Fr James Thottakath passed away quietly on 15 September 2020 after fighting cancer for a while. He spent his final days in Christ Hall cheerfully accepting the suffering as a reward from the Master. Born on 13th February 1937, at Kothad, in the Archdiocese of Verapoly, Fr James joined the Society in 1957. He was ordained a priest in 1971. The early years of his priestly ministry were in the Chirakkal Mission in north Kerala, and he served the parishes of Pattuvam and Thavam before he was appointed Superior of S.M. Farm, Pariyaram. In 1994, he bid goodbye to Chirakkal Mission and shifted his field of apostolate to the diocese of Neyyattinkara in South Kerala.
Fr James was the parish priest of St. Mary’s Church, Balaramapuram for 12 long years. He was known for his cool and gentle ways of dealing with difficult situations and problems. Nothing could make him angry or lose his temper. It was while serving as Parish Priest of Anugraha Matha Church, Nemom, that he got interested in the history of Nemom Mission, a forgotten chapter in the Jesuit history of the Pre-Suppression Society. He began preparing articles and booklets on Nemom Mission, and took up the cause of Devasahayam Pillai, the lay martyr of the Mission. Devasahayam Centre at Ayanimood, stands as a sign of his tireless efforts. Fr James will be the happiest person as Bl. Devasahayam Pillai will be canonized soon.
Fr James was known as a simple and compassionate person but firm in his commitment. He was careful to give a smile to those who dealt with him rudely. In this life he ran the race competing with himself, and not with others. So he could ever remain happy and peaceful. May the Lord reward him.
- Mani Manimala, SJ
