BELAGAVI
The Rahuri parish in Ahmednagar-Maharashtra was left in shock as their Goan-origin parish priest and his assistant passed away due to Covid in a Pune hospital in two days.
Fr Jerome Gonsalves (72) from the Pune Jesuit province and hailing from Waghawade village near Belagavi died of Corona in Pune on May 7. He was admitted to a private hospital in Pune last week.
Fr Gonsalves, who traced his roots to Goa, was serving at Rahuri in Ahmednagar district as the parish priest.
Incidentally, Fr Ramesh Tribhuvan, the assistant of Fr Gonsalves, also expired due to Covid on Thursday. The demise of the parish priest and his assistant has left the people of Rahuri parish in a state of shock.
Known for his simplicity, Fr Gonsalves had earlier had served the people of Ahmednagar district with diligence. He was also the director of the Ahmednagar Social Centre for many years and was popular among the people of all religions.
The funeral was held at Hadapsar cemetery amid Covid protocols and Provincial of the Pune Province Fr Agnelo Mascarenhas, Fr Stanley Fernandes and a limited number of people were present.
Sources said Fr Gonsalves had been admitted in a hospital at Shrirampur and was later shifted to Pune earlier this week.
