Indian archbishop, Bay Area priest killed in rural Colusa County collision
A Bay Area diocese is in mourning after a visiting archbishop from India and a Concord pastor were killed and another East Bay pastor seriously hurt last week in a collision in rural Colusa County.
The Diocese of Oakland confirmed the dead Saturday in a post on Facebook: Father Mathew Vellankal, pastor of St. Bonaventure Catholic Church in Concord; and Archbishop Dominic Jala of the Archdiocese of Shillong, India, in the northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya.
“Anguished by the passing away of Most Rev. Dominic Jala,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a statement on Twitter and published in the East Bay Times. “He will be remembered for his impeccable service to society .... May his soul rest in peace.”
Jala was ordained archbishop of Shillong in 2000.
“Father Vellankal’s joyous spirit and faith will be deeply missed,” Bishop Michael C. Barber said. “May his soul and the soul of Archbishop Jala rest in the peace of Christ.”
Father Joseph Parekkatt, pastor of St. Anne Parish in Walnut Creek, suffered major injuries in the wreck and was taken to a Santa Rosa hospital. He was listed in stable condition, according to diocesan officials.
The three were driving west on Highway 16 near the town of Wilbur Springs about 2:20 p.m. Oct. 10, California Highway Patrol officials said, when the driver pulled their Toyota Prius from a stop sign onto Highway 20 and into the path of an oncoming tractor-trailer.
The tractor-trailer broadsided the car, killing Vellankal and Jala on impact. Rear passenger Parekkatt suffered major injuries, said CHP officials.
The India-born Vellankal, ordained in 1987, worked in parishes and schools in India for more than a decade before coming to California and the Oakland diocese in 2001. The priest presided over churches in Concord and Fremont and was known locally as a magician and author, said diocese officials. His “From Humor to Inspiration: Jokes, Reflections and Quotes to Enliven Your Day” was published in 2005.
Arrangements are pending.
This story was originally published October 14, 2019 at 1:07 PM with the headline "Indian archbishop, Bay Area priest killed in rural Colusa County collision."
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