Kuala Lumpur: French- born Catholic priest Rev Father Antoine Henriot MEP, from the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, passed away on Wednesday.
He was 92 and the priest spent his last days at the Little Sisters of the Poor Home in Cheras.
Kuala Lumpur Archbishop Reverend Julian Leow said a Requiem Mass would be held on Friday at 3pm at the Church of the Holy Family, Kajang followed by burial at the Kajang Christian Cemetery.
The Herald editor Father Lawrence Andrew SJ said the late Fr Henriot was a vibrant priest who worked closely with the youth groups in the parishes he served over the last 60-odd years, reported The Star online.
“It is a sad occasion for the Catholic and Christian community as he was the last surviving member of the French missionary team who came to then Malaya in the 1940s and remained in the country till their last breath to serve the faithful,” said Fr Lawrence.
Fr Henriot, who was born on Feb 13, 1924, in Montbeliardot, France, founded the Church of the Holy Family in Kajang. He was ordained a priest in Paris, France, on June 29, 1947 and celebrated his 75th anniversary as a priest in 2007.
In 1948, he was posted to KwangSi, Nanning, China for his first overseas mission.
In 1954, he came to Malaysia and was posted to Seremban.
Subsequently, he served at various parishes located in Mantin, Kuantan and Mentakab.
In 1977, he was posted to the Holy Family Church in Kajang and his final posting on Feb 1, l99l was to the Church of the Good Shepherd, Setapak.