..:: Archdiocese of Colombo ::..

Rev. Fr. Nicholaspillai Packiyaranjith of Mannar killed in a claymore bomb explosion

Rev. Fr. Nicholaspillai Packiyaranjith, 40 years and 10 years in the Priestly Ministry, the Mannar district coordinator of Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) was killed in a claymore bomb explosion on the Pooneryn (Poonakari) Road, at Kalvi'laan, in the evening on Thursday the 26th September 2007, when he was taking relief food and humanitarian supplies to the refugee camp and to the Orphanage at Vidathalvu.

Fr. Ranjith was traveling in a hiace van with a driver and while Father Ranjith was killed on the spot, his driver was seriously injured.

The mortal remains of Fr. Ranjith was brought to the St. Theresa's Church at night on 26th Sept. and after the Holy Mass at 7.00 a.m., his mortal remains were transferred to the St. Anthony's Church, Vavuniya in the morning today. After the Holy Mass in the morning, his mortal remains will be transferred to the Chapel in Bishop's House, Mannar and will lie until Saturday 29th September 2007.

Funeral will be on Saturday the 29th September 2007 at 9.00 a.m. at St. Sebastian's Cathedral, Mannar.

Fr. Ranjith was born in Jaffna and was ordained a priest of the Mannar Diocese. He has been an Assistant at Madhu Church, St. Sebastian's Church Vavuniya and St. Theresa's Church, Killinochchi.Thereafter he was assigned as the Diocesan Coordinator of Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS). Fr. Ranjith had been a very committed priest in the Mission of the Lord and people very often spoke about him as a very humble and soft spoken priest.

Rev. Fr. Nicholaspillai Packiyaranjith

Since he was assigned to lookafter the refugees and the displaced people in Mannar, he had been working very hard inspite of several difficulties due to the security situation in the area and had been very concern about the helpless situation of the people.

Deeply saddened upon learning of the tragic death of Rev. Fr. Nicholaspillai Packiyaranjith, His Grace the Archbishop Oswald Gomis sent his deepest sympathies and condolences to His Lordship Bishop Rayappu Joseph and to clergy and the faithful in the Diocese of Mannar.

His Grace the Archbishop Oswald Gomis writes ;

" We were deeply shocked to hear the tragic death of Rev. Fr. Nicholaspillai Packiyaranjith killed in a claymore bomb explosion. We strongly condemn such acts of violence that inflicts pain and lost to the innocent civilians. We offer our deepest sympathies to His Lordship Bishop Rayappu Joseph, the Clergy and to the lay faithful of the Diocese of Mannar and especially to the members of the grieved family of Fr. Packiyaranjith.

With grateful recognition of Fr. Packiyaranjith's selfless service, as a committed priest of the Lord for His people, we offer fervent prayers that God, the Father of mercies, will grant him eternal rest and every spiritual consolation to those who mourn his passing.

This event brings us once more to the recognition that Peace is an urgent imperative. How long can this carnage continue ? This incident and the incidents of this nature should prick our conscience to realize the gravity of this situation and the need to establish peace immediately.

We pray that this incident will stir the peace process, so that he who has died, may not have died in vain."

Motive behind the killing of Fr. Packiyaranjith is not yet known. While the Tamilnet website reports that the Fr. Packiyaranith was killed when Sri Lanka Army Deep Penetration Unit (DPU) attackers launched a claymore attack and the government news paper "Daily News" on 27th September reports that Fr. Packiyaranjith has been killed by LTTE terrorists in an uncleared area of Mannar.