Jeevan Kumar Suravarapu was born in 1998 in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. His life has not been easy. Converting to Christianity from Hinduism in a province where the vast majority of the population is Hindu (over 90.89%) is even dangerous.

A tragedy led to his conversion to Christianity

When he was just 4 years old, tragedy cut short his family’s happiness with the death of his father, Bhaskar. His mother, Parvathi, and Jeevan, his only son, were left alone. “No one came to our aid.” “The only refuge we found was Jesus. “

Parvathi gradually began attending a Protestant church because some distant relatives practiced the religion. A providential encounter with a priest led her and her young son to the Catholic Church, where she found great comfort and help, something no one else could offer.

Thus began his journey from Hinduism to Christianity. His caste and the Hindu community disapproved of his conversion to Christianity. To this day, Jeevan and his mother are the only Christians in his entire clan and family, which remains Hindu. “My mother never gave up in the face of difficulties and continued with her faith. I learned from her to go to church and later to serve at Mass. We were baptized in 2005—I was 7 years old—and finally began our journey as children of God and members of the Catholic Church.”

“My mother, the person to whom I owe everything”

Her happiness was immense, even though life continued to be filled with difficulties. Parvathi remained the sole breadwinner for the family. Despite everything, she managed to give her son a good education and instill faith in him. “I have learned a lot from her pious practices and moral values.”

His mother’s love for the Holy Mass inspired Jeevan to become a priest to serve God’s people. At 13, he told his mother. “She welcomed my desire, but asked me to take some time and reflect because I was too young to make such a big decision. However, that idea remained in my heart as I grew up.”

“My mother played a pivotal role in my vocation. I truly thank her for her courageous step of offering her only son to the service of the Lord in a truly difficult situation for a woman in India, who had already lost her husband and now lives alone without her son around.”

Clash of cultures and traditions

The beginning of his seminary career wasn’t easy, either. Jeevan had many difficulties learning and catching up with his subjects. He came from a completely different religion and culture. However, by the grace of God, he managed to overcome them all. For three years, he completed the discernment course for the priesthood while also completing his secular studies in Eluru. The first few years in the seminary were difficult after leaving home. However, the homesickness passed over time, and his desire to become a priest grew stronger.

During this time, his vocation also suffered a period of testing. His seminary instructors asked him to take a break from his studies for the priesthood. As an only child and a widowed mother, they advised him to return home for a vacation to fortify his vocation to the priestly ministry.  This vacation turned into three years of secular studies . It was an arduous period that served to strengthen his vocation.

Finally, he received a letter inviting him to re-enter the seminary. After two years of studying philosophy in Visakhapatnam, his bishop, Msgr. Rayarala Vijay Kumar, offered him the opportunity to continue his theological studies in Rome.

A Hindu priest in Rome, the cradle of Christianity

“It had never occurred to me that I might end up studying in Rome, the Eternal City. But God knows best and does everything, so I arrived in Italy in August 2022.”

Upon arriving at the  Collegio Ecclesiastico Internazionale Sedes Sapientiae,  he took a two-month intensive Italian course, which didn’t prevent him from having language problems. Another difficulty was the food; it’s not easy to adapt to such a radical change. After a few months, everything became easier every day.

“As for my studies, the first semester has been a huge effort for me, as I not only have to master Italian in my daily life, but also, and above all, in my theological studies. But this semester is already different, and I hope to do my best.”