The Catholic Leader - 7 May

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The Catholic Leader, May 7, 2017
News
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An initiative of the Knights of the Southern Cross
Missionary priest serving in Queensland called into leadership
Australia is Fr Joe’s ‘second home’
New posting: Missionary Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament Father Joseph Thottankara, who has served in Australia for half his priestly life,
has been appointed the Zion provincial superior for his order. Photo: Emilie Ng
By Emilie Ng
ONE of the first Indian priests from
the Missionary Congregation of the
Blessed Sacrament to serve in Aus-
tralia has been named a provincial
superior for the order.
Fr Joseph Thottankara, one of two India
priests invited to serve in Toowoomba in the
1980s, is the new provincial superior for the
Zion province in Kerala.
As the new provincial superior, Fr Thot-
tankara will be in charge of encouraging nearly
200 priests in the Zion province, which includes
several priests serving in Brisbane.
Brisbane is home to eight MCBS priests and
there is another serving in Toowoomba.
Before his appointment as provincial leader
for the congregation, Fr Thottankara was under-
taking his third posting in Australia as parish
priest for Holland Park Mt Gravatt parish in
Brisbane.
“Australia has become part of my life in a
sense,” he said.
“Maybe half of my priesthood has been here,
ministering here, so my priestly life is partly
influenced by the Australian community.
“I call this my second home.”
But no matter how much Australia has felt like
home for Fr Thottankara, he just can’t shake his
support for Test cricket’s new number one team.
“Some people ask me, ‘Who do you support in
cricket?’” he said.
“I say, the ‘Indian team’ – whether they lose or
not doesn’t matter.
“Second, (the) Australian team – when any
other people come to play (I support) the Aus-
tralian team, I tell the people that.”
After his initial mission in Toowoomba,
Fr Thottankara moved back to India before
returning to Australia to work in the Brisbane
archdiocese in 1997.
He spent more than four years at Surfers Para-
dise but was called back to India for another 13
years, serving as rector for the minor seminary
and as a mission superior.
“I came back to Australia in 2013,” Fr Thot-
tankara said.
“I have been in the country parish like Roma,
and I had experienced the city, Gold Coast and
Brisbane, so I had a variety of experience in this
place.
“I found it very rich and precious; those expe-
riences made me who I am.”
Fr Thottankara was also instrumental in open-
ing the first mission house base for his congrega-
tion, located at Holland Park.
Ordained a priest in 1981, Fr Thottankara fol-
lowed a deep desire to serve the poor.
“That was my attraction, helping the poor,”
he said.
“I visited so many remote areas of India (and)
that gave me an incentive to work for such
people.”
The desire to serve the poor never waned,
even in his missions in Australia.
“I have seen in the Gold Coast and in other
areas, really people on the street,” Fr Thot-
tankara said.
“I was also getting involved in Rosies and I
have seen real street kids.
“People were sleeping outside our church at
St Vincent’s (in Surfers Paradise) and when we
go to Monday morning for Mass there were so
many people sleeping there, we had to move
them to get into the church.
“There is poverty in Australia in that sense.
“I buried so many people, those who have
taken drugs and died.”
Fr Thottankara returned to India on May 1 and
began his new role on May 2.
Fr Joson Antony, former associate pastor at
Caboolture, will take over from Fr Thottankara
at Holland Park Mt Gravatt.
I buried so
many people,
those who have
taken drugs and
died.
Crisis pregnancy centre needs CEO
VOLUNTEERS for a charity helping women
in crisis pregnancies are looking for a chief ex-
ecutive officer to lead the demanding mission.
A Pregnancy Crisis Incorporated (PCI)
spokesman said the Brisbane-based charity
needed to split the roles of their president and
CEO Patti Camp, and applications for the new
position were now open.
“We are looking for someone who will be
responsible for leading over 100 volunteers,”
the spokesman said.
PCI was founded in 2008 by Brisbane
couple Alan and Patti Camp to help mothers
confronted with an unplanned pregnancy in
difficult circumstances.
The charity runs a confidential safe house
in Brisbane for victims of domestic violence,
and has volunteer support workers who visit
clients in their own homes.
The PCI spokesman said the new CEO would
have to ensure the charity conducted all its
activities in accordance with the relevant legis-
lation and statutory authorities’ requirements.
They said negotiation skills would be
important because the position involved deal-
ing with government and non-government
agencies, including organisations that referred
clients to PCI.
The CEO would oversee the charity’s fund-
raising and promotional activities, and would
have an accountant, volunteer office staff and
area co-ordinators reporting to them.
Remuneration will be by negotiation.
Applications can be sent to The President,
Pregnancy Crisis Incorporated, PO Box 427,
Moorooka, Qld, 4105 or .
A CV and cover letter must be included.
Applications close on Monday, May 15.
For more information, call 1300 777 777 or
07 3892 7662. – Nancy Webb