Date: Fri 04-Aug-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

xxx-St-Rose-vicar-Raja-Bose

Full Text:

St Rose Parocial Vicar

The Rev Raja Bose

The Rev Raja Bose has joined St Rose parish as parochial vicar, replacing

Father Louis Dytkowski, who has been transferred to Holy Cross in Fairfield.

Father Raja, 47, was born in southern India, where he earned a bachelor's

degree in theology and philosophy from St. Peter's College. He was ordained in

1973 and served as a pastor in India for 14 years.

Father Raja came to the United States in 1988. While serving in St. Peter's

parish in Bridgeport, he attended Fairfield University where he earned a

master's degree in marriage and family therapy. During his years in

Bridgeport, St. Anthony's Church merged with St Peters, resulting in a parish

of 1,600 families.

"It was a very busy time for me," Father Raja said. "St. Stephen's is a large,

active parish, predominately Hispanic. It is nearly as large a parish as St

Rose, which has 2,200 families."

Before being appointed to St Rose on July 21 by the Most Rev Edward M. Egan,

bishop of Bridgeport, Father Raja had an interim assignment as a parochial

vicar at St Thomas the Apostle Parish in Norwalk.

Father Raja said he will be meeting with the Rev George Birge, pastor of St

Rose, in the coming weeks to plan exactly how his skills will be utilized to

develop programs in the parish.

In India, where his family still lives, Father Raja's family surname is

Rodriguez, a result, he said, of the missionary work of St Francis Xavier and

the Jesuits.

"When the Indians were converted, they were given Spanish and Portuguese

surnames as a way to differentiate the new Christians from the Hindus," he

explained. "About 20 percent of the inhabitants of my home state in India are

Catholic."

Among Father Raja's family members, an aunt also entered the religious life,

becoming a cloistered Carmelite nun in Siri Lanka.

Sunday was Father Dytkowski's last day at St Rose. He has been appointed

parochial administrator of Holy Cross parish.