Maida Vale Parish Priest Fr Joseph Rathnaraj has last month celebrated his 80th Birthday.
The Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Emeritus Barry Hickey, together with concelebrants Vicar General, the Very Rev Fr Vincent Glynn, Fr Greg D’Almeida, Fr Anand Reddy, Fr Arulraj, Fr Kumar Raja, Fr John Kizhakekara.
Hailing from Tuticorin, South India and arriving in Perth on 10December 1990 to serve in the Geraldton Diocese under then Bishop Barry Hickey, Fr Joseph travelled and worked throughout the numerous mining towns in the Pilbara Region for five years.
In 1996 he returned to serve various parishes in the Diocese of Tuticorin before returning to Australia to serve in Moora and Kalgoorlie.
In 2014, he was appointed to Embleton Parish before being transferred to St Francis of Assisi Church, Maida Vale in 2018.
Fr Joseph will retire at the end of November 2024 but will continue to serve as the Chaplain at Holy Trinity Church, Rottnest Island.