Indian priest is adapting to life in the Albany Diocese

When Rev. Joseph Arockiasamy, pastor of Sacred Heart parish in Stamford, talks about making a journey, he isn't speaking metaphorically.

He got to the Delaware County church from his native India via the Archdiocese of New York. Along the way, he learned to make major cultural adjustments.

He completely agrees with the guidelines Bishop Howard J. Hubbard recently set for international priests applying for service in the Diocese, including the ability to speak English and understanding American culture.

Adjustments

"When any priest comes here from another country, obvious cultural adjustments must take place," Father Arockiasamy told The Evangelist. "In order to effectively communicate with and be understood, we need to have a clear command of the language. Evangelization cannot take place otherwise."

Additionally, he noted that a priest has to be aware of cultural differences.

"India has an Eastern tradition, and the culture there is very different from the American, Western culture," he explained. "Indian culture follows an ancient way. On the other hand, American culture is much newer, much more modern and very different from that of India."

While in the New York Archdiocese, he participated in a program for priests from other countries to help them learn about American culture.

"I found it easy to adapt to the American way of life. In fact, I enjoy life here very much," he said.

Home in India

Father Arockiasamy calls his home archdiocese of Madurai, India, "a very poor diocese. There are about 300,000 Catholics there; because of the caste system that exists in India, they live a very poor existence, much worse than the poor do in the U.S.

"India is a Third World country in the truest sense. People are primarily farmers, but the land yields very little. They recognize the need of God in their lives, which is that they will never survive without God. They attend weekly Mass, some walking five or even seven miles to church. They never think to miss Mass.

"They pray for simple things, such as rain, good health and peace in their family. They also have a great devotion to the Eucharist."

Evangelization

When he visits parishes in the Albany Diocese to ask for financial help for Catholics in Madurai, Father Arockiasamy views his task as a way to evangelize people.

He credits Bishop Hubbard and Rev. Michael Farano, director of the diocesan Society for the Propagation of the Faith, as "believers in the 'universal Church.' They allow missionaries to come here from around the world to ask for help. People here are very open to the picture of poverty in the world, and I am grateful for that.

"The Archdiocese of Madurai has 339 mission sites where the basic needs of the people are not being met. They need to rebuild chapels in most of them. The diocese runs 22 orphanages and medical dispensaries that need repair. Schools need to be built. These people are considered 'untouchables' in Indian society; they are the poorest of the poor."

Changing Church

Father Arockiasamy is very grateful for the opportunity to serve as a priest of the Albany Diocese.

"The Church in the world is changing," he said. "Here in Albany, much is going on, and I am so happy to be a part of this movement. People here have adapted to the changes. The Church is changing according to the needs of the people."

(Father Arockiasamy first came to the U.S. to complete his doctoral dissertation. He also has two master's degrees. Ordained in 1985 in India, he met Mother Teresa of Calcutta twice. She "cared for the poorest of the poor," he said. "I never thought she would be considered a saint, and it's amazing to me that I met a saint!")

POLITENESS AND SPICE

Insights into some cultural differences

"When I first came here, I had to observe people very carefully in order to not offend them or seem too willing to please others.

"In India, men don't hug or shake hands with women in public. They do not touch women in public. That is the tradition. Men sit on one side of the bus and women on the other; they never mix.

"People there are very welcoming, very trusting. No matter who they greet, friend or stranger, they always invite you into their homes. When they feed you a meal, Indians never eat with you. They give everything they have to their guests first. Later, if they have anything left, they will eat after the guest has left.

"Indians do not wish to ever hurt anyone, so if you ask them to do something they will do it or try to do it if they can. If they cannot do what you wish, they will eventually tell you that, but they will first try to do it. They do not say, 'I cannot do that,' before they have tried to do it.

"Americans don't seem to know the value of cooking with spices. People here cook without them. In India, we use spices in a medicinal way. For instance, if people here have stuffy sinuses, they use medicine sprays to clear them. In India, we just use a little more pepper, which naturally clears the sinuses. Spices also help to burn fat." (PP)

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