Father Abraham’s missionary spirit brings him to Arkansas
Before coming to U.S., priest helped people with disabilities, poor in India
Published: July 30, 2018
Born in Kerala, India, Father Aby Abraham, IMS, grew up watching his parents devote their time to the Church.
“I received my faith from my parents. They were always faithful to the spiritual activities of the church,” Father Abraham said in a biography provided to Arkansas Catholic. “Our everyday family prayer built up our faith and spirituality. I had two aunties who were nuns. They helped me as well.”
He said it was his mother who helped “me realize my vocation” as well as his aunts and the “exemplary life” of his local parish priest. Through God’s intercession in these key people in his life, he found his calling to the priesthood.
“I wanted to become a priest and nothing else,” he told Arkansas Catholic ahead of the June 26 Jubilarian Mass at the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock. “ … We used to go to church almost every day and then we had our evening prayers as a family.”
Father Abraham, 53, pastor of St. Joseph Church in Center Ridge, celebrated 25 years as a priest April 29.
Father Abraham, who has five siblings, entered the seminary at just 15 years old. He had 13 years of formation, ordained by the Indian Missionary Society.
Article source: https://www.arkansas-catholic.org/news/article/5698/Father-Abrahams-missionary-spirit-brings-him-to-Arkansas