At the Service of the "Absolute" - The Legacy of Fr Devadatta Kamath, SJ (1934-2024)

Fr Devadatta Kamath, SJ (1934-2024)

Poet, priest, composer, writer, philosopher, scholar, teacher, professor, grammarian, translator, historian and Jesuit, Fr Devadatta Kamath, fondly known "Fr Deva" is indeed a multi-faceted personality. He was a man ready to embark on any work the Society entrusted to him either, it is the professor of Indian philosophy at St Joseph's Seminary in Mangalore or teacher and dean at the Juniorate in Trevendrum, Mundgod and Bangalore, or chaplain at Stanislaus Convent at St Philomena's Hospital, Bangalore or Lourdes Hospital in Dharwad, Fr Devadatta was ever ready for any work.

1. As a teacher

Fr Devadatta leaves behind a rich legacy of the persona he was, and the literary work for us always to cherish. Having lived for 90 years, Fr Devadatta taught thousands of students mostly priests, religious, brothers and Nuns. Those who came into his life either fell in love with the person he was or kept a distance from him because of his stern corrections on the class assignments that he gave. Even though a good number of us did not like to see our composition notebooks both in Kannada and English in red ink all over. However, today, we are grateful to him because we are able to reach a certain degree of perfection in our capacity to write in both these languages because of Fr Deva.

Personally, I consider Fr Devadatta as my mentor, who always supported me, not only during my Juniorate study year in the utterly unsophisticated Mundgod (a place not meant for Jesuit Juniorate studies at all in 1995) but also when I was troubled by the appointment to go to Russia to join the Jesuit mission (2000). Therefore this is my short homage to my beloved teacher, whom I never missed seeing and meeting in whichever city he was.

2. Flair for langauges

Even though he called "Kannada" as his first love, Fr Deva was born in a Konkani family of Kulshekar, Mangalore to Anthony Piedade D'Mello and Mary Magdelene Pinto on 08 November 1934. His baptismal name Joseph D'Mello later got changed into Devadatta Kamath during his Scholastic days in the Society of Jesus as the wind of inculturation became prominent in India with the Vatican II. It was nothing but going back to the original roots of the family history of Konkani Christians.

Fascinatingly, the young Deva did his early studies in Mangalore and later for his Master's and Doctorate in Sanskrit he went to Karnataka University, Dharwad. He recounted often that when he went to study in Dharwad, he knew hardly any Sanskrit as he did not do what we have today PUC or BA. However, as a young boy in Mangalore, he wrote two novels in Kannada. One got it published when he was in the 9th form and for which he received even remuneration and the other got published during his Novitiate days in Calicut. Unfortunately, he lost track of the second novel. As a brilliant young man, Fr Devadatta was always at his best. As a young theology student, he translated St John's Gospel from original Greek into Kannada and a copy of this can be found in the Archives of the Karnataka Province.

3. A great composer of hymns

Konkani Catholics of Canara must be grateful to his meaningful and melodious Konkani liturgical hymns which have not only awesome music but also lyrics, namely, E deva mogala taroka which captures the No 23 "Principle and Foundation" treatise of Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola. The other popular one is dedicated to Mary Bodvya Sangi karya naman. There are many more, which can be found in the Konkani Hymnal Konkni Bhaktik Gita Pustak published by Mangala Jyothi of Mangalore Diocese. Fr Deva also composed many of the Kannada hymns as well. All these hymns flowered from his pen because of his deep faith and rich theological thinking.

4. Available and ready to take up challenges

Fr Devadatta was a hardcore Jesuit - ready to serve anywhere with an impeccable history of availability. It must have been tough for him to move from St Joseph's Seminary, Mangalore having taught during his young and energetic years. Yet, once the decision was made, he is available for Jesuit works. That is how he landed in Thiruvananthapuram, Mundgod, Bangalore and Dharwad. As a Jesuit, he was ready to take up any work that was given to him either teaching Kannada and English in the Juniorate, or saying Masses in the Convents and Hospitals, or guiding people through counselling or giving retreats or writing the history of the Society of Jesus in Karnataka, history of Mangalore Diocese, history of the Ursuline Sisters of Mangalore or any task that was entrusted with.

5. Jesuit historian of Karnataka Province

Keeping oneself busy and occupied, study or producing the work for the future generations, Fr Devadatta was at his desk putting his thoughts or research on a paper. Along with the Bible, we never missed to see the Oxford Dictionary on his table until he landed up in the hospital recently. He always kept his mind fresh and gave enough food for his brain so that it remained active and lucid. Thus he could be useful until his last breath. Until his hearing slowed down, he was always accompanied by a radio, which gave him news along with newspapers and journals, which he read daily.

In its more than 140 years of Jesuit presence in Karnataka, Fr Devadatta meticulously wrote the History of the Karnataka Jesuit Province in two parts with six volumes under the title "Burning Bush." Part I with two volumes are published and the other four volumes of Part II are on the way to publication. He is the first Jesuit to do such a meticulous and well-researched work on the history of the province in recent years even though other two attempts were made by two other Jesuits Fr Denis Pinto and Fr Alexis P. Menezes.

Here is the list of his works:

1. The Burning Bush: The History of Karnataka Jesuit Province (2006)– Part I, Vol. I
2. The Burning Bush The History of Karnataka Jesuit Province (2006) – Part I, Vol. II
3. The Burning Bush The History of Karnataka Jesuit Province – Part II, Vol. I  (In the process of Publication)
4. The Burning Bush The History of Karnataka Jesuit Province – Part II, Vol. II (In the process of Publication)
5. The Burning Bush The History of Karnataka Jesuit Province – Part II, Vol. III (In the process of Publication)
6. The Burning Bush The History of Karnataka Jesuit Province – Part II, Vol. IV (In the process of Publication)
7. A Catholic Catechism Part 1, 2, 3 (2011)
8. Janakana Manadanna – Kristayana (ಜನಕನ ಮನದನ್ನ) -2012
9. Frad Saib and the Church of Cordel (2012)
10. St John’s Gospel (Handwritten in Kannada)
11. Defiant Submission. A History of the Diocese of Mangalore Vol-I (2014)
12. Defiant Submission. A History of the Diocese of Mangalore Vol-II (2014)
13. Dharmakanda (ಧರ್ಮಕಾಂಡ) - 2017
14. History of the Ursulines of Mangalore

6. A Jesuit with authentic love and compassion

Even though there was a scholar and meticulous corrector in him, Fr Deva had a tender love, towards others. This is what made many to keep in touch with him and regularly called over the phone or met him. He had great empathy towards those who were suffering either because of illness or because of the ills of this world. That is why he spent a good part of his time writing letters. He loved cracking jokes and had hundreds of incidents from the lives of various people who came alive in his humour. He had great admiration for Jesuits who were hard-working. Even though he disagreed with people having chosen the place of Mundgod for Juniorate studies, Fr Deva considered Mundgod as one of the most sprawling and admired missions of the Society of Jesus in Karnataka. 

Fr Devadatta Kamath passed away on 16 November 2024 at 07.00 in the morning at Santrupti, Fatima Retreat House, Mangalore at the age of 90. He has donated his body for medical research to Fr Muller's Medical College, Mangalore.

Fr Deva is indeed one of the inspiring Jesuits, who believed in adding value to one's life by being useful and helpful to others. May he rest in peace, requiescat in pace.

- Olvin Veigas, SJ

16 November 2024