By Purushottam Nayak
Bhubaneswar, Jan 22, 2022: Archbishop John Barwa of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar on January 22 ordained a Fransalian priest from Odisha’s Kandhamal along with two other deacons.
The ordination of Rajat Kumar Digal and two other deacons took place in St. Vincent’s Pro-Cathedral in Bhubaneswar, capital of the eastern Indian state of Odisha.
During the homily, the archbishop told the new priests, “You are called specially for the work of the Lord. Your committed and sincere work to spread the kingdom of God can certainly bring grace to everyone abundantly.”
Father Digal said he was grateful to God for choosing him from the persecuted Church of Kandhamal to be a missionary.
“It is God’s safe hand that saved me,” Father Digal, who was a teenager when Christians in Kandhamal faced violence during 2007-2008, told Matters India.
He was ordained with Deacons Jeram Nayak and Biswajit Parichha. Four others – Asish Digal, Bimal Digal, Adam Padra and Unil Digal, were ordained deacons on the same day by the Divine Word archbishop.
Only 15 priests and 10 people were present for the ceremonies because of the covid-19 restrictions.
Father Muthu Swami, Fransalian provincial for Nagpur, said Father Digal “is very clear and stable in his vocation” as he had witnessed persecution of Christians for their faith.
The provincial recalled the recent death of Father Sushant Mantri, a member of their Pune province, because of Covid. He was the first Fransalian priest from Odisha.
Father Rajat Digal was born March 5, 1993, at Tiangia village, where most killings took place during the anti-Christian violence of 2008.
He is the second of three children of late Biranto and Monjula Digal.
“My son has undergone fear and mental agony seeing the killing of dear and near ones during the violence,” his mother told Matters India.
He did his primary education in the village school, and tenth grade in Vijay High School Raikia in 2012. He did his college study in Adivasi College, Balliguda, and Kandhamal. He joined Divya Jyoti Ashram, Latapara, Bargaon and pre-novitiate in Sudhirvana, Bengaluru.
He made his first profession in 2014 at Dhyanashram, Varanasi. He studies philosophy at Suvidya College, Bangalore, and theology at Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pune.