Seminarian Jinson

The Bible passage from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah (Jer 1:5) struck seminarian Jinson right to the heart: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” For Jinson experienced God's call to become a priest and to serve His people in a similar way. And for him too, God had from the very beginning prepared the fertile ground on which his vocation could unfold.

From Fisherman's Son to Fisher of Men

Jinson was born in 1994 in the port city of Kollam (formerly Quilon) in the South Indian state of Kerala. His deeply religious parents – his father is a fisherman, his mother a homemaker – were shining examples for him and his two siblings. Their parish of St. John the Baptist was the spiritual home of the family. There, from childhood on, he formed friendships with the local priests for whom he served as an altar server.

After finishing school, Jinson entered St. Raphael's Minor Seminary, where he received six years of formation and earned a Bachelor's degree in the Humanities. His parents supported him wholeheartedly. He was then sent to the Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Tamil Nadu, where he completed his studies in philosophy before returning to his home diocese. There he got to know its institutions and pastoral activities. Jinson gladly agreed to the rector's request that he become his assistant at the Minor Seminary. During this time, his bishop decided to send him to Rome for further studies at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. Jinson has been studying theology there since the autumn semester of 2019.

The greatest problem in his homeland is the oppressive poverty under which people suffer. Added to this is the growing persecution of religious minorities, especially Christians, by Hindu fundamentalists. Christians in the north of the country are hit the hardest. They cannot count on help from the government, since it in some cases even supports the persecutors and denies Christians their rights.

So That Faith May Grow

It also pains Jinson greatly that in his country some of the faithful have lost their trust in priests because a few among them do not live exemplary lives. This strengthens him even more in his desire to become a holy servant of God. He longs for people to regain their trust in priests, and he longs to pass on education, so that faith may grow and life may flourish.

We ask you most sincerely: support seminarians like Jinson with your prayers, and if possible, with your generous donation! India needs priests like him, so that more and more people can come to know Christ.

Thank you for your solidarity!