Bandel, 8 July, 2025: The Salesian Province of Kolkata, together with family members, parishioners, and clergy, gathered to bid farewell to Fr. Fabianus Kujur, SDB, who was laid to rest in the Salesian Cemetery at Bandel Basilica. Fr. Fabianus, a beloved priest and missionary hailing from Mariam Busty of the Jalpaiguri Diocese, passed into eternal rest on July 5, 2025, at Anandaloke Hospital in Siliguri, at the age of 64.
The funeral service, held at the historic Bandel Basilica, was attended by approximately 60 priests, brothers, and clerics from the Salesian Province of Kolkata, joined by companions of Fr. Fabianus from the Delhi Province. The solemn yet heartfelt ceremony reflected the profound impact Fr. Fabianus had on the communities he served, marked by his infectious joy, simplicity, and dedication to the marginalized.
The Requiem Mass, celebrated with deep reverence, saw the participation of numerous clergy and faithful. Three of Fr. Fabianus’s companions from the Delhi Province had the honor of blessing his body, a poignant tribute to their shared journey in faith. Moving obituaries were delivered by several distinguished figures, including the Regional, Bishop Thomas D’Souza of the Archdiocese of Calcutta, Bishop Nirmol Gomes of Krishnagar Diocese, Bishop Fulgence Tigga of Raiganj Diocese, Fr. Kapil Toppo, Fr. Jude, and Fr. CT Xavier. Each speaker highlighted Fr. Fabianus’s unwavering commitment to the Don Bosco charism, his love for the youth, and his pastoral zeal that touched countless lives in parishes such as Malbasey, Rinchenpong, Mirik, and Palsandamore Don Bosco.
A particularly touching moment came when Fr. Fabianus’s elder brother, residing with his family at Auxilium Parish, Gobra, delivered an obituary. He expressed profound gratitude to the Salesian Province of Kolkata for their support and companionship throughout Fr. Fabianus’s life and ministry, underscoring the deep familial and spiritual bonds fostered by the Salesian community.
Before Fr. Fabianus was laid to rest in the Salesian Cemetery, Fr. Sunil Kerketta, the Vice Provincial, offered the final blessings, entrusting Fr. Fabianus’s soul to the Good Shepherd. The ceremony concluded with a sense of peace and gratitude for a life well-lived in service to God and His people.
Fr. Fabianus Kujur’s legacy as a humble, joyful, and dedicated missionary endures in the hearts of those he served. May he rest in eternal peace, crowned with the glory of the risen Lord.