Meet our New Associate Pastor - Fr. Joseph Maddala”
December 1, 2023
I am Fr. Joseph Maddala and I was born on the 15th of April 1974, in an interior village, called Kothapalli in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh in India. My father, a farmer by trade, passed away 0n 2014. My mother Agnesamma also [passed away before my dad in 2010 at home in India. I have two elder brothers but one of them passed away when I was seven years old and one elder sister who got married and was blessed. After three years of marriage my elder sister Jyothi also passed away in 1990. I have one niece and one nephew who also are married and have children. I did all my academic and seminary education in India and, on March 19, 2001, I was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Vijayawada, in the state of Andhra Pradesh. I served as Associate Pastor at Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine well known as “Gunadala Matha.” and then became a pastor in worked in different parishes as pastor for 15 years.
I moved to Canada and worked in the Diocese of Charlottetown from 2018 to 2019, as Associate Pastor in Holy Redeemer Church, Charlottetown, in the province of Prince Edward Island.
In 2019, I returned to my home diocese as a pastor for the last four years.
I am here with the kind invitation of Most Rev. Francis I. Malone, Bishop of Shreveport, who has appointed me here at the St. Mary of the Pines and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parishes as an associate Pastor. I am grateful to Most Rev. Joseph Rajarao, Bishop of Vijayawada, for allowing me to do ministry in the US and to Bishop Malone for accepting me and to our Pastor Rev. Fr. Mark Watson, VF and Very Rev. Monsignor Rothell Price JCL, JV, Judicial Vicar and Vicar for Priests, for their warm welcome.
As I begin my first week in your midst, I am indeed happy to be one among you. I thank God for all His blessings. As I have been in India for four years, I will try my best to get my American accent back. May Our Heavenly Mother Mary lead us to Her Son, Jesus Christ! St. Mary of the Pines and St. Elizebeth Ann Seton, Pray for us.
I wish you all “A Merry Christmas and A Blessed New Year 2024. May the Child Jesus continue to bless you and all your family members!”
Thanking you,
In Christ through Mother Mary
Father Joseph Maddala.