Local News

New Pastor’s Perspective

“It’s not about me. It’s the message of Jesus.”

ELKINS – If the Rev. Father Babu Joseph Elamturuthil, the new pastor of St. Brendan and St. Patrick Catholic churches, were going to write the word serve, it would likely be in all capital letters or underlined, or maybe both. That's because that one word is the essence of how he lives the priesthood to meet the needs of the people of his parish, community and the Catholic church.

"It's not about me. It's the message of Jesus," said Father Babu, a native of Kerala, India. "That is to love the people and serve the people and meet the needs of the people."

That dedication began nearly four decades ago when, after earning master's degrees in theology and Malayalam literature, Father Babu was ordained in the Diocese of Thamarassery in India.

He served parishes throughout his home country for 25 years until 2012, when a senior priest asked him if he'd consider a move to the United States, specifically the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, where he was working and there was a shortage of priests. While Father Babu was interested, the approval process wasn't immediate.

"I asked our former bishop (in India) if I could come, but he wouldn't allow it. He had the opinion I was needed there," Father Babu said. "Later, I asked our current bishop (in India), who was also a former classmate, and he agreed."

The transition to West Virginia came with somewhat of a culture shock. The food, customs and American dialects -- not to mention the colloquial ones -- were different. The weather took some getting used to, considering a chilly winter day in India can dip to 70 degrees.

Gracefully, it all came together and his 14 years of service to the Diocese spanned the state from south to north to include St. Francis de Sales in Beckley, St. Stephen in Ona, St. Anthony in Charleston along with mission parish Our Lady of the Hills in Elkview, St. Paul in Weirton, and both parishes of St. Augustine in Grafton and St. Elizabeth in Philippi.

On Aug. 1, the Very Rev. John P. McDonough, V.F., pastor of St. Mary Catholic Church in Star City, celebrated Father Babu's installation Mass at St. Brendan. The formal liturgical rite included the presentation of Father Babu to the parish community and the signing of a document that marked Father Babu's official acceptance of his appointment and commitment to the parish. A reception with food prepared by the Holy Rosary Guild took place after Mass.

The latest appointment marks Father Babu's continuation of his family legacy in the priesthood -- he's the fourth generation following behind his uncle, great uncle and great-great uncle. Yet the decision to commit to his life's vocation wasn't based on continuing the lineage. It resulted from a story his great uncle shared. However, it didn't make him think about what he wanted to be, but instead what he didn't want to be.

As the story goes, there was a priest who received a call in the middle of the night requesting that he come to a parishioner's home to anoint a family member who was seriously ill -- a sacrament in the Catholic church administered to bring spiritual and even physical strength during an illness, especially near the time of death. To reach the house, the priest would have to walk four miles in the dark. He declined and told the parishioner he would come the next day.

"Maybe there was some other reason, maybe because of his safety, that he didn't go. But for me, that was not the correct thing to do," Father Babu said. "If somebody is in sacramental need, even though it may involve risking our own life, we have to go. I was thinking if that was Jesus in his place, what he would have been done. If someone is in need, you should step into the situation and do something good.

"So, it was not a good model that made me think of becoming a priest but a bad model," he said. "You can learn from good examples and bad examples because either one can put a seed in your heart."

That same ideology of turning a negative into a positive is reflected in one of his favorite pasttimes -- reading and how he selects books.

"I like stories that give some kind of insight or poetry with nice morals. When I read, I always think about how I can convey a message to the people or how can I make use of this story to explain the Gospel."

On the lighter side, there are social gatherings with other Diocesan priests from India, called companion priests, who share their culture with dinners and card games.

Since he arrived in West Virginia, Father Babu makes a return trip to India every year to visit his family, including his three brothers. His sister, who lives in the United Kingdom, often joins them. Together, they honor the blessings of their parents, now deceased; their father in 2006 and their mother in 2009.

With his new appointment to St. Brendan in Elkins and St. Patrick in Coalton, Father Babu feels at home and is looking forward to getting better acquainted with his parish families.

"When I came here, I was so comfortable because the people were so welcoming," he said. "I never felt like a stranger."

Father Babu is assisted by Pastoral Associates the Rev. Raymond Godwin and the Rev. Aaron Talbott. For more information about St. Brendan or St. Patrick Catholic churches, visit www.stbrendanwv.weebly.com/.