Moate "is like a home to me" says Fr Jaison as he celebrates 25-year ordination anniversary

Fr Jaison Kuthanpillil took something of a leap of faith when he arrived in Moate on February 29, 2008, but he now considers the Westmeath town to be like another home.

While he arrived in Moate on a Leap Day with the intention of staying for a two-year trial in Ireland, Fr Jaison has never looked back and has served the community as a Carmelite priest for the last 17 years.

A native of Kerala in southern India, Fr Jaison marks the 25th anniversary of his ordination this year.

A double celebration is taking place in Moate this evening (Wednesday, July 16) which will mark the 25th anniversary of his ordination, and the 60th anniversary of the ordination of Rosemount native Fr Jimmy Murray.

A Mass of Thanksgiving for the two milestones is to be celebrated at 7.15pm this evening, with refreshments to be served afterwards in the Carmelite Pastoral Centre.

At just 15, Jaison Kuthanpillil joined the Carmelite order in 1987 and while he had 20 classmates in that first year, by the time he was ordained 14 years later he was the only one of the class who remained.

Speaking about his reasons for joining the Carmelites, he said: "At the time, to become a priest was a big honour. Our parish priest was a great inspiration. He was a great preacher and a great singer. Fr Kuriakose Kachiramattam was a great inspiration for young people at the time. He passed away last year. He had a big concert group in India. I would like to pay my respects to him because he was a great inspiration."

The eldest of three children, Fr Jaison spent three years in the minor seminary, which he described as similar to the Leaving Certificate programme before spending one year as a novitiate and then he received the Carmelite habit and took his First Profession.

"I then spent two years in philosophy studies in Bangalore and then one year in regency for practical things, where you are in charge of a house and you get your driving licence," he explained.

"I spent years eight, nine and ten studying theology and then at that point all of my classmates had left. I asked for a little break and I studied in college in Bangalore and then I became a priest."

While in college in Bangalore, Fr Jaison studied journalism, psychology and English, and after he was ordained a priest he completed his Masters in Counselling Psychology.

He said this course has stood him great stead during his time in the priesthood.

"It helps me in my day to day life, it helps me to understand people and see their point of view. It helps every time I prepare a homily, it was a very, very good course," said Fr Jaison.

On October 16, 2007, Fr Jaison came to Ireland and spent four months in Gort Muire, Dublin, before moving to Moate.

"It was decided at Provincial level for me to come to Ireland due to shortage of priests, to assist with the Irish Province. I came here for a two-year trial period, and now I'm in my 18th year in Ireland," he said.

"I never lived in India in one place for more than ten years, even at home. It is like a home to me," he said of Moate. "I know more people by name here than in India. I became an Irish citizen in 2014.

"The people are very good to me. They are nice and welcoming to me. They accepted me, even though they are different to me culturally," he said.

He pointed out that he has spent the majority of his time in the priesthood in Moate, and he is very happy there. Fr Jaison was appointed Prior of the Carmelite in Moate in 2015 and three years later he was appointed Prior and Bursar, something he describes as the highlight of his 25 years in the priesthood. He held the position of Prior until last year as you cannot hold the post for more than three terms, but he remains as Bursar.

"It was a great honour for me," he said of being appointed Prior and Bursar. "They put their trust in me. That was a great title they gave me."

He said, while there are some differences between the cultures of Ireland and India, the people are the same emotionally.

"There are cultural differences - in eating food and expressing, I can see cultural difference. I can evaluate the different aspects and take the best from both sides," he said.

Fr Jaison said while he has developed a taste for Irish food, he still loves spicy Indian food and takes any opportunity he can to sample Indian cooking. Up until last year, he said Mass to the Indian Catholic community in Tullamore until the appointment of their own parish priest there.

"I have many Indian friends here, so I am not completely deprived of food from home," he joked.

And while spicy food is one thing he misses, he also misses his family, although he adds that technological advances have made this much easier. His mother and brother, and his family, remain in Kerala, while his sister lives in Australia, and his father passed away before he came to Ireland.

"I go home for a month every year. And WhatsApp is a great advance. Before, each time I came back, I was homesick for a month. Technology really helped me. I can talk to mother and see her any time," he said.