Dioc. Superior: From elephants to dogsleds

HARRISON - Fr. Ron Serrao is one of seven priests from India assigned to parishes in the Superior Diocese. “There are plenty of priests in India,” he says, so with encouragement from a fellow Holy Cross Indian priest already serving in northern Wisconsin, he made the move three years ago.

For more than two years, Fr. Ron has been the parochial administrator for the parishes of St. Augustine in Harrison and St. John the Baptist in Bloomville, two rural communities. That in itself is a big change from his 12 years of being a pastor in India, where he explains that one priest never has more than one parish. Before coming to the United States, he also served as a provincial administrator for five years.

In spite of having to make some adjustments, Fr. Ron says he is happy to be here and has been warmly welcomed. Being in a rural area is not new to him because he grew up in a small community, where his mother still lives.

“One of the biggest challenges in coming to the Superior Diocese was getting used to the climate,” he says. “I came to Wisconsin in December in a snowstorm, and that was the first time I had ever seen snow.”

Since that introduction, however, he has ventured out to enjoy some winter activities, including dog sledding. “I fell two or three times last year,” he admits with a grin, “but I plan to try it again.”

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