Inspired by a priest who truly lived among and cared for his flock, Father Andrew Aranha wholeheartedly embraced his role as a dedicated pastor, focusing on nurturing the hearts of young individuals in his ministry. In an interview with Ms. Janina Gomes, he reflects on his journey of instilling a sense of pastoral commitment in the formation of those he guides.
- Tell us something about your earlier years and your upbringing in the family.
I grew up in Chembur, a Mumbai suburb. My father was an engineer,working for Burmah Shell refineries (later Bharat Petroleum) and my mother was a schoolteacher. My four siblings and I had a happy childhood. We were fortunate to grow up in a beautiful residential colony with access to many facilities, including two clubs for sports,besides other leisure activities. We also had a wide circle of friends from different communities. At the same time our family rules were quite strict, especially regarding daily Mass and the rosary, and only rarely – and for very good reasons – were we excused from them. After my father retired in 1986 we relocated to Goregaon East. We always were a close-knit family, and still are, even after my parents passed away around five years ago.
- How did you feel the call to become a priest and a diocesan one?
The “call” didn’t happen all at one moment, but was experienced in different ways, over many years. From an early age I felt drawn to religion, especially sacred music and the quiet, peace-filled ambience of empty chapels and churches. At school, religion-class was one of my favourites.I also loved reading Bible stories and watching biblical films. Nevertheless, some negative experiences with certain priests dissuaded me from thinking seriously about the priesthood. My interest revived after we moved to Goregaon and I joined our very vibrant and active parish youth group and choir. Serving our parish community through these groups brought me great joy and fulfillment. The call grew stronger after the arrival of a particular parish priest. Fr Philip Komaranchath, O.S.J. (Oblates of St Joseph). He was a pastor with the smell of the sheep, and endeared himself to all with his genuineness, simplicity, humour, and very pastoral nature. I wanted to be like him. Initially I had no plan to become a diocesan priest. In fact, I informed Fr Philip that I wished to join the Oblates,but he advised me to apply to the diocesan seminary, and that is what I did.
- Tell us something about your formation years as a seminarian. Who were the people and what were the events that made an impact on you?
Seminary life in Goregaon during the 90swas less regimented than I expected.The dominant ethos was one of freedom with responsibility.Some professors had a strong “social justice” slant, though it was never imposed on us. The experiences that I cherish most were the initial Orientation year,which helped us to understand ourselves, overcome our blocks, and grow as persons; I also valued the moderator group system, which taught us about diversity, teamwork, and accountability. Many of our formators and professors were outstanding in their field: Fr Vincent Pereira (Psychology), Fr Jean Mercier (Philosophy), Fr Aniceto Nazareth (Music and Liturgy), Fr Albert Menezes, SJ (Scripture), and Fr John D’Mello (Sociology).
- In your seminary formation, you had some pastoral appointments. How did these experiences help you in your priestly formation?
Pastoral formation was– and continues to be – one of the strengths of the Goregaon seminary. The well-structured program of weekend pastoral work exposed us to different parish ministries in a graded and systematic manner. Hence we were able to handle these important ministries with greater confidence when we stepped out as young priests.I particularly cherish the ‘Regency’year (the pastoral year between Philosophy and Theology studies,) when I was privileged to work in the Raigad district with Fr Fred Sopena, SJ, an outstanding Jesuit priest and missionary. His humanity, warmth, compassion, dedication,and humour made a huge impact on me. I learnt so much from him about ministry, about the priesthood, and about life itself.
- Tell us something about your pastoral experience after your ordination.
I was ordained in the year 2000 and appointed as an Assistant to the parish of Our Lady of Lourdes, Kalyan West. I spent two very happy and fulfilling years there. My parish priest, Fr Franklyn Mathias, was a wonderful pastor – resourceful, creative, and a joy to work with. From him I learnt the value of teamwork, collaboration, empowerment, and reaching out to those on the peripheries. I also experienced first-hand a unique experiment: the close pastoral collaboration between the parish teams of Kalyan W, Dombivli, and Ambarnath. We jokingly christened ourselves “the Northern Alliance,” since we were among the northernmost parishes of the archdiocese.However, our objectives were totally pastoral: a sharing of resources and personnel to minister more effectively to the five parishes in the Dombivli-Badlapur belt. That blissful period ended for me in 2002 when I was transferred to the seminary as a teacher and formator.
- You have a Licentiate in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute (PBI) in Rome where you were from 2005-09. How did those years of study help you as resident teacher and formator in St. Pius X seminary?
Licentiate studies at the PBI (or Biblicum)are demanding, especially the initial year, focusing on biblical Hebrew, and Greek. I found it doubly challenging, never having studied Hebrew, Greek, or even Latin in the seminary. For those who persevere, however, the rewards are great in terms of the exposure to expert biblical scholars, and the depth of biblical knowledge gained. A special experience was the semester of studies in the Holy Land. Our professors at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem were not just outstanding scholars but also wonderful human beings. That experience was a fantastic example of inter-religious collaboration. An added blessing was to live at the PBI community with the great Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini. We students learnt so much from him as a scholar and pastor. My studies at the Biblicum greatly enhanced my love for learning and teaching biblical languages, ancient history, and cultures. It has also influenced my own approach to teaching the Bible in terms of better understanding the difficulties of students, yet challenging them to expand their horizons,to work hard, and to develop a love for scripture.
- You have been a seminary professor and formator for almost 20 years. What do you see as the main challenges in seminary formation?
Apart from the near universal crisis of dwindling vocations,the constant challenge is to accompany seminarians from diverse backgrounds who are at different levels of maturity – emotional, psychological, spiritual, and affective. Such formation is critical given that we are now living in the age of universal internet access, which demands a more critical outlook and higher levels of personal discipline, maturity, and spiritual strength. In the field of academics we struggle with the widespread lack of a culture of reading (let alone critical reading) and the tendency to look for “shortcuts”.A packed seminary schedule leaves little or no time for students to reflect on some major issues facing the church: questions about celibacy, sexuality, and gender; artificial intelligence …. It’s a challenge to equip seminarians to respond to these questions with credibility and pastoral sensitivity.
- Tell us something about the St Pius X Institute of Theology(SPXIT), of which you are the Director. In what way will it contribute to theological formation of seminarians, Religious, and Laity in the archdiocese?
SPXIT was set up in June 2023 with responsibility for the academic formation at the archdiocesan seminary. We are affiliated to the Faculty of Theology, Jnana Deepa, in Pune. This step signifies the formal ecclesiastical recognition of our program of studies. The comprehensive five-year program, comprising two years of philosophy, followed by three years of theology, is designed as per the guidelines in the document Veritatis gaudium(2018). Students who successfully complete the course requirements are awarded a canonical baccalaureate degree in theology (S.T.B.) that is recognised by many universities and institutes of higher learning around the world. The Institute program ensures a high quality of philosophical and theological formation and provides our students with the necessary theological foundation for their pastoral ministry.
To subscribe to the magazine, click Subscribe
