‘Father Tom’ seeks to bring parish ‘family’ closer to altar, Jesus

WOODBRIDGE — A priest with a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin is the new spiritual leader of St. James Parish.

Bishop James F. Checchio installed Vocationist Father Thomas Naduviledathu as pastor of the faith community during a July 11 Mass attended by hundreds both in person and via livestream.

In his homily, Bishop Checchio reminded the congregation, “There are three essentials of prayer: patience, perseverance and persistence. Never become discouraged… Continue to build up the kingdom.”

Serving as administrator since September of last year, Father Naduviledathu — affectionately called “Father Tom” by his parishioners — was born in India in 1980. He joined the Vocationist Fathers in 1996 at Thalore Father Justin Vocationary and continued his studies in Marymatha Major Seminary at Mulayam Thrissur Kerala, India. Father Naduviledathu took his perpetual vows of poverty, chastity and obedience in 2004; was ordained as a deacon in 2007, and was ordained as a priest by Bishop Mathew Areckal in Kanjirappally, India, on Jan. 7, 2008.

Recalling his family’s great faith, Father Naduviledathu said, “I have had a great devotion to the Blessed Mother from the very beginning. Any time there was anything I needed, I asked her for help. There were four of us [children]. We would go out and play, and my father always said, ‘If you don’t come home for the Angelus, you don’t get dinner.’”

The new pastor first served as assistant vicar in a parish in Kerala, India, until October 2009, when his order requested he take leadership of a parish in the United States. In an interview following his installation, Father Naduviledathu spoke of how he first applied for a visa to Europe before his eventual migration to the U.S.

“I was supposed to go to England, but I ended up in New England instead,” he said of his assignment as pastor to five churches in the Diocese of Burlington, Vt. “I arrived in November [2014]. It started snowing the next day, and never stopped until Easter,” he said with a laugh.

The following December, Father Naduviledathu was reassigned to the pastorate at St. Cecelia Parish, Iselin, where he remained until transferring to St. James last September.

During the tradition-rich installation rite, the bishop invited members of various parish ministries to stand to indicate their willingness to work together with their new pastor for the good of the people. Father Naduviledathu pledged to “accept and hold each and everything that is proposed by the Church.”

“To bring the people closer to the altar and Jesus,” is his one goal for the parish, Father Naduviledathu said. “Everything else is secondary. We are Vocationists. Vocations is our business. I don’t want to attract people to me, but to Jesus.”

At the conclusion of the Mass, Father Naduviledathu addressed his flock for the first time as their new shepherd.

“When I arrived, I told you that I don’t have family in this country,” the Indian-born priest said. “You are my family. You are the ones who support me. I survive on your prayers.”

Continuing, he said, “I once heard a holy priest preach that the priests are the first ones to be attacked by the devil. On the walls of hell hang pictures of priests with the label ‘most wanted.’ We need your prayers.”

Father Naduviledathu then knelt before a statue of Mary at the front of the church, pledging, “I dedicate my pastorate to the Blessed Mother,” as the congregation joined him in singing ‘Regina Caeli.’”