Reverend Father Paul John entered eternal life on Feb 23, 2021, at the age of 70, due to complications from Covid-19. He was serving as the Parochial Vicar at The Church of St. Joseph in Bronxville, New York.
He was born on March 26, 1950 in Pondicherry, India to the late John Savarimuthu and Marie Therese. He was ordained on May 9, 1978 in India.
He spent the early part of his priestly life in India in the Archdiocese of Pondicherry. He served as the Principal of Petit Seminaire Higher Secondary School, Pondicherry for 17 years. He came to the USA in 1997 to pursue his Ph.D. in Administration and Supervision of Catholic Schools in the Fordham University, New York. During this time, he served at the Church of St. Gregory the Great, Harrison, New York as the Parochial Vicar. He moved back to India to serve as the Principal of Pope John Paul II College of Education in Pondicherry, India for 10 years, a college he had started. He returned to the USA in 2015 to serve as the Parochial Vicar, Director of CCD and Chairperson of the Vicariate at St. Barnabas Church, Bronx, New York. He started his service at the Church of St. Joseph, Bronxville, New York in 2019.
Fr. Paul also held multiple posts in education during his tenure in India, including serving as the Secretary of Education for his Archdiocese for 21 years, and the President of All India Association of Catholic Schools, a National Organization, for 4 years, and 15 years as an executive member. He worked hard to expand and grow the school and the college, where he served.
All who met Fr. Paul loved him. He was humble, kind, generous, wise and brought cheer and happiness to everyone around him. He was also a dedicated teacher, an inspiring leader, and a guiding light to thousands of students, throughout his service in the school and the college. He was always helpful, extremely generous and never failed to offer his support, wishes and help to anyone in the time of happiness and sorrow. He loved to laugh heartily, relished his parochial life and loved to spend time with family, friends and parishioners. Aside from these he was a progressive thinker, avid traveler and enjoyed trying different cuisines.
Beyond his vocational life, he was a spiritual pillar for his family, officiated their weddings and baptized most of the children in the family. All of them loved him beyond measure and was happy to call him their beloved brother, uncle, grand-uncle, teacher and friend.
He was preceded in death by his sisters Mary Angel and Justine. He is survived by his brothers S.J. Peter and S.J. Rheeman, his sisters Sarala and Vimala, the families of his siblings, and his nephews, nieces, grand-nephews, grand-nieces and cousins. His congregations, his parish communities and his students everywhere.
He will be watching over all of us from Heaven. He will be fondly remembered and greatly missed.
Condolences(43)-
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Neil Burke says
February 26, 2021 at 11:20 amThank you Father for your visits and for always speaking from your heart. I wish you eternal rest and everlasting peace.
margaret oconnell says
February 26, 2021 at 1:49 pmDear Fr Paul, I wish you Rest and Peace in Heaven. Your kindness will always be remembered.
John bosco says
February 28, 2021 at 5:40 pmDear fr
You have been a source of inspiration toany. U were the one who brought pride to the school . May your soul rest in peace. prayers
Selva says
March 1, 2021 at 4:02 amThanks to you father today i m an engineer and Danceur choreographer. It’s you who found my hidden talent by organizing talent search competition. I am so grateful to you. May your souls Rest In Peace and my sincere condolences .
Justin says
February 27, 2021 at 11:48 amWe all miss you FrPaul, a great leader, a wonderful servant of God, you enlightened thousands and thousands of young minds both intellectually and spiritually. A great pillar and loving member of the family, you’ll be missed greatly not only by the family members but by all your loving students who live in different parts of the world only to find eternal peace in the presence of the Almighty! May your soul rest in peace Father !!
ARULRAJU says
February 27, 2021 at 12:27 pmRIP
Rev. Antony Joseph Jayanth RAYAN says
February 27, 2021 at 12:34 pmDear Rev. Fr. Paul. The Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore missing you a lot. You are so kind and caring. I always cherish your words of appreciation and encouragement. I miss you a lot dear fr. May your soul rest in peace.
Benno Raj says
February 28, 2021 at 1:10 pmDear Fr. Paul
Your kind heart & gentle smile…..will be remembered for ever in our hearts and mind. Will pray that you have a great place in heaven with Jesus.
Ranga rajan says
February 27, 2021 at 4:51 pmDear Father, I am one of your students from Petit Seminar Higher Sec school in Pondicherry, India. You were our school’s Principal, a great teacher and a dynamic person. I always remember you as an active person around the school with an energetic voice. The discipline you had ingrained in all of us helped us reach a higher level. I will cherish those school days with great value and fond memories. Its very sad to note that you will be no more. My batchmates and many other students around the world deeply mourn your loss. May your soul rest in peace, Father!.
