Gnanapiragasam, who served in seven parishes in Kuala Lumpur, Klang, Seremban and Cameron Highlands for 48 years, suffered a heart attack at his family home in Jalan Labu Lama here Friday evening.
His family was preparing to celebrate his birthday on Nov 30 and his 50th sacerdotal anniversary on Dec 27.
Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur Julian Leow and the clergy of the archdiocese remembered him as an untiring priest who was in the frontline of various social outreach and ecumenical projects.
Parishioners praised Gnanapiragasam for devoting his life to the church and the various congregations that he served.
“He touched the lives of parishioners with his willingness to help and made friends, young and old, wherever he went,” said Titus Gomez.
Gomez, who had known Gnanapiragasam since the 1970s, said he was an effective and charismatic priest who was approachable and always warm and gentle.
Gnanapiragasam’s nephew, Michael Anthony, said: “Uncle John was many things to many people. A priest. A scholar. A counsellor. A son. A brother. An uncle. He was much loved by everyone.
“As a priest, he had baptised thousands of infants, married hundreds of couples, and sent thousands to God on their final journeys.”
Anthony, a lawyer, said his uncle had also been instrumental in building faith communities in numerous parishes where he had served.
“He was a prime mover of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Institute, the ‘Alpha’ programme for lay evangelisation and the ‘Choice’ programme for young adults, to name a few.
“To his family, he was always the first to undertake family gatherings, to organise games, and parties and food.
“His unshakeable faith in God, generosity of spirit and joy of living will forever be an inspiration to all of us,” he said.
Gnanapiragasam was ordained a priest at the age of 27 in 1971 and received his first pastoral posting as assistant to Father Pierre Decrooq at the Church of Risen Christ in Sentul, Kuala Lumpur.
He helmed the Church of Our Lady of Fatima, in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, as parish priest after completing his doctorate in sacred theology at the Gregorian Pontifical University, Rome, in 1978.
He would later pursue post-graduate studies in psychology at Loyola University, Chicago and from 1990 until 1992, he was appointed a member of the theological advisory commission of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences.
In 1993, he served as parish priest of the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus at Peel Road, Kuala Lumpur, for five years.
His other postings included being administrator of the Church of the Holy Rosary, Kuala Lumpur (2000-2002) and as parish priest of the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, Klang (2006-2012), Church of the Visitation, Seremban (2012-2015) and Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Cameron Highlands (2015-2019).
A notice by the Chancery of the Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur said Gnanapiragasam had also been one of the most influential persons in charting the pastoral direction for the local church in Peninsular Malaysia – the New Way of Being Church (Newbec).
It said his passion for formation and evangelisation also saw him pioneering and growing various initiatives in the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur.
Seeing the thirst and need of the laity for solid formation resources, he met with key persons in the Augustine Institute based in the US, to bring in the online formation platform known as “Formed”, the notice stated.
The programmes offered by “Formed” has benefited many Catholics, enabling them to access resources which were previously inaccessible.
Gnanapiragasam is survived by his siblings Monsignor James, Philomena, Paul, Fatima Mary and Bernadette, nephews, and nieces.
The wake will be held at the community hall of the Church of the Visitation, Jalan Yam Tuan in Seremban, today from 8am to 8pm.
The funeral mass will be at 10am on Monday at the Church of the Visitation before the burial at the Holy Family Catholic Cemetery at Jalan Bukit in Kajang.