He was ordained as a priest on April 23, 1931, elected Bishop of Tezpur on June 26, 1969. He was appointed Bishop of Imphal on April 21, 1980 and appointed as Archbishop of Imphal on August 1, 1995. He retired on July 12, 2006.

He had served as a priest for 63 years, Bishop for 53 years and as Archbishop for 27 years.

His funeral is scheduled for Thursday at 10 am. 

Meanwhile, Chief Minister N Biren Singh extended his condolences over the demise of the archbishop emeritus, saying he is "deeply aggrieved" to learn about the sad and untimely demise.

Reverend Joseph Mittathany was the first Bishop of the Diocese of Imphal, N Biren stated in his message. He was the archbishop of Imphal from 1980 till 2006 and during his lifetime, reverend Joseph Mittathany had always worked for the betterment of the state and had played a crucial role to bring development in the field of education, healthcare and social services besides erecting many ecclesiastical parishes, he stated. His contributions to the society as a Church leader will always be remembered, he added.  

On behalf of the government and people of Manipur, N Biren further conveyed his deepest condolence and shared grief with the bereaved family and prayed that "God may give them the strength to bear this great loss with courage and fortitude."

"May his departed soul rest in peace in his heavenly abode," he added.