Fr. Bhaskar Mendam, belonging to the Congregation of the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales, is serving his first assignment in the United States here at St. Francis of Assisi as parochial vicar, beginning October 30, 2022.
Fr. Mendam was born at C. N. Kota, Andhra Pradesh, India in 1972 in a very devout Catholic family, as the fifth child of the eight siblings. Attending daily Mass and praying the family rosary was a common practice that he grew up with. As he was studying in a catholic school run by the Missionaries of St. Francis De Sales, the seed of his vocation to priesthood was planted in his heart. After completing his 10th grade he expressed his desire to become a priest to his parents and to his parish priest, who encouraged and supported him to discern his vocation to priesthood.
He entered into the seminary in 1990 and made his first religious profession in 1994. After finishing his philosophical and theological studies he was ordained as deacon on the 7th of January 2001 and after serving as deacon for a year, was then ordained as priest on the 9th of February, 2002.
In the 20 years of his priesthood he has served as an associate pastor, pastor, finance officer at a major seminary, provincial Bursar, in charge of a printing press, and then he was sent to serve in the Archdiocese of Sydney, Australia from 2018 to 2022.
As a Priest, he enjoys meeting with parishioners, interacting with them and assisting them on their faith journey. He hopes and prays that he continues to live his vocation to the priesthood, always relying on the grace and strength that comes from God.