Capt. Charlotte says
February 28, 2021 at 2:25 pmI had the opportunity of meeting you a couple of times, at the MOC home Reddiarpalayam, Pondicherry…
Such a dynamic person, always with a smile…
Heartfelt condolences to the family members…
Rest in eternal peace dear Fr. Paul…??
Mary Ellen Sanchez says
February 27, 2021 at 6:34 pmFather Paul,
I will miss your kindness, your wisdom, your calm demeanor and your support. You have influenced many lives, including mine. I miss you very much.
Please continue to intercede for the children, families, faculty and staff of SJS.
Mary Ellen Sanchez,
Principal, SJS
Mary Ellen Sanchez, Principal, SJS, says
February 27, 2021 at 6:35 pmFather Paul,
We lost a treasure.
I miss your holiness, your kindness, your wisdom, your calm demeanor and your support. You have influenced many lives, including mine. I miss you very much.
Please continue to intercede for the children, families, faculty and staff of SJS.
FR.SANDOU CYRIL says
February 27, 2021 at 10:25 pmDear and Rev. Fr. Paul, No words can express your loss for the Archdiocese of Pondicherry and personally for me. You are a model to everyone of us. Thank you for all that you have been to me especially for baptising me and guiding me in the crucial moments of my priesthood. Rest in Peace dear Fr. Miss u a lot.
Christine Brown says
February 28, 2021 at 12:15 amFr Paul
You were a true inspiration and gem of a person. The years I taught at Petit Seminaire with you at the helm were some of the best years of my teaching career. You were loved and will be missed by all the lives you touched. Rest safely in the arms of Jesus.
Christine Brown
Karthikeyan Apparssamy says
February 28, 2021 at 1:49 amDear Father Paul,
Am at loss of words and still couldnt believe you are not with us anymore. you have enlightened the life of many students and am one of them from Petit Seminaire (1996 batch). Its hard to find a educational legend and a great mentor like you. I cherish every moment and thank god for the opportunity to meet you in 2015. Your support for students and teachers has been phenomenal. Petit Seminaire reached great heights under your powerful administration. We miss you a lot and feel proud to be your student. Our batch students will cherish the 25th year reunion happened in 2019 in Pondicherry. Pray to lord almighty to give the strength to your family members ! you blessinsg are always with us .May your soul rest in peace.
With Tears,
Karthikeyan.A
Manee says
February 28, 2021 at 2:22 amRespected Rev. Fr. J. Paul.. you are our superhero.. our mentor.. I’m one of the thousands of students to be fortunate to be groomed, guided..
we owe you a lot.. we are what we are because of you.. please be our guiding Angel.. please be back in this earth in another form, make it beautiful.. thank you we love you love you..
Patrick says
February 28, 2021 at 11:28 amDear Father still couldn’t believe you are no more.
You were our mentor , our spiritual leader , our role model and the key to disciplined life. Every student under your leadership had the chance to have the best education in life and we owe you what we are today. You’ve served the Lord till your last breath and thus entered the eternal life to be with Him forever. You’ll be missed …
Srinivassan Ramalingam says
February 28, 2021 at 7:49 amDear and Rev. Fr. Paul, am one of your student from petit, You are Hero to many of us ! Miss you…
May GOD rest your soul in peace…You will.be living for ever in our heart’s
Theresa Frawley says
February 28, 2021 at 10:39 amFather Paul.
You will be missed by many people. Especially By me and Charlie. You were a great Holy Priest who always showed compassion. Your friendship was golden and we will miss you.
Love Theresa Frawley and Charles deCiutiis.
Aravind Ananthachari says
February 28, 2021 at 1:10 pmA towering personality Fr. Paul had shaped the lives and personalities of innumerable students including mine. He was the principal of our school during the most defining period of my school life. He has had a deep impact on me in so many ways as he has had in so many of his students. He will forever be cherised and he is an inseparable part of my life. My deepest condolences to his family. May his soul rest in peace. ?????
Rositta and Prabu Fernando says
February 28, 2021 at 1:39 pmFr.Paul was truly a great friend?Mentor and was always there for us and our family. He will forever be missed…. May his beautiful soul rest in Peace
Charlotte Ramesh says
February 28, 2021 at 1:59 pmFr.Paul you will be missed by me and by family. Your such a tender, polite , kind and very happy person to be around at any hive time. Always has so much of wisdom in you and learned a lot from you demonstrating a lot of patience and humbleness in your words.You were a gem of an individual. Time to rest in peace for all you work and service that you had rendered to humanity while your stay on this earth.
May your soul Rest in Peace.
Marimouttou Coumarassamy says
February 28, 2021 at 2:15 pmDear Rev Fr Paul,
I’m one of your students in Petit Seminaire. Fr Paul was an inspiration to many like me. He will me missed by many students like me and their parents. Petit reached greatest height under your leadership. You left a great legacy. May your soul rest in peace.
Jessie says
February 28, 2021 at 2:36 pmDear Annan, You have always been the glue between our families. You will missed! May your soul rest in eternal peace!
