Church mourns layman who helped found major lay organization

(August 13, 2009) The Church in India is mourning the death of a layman, who, along with some priests, founded what has been billed as Asia’s largest lay organization. Pallattukunnel Chemmalamattom Abraham, also known as P.C. Abraham and popularly known as “Kunjettan” (little brother), died on August 11 in a hospital in Kerala, Southern India, nine days after he was involved in a road accident. The funeral is scheduled for August 13 at Chemmalamattam, his native parish in Palai diocese. 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. The prelate recalled that Abraham had inspired thousands of young people to become missioners working in India and abroad. The cardinal said the Indian Church had honoured 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 help 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. Several Bishops of Kerala have described “Kunjettan’s death is a great loss for the Church in India.”