Maronite deacons Ghassan-Hanna Nakhoul and Sayed Youssef Issac were ordained to the priesthood by Maronite Bishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay on Saturday. Source: The Catholic Weekly.
In his homily, Bishop Tarabay, who presided over the ordination ceremony at Our Lady of Lebanon Co-Cathedral in Harris Park in Sydney’s west, said the occasion reflected the vitality of the Maronite Church in Australia, where the faith continues to flourish and grow.
“It is also a source of great hope for our community,” Bishop Tarabay said.
“As we celebrate the Jubilee of Hope in 2025, these two new priests will lead us on our spiritual pilgrimage, guiding us with their example of faith and devotion.”
Maronite Catholic tradition permits married men to discern a vocation to priesthood, and both of the new priests are married with children.
The bishop spoke of their unique journeys to the priesthood and their sacred responsibility of guiding and nurturing the faithful.
Bishop Tarabay made special mention of Fr Nakhoul’s son, Ghadi Nakhoul, a popular parishioner and youth leader who died, aged 28, in a car crash last November.
Fr Nakhoul told the congregation his ordination meant the bishop had been inspired by the Holy Spirit to entrust him with “the holiest mission.”
“It also means that Our Lord Jesus Christ, by the merits of his wounds, has wounded my selfishness, given me the courage through the power of his Holy Spirit to say ‘yes’ to him, and made me an instrument of the Father’s mercy for humanity,” he said.
“His mother Mary is now, more than ever, my own mum.”
Fr Issac expressed his sentiments saying, “Ordination is an invitation to be more intimate with God by imitating Christ and aligning my life even more closely with Christ’s example of service, sacrifice, and love.
“As a married priest, this means bringing together two beautiful vocations – marriage and priesthood – both of which call me to lay down my life for others.
“My ordination is not just my journey; it is also the journey of my family, who have walked beside me with faith and love, shaping me into the man I am today.”
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Sydney’s two new Maronite priests are an “inspiration for us all,” says Bishop Tarabay (The Catholic Weekly)
