VIERA |  The family that prays together, stays together. The phrase was coined by Venerable Father Patrick Peyton, the Holy Cross priest who created The Family Theater Productions in 1947. Healed from tuberculosis after asking the Virgin Mary for that blessing, he launched the Family Rosary Crusade in gratitude and commitment to spreading the devotion.

Fast-forward 75 years and that steadfast prayer brought together related priests from India to the same parish to continue spreading the message of God’s love.

Holy Cross Father John Britto and his nephew, Salesian Father Martin Arulmani Joseph, believe in the adage. They credit their prayers to God and the help of Bishop John Noonan for putting them together at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Viera. Father Britto is the parish pastor, and his nephew is parochial vicar.

“It is a great blessing and a very rare thing for a nephew and an uncle to work in the same parish,” Father Britto said, adding it is even more unusual because the two are from different religious orders. “By some miraculous plan of God, I was alone (at the parish) for about one year. I talked to Bishop (John) Noonan. He asked Martin, who hopes to join the diocese, to come and help me.”

Father Joseph had recently traveled from India and was living in Tampa at the time. New to the United States, the timing was providential.

Father Britto’s hometown of Salem in southern India is extremely Catholic. He recalled growing up around priests, helping them, and becoming an altar boy. The Congregation of the Holy Cross had brothers and priests and a school near his village. At the end of the eighth grade, they began a junior program hoping to “catch” early vocations.

His native tongue is Tamil, but all the classes were in English. It was very hard, so he was able to attend ninth and 10th grade at St. Paul’s diocesan school. Afterward he continued to college and formation. “All the while I had a deep sense of God calling me to sacramental priesthood,” said Father Britto. He was ordained to the Congregation of Holy Cross priests in 2009, and assigned to St. John the Evangelist three years later. The parish has always been operated by Holy Cross priests. In 2019 he became pastor.

Then last year it happened he was alone, and the congregation was unable to send him assistance. Enter his brother’s son. With a desire to become a diocesan priest, Father Joseph spoke to Bishop Noonan as did Father Britto.

“It has worked. This was unimaginable, not on the radar; I never thought of it,” laughed Father Britto. “I knew (my nephew) was working on coming to the U.S. to help here. But we never thought we would be working in the same parish. This is purely God’s grace and mercy.”

Father Joseph said his grandparents instilled faith in his heart. “They are the pillars of my vocation, and of course my parents. My grandparents were a great inspiration for me to become a priest,” he said.

The families lived together in the same home in India. Both priests were born there. Every evening Father Britto’s mother led the rosary.

“My mom inculcated a sense of religion, faith, and deep sense of devotion,” Father Britto said. They often prayed a family rosary, planting the seed of faith in him. “She instilled in us the faith, praying daily, and was actively involved as a charismatic leader. Faith was ingrained in us as we grew.”

Father Britto was already away at school when his nephew was born and the two mostly met during the holidays. Because the villagers of Salem are devoted to Our Lady of Lourdes, that love passed on to the uncle and nephew. In fact, the parish has an Our Lady of Lourdes grotto at the center of its Stations of the Cross on campus — a vision made reality by Father Britto and his parishioners.

Due to the large presence of Salesians in their homeland and with encouragement from his uncle and grandmother, Father Joseph joined the order. He never imagined he and his uncle would be reunited years later in the United States.

“Coming to St. John the Evangelist is a miracle, a divine intervention,” he said, “As a Salesian we don’t normally work with other religious.”

When you join a religious order, unlike the diocesan call, the order priests are asked to serve anywhere. That’s the nature of religious order. Your family becomes your order or the parishioners where you serve.

Now the two family members pray together often each day, whether in concelebration of the Mass, while driving, or when praying a rosary.

“I enjoy being with (my uncle) and I’m learning a lot of things,” Father Joseph said. “He’s very prayerful.” He said the older priest has been a good role model, especially as he travels the road to incardination in the diocese.

Commenting on his current blessing, Father Britto said, “God’s grace is such that wherever you go you have your family, so St. John’s has become my family, and I love being here. The people are so wonderful, amazing, gifted, talented, able to give of themselves with their time, treasure and talent. And (Father Joseph) is a very gifted priest. The people love him and I’m so happy and blessed. … Thanks be to God. God is good.”

To view the video on the two priests, click here.

By Glenda Meekins of the Florida Catholic staff, July 24, 2025