Thousands Attend Burial of Orissa Priest

(November 1, 2008) The Church in Orissa bade a tearful farewell Oct. 31 to Father Bernard Digal, a victim of anti-Christian violence in the eastern Indian state. Some 5,000 people attended the funeral of the 47-year-old priest, who had died three days earlier, 62 days after Hindu fanatics beat him severely, UCA News reported. The priest was the treasurer of Orissa's lone archdiocese, Cuttack-Bhubaneswar. Archbishop Raphael Cheenath of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar led the funeral Mass assisted by bishops from the other four dioceses in the state. The liturgy was in the local Oriya language, with some portions in English. Priests, nuns and Catholics from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and West Bengal states also attended the services in Bhubaneswar, the Orissa capital. The Mass began with a procession from the parish presbytery to nearby St. Vincent de Paul Pro-Cathedral. Father Sudhakar Senapathi, the Parish Priest presented a brief summary of Father Digal's life as a priest. Bishop Sarat Chandra Nayak of Berhampur, in his homily, hailed the late priest as a martyr and said his blood will help the Orissa Church to overcome its current troubles and deepen its faith. After Communion, Archbishop Cheenath said he lost his "right hand" with the death of the senior priest, on whom he had relied in several critical situations. He managed the affairs of the archdiocese well particularly during his absence. "His simplicity and dedication will always be remembered," the prelate said. Bishop Thomas Thiruthalil of Balasore conducted the last rites at the church, after which Archbishop Cheenath led the concluding services in the cemetery.