Pastor Assignments Take Effect July 28: Fr. Lourduraj Gally Gregory

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Fr. Lourduraj Gally Gregory

Fr. Lourduraj Gally Gregory

Fr. Lourduraj Gally Gregory was born in Manambathi-Kandigai, Tamil Nadu, India, where he attended grade school. After finishing high school in an apostolic school in Pannur, India, and a year in minor seminary, he entered Loyola College in Madras and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics. He then entered Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Madras, earning a master’s degree in theology. He was ordained a priest on April 22, 1987 by the late Archbishop Casimir Gnanadickam, SJ, for the Archdiocese of Madras-Mylapore. He did a post-graduate degree in English literature.  After various assignments in that archdiocese, he came to the Diocese of Salt Lake City in 2004. His first assignment was as parochial vicar at St. Ambrose Parish. While serving there, he did his four units of Clinical Pastoral Education Program and became a board-certified interfaith chaplain. He also had a three-year contract to provide pastoral care to Catholic patients at the George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salt Lake City. He also has served as pastor of St. Patrick Parish (Salt Lake City) and Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Magna.

On July 28 he will begin to serve as pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in Copperton, and as chaplain for St. Joseph Villa and the Carmelite monastery in Salt Lake City.

What would you like your new parishioners to know about you?

I would like to tell the people of Immaculate Conception Parish in Copperton that I have been praying in a very special way for all of them since my new assignment was announced, so that I will be very well prepared.

What are you looking forward to most about your new assignment?

I would like to do what is best, according to God’s will, to serve my people in Copperton.

As a priest, what has been your greatest challenge?

My greatest challenge has been that I come to every assignment with lots of good will to serve the people, but sometimes my ability to serve them as they want becomes very difficult for me. I like to serve them as much as possible, but sometimes it becomes a challenge.

As a priest, what has been your most satisfying experience?

My most satisfying experience is really serving the people of God, especially when people are in need or in trouble, or dying and need last rites. Administering the sacraments is the most satisfying in any parish I go to.