Father Aldino Amato at Our Lady of Mercy parish house in Okara in December 2017. Photo courtesy: Kamran Chaudhry/UCA News
Aldino Amato, a respected Italian-born Dominican priest, died after contracting the coronavirus at a hospital in Lahore, the
UCA News (Union of Catholic Asian News) portal reported on Monday.
The 90-year-old priest was laid to rest in a grave he built for himself in the compound of Our Lady of Mercy parish house in Punjab s Okara 6 Chak village.
An education and development pioneer, Amato served Pakistan for nearly six decades.
Amato, the last foreign missionary of the Faisalabad Diocese, passed away on May 1 in Lahore, where he was put on a ventilator for 10 days after testing positive for Covid-19.
Anger as blasphemy case press conference is blocked in Pakistan
Church advocates say a false case against Christian nurses was registered under public pressure
The families of the Christian nurses accused of blasphemy meet Father Khalid Rashid (second right), former vicar general of Faisalabad Diocese, on April 9. (Photo: Father Khalid Rashid)
Catholic officials and lawyers in Pakistan are upset about not being allowed to a hold a press conference following the arrest of two Christian nurses for alleged blasphemy.
On April 9, staff nurse Mariam Lal and student nurse Newish Urooj were detained by police after a first information report under section 295-B of the blasphemy law was made by Dr. Mirza Muhammad Ali of Civil Hospital, Faisalabad, who accused them of scratching a sticker inscribed with “Durood Shareef,” a salutation for Prophet Muhammad.
Sr. Mariam Gill (left) leads a sports session with female residents of Dar ul-Karishma (House of Wonders) in Youhanabad, a predominantly Christian district of Lahore, Pakistan. (Kamran Chaudhry)
Lahore, Pakistan Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic last year, the Sisters of Charity of St. Jeanne-Antide Thouret have abandoned the Lenten tradition of receiving charity trips to their home for the mentally disabled.
Looking after their 74 residents, ages 13-85, is the top priority for the six nuns serving at Dar ul-Karishma (House of Wonders), which was established on Feb. 28, 1997, in a narrow street of Youhanabad, a predominantly Christian district of Lahore, Pakistan. The facility has separate male and female sections, and is multifaith, including eight clients who are Muslim.
First Camillian house inaugurated in Pakistan
Cardinal Coutts welcomes the congregation at an event that also marked his 50 years of priesthood
Camillian Father Mushtaq Anjum (right), Cardinal Joseph Coutts and Father Saleh Diego at the ribbon-cutting ceremony in Karachi of the first Camillian house in Pakistan on Jan. 22. (Photo courtesy of Father Mushtaq Anjum)
Camillians have officially initiated their mission in Pakistan with the inauguration of their first community house in the country.
Cardinal Joseph Coutts, the archbishop of Karachi, blessed the building in a ceremony attended by more than 50 that included celebrations of the cardinal’s 50 years of priesthood.