First religious profession celebrated

National

THE new Salesian Vice-Province of Blessed, Philip Rinaldi (PGS) was blessed with a Salesian cleric (C1) in the person of Francis Mallol.
Mallol made his first Salesian Religious Profession and was invested at the Mary Help of Christians Shrine in Port Moresby during the Eucharistic celebration on the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary last Friday.
Mallol completed his Novitiate at Cebu in the Philippines, and pronounced his vows for a year to live obedient, poor and chaste as a Salesian of Don Bosco.
The rites of First Profession were presided by the superior of the Vice-Province  Fr Peter Baquero.
Fr Alipio Añano represented the Formation Community of Cebu.
He was among the 11 priests who took part at the Eucharistic celebration.
The celebration was attended by members of the Salesian family, staff and students of Don Bosco schools and a large number of members from the Salesian run Mary Help of Christians Parish at Sabama.
Mallol hails from the parish where he has been actively involved as a young person. In his homily, Fr Peter presented Mary as the model of responding with a total ‘yes’ to God.
“She serves as an inspiration for the young cleric and to give his threefold ‘yes’ to God through the faithful observance of the vows through his fraternal love of his Salesian confreres and through his loving service of the youth,” Fr Peter said.
The Goilala dancers led the entrance and offertory procession.
The Sabama Youth choir sang the parts of the mass and the hymns, several of which were in the local language.
Mallol will soon return to the Philippines to start his post novitiate formation.