The Church in India is mourning the death of Pallattukunnel Chemmalamattom Abraham, also known as P.C. Abraham and popularly known as “Kunjettan” (Little Brother), who co-founded what has been billed as Asia’s largest lay organization. Abraham died on Aug. 11 in a hospital in Kerala, southern India, nine days after he was involved in a road accident, UCA News reports.
Abraham was 84 and survived by his wife and seven children.
“I mourn the death of a person who led such an ideal Christian life,” Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil of Ernakulam-Angamaly, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, said in his condolence message.
He also recalled that Abraham had inspired thousands of young people to become missioners working in India and abroad.
The cardinal said the Indian Church had honored Abraham for his contributions to the Cherupushpa (little flower) Mission League he founded 63 years ago.
The league is a forum for young people in parishes that helps missions by raising funds and offering prayers. It conducts regular programs on the life and needs of missions in India and overseas.
The league has some 1.7 million members and about 41,500 of its former members are now nuns and priests serving the Church throughout the world. Among them are 37 bishops. Three of Abraham’s four daughters are nuns.
“Kunjettan’s death is a great loss for the Church in India,” said Archbishop Joseph Perumthottam of Changanasserry in his condolence message. The archbishop, a former Mission League member, hailed Abraham as a “unique” lay missioner who was the lifeblood of his lay organization.
Archbishop Mathew Moolakkatt of Kottayam noted that the late lay missioner led a simple life and was inspired by the teachings of a local saint, Saint Alphonsa.
Abraham’s home village was near Bharananganam where Saint Alphonsa, a nun, spent the last 10 years of her life. He was 21 when she died in 1946.
In an interview with UCA News in 2008, Abraham recalled how the saint used to ask him to pray for missioners whenever he went to seek her blessings. He later joined a Capuchin seminary but was sent home because of his poor health.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to us or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that we agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
SIC: CTHAS