Funeral Service at 10.30 am tomorrow at St. Joseph’s Cathedral

Mysuru: Rev. Fr. Raphael Mathew Colaco (75)   passed away at Apollo BGS Hospital in city this morning after a brief pulmonary illness and cardiac arrest. 

He was Priest of the Diocese of Mysore for the last 47 years. He was the brother Prof. Louis Colaco, retired Professor of Botany at Teresian College and Prof. Esther, a CSST nun who taught Economics at Teresian College in city and Mount Carmel in Bengaluru.

The mortal remains will be kept for public viewing at St. Mary’s Minor Seminary, Bannimantap (opposite LIC Divisional Office) from 1 pm today (Nov. 28) till Friday. It will be shifted to St. Joseph’s Cathedral at 8 am on Nov.29. The funeral service will be held at 10.30 am the same day and will be interred at Catholic Cemetery in Gandhinagar here. 

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Rev. Fr. Raphael M. Colaco was born to John Denis Colaco and Juliana Helen Aranha at Hirebile, Chikmagalur Diocese on Dec. 13, 1944. He was the sixth among nine children. 

After his school studies at St. Philomena’s High School,  he joined St. Mary’s Minor Seminary. After completing his Priestly formation at St. Peter’s Seminary in Bengaluru, he was ordained Priest for the Diocese of Mysore on Jan. 2, 1972 at Joseph’s Church, Hirebile, by the then Bishop late Rt. Rev.  Dr. Mathias Fernandes. He served as Assistant Priest at St. Joseph’s Cathedral for one year and as Parish Priests at Nagavalli, Madikeri, Mandya, Martalli, till 2003. He took charge as the Secretary of Mysore Diocesan Educational Society (MDES) and also as the Parish of St. Joseph’s Church, Jayalakshmipuram on 24.10.2003. 

As a popular Secretary of MDES, he helped a number of poor children to get good education in MDES institutions with concession in fees. He supported a number of rural institutions with financial support. He also started St. Joseph’s PU College at  Jayalakshmipuram and St. Joseph’s Central School at Yelwal. 

Later he was Parish Priest of Nirmala Mathe Church in Kutta, which he tried to make self-sufficient and was later Parish Priest of Holy Family Church in Hinkal. 

On health grounds he took voluntary retirement and had been residing at Prashantha Nilaya, a retired Priests Home in Bannimantap, since June 2017.  

People in all the places he worked remember him for his hard work, immense pastoral zeal, simplicity  and pro-needy approach. 

Fr. Raphael M. Colaco had pulmonary congestion and suffered a cardiac arrest in the early hours on Nov. 27. He was admitted to Apollo Hospital where he underwent angiogram and angioplasty. Unfortunately he suffered repeated cardiac arrests and breathed his last at 7.40 am today. Rev. Fr. Raphael M. Colaco leaves behind two brothers, two sisters and a number of nephews and nieces and mourning admirers. 

Condoled: Most Rev. Dr. K.A. William, the Bishop of Mysore, Most Rev. Dr. Thomas Antony Vazhapilly, Bishop Emeritus and all the clergy and the religious of the Diocese of Mysore have condoled his death.