TESTIMONY 46

TESTIMONY 46

Name: Rev. Mother Lantharch 

Address: St. Gnana Prakashiar Convent, Puduvai, Tamilnadu State 

Relationship: Niece of Brother Joseph Thamby 

Date of Written Witness: 25-04-1983

When we were in St. Gnana Prakashiar convent, Puduvai, Brother Joseph Thamby came with white shirt in 1926. He was around 40 years old and was begging to us. We doubted why he is begging since he is young and healthy. Then Brother Joseph Thamby said “Do not doubt about me I belong to this place; when I was 12 years old boy, I ran away from my home, without my father’s knowledge; even now they do not know who I am.” His style of life was quite simple. 

He was reading each one’s mind and telling to them what is in this mind. He met an elderly woman and told her about the money which is in her box. She said that she has nothing. But he said again, go and bring what is there. As he said she found the money (6 paisa) and gave to him. 

He was serviceable to all. He would never keep grudge against anyone. Rather, he readily forgave those who offended him or did evil to him or spoke ill of him. The following incidents prove these. 

There was a good Christian family of Siromani in Kattpady, and he used to visit the family often. The daughter of Siromani, Arokia Mary joined the convent on 28 February with the help and encouragement of Brother Joseph Thamby. Seeing this, the neighbors were jealous of them. So they planned to destroy that family. They planned to destroy that family and kept some witchcraft in front of the house.From that time onwards, the family started to face many troubles. 

Within a short time Siromani’s son Susai was admitted in Vellore hospital with illness and Joseph Thamby visited him. He came back to Antony, the brother of Susai. And told: “You must take care of Susai’s spiritual matters.” Accordingly, Antony did what Joseph Thamby had told him, and Susai had a peaceful death. After 10 months Susai’s brother Antony who was 24 years old also expired. Three months later, 17 years old boy Joseph, another son of Siromani also died. After nearly two months their brother-in-law also died with typhoid fever. 

The family faced lots of problems, especially so many deaths in the family. Due to all these troubles, the father in the family became mentally upset. Brother Joseph Thamby had compassion on him, and prayed over him. So he became fully alright. 

One day Brother Joseph Thamby came to this family and met Siromani and found her very sad. She said that she had a dream, in that she saw three things lime, hair and toy. He explained the dream like this, that your enemies have kept these in front of your house. The person has to remove it. As Thamby said this lady called that person and took the three things and buried it. 

Brother Joseph Thamby was present for the profession of Arokia Mary. After a long time, he went to Ulavarkari convent and visited her again in 1938. Once she fell ill and was admitted in Puduvai hospital. There he paid a visit to her and said: “This is our last meeting. We will meet again only in heaven”. 

Joseph Thamby lived the virtue of humility in strange ways. In 1938 one day at 11 a.m., Brother Joseph Thamby came to the ‘Ulavarkari’ convent. Sisters have arranged the lunch for him at the table. But he wiped the floor with the hands and put the rise on the floor, then the tied his both hands behind and knelt down and bend down and ate the rice from floor. Then went to the prayer hall, where he saw the statue of St. Francis of Assisi and ‘crucifix’ and prayed there. After the prayer he asked for cotton. And he wiped the blood from the palm of the hand, foot and side of the body. We have seen this with our own eyes. That time he was wearing the dress of Franciscan order. He said to us not to tell anyone about this and went off. 

He had certain extraordinary charismatic gifts. For instance, the gift of foretelling the future events: the nephew of Brother Joseph Thamby was planning to marry his sister’s daughter; before the marriage itself, Joseph Thamby had told the relatives: “This boy will have some danger on the marriage day and he will not live more than one year after the marriage.” It has taken place exactly as he foretold. He told about the next marriage which has to take place in that family. He said that the same thing will happen to that marriage also; it happened exactly as he had foretold. 

Joseph Thamby had the gift of reading the secrets of the hearts of people. We know of an incident in this regard. When Brother Joseph Thamby came to a poor family and met an elderly woman, he asked her for a little money. She said, “I have nothing in the house.” But he said, “Go into the house and bring what money is there in your box.” As he said she found the money in her box and gave it to him. 

On another occasion, Brother Joseph Thamby asked an old man to give him a cord like that of the Franciscans. But this old man said: “I do not have another one.” But Joseph Thamby said very firmly, “There is a new rope is your house; give me that.” When he heard Brother Joseph Thamby saying what was true, he was frightened and gave the cord to him. 

Whatever is said above we have heard with our own ears, seen with our own eyes and we have spoken to him face to face. He had good and loving relationship with us. So we accept him as a saint. In 1980 we came from Puduvai to see his tomb at Avutapally in Andhra Pradesh. We pray to God that he must be canonized as a saint. We pray for the people those who take more interest for his canonization. 

I witness also the favors that we have received through the intercessory prayers of Brother Joseph Thamby: our paddy filed was destroyed by the small creatures. That time we prayed to Brother Joseph Thamby with much faith and confidence. So we got better harvest for that we thank him. We thank him for sending us a good worker to run our motor when we were in need. 

There was no water in our bore-well; we tried to dig another bore-well. But so many were discouraging us, by telling, that, you will not get water so we were disappointed but still we prayed to him with firm belief. After sometime, we got good water. With grateful heart, we pray to Jesus that Thamby should be canonized as a saint. 

A girl was finding difficult to get a good partner in her life. Some sisters came to know this matter and they started to pray to Brother Joseph Thamby; so she got a good husband and now she is very happy. For this grace they are very grateful to Brother Joseph Thamby. 

Mother Lantharch 

St. Gnana Prakashiar convent, Puduvai 

Dated: 25/4/1983