Indian Church ordains first deaf-mute priest

By Lissy Maruthanakuzhy

Thrissur, May 6: History was made when an archdiocese in the southern Indian state of Kerala ordained India’s first speech and hearing-impaired priest.

Archbishop Andrews Thazhath of Trichur May 2 ordained Holy Cross Deacon Joseph Thermadom at Our Lady of Dolours Basilica in Thrissur, Kerala’s cultural capital.

He is the second speech and hearing-impaired priest in Asia and 26nd in the world.

Father Thermadom, one of the two sons of Thomas and Rosy, natives of Thrissur, studied Bachelor of Science before entering the Holy Cross congregation.

His brother, who is also deaf and mute, works in the United States, his mother told Matters India on May 5.

Thermadom studied theology at the Dominican Missionaries Deaf Apostolate in the United States. In 2020, he made first profession at the Holy Cross Novitiate at Yercaud in Tamil Nadu and final profession in August 2023.

The congregation says Thermadom’s final profession too had made history as he was the deaf-mute person to do so in India.

The 38-year-old priests conducts prayers in sign language.

Archbishop Andrews Thazhath in his homily referred to Prophet Jeremiah to tell the newly ordained, “Joseph, do not say you are deaf and dumb. My word is in you. You must do what I say. Where I say, you must go.”

The archbishop, who is the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, hailed the new priest as God’s chosen one from the Trichur archdiocese. “It is not your Daddy or uncle who has chosen you. The Lord has called and chosen you. So, you are not the reason Joseph, Jesus is the reason. Jesus is telling you to be with him and you will bear much fruit,” he added.

The archbishop recalled Father Thermadom expressed his desire to offer Mass like his uncle priest when he was 12.

“Eucharist is a blessing. Jesus took bread, blessed it, broken it and gave. Thus Joseph, you have been taken from this community to be blessed by God.”

The archbishop reminded Joseph that a priest’s goal is to remain close to the cross. “To lie on the side of the cross with Christ.”

India has around 60 million speech and hearing-impaired persons. Father Thermadom wants to reach out to them through his congregation, to give them the light of the Gospel. Joseph is chosen for that. We are happy and proud,” Archbishop Thazhath added.