A shepherd with the smell of the sheep
KCO Reporter - September 2020
Bishop Paul Chittilappilly, the former bishop of Thamarassery diocese who passed away on September 6, was a shepherd with the smell of the sheep. He served as bishop of the diocese from 1997 to 2010. He led the diocese for 13 years.
Bishop Paul Chittilappilly had made remarkable contributions in the field of education, pastoral ministry and social service under the diocese. It was his pastoral visits made him more popular and closer to the laity.
When he was the Bishop Chittilappilly he used to spend most Sundays in one or another of the 118 parishes in his diocese in Kerala state, southern India. On the visit day, he reaches the parish early in the morning and offer Mass, then meet with children, youths, parents and various parish-based groups.
After these official meetings, he visited people confined to their home because of illness and the elderly, accompanied by the parish priest and parish trustees.
"A shepherd should know his people personally and I take stock of each parish by talking directly to its parishioners. The visits help me know the laity better” once he told.
People really enjoyed the bishop's way of mingling with the laity Mathew Vadakkedath, a layman from Koodathai parish told keralacatholiconline remembering Bishop's visit Koodathai parish in the diocese. During the visit, he may walk into any home, hear the family's problems and console them.
Priests and laymen are on the opinion that his pastoral visits helped to bridge the gap between laity and priests, and created a kind of family atmosphere in the diocese.
His visits had strengthened parish communities. Before he took charge of the diocese, bishops visited parishes rarely, and that too to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation. But Bishop Chittilappilly had changed the tradition and his visit inspired everyone. Many of the laymen compared his visit to a father coming to see his children.
For the bedridden people, his visit was a great consolation and helped them realize that everyone is precious to the shepherd and the mother church.
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