BR JOHN PIUS KOCHUPARAMBIL, SSP
“I am the Resurrection and the Life” (Jn 11:25)
On 14 July 2021, at 9.30 a.m., Br John Pius Kochuparambil entered into eternity. We, the members of the Society of St Paul, pray for the repose of his soul.
All those of us who have lived and worked with Br Pius Kochuparambil will testify without any hesitation that Br Pius is truly a silent and hard worker in the vineyard of the Lord. He is indeed a man of few words and is somewhat reserved in relating to people both within the congregation and outside of it. Coming from a very traditional catholic family Br Pius always believed in the values of silence, self-discipline, peerless character and hard work in his consecrated and Pauline missionary life. Punctuality and orderliness in personal life had become almost a second nature to Br Pius and they had become very handy and useful for his almost two and a half decade long book centre apostolate at the Examiner Book Shop, Mumbai and St Paul Book Centres, Kochi and Kozhikode.
With great generosity and apostolic zeal, Br Pius has put his youthful energies and personal gifts at the service of the apostolate of the press and book centre. The very next day of his joining the community of Bombay in 1960, he began his Pauline mission in the composing department of our press. Having learned the work of the department within a short time, he was made in-charge of the department. He continued this form of apostolate also in Allahabad where he had gone in 1964 to do his two-year novitiate. During the years of his Novitiate and 2 years of Juniorate spent in Allahabad, he was appointed to work at the monotype machine under the guidance of late Br Dominic Lakra, manager of the department and operator of the machine in our press at Allahabad.
Soon after his return to Mumbai 1968, Br Pius was appointed to the Examiner Book Shop in Fort, Mumbai, where he began his long apostolic innings which lasted 18 long and uninterrupted years. Br Pius, young, energetic and enthusiastic for the apostolate, gave his best with great generosity and commitment. He handled very efficiently the dispatching section of the bookshop for several years. Returning to Bandra in our vehicle, exhausted and tired after the day’s activities, Br Pius would wait for the daily rosary of the road to be over, somewhere near Cumbala hill or Hagiali, to begin to dose off while next him would be late Br Luke who would start snoring!! Neither of them was disturbed by the other and instead they were helped by the pin-drop silence of others in the vehicle. This daily exercise would continue till the vehicle reached Bandra junction!! Of course, God has His own ways of providing rest and relaxation to his chosen ones!!
From the Examiner Book Shop Br Pius moved to Bangalore to take up the house propaganda (diffusion). After three years of his service in Bangalore, Br Pius was appointed to assist at St Paul Book Centre, Kochi and thereafter at Kozhikode. At the end of a six-year book centre ministry in the South, Br Pius returned to Mumbai to be inserted into the diffusion department of BYB/ST PAULS. His love for his vocation and commitment to the apostolate was manifested very vividly in his total availability to go wherever he was sent and to accept whatever has been asked of him. He is simple at heart, transparent in his dealings and honest to the core. This is Br Pius whom many of us may not know very close.
John Kochuparanbil was born at Muthalakodam, Kerala, on 17 February 1938, to Paily and Mariam Kochuparmbil, a very pious and devout catholic couple belonging to an ancient family in the area. His family atmosphere and the social environment in which he grew up helped him greatly to nourish the gift of his religious vocation. Being convinced of his vocation, at the end of his high school studies, John decided to enter religious life and sought admission to the Society of St Paul. On 26 June 1960, John joined the community of Bombay and after the initial formation, he left for Allahabad for his novitiate. At the end of his two-year novitiate, on 16 July 1966 John made his first religious profession taking the name Pius.
After an eventful and active Pauline ministry lasting more than four decades in the different communities of the Province, Br Pius returned to Mumbai in the year 1996 with the intention of giving a helping hand to the diffusion department. As the years passed by, Br Pius began to feel that his memory was gradually fading as he found it difficult both to remember and retain items of daily life. This has almost forced him to slow down his apostolic activities and eventually to give up completely his contribution to the apostolate and community. In spite of the best of medical attention and care, his health condition could not be improved.
The nobility of Br Pius, according to those who knew him very personally, consists in his awareness and acceptance of some of his own limitations. “Father, neither I have the qualifications nor I have the confidence to accept the responsibility that you are proposing to me,” said Br Pius years ago to one of his Provincials. He has given his best to the Congregation and to its mission and continues to do so through his silent personal presence. The Province remains ever grateful to Br Pius for his self-gift to the Congregation and all that he has accomplished in the vineyard of the Lord. His unfailing love and fidelity to the Pauline vocation, his spirit of hard work and commitment to whatever is asked of him will remain as a source of inspiration for the young generation of Paulines for years to come. Thank you, Br Pius!
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