R E M E M B E R I N G
Fr. Sebastian
Pottanany
(1921-2014)
Father Pottanany, you are many things rolled into one.
You are the devoted son of your parents, the darling of
your brothers and sisters, the rallying point of the large
Madappally clan; a linguist, without compromise, a
humorist who can impersonate anyone, who can laugh
at yourself and laugh hilariously at any joke. You have a
large circle of friends. You graduated from S.B College in
Science. You led the college choir all the five years. In the
major seminary, as the chief editor of Preshitha Keralam,
you echoed the ideas of the Servant of God Father
Zacharias OCD, whose devotee you still are. Koithukar,
dealing with missionary vocation, is a feather in your
literary cap. After priestly ordination in 1953 you were
appointed assistant parish priest at St Mary’s Forane
Church, Bharananganam where you spearheaded
mission league.
All throughout your priestly life you were a hard-working
builder, building parish communities in Kalikavu,
Palayam, Edamattam, Mattakara, building up the
diocesan Industrial Estate, building up the St Thomas
Missionary Society executing the plans of its founder
Bishop Mar Sebastian Vayalil. As a leading, proactive
and trusted person among the 18 pioneers, you were
entrusted with the task of starting the seminary. You
completed it in a couple of months with no funds
allocated- miracle of miracles. On 31st College was
inaugurated. That modest structure shone as the central
house of the MST for 45 years.
You were also a far-sighted administrator. In the crucial
first years of Deepti, you managed to get on the staff
best priests from different dioceses. You sent the
students to the leading major seminaries. As a result the
fame and name of Deepti spread all over India. The MST
got widely known.
By 1972 the robust building planned by the legendary
Larry Baker adorned the Deepti Mount- the three storied
edifice for the students. For a decade you spent yourself
and all you have for building up Deepti.
Then you ventured into an uncharted territory as the
first Regional Director of Mandya. There too you had
to build up a region from mere scratch. You had to
fend for yourself and the mission region. God and
the missionaries were with you and now Mandya is a
diocese.
Another characteristic of yours is your rare talent
for transactions. Most of the pieces of the land the
society owns have been purchased on your initiative;
land around Deepti, rubber estate Vadackanchery,
Kottaramparambu, Moonnany, Kalenahalli, Guthalu and
Bedhsi estate.
You must have been so loving, obedient and respectful
to your parents that God was pleased to grant you
length of years. On May1, 2014 you celebrated your 93rd
few weeks (May 24, 2014), you bid us all good bye and
set on a journey to heaven, receiving the anointing and
blessing and comforting us with the words that you are
ready to go.
Father, all the members of the MST are
grateful to you because you brought up the
Society and single handedly built up Deepti
and pioneered Mandya Mission. Your life of
fulfilment is God’s reward to your selfless
service.
(Adapted from the Address given by Fr. Sebastian
Thuruthel MST on the Navathi of Fr. Pottanany)
30
SANTHOME MISSION