"A Spiritual Brilliance Nurtured by God-Reliance"

Rev Fr Jacob Caesarius, son of Joseph and Elikutty, was born on 11 March 1935 at Karikkattoor, Changanassery. After completing his primary education, he entered the CMI congregation and was ordained a priest on 17 May 1961.Fr. Jacob Caesarius ventured to Canada, where his quest for knowledge took him into higher and doctoral studies at Laval University, deepening his journey through theology and the timeless wisdom of St Thomas Aquinas.
In 1969, the St. Thomas Vice Province was established under the leadership of the CMI Kottayam Province to undertake social, educational and spiritual services in Malabar. Fr. Caesarius was appointed the second Vice Provincial of the Vice Province in 1975. During this period, he took an active role in the development of the congregation and in its educational and pastoral activities. He also rendered valuable service in the formation and guidance of the members of the congregation.
Under his leadership, Silver Hills School was established in 1975. In 1978, the St. Thomas Vice Province was elevated to the status of a Province, and Fr. Caesarius was elected its first Provincial. From 1981 onwards, he served as a formator of seminarians and as parish priest in Amalapuri, Koodathai and Marikunnu. As rector of aspirants and later as novice master, he shaped generations of young religious. From 1992 to 2014, he served as a pastor in Ghana and professor in Tanzania. As a zealous missionary, he served in the dioceses of Kigoma and Morogoro in Tanzania. In Kigoma, he devoted himself to pastoral ministry, while in Morogoro, he taught theology. At the Salvatorian Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Morogoro, he generously shared his profound theological knowledge and deep commitment to the teachings of the Catholic Church with generations of theology students.
After returning to India in 2014, he served for one year in Jammu & Kashmir. From 2015 to 2016, he was at Loudes Monastery, Koodathai. From 2017 he was leading a retired life at Fathima Matha Hospital, Kalpetta. Fr Caesarius passed away peacefully at 5:30 a.m. on Sunday, 16 August, bringing to a gentle close a life illumined by faith, fidelity, and selfless service.
“My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Cor 12:9). This assurance echoed in his soul throughout his life, when he was confronting an insoluble problem, an angry group of people, an uncertain future, and an urgent demand of money in hard times.
He believed that growth happens only with grace. All of us flourish in the garden of grace. Life is punctuated with grief. Grief is relieved and healed by grace. The shadow of grief is removed in the light of grace. Fr Caesarius learned, taught and became grace. He knew that comfort and luxury would spoil human life. As a seeker, he sought a life that was organic, minimal, simple, reassuring and restorative. The road of excess is the road to decadence and death. His journey was one of inner transformation.
He was walking from the centre to the periphery. In life the last and the least are being pushed to the periphery. So, he opted to be with the outcast. His unbounded love for those living on the margins infused his ameliorative work whether in Ghana or Tanzania, in Africa, which for him was a Continent of Light. He never had anything extra. He was willing to go the extra mile. He was a traveller with a prophetic spirit. His spiritual imagination enlightened many young minds.
As discipline was destiny for him, he was strict with himself. A life devoted to study, research, prayer, contemplation, and action enriched his persona. He did not bend his will to convenience, but surrendered to the voice of conscience, compassion and divine authority. He was a devoted son of Mother Mary, a great shepherd of Christ, and a spiritual leader.
He leaves behind not merely memories, but a living legacy of faith, simplicity and grace. May his legacy continue to inspire us, strengthen our faith and fuel our souls.