Philadelphia’s resident Catholic priest, who is affectionately dubbed “Father A” by many, holds the people of this town close to his heart, and the members of his church hold him in equal regard.

It’s hard not to smile around Father Augustine Palimattam. His general friendly aura and humor make him a friend to many and well-known around town.

Though he preaches at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Philadelphia, Palimattam is also a regular at Sacred Heart Church in Louisville.

“I thought by being a priest, I could better serve God and His people,” Palimattam explained.

It took years of hard work to become a priest. He spent many years away from his family in order to serve the Lord. Beginning at the age of 15, he studied to become a priest and was only allowed one month a year to visit with his family.

During his studies in India, he visited many different states, but he calls the city of Cochin in the southern state of Kerala home.

The baby of his family, Palimattam said the hardest part about living in the United States is being away from his family.

“It was not hard adjusting to life here, but I still do miss my parents and siblings,” he said.

However, in April of this year, he was given the opportunity to travel back home and see his family for the first time in two years.

He grinned widely and confided, “One of my favorite parts of that visit was getting to celebrate mass at Mother Teresa’s tomb in Calcutta. It is a memory I will always cherish.”

Though he misses his family in India, he acknowledged that he does have a family here – his church family.

“In the priestly life, wherever I go, I have to accept the people as my family. They truly treat me like a family member here. They are so good to me,” he said.

Father Augustine loves to socialize and one of his favorite events at the church is Social Sunday. On the first Sunday of every month, everyone gets together after mass.

“I love to partake in that,” Palimattam said.

He also enjoys staying active.

He plays racquetball at Philadelphia Athletic Club very often and is teaching ping-pong to youth at Holy Cross Catholic Church.

Father Augustine delights in a home cooked Indian meal, but has grown to love American food as well.

“I love grilled chicken. I even recently bought a grill to learn how to cook it myself,” he said.

“I don’t miss Indian food that much because so many kind Indian families who live here feed me often.”

His favorite comfort food is an Indian dish, puliogare, which is basically yellow tamarind rice. It is served with a boiled egg and spicy achaar, Indian pickle.

Father Augustine is modest about his cooking skills, but his tea is unlike any other. He uses a unique combination of ingredients and mixes the tea Kerala-style, creating a delicious foam.

“Love in action is something I always say,” he said. “When you say love, love has to be followed by some action. My family here doesn’t just love me. I know that they will do anything for me and I will do anything for them.”

(This article appeared in The Neshobademocrat on June 10, 2015)