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234 BENEDICT VADAKKEKARA Guardian but he could not assume the charge as he had to take over as Principal of St Peter's College in Agra, a post fallen vacant with Fr Genesius of Serravezza's (Prov. Tuscany) precipitate resignation. Hence Fr Denis of Civitella (Prov. Umbria) took Fr Benedict's place as Guar– dian of Mussoorie; it was "the best choice that could have been made" in the given circumstance. The Lector was transferred to Lushkpur to take Fr Denis' place. Fr Joseph was nominated Lector ad tempus 11 4. Fr Benedict had to continue as Principal of the Orphanage School, despite his avowed reluctance to hold the office. He felt rather bewild– ered by all these institutional vicissitudes 115 • Th~ Commissary believed that the crying need of Mussoorie was to have a good Lector. If Fr General were to send a Lector from Italy, things could be set at rest 116 • Fr James of Delhi would have made an ideal Lector but he could not be entrusted with the direction of the young religious 117 • Fr Mark assigned Br Michelangelo of Pistoia (Prov. Tuscany) to Mussoorie as member. Mgr Jacopi spoke approvingly of the Commissary's performance and hoped that everything would con– duce to an excellent outcome 118 • A couple of months later he still was io rinunziai nelle mani de! Commissario Generale, presenti tutti i Padri, I' officio di Guar– diano". Cf. AGCap H 59, III, Fr Mark to the General Secretary of Missions, Lahore 17 December 1888. 114 On 31 October 1886 Br Joseph had left Mussoorie for the Mission of Allaha– bad. Fr Benedict was pleading that his services be lent to Mussoorie because "his good example" would be more effective in Mussoorie than the "rare talents" of a hundred others. Thanks to the General's mediation, Mgr Pesci's opposition was overcome and Fr Joseph was transferred back to Mussoorie in July 1888. Cf. APCapBologna, Classe III, Serie 8, B.4, General Procurator to Mgr Pesci, Rome, 9 July 1888. AGCap H 6, III, Mgr Pesci to Fr General, Allahabad 12 June 1888. But in Fr Mark's eyes Fr Joseph did not have the stuff to be Lector. It had been more by favour than by merit he had got through the examinations: cf. AGCap H 59, III: Fr Mark to the General Secretary of Missions, Lahore 25 March 1889. 115 APCapTusc, Missione Indostan, Incarto I, Fr Benedict to Fr Louis, Mussoorie 20 March 1889, made a summing-up of the events of the past months: "Le dico che e stato un anno di miserie in Convento e nella Scuola". 116 Cf. AGCap H 59, III: Fr Mark to Fr General, Lahore 25 March 1889: "II suffirait qu'il parlait bien la latin pour enseigner la Philosophie et la Theologie. Alors le Monastere serait sur un bon pied"; Cf. Fr Mark to Fr General, Lahore 1 April 1889. 117 Cf. AGCap H 59, III: Fr Mark to General Secretary of Missions, Lahore 25 March 1889. 118 Cf. APCapTusc, Missione Indostan, Incarto I, Mgr Jacopi to Fr Louis, Bareilly 11 February 1889.