Humble and Spiritual ‘Smiling Buddha’ Fr Santhosh Kamath Sj is 80 Years YOUNG
Mangaluru : I bet there is no Catholic family in and around Mangaluru that wouldn’t know Fr Ravi Santhosh Kamath SJ – who has made a difference in people’s lives as their mentor and preacher by interacting with them at the most special moments in their lives-the greatest joys and the deepest sorrows, and by also walking with them. Therefore they all respect and adore him as a religious leader, a devoted priest, a religious educator of children and adults and as a true role model. It’s my greatest joy to write a tribute on Fr Ravi Santhosh Kamath SJ on his 80th Birthday- a priest and a friend whom I have met many a times at Fatima Retreat House and also at many happy celebrations and also during funeral ceremonies.
Fr Kamath is a person always smiling, so nicknamed as “Smiling Buddha”, social and a spiritual leader very much loved by all, for his kind and gentle nature whomever he meets, and he is always courteous and ready to assist anyone in need regardless of their religion or way of life. For Catholics Christians, priests are mentors, teachers and friends who celebrate both the ordinary and special events in their lives. Therefore, it is important to find the right priest to share these moments with you-and for that matter, Fr Kamath is the right example!
“The Son of Man comes not to be served, but to serve” Jesus said, and, after washing their feet, told the disciples to do what he did. Serving people is what Jesus did, and doing what Jesus did is a privilege- and that’s what Fr Kamath as a devoted Jesuit priest has been doing since his ordination in 1958. Today the Catholic faithful expect their priest to be a dynamic preacher, impressive celebrant, effective healer, sensitive listener, able administrator, friendly person, sounding board and even, sometimes a punching bag-and yes, Fr Santhosh Kamath has all these qualities and has kept his promises to serve as a good, God-fearing priest. His gentleness, humour, his smile, friendliness and all the wonderful things he does, has kept him very close to everyone he has met and made friends with.
In the Bible, Jesus Christ is depicted as the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the (His) sheep. He was very compassionate to his sheep {disciple}, knew their characters and their name, and always ready to give His life for them. These are the ultimate characters of a Good Shepherd. Similarly Fr Santhosh Kamath has been a Good Shepherd all his 61 years of religious life- serving the people, helping those in needs and in distress, visiting the sick, and praying for people. His qualities and characters has made him a much loved person in the society. We should all thank God for showering His blessings on Fr Santhosh Kamath to serve the people.
We can undoubtedly say Rev Fr Santhosh Kamath SJ came to this earth with a special mission and that is ‘Spreading Joy Everywhere’. He can be aptly called as a ‘Smiling Buddha’, a very jovial and loving person. He is a very vibrant, dynamic and intellectual person. A true Jesuit and a blessing to everyone around him. Very true to his name he is a ‘Ravi’ or Sun who has brightened lives of people by his rays of love and wisdom. He is ‘Santhosh’ or happiness, who has filled thousands of lives with joy and happiness. In total, he has been a blessing to all around him. We salute you Father, for what you are and what you have been to the people. And as you celebrate your 80th Birthday, we wish you many more years of joyful living and strength from the Almighty to keep illuminating the lives of people.
Fr Santhosh is a man with Vision, Mission and Connection- he is a role model for all young Jesuit priests. God has kept him so long, so that Fr Santhosh could complete few more pending things in his life. A French language genius, he has indeed patented the ‘French Connection’ in Mangaluru. A child among children, youth among youngsters and intellectual among adults, a guide, a friend, a motivator, a philosopher, a spiritual director –he has captured the hearts of people by his innumerable roles and capabilities.”
Speaking to Team Mangalorean, Fr Ravi Santhosh Kamath said, ” I feel proud to one among the 12 children my mother gave birth to me- I was not born in a maternity ward, but at home and laid on a traditional leaf. I only wish the present young married couple plan on having more than one or two kids. Latin has infused in me and empowered me, but sadly Latin has been ignored presently. If anyone wants to learn Latin, I am happy to teach them. I thank everyone who had send me wishes on my 80th birthday, and also for your love and support all these years, and I seek your blessings and prayers in my future too”.