Sharmilee(PJP student and Sr.Britto’s niece) Peter, Patrick(you used to call him as Denise) and Patricia says
February 28, 2021 at 2:42 pmDear Fr. Paul, You will be missed!!!
Sharmi (PJP Student) says
February 28, 2021 at 2:57 pmDear Fr. Paul, You will be missed by our family! May your soul rest in peace.
Sylvia says
February 28, 2021 at 2:58 pmDear Rev Fr Paul,
He was an inspiration to many people. Wish Father eternal peace and forever in Gods care.
Santhosh Kanna Tumadin says
February 28, 2021 at 3:16 pmDear Rev Fr Paul,
you have tuned our life and now we are having fruits of your work.
But i know you will be always alive in our life .
Never had a chance to say THANKS
But i know you had done a miracle in many lives.
Thanks
Bob Shannon says
February 28, 2021 at 5:27 pmFr. Paul, thank you for the years you spent at St. Gregory’s. You were a true inspiration to me and my family. Your kind words, contagious smile, and wonderful homilies will never be forgotten. Rest In Peace and eternal life to you. We will never forget you and you will always be in our prayers.
Diane Dempsey says
February 28, 2021 at 8:18 pmFr Paul was a dear friend to me and all of us at St. Gregory’s. He will be missed and will always be in my prayers.
Christine says
February 28, 2021 at 9:18 pmFr. Paul, may you rest in peace, as you make your journey to the Lord. You were so a Holy Priest and a true man of God. You are a role model for many priests. May God Bless you and save you. You are still remembered at St. Barnabas Church for your wonderful preaching.
Mariann Amann says
February 28, 2021 at 10:16 pmFather Paul:
Thank you so much for your kind and gentle manner always. Noon mass will not be the same without your presence. You had such a calming effect on everyone. My prayers are with you always.
Maria Sushmita Isidore says
February 28, 2021 at 11:20 pmDear Rev Fr Paul,
You were an inspiration to our family and others in Pondicherry and we will miss you dearly! May you have eternal peace in God’s care.
Ambalavanan says
March 1, 2021 at 12:01 amWe miss you Fr. Am a student of Petit school. I always admired your dynamic voice and management skill. You are my super hero in school days. RIP father.
Sheritha Krish says
March 1, 2021 at 1:07 amMay your soul rest in peace, you will always be fondly remembered by all who had shared their lives with you. You will be missed greatly. Love u!
Iris DeVisser (Florence Rozario ) Melbourne says
March 1, 2021 at 5:27 amMy heartfelt condolence to the family of Rev Fr Paul. I was a teacher at Petite Seminaire and had the honour of working with him. His dedication and commitment to the community has been evident in the messages of condolences. Rest in the arms of Jesus Fr Paul. Your name will live on in the hearts of your staff and students.
Alboni says
March 1, 2021 at 6:52 amOur heartfelt condolences to the family
Usha Parthasarathy says
March 1, 2021 at 10:21 amDear Father
You have been my beloved mentor and inspiration for everyone who has been acquainted with you.We miss you very badly.You are the gift from Pondicherry to the world. Your service and sacrifices will be remembered for ever
Jayaraj.G says
March 1, 2021 at 8:19 amMy heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family of Rev.Fr.John Paul. I am a retired teacher of Petit Semininaire. He is my mentor, saviour and role model. Let his soul rest in peace!
GABRIEL LOURDES MARTIN SANDANADASS NATHAN NATHAN says
March 1, 2021 at 9:13 amLet his soul rest in peace.
Nick and Kim Santilli says
March 1, 2021 at 10:20 amIt is with great sadness that I share the news of Fr Paul John’s death. He died on the evening of Feb 24, another victim of COVID.
Fr Paul was a great friend and spiritual guide. He was a priest with a great intellect and a profound humility. He was a devotee of Jesus of Divine Mercy, and and encouraged us to simply pray “O Merciful Jesus, I trust in You.”
Fr Paul was one of those rare persons that had a great impact on two parts of the world, his beloved native India and his adopted home, America. He was a wonderful friend and we are going to miss our dinners and conversations togheter.
We will never forget Fr Paul. He is certainly in heaven with the Lord and may he pray for us.
Requiescat in pacem Fr Paul
Maria Gaudelli says
March 1, 2021 at 1:46 pmMay your soul Rest In Peace Father Paul. You were a wonderful role model here at the parish of Saint Gregory the Great.
Maria Gaudellli
E. Carney says
March 5, 2021 at 10:45 amFather Paul was an outstanding man of God, a faithful and inspiring priest, holy, learned, joyful. His death is a tragic death for our parish but we know he is in Our Lord’s hands who loves him more than any of us. Pray for our parish from heaven, dear Father Paul. Thank you and may God hold you forever in Heaven in the Hollow of His Hand.
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