Articles

John Yesong: Tuensang’s First Catechist

Opinion | Articles | Benjamin Chang | 14-Jul-2023

John Yesong was born on May 1, 1949, at Phelungre Village. He was born to very humble, non-Christian parents, Lt. Mr. Yutsalo and Lt. Mrs. Kiuthsangchi. At the young age of ten, he and his younger brother, Moses Tsathrongo, were left orphans when their father died in 1959 and their mother in 1960. He began his schooling at the government Primary school in Phelungre, and a year later he was taken to Tuensang by his uncle, Mr. Yongpekhyong. There he was taken care of by Mr. Philipose, L.D.A. (P.W.D. ), where he passed Class-V from a Government school in 1965.

There was already a government middle School established at Kiphire, but nobody could get through the Class VI Board Examination. The State Government issued a warning stating that if, in the following year, no student managed to clear the board examination, there would no longer be an ME section in that school. Therefore, in order to save the school, the eastern Sangtam Students' Union called back all the Sangtam students of Cass l to VI studying elsewhere to Kiphire, with the hope that at least someone would clear the Board Examination. Among those called back to Kiphire was John Yesong, who resumed his studies in 1966 in Class VI. Apparently, John Yesong was the only one who passed the board examination at the Kiphire centre.

He then went back to Tuensang again in search of a job on November 10, 1967. Having found no place to stay, he was on the way to a Bengali friend’s house, who decided to help him. However, an old friend told him about Rev. Fr. Mani and introduced him to the Catholic priest. In their discussion, Rev. Fr. Mani apprised him of the Catholic Mission and also explained to him about the Catholic Church.

Though he still needed to learn more, he was sent to the Catechetical Training Center in Dibrugarh in 1968. In the beginning, he was not able to digest much about the differences between the Baptist Church and the Catholic Church, and many times he thought of returning to Tuensang. However, it took more than two months for the Rector of the Catechetical Training Center at Dibrugarh to make him understand and convince him to join the Catechist training. Finally, after two months of discernment, he was baptized by the Rt. Rev. Rosario, SDB, at Dibrugarh on December 15, 1968. He joined the training for catechists, successfully completed the course, and became the first trained Catechist from Tuensang District in 1970.

He was financially very weak and had to undergo much trouble during the Catechist Training period. On one occasion in 1969, when he came home for holidays, there was no money to return to the Training center. At that moment, Shri. Kijingse, the then MLA, gave him Rs. 1500 so that he could return to the training centre.

On completion of his training, he was appointed as the Touring Catechist for the Kiphire area in 1972. In the initial stages, he encountered several problems, but he traveled extensively, mixed with Pagans, and also visited many Baptist villages on foot. Though he returned from Dibrugarh with much hope, he was not very well received by his own people. But he never gave up and proved that he was a missionary with a difference who preached convincingly and sang well too, besides being extraordinarily talented with the ability to play so many musical instruments. He made good use of his talent in music and sang Gospel songs so mesmerizingly, ably assisted by a group from Phelungre and Chomi (present-day Phuvkiu Village). Having recognized his ability, his close associates persuaded him to join politics and contest elections. He, however, politely turned down the proposal, thus declining the temptation. Instead, he labored hard to spread the Kingdom of God, which bore fruit on May 7th, 1975, when 23 people from Phenlungre village and 7 people from Chomi village, whom he had prepared wholeheartedly, received the sacrament of baptism from Rt. Rev. Abraham Alangimattathil, the then Bishop of Kohima.

When the Catholic Church was established at Phelungre Village in 1975, there were hardly any educated people in the community except him and a few students like James Kiosukiu, Matthew Throngsukiu, and Abraham Ponglekhyong, studying in Classes VII and VIII. There was not a single Government employee, but ordinary cultivators and poor families, which was the root cause of the financial weakness of the Catholic community in the village. Among the few fortunate persons from Phelungre Village to study in a Catholic School were R. Tsapikiu, Tsalito, and Kiosukiu, who were taken by Lt. Rev. Fr. Chacko T.J. in 1970 and 1971, respectively, to St. John's School Boarding at Tuensang, out of which Mr. James Kiosukiu was baptized on May 7, 1975.

 One fateful day, on a cold Monday morning in January 1976, John Yesong wept bitterly, not because he was defeated but because he felt pity for the coming generation of Phelungre Village. That day he realized that his dream of opening a Catholic School in his native Village could not be realized when the meeting of the Village elders and the Executive Committee of the U.S.S.C. resolved not to allow the Catholic Church to open the School at Phelungre Village. He was sad, but he and Rev. Fr. Mathew Keemattam continued to tour the Pungro area to encourage the pagan families to join the Catholic Church. Today, the hard work done by John Yesong and Rev. Fr. Mathew Keemattam stood testament to the fruitful presence of the Catholic Church in Pungro Areas. Though it might have come late, John Yesong’s Memorial School at his native village, Phelungre, in the year 2000 is a befitting tribute.

The effect of continuous touring on foot, sometimes without proper food, coupled with the mental  tension the people gave him proved a little too much for him, and by August 1976, his health condition had deteriorated. After shifting from one hospital to another, he underwent an abdominal operation on November 21st. Despite their best efforts, the Doctors could not save him. Before he died, he told his wife and his dear and near ones that they should remain Catholics until their deaths.

 At a time when people were scared to associate themselves with the Catholic Mission in Tuensang, John Yesong willingly gave the prime of his life to the Church. He sowed the seed of Christ’s kingdom with his love, passion, and dedication. Our Lord Jesus Christ, during his short life on earth, said these solemn words: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit," and "Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life" (John 12:24–25).

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(The Author is a Priest in the Diocese of Kohima, and can be reached on Benjamin.chang24@gmail.com. The content is personal)

 

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