by John Sorce
john.sorce@theleaven.org
TOPEKA — Father Tom Aduri has seen poverty.
Although ordained for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, Father Aduri is a native of India where he witnessed deprivation that is seldom seen in this country.
This past May, the pastor of Mother Teresa of Calcutta Parish in Topeka was recognized for his generosity, both locally and globally, with the Blessed Michael McGivney Award.
The award recognizes a Knights of Columbus chaplain in the state who is a teacher of the faith, an exemplar of charity, an apostle of Christian family life, a dedicated parish priest, a builder of Catholic fraternity and a role model to his parish.
Generally one to eschew attention, Father Aduri said he was surprised to hear he had won the award.
“There are a lot of great priests who do a lot of great work,” he said. “But I was happy to hear I won [the award].”
As a seminarian in India in the early 2000s, the young Aduri was invited by Archbishop James P. Keleher who was there on a visit to consider being ordained for the archdiocese. In 2003, Father Aduri took the archbishop up on his invitation. He served first as associate pastor at Holy Spirit Parish in Overland Park from 2003-05 and then Most Pure Heart of Mary Parish in Topeka from 2005-08. He then served as pastor of St. Teresa in Perry and St. Aloysius in Meriden from 2008-12 before arriving at Mother Teresa later that year.
He is currently overseeing the construction of a new sanctuary in Topeka, which is set to break ground in August. Mother Teresa was established in 2004 and has been holding Mass out of a temporary sanctuary since 2007.
“The people always had a vision to build a permanent church,” Father Aduri said. “About three years ago, I started reaching out to people to see what they would want, and we’ve just went from there. I feel it is very important to build a nice house for God as David always wanted to do.”
But Father Aduri has stayed very involved in his home country as well. Along with John Gilchrist, a parishioner from his first assignment at Holy Spirit, he started the Blessed Brian Foundation, which serves an orphanage as well as a hospital in Porumamilla, India.
The orphanage was built in 2012 and has been home to at least 70 children every year since its opening. It also provides an education to residents ages 4 through 18, with some going on to get college degrees.
The hospital was established in 2021 and consists of 13 beds, a blood chemistry lab, X-ray services, a pharmacy and patient transportation.
“There are a lot of people that are suffering in India and God is giving me an opportunity to be in the United States and help in whatever way I can personally,” Father Aduri said. “When I saw the suffering, I just felt the need to do something for the people where I grew up.”
There is also a well where locals can have easy access to clean water, which would otherwise be very costly in the area.
Gilchrist had high praise for his friend and Father Aduri’s sister Rani Chitta and his brother-in-law Ravi Chitta, who are also very involved with the foundation.
“Father Aduri, his sister and his brother-in-law are walking, living saints on earth,” Gilchrist said. “There are a few people that you meet in life that are incredible people, and that is the case with them. The number of people’s lives they’ve affected is in the thousands.”
Being a native of a country that has seen poverty and knowing the standard of living in America helps Father Aduri show others a different perspective that many in the States are not accustomed to.
“He has seen poverty in other areas of the world, and the standard of living here in America,” said Mike McLaughlin, Knights of Columbus immediate past Grand Knight and Mother Teresa parishioner. “He guides us to use our gifts responsibly to live out our Catholic faith and social teaching. So, he has a greater perspective than someone who grew up in America would have.”
One thing that people say about Father Aduri is he is very approachable.
“Father Aduri is everything a pastor is supposed to be,” said Deacon Tim Ruoff, who works with him at Mother Teresa. “He knows everybody in that parish by name and knows their story very well. He personifies the spirit of Mother Teresa and our mission statement, which includes our commitment to Christian formation, prayer, hospitality and service to the most vulnerable.”
For Father Aduri, that simply comes down to how he is.
“That’s always been in my nature, and like Pope Francis always said, ‘It’s important to meet the people where they are,’” he said.
