Mangaluru: Fr Thomas Mylador (82) and Fr Madlemuttu Arulappa (38), belonging to Salesian Don Bosco (SDB) congregation, died in a road mishap that took place near Tumkur on July 18 evening.
Besides them, Fathers C V George, Tommy, Nitin George, Pais and a trainee priest were returning in a jeep after the completion of a retreat prayer meet at Ajjanahalli, about 110 kms from Bengaluru. They were on their way to Tumkur.
As they neared the city, the jeep went out of the driver’s control and toppled. Fr Mylador and Fr Arulappa are said to have died on the spot, while six others were injured. The name of the trainee priest who has been injured was not available.
Fr Mylador hailed from Teekoy village of Meenachil taluk of Kottayam district in Kerala. Until 1997, he was the provincial of the SDB order in Bengaluru. That year, he was posted to Pavur in Kasaragod district, which parish is under the purview of Mangaluru diocese.
Incidentally, Pavur, although is Kerala, is the only church where prayers and rituals are held in Tulu.
He served there until 1996 and got the Holy Cross church building renovated during his tenure. It was blessed and dedicated in 1995. He was transferred to Tumkur in 2006.
Fr Arulappa was ordained a priest in 2007 and served as the principal of Don Bosco School in Tumkur.