Perhaps the most widely known and respected among those who formed part of the Indian section since 1964 is Fr. Len McKenna. Having been the first Provincial in Australia as they took charge of their destinies from the hands of their American counterparts, he could boast of a vast experience in various fields. He was the one who had to enter into negotiation with Valerian Cardinal Gracias at the time of establishing the Blessed Sacrament Fathers in Bombay. When he completed his term as Provincial, he was able to fulfill his dream of working in the ‘missions’ as he opted for the Bombay community. After a few difficult months of being terribly homesick he was soon at the beck and call of religious and priests all over India. He was known everywhere as a great preacher, especially as he went about explaining the new documents of Vatican II. Giving retreats especially to religious and clergy was almost a hobby for him, and he enjoyed every one of them having plenty of anecdotes to tell on his return to the community. No doubt these contributions benefited several people particularly those facing some kind of a crisis in their life.

His friendly smile and ready wit endeared him to one and all. But he was very specially a friend to all priests: they came to him for guidance, confession, for solace and comfort. A regular confessor to Bishops and even to Cardinal Gracias, his advice was valued and followed by many. What won the hearts of most was of course, his famous guitar which he carried along wherever he went for retreats, talks and conferences. The hymns he taught were not only melodious but also brought out the meaning of the teaching he gave on Vatican II understanding of the Eucharist. He had his own collection taken from the best all over the world. No get-togethers of priests, as on the feast of our founder, would be complete without a short sing-song led by Fr. Len.

After several years of hectic ministry he had to slow down because of ill health and age. Nevertheless, he could not resist an invitation to a party or evening together – of which he invariably was the soul, keeping everyone happy with his engaging wit. He returned to Melbourne in 1982 and struggled valiantly for quite some time before succumbing to the rodent cancer of the scalp which dogged his steps from the late seventies. Even when confined to his room and chair, he edited a spiritual leaflet circulated among his friends in which he shared with them some of his insights on prayer and matters spiritual.

The hall at Colaba is dedicated to the memory of Fr. Len McKenna and is but a small but fitting tribute to a pioneer who sought to spread the love of Christ who gave himself to us in the Eucharist as bread broken for others.