By Matters India Reporter

Melakavanoor, July 5, 2020: Madurai archdiocese and Sivagangai diocese in Tamil Nadu, southern India, have mourned the death of a catechist who served the church for 51 years.

Brother Santiago, as fondly he was called, who was from Melakavanoor village and parish, Ramnad district, passed away on July 5. He was 78.

He was sick for the past few days and the Lord called him this morning at 6.30. Due to the total lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus, there was a private funeral Mass in the village around 11.00 am.

Almost all priests were sad because they could not participate in his funeral Mass.

He is survived by his wife, three children and four grandchildren. He was born on October 25, 1942.

Santiago started his ministry as a catechist in the Archdiocese of Madurai. In 1987, the Diocese of Sivagangai, under which his village comes in, was established. Then onwards, he continued his ministry in the diocese of Sivagangai.

As a catechist, he trained thousands of children to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Holy Communion, and Confirmation. No parish was left out in the diocese without his footprints.

Carrying a small bag on his arm side, wearing a white dhoti and white shirt, he always traveled by bus and all the more walked to the sub-stations.

He trained children and youth, prepared the faithful for the liturgy, conducted marriage preparation classes, and arranged for the Sacrament of Holy Orders, and Consecration of the Churches.

Brother Santiago was meek and humble in heart. Without the age barrier, he showed respect for all the priests and religious, maintaining his friendship.

“He was a humble servant of God. He was one of my mentors in faith formation and religion. He was such an inspiration and example and father like in my life from my grade nine,” said Divine Word Father Arockiam, a priest from the diocese of Sivagangai.

Another priest, Farther Suma Jeyaseelan of Sivagangai diocese described Santiago him as “meek and humble.”

“We greatly miss him. He assisted many priests and nuns, including, during the Holy Mass of my Sacerdotal Ordination, as he did for hundreds of priests,” Farther Jeyaseelan told Matters India.

As he was always a meek and humble soul in God’s ministry, may he rest in peace, the priest added. “We pray for him and his family. We hope he would remember us when he is in the bosom of the Lord.”