Prelates welcome 5 new priests to archdiocese

PALO, LEYTE, Philippines — Five new priests, all Yolanda survivors, the other day were added to the roster of clerics in the Archdiocese of Palo, bringing to 150 the active priests in the diocese.

Palo Archbishop John Forrosuelo Du and Cebu Auxiliary Bishop Oscar Jaime Llaneta Florencio led hundreds of faithful in welcoming the new priests.

Ordained at the Palo Metropolitan Cathedral to the presbyterial rank were Reverends Jan Ian Brylle Callera, Dino Evan De Paz, Fritz Francis Del Pilar, Dexter Ian Rivera and James Sean Sital.

The five were under the tutelage of Bishop Florencio during his time as vice rector of the Sacred Heart Seminary and then as rector of the St. John the Evangelist School of Theology, both located in this town.

Florencio said the five new priests had already shown their dedication even during their first year or earlier years of their formation in the theologate, which welled in him the expectation for this ordination, in spite of the trials they all went through including the super typhoon Yolanda.

Father Lito Maraya, current rector of SJEST, recollected his experience in braving Yolanda, together with the newly ordained priest, two of whom went to his room thinking that he was in danger at the time.

“I really believe that what we all went through when the super typhoon struck the seminary must have made them better in the way they looked at life in that life-changing experience,” Maraya recalled. “We are all grateful that God has given us a new lease on life, which I believe must have changed their outlook in life,” he said.

Maraya described the five new clerics as good and sincere people who are willing to do more for the church, marks of idealism that he was hoping for them to “continue to nurture.”

Reiterating the usual reminder of Archbishop Du on the new clerics, Maraya exhorted them to continue “whatever good things they have learned in the seminary, such as being faithful in praying the liturgy of the hours, and spending from at least 30 minutes to one hour of individual prayer every day, among other things.”

Florencio exhorted new priests and all those who wanted to be clerics someday to “really listen to what the Lord is telling us.”

He reminded them: “If you are called by God you need to discern more and pray more so that you can respond to the call of God and if you are there already, do not have some doubts that you are there, that God is inviting you to a special ministry which is the priesthood.”

Du, in his homily at the ordination underscored three important points that the newly ordained presbyters should keep: Accept the challenges of priesthood in the context of responsibility not just a gift from God; exude in identity which is centered on Christ and the Eucharist and not himself; and do their presbyterial service and priestly mission with gladness.

Du admonished them to veer not on the privileges that priests usually enjoy but exhorted them to be holy so as to make others holy and be able to bring the people closer to God and God to the people.

The new priests will be assigned to different parishes following their ordination.  (FREEMAN)