By Elaine Fernandes

Rev Fr. Juventius Andrade, a Redemptorist living in Bangalore has been elected as the General Consultor
from the Region of Asia-Oceania and is one of Six General Consultors to be elected worldwide. The six
Consultors are from the six zones of the Redemptorist world - North America, Latin America, North Europe,
South Europe, Africa, and Asia-Oceania. It is a matter of pride that he is the only Indian and this is a very
rare privilege, which very few have been conferred on.

The Redemptorists had their meeting of International delegates in Rome from September 15 to October 15,
2003. This is held once every six years and has members representing the 77 different countries where
they serve. At this Meeting, they evaluate the work and mission of the Redemptorists over the past six
years. They also plan the focus and thrust of their mission for the coming six years. It is during this
Meeting, important for the life of the Redemptorists worldwide, that they elect a General Council, which
includes the Superior General and six General Consultors. It is their task to execute the policy, to
animate the Redemptorists in diverse countries, and to evaluate the functioning of the Redemptorists the
world over. 

Fr. Juventius Andrade (Juvy) is the son of Julea and late Jeoffie (nee Rego) Andrade of Mahim in Bombay.
After his schooling and graduating in Commerce in Mumbai, he worked as an Asst Purchase Manager for a
year before joining the Redemptorists. He was ordained a priest on April 24, 1988. After three years of
active ministry, he specialised in Sacred Scripture and has done his studies at the Biblicum in Rome and
in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. 

He has been active in different areas of ministry whether it has been popular Renewal Missions in
Parishes and to Youth, involved in the training and formation of young men training to be Redemptorists,
preaching Retreats to Priests, a Chaplain in the Christian Family Movement, or as a Professor of Sacred
Scripture and Hebrew in various Theological Institutes in India. Since 1999, he has served in the Provincial
Council for Redemptorists in India which is based in Bangalore.

Juvy is indeed worthy of this prestigious honour that has been bestowed on him at such a young age.  He has indeed a very unique personality and is blessed with the exemplary qualities of heart and mind. One can truly say that Juvy is a man of God.  Due to unfortunate circumstances, he lost his loving mother
at a young age and one would not imagine that this happened in the midst of his SSLC exams which he was appearing along with his elder sister Jeanne. In the midst of this tragedy, the great grace of the Lord and the generous self-sacrifice of their Dad, Jesudas and Jeanne enabled the whole family to go forward. It is also their deep conviction that their dear mother who loved them so much in life, continues to pray for them from Heaven above.

Juvy is a talented person. He has a mesmerizing voice and also plays the guitar very well. He is a good
orator, writer and has the fluency of speaking in so many languages. He can mingle with people of any age
or nationality, any caste or creed, as his ways are very simple and humble. He has no pretensions and is
always approachable in spite of his busy schedule.
Even though he is always travelling places in regard to his retreats and ministerial work, he never fails
in keeping touch with his people and always places others before his own self.

His motto is life can be rightly summed up in the words of Felix Adler, in his book "The Ethical Philosophy of Life" “The unique personality which is the real life in me, I cannot gain unless I search for the real life, the spiritual quality, in others. I am myself spiritually dead unless I reach out to the fine quality dormant in others. For it is only with the god enthroned in the innermost shrine of the other, that the god hidden in me, will consent to appear “  His elder brother Jesudas Andrade is married to Celia and is well placed in Hewlett Packard in Bangalore, his sister Jeanne is married to Brian Martis and they are based in Monte Carlo and his younger sister Judith is married to Dr. Anu Mital and is settled in Bombay.
He is the godson of Lindsay and Patricia Rego of Bangalore.

Juvy will now be in Rome for six years as this is the term of the elected office.