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210 BENEDICT VADAKKEKARA two accredited Lectors - Fr Pius of Benevento from England 41 and Fr Louis of Leghorn from Tuscany in Italy 42 - were soon on their way to India. Separately they both showed up in Agra in March 1883. As soon as Fr Pius reached Agra he fell ill and was sent to Sardhana for recuperating. An unfortunate coincidence was soon to determine his future course. In June 1883 the mission station of Mhow was de– prived of its resident chaplain and Fr Pius was asked to move there as a stopgap. He was fated to stay put there. The chaplain whom he had gone to substitute died, and Mgr Jacopi had no one to send there to relieve him. Fr Louis was more fortunate. He left Bombay by train and reached Agra on 22 March. After a month he proceeded to St Francis Friary, Mussoorie, where he arrived on 24 April 1883 43 • On his arrival, Fr Louis found three friars as resident members of the St Francis Friary - Fr Lawrence O'Dea of Kilkenny (Prov. Ireland), the Guardian, Fr Benedict of Sassoferrato (Prov. Rome), the Novice Master, and Br Vincent of Giglio (of Egilio, Prov. Tuscany). 41 AGCap H 4, IV, Fr Pius to Fr General, Mhow, 3 November 1891: "Nel No– vembre del 1882, il Rev.mo P. Generale ad insistenza del defunto Monsignor Jacopi mi destine per la Missione di Agra in qualita di lettore di filosofia e teologia..." Pius of Benevento (of Fragneto l'Abate; Prov. Foggia) had got qualified as Lector; in 1869 was sent to England where he was successively Preceptor, Vice Novice Master, and Novice Master. 42 In 1866 Fr Louis had secured the title of Lector in Philosophy and Theology. It was his Novice Master Fr Justin of Montevarchi who had informed him that the Agra Mission was in dire need of a Lector. On 6 December 1882 he requested his Provincial for permission to go to Agra. The opportunity fascinated him because since some time he had been weighing up the idea of researching into the history of the Tuscan Mission in India. Mgr Jacopi assured Fr General that Fr Louis' absence from the Province would not go beyond seven years. The Obedience makes clear his motive for going to India. APCapTusc, Missione Indostan, Incarto II: General Procurator to Fr Louis, Rome 13 January .1883: "Essendovi bisogno di un Lettore per i Giovani che hanno gia terminato il Noviziato nella nostra Missione di Agra, Noi, che della P.V.M.R. ne conosciamo ii merito scientifito e religioso, d'accordo col R.mo P. Generale, ivi La destiniamo con la presente. Vi si rechi percio col merito di S. Obbedienza". Mgr Jacopi envisaged high designs for the Lector. APCapTusc, Missione Indostan: Fr Michelangelo of Pistoia (Prov. Tuscany) to Fr Louis, Leghorn 3 August 1883: "Monsignore mi scrisse da Agra, e mi disse di Te tante cose tutte a Tuo vantaggio, e mi dice che ha in mira di farti suo successore: questo !'ho tenuto segreto, perche mi sembra prudenza...". 43 APCapTusc, Missione Indostan, Incarto I, Fr Louis to Mgr Jatopi, Mussoorie 21 March 1886: "Domani alle 5 pm finissero tre anni che io giunsi in Agra, e V.E. mi fece I' onore di venirmi incontro alla Stazione".