THE ST PATRICK BIBLE 199 CAPE TOWN TO MUMBAI

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1 THE ST PATRICK BIBLE 199 CAPE TOWN TO MUMBAI Through the Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama, (c or December 1524) and more recently Mahatma Gandhi, South Africa and India have been inextricably connected. Who would have thought that 500 years later a new link would be established through an old Holy Bible? The Great Architect of the Universe must have had a hand in this story somewhere. Vasco da Gama s adventure was one of the most successful in the Age of Discovery. He commanded four ships that sailed directly from Europe to India. Although Bartolomeu Dias had rounded the Cape in 1488, proving the route, the da Gama expedition made landfall on the African coast on November 4, He could not have missed the spectacular view of Table Mountain that is the backdrop to the beautiful City of Cape Town today. Further up the southeast coast of Africa (near Durban) and with Christmas pending. Da Gama and his crew named the area Natal, which carried the Portuguese connotation of birth of Christ. Da Gama and his crew contracted the services of a pilot whose knowledge of the monsoon winds allowed him to bring the expedition to Calicut (Kozhikode), located on the southwest coast of India. The fleet arrived in Kappad near Calicut, Kerala, Southwest India, on 20 May The King of Calicut, the Saamoothiri (Zamorin), who was at that time staying in his second capital at Ponnani, returned to Calicut on hearing the news of the European fleet s arrival. The navigator was received with traditional hospitality, including a grand procession of at least 3000 armed Nairs. In September 2010, after attending Lodge Saxena No 815 (IC) 50th anniversary in Calicut, I took the opportunity to visit Kappad beach near Calicut to find the spot where allegedly Vasco da Gama first touched the Indian soil. A small monument marks the spot but is now some distance from the beach! See picture left with yours truly. While this introduction to the story of a bible may at first appear circuitous from the main topic, it sets the scene for a series of coincidences that fate has delivered, what I will call The St Patrick 199 Bible to Lodge St Patrick 319 Mumbai India. My connection goes back to 1967 when I met Sandra Lowden of Cape Town - but born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. She was working in my home town of Kitwe, Zambia (Northern Rhodesia) where we were married. In 1970 when I joined Freemasonry I was not aware of the various constitutions, but by coincidence I joined an Irish Lodge (Failte No 805) in Kitwe. Later I realised that my father-in-law William Lowden (Bill) was a mason and member of St Patrick Lodge 199 in Cape Town. He became Worshipful Master in 1975 which coincidentally was the same year I was also placed in the Chair of

2 King Solomon. I visited his lodge a few times earlier but in 1975, as reigning Worshipful Masters we both attended the 250th Anniversary of Grand Lodge in Dublin, a family affair! In 2003 while on holiday in Cape Town we were staying at my mother-in-law s home (118, 3rd Avenue, Kenilworth). One day while tidying up the garage (just like some workmen clearing away the rubble of a certain temple we talk about) we discovered a decrepit bible covered with mould and virtually falling to pieces. It was identified as that from Lodge St Patrick No 199 of Cape Town. The pictures show the bible in a very poor condition; the binding has collapsed and pages are torn. Recent research revealed that in 1938 this damaged bible was actually replaced by one donated by the Asst Director of Ceremonies Bro T. I. J. Beckett and remains on the altar to this very day. From 1969 the lodge moved from Mill Street to Piers Road British Temple Wynberg, and then in 1975 back to Cape Town to the Graham Botha Temple. During this upheaval Bill Lowden, the then Wor. Master stored the Lodge furniture and records in the garage at his residence. When the Lodge items were moved to the new temple, Bill must have realised it was pointless returning the severely damaged bible as it would most likely be discarded. Sadly in 1978 Bill passed to the Grand Lodge above. Perhaps his health failed before he could do something about restoring the bible and there it lay on his garage shelf for the next 25 years. We too did not have the heart to dispose of such a holy and ancient document and so placed it in a box on the garage shelf and thus deferred its fate. Abandoned since 1938; yet 65 years later its fortunes were about to change for the better. A few weeks later we visited an old friend and brother (30th Degree) from Zambia who we used to scuba dive with - among many other social events. The picture was taken by me in 1980, with Werner Hock centre along with pals John Aird and Toney Maycock; we did a famous 60 metre dive at the mysterious Sunken Lake Kashiba in Zambia. Werner is from Germany, but lived in Umtentweni, south of Durban (of Gandhi fame) on the coast of Natal (another link to Vasco da Gama) with his wife Gitta. Looking around his home I noticed that he had a collection of beautiful leatherbound books. He told me he did book binding and had a friend who did leather tooling. I mentioned the old Cape Town bible and he pleaded with me to let him have it and promised that he would restore it professionally. My brother-in-law saw no reason to hang on to the old bible since, when my elderly mother-in-law died, it would surely be thrown out (she passed away in 2008 and the 2

