Suspended Catholic priest’s death mourned by non-Christian followers

By F. M. Britto

Raipur: The death of suspended Catholic priest has been mourned by his devotees from other religions in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh.

Father Joseph Parecattil died on December 29 because of Covid-19. He was 76.

He was hospitalized in Bilaspur town three weeks ago after he tested Covid-19 positive. He was then shifted for better care to the Chhattisgarh capital city of Raipur, where he died.

It is suspected that some of his sick visitors might have infected him.

The Raipur archdiocesan priest was suspended in 1991 after he refused to take up his transfer from Parsahi mission.

As the Parsahi parish priest for nearly a decade, Father Parecattil, who donned in a Hindu ascetic’s dress, drew non-Christian villagers with prayers for their various needs and healings. The archdiocese ordered his transfer on the complaints that he was doing such things for fame and fortune.

Although the archdiocese later showed its willingness to revoke his suspension, Father Parecattil preferred to live on his own.

He converted a portion of the church owned property into a pilgrim center, where nearly 500 people, mostly Hindus, even from faraway places, assembled for his weekly Friday prayer services and to be prayed for physical healing and various needs.

His devotees insisted on burying his body in the center of his prayer ground, where he had been holding his prayer services.

The civil authorities refused to transfer his burial, since he had been occupying the Catholic Church owned property nearly for three decades.

It is feared that his devotees would develop his tomb into a pilgrimage place, as he had allegedly desired.

Father Parecattil had also educated some poor children and cared for widows and elderly.

But he was also accused of keeping them to maintain his Seva Ashram, graze his innumerable expensive cows and to run his various shops and do his field work.

Some villagers accused him of grabbing people’s lands, when the poor mortgage their land to him for loan. Protestant Christians accused him of worshiping Christian idols.

Although the ashram residents successfully ran his center in the priest’s absence, some wonder about its future.