\n<\/p>\n
Dimapur, India<\/strong> \u2014 On May 15, a heartfelt gathering took place at the Salesian cemetery in Dimapur, northeast India, to honor the memory of three Salesian members who lost their lives 25 years ago. Father Raphael Paliakara, Father Andreas Kindo, and Brother Shinu Joseph were tragically killed during an attack at their novitiate in Manipur state on the same date in 2001.<\/p>\n Father Joseph Pamplackal, the Salesian provincial, led a poignant memorial Mass, reflecting on the profound sorrow from that fateful night. He shared memories of the bravery shown by Father Andreas and Brother Shinu, who rushed to protect Father Raphael during the shooting. \u201cThey died for their faith, inspiring many others to do the same,\u201d he emphasized.<\/p>\n The memorial drew 28 relatives of the slain Salesians, many of whom traveled from Kerala and Jharkhand to share in the remembrance. A memorial card described the three as \u201cshepherds who did not flee,\u201d praising their selflessness during the attack by armed militants who demanded money and threatened the lives of the novices.<\/p>\n Father Josekutty Madathiparambil, one of the survivors from that night, reflected on how their sacrifices shaped his own life and vocation. \u201cThey taught us the true meaning of love\u2014it\u2019s about laying down your life for others,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The gathering also featured a viewing of a documentary titled \u201cThey Laid Down Their Lives for Us,\u201d celebrating the courage of the three Salesians. Family members and Salesians came together, sharing stories of love and loss.<\/p>\n John Paliakara, brother of Father Raphael, expressed pride in their legacy, saying, \u201cIt\u2019s no longer a tragic memory. They saved the lives of 27 novices, and we are proud of that.\u201d<\/p>\n As the Salesian community prepared for this solemn anniversary, they faced a stark reminder of the ongoing ethnic tensions in Manipur when two Salesian brothers were kidnapped just days before the event. Fortunately, after a tense night, they were released safely, thanks in part to prayers and quick interventions.<\/p>\n The day was bittersweet, honoring acts of bravery while acknowledging the struggles that continue in the region. The victims\u2019 memory serves as a symbol of hope and resilience amidst the challenges.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dimapur, India \u2014 On May 15, a heartfelt gathering took place at the Salesian cemetery in Dimapur, northeast India, to honor the memory of three Salesian members who lost their lives 25 years ago. Father Raphael Paliakara, Father Andreas Kindo, and Brother Shinu Joseph were tragically killed during an attack at their novitiate in Manipur<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32189,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[40245,40246,42195,42194],"class_list":{"0":"post-32188","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-india-news","8":"tag-catholic-church-in-india","9":"tag-catholic-news","10":"tag-church-history","11":"tag-salesians"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32188","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32188"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32188\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32189"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32188"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32188"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32188"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}