Carmelite Deacons….in the Footsteps of Christ
“...available in life, meek of heart and in constant dialogue with Jesus, you will not be afraid to be servants of Christ, and to encounter and caress the flesh of the Lord in the poor of our time.”
– Pope Francis address to the deacons May 30, 2016

As St. Paul says, “...Deacons likewise must be men of dignity but holding to the mystery of the faith with a conscience” (1 Timothy 3:8), the Catholic Church after having recognized these virtues in our Carmelite brothers namely; Bros. Ronald Pudthado, Jason Coutinho, and Aaron Babusha Rodrigues, gladly raised them to the rank of clergy on 13th October 2021 at St. Joseph’s Church, Jeppu. They were conferred the sacred order of Diaconate by Bishop Peter Paul Saldanha along with seven other diocesan brothers from Mangalore and Udupi dioceses during the Eucharistic celebration at 3:00 PM. It was indeed a privilege to see the overjoyed yet angelic faces of our brothers when they received the Dalmatic in the presence of their family, friends and especially the Carmelite family.

A fraternal felicitation was arranged at St. Joseph’s Monastery after the vespers at 8:00 PM. During the event, the newly elected Provincial Fr. George Santhumayor was felicitated by the superior of the house Fr. Charles Serrao. The deacons were also felicitated and a melodious composition by Br. Pranay was the highlight of the evening which enumerated the qualities of these newly ordained deacons. The guests for this event included our friars from the neighbouring Carmelite communities of Madanthyar, Ryshivana and Koteshwara and also the parents of Dn. Jason. The celebration reached its climax in the sumptuous fraternal meal which was blessed by Fr. Archibald Gonsalves.