Savithri Devanesen remembered in the UK

“A legend in her own life time,” “a second Mother Theresa,” “angel of mercy,” “a mother to us all.”
These were some of the tributes paid to Mrs Norma Savithri Devanesen, Director of Chennai’s ‘Roofs for the Roofless’ charity, at a memorial service held in Rochester Cathedral, UK.

Savithri Devanesen passed away in Chennai in May this year at the age of 99.
In 1980, Dr Chandran Devanesen, appointed the first Indian Principal of Madras Christian College in 1962, started the ‘Roofs for the Roofless’ for those who could not afford any sort of housing.

Dr Devanesen passed away in 1982 and his wife took over the reins of the charity.

The memorial service held in the UK was organised by the UK chapter of the alumni of Madras Christian College – predominantly a London membership which is an active one.

Mrs. Savithri Devanesen.

Canon Ivor Smith-Cameron, an alumnus of GCC from the 1940s, officiated and led the congregation through the service. In his tribute, he clearly showed just how Mrs. Devanesen came to be “a mother to us all”.
A tribute received from abroad was from Rev. Dr. Donald E. Messer who studied at MCC in the academic year 1961-1962. He hailed from rural South Dakota in the USA and came to study for a year in India. Today he is the Executive Director of the Center for the Church and Global AIDS, based in Centennial, Colorado. In his tribute he recalled:
“At the age of 20, I had barely been outside my rural state. Now I was suddenly thrust into a totally different world, quite unlike anything I had ever known.

Canon Ivor Smith-Cameron
addressing the assembled gathering.

“There were no other Americans on the campus, but I was welcomed everywhere by my fellow students, faculty and administration. Dr. MacPhail was finishing his time as Principal and everyone was eagerly awaiting the return of Dr. Chandran Devanesen to be the first Indian Principal.
“I did not adjust very well to the diet of St Thomas’ Hall. Indian food was too spicy… as a result I lost considerable weight and eventually fell ill and was placed in the infirmary.
“Mrs Savithri Devanesen, who had also graciously welcomed me to campus, learned I was ill and arranged to have waffles and other American foods brought to my bedside. The food gave me much needed nourishment and encouragement and soon I recovered.”

some-of-the-alumni

Some of the alumni who were present.

Messer visited her in 2013 at her office in Chennai and said of his visit: “We talked and talked, interspersing our time with laughter and memories.

“…I was inspired by her anew by her Christian spirit and her compassion for the poor. Truly, heaven now has and angel of mercy that I hope visits all our hearts, prompting us to do more than we are now doing for this whom Jesus called ‘the least of these’.”
Dayalan Devanesen

Please follow and like us: