Vellore: Bishop of Vellore Dr Dr. P. Soundararaju Periyanayagam SDB DD passed away on March 21. He was 70-years old.
Sources said Bishop Dr. P. Soundararaju died due to a massive cardiac arrest in the wee hours hours of Saturday.
Born on 6 June 1949 at Kolappalur, Tiruvannamalai, Tamilnadu, Bishop Soundararaju Periyanayagam, after finishing his school, joined the Congregation of Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) and made his first profession on 24 May 1970. He was ordained priest on 25 June 1983 at Manchester, England. He was appointed as the sixth Bishop of Vellore diocese, Tamilnadu on 11 July 2006 and ordained Bishop on 24 August 2006.
He holds BA in economics from Sacred Heart College, Tirupattur, MA in economics from Loyola College, Chennai, MA in theology from Ushaw College, Durham University, UK and Doctorate in Economics St. Joseph College, Bharadhidassan University, Tirchy.
He was the professor and vice principal (1983-1988, 1991-1994), Sacred Heart College, Tirupattur; principal (1994-2000), Sacred Heart College, Tirupattur, rector and parish priest (2001-2004), St. Lourdes’ Shrine, Perambur, Chennai, rector (2004-2006), Don Bosco, Gandhinagar, Vellore. He was a priest for 36 years and a Bishop for 13 years.
Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord and let your perpetual light shine upon Bishop Soundararaju Periyanayagam.