Fr Silvichan Dominic’s letter to the People of Holy Cross Parish:

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Greetings of peace and love in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

St. Paul writes in his First Letter to the Corinthians:

“I have become all things to all people, so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the Gospel, so that I may share in its blessings” (1 Cor 9:22–23).

I truly believe that these words of St. Paul describe the very reason the Lord has called me to serve among you as your new pastor. With gratitude and humility, I come to walk with you, to listen to you, and to journey together in faith, hope, and love. I thank you sincerely for your warm welcome and open hearts.

Allow me to briefly introduce myself.

My name is Fr. Silvichan Dominic, and many call me Fr. Silvan. I was born on April 27, 1979, in the state of Kerala, India, and I was ordained a priest on April 5, 2008. I came to Canada in 2013 and have been blessed to serve in three parishes in Edmonton, Alberta, including five years as pastor of St. Michael’s Parish in Leduc.

From 2021 until February 2026, I served the Margaree Family of Catholic Churches in the Diocese of Antigonish, Cape Breton. As part of the new mission efforts of my religious congregation, I have now been entrusted to the Diocese of Victoria, and I am grateful to be among you today.

My parents, MD Dominic and Mary, are farmers. I am the youngest in my family, and I have one brother and one sister, both married and settled in Kerala, India. My family taught me the values of faith, hard work, and trust in God, gifts I carry with me into my priestly ministry.

I belong to a religious congregation known as the Sons of the Immaculate Conception (CFIC), a Congregation of Pontifical Right. Our congregation was founded in 1857 in Italy by Blessed Luigi Maria Monti, who began small communities dedicated to serving the sick, especially the poor and the abandoned. Over time, the mission expanded to include orphanages, schools, and healthcare ministries.

Today, the CFIC is present in over twenty countries, serving through hospitals, schools, shelters, leper colonies, centers for the mentally ill, and ministries for homeless families, street children, and the marginalized. As members of this congregation, we profess the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. We own nothing personally except our complete trust in God, and whatever we receive is shared for the mission of the Church throughout the world.

Here in North America, our congregation serves parishes in Canada—including Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, and Antigonish as well as in Columbus, Ohio; St. Paul, Minnesota; Florida; and Mérida, Mexico.

Dear friends, I come to you not with eloquence or human wisdom, but with a heart that desires to serve. As St. Paul says in his letter to 1 Corinthians 2:1–5 our faith does not rest on human strength, but on the power of God. Together, if we remain rooted in Christ, the Lord will do great things among us.

St. Teresa of Calcutta once beautifully said:

“I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.”

May this spirit guide our life together as a parish family.

I ask for your prayers, your patience, and your support, and I promise you my prayers and my wholehearted service. May we walk together as joyful disciples of Christ, building a community rooted in faith, compassion, and love.

May God bless you all abundantly.

Yours in Christ,

Your pastor, 

Fr Silvichan Dominic CFIC