Bishop Chacko Thottumarickal, SVD, Chairman of Radio Veritas Hindi Service, marked his 75th birthday on January 7 with a Thanksgiving Mass at St. Paul's Auditorium in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, in which he expressed gratitude for God's mercies.
“Bishop Chacko Thottumarickal, SVD, was a wonderful person who moved from different orbits of ministry: from pastoral to communications to administration and to being a shepherd of the diocese. He was a leader, a spiritual father, a defender of the poor, and a man of dialogue,” said Archbishop Alangaram Arokia Sebastian Durairaj, SVD, of Bhopal, during his homily.
The diocese of Indore as well as all the Madhya Pradesh regional bishops, priests and religious parish council members of each parish gathered in gratitude and greeted their bishop at 5:00 p.m. at St. Paul’s Ground.
More than 800 people gathered to celebrate the gift of life.
“He is a man of righteousness and consistency, a man for the poor,” said Fr. Michael John, vicar general of Indore diocese, of Bishop Chacko.
“By walking the path of sacrifice, love and selfless service, his life became an immortal story to be told and retold,” said PC Thomas, a media personnel in Indore.
Bishop Chacko was born in 1949 in Kalloorkad, in the diocese of Kothamangalam, Kerala, a southern state of India. His vocation journey began when he joined the Society of the Divine Word at St. John’s Mission Seminary at Changanachery in Kerala in 1964.
Two years later, he completed his juniorate in Palda, Indore, and then took his first vows three years later. He took Philosophy at Jnanadeepa Vidya Vidyapeet I from 1969 to 1971, graduated from Gujarati College between 1971 and 1974, and completed his theological studies at the Papal Atheneum in 1979.
He was ordained a priest on May 11, 1979. He was first appointed to work among the Bhil Tribals in Madhya Pradesh, where he spent the initial seven years as assistant parish priest of the Catholic Church in Jhabua, assistant director of Khrist Jyothy Kendra Meghnagar, and teacher at St. Stephen’s School, Dahod.
His simplicity, humility and sense of righteousness made him dear to the people he served with all his heart and ears.
After the pastoral experience, he went to London for higher studies in communications. He obtained a degree from the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom and a Diploma in Printing and Publishing from the London College of Printing (1987–1989).
In 1989, Bishop Chacko assumed the role of manager at the Satprachar Press in Indore, showcasing his administrative abilities and leadership until 1996. He demonstrated administrative abilities and leadership from 1989 to 1996. So, the Central Indian Province (INC) Provincial Chapter elected him as provincial superior in 1996 and re-elected him in 1998.
In recognition of his dedication, hard work, and capabilities, they appointed him as the first bishop of Jhabua in 2002. In 2008, Bishop Chacko was transferred to Indore as its bishop after Bishop George Anathil SVD retired. People praised him for his capable leadership of two dioceses.
“His life stands as a testimony to faith, dedication and unyielding service to God and humanity, shaping communities and inspiring countless individuals on their spiritual journeys,” said someone close to him. (MTV)
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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