By Purushottam Nayak

Rayagada, Jan 13, 2024: A survivor of the 2008 anti-Christian violence in Odisha’s Kandhamal district is the first Catholic priest ordained for the Sons of the Immaculate Conception, an Italian congregation.

Vincentian Bishop Aplinar Senapati Rayagada ordained Uchhaba Pradhan as a priest during a solemn Mass St. Joseph’s Nivas Community, Serma, Gumuda parish, some 100 km from Rayagada district headquarters.

Around 25 priests, 20 nuns and 1,500 Catholics attended the ceremony.

“We are happy to see another Kandhamal survivor becoming a disciple of Jesus,” said Bishop Senapati in his homily.

The prelate said the ordination enables the priest to exercise a sacred power to serve people and spread the Kingdom of God. “Through the hands of priest, the very presence of Jesus Christ is mediated to all people. The priest is called to administrate the Church’s seven sacraments.

Father Pradhan was born May 5, 1992, as the second among four children of Luka Chandra and Pramila Pradhan, belonging to Our Lady of Charity Parish, Raikia, under the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar archdiocese. Except them, all 200 families in Panganaju are Hindu.

After completing his intermediate, he joined the Italian congregation in June 2010. His first profession was in in 2013. He studied philosophy and theology at Jeevalaya Institute of Philosophy.

The newly ordained priest said nobody can stop God’s call to join His mission.

His mother Pramila Pradhan said they are grateful to God their son’s “precious call.”

Father Pradhan recalled how during the violence he had to leave his house and spent days in the forest without food and drink, without shelter and security.

Father Benny Mekkattu, the congregation’s superior general said, “It is a great day of joy to celebrate the call to priestly ordination and ministry for God.”

The congregation was founded in Italy on September 8, 1857 by Blessed Luigi Maria Monti. Its charism is to take care the sick and educate the poor and needy youth.

At present, the congregation is present in 22 countries including India, where they opened their house in 1973. The first Indian to join them was Father Mathew Chemmarappallil, who was a diocesan priest. The Indian delegation was raised as a province on December 25, 2000

The congregation has 111 members serving the Church in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha and Tamil Nadu.

The first priest from Odisha is Father Debendra Nath Nayak.