Welcome Fr. Tony

Dearly beloved parishioners of St. Joseph the Worker,

My name is Fr. Joseph Anthony Andrade, but I am better known as Fr. Tony Andrade.
I was born and raised in the southern part of India, in a city called Mangalore. I am one of 6 children: 3 boys and 3 girls. I have a twin brother and his name is Anthony Ronald. Since my mother has a devotion to St. Anthony she gave both of us the name Anthony. She called my brother “Rony” and me “Tony.” So that’s how I got the name Tony and later Fr. Tony. 
 
When I came to serve in this Archdiocese, 31 years ago, I decided to let the people call me Fr. Tony. For official documents and business though my name is Fr. Joseph Anthony Andrade or Fr. J. Anthony Andrade. 
  
My early education was in my hometown of Mangalore and my priestly formation was completed at St. Charles Seminary in Nagpur, India. I was ordained to the Holy Order of Priesthood in 1992 and served as a priest for 11 months in India at the church of St. Patrick, in Bangalore, India.

I came here to the Archdiocese in December 1993 at the request of the late Archbishop John R. Roach.

My first assignment was to serve as the chaplain at United and Children’s Hospitals in St. Paul. I did that  for 7 years. During that time, I lived at the Cathedral Rectory  for the first 2 years and then moved to St. Marks Rectory in St. Paul. During those 7 years I also helped at various parishes in our Archdiocese as a weekdays and  weekends Priest. In July of 2000 I was appointed pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle in St. Paul. July 2009 I was appointed pastor of St. Pascal Baylon also in St. Paul, 2012 I was appointed Pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas in St. Paul Park until now. June of 2024 I complete my term of 12 years of my priestly service at this parish. 
  
I am very happy and excited to come and serve you as your associate pastor and be a part of your parish family.

Let us remember to pray for one another and celebrate the Sacred Liturgies and Sacraments with great reverence and devotion. At this time, I like to recall the words of  Saint. Mother Theresa of Calcutta whom I personally met some years ago during my Seminary days in India. She once said “what I can do you cannot do, what you can do I cannot do but together we can do something beautiful for God”. 
So, let us extend our hands and reach out to one another in the name of our Lord so that we may continue to make this place a beautiful dwelling place for God and each other.   

May God bless you, 
Fr. Tony Andrade