Fr. Dominic was a person ‘in whom there was no guile’ (Jn 1:47). He was a faithful disciple of Jesus and a dedicated Jesuit priest. For anyone who came into contact with Fr. Dominic, it was amply clear that his life was centred on Jesus, nourished by the daily Eucharist and other spiritual practices; his personal and apostolic life flowed from this source. The ever present child-like smile on his face and his zeal for apostolic works was contagious – inspiring, energizing and challenging everyone to live similarly. His ability to express himself clearly without hurting others and his simplicity of life, devoid of any taint of glamour, endeared him to all sections of people – young and old, rich and poor, healthy and sick, Christians and non-Christians, and people of all languages and cultural backgrounds.
Fr. Dominic is the tenth of eleven children of his loving and devout parents. Of his four brothers, one is a Capuchin priest and of his six sisters, five are religious. So, there was depth of faith and bond of affection among family members as a heritage. These were amplified by his Jesuit formation, and found fruition in the form of abundant apostolic zeal to draw people close to Jesus. It enabled him to be in solidarity with everyone, especially the socio-economically weak, the aged and sick. Even the health setback which he suffered at the age of sixty, when he had to have a by-pass surgery, did not dampen or hinder the spirit of joyous service that was the hallmark of his entire life. He died as unassumingly as he lived: on the intervening night of March 19-20, 2020, the Lord called this faithful servant unto Himself, while he was fast asleep.
- Susai Raj, SJ
