OBITUARY
Bishop Edward Francis
Architect of Sivagangai Diocese
(1930-2017)
The Most Rev. Edward Francis, the Bishop Emeritus of Sivagangai, breathed his last on Tuesday 11 April 2017 at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Puliyal run by the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (CIC). As he was 87 AND due to old age, he needed medical assistance and hence he was under the care of the sisters. His death which occurred during the Holy Week was in itself a message and had a meaning. “All who die in Christ will rise with him on the last day” was what he had preached and in fact that was his life.
He was born on 3 June 1930 at Vellalakulam, Tirunelveli Dt., Tamil Nadu. Hailing from a devout Catholic family he was given a Catholic education in his younger days at St. Xavier’s High School, Palayamkottai. Following the call of God, he entered St. Peter’s Minor Seminary in Madurai and continued his Philosophy and Theology at St. Paul’s Seminary in Tiruchi (1950-57). Ordained a priest on 25 March 1957, Fr. Francis began his ministry as assistant parish priest in Puliyal, a small village in the present district and diocese of Sivagangai. He rendered his service for five years (1957-1962) and it was the will of God that he spent his last days in the same village.
His ministry took a different turn at his appointment as professor at the Catehetical Centre in Tindivanam. Taking note of his capabilities and leadership qualities he was sent to France for his higher studies and there he completed his Licentiate in Catehetics at the “InstitutCatholique de Paris” (1965-67). When he came back, he was appointed as the Director of TNBCLC in Tindivanam run by the Tamilnadu Bishops’ Council. He rendered great service as the General Secretary of the Regional Pastoral Commissions of Liturgy and Catechetics. He was responsible for introducing the modern Anthropological Method of teaching Catechism, which made an impact also in the Tamil speaking dioceses of Sri Lanka and Malaysia. It was indeed a Catechetical revolution! He was also the editor of a monthly magazine named Thozhan. Apart from that, he was fully involved in the formation and training of lay catechists and more than 200 of them were prepared to serve the Church in various dioceses. As the Director of Lumen Institute, Tindivanam, the services he rendered for the formation of religious sisters has left an indelible mark among hundreds of them. Thus he continued his ministry with commitment over 20 long years in this institution and served the Church in Tamilnadu.
Rev. Edward Francis was appointed as the first Bishop of the newly created Sivagangai diocese, bifurcated from the Archdiocese of Madurai on 25 July 1987. He laid the foundation for the growth of the diocese and can rightly be called the architect of the new diocese. He left no stone unturned to develop and build up the diocese. He welcomed many religious congregations to work in the diocese. He continued with the same zeal until 1 Sept. 2005 when he retired from his active ministry, but he carried on his personal service even after his retirement.
True to his motto “To Proclaim the Good News” he travelled the length and breadth of the diocese like St. Paul and proclaimed the message of Jesus to all the people with a real thirst for souls, inspired by his heavenly patron St. Francis Xavier. His life reflected the indomitable spirit of St. John de Britto, the patron of Sivagangai diocese.
Since the day he assumed office as the first bishop of Sivagangai on 30 August 1987, he took all initiatives to provide infra-structure facilities and laboured untiringly for the formation of voluntary lay evangelizers, which eventually forged ahead as a model to other dioceses in Tamilnadu. He always encouraged hundreds of young boys and girls to become priests and religious and many of them were ordained by him to work in the North and North Eastern States of India.
His ministry had its social phase as well. His love for the poor and the socially deprived people had no equals among the clergy. His heart went out to the poor and wept for them and with them in their sufferings. His social ministry had its expressions in educational and medical services. This in turn made him live a life of poverty. His charity was proverbial!
He possessed an extraordinary memory for the names of people whom he used to meet as well as those who were associated with their families and his ministry. Besides his ministries, his life was itself a model for others to be imitated. He lived a simple and holy life.
The last days of his life revealed his goodness in full. Due to his old age he became dependent on others for every need of his. His sufferings also reflected the life of Jesus and he offered them all to the Lord for the salvation of our people and perhaps this was symbolized by his dying during the Holy Week.
The funeral and burial services, held on 12 April 2017 in St. Justin’s Higher Secondary School campus, were participated and witnessed by 13 bishops, 300 hundred priests, 500 hundred religious sisters, and over 5000 thousand faithful. Civil authorities and political leaders came to pay their homage. Among the faithful, there were the poor and marginalized who came in big numbers to bid farewell to their pastor, mentor, benefactor and above all a father. The services were clear signs of the esteem and affection that Most Rev. Edward Francis accomplished from the people. Archbishop Antony Pappusamy of Madurai officiated at the Eucharistic celebration with a homily by Bishop Peter Remigius of Kottar. Messages and farewell addresses were given by many from all walks of life. The Most Rev. J. Susaimanickam introduced the liturgy with a short memo from the life and person of his predecessor the Most Rev. Edward Francis; and finally he laid his body to rest at St. AlangaraAnnai Cathedral, Sivagangai.
May his soul rest in Peace! And may God bless him abundantly in eternal life for the work he did in his kingdom.