- Alexandra Clark | The Daily Knight
Help! Carmelite Priest Rejects Novus Ordo & Returns to the Holy Traditional Latin Mass
Alexandra Clark | The Daily Knight
MassConverions recently had an interview with Fr. Thomas Maria Paul, a Carmelite Priest in India.
We thank God for Fr. Thomas and his perseverance in Loving God, his deep devotion to the Blessed Mother and his commitment to the essential work of the Church in saving souls!
Some of the questions we covered in the interview include Father Thomas explaining how as a traditional Carmelite hermit priest in Kerala, India, he is continuing to offer only the Traditional Latin Mass of the Ages, and also how souls are coming to him to discover Tradition. He catechizes and offers the Holy Mass for whoever comes, though the make-shift Chapel he built can only fit three people, (see images of it below).
We also discussed Father's amazing Mass Conversion story of how he left the Novus Ordo, and what drew him to Tradition. We asked him to explain how he came to discover that the Traditional Latin Mass is the Mass that makes saints.
He started the the only current men's Traditional Carmelite order, called Our Lady of Good Success. It was while he was studying German to go to Germany, by the grace of God that he watched a video by Fr. Isaac Mary Relyea, who later he was able to connect to, and who advised him in offering the Traditional Latin Mass.
In the interview, Fr. Thomas also gives great advise to priests who love the Traditional Mass but are currently still offering the Novus Ordo. Giving them encouragement based off of what he had experienced!
Let us encourage more priest to do the same in coming back to Sacred Tradition and the Holy Mass that made saints! We need more good priests like this and God will reward priests for doing the right thing in our current diabolical times.
As Archbishop Vigano rightly said:
“The attack on everything that recalls the Cross of Christ – on Virtue, on the Good and the Beautiful, on purity – must spur us to get up, in a leap of pride, in order to claim our right not only not to be persecuted by our external enemies but also and above all to have strong and courageous pastors, holy and God-fearing, who will do exactly what their predecessors have done for centuries: preach the Gospel of Christ, convert individuals and nations, and expand the Kingdom of the living and true God throughout the world. We are all called to make an act of Fortitude – a forgotten cardinal virtue, which not by chance in Greek recalls virile strength, ἀνδρεία – in knowing how to resist the Modernists: a resistance that is rooted in Charity and Truth, which are attributes of God.”
“If you only celebrate the Tridentine Mass and preach sound doctrine without ever mentioning the Council, what can they ever do to you? Throw you out of your churches, perhaps, and then what?” That is, if you are a Faithful Catholic what could go wrong? Will they persecute you, sure. Christ Himself was. Who are we to think that we will not be when He warned us Himself, saying that we would be persecuted? This persecution should not dissuade us in the least, but rather like the Cross of Christ, our Faithfulness to His Truths, His Church shall be our salvation and sanctification!
“Let’s stop fearing that the fault of the schism lies with those who denounce it, and not, instead, with those who carry it out: the ones who are schismatics and heretics are those who wound and crucify the Mystical Body of Christ, not those who defend it by denouncing the executioners!”
Watch the full interview below and please consider sending Father some help at his mission in India. He needs help to buy essential items necessary for the Sacraments, materials for catechizing these souls & needs help building a chapel so more can attend the Traditional Latin Mass.
Please offer a prayer for Fr. Thomas Maria Paul & support him here:
He is currently building a Hermitage and catechizing all the souls that come to him for the Sacraments and Tradition. Below are some pictures of his humble hermitage:
He needs help to buy essential items necessary for the Sacraments, materials for catechizing these souls & needs help building a chapel so more can attend the Traditional Latin Mass, the Mass of the Saints. Viva Christo Rey!
Father is also open to receiving Mass Stipends.
Contact Fr. Thomas via email here with your Mass request: corjesumaria@gmail.com and donate the Mass Stipend here on his GiveSendGo page.
Fr. Thomas Maria Paul Bio: A brief background of my childhood, formation as a priest and journey into traditional Catholicism. I was born and raised in the southern state of Kerala in India. This state is well known for its Christian population tracing their roots to St. Thomas the Apostle. My family was firmly established in the Syro- Malabar Church, an eastern rite in full communion with the Catholic Church. As a child I remember being attracted to the priesthood and inspired by the presence of some good priests. I felt called to join a Carmelite religious congregation and was ordained a priest in 2016. At that time I was unaware of traditional Catholicism and accepted the prevailing ideas of modernism and ecumenism taught in seminary. Upon ordination I even became involved in the Charismatic movement which is encouraged and still popular today. It was only two years later, after doing some research online, that I stumbled upon some traditional catholic videos. This had a great impact on me and began my journey to traditional Catholicism. I was fortunate to be able to speak with Fr. Isaac Mary Relyea, a well-known traditional religious priest in the States, who helped me greatly. He advised that I contact the SSPX priory in India and I traveled to their priory. I experienced the traditional Latin mass for the first time on January 1st, 2019 and felt convinced that God was calling me to become a traditional Catholic priest. At first, I researched the traditional Syro-Malabar liturgy, which had gone through a series of changes beginning in 1958. Sadly, the traditional liturgy has not been preserved and so I turned to the TLM which I was able to learn through the SSPX priory in India. I also discussed my intentions with my superiors which began a period of difficulties including warnings, calumnies and ultimately suspension from my congregation without any continuing support. I have tried to offer these struggles to God through the hands of Our Blessed Mother who has been a source of great consolation in these times. By the grace of God and with the help of some faithful families I have been able to provide for myself and offer the TLM while staying in family homes and now on a small piece of property purchased. The property has an old hut in which we have converted a room to a modest chapel. People from neighboring areas have been coming for spiritual guidance. Some young men have also come to stay for a few days to learn about the traditional Catholic faith and spend time in prayer. Their willingness is encouraging and I hope to continue to improve the area to offer more for those seeking traditional Catholicism. Of primary importance is expanding our modest chapel which currently has space for only three people. I continue to submit these hopes and my ministry to the will of God for the salvation of souls, especially in India where the true faith has been lost and confused.
Fr. Paul on Twitter at @tradcath_kerala
In the Immaculata and Victorious Heart of Jesus,
Alexandra Clark
In Christ Crucified and the Most Victorious Heart of Jesus.
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