ROME — A solemn memorial Mass was celebrated at the Basilica of Santa Anastasia in Rome for the repose of the soul of Reverend Father Cherian Varicatt, the pioneering first Coordinator General of the Syro-Malabar Apostolic Visitation in Europe.

Bishop Mar Stephen Chirappanath, the Apostolic Visitor for Europe, was the main celebrant of the Eucharistic liturgy, which drew local clergy, religious, and members of the diaspora community gathered to pay their respects.

In a moving tribute issued on behalf of the Apostolic Visitation, Bishop Chirappanath echoed the words of Saint Paul: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” He described Father Varicatt as a priest of “luminous intellect and untiring pastoral zeal,” whose structural contributions are deeply woven into the modern fabric of the Syro-Malabar global mission.

Hailing from the Eparchy of Kothamangalam and born of an aristocratic priestly heritage, Father Varicatt served as the first Coordinator General of the European Apostolic Visitation from 2016 to 2019. Working closely alongside Bishop Chirappanath, he is credited with painstakingly laying the foundational infrastructure of the Syro-Malabar European mission, crossing borders to visit isolated diaspora pockets, and meticulously drafting administrative reports for the Holy See.

In addition to his continental leadership, Father Varicatt served for over three years as the Parish Priest and Chaplain of the Syro-Malabar community in Rome, establishing a spiritual sanctuary for expatriates.

Beyond his pastoral roles, Father Varicatt was an accomplished Church historian who held a doctorate in the history of the Syro-Malabar Church. He applied his academic rigor to sacred causes, serving as the postulator who researched and wrote the Positio for the Cause of Beatification of Monsignor Joseph Panjikaran, the saintly founder of the Medical Sisters of St. Joseph.

Reflecting on his final months, Church officials noted that Father Varicatt bore his terminal illness with exemplary patience and spiritual joy.

“The Syro-Malabar Church has lost a visionary, the poor have lost a compassionate protector, and we have lost an irreplaceable pillar of our mission,” Bishop Chirappanath stated, offering prayerful condolences to the late priest’s family and the grieving presbyterium of Kothamangalam.