Getting to Know Fr. Tomy   (August 2020)

I am Fr. Tomy Manjaly, the youngest in a family of seven children. I have five brothers and one sister.  My sister is a nun who has been ministering to the seniors and mentally challenged people in Bethlehem, Israel for the past 31 years. I was born and brought up in the province of Kerala, South India. Both of my parents have passed away; may they attain eternal life. 
 
You may be wondering how old I am and how I become a priest? I may look at least 100 years old but I am only 56. When I was in grade three, I was taught by a nun and she asked me what I wanted to become when I grew up. I said that I wanted to be a priest, and she asked me to read aloud, to test me on whether I would be qualified for the priesthood. That was the first seed planted in me towards my priesthood. After grade ten, I joined the minor seminary, in view of becoming a priest, for the Diocese of Imphal, Manipur, one of the northeastern states in India. I was in the first batch of seminarians selected for the Diocese of Imphal Manipur. I was graced to be blessed by St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, as I met her before my ordination, when I was studying theology in Calcutta. 
 
I was ordained at the age of 30 on April 9th, 1994.  I served for seven years in Manipur, in the Archdiocese of Imphal as an Associate Parish Priest, Pastor and school administrator of a school with 2,300 students.
 
On February 2nd, 2001 the most tragic and miraculous incident of my life took place. I was shot by a rebel group in India who fights against the Indian army for the separation of Manipur from the Indian federation. They demanded money from our churches to buy weapons, and we couldn’t fulfill their demand. First of all, we hardly had enough money to pay our teachers. Secondly, the money was being demanded to purchase weapons to fight and kill someone else, which was against our Christian principles. When the churches denied them money, they shot and killed five priests over a series of days - I was shot in the back on February 2nd, 2001.  The bullet passed through my tummy, severely injuring one of my arteries, kidneys, colon and my other intestines.
 
As I fell on the ground after the first shot, I called out the mighty name of LORD Jesus, and God come to my aid.  I cried aloud twice, “Jesus save me!” and the second shot didn’t go through me, for the gun the rebel was using, jammed. That is when the first miracle of a series of miracles took place. I was declared dead according to the TV news and my parents in South India watched the reports in horror and sorrow.
 
I was taken to a private Catholic hospital by some of the people and the Associate Priest who had witnessed the incident. The hospital didn’t have enough money to pay the doctors and didn’t have a position for a surgeon. But, it happened that on that day, there was a surgeon who had been hired for a two week term. The table was set for another surgery, and I was blessed to be operated on immediately. The surgery was another miracle. Since my artery was torn, I was in need of a lot of blood.  21 units of blood were given to me by the people who gathered, hearing the shocking news of the gun shot. Another miracle: there was no blood bank nearby. Seven more doctors came to my aid from the other hospitals and after ten hours of surgery, I was able to breathe on my own, after only the second day. I had to have two more surgeries during the following two years, and it was during this time that I was called by Bishop Henry to serve in the R C Diocese of Calgary. I thank God for bringing me to this beautiful and peaceful land of Canada.
 

I arrived in Calgary on the 19th of September, 2003. Since then I have served as an Associate Priest at St. Mark’s Church and Sacred Heart Church in Calgary, and at St. Patrick’s Church in Medicine Hat. I have also served as the Pastor in Coaldale and Picture Butte parishes, as well as St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Calgary, Holy Trinity Church in Cluny, and St. Patrick’s Church in Medicine Hat.  
 
I thank God for giving me another opportunity to serve Him and the people of God at Sacred Heart Church in Strathmore, starting in August 2020. I greatly appreciate all of my parishioners, volunteers, friends, Deacons and the office staff of our parish, who have made me feel welcome. Although we do not have a church building, we are grateful to Christ the Redeemer School Division for providing us a space for our worship. Let us continue to pray and work together to build our beautiful church, dedicated to Our Lord's Sacred Heart, where we will have more space for worship and gathering.  

May God bless you all, and may He guide your endeavors building the Body of Christ and the Church. May St. John Paul II intercede for us.
 
God bless you all,
Fr. Tomy Manjaly
Pastor at Sacred Heart Church, Strathmore