Two priests have been getting to know their “new family” after coming over from India to work in our diocese.

Father Xavier Santhiyagu, from the state of Tamil Nadu, and Father Anil Kumar Narisetti, from Andhra Pradesh, arrived in the UK in February and are living at St Francis Parish in Acklam, Middlesbrough.  

They will assist Monsignor Gerard Robinson in the churches within St Mary’s Cathedral Parish –St Francis, St Clare’s in Brookfield and the Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Grace, Osmotherley.

The two are both members of the Heralds of Good News, which aims to supply missionaries to dioceses both in India and abroad that are experiencing a shortage of priests due to the lack of local vocations.

Father Xavier said: “I have a strong devotion to Our Lady and I hope and pray that she will assist me. I see statues of Our Lady of Grace everywhere here and I think she will walk before in all my work.”

“Father Anil and I joined the seminary, so we’re very happy that we’re going to work together in the same diocese.”

He entered a seminary at the age of 15 and since being ordained in 2017 has worked as the vice-rector of a minor seminary and helped the provincial of the order with administration and was assistant in St Mary’s Basilica in Bangalore, as well as studying languages.

Asked if he will miss his mum and two elder sisters, Father Xavier said: “Yes, but God has given this family to me now and I will enjoy the people who I meet.” 

Father Anil joined the seminary at the age of 14 and was also ordained in 2017, celebrating his fifth anniversary as a priest in March.

He worked as a parish priest in a remote village in India for a year and then studied pastoral management at the Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram institute in Bangalore. After further studies in Pune, he also worked closely with the provincial superior.

He said: “Now I’m here in the Diocese of Middlesbrough and excited to do my pastoral ministry and continue my work from India to the UK. I come with lots of gratitude to the people here.

“These are the English people who helped us to study in institutions built by the British, so I’m very proud to be here to preach the word of God for them.

“Thank you to Bishop Terry and Monsignor Gerard for inviting us and to our provincial superior for giving us the chance to work here.

“We ask you to bear with us because the dialect is very different – we’ll polish our English language and pick it up in a few months.”

This is the first time the two priests have been to England, but they have been closely following the diocese through its YouTube and Facebook channels as they prepared for their new life here.

Monsignor Gerard Robinson said: “It’s very refreshing to have young priests who are willing and motivated, and I hope their energy resonates throughout our diocese, whatever their ministry is going to be.

“They are eager to learn and to get to know everything and we’re delighted to have them here.

“They should have come two years ago but were unable to because of the pandemic, but the great thing is they’ve been watching us on YouTube and know us very well already.”