7/12/2021
https://dev.lb.marist.edu/archives/prayerAndWork/pages/courier.htm
https://dev.lb.marist.edu/archives/prayerAndWork/pages/courier.htm
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Courier
Upon my appointment as Assistant General, it soon became evident that I would need to do a lot of travel. I was
advised that our travel agent was very cooperative and helpful to all our Brothers. At the time we had several
Marist Brothers at the General House working for the Holy See, and one of them was able to obtain a special
Vatican passport for me, facilitating my job. We obtained the special passport by offering my services as a
courier for their private documents. I was asked to contact the Office of the Propagation of the Faith and they
would advise me.
I made an arrangement with them, and they told me that they would let me know if there were any documents to
be carried for them. I in turn would inform them of the various countries I planned to visit. If they had any
documents to be carried to Bishops or Archbishops, I would get them and deliver them in the name of the Holy
See. I did this during most of the years that I worked in Rome for our congregation. It was a sure method of
being able to obtain the Vatican passport, which was handy in case I had trouble in any of the countries I visited.
I can say that there were a number of times that I went to the Propaganda Fide and received documents to be
hand-delivered. I was pleased to be able to render this service and on a few occasions it proved to be a great
help.
I remember visiting our Brothers who were studying at the Jesuit College in Trichy, and I was asked to deliver
messages to five Bishops or Archbishops along my journey. I would arrive at the Bishop's residence, hand over
the document I had for him, stay for supper, pass the night there, and be on my way the next day after Mass and
breakfast. On one of those visits I was advised that it would be a timesaver if I hired a car to take me to the five
Bishops around the southern part of the India triangle: Madras, Trichy, Madurai, Couchin, and Bangalore. The
Bishop suggested that I would save a lot of time if I had a driver for the whole trip, as the busses and trains were
always packed. I agreed and the Bishop hired a driver for me in Trichy.
The next morning the driver was waiting for me after breakfast. My driver asked me to do him a favor by
stopping at his home first, as his wife did not believe that he was going for a week with a clergyman. I fully
agreed and we went to his house. When his wife saw me in my collar, she wanted to hide her face. I told her that
I was pleased to he able to keep on eye on her husband for a week, and that on returning we would come back to
her house and I would let her know if her husband behaved. We had a great time and returned to the house
before I moved on. There were several other incidents that were fascinating, and the Church finally had to take
action and transferred him to a convent of nuns.
It proved helpful to have a Vatican passport. I was traveling with Brother Basilio going to visit our Marists in
South Africa, and authorities would not let Basilio in because of his Mexican passport. There had been some
grief and trouble with Mexico when South Africa had gone there for a soccer tournament. We were on a strict
schedule and Brothers, alumni, and students were waiting to see our new General. So I picked up our national
passports and handed the border police our Vatican passports. Everyone was happy! These Vatican passports
proved to be a blessing many times over.