Mother Teresa's Kottayam connection

KOTTAYAM: Philo Simon gets talkative whenever asked about Mother Teresa. The 58-year-old who is working as a Special Associate in the State Bank of India branch here and her family are cherishing the memories of their intimate relation with Mother Teresa. Philo is the daughter of P M Joseph, who had a very close relation with Mother Teresa. It was in the compound of his house in 16th Bedford Lane in Kolkata, Mother started her first school in the mid 1950’s.Mother preferred to travel in the black fiat car with the registration number WBA 5238 owned and driven by Joseph. Whenever mother visited Kerala, Joseph brought his fiat car to Kerala to take her around. Now, the family is preserving this car which is kept at service station owned by Philo's brother Mathew Joseph in Kottayam.
Joseph who hails from Paramel family in Kanjikuzhy was one of the first from Kerala to start rubber trade in Kolkata. He left for Kolkata in the early 1950's and got settled and bought a bungalow in 16th Bedford Lane, which was close to the convent of Mother Teresa. "My mother (Mariamma Joseph) used to watch the nuns of this convent who passed through the street in front of the house. Later on she realised that some of them were Malayalis and she got acquainted to Sr Stella and Sr Alphonsa, both hailing from Vaikom. It was this nuns who took my mother to Mother Teresa which resulted in a long lasting relationship of the family with Mother Teresa," said Philo. Once getting acquainted to Mother Teresa, Joseph had no hesitation to give space for Mother Teresa to begin her first school in the compound of his house.
The house of P M Joseph in Kottayam where Mother Teresa had spent time.
The relation got firm by the passage of time and Mother preferred to travel in Joseph’s fiat car through the congested streets of Kolkata. Joseph also made it a point to take his fiat to Kerala whenever Mother visited the state.
"Whenever mother had any guests from abroad she used to send them to our house. Mother was sure that the guests will remain happy under our care," said Philo.
During one of the visit to Kerala, Mother visited Joseph's house in Kottayam. Joseph had two houses here and Mother visited both places. After the visit, Mother asked my father to give her one of the houses. She also said that she will pay for that," said Philo. Thus one of the houses turned into the convent of Missionaries of Charity. The road in Kottayam where the convent is located is called Mother Teresa Road.
The family still preserves the other house where Mother had visited and spent some time and this house is known as Calcutta house ever since her visit. Philo will take the visitors to the room where Mother spent some time. She will also show you a wooden sofa where mother used to sit during the functions of the school in Kolkata. She will also show you a photo of her family with Mother Teresa which was taken five months before Mother had passed away. The Mother had also written several letters to here which she is preserving preciously.
P M Joseph and wife Mariamma Joseph standing in front of calcutta house in Kottayam.
Philo recollects that her parents were at Kerala when Mother passed away in 1997. The very next year both my parents also passed away, she said.
Philo had married Simon James in 1981. Simon James retried as the DGM of Federal Bank. The family left Kolkata by 1993. "We did not have any children for nine years. Once I went and told mother about my sorrow. She initially told me to adopt one and then she directed me to render a prayer. After three months I conceived and later I delivered my eldest son Chacko. After her first delivery she delivered a son and third time twins.
Philo recollects an incident related to her third delivery which is still vivid in her memory. I met Mother while I was carrying for a third time. She drew two crosses on my stomach. I didn’t realise the relevance of it until I delivered twins," she said.
"For me mother is a living saint. That is why I and my husband is going to Vatican to witness the canonisation of Mother Teresa," said Philo who left for Vatican on Thursday morning. All the members of Joseph’s family will also be meeting in Kolkata later this month to take part in the celebrations held there in connection with the canonization.
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