Missionary priest comes to Honesdale

By TOM KANE

	TRR photo by Tom Kane Father Joji Reddy Allam came to St. John’s in early August. (Click for larger image)

HONESDALE, PA — Reverend Joji Reddy Allam is a rarity. He’s a missionary. But what’s unique is that he’s a missionary sent to America. For over 100 years, the church has sent streams of missionaries to foreign countries to maintain ancient churches that lost their priest or to convert native people to Catholicism.

It’s not so any longer.

The American Catholic Church has found it necessary to send messages to churches that are thriving in other countries to make up for the dwindling number of priests in this country.

“My bishop was contacted by Bishop James Timlin of Scranton who asked for a volunteer priest to come to his diocese,” Father Allam said. “I volunteered.”

He will serve as the assistant pastor at the Parish of St. John the Evangelist in Honesdale, which maintains a mission church, St. Mary Magdalen, in Honesdale and St. Joseph’s on Route 191 in Rileyville.

Father Allam comes from a family of farmers and is the youngest of four children. He was born in Gattusingaram, India’s Nalgonda District in the south. He was ordained in 1995 and was immediately assigned to a leper colony to say mass and administer the sacraments. He learned English in the seminary where all his subjects were taught in English.

“Learning English was not easy,” he said. Yet with hard work and encouragement of his bishop and the help of his priest/teachers, he was successful.

Later, he was appointed pastor of St. Anthony’s Church in Donakonda and was principal of the high school. He supervised the building of a new high school building.

Father Allam, an avid football (soccer) player, likes to play an electronic keyboard and listen to music.

He is dedicated to deepening his spirituality and is a devotee of charismatic prayer, a practice among Christian sects that emphasizes personal inspiration in prayer and the power of healing in prayer sessions.

“There is a charismatic group that meets in our church once a week and prays together,” he said. “I was extremely happy when I discovered them.”

How does Father Allam feel about being in America and in Honesdale?

“I am extremely happy here and feel welcomed by everyone,” he said.