Warm welcome for newcomers
People
The Adelaide Archdiocese has four new international priests, all from southern India and all big cricket fans. In their first weeks here they spoke about their vocation and the move Down Under.
With three of Adelaide’s new Indian priests aged in their thirties, Fr Francis Showrie Bulipe SMM is the ‘elder statesman’ of the quartet.
Fifty-year-old Fr Francis is also the only one who has travelled outside India before. He spent time studying and training in the Philippines, Indonesia and Europe before he accepted an offer to serve as a missionary priest in Australia.
Fr Francis is from the Society of Montfort Missionaries, a French order, and was ordained on January 22 2006.
He was born and raised in a small town in the southern province of Andhra Pradesh where his father was a carpenter.
One of three children, he attended the local Catholic school, was an altar server and developed an early interest in the priesthood.
“From childhood I had a strong desire (to be a priest) so after I finished my schooling someone came to me and asked me if I would like to be a priest, so I opted for it,” he said.
After 14 years in the seminary he went to the novitiate in the Philippines for a year. Returning to India he was appointed as the vocations director at the seminary in Bangalore while also serving in a parish.
He later worked in a co-educational school where he was also caretaker of a boys’ home.
“In south India there are so many tribal villages, about 500 villages, it’s a huge mission for the Montfort fathers,” he explained.
“So we collect the tribal children…we educate them, we take care of them.
“I was principal and director of the boarding school…it was fully busy.”
Fr Francis ministered in the school for 12 years and from 2019 to 2025 he was training seminarians.
He said it was a “free choice” to come to Adelaide and he was happy to do so because he wanted a change from education to pastoral ministry. His interests include table tennis and playing the guitar which he hopes to put to good use in Adelaide.
Fr Rajashekar Gundiga CSC, 36, was ordained a priest of the Holy Cross Fathers five years ago.
He is from the southern Indian state of Telangana, which is the youngest state in the country, having been established eight years ago.
His parents are farmers and he has two siblings but his extended families are much larger and like everyone else in their village, they are Catholic.
“In my village we are 100 per cent Catholic except one family out of 250,” he said. “It is a diocesan parish, I am the first Holy Cross Father from that village.
“Every year when there is vocation promotion they (Religious) used to come to my village, and one of the Holy Cross Fathers spoke to my parents.
“My father said if you want to go to the seminary then go to this congregation because they came to our home.”
Fr Rajashekar’s alternative plan was to join the military. But a deep respect for the priests who “guided” him led him to join the seminary at the age of about 16.
He was working as a parish priest and school principal when asked if he was interested in going to Australia.
“I said give me some time so I can speak to my parents first because my father was not so well,” Fr Rajashekar said.
“He said your mission is God’s call so go ahead, and then I said yes.”
After lots of online research and viewing of YouTube videos, he arrived in Adelaide with Fr Francis last month. Both priests were overwhelmed by the warm welcome and friendliness of everyone.
“We felt at home and were really taken by their warmth,” they said of Archbishop O’Regan, Vicar General Fr Dean Marin and Diocesan staff who looked after them in their first weeks here.
Fr Rajashekar likes to play cricket and other sports but “for fun”.
Fr Sekharbabu Karem, 38, is one of four children born to agricultural labourers. After 5th grade, he left his village and went to boarding school for two years, then joined the seminary at the age of 13.
He said it was a “big challenge” to leave his family at such a young age. The seminary was about 100km from his family home and he went home only once a year at Christmas.
But his parents had a very strong faith and were happy for him to join the seminary. Fr Sekharbabu said he had developed a desire to become a priest while at boarding school where there was a priest and brother who “helped me a lot to discern my vocation”.
He was ordained a diocesan priest in 2013 and was an assistant priest for a few years before being appointed parish priest when he was 33.
“I love to be with people, to enjoy and share their love and concern,” he said of his experience as a young parish priest.
“Priests are revered in India, we are welcomed into people’s homes and there is a tradition of going to every parishioner’s home to bless them at Christmas and Easter. We had 800 families in one parish!”
Fr Sekharbabu expressed an interest in being a missionary priest about five years ago. His bishop had discussions with Fr Marin and Fr Anthoni Adimai SDM.
After three months he obtained his visa and while he was “scared to travel for the first time”, he didn’t have any problems making the trip to Australia on his own.
“My family was sad to see me leave because when I was in the diocese I could visit them at Christmas and Easter but I’ve been calling them every day from here,” he said.
His first impressions of Adelaide are that “it’s very pleasant” and quieter than India.
“There’s less noise and it’s easier to sleep here,” he said.
A musician, Fr Sekharbabu likes to compose music and sing hymns. He plays the keyboard and during his seminary formation was the choir lead.
He likes playing badminton, watching cricket and driving.
The last of the four priests to arrive in Adelaide, Fr Benny Lawrance Martin George SDM, 38, is the son of a retired postman and grew up with his parents and brother in a large town known as a ‘hill station’ because people flock there for its cooler climate.
After going to school in his home town he moved to a hostel in a nearby town to complete secondary school and joined the seminary in 2003.
His grandfather was a volunteer at the local church for 40 years and passed on his strong faith to Fr Benny’s mother who encouraged her son to become a priest.
“It became my ambition to become a priest, I was very adamant that I would complete my studies,” Fr Benny said.
His uncle is a Capuchin priest living in France and he had a connection with the Society of Eugene de Mazenod, the order that Fr Benny joined.
Fr Benny has served as an assistant parish priest in several parishes across Madras-Mylapore, Chingleput and Madurai. He speaks English, Tamil and Telugu. He also worked as a warden for boys and girls at a school in India and was chaplain to youth groups in his parish.
As for hobbies, he said: “I like cricket, I play basketball, volleyball, table tennis, I play all the games…I like gardening and I used to take care of five dogs at the seminary.”
Fr Benny said he “applied” for missionary work but didn’t mention which country and was “ready to go anywhere”.
His Superior selected the United Kingdom initially but then an opportunity to come to Australia arose and he was happy with that.
He said he wasn’t worried about leaving his family because he had been a long way from his parish for 23 years.
It took him nine months to get a visa and he was worried that he might not be accepted.
Like his compatriots, he has been amazed by the hospitality of the Archdiocese.
“They have taken care of everything, there is so much love and constant care, it’s really heart-warming,” he said.
At a recent Diocesan Centre morning tea, Fr Marin introduced the new priests and presented each with a welcome pack comprising a boxing kangaroo, a book on SA, chocolates and other items.
“You’re leaving your families, you’re leaving your countries, you’re leaving your cultures, and you’re coming to this strange, wonderful culture that is ours,”
Fr Marin said.
“It’s a big move and we just really want to welcome you and thank you for coming amongst us.”
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