By Matters India Reporters Team

Secunderabad, July 7, 2020: The Church in India on July 7 mourned the death of Father Raymond Ambroise, a noted media personality and social development worker.

Father Raymond, as he was popularly known, was the former secretary of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) Office of Social Communication and consultant to Manila-based Radio Veritas Asia.

He died of heart attack at 8:25 am on July 7 at the Home for the disabled in Secunderabad, the twin city of Hyderabad, capital of Telangana state. He was 75 and a priest for 49 years.

“Father Raymond was suffering from body pains, fever and shivering for the past three days,” says a message from Father Joseph Arlagadda, deputy secretary of the Telugu Catholic Bishops’ Council.

“He also suffered from continuous hiccups and this morning he was found on the floor and his body became cold. He was rushed to Yashoda Hospital 10 minutes’ drive from the home where the doctors declared him dead around,” Father Arlagadda added.

Archbishop Tumma Bala of Hyderabad celebrated the requiem Mass at 11 am in the home for the disable.

Father Raymond’s elder brother, Bishop Yvon Ambroise will lead the funeral services at 8 am on July 8. He will be assisted by Bishops Vijaya Kumar Rayarala of Srikakulam, Jaya Rao Polimera Eluru, Anthony Poola kurnool, and Prince Panengaden of Adilabad.

“Father Raymond gave yeoman services to Telugu Region from 1972 onwards,” Father Arlagadda said.

Father Raymond originally belonged to Hyderabad archdiocese, but about 10 years ago he was incardinated into Srikakulam diocese, the bishops’ council official explained.

Father Raymond was the founder of Andhra Pradesh Social Service Society (APSSS, a regional social service society), co-founder of Amruthavani (voice of nectar), a regional communication center, and Jeevan Jyothi (light of life) Training Institute (press).

He was born on June 18, 1945, at Pondicherry, a former French colony, now a state near Tamil Nadu.

He was ordained a priest on December 22, 1971, and served as the secretary to the archbishop after ordination.

At the time of his death, he was a chaplain and honorary secretary of Home for the Disabled.

He worked with Delhi-based Indo-German Social Service Society (an NGO) and scores of agencies for many years.

As a consultant to Radio Veritas Asia, an international Catholic radio station based in Manila, the Philippines, he made sure that digital broadcasts were set for all languages and created an app too for the same.

“I was close to this great man from 1995 when I was appointed media animator at Amruthavani,” Jesuit Father Lourduraj Ignasimuthu of Andhra Loyola College told Matters India.

Recalling his association with Father Raymond, the Jesuit priest recalled, Jesuit Father M M Balaguer, who was director-general of Amruthavani, saying that he had found his “right successor” in Father Raymond.

Father Raymond was instrumental in making the movie, which depicts the life and teachings of Jesus, “Dayasagar” (Ocean of Mercy), in Hindi, “Karunamayudu” in Telugu and “Karunamurthi” in Tamil and also the teleserial “Dayasagar” in Telugu.

From 1996 to 1998, a 50-episode serial titled ‘Dayasagar’ was aired on National channel of Doordarshan, India’s official broadcaster. The series was also dubbed into Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam and other languages for repeat telecasts.

Father Raymond worked for the emancipation of Dalits through the Andhra Pradesh Social Service Society (APSSS) from 1976.

His brother Yvon started the society and worked for six months, then, Father Raymond continued the work.

Father Lourduraj says aid agencies assisted him with funds in his mission to serve the needy. “He is a great lover of the poor. He never said “No” to the poor,” the Jesuit priest said.

“Sometimes I have seen him borrowing money and helping the poor and educating them. Home for the disabled which he runs is a testimony to his character,” he added.

The Home for the disabled caters to around 700 residents who are fed daily. “The most interesting thing is that the inmates take care of the home and that’s what Raymond was to them and to scores of his admirers,” Father Lourduraj added

“It is difficult to imagine a life without Raymond for those inmates but I am sure they will move on because he believed in God, he was a man of prayer and Eucharist and he is a great animator and a counselor,” Father Lourduraj added.

Salesian Father George Plathottam, who succeeded Father Raymond in the FABC office, hailed him as an “able administrator,” who was kind and generous.

Another Salesian, Father C M Paul said he was always impressed by Father Raymond’s personality when he joined the UNDA/OCIC (Catholic media organization for television and radio) in 1083.

“He was very professional in handling delicate situations on sensitive issues about persons and finances that occasionally arose in the organizational meetings. He always helped diffuse the tension devoid of emotions and appealing to reason, often rising above regionalism and petty politics,” said Father Paul, who was the head of Catholic media organizations from 1998 to 2004.