My Journey into Ministry
I was born in India, in a loving, affluent, Hindu family and spent a magical childhood there. My mother was intensely religious, and my father, an atheist, was curious and respectful of all faiths.
I went to a Catholic elementary school, a Brahmo (Unitarian) middle/high school, attended the prestigious Presidency College and eventually Loreto, where Mother Teresa began her profound journey. I never questioned the ritualistic practices of my childhood till I visited Tirupati, the richest Hindu temple in the world when I was about fourteen. The entrance to the golden temple was pristine but while exiting, I saw lines of beggars, many elderly and disabled, with their palms outstretched, yet the faithful who had just donated thousands at the altar, chose to ignore their plight. This encounter would stay with me and shape me silently.
After moving to the United States, I chose to follow my deep calling to become a special education teacher. I had very little, but I carried a fierce commitment to serve students with disabilities. Through extraordinary generosity and the faith of one person, I was accepted into the master’s Program at Boston University’s School of Education with a full academic scholarship. Dean Fain placed his trust in someone he had never met until I walked into his office unannounced one day, dirt poor but armed with a dream, and that act of faith changed the entire course of my life. His belief in me became a lesson I carry forward each day — a reminder to offer others the same possibility he once offered me.
What followed was a rewarding career, a ministry of teaching and learning with our most vulnerable population and I am so much richer for the experience that spanned two decades.
Rainbow Café Testimonial & writeup As a special educator, I founded the Rainbow Café, a life skills program that became a model for teaching, learning and interdisciplinary programming. Below are the written words of Kenneth Berkowitz, Police Chief of Canton, MA, about what the Rainbow Café meant to him:
In 2015, I became smitten by Unitarian Universalism, and I have never looked back since. Eventually in Seminary, I also became aware of how deeply Hinduism was baked into my very being. At the same time, I began to learn about the deep connections between Hinduism and Unitarian Universalism.
In 2016, I returned home to India to take care of my once-boundlessly energetic mother who had been diagnosed with cancer. Watching Ma die bit by bit, I concluded that the worst feelings in life are helplessness and despair. The inability to help a loved one who is suffering, is brutal. That summer I also discovered my inner strength. The revolting stench of death was overpowered by the sweet fragrance of love, kindness, and humanity from many expected but also countless unexpected sources. Also, one thing was certain — something had shifted in me. Until then I had loved my life and my job, but suddenly I began to look for a new purpose. I was moved to find out about Hospital Chaplaincy without realizing that this was just the beginning of my call to ministry.
As a college chaplain, a role I stumbled into, I understood, once again, how much of a relational person I am. At the hospital, relationships are transient and often, as a chaplain dealing with patients struggling with monetary, housing, and food insecurities, I have felt that my words may come up empty. Parish ministry, I realized, would allow me to build sustained relationships with the wider community while accompanying those who rely on me for as long as my presence is of service.
As someone who likes to think outside the box, I am incredibly grateful that our ministry offers freedom and opportunity for innovation. At Wellesley, the Hindu community has grown significantly, and the UU community, for the first time, is drawing Students of Color. I know that I will bring the same creativity to my future ministry.
To me, ministry is a partnership — between the minister, the congregation, and the larger world for the ongoing creation of beloved community.