By Matters India Reporter
Dimapur, July 28, 2020: A Salesian missionary, who dedicated his entire life for the people the northeastern India, especially Arunachal Pradesh state, died of a massive heart attack.
Father Joseph Kaippallimyalil died at 9:30 am on July 27 at Sanjivani Hospital, Dibrugarh, Assam, says a condolence message from Father Jose Kuruvachira, head of the Salesians’ Dimapur province.
“It is with a heavy heart that I communicate to you the passing away of Fr. Kaippallimyalil Joseph SDB (Jose Chacko), 56, at 9.30 am due to a massive heart attack,” the message adds.
The provincial says Father Kaippallimyalil was first admitted at KBM Injan hospital under the Miao diocese in Arunachal Pradesh. “Since his condition aggravated, we transferred him to Dibrugarh for better medical care,” the provincial’s message says.
The funeral was scheduled for 9 am on July 28 at Salesian College, Dimapur, the province headquarters in the the commercial capital of Nagaland state.
Father Kaippallimyalil was born on October 14, 1964, in Kerala. He joined the Salesians on May 24, 1985 and was ordained a priest on January 11, 1995.
Father Kaippallimyalil was in Palin in the western part of Arunachal Pradesh for two years and “toured the length and breadth of present Kra Daadi and Kurung Kumey districts,” says Felix Anthony, spokesperson for the Church in northeastern India, quoting a message from Salesian sources.
He built up the center at Wakro, a village in Wakro circle of the Lohit district, more than 380 km northeast of Itanagar, the Arunachal state capital.
“He loved Arunachal and had a vision for the students studying in Don Bosco schools and training institutes,” Father Anthony told Matters India July 28.
The Miao diocesan priest recalled the Salesian sharing with him his many struggles to feed the students of Bosco Bible school in Tinsukia, a town in Assam. All those students were from poor families in Arunachal Pradesh.
“He lived a frugal and committed life. He gave himself up for God and the people of Arunachal and the northeast at large,” Father Anthony said.
Father Kaippallimyalil also headed institutions such as Don Bosco Jorhat, Tamenglong in Manipur. He built the Salesian institutions Wokha in Nagaland and other places. He had also designed a few buildings.