On August 30, two new priests from India arrived in the Diocese of Saginaw to serve in area parishes. They are from the same Archdiocese of Hyderabad as Fr. Raj and Fr. Richard. Fr. Sunil Kumar Pallela will be serving at St. Agnes Parish, Freeland and St. John Vianney Parish, Saginaw and Fr. Bala Showry Madanu will be serving at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, Saginaw. The third priest, Fr. Amal Raj Madanu, will arrive in late September and serve at St. John Paul II Parish, Carrollton and Christ the Good Shepherd Parish, Saginaw. He is awaiting his visa approval appointment on September 13. All three priests will reside in the rectory at Christ the Good Shepherd Parish, Saginaw.
The settling in process for foreign priests takes some time. They must get use to a new culture, get a Social Security number, driver's training and licensing and automobile, set up a bank account, etc. At the same time, they begin serving in their respective parishes and get to know a parish community. Their first time in a parish in our Diocese is meant to be no more than a year where upon they will be assigned to administrate and pastor a parish of their own. Each of them come with years of parish and administrative experience in India. Our goal is to have them prepared to fulfill this role in an American parish. Please warmly welcome these priests as you see them around our parishes.