Varghese Payapilly

The heart of Varghese Payapilly's work lies in the foundation of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Destitute (SD). Until the beginning of the 20th century, there was no organized social welfare structure in Kerala to take care of the poor, the elderly, the sick, and the excluded abandoned on the streets. Deeply touched by the distress of these populations, Varghese Payapilly conceived the project of founding a religious community dedicated to their service. By a providential coincidence, five young women from the parish of Kizhakkambalam expressed to the Archbishop of Ernakulam, Mgr Augustine Kandathil, their desire to dedicate their lives to the poorest. The Archbishop put these young women in contact with Father Payapilly. On March 19, 1927, the feast day of Saint Joseph, the congregation was officially founded in Chunangamvely (Aluva, Kerala) under the initial name of "Little Sisters of the Poor." Father Payapilly installed the community in a former guardhouse and simultaneously opened the Saint Joseph's home for the poor and infirm there. He personally trained the first sisters in religious life, home visits, and the care of the most destitute people. In 1933, to avoid any confusion with another congregation bearing the same name, the institute definitively adopted the name "Sisters of the Destitute." Although the founder died only two years after the creation of the institute, the congregation continued its development under the leadership of his successor, Mgr George Valliarumpeth. It has since expanded widely in India and internationally (notably in Europe, Africa, and Latin America).

The cause for the beatification and canonization of Varghese Payapilly was officially opened on August 25, 2009, eighty years after his death, at the request of the Superior General of the congregation, Sister Smitha Vempilly. On September 6, 2009, Cardinal Mar Varkey Vithayathil, Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, solemnly proclaimed the initiation of the cause, conferring upon him the title of Servant of God. On February 23, 2011, his mortal remains were exhumed, identified, and transferred to a new tomb within St. John Nepomucene Church in Konthuruthy. The diocesan inquiry into his life, virtues, and reputation for holiness was officially closed on November 12, 2012, by the Major Archbishop, Cardinal Mar George Alencherry, and the documents were transmitted to Rome. A diocesan inquiry into an alleged healing attributed to his intercession was also conducted and closed in May 2012. The Positio on his heroic virtues was accepted by the Historical Commission of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on May 17, 2016, and subsequently by the theological consultors on October 24, 2017. The cardinals and bishops who are members of the Congregation validated the cause on April 10, 2018.

On April 14, 2018, Pope Francis authorized the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to promulgate the decree recognizing the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Varghese Payapilly, thus conferring upon him the title of Venerable. To date, no beatification or canonization has yet taken place, as the official recognition of a miracle attributed to his intercession is required for the next step.

The spirituality of Varghese Payapilly is deeply Christocentric and Eucharistic, nourished by an intense contemplation that immediately translated into apostolic action. His spiritual engine resided in the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:40: 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' He distinguished himself through a prophetic charity that transcended the rigid barriers of the caste system in India, caring for and welcoming the excluded without distinction of social or religious origin. His life was marked by asceticism, humility, simplicity, and an absolute trust in Divine Providence. A great devotee of Saint Joseph, he placed his foundation under his patronage. His legacy endures through the Congregation of the Sisters of the Destitute, which today counts numerous communities throughout the world, working in the fields of palliative care, hospitals, homes for the elderly, specialized schools, and social aid for the most neglected.