INTERVIEW WITH FR HILARIO FERNANDES

Fr Hilario Fernandes directs retreats at Dhyanashram. Through his spiritual ministry he has brought many a person closer to the Lord. He is a well read person and has great love towards the Mission entrusted to him. He was the Novice Director to restart the MSJ Novitiate in 1975.

1. Fr what do you like best about the Jesuits?

I think St. Ignatius gave the right famous answer: Friends in the Lord. I feel so comfortable, I can go to any community, I feel at home.

2. Where do you get inspiration for your Retreat apostolate and Spiritual direction from?

First of all, my own experience with the number of retreats I have made, and I found that a retreat is a good occasion to revive my spiritual life, revive my love to Jesus and love to Mary. So just by chance I was put here and so on I am very happy conducting retreats.

3. Could you tell about your memories of Mount St. Joseph?

I was a regent in St.Joseph’s in 1958 and 1961 and here in Mount construction work was going on so I used to come frequently and see the progress of this place. The building was coming up well. I was there during inauguration. Novices from Calicut, Scholastics and parents, Sisters, Fathers and the Bishop had come. The Vice-Provincial at that time Fr Bonafice D’souza underwent a lot of criticism but he kept on building this house with the great devotion he had to St. Joseph. I think it is under the guidance of St Joseph that this building came up.

4. How do you define success in your own words?

Now in the present context a successful person is a person earning a good salary. For us successful person is a person who makes known Christ through his works, we have good teachers, social workers, administrates and through these works if they don’t pass on the love of Christ, it’s a waste. So for us success means passing on Christ’s love.

5. What is your message for our readers?

Develop Love for Jesus.