“And like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy
priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
– 1 Peter 2:5
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ;-
Greetings of Peace and Joy from our Lord. I am blessed to be a pastor for one year for St. Bartholomew (San Manuel) and Blessed Sacrament (Mammoth) parishes. I feel honored that God is blessing me by adding to my ministry St. Helen Parish (Oracle). I consider this a God given opportunity to serve God and His people in these tri-community parishes. I thank almighty God for being gracious to me and also thank our Bishop Most Reverend Edward Weisenburger for this assignment. I thank Monsignor Ambrose Nwohu for his faithful service to St. Helen’s Parish. May God bless him and fill his life with His joy and sustain him by His grace. I wish him a happy retirement.
As I begin my ministry at St. Helen Parish, let me introduce myself: As for my family, I came from a traditional Catholic family, my parent’s names are Mary and Joesph. I have three siblings: one sister and two brothers. My younger brother is also a priest (Amruth Raju). I was ordained on March 13, 2002, in the Diocese of Guntur, India. I served the Diocese of Guntur for 13 years. I came to Tucson on September 8, 2015. It has been eight years since I started serving the Diocese of Tucson through various ministries. In which includes, but not limited to Parish Ministry at St. Margaret Mary, St. Peter and St. Paul Parish, St. Francis Cabrini (Tucson), Director of the Charismatic Diocesan Ministry Group (Alive in Christ), Spiritual Director for Vine of Grace Ministry and Rachael’s Vineyard, Instructor for Level I and Level II Faith Formation classes, and Hospital Ministry.
As your priest, pastor, father, and friend I will always consider what is best for your spiritual lives. Therefore, I will be available to serve you as much as God allows. As I was praying for the tri-community parishes God reminded me of two scriptures:
1) “They devoted themselves to the teaching of the Apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers” (Acts 2:42).
2) “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).
It is rare to have three parishes and only one priest, but it happens when God wills. It is a great sign that God is calling us to be like the early Christians united as one spiritual family to glorify our Trinitarian God. We can work together and help each other come closer to God and make a difference in His kingdom.
May the Holy Spirit renew and refresh all of us as we work together to build our parish family through the use of our time, talent, and treasure. I thank you all for your love, prayers, and understanding.
Sincerely Yours in Christ,
Fr. Bala Kornrnathotl
Father Bala’s first Mass at St. Helen’s on July 2, 2023
