Fr. Rafi Kuttukaran was born in Thrissur, Kerala in India on October 6th, 1960 to Mrs. Rosy Thekkekara and Mr. Lonappan Kuttukaran, the fifth of their eight children. Fr. Rafi was ordained a priest on December 30th 1992 for the Diocese of Imphal in Northeast India and went to work as the Bishop’s secretary. While serving in Imphal, Fr. Rafi was kidnapped and injured by terrorists but escaped and returned to Kerala and soon was sent to the United States to begin his work as a parish priest, U. S. military chaplain and hospital chaplain After receiving his U.S. citizenship, Fr. Rafi joined the staff at the University of Kansas Medical Center to continue his work as a hospital chaplain. Dedicated to his work, Fr. Rafi did not just provide spiritual care for his Catholic patients; he gave consolation to the sick and was a "comfort to those who mourn". He considered KU Med Center as his home parish and his patients as family. It was one of Fr. Rafi’s great joys to celebrate Mass with his ever-changing parishioners and an especial delight was to celebrate holidays with his patients at KU who were unable to leave the hospital. A humble man and a gentle soul, Fr. Rafi was an avid gardener and spent much of his free time transforming the yard around his house into a beautiful garden. It was in his garden, that this devoted priest and servant of Mary passed away on August 10th, 2019. Fr. Rafi will be well remembered by the many people whose lives he touched, for his compassion and the comfort his ministry brought to the communities in which he served.

 Wake Service Location and date : Holy Name Church, Kansas City, 16 S Iowa St, Kansas City, KS 66103, Tuesday, August 20, 2019. Rosary at: 8:45 AM,  Visitation between 9 and 10 am, Funeral Mass: 10 AM with Archbishop Joseph Nauman. The family request no flowers and suggests contributions to Holy Name Catholic Church.