BeyondHeadlines Staff Reporter
Patna: Father Christudas, hailed by many as the “messiah of leprosy sufferers,” passed away in the state of Bihar early this week. He was 74 and had heart problems.
Popular for his work among leprosy affected people, he was named as “Man of the Year” in 2009 by a leading weekly “The Week.”
File photo of Father Christudas with his patients
He was born in Kerala and worked tirelessly for the rights and integration of leprosy patients. He earlier served in Mother Teresa’s leprosy center near Kolkata and later moved to Bihar. He also worked in Tamil Nadu for some time.
Father Christudas established the Little Flower Leprosy Hospital in a hut in Sunderpur near Raxaul on Nepal-Bihar border. It has now grown into a big hospital and caters to hundreds of patients.
He gave about “50,000 people and their families a fresh start in life” and is fondly remembered as “Baba.”
He often used to say that the happiest day of his life would be when his hospital is empty. “Then I will know that my life has been a worthy one,” he would say.
