Rev. Philip Louis

Father Philip M.N. Louis, a well-respected and joyful priest of the Diocese of Nellore serving in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, passed away unexpectedly on Jan. 19 due to complications of COVID-19 while visiting family in his home country of India. He was 53.

Father Louis was born Dec. 16, 1967, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, to Louis Gnanaprakasam and Francisca. He was one of six children, five of them boys.

He attended Saint Anthony School in Chennai before attending Saint John Apostolic School in Nellore. He graduated high school from Saint John Apostolic Seminary and attended junior college at Saint John Seminary. He graduated with a degree in philosophy in 1990 from Saint John Major Seminary in Kondadaba and went on to earn two more degrees in theology and missiology at Saint John Major Seminary and Saint Peter Pontifical Seminary in Bangalore. 

He served various parishes in India before coming to the United States in 2004. He served as associate pastor at Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Church in Oklahoma City and pastor at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Okarche. He returned to India to serve as director of the Leprosy Center, director of Pontifical Missions, as pastor at Saint Lourdes Catholic Church and as chancellor, serving Mother Theresa Catholic Church. 

In 2017, he returned to Oklahoma as associate pastor of Saint Francis Xavier and Saint Gregory Catholic Church in Enid, and Saint Michael in Goltry. At the time of his death, he was serving as pastor of Saint Matthew Catholic Church in Elk City and its mission church Queen of All Saints Catholic Church in Sayre.

When asked to write about his priestly life, Father Louis wrote, “I have chosen my priestly life and I love it more than anything in this world. I trust in God more than anyone else.”

Upon learning of Father Louis’s passing, Archbishop Coakley released the following statement, “Father Philip Louis was a wonderful priest who cared deeply about his parishioners at every church where he served. He found great peace and joy in serving the faithful and in his priesthood. Please keep him, his family, his brother priests and his parishioners in your prayers. May he rest in peace.”

Father Louis is survived by his sister, Josephine, and brothers, Alexander (Imelda), George (Mary Stella), Michael (Shanthi) and Charles (Vani), and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents. 

A Memorial Mass will be held Feb. 2 at 11 a.m. at Saint Matthew Catholic Church in Elk City. The Mass will be celebrated by Archbishop Coakley and will be live-streamed at archokc.org/live, on Facebook and YouTube at ArchOKC.

Burial was in his family’s cemetery plot in Chennai, India.