Bangalore 4 May 2021 (CCBI): Archbishop Antony Anandarayar (75) Emeritus Archbishop of Pondicherry-Cuddalore passed away on Tuesday 4 May 2021 at 9.30pm at St. Thomas Hospital, Chennai. He was admitted in the hospital for Covid treatment and his health condition deteriorated this morning as the oxygen saturation level was very low.
Funeral will be held on Wednesday 5 May 2021 4pm at Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Pondicherry.
Archbishop Anandarayar was born on 18 July 1945 at in Varadarajanpet in Kumbakonam diocese. He joined St. Agnes’ Minor Seminary, Cuddalore for priestly studies and did his Philosophical and Theological studies at St. Peter’s Pontifical Seminary, Bangalore. He was ordained priest 21 December, 1971. Before appointing as the Bishop of Ootacamund, he served at St. Joseph’s Boarding, Cuddalore from1972-1976 as the Assistant. He held various positions in St. Peter’s Pontifical Seminary, Bangalore as the professor, vice rector and rector during the period 1981-1996. He was also the Chairman for the CCBI Commission for Canon Law and other Legislative Texts from 2006 to 2015.
He was appointed as the Bishop of Ootacamund diocese on 12 January 1997 and ordained Bishop on 29 January 1997. He was appointed as the Metropolitan Archbishop of Pondicherry-Cuddalore on 10 June, 2004. His request for resignation from the active episcopal ministry was accepted by Pope Francis on 27 January, 2021. He is a priest for 50 years and a Bishop for 24 years.
Rev. Dr. Stephen Alathara
Deputy Secretary General, CCBI