Bangalore 4 March 2023 (CCBI) Most Rev. Joseph Gabriel Fernandez (97), Bishop Emeritus of Quilon diocese passed away on Saturday 4 March 2023 at 9.30am at Benziger Hospital, Quilon. He was admitted to the hospital due to pneumonia and bedsore leading to multi organ failure. Funeral will be held on Monday 6 March 2023 at 10am at Infant Jesus Cathedral, Kollam.
He was born on 16 September 1925 at Maruthurkulangara, in Kollam district, Kerala. He joined St. Raphael’s minor seminary, Kollam in 1939 and continued his seminary studies in St. Teresa’s seminary, Kollam, and St. Joseph’s Pontifical Seminary, Aluva and was ordained priest on 19 March 1949 by Bishop Jerome M. Fernandez.
He served in the diocese of Quilon as secretary to the Bishop Jerome, Chancellor, parish priest in Kandachira, Mangad, Kappana, Edamon parishes, Infant Jesus boarding school warden, prefect of the St. Raphael’s minor seminary, bursar of Fatima Matha national college and Carmelrani training college.
He was appointed as the eighth Bishop of Quilon on 30 January 1978 and was ordained Bishop on 14 May 1978. He was retired from the active Episcopal ministry on 16 October 2001. He is a priest for 73 years and a Bishop for 44 years.
He was the Vice President of the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC), Chairman of the CBCI Health Commission and the Chairman of the Episcopal Commission for St. Joseph’s Pontifical Seminary, Aluva.
The diocese of Quilon is the first Catholic diocese in India. It was first erected on August 9, 1329, and re-erected on September 1, 1886. It has 2,14,280 Catholic faithful.
Rev. Dr. Stephen Alathara
Deputy Secretary General, CCBI