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Centenary celebrations

By Our Staff Reporter

KOLLAM Nov.16. A high mass on November 22 with the former Kollam Bishop, Joseph G. Fernandez, as the chief celebrant will mark the commencement of the three-day centenary celebrations of the Saint Raphael's Seminary here.

At a press conference here today, the seminary rector, Ferdinand Peter and prefect, Joseph Puthenpura, said that the seminary established in 1902 heralds the rich antiquity of the Kollam Diocese, which had earlier encompassed the present Kottar, Thiruvananthapuram, Nayyattinkara and Punalur diocese. During the past one hundred years, hundreds of students had pursued their sacerdotal studies at the seminary.

The most prominent among them are the former Kottar Bishop, Lawrence Pereira, the former Vellore Bishop, Royappan Antony Muthu, the former Thiruvananthapuram Bishop, Peter Bernard Pereira, the former Kollam Bishops, Jerome M. Fernandez and Joseph G. Fernandez, the Punalur Bishop, Mathias Kappil and the present Kollam Bishop, Stanley Roman.

Some of the former students of the seminary who were not ordained will include the present Indian Ambassador to Chile, K.P. Earnest, the Kerala Additional DGP, Alphonse Erayil, the former Karnataka Chief Secretary, Alexander, and the present Kerala University Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Kevin.

Meanwhile the highlight of the centenary celebrations is the alumni day to be observed on November 23 when a concelebrated high mass with the Kollam Bishop, Stanley Roman, as the chief celebrant would be held in the morning. On the occasion the Thiruvananthapuram Bishop, Soosai Pakiam, will deliver a homily. The Kottar Bishop, Leon A. Tharmaraj, will inaugurate the alumni meet. November 22 will be observed as friends and well-wishers day and November 24 would be observed as parents' day.

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