Petroutsas 1

Ellie Petroutsas

Mrs. Lucarelli

Honors World History

October 31 2017

Reflection on Interview with Father Joy

Coming out of the interview, I felt enlightened. Speaking with Father Joy, educated me

that you cant fully know a person until you learn about their background and morals. From only

seeing him at Sunday mass, Father Joy was just another priest to me. Understanding the journey

that he undertook to become a priest, I now see him more as a person rather than just a religious

figure. Father Joy was born and raised in India, he is the second oldest of five children. His mom

named all of her children with names that began with the letter J, in honor of Jesus. Father Joy

was not the only one to pursue a religious career in his family. His brother, Jimmy, became a

religious brother, and teaches high school students. Furthermore, Jimmy had an accident that

made him a paraplegic, but he still continued his training to become a monk. Father Joy

attributed this to his parents advice on never giving up and having faith in God. His parents also

instilled in them strong morals and the importance of going to church every day and getting a

good education. After 10th grade, he felt that he had received his calling to become a priest, so

he entered a seminary where he studied for 10 years. There he was educated in courses such as

Theology and Philosophy. The final step to becoming a priest was his ordination. Father Joy said

that this was one of the happiest days of his life and he celebrates this occasion every year as an

anniversary.
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What I admire most about Father Joy is his positive outlook on life and his commitment

to our parish. He remarked that he truly enjoys administering every sacrament to his parishioners

as each one is unique and sacred to him. When celebrating mass, the consecration of the bread

and wine into the body and blood of Christ is a magical experience for him. He says this is when

he feels the presence of Christ on earth. Father Joy wakes up every morning thankful for his life

and the wonderful day ahead, and is kind to everyone that he meets. He is an incredible role

model and I aspire to have even half of the optimism and gratitude that he expresses daily.