27-Jan-2026

Fate decided the journey of Paul Fernandes, the gentle person with a huge heart, a man of few words, yet with the strength to gravitate people towards him, on January 25, 2025. He parted from us without a warning, without any signs that he was going away too early, thereby leaving us all, his family, relatives and friends, crestfallen and devastated. Personally, I was very sad that I spoke so little with him when I briefly met him two days before he died. However, I felt some comfort in knowing that I at least met him.

He left us in a state of shock and extreme sadness. However, ultimately, the Creator determines the timing of one's arrival and departure. Therefore, we have no choice but to reconcile with the grand design of the Almighty. Heartbroken, we attended his funeral on January 26th in his native village, Ajara (Maharashtra). In the few hours that we spent in this village, I understood what kind of a person he was. Large crowds of men and women gathered to pay their final respects to his lifeless body, a testament to how he had endeared himself to everyone in the rural setting that was his birthplace. Amongst them were Hindus, Christians, and Muslims. Just like the Christian and Hindu mourners were outnumbered by the womenfolk, burka-clad women who came to pay their respects were far greater in number than their male counterparts from the Muslim community.

Lending a quiet ear to whispers and conversations, I understood how much Paul had touched the lives of people through charity, particularly the poor people.  After the requiem mass in Holy Rosary Church when the funeral procession passed through the dusty lane of the village, many Hindu families halted their domestic chores and stood in reverence on their balconies, courtyards, or in front of the gates—grief was visibly written on their faces. Thus, we finally laid Paul Fernandes' mortal remains to rest with a tearful farewell. His physical chapter though is over, but his memories shall surely linger.

They say death comes like a thief without a warning. How true! I pray that his soul finds eternal rest.