Sr Lini Sheeja MSC –
God doesn’t come directly to give us what we need but rather He always sends His messengers to provide us with what we need. “Fr Jeremias is a priest sent by God to our family. I was a heart-patient and it was through the mercy of God and the help of Fr Jeremias that I’m alive today. He had supported our family with medical and educational assistance. If we as a family ever ate fruits and had some healthy food, we owed it to him only. We never had financial sources to buy a Christmas cake for our family, but all the same we had a Christmas cake every year. Thank you Fr Jeremias! It’s only because of you! Thank you Father for lifting so many children, youth, homeless, elderly and bringing a smile to our faces! You will ever remain in our hearts as a loving Father who not only heard our sorrows, but wiped our tears as well through the various means of support you provided,” says Bibin from Kanyakumari, from the southernmost tip of India, about Fr Jeremias George whose vocation and ministry is described in this article. Bibin had undergone heart-surgery as a 4 year-old-boy who now has two children and runs a small shop.
“As my daughter was doing 12th grade, her only desire was to do nursing and to work as we her parents were uneducated. Being a fisherman my husband had no means of educating my daughter with the financial condition of our family. Her dreams for pursuing her higher studies were totally blocked. As I already knew about Fr Jeremias’ untiring works and his projects for the needy and poor children, I approached him and he supported my daughter. We are ever grateful to you Fr Jeremias, and when my daughter starts working we will support other needy children who need to be lifted,” says Mrs Mary from Nagercoil. “Sister, can you give me the contact number of Fr Jeremias. I want to contact him regarding some education support for my children. There are so many children who have completed their studies and have settled in life through the financial support received from him.” This is what a lady shared with me by phone two weeks ago, which inspired me to pen down this article. I met Fr Jeremias last week in Germany. His humble background and his call from seashore as the first priest of Enayam Puthenthurai village inspired me to pen down this article.
Fr Jeremias, hailing from Enayam Puthenthurai village, Kanyakumari District of Tamil Nadu went through lots of hardship financially as a young boy and he never thought that he would ever become a priest amidst the struggles they were going through as a family to makes ends meet. Being the second child in his family with bigger dreams in life, he always wanted to study beyond the minimum, but the financial situation of the family was always a block to pursue his dreams. Every priest and religious has remarkable moments in the course of their journey to follow their calling. The first disciple whom Jesus called was Peter, the fisherman. The first Pope whom Jesus appointed was Peter, the fisherman. And Fr Jeremias admitted in his own words that he never imagined he too would be called to be a priest to serve in the Lord’s vineyard as the first priest from his village.
Why don’t you become a Priest?
As he was completing his 8th grade, he was asked by the CTC nuns in whose school he was studying, ‘Why don’t you become a priest?’ They offered him 50% support to continue his studies, but his father couldn’t make up the remaining 50% as he had to take care of the livelihood of his other children. As a young boy, he was therefore forced to go fishing according to the prevailing custom of boys in his village getting into fishing trade from a very early age.
Call from Seashore
Did God want him to go fishing and call him from the shore? Indeed, God’s ways are different from our ways. Yes, Fr Jeremias was called from the shore. As a young boy, his body couldn’t withstand the sea wind and he was sick almost every day, which he took as a sign to begin his higher studies and he decided to do it. But this particular decision brought many demands on him. He had to walk 16 kms to school and back to continue his studies. There were many days when he had to go to school without breakfast. But he never gave up! Fr Jeremias said in his own words, “Today, when I look back to those days, I ask myself, what made me to never give up? Was it because my father was a fisherman who fought against the sea-waves to feed us and to give us, his children a better life? However, I stand humbly before the Lord for all the blessings which made me complete my 11th grade”.
After his 11th grade, as he was waiting for his results, he happened to attend the ordination of a priest in the neighbouring village. As his uncle had good contacts with all the priests, he was seated with them and this little boy, Jeremias was seated by his side as a young boy. Suddenly, a priest from the neighbouring village asked his uncle, “Our village is very small and yet we have many priests. But though your village is big, why has no one from there become a priest till today?” Then he enquired from him what Jeremias was planning to do. His uncle without a second thought replied to the priest, “If my nephew, Jeremias, is interested in becoming a priest I will support him for his priesthood.” And that was the moment of inspiration for Fr Jeremias as a young boy, to say yes to God and to place his tiny hands into God’s hands in 1967.
To live for the One who called!
The long awaited day of his priestly ordination came in 1978 when he became a priest with the motto of living for the One who called him and to serve His people in His vineyard. The poor, the marginalised and the vulnerable were always his focus, his goal and dream. After working for some years in the diocese as an assistant parish priest and prefect in the minor seminary, he was asked to go for his doctorate to Rome to which he was hesitant at the beginning, thinking that he would be separated from the poor and his dreams lost. But, that was God’s plan and Fr Jeremias was asked to board the flight to Rome in 1985.
