Good Shepherd Catholic Church 1401 Greenwood Highway 29835 (864) 852-4722 Father Allam Marreddy - Administrator

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Father Allam Marreddy Rev. Allam Marreddy was ordained a priest in 1979 for the Diocese of Nalgonda, A.P. State, India. He credits his vocation to his grandmother, mother and parish priest Reverend V. Showry. Father Marreddy had a very difficult childhood. His father was an alcoholic and his family lived in near poverty conditions. His mother died when she was 47-years-old leaving her three sons and sickly husband. These challenges in life formed a strong faith and conviction in his vocation. He said, “God blessed me with a positive self-image.” As a boy, he was always ready to reach out to people in need even though he and his family were in a near destitute situation themselves. As a priest, he takes his discipleship to Jesus very seriously and works to bring people to God. His experiences have taught him that attitudes make all the difference in life, so he is committed to helping people adopt positive attitudes toward themselves and to trust in the Lord.    While in his priestly ministry in India, Father Marreddy was director of Pastoral Activities for the diocese and, for three years, principal of a Catholic school. He is credited with having converted 2,400 followers of Hinduism to the Catholic faith.   He built an 8,000 square foot church in Mattampalli using mostly labor provided by his parishioners. He also built three other churches and three chapels in different places. Those endeavors helped him to teach his parishioners to work together for the greater glory of God. Father Marreddy came to the United States in the spring of 2002 after accepting an assignment to the Diocese of Charleston. Bishop Robert Baker appointed him administrator of Sacred Heart Church in Abbeville and its mission, The Church of the Good Shepherd, in McCormick County.   Coming to America was an eye-opening experience for him. He said, “This country is obviously bountiful, beautiful, and blessed by God. The people here are good, concerned, kind and ready to help those in need.” He is also dedicated to helping poor children in the Mahboobnagar district in India. Please contact him if you wish to sponsor a poor child.