Jesuits in northeastern India mourn Manipur seminarian’s sudden death

By Matters India Reporter

New Delhi, Sept 6, 2023: Jesuits in northeastern India are mourning the sudden death of a seminarian from Manipur in the early hours of September 6 at a village in Meghalaya state.

Scholastic Joseph Wungmayon died of a massive heart attack around 2 am in Bangongsingweggre village near Williamnagar. He was 29.

“It is with immense sorrow that we inform you of the passing away of” Scholastic Wungmayon, says a condolence message from Father Melvil Pereira, superior of the Jesuits’ Kohima region.

“It is hard losing a young and promising scholastic, who was kind, caring and a committed religious. Simple and shy by nature, we know that he lived a joyful Jesuit life,” Father Pereira says.

The seminarian belonged to the Poumai tribe and was born in Ngari Khullen village in Senapati district of Manipur. He leaves behind his parents, two brothers and three sisters.

The seminarian was born on April 12, 1994, and joined the Society of Jesus on June 21, 2013.

The superior said he has sent one of the Jesuits – Father Jerome Veigas – to the seminarian’s village to inform the family of this sad news.

The superior also said they are working on the details of the funeral. “We will communicate them to you as soon as they are finalized,” he wrote to his men.

Brother Wungmayon was studying Garo, one of the three major languages of Meghalaya while staying with a family.

He had completed philosophy in Chennai (2019-2021) and regency in Kohima, capital of Nagaland.

Narrating the last day of the seminarian, the superior writes, “Last evening, things seemed normal. After teaching catechism and playing with the children, he went to bed after dinner. Around 2 am, the head of the family heard Wungmayon groaning. He tried to open the door, and then called others to force it open. They found Wungmayon lying on the bed, clutching his hands to his chest. They realized that he had already breathed his last.”