(03-01-1920 to 08-06-2008)
Rev. Fr. Bonaventure Oppanthadam OCD of the Holy Trinity expired on 8th June, 2008, at the age of 88.
Rev. Fr. Bonaventure Oppanthadam OCD of the Holy Trinity was born on 3rd January, 1920. He was the youngest son of Thomas and Mary. He had three elder brothers and an elder sister Mary, married to Thomas Maniangat, Kozhuvanal. He joined our Aspirants House, Carmel Hill Monastery, Thiruvananthapuram on 31st May 1940, after passing his SSLC and teaching in the Primary School in Maragattupally for two years. He was vested with the Holy Habit of Carmel on 7th June 1941 when he was given the name Br. Bonaventure Oppanthadam of the Holy Trinity. He made his Simple Profession on 9th June 1945.
After the Philosophy Course in Trivandrum, he was sent to St. Elias Monastery, Thuckalay for the theological studies. Rt. Rev. Dr. Agniswamy S.J., Bishop of Kottar, ordained him sub-deacon. When the Novitiate was shifted to Thuckalay from Thiruvananthapuram, in 1947, he joined the philosophical and theological college and was ordained priest on 2nd April 1949 in St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Palayam, Thiruvananthapuram, by Rt. Rev. Dr. Vincent V. Derriere OCD, Bishop of Thiruvananthapuram. He offered his Holy Qurbana on 3rd April, 1949. He served as Prior in the monasteries at Thiruvananthapuram, Thuckalay, Bengaluru, Kalady and Ernakulam. He also served as Provincial Councilor and Master of Philosophy Studies. He was Father-in-charge of Mount Carmel Ashram, Palai and Lisieux Centre, Muvattupuzha, and finally he was the Confessor and Spiritual Father of Lisieux Centre from 1999 until his death on 8th June, 2008. An year later, he was laid up but he said the Holy Mass every day in the small chapel opposite to his cell. He was waiting for the Lord’s call. On Friday, 6th June 2008, after being fortified by the Anointing of the Sick and the Holy Viaticum, he was taken to the nearby Nirmala Hospital where he commented his saintly soul to the Holy Trinity on 8th June at 8.30 a.m., for whose glory alone, he lived, worked and suffered.
Very Rev. Fr. Sebastian Koodapattu OCD, then Provincial, presided over the funeral Mass at 10 a.m. on 9th June, 2008 in which, there were more than fifty con-celebrants participated. Rev. Fr. Bernardine Vallathara OCD gave the funeral oration. During the last years of Rev. Fr. Bonaventure, he served as the confessor and spiritual father of Mar George Punnakottil, Bishop of Kothamangalam, who concluded the funeral service.
Rev. Fr. Bonaventure was a man of God; a gentle and helpful person; always pleasant and joyful; always available for the community and others; and also poor in spirit and fast. He had a good community spirit and a sense of joy. He was a devoted child of Mary, the Mother of Carmel.
His Excellencies Sebastian Thekethecheril, Bishop of Vijayapuram; Joseph Pallickaparambil, Bishop Emeritus of Palai; Julius, Bishop of Muvattupuzha sang absolution over the body of Fr. Bonaventure who was in high esteem among them.
+ May the Lord reward His faithful Carmelite Friar!!
REQUIEM IN PACEM!!