By : Matters India Reporter

Edinburgh: The Catholic community in Edinburgh has bid farewell to Father Martin Vazhachira. Hundreds of people, including several priests, came to pay their last respects at St John the Baptist, Corstorphine near Edinburgh on July 31, while the body was kept for public homage from 3 pm local time.

Several Scottish people also took part in the memorial Mass at the church and recitation of the Office of the Dead along with members of the Syro Malabar community. The services were led by Edinburgh vicar general Father Patrick Burk. More than 20 priests from all over UK concelebrated the mass.

Memorial service at Edinburgh for Father martin

Following the services, the body was handed over to the funeral directors. It will be flown to Kerala on August 2 and will arrive at Nedumbassery airport in Kochi next day.

Father Martin’s body will be first taken to the CMI (Carmelites of Mary Immaculate) general House in Kakkanad near Kochi. Afterwards, the body will be kept at his family home in Pulincunnu for an hour before being moved to Chethipuzha hospital in Changanacherry.

The funeral will take place on August 4 at Sacred Heart Monastery at Chethipuzha in Changanacherry at 11:30 am Indian time.

Meanwhile mystery still continues over the cause of death of Father Martin whose body was found at a beach in Edinburgh, nearly 50 km away from St John the Baptist’s Church  where he served since October 2016. The Scottish investigators are yet to release the report or announce the cause of his death.