The doctorate in Pastoral Theology paved the way clear for his dreams. His thesis was, “The responsibility of the Church to the Poor: with special reference to the fisher-folk.” As he was completing his Doctorate, the new Bishop who was elected for Kottar diocese came to Rome for his consecration, asked Fr Jeremias to continue his studies further in Sociology as he was impressed with Jeremias’ thesis. As a priest, saying yes to the Bishop meant that he had to go for another course of studies, for which he had to travel to New York. While living there he worked as a Chaplain at St Francis Hospital, a well-known heart speciality hospital of New York, to earn the money for his studies.
What happened later?
On 12 May 1991, he travelled to Rome with two other Indian priests and it happened that on the next day as he was taking them around in the city of Rome, suddenly he fell unconscious on the road close to the Colosseum. After being hospitalised for a few days he was discharged, and he travelled to India with a German lady who was keenly interested to come to India and get to know more about his family. She had liked him from the time they met in the parish where he had gone for his holiday ministry and she had helped him during his studies in Rome and was keen to continue to help even in supporting his family in India. As he was completing his studies in Rome, his benefactress got three more ladies who were also interested in supporting him. They in turn thought of collecting some money to help him purchase a car in India when he would get back. When Fr Jeremias was informed of their car project for him, he tried to convert their idea and requested them instead to support the education of children who were his real-life dream so as to provide a better future for them.
During her visit to India, the lady was stunned to see the situation in India where so many people were affected by poverty and living under pathetic conditions. Moved at seeing the deplorable situation of the people she went back to Germany, and described it to many of her friends and family and to the parish community as well and started supporting our people in India.
Falling to Rise!
The fall of Fr Jeremias near the Colosseum in Rome was a rising for many. As he went back to New York after his holidays, he was diagnosed with Cardiac Syncope and in the same hospital, where he was doing his ministry as a chaplain, he was fitted with a Pacemaker in 1991 which required that he would have to fly to Germany or New York for periodic check-up. “This Pacemaker gave me not only a new life, but made me to journey to the core of my calling through many kind-hearted friends of mine who wanted to support the poor children in India for their education,” said Fr.Jeremias. In 1997, as he came for the periodic check up to Germany, he participated in a prayer meeting with the same old friends who wanted to collect money to purchase a car for him. In their prayer meeting, James chapter two was read and when James 2:17 was read: “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead,” the Spirit of the Lord moved every believer of Christ who were gathered under that same roof and asked them to leap into the darkness with total faith in God and get into action. And his friends said that they wanted to reach out to the needy in India and to work for the upliftment of the poor and vulnerable. How marvellous are God’s ways that are different but always perfect.
Mission Strengthened
Being moved by the Spirit of the Lord, from the words of James 2:17, the friends of Fr Jeremias came to India and they strengthened his calling and their mission was found! We launched Partnership Kottar in 1998 to support 25 children from his village, but today they are supporting over 3,000 children from all communities and religions. 1000 elderly are receiving monthly pension of Rs 500. And almost 1000 homes have been constructed for the homeless.
“When I look back to what I experienced, I strongly believe that God had chosen me before I was born, to be an instrument of mercy, to reach out to the suffering and to lift the vulnerable. I’m convinced of God’s perfect ways in my life, through the poverty I experienced in my childhood and the falls I had in every struggle, every confusion, every sickness, that I was called to reach-out to the poorest of the poor, who also experience what I went through,” said Fr.Jeremias who found his call within a call.
God helped me to help others!
“Jesus is the one who calls, not the priest, nor the bishop or the Pope. It is Jesus who gazes at him with love, who shows him the people, who shows him the needs of the people of God and says, “if you wish, come help,” said Pope Francis some time ago to the bishop of San Bernardo in Chile who asked him, “what would you say to a young person who at this moment feels a vocation to the priesthood or religious life?”
“Jesus called me from the seashore and I said yes to Him. Today, when I look back to the 73 years of my journey, I have only tears of gratitude to offer to God, who called me, appointed me, commissioned me and helped me to live my motto, ‘No child should be deprived of education for want of money.’ It helped me to reach out to the unreached and help them to provide a better future. I wished to be a priest, and God helped me to help others through His abundant graces. The world needs many more priests and nuns to reach out to the unreached. No matter what you are! Where you come from! Jesus is calling you! Listen to Him and respond to Him. He will help you reach out to others,” is the message that Fr Jeremias gives as he was called from a humble background to reach the unreached.
If you are inspired to support Fr Jeremias, please do so at the below-mention address:
Bank Details
Zukunft für Kottar e.V.
Raiffeisenbank Oberpfalz Süd eG,
IBAN: DE06 7506 2026 0201 8117 89, BIC: GENODEF1DST
Fr Jeremias George was ordained a priest for the diocese of Kottar in 1978. He did his doctorate in Pastoral Theology at Lateran University, Rome and Masters in Sociology at St John’s University, New York. He served as diocesan Financial Administrator from 1994-99 after which he served as Parish Priest in two parishes. In 2003, he was appointed to promote the education of poor and needy children.