Two women begin a historic journey to priesthood in CSI Malabar diocese

For the first time, two women have been consecrated on the path to priesthood in the Church of South India’s Malabar Diocese — a landmark moment in a Church where the altar has long been dominated by men.

The CSI Malabar diocese spans the Malabar region of Kerala, from Palakkad to Kasaragod, with 132 churches and more than one lakh followers, a Church official said.

At a service on Thursday in Mananchira Cathedral here, Bishop Royce Manoj Victor ordained Saju Mary Abraham, 52, and Nimshi David, 25, as deaconesses. The role is seen as the first stage towards full priesthood, which they are expected to enter after a year.

Rows of male clergy filled the altar as the women took their vows. For some in the congregation, the moment carried quiet but profound symbolism.

“This is not just about two individuals — it is about the whole Church taking a step forward,” Joyprasad Pulickal, an executive committee member of the Church, told PTI.

Saju Mary Abraham, from Ranni in Pathanamthitta in south Kerala, is a scholar with postgraduate degrees in physics, sociology and theology. She has taught in seminaries in Salem (Tamil Nadu) and Allahabad and speaks six languages, including Greek, Hebrew, and Sanskrit, a Church official said.

Her husband, Fr. Reji George Varghese, is also a priest. Their daughter is a law student, and their son is studying engineering.

At 25, Nimshi David represents a new wave of women entering ministry. Born in Nagercoil (Tamil Nadu) and raised in Wayanad, she graduated with a gold medal in philosophy from Madras Christian College and went on to complete a theology degree in Chennai with distinction. Her father, Fr. David Stephen, is the vicar of St Paul’s CSI Church in Nedunkaran.

The CSI has ordained women in other dioceses, but this is the first time in Malabar.