Jeevan was born in 1998 in India, in the state of Andhra Pradesh. His life has not been easy. The conversion to Christianity from Hinduism in a province where the vast majority of the population is Hindu (over 90.89%) is even dangerous.
When he was just 4 years old, tragedy cut short his family's happiness with the death of his father Bhaskar. His mother, Parvathi, and Jeevan, an only child, were left alone. "No one came to our aid."
"The only refuge we found was Jesus." Parvathi gradually started going to a Protestant church because some distant relatives were Protestants. A providential meeting with a priest brought her and her young son to the Catholic Church, where she found much comfort and much help, something that no one else in this world was giving them.
Thus began his journey from Hinduism to Christianity. His caste and Hindu community disapproved of his conversion to Christianity. To this day, Jeevan and his mother are the only Christians in their entire clan and family, which is still Hindu. "But my mother never gave up in the face of hardship and continued with her faith. I learned from her to go to church and then to serve at Mass. We were baptized in 2005 - I was 7 years old - and, at last, we began our journey as children of God and members of the Catholic Church.
Their happiness was immense, even though life was still full of difficulties. Parvathi remained the sole breadwinner of the family. In spite of everything, he managed to give his son a good education and pass on his faith to him. "I have learned a lot from his pious practices and moral values."
His mother's love for the Holy Mass awakened in Jeevan the idea of becoming a priest to serve God's people. At the age of 13, he told his mother. "She joyfully welcomed my desire, but asked me to take some time and reflect because I was too young to make such a big decision. However, that idea remained in my heart as I grew older."
"My mother played a pivotal role in my vocation. I really thank her for her courageous step of offer her only son to the service of the Lord in a really complicated situation for a woman in India, who has already lost her husband and now lives alone without her son near her."
The start at the seminary was not easy either. Jeevan had a lot of difficulty learning and catching up with the subjects. He came from a completely different religion and culture. However, by God's grace he managed to overcome them all. For 3 years he did the discernment course for the priesthood while finishing his secular studies in Eluru. The first years in the seminary were hard as he left home. However, the homesickness passed with time and the desire to become a priest became stronger and stronger.
During that time, his vocation also underwent a time of trial. His seminary formators asked him to take a break from his studies for the priesthood. Being an only child and his mother a widow, he was advised to return home for a vacation in order to strongly discern his vocation to priestly ministry. This vacation turned into three years of secular studies. It was an arduous period that served to strengthen his vocation.
Finally, he received a letter inviting him to re-enter the seminary. After two years of licentiate in philosophy in Visakhapatnam, his bishop, Bishop Rayarala Vijay Kumar, offered him to continue his theological studies in Rome.
"It had never crossed my mind that I could get to study in Rome, the eternal city. But God knows best and does everything, so I arrived in Italy in August 2022."
Arriving at the Collegio Ecclesiastico Internazionale Sedes Sapientiae He took a two-month intensive Italian course, which did not free him from having problems with the language. Another difficulty was the food, it is not easy to adapt to such a radical change. After a few months, everything became easier every day.
"As far as studies are concerned, the first semester has meant a great effort for me, because not only do you have to master Italian in everyday life, but also and above all in theological studies! But this semester is already different and I hope to do my best".
Gerardo Ferrara
BA in History and Political Science, specializing in the Middle East.
Head of the student body at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome.
