While most priests serving in the Diocese of Toledo also have family roots here, some, like Father Dominic Savyo Mammottil, have traveled halfway around the world to minister in northwest Ohio.

Fr. Mammottil, a priest of the Archdiocese of Trivandrum in Kerala, India, says he was definitely surprised when his archbishop asked him to serve in Toledo, but he accepted the assignment because he saw it as an opportunity to learn about the United States.

"The picture of Catholics in the United States which I had in my mind before coming to the U.S. is entirely different from what I have now," relates Fr. Mammottil, who arrived about a year-and-a-half ago to assist with parish ministry in Toledo at the Historic Church of St. Patrick.

Indians tend to think of Americans "in terms of Hollywood movies — the dress, the style of life," he explains, but he sees that is only one piece of American culture. He says his experiences at St. Patrick and Toledo Christ the King, where he became the associate pastor last July, have given him a greater appreciation for the American Catholic faithful and priests.

"The Catholics are very strong here," says Fr. Mammottil, citing the devotion he sees in the parishioners who attend Mass, pray the rosary and spend daily time in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.

Fr. Mammottil is one of about a dozen non-native priests serving in parishes and hospitals in the Diocese of Toledo. Most are here assisting temporarily at the request of the Bishop of Toledo, but a few have made the diocese their permanent home after years of service.

Hailing from countries in Asia, Europe, Africa and Central America, these men bring a wealth of cultural and academic experience to the life of the church in our diocese, according to Toledo Bishop Leonard P. Blair.

"This is very mutually enriching,î says Bishop Blair. While the priests learn from their experiences in the U.S., the diocese benefits from their presence, which underscores ìthe universality of the church and the priestly ministry," he says.

Adapting to life in the U.S.
Several priests from the Archdiocese of Trivandrum have served in the Diocese of Toledo including Fr. Mammottil and Father Shaji Thomas, associate pastor of Findlay St. Michael the Archangel since July 2005.

The priests are Eastern Catholic members of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, though they celebrate the Latin rite in their current assignments.

In every manner, the U.S. is ìa different worldî from India, says Fr. Mammottil — including culture, economy, technology and language.

Even if they speak English fluently, accents often pose a challenge to foreign priests serving in the U.S.

"We follow British English, and it is not purely British English because the Indians teach English, so we have the Indian slang and everything," explains Fr. Mammottil.

Lessons and practice help them to adjust their accents, and Fr. Thomas believes parishioners also become more attuned to their manner of speech over time. And even though some of the older parishioners, in particular, still struggle at times with his accent, sometimes due to hearing problems, "I am pretty sure that they love me, and I love them too," Fr. Thomas says with a laugh.

Father Charles Obinwa, a priest of the Diocese of Enugu, Nigeria, says he, too, initially struggled with the accent when he arrived in northwest Ohio.

"It was pretty hard for me to be understood, and pretty hard for me to understand you people, the way you speak," recalls Fr. Obinwa, who has since become more acclimated and has taken classes to minimize his British accent.

Health reasons originally brought Fr. Obinwa to Ohio in 2002 after he injured his left hip playing soccer. Since he had family members living in Toledo, he underwent hip replacement surgery at St. Charles Mercy Hospital in Oregon.

After he recovered he stayed to assist at parishes in the diocese, including Delphos St. John and Van Wert St. Mary. He is now a chaplain at St. Rita’s Medical Center in Lima and parochial administrator of Columbus Grove St. Anthony.

Fr. Obinwa says he dedicated his life to the ministry of the sick after he learned from his own health issues "that anybody can be vulnerable." Though the work is challenging, he says he finds fulfillment in being a chaplain.

"It’s emotional, draining physically and mentally," he relates. "But still I enjoy it. I love it because I’ve been there before, and if I can help bring healing to people in the messiness of their lives, I think that brings joy to me."

Medical treatment at St. Charles Mercy Hospital also brought Father Joven Malanyaon, a priest of the Archdiocese of Caceres, Philippines, to northwest Ohio after he was injured in a motorcycle accident. He returned home to serve for two years, but continuing health issues aggravated by the hot climate prompted him to return to the Diocese of Toledo.

He has now ministered here for more than 21 years, spending most of that time as a chaplain for the Little Sisters of the Poor, the Catholic hospitals in Toledo and currently for the Toledo Hospital. He also served at Mansfield St. Peter and Toledo Blessed Sacrament.

Fr. Malanyaon says one of the things he found most surprising about American Catholic families is how little time they spend praying together at home, compared to Filipino Catholic families.

He emphasizes the importance of this "family prayer," which he believes is essential for fostering vocations. "Prayer life starts when you’re a kid," he explains.

Sharing traditions
As they learn from their encounters with U.S. Catholics, non-native priests also bring some of their own traditions from home to their ministry.

Another Filipino priest who has spent 21 years in the Diocese of Toledo, Father Peter Zafe, has promoted popular Filipino devotions through the Philippine-American Catholic Council (PACC), which is based at Toledo St. Clement.

Fr. Zafe, a priest of the Diocese of Legazpi, organized PACC in 2001 to minister to Filipino Catholics in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan, but the devotions sponsored by the group are open to all. They include the Misa de Gallo in December, Santa Cruzan and Flores de Mayo in May and a monthly novena in honor of Our Mother of Perpetual Help.

In Findlay, Fr. Thomas’ parishioners have learned about the Syro-Malankara Catholic tradition and had the opportunity to attend a liturgy he celebrated in the rite two years ago at St. Michael.

Though the essential parts of the Mass are the same, Fr. Thomas says the Syro-Malankara liturgy is longer than the Latin-rite Mass, with "more incense, bells [and] colorful vestments." The priest also faces east toward the altar rather than toward the congregation.

More than 400 parishioners attended the liturgy, which, for many, was their first opportunity to see the Mass in a different rite, according to Fr. Thomas.

The priest says he enjoys connecting with the faithful of the parish and is amazed by the number of different volunteers who help with its many ministries. With nearly 10,000 parishioners, St. Michael is much larger than the parishes Fr. Thomas served in India, and he says he learns a great deal from the example of the pastor, Father Michael Hohenbrink.

"He’s a very good pastor, and at the same time he’s a very good administrator, and he’s a very good friend for the people," Fr. Thomas relates.

One of the pastor’s habits Fr. Thomas says he now emulates is to greet parishioners at all six weekend Masses, regardless of whether he is the celebrant.

"I think that makes a lot of difference at that parish, because [Fr. Hohenbrink] has a good connection with the parishioners. He knows almost all the names of the people too," Fr. Thomas chuckles.