FATHER BILL VOS, a retired priest of the Diocese of St. Cloud and diocesan director of Catholic Relief Services, recalls the start of the relationship between the Vincentians of the Syro-Malabar Eastern Rite and the diocese.
Bishop John Kinney knew Vincentian Father Joseph Arackal when they both were in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. From that connection, in the late 1990s, Bishop Kinney invited Vincentian Father Jose Edayadiyil to work in the St. Cloud Diocese, a one-person “invitation” and assignment. He began his ministry here in 1999.
In the early 2000s, the Vincentians approached the diocese about establishing a religious house in the Midwest. It would be their only formally established Syro-Malabar Eastern Rite religious house in the entire United States.
Bishop Kinney and the provincial superior from India met and, with others, worked out details. Father Vos wrote up the agreement — the Vincentians would provide three priests for pastoral ministry.
For a common house, they would have the rectory at St. Augustine in St. Cloud. In 2007, their religious house opened and priests met one day a week for prayer and meals. Father Arackal, following his retirement from the archdiocese, became their local superior.
Father Edayadiyil served the diocese for 19 years, many of them at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Isanti. He retired in 2019 from St. Mary, Hope of Christians in St. Augusta. Vincentian Fathers George Michael, Jose Chettoor and Jimmy Joseph joined him over time. Father Joseph now serves as the group’s leader.
A few years ago, the Vincentians moved their religious house to the Chicago area, where Fathers Arackal and Edayadiyil now reside.
“It’s been an asset to have an order willing to work with our diocese and dedicated men willing to serve,” said Jane Marrin, chancellor of the Diocese of St. Cloud. “It lets us look beyond ourselves at the bigger Church around the world. We have more in common than we are different.”
Bishop Donald Kettler is a strong supporter of religious life. “During my time here, I’ve grown to appreciate their help in ministry in the diocese,” he said. “I’m most grateful for their presence and willingness to be here for so many years. The women and men religious in our diocese lend a special ministry and vision to the diocese, and the Vincentians are an important part of that.”
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Meet the Priests
FATHER JIMMY JOSEPH, VC
Canonical administrator of St. James in Randall, St. Stanislaus in Sobieski and Sacred Heart in Flensburg.
YOUR FAMILY
I’m from Kerala, India — it’s like Florida, with hot summers and a cool monsoon season. My parents grew rubber trees, pineapple, rice and spices. My three brothers and three sisters and I all worked hard on it. One brother and his family still run the farm. My oldest sister entered the convent before I was born, and another sister is also a religious sister, working with the poor in northern India. I’m the youngest. My family was very religious, attending Mass every day before going to school.
WHY DID YOU BECOME A PRIEST?
I hadn’t thought of it, because we see priests as very prominent and important. But after high school graduation in 1985, I discerned that Jesus called me and wanted me to be a priest. The nuns helped in my discernment, and I joined the seminary at age 15. I was ordained a priest Jan. 4, 1997.
HOW DID YOU COME TO ST. CLOUD?
Bishop [John] Kinney contacted our superior general, who asked me and Father George [Michael] to work in Minnesota. We came in 2008. By that time, I’d lived away from home since age 15 and had been a priest in India for 11 years.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR MINISTRY HERE?
Working with people — they are so good to me. I started in Long Prairie and moved to St. Cloud in the cluster of Holy Spirit, St. Anthony and St. John Cantius parishes and really enjoyed them. I’ve been in the Randall, Flensburg and Sobieski cluster since July 2011. It’s such a good group of people.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE GREATEST CHALLENGE MINISTERING AWAY FROM YOUR MONASTERY?
I wondered if people would accept me as their leader. Rural communities don’t often see people from other countries, but people here were very accepting. I’d never seen winter and snow so the first year it was hard to drive and I went in the ditch. Now I like winter.
FAVORITE SAINT
St. Joseph, my patron saint. When I was baptized I received that name and special blessings from my saint.
FAVORITE PRAYER
The rosary. I pray it every day, sometimes more than once.
HOBBIES
Fishing and deer hunting. I’ve been lucky to get a deer every year, and shot an 11-point buck two years ago. I have a master’s degree in vocal music, so I sing and play Indian instruments. I enjoy reading the life stories of the saints.
ANY FAVORITE AMERICAN TRADITIONS, FOODS OR ACTIVITIES?
