Spanish Missionary Fr. Corral Jose Antonio passed away

 

R.I.P

Fr.Corral Jose Antonio (GUJ) 74/55, passed away at 0.30 a.m on 13 Oct 2014 at Jeevan Darshan Baroda. His funeral will be held at 4.00 p.m on 13 Oct 2014, in St.Joseph's Church, Baroda.

Fr. Corral at Golden Jubilee celebration Of Vyara Mission at Zankhari. Please click to watch him

Fr.Corral Jose Antonio

Date of Birth: 16-04-1939;  Place:Tudela, Spain

Entered the Society: 07-09-1955; Place: Loyola Spain

Priesthood: 25-12-1969; Tudela, Spain

Final Vows: 15-08-1975; Umerpada, Spain

Death: 13 Oct 2014

Responsibilities Held in the society of Jesus:

Asst PP:                                                         Vyara from 1972-1975

Asst PP:                                                         Umarpada from 1975-1976

Parish Priest & Director of Social Work: Umarpada from 1977-1984

Parish Priest & Director of Social Work: Vyara from 1985-1989

Parish Priest & Director of Social Work: Mandal from 1990 to 1996

Asst PP:                                                         Pimpri from 1977-1999

Asst PP:                                                         Mandal from 1999-2006

Asst PP:                                                         Vyara from 2006 –

Personality:

He was a man of  deep passion for studies and research. Above all he possessed a great spirit of adaptability to mix and live with Adivasis, in order to learn their languages and culture. He took deep interest in the culture of the Adivasis, their myths and stories. In spite of an intellectual bent of mind he could come down to the level of the ordinary Adivasis. He used to warmly relate with everyone with respect. He was a man of great energy and perseverance in seeing through projects that  he had undertaken in spite of great difficulties. He ventured to start a milk cooperative society, the first among the tribals which was then taken up by the government. Besides that he started Jagruti High School with boarding for boys and girls at Mandal.

Contribution to Tribal studies:

Fr.J.A Corral had been working among the Adivasis of South Gujarat for the last forty  seven years. For long periods of time his work was centred among the Gamits of  Vyara and Songadh talukas. He  had very many opportunities to be present, and to participate in the normal events of adivasi life, work in the fields, work in the forest, religious ceremonies, both communitarian and private, as well as in the activities of leisure, like hunting, fishing, foraging and the like. He had also the opportunity to witness, at grassroots level, the various village social institutions at work. He had also been a witness to the evolution of these Adivasi social institutions during the same period of time.

 He had written several books on tribal studies in Gujarat. The book on “the Gamit World of Meaning – Adivasi Religion and Culture”  ( Tribal sources I and II) were a tribute to the Gamit people.

 Health Hazards

On 30 July 2014, Fr.Corral was brought  to Jeevan Darshan and then he was taken to Pilar Hospital . The Doctors had diagnosed him to be suffering from cancer of the prostate.  He complained of his inability to pass urine and he was shifted to Vadodara to Our Lady of Pilar Hospital, run by Srs of Charity of St. Ann’s. The doctors found a very hard lump in his prostate, making it impossible even to place a catheter in the urinary track and were forced to make a hole to let him pass urine. He also had difficulty in passing stools. But the doctors had managed to help him to pass stools. That had certainly been a great relief for him.

Upon further investigations, they had found that the cancer had spread through the bones all over his body. The doctors at Baroda  tried their level best to contain the cancer.

 Indomitable Spirit

Even in his sickness, he showed great desires to meet and to be with the people . He made a short  trip to Mandal and then to Vyara in the company of his niece who came to be with him from Spain. People thronged to his residence to have a darshan of the pastor who loved them deeply. He reluctantly left Vyara to attend to his medical treatment at Pilar, Baroda in the first week of September.

The end

Br.Malcolm and his team at Jeevan Darshan tried their level best to contain the cancer that had spread all over his body. His niece from Spain was with him till his last day. Knowing fully well that he had only a few months to live his life on earth with his beloved Jesuits and the people, he had fully prepared himself to meet his creator and the Lord. When the final call came at .030 a.m on Oct 13, 2014 ;  he could say in the words of St.Paul “ So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize, which is God’s call through Jesus to the life above” (Phil 3:14).

 By Fr.Lawrence Dharmaraj s.j