Father Carmel Attard, the most senior Salesian of Don Bosco in India, died in Shillong, Meghalaya some days ago at the age of 94. Fr Attard was born in Nadur and went to India in 1933.

He served as an educator and missionary in several parts of India, including Mumbai, Tirupattur in Tamil Nadu and northeast India. He spent more than six decades of his life in Meghalaya’s Khasi and Jaintia Hills as a pioneer educator and missionary. He was fluent in the Khasi language, as well as in Tamil, English, Italian and of course his native Maltese.

He founded innumerable primary and secondary schools, parishes and mission centres in Meghalaya. In 2000, the people of his town chose Fr Attard as the “Honourable Man of Nadur, Malta”, and held a celebration in his honour.

Salesian Archbishop Dominic Jala of Shillong presided over a requiem Mass for Fr Attard at the Shillong Cathedral. He called Fr Attard a tireless missionary and a great son of Don Bosco. He recalled the dedication and love with which he served the people. Thousands of people from various parts of the Khasi and Jaintia Hills, hundreds of clergy, religious and students from various institutions in Shillong attended the funeral.