India. His Grace Archbishop Dominic Jala SDB, assisted by numerous priests and religious and witnessed by thousands of catholic faithful ordained Deacon Phrim Sing Rapsang, CMF, at a glittering function in the St. Dominic Savio Parish grounds at 10.00 am on March 14 2010.
Phrimsing, born as the second child of
Mrs Merilda Rapsang and Mr. Khorme Hynniewta,of Mawkasain, in Mawsynram Parish about 75 kilomiters east the headquarters of the archdiocese of Shillong, on 8th march 1978.He was baptized as a young boy at the age of seven on December 29, 1985. It was only in 1990 that he could begin his regular studies as every village child had to attend morning school and during the day take care of cows belonging to the family during his early years. He completed his matriculation from St. Francis Higher Secondary School, Mawsynram. In 1996, the whole family left the village and came away to stay at Langkyrding, Lumshyiap in the Salesian Parish of Pynthorumkhrah, Shillong. It was a temporary stay and soon his family purchased a plot of land at Mawiong, GS Road,in the Salesian Parish of Mawlai, Shillong and shifted to the new house in 1998. It was in the same year that he decided to join the Claretian Fathers. He completed his +2 at Umsning and went on to do his philosophy and graduation at Wardha in Maharashtra. Then he proceeded to Kerala for his pre novitiate and went to the novitiate at Carmelaram, Bangalore.After his first profession on May 31, 2005 he was sent for practical training to Belgaum in North Karnataka. He studied his theology at Oriens Theological College, Motsyiar-Mawlai, Shillong. He made his perpetual profession on April 30, 2009 and his diaconate on May 2, 2009.
The Catholic Church in Mawiong village began with Fr. E. Usai, Fr. M. Balavoine and Fr. Dieste in 1950. But in 1990 there were just 45 catholic families with a total number of 224 catholics. It was in the late nineties that the village began to grow with the arrival of 1st Battalion of Meghalaya Police being settled there. From then on there was an extra ordinary growth of the Church in the village. Today the Mawiong village consists of more than 400 catholic familes with a total number of over 2400 faithful.
The Claretians opened their first study house in Mawlai, on October 24 1986, with the view to intensify the missionary activities in Northeast India. They are engaged in different fields of apostolate such as organizing missions, educating the youth, spreading the Gospel message through Mass Media for communication, preaching retreats and doing social developmental works.
