Fr Peter Marandi was born at Dumria near Bounsi in Bhagalpur Diocese on 22 June 1946. He entered the Society of Jesus on 02 February 1970 at St Stanislaus, Sitagarha, Hazaribagh, to be a Jesuit Brother. Later, in 1984 he felt the call to be a priest and after completing the required formation, he was ordained a priest on 27 April 1989 in Hatimara. He pronounced his final vows on 31 October 1997.
Fr Peter served as sub-hostel prefect and teacher in Guhiajori and Tinpahar, as Formator of Catechists at CTC, Torai, and as Assistant Parish Priest in Mariampahar and Hatimara, Parish Priest in Hatimara and Murguni, in-charge of Krusvir in Mariampahar, and as Father-in-charge of the new mission centre of Numbatta, where he tried to foster prayer through an Ashram-type spirituality.
Fr Peter was a mature, talented, and people-friendly person. He loved the poor, regularly visited families, and tried to form groups of praying Christian families. He had his music training and a diploma in Communication, and he made full use of it in animating the charismatic praying groups, forming Small Christian Communities (SCC), and promoting tribal culture and music. His notable contribution to the Santal Church and culture is his hymns, which were published as a book called, Nawa Rar. His other compositions were published in Koejon Puthi.
We thank God for the person of Peter Marandi SJ, a simple, prayerful, and holy priest deeply in love with the Lord and his people. May God welcome him to his eternal abode!
– Stany Pinto SJ
