KOLKATA, India (UCAN) — Jesuits in Kolkata have been urged not to rest on their laurels but work harder to serve Indian society, during programs marking 150 years of their Bengal mission.

An entrance dance during the Mass celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Bengal mission

The early missioners contributed a lot to the development of tribal communities in eastern India, noted Naresh Gupta, secretary of the national Jesuit Alumni Association of India, at a Nov. 28 function to mark the occasion.

However, he said he now wants the Jesuits to widen their scope and provide healthcare facilities in the country, which remain neglected.

Similarly, Jesuit Provincial of South Asia Father Edward Mudavassery, while paying tribute to the Jesuits’ contributions in Bengal, invited them not to bask in their past glory but get ready to face current challenges boldly.

More than 2,000 people, including 10 bishops, attended the jubilee celebrations at St. Xavier’s College in Kolkata (formerly called Calcutta), the capital of West Bengal state.

The program included a symposium on Jesuit contribution to the education and social life of people in eastern India, an exhibition on the Bengal mission’s growth and a multimedia presentation on the mission.

Cardinal Telesphore P. Toppo of Ranchi, in his homily during the jubilee Mass, compared the early Belgian Jesuit missioners to Abraham of the Old Testament, who left his homeland for a place that God had chosen for him. The cardinal expressed hope that the jubilee celebrations would renew the “missionary zeal in our time even though it may encounter many obstacles.”

Concelebrants during the Mass: From left: Retired Archbishop Henry D’Souza of Calcutta, Cardinal Telesphore Toppo, Calcutta Jesuit Provincial Father George Pattery and Bishop Salvadore Lobo of Baruipur

Four Belgian and three English Jesuits landed in Kolkata port on Nov. 28, 1859. The mission they started now comprises two archdioceses, 21 dioceses, and seven Jesuit provinces, spread over Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal states.

Other guests at the event praised the pioneering spirit of the early missioners.

The Jesuits in Bengal have dedicated their life to enrich the lives of people with their quality education and cultural contributions, said Salomi Mamata, who works with Calcutta archdiocese’s social service center. “What I am today is thanks to the Kolkata Jesuits,” she said.

Snehashish Sur, a TV journalist, hailed the Jesuits’ values-based education and identification with local people. He said he was surprised when the late Belgian Father Gerard Beckers started living in a tribal Santal area after retiring from his work at St. Xavier’s College. “He moved around in a bicycle, and that was truly exemplary,” he added.