Fr Ravi Santhosh Kamath {Baptized as Ronald Pereira} was born on 5th October, 1939 in a place called Bajpe and joined the Jesuit order in 1958. Throughout his service, he has touched thousands of lives and made a difference in their lives. He is an inspiration to everyone, young and old alike. At this proud moment of his life, it is apt to look at his life closely and draw inspiration from him.
He regards his vocation as a priest to be a call to serve others. He never waits for an invitation, if he feels there is a need for his service. He is always ready to give a helping hand. He does whatever he could do to add a little joy, a tiny sparkle in other’s life. As a true Jesuit, he is ever ready to wash others’ feet.
People’s Priest:
He is a favourite priest of Mangalorean people. He has won the hearts of people by his readiness to give a helping hand and easy accessibility. He is so active and full of life, even at this age, he gets up at 5 in the morning. He regularly visits the elderly to cheer them in their homes and also offers them Holy Communion which is a boon for the aged with motor disabilities. He particularly makes it a point to attend funerals where death is sudden-like cardiac arrest, accident or when it involves untimely death. He is also a well known funeral orator. For all these special qualities, people fondly call him ‘People’s Priest’.
Intellectual Person:
Rev Fr Santhosh is a multi-faceted personality. He is an institution in himself. He is a counsellor, he has counselled thousands of youth and married couples. He is a multi-lingual person, knows many Indian as well as foreign languages, Malayalam, Tamil, Sanskrit, French, German, Italian and Spanish, to name a few. He gives tuition to people in foreign language, presently teaches French in a local College. He has taught in seminary for about 40 years.
Joy of living:
His mission in life is to give ‘joy of living’ to everyone and make their life joyful. He has helped people who were unable to find life partners, to find their soul mates and lead a happy life. He has also helped people in troubled marriages, to set their life right. He has also helped divorced people to get married and lead a fulfilling life. He preaches retreats to young and adults to give positive direction to their life. Because of his help, thousands of people have found ‘joy of living’ in their life.
Man of God:
Rev Fr Santhosh Kamath SJ is a man of God in true sense. His service revolves around the purpose of spreading God’s love. As a true Jesuit, he is closely united with Christ in spirit. He has brought a number of people to Christ and has given God experience to them.
Funeral Orator :
Funeral oration, also called panegyric, eulogy or deshi Shraddanjali, is one of the central parts of ceremonies in the church for the dead among Christians. One of the ace practitioners of this art is Fr. Kamath. From the very first year of his priesthood in 1971, he had started giving funeral orations – in Mumbai, Mangaluru, Bengaluru and several other places in India and abroad, including 37 in New York where he was doing doctoral research. Incidentally, while the funeral oration is made the dead body remains in an open coffin on a platform close to the altar and facing it.
For Fr. Santosh attending funerals need no invitation. Yet, he is much sought after for this role. He also monitors obituary columns of local newspapers which give a short family profile. He particularly makes it a point to attend funerals where death is sudden – like cardiac arrest or in an accident or when it involves untimely death – young people. If he has to deliver the eulogy, he starts with some research on the grieving family, phoning close neighbours and relatives. The result is very telling.
In conclusion, in my perspective- Whatever you are doing, that which makes you feel the most alive….that is where God is” said St Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of Jesuits. Rev Fr Ravi Santhosh Kamath SJ is a person who truly believes in these words and finds God in every work. Whatever he does, does it with full enthusiasm and his unique style. It is said every person comes to earth with a God given mission. We can undoubtedly say Rev Fr Santhosh Kamath SJ came to this earth with a special mission and that is ‘Spreading Joy Everywhere’. He can be aptly called as a ‘Smiling Buddha’, a very jovial and loving person. He is a very vibrant, dynamic and intellectual person. A true Jesuit and a blessing to everyone around him.
Fr. Ravi Santosh Kamath with his multi-faceted ministry, is an institution. May he continue his ministry for many more years to come! Team Mangalorean extends heartfelt wishes to Him on his 80th Birthday, and may he live to be a CENTENARIAN! May God bless you, Father!
