Chronologically, he may be 77 years old, but Camille Ratnakar Prabhu, former rector, St Albert’s College, Ranchi, will celebrate his 50th birthday on Tuesday as a priest.

Remembering his long journey, Prabhu spoke to The Telegraph in Ranchi about the shy young man from Mangalore who landed in Jamshedpur in 1963, finding everything about his new home strange, from the language to the people to the food.

As he candidly says, within a week of his landing at Jamshedpur, he was convinced that he had come to the wrong place. Not knowing “a word of Hindi” did not help either. “I also could not eat the food as the preparations were completely different from what I had been used to at Mangalore,” he confessed. Then, when he was planning to return to Mangalore, Father McGauley, then parish priest, gave him a patient hearing and “so much strength and courage” that the young man decided to stay.

It was in Jamshedpur that he was ordained as a priest in 1966. Now, after all these decades, Prabhu has no intention of going back to Mangalore, the place he so missed once and whose fabled coconut fish curry he still misses. “I want to be buried with my people at Jamshedpur,” he said, his eyes shining.

From an assistant parish priest at Golmuri parish in Jamshedpur to director of Catholic Charities from 1989 to 1995 and again from 1997 to 2002, rector of St Albert’s College, Ranchi, from 2002 to 2009, vicar general, Jamshedpur, from 2009 to 2014, Prabhu currently is posted as the director of Catholic Charities and Samekit Jan Vikas Kendra in Jamshedpur. How has he managed to shoulder so many responsibilities across five decades? Admitting that age was catching up with him, he said: “I just wish I can work harder.”

The regret is not surprising, coming from a man who has always been on his feet. Instrumental in opening St Joseph’s High School and a convent at Golmuri, Amar Jyoti School and a health Centre at Pardih, both in Jamshedpur, and St Xavier’s School in Chaibasa as well as a school in Jhinkpani in West Singhbhum, Prabhu also reorganised the Catholic Charities and virtually revamped St Albert’s College, Ranchi, into a modern theological college.

An inspiring communicator, Prabhu also is fluent in seven languages – Ho, Mundari, Kannad,Tulu, Konkani, Hindi, English and “a little of Bangla”.

He does not shy from pointing out that the missionary zeal of the priests is now “sadly on the decline”. “Many youths stepping into the life of priesthood do not step outside their comfort zones. Young priests need to be deeply religious, excel in academics and be ready to reach out to more and more people, get involved in fighting poverty, illiteracy, ill-health and be willing to learn the good in other religions,” Prabhu said, and as an aside, adds, “We do not have all the answers, hence there is a need to learn the good in other religions.”

Refreshingly candid about one of the thorniest topics concerning priesthood, the life of celibacy, Prabhu said: “Leading a celibate life is very difficult. The desire to fall in love, to experience the pleasure of the body is powerful. I too had attractions when young. As I battled with myself, I sought refuge in prayers.”

He had a lot of respect for the religious Sisters from whom he learnt a lot about service, humility and spirituality. “Because of our vows of celibacy, we tend to stay away from women. But, I have learnt a lot from religious Sisters. Their collaboration with me in all my activities and ministries has enhanced my life. If you respect and support the Sisters, they will perform marvels in your parish,” said the priest.