Together with the whole Congregation, I thank the Lord for the gift of His Eminence Cardinal Sebastian to the Congregation and the Church. His Eminence has impressed me on how he has beautifully blended in his person the different calls of God with clarity and integrity. His missionary call as a Claretian qualified his love and service to the Church as a bishop and as Cardinal. He must have learnt it from our Founder who exemplified the art of being a missionary bishop.

As a bishop, he strove to enter into dialogue with the social and ecclesial realities of Spain with prophetic fortitude as a man on fire with God’s love, a credible witness of gospel of joy and hope.

He was one among us, a loving elder brother who edified us with his simplicity of life and clarity of vision. His memory keeps inspiriting us. Now our brother cardinal intercedes for us from the other side of the veil of life.

Fr. Mathew Vattamattam, CMF