MAY/JUNE 2022
Fr. Lawrence Vadakkan Shares His Vocation Journey ‘I Am Happy to Help out However I Am Needed Here”
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s Fr. Lawrence Vadakkan was live in India.” growing up in Kerala, India, Over time, young Lawrence he was touched by the tender began to sense that Our Lord mercy and providence of God in was calling him to a profoundly an extraordinary way. special and meaningful way of “For three years, on every life — one that would mirror third Friday of the month, we His very own. Seeking to follow would have Mass, offered at our His beloved will for his life, he home,” he says. “This was while entered a seminary of the Saleour parish was acquiring a new sians of Don Bosco in India. church building. It helped me get “I was in the same class as to know priests well and sowed Fr. Antony, and we studied phia seed of love for the priestly life losophy and theology together, in my heart. I would say this preparing ourselves for priestly was the first time I began to feel ministry,” he says. “I really the call to the priesthood. It was enjoyed my time in seminary, such a blessing for our family.” especially all of the opportuniFr. Lawrence Vadakkan Looking back, Fr. Lawrence is ties I had to come to know Christ deeply grateful for the beautiful, devout family intimately and learn about His life.” with which God blessed him. Since his ordination to the Eternal Priest“My parents were devout Catholics, and hood of Jesus Christ in 1990, Fr. Lawrence there is no doubt in my mind that they helped has had many inspiring moments. nurture my vocation,” he says. “I had three “After working in a school in India for six brothers and two sisters, but I lost one of my years, I then went to Sicily for 10 years, due to younger brothers in an accident in 2004, so the lack of priestly vocations there,” he says. there are only five of us left. All of my siblings “The agreement was that I could study there continued on page 5
