It is now quarter of Thomas knelt before the altar of God in the a century since Fr. Ciya
chapel of our novitiate house at Edoor to receive his
religious habit in the Redemptorist Congregation.
In receiving the religious habit, he vowed his
commitment to the triple band of poverty, chastity
and obedience which was to bind him irrevocably
to God. Twenty five years have passed and Fr. Ciya
is ever more faithful to that gratuitous grace of
God. The Liguori province is exceedingly happy
and grateful to God for the gift of a wonderful
confrere in Fr. Ciya.
As Fr. Ciya celebrates his silver jubilee of Religious
Life, I would like to highlight a few of the many
qualities that vividly stand out in him. From the
time of his seminary days, Fr. Ciya has been known
for his dedication and commitment. His readiness
and ability to stretch himself to any extent to
fulfil the duties and responsibilities assigned to
him is very commendable. As a student, he never
compromised with his studies and took particular
interest to go beyond the class room notes to keep himself abreast with latest knowledge and
information in different fields. He makes sure
that every task, whether big or small, is done
to the best of his ability. This could be
seen in a number of commitments he has
shouldered faithfully in the province.
Before he left for the United States, he
was very active in mission preaching,
particularly in bringing the Word of
God to children and youth both in
India and abroad. His painstaking
efforts behind the growth of youth
ministry in the Province can never
go unnoticed.
Fr. Ciya is an affable, generous and
friendly person. I experienced this
side of his personality in a more
tangible way when I was with him for
a few months at the Redemporist Parish
at Bethpage, New York. He walked an extra mile to make my stay very comfortable. I was
deeply touched by his kind gesture of generosity
and the way he cared for me as his own brother.
There I could also closely watch his apostolic and
missionary zeal which he manifested with great
pastoral care and enthusiasm. He was very close to
the people and ministered to them with the heart
of a true shepherd. The Redemptorist confreres
and the parishioners were very appreciative of
his ‘ever-ready’ attitude and his approachable and
friendly nature.
I am sure that Fr. Ciya’s 25 years of religious yeoman
service is great grace of the Lord and we thank Him
for having gifted us with a wonderful confrere. He
has contributed immensely by using his God-given
gifts for the glory of God and the upbuilding of the
province. We pray that God may extend to him
many more years of fruitful ministry, good health
of mind and body and peaceful and joy-filled life.
Fr. Shiju Mullasseril, CSsR
