Father Michael Raj Savarimuthu was born on November 16, 1969 in a small Catholic village called Ilangulam in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. As a young boy he was altar server, lector and sacristan at his mission parish. On the day of his confirmation, June 28, 1982 the archbishop of Mylapur (Madras) asked the kids who wanted to become a priest. Three boys put their hands up and Father Michael was one of those three boys. At grade nine he joined the seminary in India.
After graduation he was accepted in an Italian Religious Order called âOpera Don Guanellaâ also called Servi della CaritĂ . After completing his major in philosophy in India he was sent to Italy in 1993 to pursue further studies in Rome where he did B.A. and Licentiate in Theology. During his two years of further discernment after leaving the religious order in 1998 he met Archbishop James Weisgerber in Rome at his canonical visit with then Pope John Paul II. The Archbishop invited him to Canada after finishing his studies in Rome.
He arrived in August 2000 and was sent to Our Lady of Perpetual Help for few months and later was sent to Holy Rosary Church with Father Sam Argenziano. On June 28th, 2001 he was ordained a priest at St. Maryâs Cathedral in Winnipeg and assigned as an assistant to Father Sam Argenziano for two years. After that Father Michael served as Chaplain at St. Paulâs College, at the University of Manitoba. After that he served at the following parishes: Immaculate Conception in Fisher Branch, Christ the King in Stonewall, St. Dominicâs in Neepawa, St. Augustine of Canterbury in Brandon, St. Lazare in St. Lazare, Good Shepherd in Portage La Prairie. On August 1, 2024 he returned to Holy Rosary Church where he started as a seminarian and now serves as the Pastor
Father Michael loves going to movies, hiking, road trips and reading books, he loves to travel and of course cooking Indian food when he is hosting visitors and friends.