BRIDGEPORT—Reverend John Punnakunnel passed away in Indian on September 27, 2023, at the age of 94.
“Father John will be remembered by many in our diocese as a joyful priest who was always on the go, visiting the sick in hospitals and nursing homes and graciously serving the faithful in our parishes. Please pray for the repose of the soul of Father John and for the consolation of his family,” said Bishop Frank J. Caggiano.
Born in India to a Syro-Malabar Catholic family, Father Punnakunnel entered the Salesian Order as a religious brother and served as a teacher for 20 years. He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Vellorei, Tamilnadu, India, in 1979. Three of his four brothers were ordained priests in the Salesian order.
Father Punnakunnel underwent all of his academic and ecclesiastical studies in India. His first appointment in the Diocese of Bridgeport was as parochial Vicar of Holy Rosary Parish, Bridgeport, in 1995. He later served as Parochial Vicar at St. Augustine Cathedral Parish, and as a Chaplain at Bridgeport Hospital. He retired in 2012, but continued to serve in parishes for a number of years before returning to India, when his health declined.
When he was interviewed by Fairfield County Catholic in 2012, Father John said he always held these words of St. Pope John Paul II close to his heart: “Know that you are not alone, separated, abandoned or useless. You have been called by Christ and are his living and transparent image.”
The Syro-Malabar Church is the second largest of the Eastern Rite Churches in communion with Rome. The Catholic faith in India traces its origins to the missionary work of the Apostle Thomas. The faith has continued to flourish in that country through the centuries, particularly in Kerala, and Catholics in that area are popularly referred to as “Thomas Christians.”
The Funeral Mass is scheduled for Friday, September 29 at St. Sebastian Church in Koodaranji, Kerala, India.
