The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away” Job 1:21

 

Fr. Alphonse Lingdamoo was born on 27th December 1949 at Suruk, a village in Kalimpong District. He was the second eldest among the eight children of the Late Anthony Lingdamoo (Baidar Maila) and the Late Angelia Lingdamo (Pau antaree). He studied at Suruk Dong Primary School till the fourth standard, from fifth to eighth standard he studied in St. George’s School, Pedong and moved to St. Robert’s School, Darjeeling from the ninth to eleven standard, by then he had joined the Minor seminary and finished his Higher Secondary studies in 1972. He completed his graduation from Morning Star College, Barrackpore in 1974.  Talking about his vocation to priesthood, he always attributed it to his former parish priests, parents and the Late Bishop Eric Benjamin.  He vividly remembered the trip to Maria Busty with the Late Bishop in 1968, during the land slide, and then the Late Bishop had showed the areas of Sikkim and had said, “We all must go to preach there, we need you all”. Inspired by these motivating words he joined the Minor Seminary in 1969, 1962 took him to Morning Star Seminary for his studies in Philosophy, after his Regency in St. Roberts Hostel, Darjeeling he went for his theological Studies back to Morning Star Regional Seminary, Barrackpore. He was ordained on 9th May 1980 at St. Teresa’s Church, Kalimpong.  Since then he had plunged himself Mind, Heart and Soul to God’s work in full swing. His first appointment was the Parish Priest of Christ the King Church, Pakyong.  During his tenure there he built the Parish Church and also started many mission stations, most of which are Parishes/Quasi Parishes now. Rongli, Rhenock, Basilakha, Khangdong and Chalamthang are fruits of his labor during his twelve years of ministry in Pakyong.  In 1988 he started his charism of preaching the word of God far and wide. He was transferred to Kurseong as the Parish Priest of St. John Berchman’s Church, where he served for six years and brought about a metanoia in that parish.  He also renovated the traditional Grotto of St. Mary’s, built a Calvary Hill and the Church too. After six years of stay at Kurseong he was transferred to Sadam – Turuk where he did leave his Charismatic mark to the optimum, it was during this tenure he celebrated his Sacerdodal Silver Jubilee.   Then he was transferred to St. Francis of Assisi Church, Jorethang where he was lovingly called as the JOSHILO Dean of South Sikkim. On the 26th of June 2011, he came to Takdah as the Parish Priest of the Church of Immaculate Heart of Mary. There too he left no stones unturned in vigorously fulfilling  his priestly ministry traversing the terraing in his God Bhorasa Maruti Van, from May 2015 one could see the deteriorating health  of Fr. Alphonse and was sent to rest in Gioanaraa home, but there too his love for ministry did not stop him, as the proverbial Pepsi Ad. Yeh Dil Maage More, so he served as the Priest in Charge of St. Bernadette Parish, Gorubathan residing at Gianora Home, but slowly his health did not allow him active ministry as he wished. He had been in and out of danger many a time. In his last years he was practically in Siliguri

 

In tears we watched him sinking, we watched him fade away and though our hearts were breaking we knew he could not stay, and on the 15th of August 2023, on the Feast of Assumption a golden Heart stopped Beating, hard working hands at rest, it breaks our heart to see you go Dear Fr. Alphonse….but God only Takes the Best.

 

ADIEU TILL WE MEET AGAIN in THAT HEAVENLY HOUSE WITH MANY ROOMS!!!!!!!!!

LOVING MEMORIES FOREVER

BISHOP, BROTHER PRIESTS RELIGIOUS and FAITHFUL.

DIOCESE OF DARJEELING- SIKKIM