In a deeply saddening incident, Fr Ullattil Antony (44), a priest belonging to the Missionary Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament (MCBS), was found dead in a suspected case of suicide at a rented house near his congregation’s ashram in Porkalam, Vayambu, in Kasaragod district’s Kodom-Belur panchayat on Friday.
A native of Edappadi, Iritty, Fr Antony had been residing at the ashram for the past year. According to police, he is believed to have taken his life sometime during the night between Thursday and Friday. Concern grew when he failed to appear for morning Mass, prompting ashram members to check his room. They found a brief note in English that simply read: “I’m in a rented house,” said Ambalathara Station House Officer.
While the exact cause of his death remains unclear, sources close to the priest mentioned that he had been undergoing treatment for depression. Investigating officers plan to meet his family, who are based in Iritty, to gather more information.
Following the inquest, his body was shifted to Government Medical College in Pariyaram, Kannur, for a postmortem. Fr Antony is survived by his parents and two younger brothers. His burial is scheduled for Saturday at a special priest burial ground in Pariyaram.
The MCBS, a Syro-Malabar Catholic religious order founded in Kerala in 1933, mourns the unexpected loss of one of its members.
#PriestSuicide #MentalHealthAwareness #KasaragodNews #FrAntonyRIP