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| Fr. Sanesh George Thekkethala |
Someone Special for God
My name is Fr. Sanesh George Thekkethala and I am a first-year student at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. I was sent all the way from my home diocese of Irinjalakuda, which is in Kerala, India. My ordination took place on January 1, 2011, so I have been a priest for five years now.
I am 30 years old, so my mission of studying at Santa Croce make me feel closer to Jesus, in the sense that He began his public life at 30 years of age. Our Lord had three years of public ministry, and I will spend the next three years completing a Masters degree in Church Communications.
The story of my vocation goes back to when I was very young. I do not remember ever wanting to be anything other than a priest. It was always very clear to me, and this is a huge gift from God! When I was a little boy my closest friends and I would go to serve at Mass together every day of the week. The others are married now, except one of them who also became a priest like me.
I was also blessed to have a Catholic family who supported my vocation. After finishing 10th grade I opened up to them about my dream to enter the seminary, and they were very encouraging. I joined the seminary right after high school – and you can guess the rest! My motto throughout life has always been: “to be someone special for God”.
After I was asked to study at Santa Croce, I arrived in Rome to take the Italian classes offered before the Fall semester begins. I am in awe of the professionalism here. I also enjoy our group of first-year students who have all been extremely welcoming. While the school is elegant, the atmosphere is also very comfortable. I am looking forward to being here for the next three years!