“Thanks be to God for the gift of the Catholic priesthood,” newly ordained Fr Adrian Suyanto said on behalf of himself, Fr Charbel Boustany FFI and Fr Likisone Tominiko at their ordination ceremony at Sydney’s St Mary’s Cathedral last week. Source: The Catholic Weekly.
In thanksgiving at the end of the almost three-hour long ordination Mass on July 11, Fr Suyanto listed the Blessed Eucharist, the Sacrament of Reconciliation and spiritual fatherhood as ways God loves the world and each of us through his priests.
In them, God “loves us so much that he does not leave us alone,” he said.
People filled St Mary’s Cathedral close to standing room only long before the Mass held on the July 11 feast of St Benedict, and queued for first blessings for more than an hour afterwards.
More than 130 priests, the Sydney bishops, deacons and seminarians processed into the cathedral with the three deacons as the organist and choir launched into the stirring traditional hymn I bind unto myself today.
Also present were representatives of Fr Boustany’s Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate order, including its general delegate, Fr Ignatius Manfredonia FFI.
In his homily, Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP said that in contrast to a career, “you’d be mad” to seek a priestly or religious vocation expecting wealth or advancement.
“You pick a job that suits you, while you discern a vocation in a dialogue with God, responding to his promptings and submitting to the judgement of the church. You choose a career but a vocation chooses you.”
Pointing out the men’s Asian, Middle Eastern and Pacific Islander backgrounds, he commended these communities for making important contributions to the life of the church in Australia.
With two more ordinations to come at St Mary’s later this year, five new priests is better but “35 would be better again” the archbishop quipped and asked for prayers for more like them.
FULL STORY
Thanks be to God for our priests! (By Marilyn Rodrigues, The Catholic Weekly)