3 family home was then sold). At the time I also spoke to a member of St Patrick 199 CT Wor. Bro. Tony Rauch and he likewise stated that his Lodge had since replaced the bible. Werner then paid for bible to be couriered to him and proceeded with having it restored. We maintained contact over the years, especially through Christmas greetings. Winding the clock back, I left Zambia in 1984 and was living in the UK when in 2004 I was asked to come to India to turn around an industrial electronics business; we now live in Mumbai. I soon joined one of several Irish lodges and coincidentally it was Lodge St Patrick No 319 Mumbai. During the Centenary preparations it came to mind that while our existing Lodge Bible, among all the other religions holy books on the altar, is a relatively modern hardback it is in very poor condition. Certainly it does not have the reverence or provenance of the St Patrick 199 Bible. I had the idea of approaching Werner Hock to see if he would part with his precious item, especially after he had gone to considerable effort and expense to restore the holy book. The letter below was sent to Werner: Mumbai 27th December 2010 My dear Werner, I have a delicate matter to discuss with you. You may recall I mentioned that in May 2011 Lodge St Patrick celebrates our 100th anniversary of the founding of the lodge. I was thinking about what we can do that is special to mark this momentous occasion. Then I remembered the St Patrick bible in terrible condition languishing in my late father-in-law s garage that you offered to rebind etc. Now I know how precious you regard such a relic and the importance of its survival; so I am suggesting that you consider the following. As you know, the bible originated from Lodge St Patrick in Cape Town and now it is in excellent condition. Wouldn t it be a fit place to be back on the altar of Lodge St Patrick (319) IC in Mumbai for their 100th anniversary? Apart from the emotional issues and love you have for such an item and the fact that you have been its sincere caretaker, the bible would have a new life and future back in a Masonic temple and fittingly of the same name, St Patrick of the Irish Constitution. I am fully aware that you have gone to considerable trouble and expense restoring the bible but if you are prepared to pass it on then I will ensure you are more than compensated. However, if you feel you would rather retain the bible, I will understand and accept your decision. So please do not be worried by not agreeing to my proposal. I hope you have a Happy New Year and that it is not too long before we meet. Warm regards Peter Werner immediately replied as follows: Umtentweni, Natal, 28th December 2010 My dear Peter, The bible is the most precious of my collection of 25 volumes in 6 languages and many different translations. It lies on the little desk at the entry of our living room. I show it proudly to visitors. The altar of Lodge St. Patrick (319) IC in Mumbai is certainly a more worthy place. So I donate it for the 100th anniversary. 3

