Remembering Fr Bala, one year on

Aug 28, 2014

By Percy D’Cruz
The usual no Mass Monday schedule was set aside on August 18 as a large crown converged at St Francis Xavier’s Church, Bandar Kaba to commemorate the first year death anniversary of Fr Clement Balashunmugam. Six priests – Frs James Rajendran, Cyril Mannayagam, Moses Rayappan, Joseph Heng, Victor Louis and Ryan Innasmuthu — concelebrated a Eucharistic Celebration in honour of a cleric fondly described as the ‘people’s pastor’.

The late evening service which was followed by a fellowship saw local and outstation parishioners, non-Christian friends and the late Fr Bala’s family and relatives in attendance.

Fr Bala’s links with the parish of St Francis Xavier goes back to 1954 when he was a server under then parish priest, the late Fr R Lourdes. In December 1968, the 26 year-old was ordained at his parish church by Archbishop Michael Olcomendy. From the onset, the young cleric loved to move around with the parishioners who found him to be a very genial person and one who helped in many errands around the church.

Shepherding the flock as assistant to Fr Lourdes, Fr Bala worked well with the parish council and encouraged lay leadership while ministering to the Catholic rural estate communities tirelessly.

He also fostered the growth of the Tamil Lay Apostolate, Basic Christian Communities and initiated the official appointment of Lay Communion Ministers.

In 1984, Fr Bala left the parish to help establish the Catholic Pre-Seminary and was subsequently given the task of building the Good Shepherd Seminary, which was opened in early 1988. While the seminary was being built, Fr Bala embarked on the Jasin Holy Spirit Church project which incidentally, commemorates its 25th founding anniversary this August.

Leaving parish administration and parochial duties in the late eighties, Fr Bala embarked on the setting up of a children’s home in Tangkah. This was subsequently shifted to the premises of Melaka’s Infant Jesus Convent in Banda Hilir, the Fatima Home which took care of secondary school students from broken homes. The home has now been closed following Fr Bala’s demise on August 18th last year.

The remarks of St Francis Xavier’s parish clerk Francisca Nunis, a long time friend of Fr Bala aptly sums up the late cleric’s personage. “He was very much respected and loved by all local parishioners including non-Catholics, who happened to cross his path and to eventually make lasting friendships. His greatest quality was that one could trust him faithfully and he was also a good advisor and counsellor.

“He always spoke purposefully, slowly, and firmly and did not seen to be affected by his environment. He was the epitome of a faithful priest who lived what he preached, a man of vision and compassion,” she said.