Mangaluru: Six young Mangalurean men received their priestly ordination at the Fatima Retreat House on Friday, October 18 morning.
Jeevan D’Souza, Jeevan Gomes, Joel Fernandes, Melwyn Fernandes, Merwin Fernandes, and Ronald Serrao received the Sacrament of Holy Orders from Mangaluru Diocese Bishop Peter Paul Saldanha in the presence of their families.
Over 120 catholic priests, led by Bishop Saldanha, were in attendance. The Church of Divine Mercy at the Fatima Retreat House was overflowing with devotees who had come to witness the grand event. Each of the Deacons was especially blessed by their respective parish priests.
The Bishop reminded all the attending devotees that these six men had heard God’s call – they had not chosen Him, but that He has chosen them, and that they have accepted his call. “It is because they accept that the strength that comes to them is from God, no weakness can overtake them,” he added.
Bishop Peter Paul Saldanha also mentioned that the vocation of a priest was not easy. He said, “It is a life of sacrifice, prayer, hard work, and most of all, it is to spread God’s word. People will look for God’s word in their words and their actions all the time.”
The lilting voices of the choir singing timeless Konkani hymns added an enchanting grace to the ceremony.
The ceremony concluded with the Bishop felicitating the parents of each of the newly-ordained priests with a shawl. He further congratulated them for raising their families in such a way that the men chose God over all the other distractions of the world.
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