By Purushottam Nayak
Berhampur: The death of a young priest by suicide in the eastern state of Odisha has shocked his friends and associates.
“It is a great loss for the Odisha Church,” says Father Bernard Lakra, priest-in-charge of Rajgangpur of Rourkela diocese, the native parish of Vincentian Father Pradeep Soreng whose body was found hanging on July 4 in his room’s bathroom.
The death of “a young and energetic priest, who had just begun his active life, has disheartened me,” Father Lakra told Matters India July 6.
Father Soreng hailed from Silikudar village, 6 km away from the parish church.
Vincentian Father Aliswar Karjee, who claimed to be Father Soreng’s best friend, said he heard with “a heavy heart the news about the death of a hardworking, committed and sociable person.”
Father Binaya Nayak, another Vincentian and a classmate of Father Soreng, said the deceased priest was “an amazing person,” who was “gifted with many talents that he used for the glory of God.”
“We will never forget him. May his soul find peace and comfort,” Father Nayak said while speaking with Matters India.
Rupandra Baliarsingh, head of Dukumaha village, where Father Soreng began his priestly life, termed his death as “an unthinkable tragedy.” Maintaining that suicide is “crushing and unthinkable and frightening,” he said he was “deeply shocked and sad over losing a vibrant priest.”
Father Soreng died by suicide while staying in St. Vincent Minor Seminary Gopalpur-on-Sea.
He was born on January 30, 1992. He was ordained a priest on February 23, 2020, in his parish by Bishop Kishor Kumar Kujur of Rourkela.
Entry to seminary should begin at age 50 and that too as a day scholar. The person should be tutored on an abridged version of current syllabus. Once the person gets anointed as priest he should go home to his family after completion of church duties. Bible and Canon laws studies can best be mastered through self study. Capturing still growing up boys and hosteling them up in seminary may be fun for sometime but soon the candidate begin to miss things in real life. An earthshaking reform is needed to end the depravation that is commonly felt by humans. That said, anyone who wants to remain celibate and chose to live in church compound should be allowed with provision enabling them to come out without losing their priesthood and right to conduct religious ceremonies.
I wonder what the post-mortem report says.
A vibrant person with so many positive qualities committing suicide is unthinkable.
Was it a murder???
It is a sad incident.We can not be judgemental, we only should pray for him. I had almost similar experience when I was tempted to commit suicide while I was in former parish of Baudh. During so much of my pain and anguish beeng alone having written and phoned to archbishop and two vicar generals when I didn’t get any positive response from them I felt so sad and desperate. The Lord sent me at that time one sickness which was revealed to me by a local doctor. His injunction to me was you are in desperate condition health wise, you better immediately get admitted in a hospital and saline be given to you. My response was it can’t be today I will try to honour your suggestion by going to our Christian Hospital, Sambalpur tomorrow.The doctor and sister administrator of the hospital told me the same thing” Father you came in very bad situation you should have come earlier. it is dangerous to stay so long in that state.They tried their best for treatment with plenty of saline in the beginning and in four to five days time I became normal. I learnt the lesson how one should act in great desperation. Thank God I became hale and hearty. So that yesterday 7.7.2021 I completed 84 years of my life and launched into 85 having completed 57 years as a priest. I am looking forward to celebrate daimond jubilee of my priesthood on 5- 4-2024 at Raikia where I had been ordained by late zealous missionary Bishop Paul Tobar on 5-4-1964.