Parish Priest of the Parish of Lower North Shore, Fr Jose Philip Chirayilputhenpurayil OSH has been elected Vicar General Vicar General of the Society of the Oblates of the Sacred Heart.
He was elected by the General Chapter of the Society in Kerala, India on Wednesday, 27 November 2024. Fr Jose was attending the Chapter along with Fr Satheesh Ramachanatt OSH, Parish Priest of Frenchs Forest.
Bishop Anthony Randazzo congratulated Fr Jose on the significant appointment and acknowledged the great trust shown in him by his confreres.
Fr Jose will return from the Chapter shortly but will depart from the Diocese early in the new year to take up his appointment, after more than 12 years serving within the Diocese of Broken Bay.
Bishop Anthony expressed his enormous gratitude to Fr Jose for his very fine contribution to the Diocese over such a long period, particularly in the parishes of Chatswood, French’s Forest, Kincumber and Lower North Shore.
Fr Jose was born in Kottayam, in Kerala, India, to parents Annama and Philip. He has two brothers and three sisters.
He joined seminary of the Oblates of the Sacred Heart after completing year 10. He was ordained on Friday, 27 December 1996.
Shortly after his ordination, he was appointed assistant priest at one parish and administrator of another for 6 months, and then later I became parish priest of a parish in Eastern Kerala, where he built a new church.
He arrived in Australia in 2011. He served for three years as assistant priest at Chatswood, and for seven years as parish priest at Frenchs Forest. He then briefly served as parish priest of Kincumber before being appointed Parish Priest of Lower North Shore Parish in early 2022.
The Society of the Oblates of the Sacred Heart was founded on 21 November 1921 by Bishop Alexander Chulaparambil. The Oblates of the Sacred Heart are a priestly congregation with the charism of sharing the compassionate love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.