Our Clergy

Dear Sacred Heart Parishioners,
Let me take this opportunity just to introduce myself to you. I am Fr. Litto Thomas, your new associate pastor and I am preferred to be called with my first name: Fr. Litto. What a beautiful name! Isn’t it? I was born on Oct. 9, 1987 in the town of Thirdcamp in the state of Kerala in SW India. Christianity in Kerala refers back to St. Thomas the Apostle who evangelized the area around 52 AD. Christians make up only about one fifth of inhabitants. The area shares the common ancient language of Malayalam and is famous for spices. My parents have a small farm growing ground pepper, cardamom and coffee.
 
My parents are devoted Catholics who attend Mass daily and Confessions monthly. I have one brother and he is an electrician. My parents never pushed me to choose any career, only wanting my happiness. I had role models in some of my relatives: one was a brother with the order St. John of God, one a priest with St. Vincent de Paul and one a sister with the Carmelites. They never pushed me to become a priest either, but they always told me to dedicate my life for something beautiful and sublime. As you guessed it, there is nothing more sublime and beautiful in this world than dedicating your life for Jesus our Lord, isn’t it? Not surprisingly I entered the minor seminary, my goal was to be a holy and a happy priest.  During my seminary studies, I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy. Fr. Nipin and I are close friends from the fifth grade onwards. (Don’t ask him about my stories. There is a mutual agreement between me and Fr. Nipin that we share only good stories about each other. We practice Christian charity). Then Fr. Nipin and I were selected for the Vatican’s “missionary scholarship” to attend the Colegio Urbano in Rome whose goal is to form missionary priests. There we mixed with students from 30 different countries in Africa, Asia and Europe. As part of my seminary curriculum, two months of every year was spent briefly visiting numerous Italian parishes to get a taste of pastoral work. It was indeed a great experience. In Italy, I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Theology and was ordained a deacon.
 
I was ordained a priest in India on January 6, 2014. After a year as the associate pastor at a parish in India, I was sent to Italy to be the associate pastor in a parish in northern Italy ministering to the needs of about 2000 devout catholic families. After three years, my next assignment was to be the associate pastor in a parish in Spain and the chaplain at the 700 bed hospital there. And from 2019, I am here in our beautiful Diocese of Des Moines. In December 2019 I became the associate pastor of Corpus Christi parish in Council Bluffs, in July 2020 was transferred to Corning and Lenox to be the administrator and now I am here with you at Sacred Heart. What an honor! Yes indeed, it is an honor for me to be your associate pastor and to work with Fr. Chris Hartshorn and team. Thank you for your openness to welcome me into your community, as one among your priests and associate pastor, and as your spiritual brother and friend in Christ. Please continue praying for me. I would request you to pray every day an Our Father a Hail Mary and a Glory for us, Fr. Chris and me, priests of our Sacred Heart Family (you get points for heaven, if you do so).  Let God’s mission be our mission. And together, let us do our very best to be part of that mission, building up God’s Kingdom here in this community. Let’s go together. I will be with you. I do need your prayers and support. Love you all.
 
God bless.
Fr. Litto Thomas