Indian missionaries to boost clerical numbers in Waterford

Three Indian missionaries have been invited to serve in the Diocese of Waterford & Lismore this year, as Irish vocations continue to decrease. Two priests with the Heralds of Good News, a missionary society founded in India, will begin their ministry in Ireland in October and a third will follow after Christmas.

Bishop Phoncie Cullinan told The Irish Catholic that he is “looking forward to their arrival” and that “they can learn from us and we can learn from them”.

“The Church is the body of Christ. If one part is suffering and another part can help out, they will. India is blessed with vocations right now, as we were in the past when the Irish Church sent out priests all over the world, and we are now in some need of priests,” he said, speaking from Rome where he is attending a course for recently appointed bishops. 

“Having said that, during this course I have met a bishop from Brazil who has a diocese a third the size of Ireland and it has 28 priests. We have 66 priests in Waterford & Lismore, which is a much geographically smaller area. That puts things into context too.”

Fr Soosai Selvanathan will be curate in Carrick-on–Suir; Fr Francis Xavier Vijaykumar will be curate in Sacred Heart Parish, the Folly and a third priest with the congregation will be curate in St Mary’s Parish, Clonmel, once he has been released from his present post in India.