A BRIEF SUMMARY HISTORY OF FR.
ARUL RAJ
Dearest Friends,
Greetings of peace and love from Fr. Dominic
K. Arputham, brother of Fr. Arul Raj. Hope you enjoy in
the best of your health. I am trying to recuperate little
by little. I believe that your prayer and blessings would
give me the necessary strength to take courage in order
to continue my life with the dreams and wishes of my beloved
big brother Fr.Raj. I consider you as Godsent angel to comfort
us in the most difficult moment of our life by your prayerful
concern. Thank you very much for your loving and generous
support to “Miracles possible” foundation of my brother
Fr. Raj.
The all to sudden death of my beloved brother
Rev. Fr. Arul Raj due to cerebral hemorrhage on 6 Dec. 2007
at the young age of 43 has been too rude a shock to me,
to my family and to you, his friends in Christ Jesus whose
nerves have been shattered completely. If we have survived,
I, for one, firmly believe it is due wholly and entirely
to the sympathy and the super abundant emotional support
of priest and sisters who came, in record number, to participate
in the funeral service on 7 Dec. 2007. Your presence in
person and in spirit and the words of consolation have been
more than a balm of healing to me and to my family.
Sadayampatti, the place of my brother’s birth,
is situated in the District of Pudukottai, Tamil Nadu, and
the southern state of India. This countryside is most pleasing
environment, but is very poor and without beauty in the
economical perspective. Our Catholic Parish, Oliamangalam
made a golden impression inside and out- a true picture
of Catholism. Fr.Raj was born on Aug. 18, 1964, and had
his early schooling in the native Town unto 10th grade.
He entered into apostolic school, when he was fourteen,
the beginning of his priestly vocation in 1979. He joints
the seminary in 1982. He did his B. Ph and B. Th, and was
ordained to priesthood on April 28, 1992.
He was appointed as the prefect of the minor
seminary at the Diocesan headquarters, Thanjovur for a period
of one year. He was sent as a missionary to Philippines
when he was just eight months old priest 1993 where he worked
and impressed the people of God with God experience in their
own Language and dialects. He loved Pilipino people and
owned them as his own, and in turn they owned him as their
own priest and friend. He was sent for higher studies to
St. Catherine Laboure Church,
L.A., and CA. USA IN 1997-2000. He did his
master’s degree in Pastoral theology in LMU. He has worked
as the Dean of studies in Marian institute of Theology in
Vailankkanni from 2000-2002, as the Pastor of Our Lady of
Refuge Church at Thirumayam from 2002-2004 and from there
he was promoted as the executive secretary for Bible and
Catechism for “All India Catholic Bishops’ Conference of
India” [CCBI] 2004-2007.
Now, I feel it to be duty to write my Brother
Fr. Raj’s history, for I am convinced that all of you will
be filled with greater or renewed zeal and joy, if you can
recognize the hand of God and each one of His single favors
through my brother. It seems to me that you even have a
right, as loving and faithful friends of Fr.Raj, to know
all of his missions he has started and handed them over
to you to carry on in the years to come. It would be an
injustice on my part if I withheld these facts from you.
I was always aware that Fr. Raj was an instrument
in the hands of God, and that God’s favors ware not in the
least meant for him personally, but solely for the work,
which His abundant kindness and mercy had entrusted to him.
He has a big heart for the Deaf and mute children, who are
abandoned by their parents, started a school “O.L.R. Home
for Children” from his Trust “Miracles possible.” He has
more than 80 Kids who have speech and hearing impairments.
They are kept in the Home established by Fr.Raj [at present
they are in a rented home] and they are given speech and
hearing therapies. There are six teachers, four baby sitters
and one principal [all of them are female] to take care
of the kids.
Please remember, that the lowliness of Jesus
later became the great glory of Him. Quite often, this thought
fill my mind when I think of Fr. Raj who encourage and ask
me to trust in God whenever I am downhearted and deeply
saddened because of his physical absence to me. I am going
to tell you that with joyful heart I am going to write the
biography of my loving brother Rev. Fr. Arul Raj, specially
about the major events in his life and special favors he
had from the Lord, I have noted down as his small beloved
brother.
Sentiments cannot speak the language of words.
Literally, I have no words to give expression to my sentiments
of appreciation and gratitude for the great comfort, consolation
and the strength you have given my family and me by your
prayers. Please accept my humble and sincere thanks, which,
you may rest, assured, come from the depth of my heart.
I also thank you for the memorial mass, arranged by you
for the repose of the soul of my beloved brother Fr. Raj.
I will extremely happy and grateful if you can make it convenient
for you to offer a mass or participate in the mass and pray
for his soul and for all of us.
Yours Sincerely
Rev. Fr. Dominic K. Arputham.
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