Amritsar, July 23 (PTI): An English priest, who spent over four decades helping the poor and the backward in Punjab live with dignity, has found his final resting place, 17 months after he died in February last year.

Reverend Mark Barnes, whose accidental death while making cartridges sparked a row over burial rights between his followers and the Catholic diocese of Jalandhar, was buried in Gumtala village here last evening.

“Our family is happy that Mark has been laid to rest with the love, respect and dignity he deserves,” said the priest’s sister Anne Wakeling, who had flown down from Britain.

The Barnes siblings had spent a lot of time with their father, a British army officer, during his postings in India but only the reverend chose to return and serve the poor. “I believe a little bit of Mother India always remained with him,” Anne said.

The Catholic diocese wanted him interred at the priests’ cemetery in Jalandhar while his followers insisted on giving him a burial in the compound of Gumtala’s St Mary’s convent, which he built and lived in.

Reverend Barnes’s body was secretly exhumed the night he was buried and hastily reburied, a few km away from the convent.

The matter dragged on in court for 17 months while the coffin lay awaiting a final resting place.

The battle ended a few weeks ago when the bishop of the diocese agreed to rebury the priest at his original burial spot.

Followers and admirers ? Christians, Hindus and Sikhs ? attended the funeral in a little chapel in Gumtala and the ceremony was conducted by the Catholic clerics.