4 Two years ago I met a champ of a bookbinder in Durban. He managed to get the leather top of the original covers which we could not use at the first restoration and glued them on to the new ones. Looks great, see the photos. Hoping that this makes a good start of 2011 for you, I greet you as my brother. All my love to Sandy! Yours Werner The photos below speak for themselves post restoration in What an amazing job Werner has done! When Werner confirmed to me that he was willing to pass over the restored bible it came to mind that despite its history it was not our property. So I immediately contacted Lodge St Patrick 119 Cape Town. I stated that I hoped they would not feel we had taken a liberty since of course the bible is theoretically still their property but I am sure they would be delighted to know that it has survived. Giving it a new life and rightful place on the altar of a Masonic Lodge would only be proper. I also mentioned that it would be a wonderful thing to bring our two St Patrick Lodges together as this holy book is one of our special links. The response from Wor. Bro. Brian Johnstone giving authorisation to proceed with transferring the St Patrick Bible 199 to Mumbai is shown below and the subsequent printing on the Bible with No319 Mumbai. What was most exciting was to learn was that this Bible was used in the consecration of Lodge St Patrick 119 Cape Town South Africa in Cape Town: 12th January 2011 Dear Peter I received the mail and am delighted to know this part of the Lodge s history has been preserved. I can confirm that it was indeed the very first bible used by St Patrick's No 199 IC and was in fact on the altar on the date of consecration which was held in Cape Town on Tuesday 14 April The purchase cost of the bible is unknown; suffice to say that it was borne by the founder members. We would have loved to have had the bible but are delighted that it has resurfaced in Mumbai and are happy to donate it to the brethren of St Patrick's Lodge in Mumbai. We are well pleased that reference to ourselves will be maintained in this regard and perhaps the brethren of our two lodges would agree to twin our lodges. To this end we could perhaps exchange certificates of twinning with each other. Kind Regards, Brian Johnstone 4

5 The story does not end here. On 21st January Sandy and I departed on a six week holiday to Australia and New Zealand, missing the tragic earthquake in New Zealand by 5 days! Upon our return I received an from Werner s wife that he had passed away on 12th March 2011 to the Grand Lodge above. What I did not know that the all round active sportsman, sailor, skydiver, scuba diver, golfer etc. was a very sick man. I suspect that knowing he was coming to the end of his days the timely request to secure the future of the St Patrick 199 bible was a blessing and yet another coincidence. They say God works in mysterious ways but the many connections that have given this Bible a new lease of life seem amazing. While the Holy Bible is in itself one of the greatest stories the St Patrick 199 Bible has its own story to tell over the past 113 years. Let us summarise the connections with this amazing story of a special book: Apart from Vasco da Gama and Mahatma Gandhi s undoubted links between India and South Africa, there are several coincidences. Peter marries an Irish Girl; he is not aware but joins an Irish Lodge. His father-inlaw, an Irishman becomes WM of Lodge St Patrick 199 Cape Town at the same time Peter is WM of Failte Lodge 805 in Kitwe, Zambia. They attended the 250th Anniversary of Grand Lodge in Ireland in Bill rescues the Bible but dies before attending to it. It languishes in his garage for 25 years. Peter mentions the Bible to his friend Werner in Natal who then restores it. Peter leaves UK for Mumbai and joins Lodge St Patrick 319 in The Lodge is to celebrate its Centenary in 2011; so Peter asks Werner to donate the Cape Town Bible to the Mumbai Lodge. Werner arranges to send the Bible but dies a few weeks later. The Bible will be placed on the altar of Lodge 319 Mumbai on 19th May. Certainly the story of this 113 year holy relic does not end here but is merely the start. Peter W. Hills PPSGW Epilogue 19 May 2011 Freemasons Hall Mumbai Centenary meeting Although the 1898 Bible had come into the hands of Wor. Bro. Peter W. Hills, at his Lodge Centenary Meeting it was deemed appropriate to officially return the Bible to its original owners. Wor. Bro. Warren Anthony Rauch (left), a Past Master of the Cape Town Lodge, visited Mumbai especially to attend this event, where he accepted the 1898 Bible. He duly handed it back to Peter for use by the Mumbai Lodge. However, these two friends of 45 years and representatives of the two St Patrick Lodges decided to present the Bible jointly. The ruling Master, Wor. Bro. Kersi B. Aga was pleased to accept it and instructed that it be used at ceremonies of Lodge St Patrick No 319 in accordance with ancient custom. Thus starts a new life for the Bible as it is 73 years since it last lay open on an altar. This proclamation was greeted with acclaim by the 63 Freemasons who witnessed this unique event. Peter W. Hills