Irinjalakuda diocese's first bishop breathes his last
Mar James Pazhayattil, the first bishop of Irinjalakuda passes away on Sunday due to illness at Jubilee Mission hospital, Thrissur. He was 82. Born on July 26, 1934, as the third child of Thomaskutty and Mariyam at Puthanchira, he did his schooling in St, Mary's School at Kuzhikattusery, RHS at Thumboor and St. Mary's Minor Seminary at Thoppu in Thrissur.
He continued his studies at the Papal Seminary at Kandy in Sri Lanka which later shifted base to Pune. He served as a professor for a long time at St. Thomas College where he was picked by Pope Paul XI to lead the Irinjalakuda diocese. He took office on September 10th 1978 and has been till 2010.
He was ordained as a priest by Mumbai bishop Cardinal Valerian Gracious on October 3, 1961. He assisted Syro Malabar Church Major Archbishop from June 7, 1995. He also worked with Cardinal Antony Pandiyara to lead the church. On September 10th 2003, he celebrated his jubilee and retired from active duties on April 18th, 2010.
Owing to his illness, the bishop was under medical attention in the Jubilee Mission Hospital in Thrissur. It is reported that his illness was the related to sickness which generally crops with the increasing age. The efforts of the doctors to keep him afloat failed. The funeral will be held at the St Thomas Cathedral at Irijalakuda on Wednesday afternoon. A massive crowd is expected. May his soul rest in peace!