Fr. Alfred Poovattil, S.J.

By Fr. John Locke, S.J.
(From the Nepal Region’s 50th Anniversary Book, 2001)

Born in Kerala in 1923 Fr. Poovattil entered the Society in 1948 and came to Nepal first as a regent in the early days of Godavari School. He returned to Nepal in 1961 after his theology to take over the minister’s job from Fr. Saubolle, and became the “New Fr. Saubolle” to the servants who did not realise that Saubolle was a personal name and not a title.

After a brief stint as minister he returned to Patna for a long and successful career In various mission stations. But the call of Nepal beckoned, and he returned to Nepal in 1995 to take up the task of chaplain to Sisters in Bhairahawa. He became a one-man centre of interreligious dialogue As he moved about the town and mixed with a wide variety of people.

In November of 1997 he was called back by the Patna Provincial to take up the job of superior of the Ara community; from there he moved to Hajipur where he is engaged in inter-religious dialogue. We await his next call to Nepal.