Thanksgiving ceremony held at Khuzama for Fr. Raymond D’Souza

DIMAPUR — Of the Jesuit missionaries Reverend Fr. Ligoury Castelino, Reverend Fr. Stany Coelho, and the then Brother Raymond D’Souza, who arrived in Nagaland in 1970, the surviving Reverend Fr. Raymond D’Souza SJ attained 88 years and completed 70 years in the Society of Jesus (Jesuit).

In celebration of this, a thanksgiving ceremony was held at Eden Gardens Children’s Home, Khuzama, Nagaland, on Monday, according to an update.

Fr. Raymond D’Souza, speaking at the event, encouraged children to work hard, emphasising that success comes from effort, not from money or power.

Fr. Jerome SJ, Parish Priest of Liyai in the Archdiocese of Manipur, spoke about Fr. Raymond’s vision and dedication to the children at Eden Gardens. He emphasised that the restoration of grace through the love of God triumphs over the world.

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Fr. Jerome described Fr. Raymond as a mustard seed planted in Calicut (Kerala), who has since blossomed and borne fruit in Nagaland and surrounding areas.

It was noted that the Jesuit mission sowed the seed of the Catholic faith in Kidima, Nagaland, on November 22, 1970, baptising six members of the Kidima community under the patronage of St. Francis Xavier.

This marked the first church established by the Society of Jesus in Northeast India. Over the past 55 years, the Society of Jesus in the Kohima Region has been actively serving communities across Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, and Nagaland.