Fr Lourdu Irudayaraj Susai was born in 1946 at Satharavanpathy in Tamil Nadu and joined the Society of Jesus for the Santal Region in 1967. He was ordained priest in 1980. Throughout his priestly life, pastoral work was his main assignment and his predilection. In later years, if engaged for a while in some other work, Fr Lourdu would say, ‘I am a pastor’. In fact, he served zealously in various parishes of West Bengal and Bihar-Jharkhand both as Assistant Pastor and as Parish Priest. Since 2013 he pioneered Jirulia mission in Jharkhand and also saw through and won a number of cases related to the Jirulia property. In between the pastoral assignments to the various parishes, Fr Lourdu did one year of post-graduate studies at EAPI in the Philippines, in 1994, related to pastoral and catechetical work, became the Director of Catechists Training Centre (CTC) at Torai in 1996 and in 1999, he was mandated to pioneer the Paharia apostolate. Fr Lourdu also served, for a number of years, as one of the consultors of the Provincial and also vocation promoter. Bp. Alphonse D’Souza SJ of Raiganj Diocese, Fr Lourdu’s Ecclesiastical Superior for a number of years, on Fr Lourdu’s transfer to Dumka Diocese, wrote to him: “I thank you wholeheartedly for your wonderful apostolate and dedicated hard work and commitment to the diocese. I appreciate your availability for any kind of ministry in the Church. You carry out your responsibility with zeal, dedication and commitment.” Fr Lourdu had also his share of ailments which he bore with fortitude. He loved people specially the poor and he would share with them whatever he had. His was a happy personality. May the Lord grant him Eternal Happiness!
- Paul Aquilina, SJ