Mardi Gras and Randall’s big parade on the Fourth of July. I like almost every food — fish fries, barbecues — and cook when I have time to experiment.
FATHER JOSE CHETTOOR, VC
Parochial administrator of Holy Cross in Harding and St. John Nepomuk in Lastrup.
YOUR FAMILY
I come from a large Catholic family in Southern India. Many of my sweet childhood memories are centered on family and our parish church. The faith of my parents and the faith formation I received from the parish as well as the Catholic school helped all of us to take up leadership roles related to the Church. Two of my six siblings do mission work as religious sisters in North India.
WHY DID YOU BECOME A PRIEST?
I had no plans to become a priest but eventually realized that God wanted me to become a priest and I gratefully
accepted the call.
HOW DID YOU END UP IN ST. CLOUD?
I had always been interested in going to new mission areas. Every time the Vincentians opened new missions in India or elsewhere, I wished I could go there. In 2018, when Bishop Kettler invited a fourth priest from our order to the Diocese of St. Cloud, our provincial superior proposed my name. I perceived it as God’s plan unfolding in my life.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR MINISTRY HERE?
Everywhere it’s been celebrating the Eucharist and proclaiming the Word of God.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE GREATEST CHALLENGE MINISTERING AWAY FROM YOUR MONASTERY?
In our religious communities, we have prayers and meals in common every day. That kind of fraternal communion is not possible in the same measure here. But[not having] that has become a blessing in disguise in the sense that I feel a closer companionship of the Lord.
FAVORITE SAINT
St. Joseph
FAVORITE PRAYER
The Memorare
HOBBIES
I like listening to pop and semi-classical Indian music; reading — recently I read “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind” by Yuval Noah Harari; and flower and vegetable gardening.
FAVORITE AMERICAN TRADITIONS, FOODS OR ACTIVITIES
Potluck meals, steak and outdoor activities like trekking, fishing and hunting. Fishing was my favorite childhood pastime. My brother and I used to fish from ponds using hooks. I tried my luck in deer hunting only last year — I was unlucky.
FATHER GEORGE MICHAEL, VC
Canonical administrator of Sacred Heart in Dent and St. Lawrence in Rush Lake. This year he celebrated 25 years as a priest.
YOUR FAMILY
I grew up in the state of Kerala (Diocese of Pala), in southeastern India, the youngest of a Catholic family with four brothers and three sisters and many nieces and nephews. My primary and secondary education was at the local St. Mary’s Catholic school, in academics and religion. My family belonged to St. Mary’s and attended Mass there regularly.
WHY DID YOU BECOME A PRIEST?
The parish priests at my church made a lasting impression on me and encouraged my vocation. After discerning my vocation to the priesthood, I decided to enter the Vincentian Congregation to complete my priestly formation. I completed my novitiate and made my first profession in 1988 and my final profession in 1993. I studied philosophy and theology at St. Joseph’s Pontifical Seminary in Aluva, Kerala, and was ordained a priest Dec. 30, 1995.
HOW DID YOU END UP IN ST. CLOUD?
Vincentian priests take the vow of obedience. When my superior asked me to minister in the United States of America, I was happy to fulfill his request. I came to the
Diocese of St. Cloud in 2008. In 2010, I was sent to serve in Dent and Rush Lake.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR MINISTRY HERE?
Celebrating the Mass, the sacraments and other special events with “my people” bring me great joy.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE GREATEST CHALLENGE MINISTERING AWAY FROM YOUR MONASTERY?
The challenge of not being able to live in community with my brother Vincentians and apart from my home and family has been lessened by the many wonderful people in the parishes where I have served.
FAVORITE SAINT
I often turn to the most courageous and obedient St. Joseph, patron of the Universal Church, as he is the image of true Catholic fatherhood. His silent listening in doing God’s will is very inspiring as well as a model to live each day in a close relationship with Jesus Christ.
FAVORITE PRAYER
“Lord, help me to remember that nothing is going to happen to me today that you and I cannot handle.”
HOBBIES
I enjoy watching tennis and soccer on TV, as well as “Andy Griffith” and “MASH,” and reading.
FAVORITE AMERICAN TRADITIONS, FOODS OR ACTIVITIES
I enjoy fishing and sharing meals with the people of my parishes. They know I am especially fond of a medium rare steak, cheesy potatoes, seven-layer salad and lemon or pecan pie, and make sure I receive these on a regular basis.