Former Archbishop Joseph Mittathany passes away
Date : 11th July 2022 :: St. Joseph's Cathedral

From The Sangai Express - July 12 2022

Most Rev Joseph Mittathany DD, the Archbishop Emeritus of Imphal Archdiocese, passed away on Monday morning due to a chest infection and prolonged illness. He died at the age of 91 at CMC Hospital, Koirengei, at 9.55 am. Born in Kalikavu in Kerala's Kottayam city on July 12, 1931, Mittathany became the first Bishop of Imphal Diocese in 1980 .

Prior to that, he served as the Bishop of Tezpur in 1969.Later, he became the first Archbishop of Manipur when the Imphal Diocese was promoted to an Archdiocese in 1995 . Mittathany was ordained as a Priest on April 23, 1959.He served as a Priest for 63 years and 53 years as a Bishop. After serving for 27 years as an Archbishop, he retired on July 12, 2006, at Retreat House in Imphal.

Mittathany also held the office of the North East Bishops' Conference as the president from 1996-2006 . Most Rev Mittathany was known for his love for the people of Manipur, especially in the field of education and medicine. During his tenure as the Archbishop of Imphal, the educational institutions in Manipur run by the Catholic missionaries were instrumental in producing many bureaucrats and intellectuals of the State.

His funeral service will be held on Thursday at 10 am at the St Joseph's Cathedral in Imphal. Mourning his demise, the Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Imphal has declared a four day mourning till July 14 as a mark of respect.

All educational institutions under the Archdiocese of Imphal will remain closed during the mourning period and and all celebratory events, unless unavoidable, are to remain suspended.