TESTIMONY 52

TESTIMONY 52

Name: Ms. Sikhamani 

Surname: Lingathoti 

Date & Place of Birth: 80 Years old, Manikonda 

Profession / Occupation: House wife 

Address: Manikonda Village, Unguturu Mandal, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh State, India. 

Relationship: Direct Witness 

Date of Written Witness: 20-06-2006

I was 10 years old when I saw Brother Joseph Thamby first time when he came to Manikonda village. Another time in the month of April, I saw him coming from Vijayawada, wearing no chappals and walking in the hot sun. According to me he was a very healthy man, but austere and penitent Franciscan. As I grew up I noticed many extraordinary things about him. 

In a short time, Brother Joseph Thamby and I became close friends. His attitude to death was very exceptional. One day, I saw a box (coffin) near his chair and I asked what it meant. In reply he told me a story referring to his death and funeral. In another way, he told me that he saw Angels coming to him and calling him to go with them to heaven. He was very courageous and much ahead of time was preparing for his death. Thus Brother Joseph Thamby had a coffin made for himself, and explained to me that he was preparing for his death. I understood that he was prophesying about his death. 

Providentially I was close to him during the last months of his life. I noticed how he was preparing for his death by severe fasting for the last 3 months of his life. He was just drinking only water or some decoction. In 1944 during October, November and December, I saw him many times lying on an easy chair and praying. When visitors came to him he spoke to them in a jovial manner. One day when I visited him, I saw that he had placed near his chair a pot of water for drinking. He was too weak that he did not have the strength to stretch out his hand to take the water. 

As I was sitting near his death bed, he metaphorically told that he will soon climb on the bullock cart on Wednesday at 5.00 p.m. Those days he was suffering from severe fever after coming from a nearby village where he was praying with the people. 

On Monday, 15th January 1945 around 5.00 p.m. he went to the house of Boyapati Francis and Claramma. A few of us followed him, as we were very friendly with him. Noticing me standing near him, he told me: ‘Do not go away’. 

I realized that his fever was persisting; I saw how he was breathing hard and losing his speech. At 5.00 p.m. when the clock struck Brother Joseph Thamby said: ‘Bullock cart has come.’ People who were near Brother Joseph Thamby in the room, looked out on to the road. I also looked out from the house and told him that bullock cart has not come. Again he said: ‘It has come’ and breathed his last. I was fortunate to receive the blessing from Brother Joseph Thamby just before his death. 

Very soon I came to the parish Church and informed the parish priest, Fr. J. B. Calderaro about Joseph Thamby’s death. Then he asked me: ‘Who told you?’ I replied: ‘I saw him dying. I just came from Boyapati’s house. It is true’. The priest said: ‘He did not receive the last Sacrament’. Saying ‘None of you are giving me the last Sacrament’, he went away’. Fr. Calderaro finished saying this, and speedily went to Boyapati’s house. As he was going, I heard him saying: ‘At last Brother Thamby won the bet’. 

Brother Joseph Thamby was friendly to Leyamma of Prodduturu village. Since I knew it, I went that night itself in haste to her house and just entered. She asked me: “Why did you come now?” At once I gave her the news of the death of Brother Joseph Thamby and it was 9.30 p.m. 

Ms. Sikhamani Lingathoti 

Dated: 20/06/2006