Rev James Adayadiel SDB
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Born 1932;
Ordained 08/04/1964.
Salesians of Don Bosco.
James Adayadiel was a member of the Australian province of the Salesians of Don Bosco. He was a pioneering priest and missionary in Samoa, which was known as Western Samoa when he arrived there; and New Zealand known or Aotearoa in its M?ori name. As one comment on the St Mary's Parish Avondale Facebook page said, after news of his death, You, Fr James, were God's servant, chosen to spread his love and teachings amongst us, may he place you with joy in his kingdom of love and peace. Your words of wisdom and your preaching will last in our minds.'
James was born in Poonjar-Changanac, Kerala, India in 1932. He made his first profession as a Salesian of Don Bosco on 24 May 1954 in the Bangalore Province. It is understood he was raised in the Syro-Malabar Church, an Eastern Catholic church but was obliged to become a Latin Catholic when he joined the Salesians. James professed in perpetual vows on 24 May 1960 and was ordained a priest by Bishop David Maryanayagam Swamidoss Pillat SDB on 8 April 1964
James worked for many years in education and in the area of formation, including a term as rector of a Salesian seminary. After applying to become a missionary, he came to Samoa in 1979 to start some works with young people. The Provincial of what is now called the Australia-Pacific Province (Australia, New Zealand, Samoa and Fiji) Fr Will Matthews called him a master builder who established some churches in Samoa.' James worked on the two main islands of Samoa, Upolu and Savai'i. Under the leadership of the late Cardinal Pio Taofinu'u SM, Archbishop of Apia-Samoa, James served as the Chancellor of the Archdiocese for five years.
After that he came to the Diocese of Auckland in 2009, to establish a Salesian presence in New Zealand. Then on 31 January 2010 the feast day of St John Bosco he became the first Salesian parish priest at St Paul Parish Massey assisted by other Salesians. After working at St Mary of the Immaculate Conception Parish, Avondale for nearly eleven years James moved into a clergy retirement home at St John Vianney House in Ponsonby, Auckland in 2021.
He entered eternal life at on 22 June 2022, aged 90 years of age. James was a professed Salesian of Don Bosco for 66 years, and a priest for 56 years.