Bengaluru | The Archbishop Emeritus of Bangalore Archdiocese Alphonsos Mathias passed away on Wednesday in a private hospital here in Bengaluru due to age-related diseases, the Archdiocese of Bangalore authorities said.
Mathias was 96, the authorities said.
They also said the last rites will be performed on July 11.
The Archbishop Emeritus was born on June 22, 1928 in Pangala village in South Canara district of Karnataka.
He was the fourth child of Diego Mathias and Philomena D'Souza.
His journey into the priesthood began in June 1945 when he joined St Joseph Seminary in Jeppu, Mangaluru.
He was ordained a priest on August 24, 1954, at Kandy, Fr Alphonsus celebrated his first Solemn Mass at Pangala Church, returning to his native village at the end of that year.
On September 12, 1986, Bishop Alphonsus was appointed as the Archbishop of Bangalore, and he took charge as the Metropolitan Archbishop on December 3, 1986.
Archbishop Alphonsus had decided to resign in 1998, six years before the customary retirement age.
"His passing on July 10, 2024, marked the end of an era, but his legacy lives on in the institutions he strengthened, the lives he touched, and the church he served so faithfully," the Archdiocese of Bangalore said in a statement.
