Community
7 March, 2025
Warm welcome for newest priest
ST Patrick’s Catholic Parish has welcomed a new priest, who is bringing experience from various areas across Australia and overseas.
Father George Kuruvila has spent his first weeks visiting churches in the Camperdown, Timboon and Hampden parishes, which includes Catholic churches in Camperdown, Lismore, Cobden, Timboon, Simpson, Terang and Mortlake.
Fr Kuruvila said he chose Camperdown as his new home to serve as a central base for his new district.
“When I was asked by the bishop to take up this post, and he asked me where I would like to stay, I told him I wanted to stay in Camperdown because it would be a good place for me to begin with,” he said.
“Then I will see what I can do later on.”
Fr Kuruvila is originally from Kerala – which has a strong Catholic tradition – in southern India, where he served as a member of the Missionary Society of St Thomas the Apostle.
He was ordained in 1995 and started his ministry in northern India before heading to Sweden in 2000.
Fr Kuruvila spent 10 years in Sweden – which included time in the Arctic Circle – before travelling to Australia and joining the Diocese of Ballarat.
While Fr Kuruvila served in Catholic churches in Edenhope, Casterton, Coleraine, Tarrayoukyan, Balmoral, Harrow, Apsley, Minimay, and Goroke, he said he felt the Camperdown, Terang and Hampden parishes were “so welcoming and warm”.
“They have been wonderful,” he said.
“They’re beautiful and they’re all welcoming.
“It’s a good time to be here because we are beginning Lent on Wednesday, so it’s a good time to start my ministry.
“I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Fr Neville Stanislaus for his dedicated service as parish priest and administrator – I wish him every blessing in his new ministry as the parish priest of Gariwerd.
“I look forward to working with Fr Jim McKay who is sharing my ministry in the whole ministry district as visiting priest.”
Fr Kuruvila said he was looking forward to learning more about the area and serving the community.
“I want to give myself to the communities – this is what I want,” he said.
“It is more than a profession where I will achieve this or that.
“I have already told people I can contribute to serving the community, so I am happy to do that.
“Since I have only just started, I don’t fully know everything in detail – I want to learn things and then, if I can do more, then I will be able to do more.”
Read More: Camperdown