Indian Church continues to mourn Father Jacob Srampickal

(April 21.2012) The death of Indian Jesuit priest Father Jacob Srampickal, and expert in the field of communications, is being mourned by the Church in India. While on a trip to Vienna, Austria, from India, the 62-year old priest took critically ill and died on April 14. Cardinal George Alencherry, Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly and head of the Syro-Malabar rite Catholic Church sent a message on the occasion of the funeral service of Fr. Srampickal held at St. Ignatius Church in Rome on Friday. Though born in southern India’s Kerala state Fr. Srampickal joined the Jesuit Patna Province in the north. After studies in Development Communication in England, he had committed himself to train people in communications and also to empower peoople who have no voice of their own, especially in the tribal belts, Cardinal Alencherry recalled. The former director of the Centre for Social Communications and professor at Rome’s Gregorian University, had also been communications professor in 18 of India’s theological seminaries. The Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) has appointed him director of the National Institute for Social Communications (NISCORT) which he had initiated. He was to assume his post in June this year. “Before he actually started work, he was called ‘home’,” Cardinal Alencherry added.