BCCCAP00000000000000000000862

496 BENEDICTVADAKKEKARA The five letters discussed herein provide a mirror image of Mgr Hart– mann's humaneness and capacity to feel with others and to respond to them benignly. The experience of frustration and defeat that some of the Carmelite missionaries had when they knew of the decision of their Superiors in Rome to relinquish Bombay and the consequent negative response that some of them evinced, did not altogether unsettle the Bishop. He concinued to be solicitous about the well-being of the individua! missionaries, however, without compro– mising his task of implemencing the project that the authorities had chalked out. In the face of the resolute reluctance of Fr Irenaeus to leave for the desti– nation assigned to him, Mgr Hartmann did nothing that could have jeoparclized his rapport with him but kept up the dialogue. Meanwhile he confided to the Carmelite Genera! that the rrùlk of human kindness would yield better results in the said Father than threats and rebukes. By communicacing to Fr Irenaeus that the Vicariate was no longer in need of him, Mgr Hartmann was indirectly spur– ring him on to listening to the stili small voice of conscience. Summatively, it may be said that through these trying circumstances Mgr Hartmann was being groomed for facing yet arduous tasks. While he remained decidedly unyielding when it carne to the implementation of the instructions and the declared policies of his superiors, be took utmost care not to aggravate the situacion and conscientiously strove to contain the ill-effects and thus to forestall the chain reaction. His shock-absorbent behaviour and uncompro– mising dedication to duty, coupled with a good dose of magnanimity and for– bearance, conduced towards the carrying through of his commission to cahn the agitated spirits and to retrieve the situation in the Apostolic Vicariate of Bombay, which had since sometime been going downhill