Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this moment to recognize Father Francis Mariappa, a pastor in my riding of Edmonton West. Father Francis moved to Canada in 2007 and served for 11 years in Fort Saskatchewan before moving to the Annunciation Catholic Church in west Edmonton.
Father Francis is a member of an order commonly known as the Pallottine Fathers, and he helped bring 25 of them from the Pallottine community abroad to Canada to serve the faithful here. Father Francis epitomizes St. Pallotti's motto, “The love of Christ compels”. In addition to his work at his own thriving church, Father Francis finds time to visit schools, senior homes and hospitals, such as Misericordia, to serve and celebrate mass. During COVID, despite being immunocompromised himself, he still went to the hospitals to serve and help the sick.
We are blessed in Edmonton West with so many wonderful faith leaders, and Father Francis is certainly one of them. I thank Father Francis for everything he does for his community.