By Matters India Reporter
Kolkata, April 14, 2020: The Catholic Church in West Bengal and Jharkhand has mourned the death of Father Richard V Joe, “the apostle of the Santhals.”
Father Joe died on April 13, the 40th anniversary of his priestly ordination, at Pallam, his home village in the Kanniyakumari district of Tamil Nadu.
The Dumka diocesan priest was suffering from Parkinson disease for more than a decade. Despite his health condition, he continued to serve the Church, with special focus on the marginalized community, especially the Santhals.
On the day of his death, he celebrated the 40th ordination anniversary Mass with a few family members. His sister who looked after him at home was away to Chennai to attend to her daughter who was in hospital. She could not come back home because of the lockdown. He died later in the day.
Father Joe graduated from St. Albert’s Seminary, Ranchi. Earlier he did philosophical studies from the Morning Star Regional Seminary at Barrackpore near Kolkata. He graduated with distinction in International Relations from Calcutta University and in Theology with ‘Magna cum laude’ from Urbanion University, Rome.
Some of his former companions hailed him as a multi-talented person, who wrote in English and Tamil with equal ease.
“He was very focused and serious and yet had an innate sense of humor, which was portrayed in the cartoons he drew related to daily events,” recalled Father Vincent Lobo, who was two years senior to Father Joe in the Morning Star College, a regional major seminary located at Barrackpore, near Kolkata. Father Lobo also recalled Father Joe describing his ministry among the Pahadias, a tribe among Santhals.
Father Sebastian Rodrigues said Father Joe was their choir master in the seminary. “He helped me a lot in singing specially in choir frequently in voices,” he said and hailed his inspiring companion, who was a poet, critic, deep thinker, and a man of deep prayer.
Father Francis Rosario, another seminary companion, said Father Joe could be given “the title of the apostle of Santhals, for his dedicated mission to Santhal community during his years of active ministry.”
During his four decades as diocesan priest, he had witnessed the changes taking place according to the teachings of Second Vatican Council. Dumka being a strong mission field, his interest and orientation was towards building marginalized communities, explained Father Rosario.
The visionary priest touched the hearts of his people, especially the poor, the marginalized and those living below the poverty line.
“His missionary zeal had no bounds. He wanted to take Jesus to all people whom he served in his priestly ministry. For him, the poor were the ‘God’s beloved,” Father Rosario recalled.