Obituary: Fr Vincent Martis died of Road Accident
Fr Francis Rodrigues, Raknno
Mangalore, 03 February 2010: Rev. Fr Vincent Martis (61 years) the present Parish Priest of St Antony Church, Sastan died on 2nd February 2010 at around 1 p.m. because of tragic road accident near Mount Abu in Rajasthan. He was travelling together with his family members to his sister’s place in Rajasthan.
He was born in Belman on 22-1-1949 as the youngest son of late Marcel and Maria Martis. He joined St Joseph’s Seminary, Jeppu as priestly candidate of the Diocese of Mangalore. He was ordained priest on 25-10-1974 and served the Diocese as priest for 35 years. He served as assistant priest at Belle Parish. He was the parish priest of Nakre, Kirem, Trasi and Sastan parishes as well as Chaplain of Mukha. Since last 8 years he was the Parish priest of St Antony Church, Sastan.
He was a man of deep thoughtfulness and far sight. He was a constructive and talented builder of schools, churches, halls and complexes. Because of this talent he was appointed as the expert in the Building Committee of the Diocese of Mangalore. He is a man of less talk but a person who would always talk with deep reflection. His was a simple personality with lots of humility and human touch. He was not crazy for any type of name and fame; foreign to any type of external show.
He knew his work and responsibilities, always keen to complete the task with utmost perfection. He knew his parishioners with minute details especially with regard to their social and financial status and difficulties. He is known to have responded pastorally accordingly. He was a fatigueless pastor without any attachment to worldly standards and expectations.
He has built Fatima Church at Mundkur, hall at Trasi, renovated number of buildings wherever he served; built school building, hall and business complex at Sastan and so on; has established St Antony CBSC English Medium School at Sastan. He has played a major and very prominent role in establishing Don Bosco Technical Institution at Trasi by SDB priests.
His mortal remains will reach Mangalore before noon today (3.2.10). The Funeral mass is scheduled to take place at 4 p.m. on Friday 5th Feb 2010 at Sastan Church. The mortal remain will be interred in Sastan Cemetery. There will be a special Mass with his mortal remains at 9 a.m. at Milagres Church, Mangalore on same day (5.2.2010).
Most Rev Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza, the Bishop of the Diocese of Mangalore and Msgr. Denis Prabhu, the Vicar General of the Diocese of Mangalore have expressed deep sadness at his death and have said that this is a great loss to the Diocese in the year of the priests.
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