TESTIMONY 57

TESTIMONY 57

Name: Ms. Michaelamma 

Surname: Kureti 

Date & Place of Birth: Peddavutapally, 70 years old 

Profession / Occupation: House wife 

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

Relationship: Direct Witness 

Date of Written Witness: 2006

When Brother Joseph Thamby became aware that his death was approaching, his behaviour was very peculiar. A few months before his death, he had asked Fr. George Kudilingal, the parish priest of Vatluru for some financial help as a loan in order to make a coffin for his burial. He promised to the priest that he would work in the field and with that wages he would pay back the loan. 

It is told that a few days before his death Brother Joseph Thamby asked for the Sacrament of the Anointing of the sick. He looked healthy, and Fr. Calderaro could not believe that he needed the Sacrament; so, he did not anoint him. Brother Joseph Thamby asked the cook Mr. Showry Madanu and a few of his friends to bury him in the coffin that was made beforehand. 

Servant of God Brother Joseph Thamby was a person of firm faith in God. I have seen what rigorous sacrifice he made in his life. When I was 10 years old I saw Brother Joseph Thamby for the first time. When he came to Avutapalli, the children seeing him clumsy and in peculiar dress, called him ‘mad-man’ and threw stones at him. I think that he had his own idea of doing penance. He was not tidy in body and dress. Perhaps he was scared and came to my home to tell my daddy Mr. Yagappa about what had happened to him. 

Brother Joseph Thamby was very charitable. Not only he did good things for others, but also in situations of need, he humbly depended on others. Chased by the children, when he came to my home, my Daddy told him the words of encouragement and gave some groundnuts for eating and comforted him. He ate them and drank butter-milk that we gave him and he was very happy. I was fortunate that Daddy asked me to accompany him. I remember very well how I walked with him holding on to his hand. 

When we reached in front of the house of Boyapati Francis he wanted to enter their house, and asked me to return home. I noticed how he entered their house and asked in Tamil language for water to drink. I saw him drinking, and I came back home. Later I came to know that Brother Joseph Thamby and Sitaramma had long conversation. In her talk she described her sorrows, particularly about the fact that she did not have a male child. My family members came to know that in the following year a boy was born to Sitaramma. Then she expressed her desire to profess Christian faith and receive the sacrament of Baptism. In fact, she and her husband Basavayya received Baptism at mid-night and received the names Francis and Claramma. 

Brother Joseph Thamby would never complain about the ill treatment that he received from others. For his own reason, the parish priest Fr. Calderaro was not happy to see Brother Joseph Thamby going about clumsy and wearing the brown habit. He, therefore, asked him to remove it and wear secular dress. Brother Joseph Thamby obeyed the order, and ever since he was found wearing a dothi that reminded that he was a Religious. Once Boyapati Claramma found it very old and torn, and wanted to destroy it so that he might wear a good dress. She wanted to burn it and threw it in the kitchen fire, but it did not burn. We have heard of this miracle and said that he has some great power working in him. 

The servant of God Brother Joseph Thamby had the gift of healing and many people went to him in Avutapalli to be healed by his prayer and some medicine that he gave. 

I was married and had two children. Once I was sick and admitted in the hospital. There I had seen an old man with a severe wound on his leg and came for treatment. On another occasion I saw that same man after being healed by Brother Joseph Thamby. 

Without complaining he endured humiliations. The parish priest Fr. Calderaro was not encouraging sick people to come to Brother Joseph Thamby seeking his healing. We have heard that several times he had sent away the patients who came to Brother Joseph Thamby. 

Once Fr. Calderaro himself became sick and was suffering from swelling on his feet. He went to Bandar hospital and received treatment. Yet it was hot healed. Hearing this Brother Joseph Thamby told my Daddy Mr. Yagappa that he would pray for the priest’s healing. On the following day itself the priest was found healed. Brother Joseph Thamby kept his equilibrium. 

Brother Joseph Thamby was very respectful to all people, both healthy as well as the sick. I noticed that he had a very small room to live. People were left free to enter and speak to him. But he told people not to enter his room while he was praying; and that his words should not be heard by anybody. 

Once on a Friday I was going to a nearby village and was passing in front of Brother Joseph Thamby’s house. I looked into the house and saw him lying down on the floor, hands stretched out like Jesus on the cross. I noticed blood on his palms. I have seen it only once; but I told of this to some of my friends. Though Brother Joseph Thamby had a special concern for me, when he heard that I talked to others about his stigmata, he forbade me to speak of it any more. 

When my Daddy came to know of the Stigmata of Brother Joseph Thamby, he told the children never more to make fun of Brother Joseph Thamby or throw stones at him. He also told the parents of children to prevent them from doing harm to him. He told that Brother is ‘second Christ’, and all of us ought to revere him as a saintly man. 

In our village it was the news that one day Brother Joseph Thamby took bath in ‘Eluru River’, where the water was dirty and much polluted. People warned him that he would become sick and die due to contamination. Some people from Avutapalli heard of it and complained to Fr. Calderaro. He scolded Brother Thamby for his behaviour. He foretold that he would not die due to sickness; but that he would die on Monday, 15th of January 1945. In fact he died as he had foretold. Thus all of us came to know that he had the gift of foretelling events. 

After his death, the fame of his sanctity spread very fast. Nearly after 3 years after his burial, the people had the curiosity about what might have happened to the body of the holy man, Brother Joseph Thamby. They approached the Parish Priest and requested him to dig the tomb and see the condition of his body. But the priest discouraged them saying that the tomb of such a person can be opened only when the Bishop grants ecclesiastical permission. 

Ms. Michaelamma Kureti 

2006