STUDY is not a new concept for Carmelite of Mary Immaculate Father Jose Thekkemuriyil.
At 15, after just having completed Year 10 in his hometown in Kerala in the south of India, Fr Jose received a letter from a priest inviting him to join the CMIs.
He accepted the invitation, and spent the next 14-and-a-half years in formation at the seminary.
He completed Years 11 and 12, undertook two years of philosophy, four years of theology, and two years in the novitiate before being ordained at 30.
Fr Jose is one of three children and grew up in the Syro-Malabar rite of the Church, a tradition passed on from his great-great-grandparents and probably beyond.
During his seminary formation, Fr Jose’s father died, aged 49.
“The loss of my dad did not affect my journey of seminary formation,” he said.
“Humanly speaking, yes maybe for a couple of weeks, then finally I thought, ‘No, it is something that I cannot help’.”
A nun from his old parish in Kerala even made a comment that Fr Jose, the eldest son of three children, should leave the order to attend to his grieving mother.
“But my mother told me after my ordination that they were praying for me to keep going with the novitiate,” he said.
“I did not think in that line. I thought, ‘No, that’s not my call to leave’.
“So I completed 15 years, with a lot of seminarians around, having fun and serious studies as well.”
In 2011, Fr Jose was appointed to the Brisbane archdiocese and on February 14, began life as a priest in Australia, along with fellow CMI priest, Fr Josekutty Vadakkel.
He began working in Annerley-Ekibin parish alongside Fr Michael McKeaten and is now associate pastor for Hendra/Northgate parish with Fr Michael McCarthy.
The joy-filled priest is also entering his second year at the Australian Catholic University’s Brisbane campus, this time not to study, but as chaplain.
“It’s really an exciting mission for me, and I’m enjoying my mission here, especially with the staff and students,” he said. 
“It’s not a job, it’s not a task to be fulfilled, but a mission.”
Fr Jose said his appointment to work on behalf of the archdiocese at ACU was “a great privilege”.
He said the support and encouragement from the staff and students at ACU mattered deeply to him.
“I can sometimes see some students running to me, and it makes my day,” he said.
Fr Jose said the most important aspects of his mission at ACU were being present on campus and “slowly building up a Catholic culture”.
“The English expression is to ‘show the (Catholic) flag’, but I say, ‘show the collar’,” he said.
Fr Jose and the chaplaincy staff create regular opportunities for students and staff to “enjoy the fruits of Catholic life”.
This includes daily Mass, Adoration, the Sacrament of Reconciliation and an increase in devotions such as the Rosary.
Mass is a particularly important sacrament for Fr Jose, who offers each Mass for the intention of the Brisbane campus.
“I don’t count the numbers in the chapel – if there’s one, fine,” he said.
“The Mass has the same grace and it will work on the campus regardless.
“The power of that sacrament will have its own influence on everyone, directly or indirectly.”
When he’s not saying Mass on campus, Fr Jose can be found greeting students and sharing his life experiences with them.
“Friendship is most important on the campus,” he said.
“Not many will come and look for me.
“I have to go out and say ‘G’day mate’ (and) ask how are they going.”
Despite the early years of non-stop study, the 38-year-old said he had not finished learning yet.
As well as brushing up on his English skills, which is one of four languages he speaks, Fr Jose is slowly learning how to share the faith with students at ACU effectively.
In the short time Fr Jose has been in Australia, he has noticed a significant difference between the participation of young people in the Church here compared with his home Church in India.
“The participation of the young is, when I compare, it is less here,” he said.
“After having lived here for three years, when I ask some of the questions, like why don’t we have youth in the Church, which we do have but not as we have like in growing churches in Africa and Asia, even the culture matters.”
Fr Jose said the materialistic culture and desire for self-sufficiency had the potential to replace the need for God.
“I always say to my friends or students, when we feel self-sufficient, we have very less room for others,” he said
“It happens with God as well.
“If I’m self-sufficient physically, financially, then I think I’m fine.
“When we feel we lack something, we say I need that. Out of that need, sometimes, spiritually I will be convinced that God is the provider.
“There comes the place for God then.
“I want help from God and I believe in a God who will help me.”
Breaking through this materialistic culture and building up the Catholic faith among students at the university is an important focus for Fr Jose.
“What I’m trying to do is at this stage, is just trying to help others, explaining my experience, like when I was a child, I took it in this way, but now I understand things in this way,” he said.
“I think most of us are led by our convictions.
“If I’m not convinced – whatever be the subject – maths, faith, science – if I’m not convinced, I will have thousands of questions to be answered, and I’ll look for those answered but won’t be convinced.
“But my convictions are shaped by my experiences, from the first day I was born to today.
“I put all my experiences together and then I make my convictions, and so do others.
“How can I convince others of the faith? What I can do is just share what I felt and what I feel.
“That’s what I do with the subject of faith – it’s not teaching faith, just sharing my experiences based on all those instructions and support from my family, from the order, even from this campus.
“Everyday I learn a bit.”
Fr Jose’s appointment in Australia is for six years, and he said it was “up to Him” whether he stays, returns to India, or is sent on another mission.
