DonBoscoASIA

On the 14th of August, Sunday, when most of the dioceses here celebrated the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Mother, four Salesian priests were ordained in the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in Fatumaca, East Timor. They were Frs Alarico Tomas Sarmento Correia, Florentino Gil dos Santos, Nelson Gonçalves and Rui Gomes. The Ordination Ceremony lasted for five hours, beginning with traditional rites and music, and the ordianing prelate was the Bishop of Baucau, bishop Basilio do Nascimento.

After the ceremony, the Superior of the Vice Province thanked all those present for coming to grace the event, especially the families of the ordinands who generously gave their sons to the Church and the Congregation.

On 22 August, the Feast of the Queenship of Mary, the Salesian Delegation of Indonesia and the whole ITM Vice Province again rejoiced with the ordination of another new priest, Fr Hendrikus Mado Tolok. He was ordained with 3 OFM Deacons in the Franciscan Parish of St. Paschalis, Jakarta. The Ordaining Prelate, Archbishop Ignatius Suharyo, Archbishop of Jakarta, who celebrates the 14th anniversary of his episcopal ordination, was generous in his praise for the 4 new priests for accepting the invitation of the Lord to follow Him in shepherding His flock. Around 50 priests concelebrated, with many people witnessing the simple but well-prepared liturgy. Fr. Hendrikus (whose nickname is Pele for his love for football) chose this motto for his ordination, 'I have the strength for everything through Him Who empowers me.' (Phil. 4:13) After the Ordination Rites, the SDB Provincial Delegate extended the congratulations of the Congregation to all those ordained, and announced the obedience of Fr. Hendrikus – as the new Bursar (economer) for Don Bosco, Tigaraksa.

With the priestly ordination of Fr Hendrikus, since the arrival of the pioneer of Salesian work in Indonesia, Fr. Jose Carbonell 26 years ago, there are now 16 Indonesian Salesian priests. After the ceremonies, especially during the photo session, the usual atmosphere of peace, calm and simplicity of the Franciscan Parish of St. Paschalis was punctured by the Salesian joy and noise of the prenovices, postnovices, young people and others who came for the priestly ordination from Salesian centres.

Source: Australasia News