Meghalaya Bids Tearful Goodbye to Archbishop Dominic Jala

Shillong, October 23, 2019:

Rev. Dominic Jala, Archbishop of Shillong Archdiocese, was laid to rest on Wednesday in a grave close to the Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians, Laitumkhrah, by a mourning Meghalaya.

Lots of faithfuls attended the funeral of the late Jala and paid their last respects to the Archbishop. Cutting across religions and communities, thousands of people thronged the Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians, as they sang hymns and prayers for the departed soul of the Catholic Church leader.

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Meghalaya Chief minister Conrad K Sangma and other Ministers and MLAs also attended the funeral. Mourning the Archbishop's unexpected demise, the Meghalaya CM said, "The untimely demise of the Archbishop came as a huge shock to the entire State and has left most of us inconsolable. Our State has lost a man who was not only a religious figure but someone who contributed immensely to the State."

Archbishop Jala and Father Mathew Vellankal died in a tragic road accident in California, United States on October 10 (USA Time).

Born on 12 July, 1951, Father Jala was ordained priest on 19 November 1977 for Salesians of St. John Bosco.

At the age of 48, he was appointed as the Archbishop of Shillong on 22 December, 1999 and ordained Archbishop on 4 April 2000 by Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil. In 2016, he was appointed as the Apostolic Administrator of Nongstoin diocese, Meghalaya. He is a priest for 41 years and a Bishop for 19 years.

He was the Chairman of the CCBI Commission for Liturgy from 2015 onwards and the member of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL). He also served CCBI from 2003 to 2007 as the Chairman of the CCBI Commission for Liturgy.

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