From Our Correspondent
JOWAI: Rev. Fr. Vincent Kympat, Bishop of Jowai Diocese, passed away due to cardiac arrest on Saturday.
Vicar General Fr. Simeon Sungoh, while confirming the Bishop’s death, said Rev. Kympat was supposed to attend a meeting arrange at the Bishop House.
When he did not turn up for the meeting, one of the priests, who went in his search, found the Bishop lying unconscious in the bathroom.
Fr. Sungoh, further, informed that the doctor, who was called to attend to the Bishop, advised them to shift him to Jowai Civil Hospital.
The ambulance which was being used to shift the Bishop to the Hospital, unfortunately collided with a bicycle at Mihmyntdu. Two persons — Washo Phawa (22) and Swan Shyrmang (12) — who sustained injuries, were also admitted at the civil hospital along with the Bishop at around 2 pm.
Bishop Kympat finally breathed his last an hour later, doctors confirmed.
The sudden demise of the Bishop came as a shock to everyone in the district. As soon as the news of Bishop Kympat’s death spread, hundreds of people rushed to the Bishop House crying and mourning for the Bishop.
Bishop Dominic Jala of the Shillong Arch Dioceses, Education Minister Dr. RC Laloo, former Jowai MLA Singh Mulieh and former Rymbai MLA Simon Siangshai rushed to the Bishop House to condole the untimely death of Bishop Kympat.
The first Bishop of Jowai, Vincent Kympat, who hailed from Tluh, a remote village in Jaintia Hills, was born in 1946 and ordained as a priest in 1977. He completely his Philosophy course from Christ King College, Shillong and Theology from Sacred Heart Theological College in Poonamallee, Tamil Nadu. After his graduating in Education he specialised in Catechetic from the Salesianum in Rome.
Bishop Kympat served in different capacities as Assistant Parish Priest, Parish Priest, Director of the Catechists Training Centre and Junior Teachers’ Training Centre, Rector of Christ King Collage and visiting professor at Oriens Theological Collage and Sacred Heart Theological College and was the Director of the Laity Formation Centre in Shillong prior to his appointment as Bishop of Jowai.
The funeral ceremony will be held at the Cathedral Church, Jowai Parish at 12 noon on Monday, Fr. Sungoh informed.
