Joseph Gabriel Fernandez (97), Bishop Emeritus of the Quilon diocese of the Catholic Church, passed away at a private hospital here on Saturday.

Born on September 16, 1925, at Maruthurkulangara, he joined the St. Raphael’s minor seminary here in 1939 and continued his seminary studies in the St. Teresa’s seminary and St. Joseph’s Pontifical Seminary, Aluva. He was ordained priest on March 19, 1949, by Bishop Jerome M. Fernandez. During his 73-year priesthood, he had served as parish priest in the Kandachira, Mangad, Kappana, and Edamon parishes; warden of Infant Jesus Boarding School, prefect of the St. Raphael’s minor seminary, bursar of Fatima Mata National College, and Karmela Rani Training College; and as secretary to Bishop Jerome and chancellor. He was appointed as bishop on January 30, 1978, and consecrated on May 14, 1978.

He retired from episcopal ministry on October 16, 2001. While he served as bishop for 44 years, he held the positions of the vice-president of the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC), chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) Health Commission, and the chairman of the Episcopal Commission for the St. Joseph’s Pontifical Seminary, Aluva.