TESTIMONY 54

TESTIMONY 54

Name: Mr. Joseph 

Surname: Polangi 

Date & Place of Birth: 23-02-1929, 80 years old 

Address: Calderaro Nagar, Peddavutapally Village, Unguturu Mandal, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh State 

Relationship: Direct Witness 

Date of Written Witness: 2006

I came into contact with the Servant of God, Brother Joseph Thamby when I was 13 years old. To me, he appeared like another St. Francis of Assisi, preaching the Gospel, healing the sick and praying for everyone. He came to Andhra Pradesh and patiently endured a lot of sufferings and hardships to bring people closer to God. 

Four days before his death Brother Joseph Thamby began to suffer from diarrhoea. No one dared to approach him in this situation. But Mr. Saddapu Bala Swamy and I visited him at that time. When Fr. Calderaro came to see him and asked him, ‘What do you want? Shall I send you to American hospital or you will remain here’. Brother Joseph Thamby answered, ‘I don’t need a hospital. I have to travel to heaven’. Then Fr. Calderaro said, ‘You are unable to get up from your bed for all your needs, and no one is ready to clean you up. The teachers here will not be able to help you. But in the Hospital, the nurses would do what is needed’. But Brother Joseph Thamby said, ‘I don’t want any help. I have to go to heaven. My time is nearing, I don’t want anything’. Then Fr. Calderaro asked me ‘Jojappa, Brother Joseph Thamby is suffering from diarrhoea. There is no one to care for him. His bed is not cleansed. People may not be happy to come near him. He is not consenting to go to hospital. So what shall we do?’ Then I said ‘Father, it is true that he is unable to get up for his needs. I shall clean up his stool. I shall take care of him’. Fr. Calderaro gave a bowl for his urine and excretion. After he had used it, we were throwing it near the river side. 

On the fourth day of his illness, on January 15th there was a high Mass in the Church. Brother Joseph Thamby in spite of his inability went early morning to the Church for praying, and went to the house of Boyapati Francis after the Mass. Around five in the evening he said, ‘I am going’ and before long died. When the news reached the parish, Fr. Calderaro did not believe and sent someone to enquire. It could be seen that Brother Joseph Thamby was lying as if sleeping, but was not alive. All of us went there and laid the body on a cot. Sometime later it was carried to the Church. The whole night we remained there praying. The next day, 16th January, the body was buried in the parish cemetery. 

The Servant of God, Brother Joseph Thamby practised the love of God in a heroic manner. He was a man of deep prayer. He had been here for nearly seven years. Often I had seen him carrying the book of the Bible with him that was in Tamil, his own language. Using this Bible he preached the Gospel very well. 

He was a man of profound compassion to the sick and suffering people. At another time, Brother Joseph Thamby went to Gudivadain order to meet a person whom he had hugged and cured of his leprosy. The man said, ‘Father, you came to me and healed me. I am a sinner I thank God, for you have cured this sinner’.Servant of God said, ‘It is not my work but the Almighty God had made you well. Pray to Him without forgetting and in your spirit render thanks to God’. Brother Joseph Thamby was found exhausted due to his long journey on foot. Since then the family believed in God. And they began praying to God day and night. Till this day the family is being blessed through the intercession of Brother Joseph Thamby. 

Brother Joseph Thamby was a man of great love for people. He had no partiality between castes like Mala Gudem, Madiga Gudem or others. He preached to all people without distinction and mingled with all of them. He used to sit on a mat while teaching. He helped all to pray in their family. He used to teach about the love and sufferings of Jesus as well as the Third Order Spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi. 

Through the power of his prayer, he healed many sick people. He used to embrace and kiss the patients with ulcer as if they were his own children. 

The Servant of God practiced heroically the virtue of humility. Though Fr. Calderaro externally spoke well with Brother Joseph Thamby, he did not have much faith in his spiritual powers. So at times he got angry with Brother Joseph Thamby. But he just replied, ‘Even if you are angry with me, I will not be angry; even though you scold me, I am happy’. Once Fr. Calderaro told him, ‘Hey I will beat you and shoot you with gun’. But the Brother had only a smile. He bore all these insults patiently and humbly. 

I am a witness that he has some miraculous powers. Just like the five wounds of Jesus, Brother Joseph Thamby also bore the stigmata on his body. On a few occasions, I had seen blood oozing from the hands and feet. 

He had the gift of bi-location. One day Fr. George Kudilingal came from Vatluru to Kesarapalli. When he saw Brother Joseph Thamby, he invited him to his parish Church. Brother Joseph Thamby said, ‘I cannot come now. But I will come little later’. Fr. George Kudilingal started his journey at 5:00 a.m. and left to Vatluru by train. Brother Joseph Thamby got up as usually after the sunrise, he had some black tea and started his journey to Vatluru. Some people had seen him getting ready to go. They had seen him till he went to the road, but not afterwards. And no one saw him which direction he went to. 

When Fr. George Kudilingal was near to the Vatluru station Brother Joseph Thamby was already in the Church of Vatluru. There were three teachers in the Church. As soon as Fr. George Kudilingal saw Brother Joseph Thamby praying in the Church, he asked a teacher about the time of Brother Joseph Thamby’s arrival. They said the time when Brother Joseph Thamby came to the Church. According to their witness, Fr. George was in the Telaprolu Railway station. And immediately Fr. George sent a telegram to Fr. Calderaro in Avutapalli. Fr. Calderaro must have believed in the miraculous journey of Brother Joseph Thamby and invited Fr. George to share the experience with him. And Fr. George came and explained everything that happened and Fr. Calderaro believed it to be a miracle. 

I wish to witness to another instance. One day Fr. George went to Gunadala. Before his going Brother Joseph Thamby told that he too had some work and so he would come with Fr. George. But Fr. George refused his request saying: ‘I will take you another time’. But Brother Joseph Thamby said, ‘I will come’. Fr. George left by Motor Cycle to Gunadala alone without taking Brother Joseph Thamby. Then Brother Joseph Thamby left for Gunadala walking on the bank of the river. Before ever Fr. George reached Nidamanuru, Brother Joseph Thamby was already in the Church at Gunadala praying. When Fr. George asked him ‘When did you come?’ Brother Joseph Thamby said, ‘Since I could not come with you, I came here alone through the help of God’. At that time, Fr. Dangs, Fr. Arnold and a few elders were there. All those priests reported this incident to Fr. Calderaro. All the four priests believed that Brother Joseph Thamby had the gift of bi-location. 

Mr. Joseph Polangi 

2006