Meet Richard Pitchai SJ from Sri Lanka

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About me

I Richard Pitchai, SJ from Sri Lanka Province would like share about myself and my mission in Lebanon. Four months have been passed since I reached Lebanon. I sincerely thank the Provincial, the regional director of Jrs for their generosity and invited me to extend my helping hands in whatever possible way I could offer my service to the people of God. 

I was born 30^th of May 1964 and joined the society of Jesus on the 5^th of August 1991, was ordained on the 6^th of October 2005 and received the final vows on the 12^th of September 2013.  In the year 1995-1998 I did my BA degree studies at St. Joseph’s College Bangalore India which was affiliated to the Bangalore University. All my philosophy and theology studies were in Sri Lanka itself. From the year 2006 to 2008 I was appointed as the director of a retreat center in Kandy. During this period of time I also asked to follow a formative guidance counselling course at the “Sadana Institue” Lonavala, Pune, India. 

Soon after the civil war in the year 2009, I opted to work in the Northern part (war zone area) of Sri Lanka. I was there for seven years as Mission Superior. In the year 2017 to 2019 I was asked to shift to another war affected area to take care of the (JWL) Jesuit Worldwide Learning Institute. This institute is basically to teach Basic English and computer applications for the school children. This Centre also opted evening classes for those poor children who find difficulty to go for extra (Tuition) classes of certain subjects. Then, from 2019 to 2022 I was sent to the Eastern part of the country to take care of a Parish as Parish Priest. This area also very much affected by the civil war.

My Mission in Lebanon

On the 26^th of February 2022 I came to Lebanon and offered me to work for the Migrant workers. I just explored myself to experience the different works of the AAMC and also AUCL. Frs. Cuba Charles and Joe Nazareth (Tertians) helped me to visit a couple places of the migrant communities to experience the service that they had been doing during their experiment period of Tertianship. I also attended a couple of meeting of the African women group and came to know their problems and hardships. On 24^th of April I helped to organize the Sri Lankan migrant community to celebrate the “Tamil and Sinhala New Year 2022” at the car park ground. The Sri Lankan ambassador also present at the function. I am also introduced to the Sri Lankan Buddhist community who had been year for many years. They were given to use one of the rooms at the church premises for their prayer services. 

Another responsibility given to me is to take care of the Cricket Players of Sri Lanka and also other countries. Sri Lankan cricket players approached and discussed with me about the place which they were using for many years had been halted or stopped due to some misunderstandings. Frs. Daniel, Salah and Provincial approached the concern persons and brought to me a positive answer saying that the concern persons agreed to give us the place to play. So the players got together and cleaned the place and started to play on the 5^th of June 2022. The cricket players also extend their helping hand to clean our Jesuit Residence garden. 

The other responsibility I would like to take up is to celebrate the Eucharist at Caritas in Dawra. There are Sri Lankans gatherer at this place for Sunday Mass given by the Redemptories Priests. Since they speak Sinhala language, I would like to offer myself to celebrate Sundays Mass alternatively.

My future Plans

One of the dreams I had for a long time is “The Prison Mission”. So I would like to explore myself to visit the Prison in Lebanon. I heard there were some Sri Lankan women who had been imprisoned for many years and some Catholics are also included among them. Finally, I am available not only for the Sri Lankan migrants but also others those who are from different countries working in Lebanon.