Two priests will be honored in the Archdiocese of Atlanta for their years of ministry as priests.

Claretian Father Jose Kochuparampil, a native of India, celebrates 25 years as a priest, and Father Timothy K. Ryan, born in Ireland, is marking his golden jubilee.

A special Mass will be held for the two men at the Cathedral of Christ the King, 2699 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, on May 16. It begins at 10:30 a.m. and is followed by a luncheon for invited guests.

Father Timothy K. Ryan

Father Timothy K. Ryan spent nearly half his ministry as a priest traveling the world and serving the Catholics in the U.S. military.

One lesson he learned as he ministered to people on air bases from Japan to England was how rules can get in the way of serving Jesus, he said.

Father Timothy K. Ryan, 74, was one of 10 boys in his family. He worked the family farm when he was not away at boarding school.

He was ordained at All Hallows Missionary College, Dublin, on June 17, 1962, for the Diocese of Savannah. He served as a priest in Augusta, Columbus and Albany.  In 1968 he joined the U.S. Air Force as a chaplain and served in eight different assignments in the United States and three overseas in the Philippines, England and Japan. He retired after 22 years of active duty service as a lieutenant colonel.

During his Air Force career, Father Ryan took a special interest in missionaries and their work in the developing world, visiting many and offering them support.

When he retired, Father Ryan learned Spanish.  He then served in the Atlanta Archdiocese in two parishes before returning to the Diocese of Savannah where he served in four missions.

In 1993, Father Ryan returned to Atlanta. He now lives in Roswell and started preaching on behalf of poor in the Third World. In the past 20 years, Father Ryan has visited and preached in more than 750 parishes all over the United States.

When asked why he works on behalf of the poor, he said, “If I don’t preach, many poor don’t eat—with my good fortune comes a corresponding responsibility.” And he has raised more than $1 million for his efforts.

Asked for words of advice for priests, Father Ryan said he’d tell young priests to always continue to learn. There’s a big difference between the rule of law and the lived experience of people. “Get a heart and feel for the lived experience of people,” he said.

Seminary training is only “scaffolding” for the priestly ministry, he said. “Seminary training is the introduction to learning, not the finished product,” he said.

He said, “Be kind.”

Father Jose Kochuparampil, CMF

Father Kochuparampil arrived in Atlanta 10 years ago and has served as parochial vicar at Corpus Christi Church, Stone Mountain, and at St. James the Apostle Church, McDonough. Currently, he serves as parochial vicar at St. Catherine of Siena Church, Kennesaw.

Father Kochuparampil, 52, is a native of India. He took his first vows with the Claretian Missionaries on May 31, 1979, and perpetual profession May 31, 1985. He was ordained on April 29, 1987, by Bishop Joseph Pallickaparampil at Claret Bhavan, Kuravilangad, Kerala, India.

From 1987 to 1994, Father Kochuparampil served as vocation director, prefect of students and assistant superior at Claret Bhavan.

He served as novena director and as associate pastor from 2001-2002 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Chicago, Ill.