By Fr. Joseph Nguyen Anh
ZMB province - Vietnamese missionary

Utume-Nairobi, Kenya, 29 June 2020 -- Last Saturday, 27 June, three Salesians were ordained to priesthood in the Interprovincial theologate chapel at Utume (Nairobi, Kenya - Rector Fr Michael Kalathipullatt) - one from the Viceprovince of Angola (ANG) Fr Alfredo Quaresma Dumbo and two Vietnamese missionaries who belong to the Viceprovince of ZMB (Zambia-Zimbabwe-Malawi-Namibia) - Fr Joseph Nguyen Tuan Anh and Fr John Bui Nhu Cao.

The three Salesians were ordained to the priesthood by the Bishop emeritus of Soddo Vicariate in Ethiopia, Rodrigo Mejia Saldarriaga, SJ (Colombian Jesuit missionary in Kenya, Congo RCD and Ethiopia), only in the presence of the Utume SDB community and AFE (Easter Africa - Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya and Tanzania) provincial, Fr Simon Asira Lipuku due to other restrictions.

The two Vietnamese missionaries have chosen as their mottos: "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else and He will give you everything you need (Lk 12, 31) - Fr John Cao; and 'Teach me to do your will, for you are my God' (Ps 143, 10) - Fr Joseph Anh.

The ZMB Viceprovince Superior Fr Krysztof Rychcik was absent - after GC28 still in Poland, and due to the Covid19 restrictions in Kenya there were no outside guests at the ordination Eucharist. Both new missionary priests are waiting for the first possible occasion to fly to Vietnam for their thanksgiving Mass one day!

Both new priests were sent by the Rector Major as missionary ad gentes in 2013 (144th missionary expedition) and after their practical training in Zambia completed their specific formation in Nairobi, Kenya. On the ordination day one of them shared: "We feel the grace of God and we ask your prayers!"

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