BCCCAP00000000000000000001715

508 BENEDICT VADAKKEKARA In point of fact the idea had already been floated and it was evoking a wide acclaim. The superiors in Rome also solicited feedback from the missionaries in India, who in general enthused over the project. In the light of their own ex– periences gained in the field some even advanced very illuminating suggestions. Thus in a short while what had for all too long seemed like attempting the impossible, now looked to be downhill all the way. In a circular letter to the Regular Superiors, the General made known that he intended to go on a six– month-long fraternal visit to the Order's Missions in India, Arabia and Eritrea, without however, making any allusion to the plan of opening the Novitiate. Way back in 1905-1906 the General had already in his capacity as Provincial of Bologna visited the Mission of Allahabad 21 • Accompanied by the Order's General Archivist Fredegand of Antwerp, Fr General left Rome on 30 October 1921. In Venice the two boarded the vessel "Cracovia" on 2 November and aboard they had the good fortune to meet up with Mgr Perini 22 , the Bishop of Mangalore in India, who was returning to his Diocese after a visit to his native Italy. This chance acquaintance between Mgr Perini and the Capuchin General occasioned the forming of a strong friendship between the two, which was soon to pay rich dividends as regards the beginning and growth of the Capuchin Order in India 23 • The "Cracovia" touched at Bombay on 20 November and the General and Fr Fredegand left for Allahabad by train. In Allahabad where the golden jubilee celebration of the St Joseph's Cathedral Church was in course, he found himself in the company of various ecclesiastical high-ups - the Apostolic Delegate Mgr Pisani, the Capuchin Bishops Angelo Poli of Allahabad, Raphael Bernacchioni of Agra, Anselm EJ. Kenealy of Simla and Fortunatus Caumont of Ajmer. The General sounded out these informed personages on the opportuneness of the Order's move to start a Novitiate. They all commended him for the initiative while some went to the extent of insisting on the imperativeness of "forming besides the indigenous Secular clergy also the indigenous &gular clergy". The presto effettuato, giacche vi e fondata speranza di felice successo, come l'hanno avuto altri Ordini prima di noi". 21 C£ Analecta OFM Cap 38 (1922) 183-186, for an account of the General's visit. 22 Mgr Paul Perini SJ: Bishop of Mangalore in 191O; Bishop of Calicut in 1923. 23 AGCap G 68, II, Novizjato e Studio, Mgr Perini tq Fr General, Mangalore 2 January 1923: "Ricardo anch'io con sommo piacere i giorni che passavamo insieme a bordo de! Cra– covia e le interessanti conversazioni che avevamo sui progressi delle nostre Missioni''.