Nepal's king bestows royal awards on U.S. Jesuit, Nepalese layman

Published: 2004-11-10

KATMANDU, Nepal (CNS) -- The king of Nepal has bestowed royal awards on a Jesuit missionary and a local lay Catholic for their work in education and social service. King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev presented Jesuit Father James Donnelly with the Auspicious Right Hand of the Gorkha Dynasty Award and layman Purna Nepali with the Right Hand of the Gorkha Dynasty Award. They were among 715 awardees honored at a Nov. 5 celebration marking the king's birthday at Narayanhiti Palace in Katmandu, reported UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand. Father Donnelly, a U.S. citizen, has worked in Nepal for the past 43 years as an English teacher, school administrator and writer of English textbooks for Nepal's school system. The 75-year-old priest is the fifth Jesuit priest given a royal award and one of only a few foreigners honored this year.

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