Pune seminary closed as swine flu spreads

(Aug. 14, 2009) A Catholic seminary, billed as Asia’s largest, was closed on Aug. 11 as swine flu spread rapidly in western India’s Pune city. “Precaution is better than cure and therefore we have shut down Asia’s largest seminary for one week from Aug. 11,” said Jesuit priest Fr. Job Kozhamthadam, the rector of Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth (University of Knowledge Light), earlier known as the Pontifical Athenaeum. Pune is India's worst affected city, with 12 of the country's 20 deaths. As of Friday, 1,283 have been confirmed infected in the nation of 1.2 billion people. Father Kozhamthadam said, “The airborne disease is entrenched in the city and the virus is spreading fast,”adding that the seminary followed a state health directorate advisory to close all educational institutions. The Jesuit priest also said more than 770 students of philosophy, theology and doctoral courses stay at the campus. About 10 percent of students are women and 15 percent are from overseas. The Indian students come from 68 dioceses and 49 religious congregations. The 116-year-old institute has 30 resident and 25 visiting teachers. On Aug. 12, Bombay archdiocese closed all its 150 high schools and five colleges for a week. On the same day, the Maharashtra government ordered the closure of all educational institutions for a week and shopping malls and cinemas for three days.