Fr. Arul Jeevan was born the seventh of nine children to Mr. Jeevanandam and Mrs. Masilla Mary on 19th November 1947, at Rajakembiram, in the Diocese of Sivagangai. He finished his undergraduate studies in Mathematics before joining the Society in 1970. After his Ordination in 1981, he served in parishes for a couple of years. Then, for more than two decades, he served as Teacher/ Asst. Head Master in our schools.
Felicitating him on the occasion of his Golden Jubilee as a Jesuit, Fr. Arturo Sosa, our Superior General, wrote: “During those years you involved yourself not merely in teaching, but also in character formation of students, with your added interest in counseling. Your alumni carry good memories of your accompaniment. Your insistence on discipline among staff and students and your promotion of the Ignatian pedagogical paradigm, with its focus on accompanying the learners in their growth and development, have left indelible footprints in the Secondary Education sector of Madurai Province.” After his retirement from service in Secondary Education, Fr. Arul Jeevan served as Librarian of Jnana Deepa, Pune, from 2006 to 2011. During those years, he also got involved in weekend pastoral and youth ministries in neighbouring parishes. Fr. Arul Jeevan’s much appreciated work in Pune came to an abrupt halt when illness struck. He had to undergo craniotomy twice and other operations followed. As Fr. General mentions in his Golden Jubilee letter, he “not only accepted medical options but also dared to accept God’s invitation to live a life of pain and suffering.”
He was admitted in St. Joseph Hospital, Dindigul, on 18th March 2021, and breathed his last on March 22nd. His funeral Mass was celebrated on the following day, with restricted attendance.
- L. Michael Doss, SJ
