Father Binoy Davis was born in Kerala, India, on the tropical Malabar Coast. Kerala means “land of coconuts” in Malayalam. Though a coastal state, Father Davis’ home is in the mountains, accessible only on foot. His family farms coconuts, black pepper, cocoa, and cashews. He is one of three children, with a brother (married with two daughters) and a sister (married with two sons).

His call to the priesthood began in sixth grade as an altar server. After attending a vocation camp, he was encouraged by a seminarian to visit the seminary. At 16, he left home for St. Charles Seminary in Nagpur, India, a two-day train ride away. Adjusting to a new climate and language, he studied Hindi and English, later earning a degree in Hindi Literature. He then studied theology at St. Ephrem’s Theological College. Father Davis celebrates Mass in both the Latin Rite and the Syro-Malabar Rite, and was ordained on May 6, 2008, in the Syro-Malabar Church, founded by St. Thomas the Apostle.

Father Davis lives by the principle, “bloom where you are planted.” Early in his ministry, he served at a small station in India with a one-room hospital treating snake bites. The sisters combined medical treatment with prayer, and in one year, he witnessed about 1,000 cases with only one death—a time he calls one of the most joyous of his priesthood.

On Dec. 10, 2014, Father Davis celebrated his first Mass at St. Matthew—also his first Mass in English. He has since worked hard to improve his English and became a U.S. citizen in May 2023.

Father Davis enjoys music, playing both piano and tabala (an Indian percussion instrument). In the Syro-Malabar Rite, where the priest sings much of the liturgy, he especially delights in song. He also enjoys basketball, volleyball, croquet, table tennis, badminton, reading, movies, photography, and trying new foods—particularly pasta dishes and the occasional spicy deluxe sandwich from Chick-fil-A. Though he loved gardening in India, he hasn’t yet tried it in Charlotte.

He visits India about once a year and misses his family, especially his mother’s coconut-flavored cooking. On one visit, he was blessed to baptize one of his nieces.