Bhubaneswar: Odisha Church specially Kandhamal Church remembers Late Emeritus Raphael Cheenath, SVD, Archbishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar on August 14, 2017 on the day of First Death Anniversary.
There was a commemoration of late brave prelate throughout Odisha. Priests, Religious offered special intention for the repose soul of Cheenath.
The mass in the capital of Odisha began at 6. AM in St. Vincent’s Pro-Cathedral Church. Fr. Prasanna Pradhan the Vicar general of Archdiocese officiated the Eucharistic celebration. Hundreds of faithful, religious, gathered to show their homage to late Archbishop Cheenath.
“Cheenath was a man of commitment and dedication. He stood for the people of anti-Christian violence of 2007-2008 courageously” said Fr. Pradhan in his homily.
“He was a man of evangelization and organization. He was a hard working person, he used to work late at night” says, Fr. Cassian Parichha a senior priest of 80 years who closely worked with late Archbishop Cheenath.
Cheenath had a bigger role in relief and rehabilitation of Super-Cyclone of 1999 of Odisha where hundreds of thousand people lost lives adds Fr. Parchha.
Cheenath lived through one of the worst Christian persecutions in modern India .He fought bravely for justice for those who suffered in the Kandhamal massacre.
Archbishop Cheenath had been Archbishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar from 1985 to 2011. He passed away Aug. 14 at Holy Spirit Hospital in Mumbai of cancer.
He fought for the adequate compensation of anti-Christian violence of 2007-2008 in the supreme court. Supreme Court of India directed the Odisha Government to pay additional Compensation to the victims of 2008 Communal Violence in Kadhamal District of Orissa on August 2, 2016.
Following the mysterious murder of 81-year-old Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati on August 23, 2008, Kandhamal district was in fire. 101 Christians were killed, 300 churches and 6,000 houses were destroyed, 56,000 people were homeless.
Entire world condemned this anti-Christian violence of 2007-2008 by the extremists.