In Memoriam: A golden voice has gone silent

Former parishioners and those who have had the privilege of attending the Masses he celebrated would certainly remember how the late Fr Mari Arokiam would unexpectedly burst into song in the middle of his homily.

Sep 21, 2018

By Patricia Pereira
Former parishioners and those who have had the privilege of attending the Masses he celebrated would certainly remember how the late Fr Mari Arokiam would unexpectedly burst into song in the middle of his homily. Blessed with a beautiful singing voice, he unabashedly gave back to the Lord this wonderful gift by praising the goodness of the Lord in song.

Another unforgettable ‘trait’ of his during his homilies was to call out the name of a parishioner he knew so as to evoke a response from the unsuspecting individual and from the congregation at large. “Praise the Lord”, “Can I get an Amen?”, “Are you with me?” and other similar catch-phrases were not uncommon during his lively and thought-provoking homilies which would conclude with “God bless you. Mother Mary loves you”, signifying his deep devotion to our Blessed Mother.

A medical impediment to his leg, which resulted in his using a cane or, sometimes, a wheelchair and having to be seated when celebrating Mass for the past three years or so, did not in any way deter him from celebrating the Eucharist, which always remained his first love as a priest. So it certainly came as a shock to many when the otherwise robust and lively priest passed away unexpectedly on September 15, 2018 at the age of 60.

Many retorted with a “I just spoke to him/ saw him yesterday” and the disbelief was even more so when the parish community of the Church of the Assumption had just celebrated the 26th anniversary of his priestly ordination a week earlier on September 8.

Often, when encouraging young men to consider the vocation to the priesthood, Fr Mari would tell his own story where, with only a secondary education and work experience as an assistant in a ‘teh-tarik’ stall, as a caddy, and as an office boy in two different schools, he was still able to respond generously to God.

A dapper dresser, often seen in a hat and neatly tucked-in shirt/t-shirt, Fr Mari once mentioned that he owed his fashion sense to the late Fr Joe Pereira who had taken this ‘kampung-boy from Kg Pandan,’ as he unabashedly referred to himself, under his wing and brought a little ‘Western’ culture into his life. Ever the epitome of humility, he was never shy to talk about his background and instead became an inspiration to many young people, expressing that with passion and determination, anyone could be a ‘success story.’

Always a compassionate listener, Fr Mari became a father figure to many — both young and old. His often no-nonsense attitude which sometimes came across as being brusque was his way of showing ‘tough love’ to those who actually needed advice or counselling in such a form.

A son of the Chapel of Our Lady of Good Health, Kg Pandan, Kuala Lumpur, Fr Mari had his early education at La Salle Peel Road and SM Datok Lokman, Kg Pandan before venturing into the working world. After some initial hesitations, Fr Mari joined the seminary at the age of 24. He was ordained a deacon at the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Mentakab in March 1992 and a priest at his home parish that same year on September 8, on the Feast of Our Lady of Good Health and Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. His chosen theme was My Soul Glorifies the Lord, the first line of the Magnificat.

Following his ordination, his first posting was to the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Mentakab as Assistant Parish Priest. In 1995, he was sent to the Church of St Joseph, Sentul where he assisted the late Fr Edward Soosay for two years.

In 1998 he became the Parish Priest of the Church of St Anthony, Pudu. Five years later he took a break from parish ministry to pursue his studies at the East Asia Pastoral Institute in the Philippines where he obtained his Master’s Degree in Pastoral Studies.

Upon his return in 2006, he was sent to Negeri district where he assumed the post of Parish Priest of the Church of St John Vianney, Tampin and Administrator of the Chapels of Mary Mother of God in Bahau, St Joseph in Kuala Pilah and St Christopher in Gemas. Thereafter, he served as Parish Priest of the Church of Holy Redeemer in Klang from 2012 to 2014.

The following year, a leg infection caused Fr Mari to take yet another break for six months while he underwent treatment. He was subsequently sent to the Church of the Assumption in Petaling Jaya where he served as Assistant Parish Priest until his demise.

Fr Mari once said, “One day when I am gone, I want to be remembered as a faithful priest who had compassion.” Indeed, this was evident by the outpouring of grief that flooded Social Media in the short span when news of his demise was first announced and from the huge crowd that came to bid farewell at his funeral on September 18 at the Chapel of Our Lady of Good Health, Kg Pandan.

The late Fr Mari leaves behind two brothers, three sisters, 28 nephews and nieces and a host of relatives and friends to mourn his loss. He is pre-deceased by his parents, three brothers and a sister.