austraLasia #3168
FATUMACA: 9 December 2012 -- 8 December, Feast of the Immaculate Conception: four Salesian deacons were ordained at Fatumaca, East Timor, after completing their retreat at the same location as part of the series of retreats for the Vice Province preached by Fr Piotr Gozdalski sdb. They are Agnello Moreira, Aquiles Soares, David Sousa and Placido Freitas. The ordaining prelate was Bishop Basilio do Nascimento of Baucau diocese. The ordination Mass was celebrated in the open, in the square in front of the Shrine to Our Lady Help of Christians, allowing three thousand of the faithful to be in attendance.
Two members of the East Timorese Government attended the ordination, the president of Parliament (East Timor has a unicameral system), Mr Vincente Guterres, and the Minister for Education, Mr Bendito Soares. There were large numbers of the Salesian Family in attendance as well, other than the Salesians themselves: FMA, Cooperators, ADMA, VDB.
In his homily, Bishop Basilio left the newly ordained with two thoughts in particular: he urged the reawakening of a sense of sin:"We are living in a world which has forgotten the sense of sin", he observed. He added the need for spiritual direction today, asking the newly ordained to be good guides especially for the youth.
Before the final blessing, one of the new priests thanked everyone present on his behalf and on behalf of the others. He especially thanked everyone who had contributed to their formation. The Superior of the Vice Province, Fr Joao Paulino, took the opportunity to thank the ordaining bishop, the parents and families of the new priests. He also expressed his gratitude to the new priests themselves, who will now begin a busy ministry in challenging times.
ITM: Four new priests for Timor
Two members of the East Timorese Government attended the ordination, the president of Parliament (East Timor has a unicameral system), Mr Vincente Guterres, and the Minister for Education, Mr Bendito Soares. There were large numbers of the Salesian Family in attendance as well, other than the Salesians themselves: FMA, Cooperators, ADMA, VDB.
In his homily, Bishop Basilio left the newly ordained with two thoughts in particular: he urged the reawakening of a sense of sin:"We are living in a world which has forgotten the sense of sin", he observed. He added the need for spiritual direction today, asking the newly ordained to be good guides especially for the youth.
Before the final blessing, one of the new priests thanked everyone present on his behalf and on behalf of the others. He especially thanked everyone who had contributed to their formation. The Superior of the Vice Province, Fr Joao Paulino, took the opportunity to thank the ordaining bishop, the parents and families of the new priests. He also expressed his gratitude to the new priests themselves, who will now begin a busy ministry in challenging times.
