Father Varghese Alengaden, founder of a holistic spiritual movement to transform India with Gandhian principles and advocate of a new way of presenting Christ’s message, died on March 26 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
He died of post-surgery complications due to fluid formation in his lungs after undergoing a major open heart surgery on March 4. He was 70 years old and a priest for 41 years.
Father Alengaden was born Dec. 30, 1952, at Kallara village in Kerala’s Thrissur district. After his matriculation he came to Mission Home, a minor seminary in Palai, Kerala. He later joined the Sagar diocese of the Syro-Malabar Church in Madhya Pradesh.
After his priestly studies at St Charles Seminary in Nagpur, he was ordained a priest on March 21, 1981. He then served as a parish priest of Sagar Cathedral for two years until 1983.
He served the Vidisha Mission from 1984-1986. He was appointed director of youth for the Madhya Pradesh region, a post he held for four years from 1986.
He worked in Jaisingnagar mission in 1990. He founded the USM in 1993 and served as its director until his death.
Father Alengaden, who had long years of experience of working with the youth, visualized a country that could be rebuilt by the young people. He had trust and faith in the youth and applied the “possibility thinking” of “Why don’t we train the youth to take charge of the nation with an inclusive, broad and lasting vision?”
He launched the USM in response to huge challenges India faced from communal politics, religious fundamentalism, ethnic conflicts, discrimination and rampant corruption.
He wanted to create a new nation of love with people of all castes, creed and culture. For this, he suggested adopting the Gandhian principle of self-transformation, “You be the change.”
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