Born on October 8, 1948, in Kerala, he made his first religious profession on May 24, 1967, and was ordained a priest on December 22, 1975. He belonged to the Salesian Province of Dimapur.
Fr. Job served as Parish Priest of Naharkatia in the Diocese of Dibrugarh. From this mission centre, he extended pastoral outreach into areas that now form the Dioceses of Miao and Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh, at a time when no diocesan structures existed in the region.
In a striking example of his missionary zeal, he once navigated a boat from Namrup Dilli Ghat, travelling upstream to reach Nockfan village in Tirap district, now part of the Diocese of Miao.
“Fr. Job once navigated a boat from Namrup Dilli Ghat, sailing upstream against the current to reach Nockfan village in Tirap district,” recalled former Arunachal Pradesh Home Minister Mr. James Lowangcha Wanglat in a social media tribute.
Members of the Arunachal Pradesh Catholic Association (APCA) also expressed condolences and offered prayers in their postings on social media.
Despite long distances and difficult terrain, he travelled to remote villages such as Kaying, now a parish in the Diocese of Itanagar. There he baptised seven early Christians, including Mathew Tabang and six others. These journeys were often undertaken under simple conditions, sometimes entering new areas as a worker and guided by local contacts.
His missionary efforts formed part of the early outreach into Arunachal Pradesh from neighbouring parishes of the Dioceses of Tezpur and Dibrugarh. Priests from Harmuti, Silapathar, Dholaibil, and Rangapara parishes also reached the regions of Arunachal long before the establishment of diocesan structures in 2005.
Fr. Job resided at St. Mary’s Church in the Diocese of Itanagar in his final years, continuing his quiet pastoral presence among the faithful. He later moved to Dimapur a year and half ago for rest and medical care where he continued compiling reflections and anecdotes for use in homilies, drawn from his missionary experiences.
Bishop P. K. George of Miao, recalling his co-missionary, said, “Father Job was a true pioneer. He walked into Arunachal when the Church was still finding its footing. His courage and simplicity won the trust of the people".
Bishop Benny Varghese of Itanagar said, “Fr. Job served in our Diocese with great dedication and zeal. His priestly ministry was marked by simplicity, humility, and a selfless commitment to the people entrusted to his care.”
Fr. Job is remembered as a priest of conviction and missionary dedication, who served with simplicity and faith.
The Funeral Mass and burial will be held at Salesian College, Dimapur, on April 13, 2026, at 10:30 AM.