Fr. Valerian Castelino of Moodubelle serving in Chikmagalur Diocese passes away

By Eugene DSouza, Moodubelle
Bellevision Media Network

Chikmagalur, 8 January 2015: Fr. Valerian Castelino (70) of Moodubelle, serving in Chikmagalur Diocese since 1974 passed away in the early morning of Sunday, 8 February 2015 at Bala Yesu Nivas, Parvathipura, Chikmagalur. He has been ailing for quite some time and had undergone treatment in a hospital in Shivmoga and later at St. John’s Medical College Hospital, Bangalore.

 

Born on 10 April 1945 at Devaragudde, Moodubelle as seventh among nine children of late Cyprian and Louisa Castelino, Fr. Valerian after completing higher primary education in the Church Aided Higher Primary School joined St. Lawrence High School, Moodubelle. Having completed SSLC in 1965, he joined St. Joseph’s Seminary, Mangalore and chose Chikmagalur Diocese for the preistly service.

 

Fr. Valerian Castelino was ordained priest on 19 May 1974. As he was keen in taking up teaching profession, Fr. Valerian  underwent teachers’ training course and acquired B.Ed. degree. He took up teaching in St. Joseph’s Boys High School in Chikmagalur and eventually became Headmaster of the institution till his retirement. 

 

After retirement, Fr. Valerian was deputed to Shettihalli parish in Hassan District as the parish priest and later he served as a priest in St. Joseph’s Cathedral. Thereafter, since five years he was the Rector of Bala Yesu Nivas at Parvatipura, Chikmagalur.

 

 

Since he became the Rector of Bala Yesu Nivas, Fr. Valerian endeavoured to develop the Infant Jesus Shrine into a  pilgrimage place and started the tradition of celebrating Infant Jesus feast on 14 January every year. Year by year, the number of devotees went on increasing. Prior to the feast during the nine days novena, Fr. Valerian would make it a point to invite different priests from Chikmagalur diocese to conduct the novena prayers and preach homilies. 

 

On the feast day, the Bishop of Chikmagalur, Most Rev. Dr. Antony Swamy would be the chief celebrant along with other priests of the diocese. At the end of the mass, all the devotees would be served with food. I had an opportunity to attend the annual Infant Jesus feast twice, once with Commodore and Mrs. Jerome Castelino and  the previous year with Fr. Joswey Fernandes, parish priest of Moodubelle  and a good friend of Fr. Valerian Castelino.

 

The passing away of Fr. Valerian Castelino is a personal loss to me as since childhood, he was not only my neighbour, but also had been a classmate and a dear friend. I still remember the childhood days that we spent together working in the fields, playing various games including cricket, swimming and playing in the river and going to school together.

 

Though we went our separate way to pursue our respective careers, our paths met once again after my retirement and settling down in Moodubelle. While he was serving in St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Fr. Valerian  invited me and my wife to visit Chikmagalur in 2009. He accompanied us to different places in Chikmagalur. Later, when he became the Rector of Bala Yesu Nivas, i visited him practically every year. When  Commodore Jerome Castelino, Fr. Joswey Fernandes and myself visited him three years ago he took us around Chikmagalur and even enjoyed the ride on the toy-train in the Gandhi Memorial Park. 

 

Fr. Joswey Fernandes and myself  attended the Ruby Jubilee of priesthood of Fr. Valerian Castelino in May 2014. By then his health had started deteriorating. But in spite of his illness, Fr. Valerian maintained a happy countenance. He was quite humourous and would make everyone in his company laugh by cracking jokes or narrating funny anecdotes. 

 

Fr. Valerian Castelino was a lover of animals and had maintained a number of short legged dogs of  Dachshund type while he was the headmaster of St. Joseph’s Boys High School, Chikmagalur. The dogs would follow him wherever he went in the school campus and they were his constant companions.  Later, when he was the Rector of Bala Yesu Nivas, he had two dogs. But recently, as his health began to deteriorate further, with heavy heart he had to part with the dogs. 

 

For the last time I met Fr. Valerian on 19  January 2015  along with Fr. Joswey Fernandes and Philip Castelino, his cousin who had come from the United States. At that time Fr. Valerian’s health had further deteriorated. Though he was in great pain, he spent time with us. As we took leave we embraced each other without knowing when we would meet next. 

 

Few days later, I got the message that he was shifted to St. John’s Medical College Hospital, Bangalore and the end came in the early morning of Sunday, 8 February 2015 and i got the message from his nephew Monthu Castelino at 5.10 am.

 

As soon as i got the sad news of passing away of my dear friend, Fr. Valerian, i managed to collect few pictures and write this brief tribute. Though Fr. Valerian has gone to his heavenly reward, his service as a priest in the Chikmagalur Diocese would be remembered with gratitude by all those who had come in his contact. May his soul rest in peace.