Mangaluru: Rev. Fr. Mathew Vas (62 years), Parish Priest, Immaculate Conception Church, Kinnigoli, passed away on Friday October 22 around 4.00 am due to cardiac arrest.
The Funeral Mass and Burial Rites will be held on Saturday October 23 at 10.00 am in Immaculate Conception Church, Kinnigoli. The mortal remains of Fr. Mathew will be kept for public viewing between 8.30 and 9.30 am.
Rev. Fr. Mathew Vas hails from Siddakatte, Bantwal. He was born to Mr John Vas and Lucy Rodrigues on July 8, 1960. He was ordained to priesthood on April 30, 1987.
After serving as the assistant parish priest in Kinnigoli and Kulshekar Church, he trained himself in mass communication at Patna. Fr. Mathew was interested in mass media and social communication. Hence, he studied a short course on film production in Taiwan. As the director of Canara Communication Centre (CCC) he ventured into film production. ‘Bhuvana Jyothi’ (Jesus, the light of the world) directed by Udupi Vasudeva Bhat of ‘Nadavaibhavam’ production, was his first film, and was the first ever musical film in Kannada on the life of Jesus Christ. It was a 35 mm film depicting the life of Christ through Carnatic music, songs and dance which appealed to the coastal people of South Canara and got dubbed into other languages as well.
Fr. Mathew Vas, as the 4th Director of Canara Communication Centre (1991-1998) of Mangalore Diocese, has selflessly served the centre and the diocese, immensely contributing to the work of proclamation, evangelisation, communication and dialogue through media.
Fr Mathew Vas served as the parish priest in Bela (1998), Udupi (2004), Angelore (2011) and Kinnigoli (Since 2018). He was fondly remembered by all for his affection, friendliness, simplicity and jovial. Currently he was also the Spiritual director of Catholic Sabha Mangalore Pradesh (R).
The diocese of Mangalore with Most Rev. Dr Peter Paul Saldanha, priests and nuns and lay faithful mourn the sudden death of Fr. Mathew Vas.
Scores of his admirers and fellow priests are shocked and saddened by his sudden death. They have stated that, “we raise our hearts and minds in prayer for the repose of his soul. May the Lord count him among his elect and grant him eternal rest.”
Report by Fr. Anil Fernandes, CCC
