Last Vows of Fr. Rajat Purti, S.J.

Fr. Rajat, a Jesuit of the Ranchi Province in North India came to Cambodia for his Regency in 2001 and was based at the Prefecture of Battambang. He was responsible for the Children with disabilities at the Arrupe Centre there and was also a member of the Outreach team. After his Regency in 2003, he returned to India for his studies in Theology and for his Ordination to the Priesthood. He was Ordained Priest on 7^th February 2007. After his ordination, he continued his studies Master in Social work.

In 2009 he returned to the Cambodia Mission and was assigned as Parish Priest in Svay Sisophon and Poipet for the years 2010-2015. In 2015 he went back to Ranchi for his Tertianship at St. Stanislaus College Sitagrah Hazaribag, Jharkhand India. After his Tertianship, he came back to Cambodia and was assigned to the 2 Parishes of Kompong Chhnang and Pursat which are about 90 Km apart. His assignment included the Floating Villages of Chhnak Tru and Kompong Luong and the housing complex at Pormorea for some of the families who opted to move on land from the floating village of Chhnak Tru. Today he is the Parish Priest of St. Andrew’s Church in Nikum and the Director of the Youths Apostolate for the Diocese.

On 4^th January 2021 Fr. Rajat pronounced his Final Vows at the Parish of Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Battambang. The program began in front of the office of Msgr. Kike. All the Jesuits working in Cambodia had assembled for this special occasion and many of the parishioners were also present. During his Thanksgiving speech, he said, “His birthplace is in India, but he was born as a Missionary in Battambang, Cambodia”.