TESTIMONY 4

TESTIMONY 4

Name: Fr. George
Surname: Kudilingal
Date & Place of Birth: 81 years old, Kerala
Profession / Occupation: Parish Priest, Vatluru
Address: Vatluru Village, Eluru, West Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh State
Relationship: Witness

Date of Interview: 2006

I am the parish priest of Vatluru parish, Eluru. Every month, I used to go to Avutapally for the Teachers Meeting there. The parish priest, Italian, Fr. J. B. Calderaro used to call me since Vatluru is not much far from there. Often he invited me for hearing the confession of the teachers, catechists and the faithful. I used to see Brother Joseph Thamby there and often we had conversation.

Brother Joseph Thamby excelled in the virtue of humility and charity. On two occasions, I saw the parish priest, Fr. J. B. Calderaro looking angrily at Brother Joseph Thamby, because of his shabby appearance and behaviour and contemptuously telling him to get out of the place. Sometimes, Fr. J. B. Calderaro ill-treated Brother Joseph Thamby but he humbly endured all that without any complaint and never showed any impatience. It surprised me that he did not take offence at the words or actions of the priest. He was a holy man.

Once I asked him: “Why are you staying here all the time” don’t you go anywhere else? Why don’t you one day come to see me in Vatluru?” That was a Friday and he used to get Stigmata on Fridays. With my eyes, I have seen him getting Stigmata, and in agony. Blood was oozing from the two hands, feet and the forehead. I was aware that our Lord Jesus was crowned with the thorns. Similarly, drops of blood were falling. Brother Joseph Thamby was bit of a dark man; in appearance, he was not an attractive personality. But at the time of Stigmata, he appeared to be shining, handsome and with much grace on his face.

On another occasion when I came for the feast in Avutapally, I invited Brother Joseph Thamby to come to my parish, Vatluru. But he replied that he would come, but not then, since he was suffering from the pain of the wounds. If he had agreed, I would have taken him with me that evening. Fr. Andrade and I went to the railway station, purchased tickets to return to our respective parishes and boarded on train around 10.30 a.m. I reached my place in Vatluru at 11.30 a.m. and went to the parish church riding on the bicycle that my servant had brought to the station. When I reached home I found Brother Joseph Thamby sitting on the steps in front of the door. Surprised to see him there, I asked: ‘How did you reach here before me’? He began to weep and said: ‘If you promise not to reveal it to anyone I shall say’. I promised and then he said: ‘Whenever I want to go somewhere, a hand would touch my back and lift me up and then drop me where I wanted’. After this, I went to the school and asked the teacher whether he had seen that man. He replied that the man had come there half an hour ago, and was chased away because he appeared to be a stranger. I have not told this to anybody. This is the first time I am giving my testimony about his gift of bi-location.

I also came to know that Brother Joseph Thamby used to work miraculous healings. A certain man had vomiting and motions. Due to exhaustion, he lay tired and did not open his eyes. People thought that he was dead and carried the body for the burial. Brother Joseph Thamby prayed and that man came back to life.

People have told me that Brother Joseph Thamby worked the miracle of the multiplication of food; but I have not personally seen it. When the poor people or visitors come to him, Brother Joseph Thamby used to welcome them. They used to bring leafs to serve food for him and take them back as relics.

I can remember that Brother Joseph Thamby often visited the Kamma family of Boyapati Francis and Claramma. Once, I was talking with him in Avutapally and along with him visited that house. He had no illness and always looked healthy.