Archdiocese of Thrissur mourns: "Doctor Priest" Dr. Fr. Francis Alappat passes away

THRISSUR: Dr. Fr. Francis Alappat, the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Thrissur and the visionary founding director of the Jubilee Mission Medical College, has passed away. He was the son of Alappat Antony and Rosy. A rare "Doctor Priest," he pursued his early education at Sacred Heart and Model Boys High School before attending St. Thomas College, Thrissur. He subsequently earned his MBBS degree from Kozhikode Medical College. Following his medical studies, he obtained degrees in philosophy and theology and was ordained as a priest in 1995.

Throughout his dual career in medicine and ministry, he served as a parish priest in Pavaratty, Eravimangalam, Kannamkulangara, Vijayapuram, Kolangattukara, and Nehrunagar. His administrative impact was vast; he served as the founder director of the Jubilee Mission Medical College, Nursing College, Paramedical Institute, and the Thrissur Institute of Mental Health Sciences. He also held the roles of President of Jubilee Mission Medical College, Chairman of Santhwanam, and Patron of Satsang.

Dr. Fr. Alappat was a respected figure in public health and policy, serving on the Monitoring Committee appointed by the High Court for the Mental Health Hospital. He was also a member of the Advisory Committees for the Thrissur District Hospital, Thrissur Medical College, and the Koratty Government Leprosy Institute. As the founder of the Blood Donors Forum, he successfully campaigned to make blood group registration mandatory in SSLC books, a significant milestone for emergency medicine in the state.

Beyond his clinical and clerical duties, he served as the chairman of the Indian Red Cross Society and the director of Engandiyoor Mary Immaculate Hospital. His creative contributions included directing the blood donation documentary Poovithal Pozhiyumbol and the short film Ormakalkappuram, starring T.G. Ravi. A prolific writer, he authored over 50 books, including his notable autobiography Kasa Muthal Cadaver Vare (From Chalice to Cadaver), Ilanjipoomanam Ozhuki Varunnu, Daivavachanam – Dhyanikkanum Jeevikkanum, Vivaha Vediyilekku, and Blood is Thicker than Water, Subhashithangal, Nombukaala Chinthakal, Raghava-Krishna, Avalkkoppam, The Unfathomable (biography), and The Unreal Love. He is survived by his siblings, Johnson and Mary.