning this place.
They should carry out some simple landscaping and regular maintenance work. Other cemeteries I have visited look neat and clean. How difficult is it to tidy up the place so that families can feel some peace about the resting place of their loved ones? Cemeteries are supposed to be tranquil and serene, but this one is just a disgraceful eyesore. The occupants of cemeteries may be voiceless, dead and gone, but their remains deserve to be treated with respect and reverence. I hope the church will take immediate action to restore some dignity to this ‘sacred place’. My humble request to the Parish Priest, Church Pastoral committee members and Church Associated Organizations to look into this issue very seriously, and kindly do the needful at the earliest. Pardon me if this article has hurt anyone! Anyways, the article is all about FACTS and not Fiction?
Thanks Mr D’Souza- for highlighting this issue- and I appreciate your concern about the pathetic condition of the cemetery. My grandparents and father are buried here, and I feel ashamed to say that to visit the tombs of my beloved ones, I have go through a few obstacles.
Hope your report will awaken the concerned people at the church, so that they would take the initiative in cleaning the cemetery area soon. Thanks once again.
Thank you very much, Mr. Alfie D’Souza for your article describing the present condition of the Bijey cemetery which was always known to be a place of “organization” in every step of the way. Their daily liturgical services were well conducted, the choir was good, the church hall was excellent and most importantly the Parish Priests were always attentive to the needs of the people of the parish. We are privileged to have the best view of the cemetery of Bijey Church from our seven balconies of our home, and we were almost making up our mind to select Bijey… Read more »
If the inside and outside of the Church building is kept neat and tidy; if the parish priest and other clergy home is kept clean and tidy; even their surrounding garden maintained and landscaped-then why can’t ALSO the Church Cemetery kept clean and Tidy? Also for the fact, many of the the people who are buried there, once upon a time could have contributed to the Church FUNDS in a big Way??
Thanks Mangalorean.com for a excellent report.
when church authorities take money to bury.dont they have responsibility to maintain cemetery.
I used to visit my parents grave every weekend- but due to the wild grass grown all around the cemetery, I am a bit reluctant to step inside the cemetery, fearing about snakes and other reptiles. YES, this cemetery needs to have a nice landscaping and maintenance at the earliest.
The cemetery of St Francis Xavier church-Bijai is not just PATHETIC but DISASTROUS? I don’t belong to Bijai parish but have attended a few funerals, and I have seen the condition which is unimaginable. I would think to myself-“Is there anyone at the Bijai parish raising a voice against this issue?”
Probably church has no funds for cemetery maintenance. Hope this article will not pour more from donors. People need to donate for causes directly than to the religious institutions of any religion where there is no accountability. Fearful devotees just do not open their mouth against the wrong doings of the religious organisations instead turn against the person who fights for justice. Appreciate the comments who supported the article.
This is truly shameful. Like stated earlier a lot of money is taken to be buried there. I understand the monsoons are still on but timely Maintenace should not wait for the end of a season. And will the priest and clergy of Mangalore along with the parish councils stop spending money on useless projects to commemorate milestones of the church. Instead of that ghastly unwanted wall, the money could have been spent on the homeless and needy people of the parish, funding children’s higher education etc. Stop wasting money when there is so much poverty around. Keep the vicinity… Read more »