Indian-born Archbishop Susai Jesu embarks on a mission to rebuild faith and trust among Canada’s Indigenous Catholics across the far North.
Newsroom (03/02/2026 Gaudium Press ) As a teenager in southern India, Susai Jesu began his days before dawn, ringing the church bell in his small Catholic village to summon farmers for 4:30 a.m. prayers. He led hymns, organized the choir, and served at Mass — small acts of devotion that shaped his vocation. Those early mornings would take him far beyond Tamil Nadu’s rice fields, into the heart of Canada’s Indigenous communities, and eventually to one of the most remote dioceses in North America.
On January 26, 2026, Father Susai Jesu was consecrated as Archbishop of Keewatin-Le Pas, overseeing a vast region of northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan, larger than Texas, with approximately 49,000 Catholics — most of them Indigenous. His installation Mass unfolded in a striking blend of cultures: the drumbeats of Cree and Dene rhythms mingled with prayers in English, French, Oji-Cree, and even his native Tamil.
Jesu’s appointment marks a milestone — he is the first Indian-born bishop in North America to lead a diocese not primarily serving Indian expatriates. But more than the title, it’s the mission that defines him. “For the first year, let us build a relationship,” said the 54-year-old prelate, who was appointed by Pope Leo XIV in late 2025. “With all those residential schools and their legacy, what kind of Jesus are we giving today?”
Learning to Stay Present
Jesu’s grasp of the need for presence and companionship began long before his Canadian mission. Growing up in Tamil Nadu, he observed how disappointed villagers were when visiting priests came briefly, said Mass, and left. “I told myself, if I ever become a priest, I will always be available to the people,” he recalled.
That promise followed him across continents. In Edmonton, where he led Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples, Jesu immersed himself in Indigenous traditions. He learned Cree, joined elders in picking sage and sweetgrass, and helped rebuild the parish’s fire-ravaged sanctuary before Pope Francis’ landmark 2022 visit to apologize for the Church’s role in the residential-school system. The redesigned church featured a tepee-like altar canopy and depictions of an Indigenous Jesus — a powerful symbol of reconciliation and renewal.
“He went above and beyond what I thought any normal priest would do,” said elder Fernie Marty, one of Jesu’s parishioners.
From India to the Arctic Circle
Born into a devout Catholic family in southern India, Jesu’s vocation was nurtured by his mother’s relentless faith. As a teenager, he joined the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and was ordained in 2000. Before coming to Canada in 2007, he worked among Indigenous groups in northern India, an experience that prepared him for ministry half a world away.
His first Canadian assignment was in rural Saskatchewan — a baptism by ice. With limited winter-driving experience, he survived a terrifying car crash that sent his vehicle rolling into a river. “By God’s grace, I pressed the button. I came out of the car,” he said. “I was experiencing my own death.”
The accident only strengthened his resolve. With the help of bush pilots, he journeyed across frozen tundra and boreal forests to reach isolated parishes, often responding to calls for comfort amid addiction, violence, and the lingering pain of colonial history.
“I really enjoyed my ministry of being there,” he said, “but the amount of alcohol, drugs, and all these things, it’s pretty sad.” To better help those he served, he earned a master’s degree in counseling and spirituality from an Ottawa institute. “I felt I needed special skills to tell them how good they are before the eyes of God,” he said.
A Ministry of Healing and Trust
When Jesu became pastor at Sacred Heart in Edmonton, he shaped the parish into a bridge between faith and Indigenous identity. His daily prayer was simple: “Lord, do not make my heart hard-hearted.” That compassion guided him as he navigated parish life, ministered to the homeless, and participated in healing circles that acknowledged the intergenerational trauma stemming from Canada’s residential-school system.
Even today, he knows the Church represents both sanctuary and sorrow for many. “The trigger is still there,” he admitted, noting that he often avoids wearing his clerical collar outside formal occasions. His approach now, as archbishop, is to listen first and lead second. “For those still estranged from the Church, I hope to be with them and to help them see how we can work together on this,” he said. “How much can I accompany in your suffering?”
As he begins this new chapter, Archbishop Susai Jesu carries with him not only the Gospel but the humility of one who has crossed oceans, languages, and pain to find common ground. His ministry, rooted in early morning prayers on the other side of the world, now continues beneath the northern lights — a mission of reconciliation, trust, and enduring presence.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Crux Now
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