Hundreds gathered at Brisbane’s St Stephen’s Cathedral on Friday to witness Archbishop Mark Coleridge ordain two new priests – Fr Michael My Van Tran and Fr Bradley Davies. Source: Brisbane Archdiocese.
A post on the Brisbane Archdiocese website encouraged the faithful to “take a moment to honour Fr Michael and Fr Bradley for their dedication, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment to God’s work as they embark on this new chapter in their lives”.
Ahead of their priestly ordination on the Feast of the Sacred Heart, the pair spoke with The Catholic Leader.
The now Fr Tran said he hopes to celebrate his first Mass as a priest in his home country of Vietnam surrounded by family and friends with special intentions for his father who has been battling cancer.
“He has been uniting his suffering with God and he says his body is from God, so he will try to keep his body but if God wants to take him home, he is happy with that,” he said.
“He’s very positive and in very good spirits – that makes me, my mum and my siblings stronger too.”
While his family were unable to attend the ordination ceremony, he had support of parishioners from his placement in Gympie and friends from across Brisbane.
The now Fr Davies told The Catholic Leader that he felt at peace with the journey into priesthood.
“I’m feeling ready to take the next step,” he said.
Both men said their advice to other young men discerning priesthood was simple – ask the question and keep asking the question.
“You don’t get the answer to what your vocation is by asking once, you don’t get it in a weekend; it’s a journey that you go on with God, saying ‘yes’ to each and every little step along the way,” Fr Davies said.
FULL STORY
Presbyteral Ordination of Michael My Van Tran and Bradley Davies (Brisbane Archdiocese)
Meet the deacons preparing for priestly ordination this Friday (The Catholic Leader)
