From Sabbatical to Citizen

Did you know what you wanted to be when you were in the 10th grade? Fr. Ron did. With parishes clustering and a shortage of priests, Fr. Ron is one busy man. He wears many hats and is often found running about after Mass to make it on time to his other priestly duties. Did you ever wish you had a few minutes to ask Fr. Ron about himself? Are you curious about where he grew up and how he found himself in America? Us too! We got him to sit down and discuss his childhood, seminary, and his least favorite American food- potato salad. 

Fr. Ron grew up in a Catholic household in the port city of Mangalore on the Arabian Sea. His mother was a homemaker and his father worked as a taxi driver. His mother, sibling, and cousins also worked the land near the home to farm items such as rice, cashews, mangos, and vegetables. It’s common in India to live where there is ample work. For this reason, his father mainly lived and worked in Mumbai, about 17 hours away by car from his hometown. Because of this great distance, he was only home a few times a year. Although his father was missed, he has fond memories of being surrounded by his brother and cousins. Fr. Ron was born and raised Catholic and attended Mass regularly growing up.

 He was a very active kid in school, staying busy with schoolwork and sports such as cricket, soccer, and basketball. When he was in the 10th grade he attended a vocation camp. After much self-reflection, prayer, and discussing his decision over with his parents, he went into seminary in the 10th grade. He went on to study in the seminary for 13 years where his favorite subjects were theology and sociology. He graduated with a Masters in sociology. He was ordained in 1992 and has remained in the priesthood ever since. 

He moved around India and even into other countries, learning new dialects and languages almost everywhere he preached. In his early priesthood, he found himself in Calcutta where he met Mother Theresa. This is still one of his most cherished memories. He preached in India for 14 years before coming to the United States with another priest on sabbatical. That was in 2008 and he is still here today. He originally landed in Somerset Wisconsin and was only meant to stay for 2 years. He had a change of heart after his two years were up and decided to remain in the United States because of the great need for priests in this country. 

It takes a big heart to follow your calling to a new country. Amongst his biggest culture shocks were the snow, bittercold temperatures, lack of spice in the food, and what we get away with calling “salads” in the country–potato salad and coleslaw to name a few. He misses his family and his mom’s cooking. But his vocation serves a bigger purpose. His goal is to preach love and compassion every day and to always remain connected and available to past and current parishioners. He wants everyone to remember that even though we are so different as humans, we share a common connector, and that is wanting to get into heaven.

 Amongst his favorite priestly duties include celebrating the sacraments. He gets great joy being part of milestones and sharing that love and connection with Christ and the families who celebrate with him. When he is going through a hard time himself, he makes sure to spend time in quiet and time in prayer, asking God to show him the way. He finds great solace and enjoyment in the psalm “Shepherd Me O God”. 



Fr. Ron aims to remind parishioners who have fallen away or people who are looking at becoming Catholic that he is always open to discussing the faith and that process with you. His biggest piece of advice for anyone on their faith journey is to just show up. Come to church and experience Mass for yourself, take time in prayer, and reach out to a local priest or Catholic friend to start that discussion. There is no better time than today to reconnect to your local church or start your own journey of faith.