Daijiworld Media Network
Mysuru, Nov 28: Famous educationist Fr Raphael Mathew Colaco breathed his last on Thursday, November 28 in a hospital here.
Fr Colaco was 74. He is survived by two brothers and two sisters.
Fr Colaco had served as secretary of Mysore Diocesan Educational Society (MDES) for many years.
Fr Raphael M Colaco was born to John Denis Colaco and Juliana Helen Aranha at Hirebile in Chikkamagaluru diocese, on December 13, 1944. He was the sixth among nine children. After his school at St Philomena's High School Mysuru, he joined St Mary's Minor Seminary.
After completing his priestly formation at St Peter's Seminary in Bengaluru, he was ordained as a priest for the Diocese of Mysore on January 2, 1972, at St Joseph's Church, Hirebile, by then-Bishop Mathias Fernandes.
Fr Raphael M Colaco served as an assistant priest at St Joseph's Cathedral for one year and as parish priest at Nagavalli, Madikeri, Mandya, and Martalli, till 2003. He took charge as secretary of MDES and parish of St Joseph's Church, Jayalakshmipuram, on October 24, 2003. He started St Joseph's PU College at Jayalakshmipuram and St Joseph's Central School at Yelwala. Later, he was parish priest of Nirmala Mathe Church, Kuria and Holy Family Church, Hinkal.
He had taken retirement on health grounds and was staying at Prashantha Nilaya, retired Priests Home, since June 2017.
Fr Colaco is the brother of Louis Colaco, retired professor of Botany, Teresian College in Mysuru, and Sr Esther, a CSST nun who taught Economics at Teresian College in Mysuru, and at Mount Carmel, in Bengaluru.
He served the Mysore diocese for 47 years.