Jesna Maria George Passed Away
The faithful are invited to gather in prayer and remembrance to honor a beloved soul who has completed her earthly journey and entered eternal rest. Public viewing will be held on Friday, January 23, at St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Forane Church beginning at 7:00 PM. The funeral service will take place on Saturday, January 24, at Saint Norbert’s Catholic Church, starting at 9:45 AM, where family, friends, and the community will come together to celebrate her life, commend her soul to God, and find comfort in the promise of everlasting life. As we mourn her passing, we also rejoice in the hope of the Resurrection and the assurance of Christ’s words: “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23). With faith and gratitude, we entrust her to the loving mercy of God, confident that she now rests in His peace and glory forever.
Jesna’s obituary
Jesna George was born on April 15, 1986, in Kochi, Kerala, India as the child of George Kattadi and Jancy George. She grew up with an adventurous and loving spirit as she loved to ride her bike around the city with no fear of the obstacles before her. She attended a girls’ school as a teenager and went on to complete her bachelors’ degree in Biotechnology at Bangalore University. She continued her education by receiving a Masters degree in Human Resources at Bangalore University and earning a Masters degree in Project Management from Northeastern University. Professionally, she worked as a business analyst at Highmark for 11 years.
In 2012, Jesna married her beloved husband, Thomas Payyappilly, and together they made their home in the United States. Over the next fourteen years, they built a beautiful life in Malvern, Pennsylvania, raising their three children: Evamaria (7), Ezekiel (5), and Jonah (3). Jesna nurtured her family with deep faith, teaching her children to love generously, to serve joyfully, and to trust in God always. She was the strength and joy of their home, caring for her husband and children with unwavering devotion and love. Jesna treasured her Friday lunch dates with Thomas and was always ready for the next adventure. Her radiant spirit lives on in her family through the lessons she imparted and the memories they hold close to their hearts.
As she established her life in Malvern with her family, Jesna found Jesus Youth again after many years. Jesus Youth is an ecclesial lay movement at the service of the Church, that she first encountered in Bangalore, India during her college days. In 2019, she was amazed to find this community again in the US. She found renewal in her faith and formed a new family with the JY community in Philadelphia who embraced Jesna and Thomas with open arms. Her faith blossomed again after encountering Project Little Flower, an apostolate of Jesus Youth of America that ministered to those enduring fertility challenges, prenatal and postnatal complications, pregnancy losses, traumatic births and NICU experiences, after her miscarriage in 2021. Through receiving personal ministry and prayer, she was able to find peace and make sense of the loss of her unborn child, whom she named Elizabeth. This experience opened a new space in her heart. The offerings of Project Little Flower and her growing friendship with other women who had suffered in similar ways, helped her find deep healing and purpose. For the first time, she was able to make meaning from her years of infertility before having children. She was able to deeply forgive those who had hurt her during this time and see the sanctity of life in a new way. These convictions helped her pour out herself for the needs of the ministry. She took a strong involvement in the intercession needs for the ministry and supported every initiative. She slowly began to share her testimony and pray with other women. Her personal relationship with the Lord grew, as she served, she realized the great need to receive from the Lord in the sacraments, prayer and Eucharistic adoration. She also grew in her involvement with the Jesus Youth community during this time, seeking out opportunities to connect with teens and young adults as a chaperone for formation experiences, both locally and nationally. She attended conferences and mission opportunities with her husband and children, looking for every opportunity to live and share the faith that she had come to love. The Jesus Youth Philly community and the women of PLF became her family, her closest friends, and a place of mutual receiving and giving.
Despite the various challenges that their family faced through these years, her determination to protect and give voice to the unborn grew. This opened her heart to the possibility of another child, and Jeremiah’s life was carried in her womb with faith, hope and love in the providence of God. During this pregnancy, in November 2025, Jesna agreed to take up the role as coordinator for Project Little Flower with the conviction that the Lord had called her to serve the great need for healing and ministry in this place.
Jesna was 27 weeks pregnant with Jeremiah when she went into premature labor and later experienced unexpected complications that led to her unfortunate passing. While we grieve her passing, we find solace in the hope of Christ’s resurrection and the assurance that we will one day be reunited in God’s eternal kingdom. As we mourn the loss of our dear friend, we pray for her surviving baby boy, Jeremiah, who is currently receiving treatment in the NICU. She was so excited for the arrival of her baby son and vigorously interceded for him. So we join in this intercession with hope for his strength and growth as he lives as a testament to the fighting spirit of his mother.
Jesna was someone who spread joy and radiance wherever she went. She loved to laugh, play games, and watch movies with her friends and family. She was a competitive egg-hunter, avid coffee drinker, and ever-beautiful soul. She was the bad cop to Thomas’s good cop, the boo-boo kisser, and the warmth embrace that everyone sought after. She found joy in gardening and baking her favorite cupcakes and cookies. Her loving heart, sweet smile, persistent faith, quiet strength, loyalty, and youthful spirit will never be forgotten.
