Church ordains priests

Faith, Normal
Source:

The National, Thursday October 17th, 2013

 THE Catholic faithful in Milne Bay celebrated an historic event on Sunday when three local deacons were ordained into the priesthood in the same ceremony.

The ordination of deacons Aloysius Seduheya, Nicholas O’omu and John Kubali, all from Normanby Island, saw the blending of traditional and church rites. 

Traditional dancers from Normanby led them to a traditional hut outside the Alotau Cathedral where they were “given away” to the church with traditional chants.

In ordaining the new priests, Bishop of Alotau-Sidea diocese Rolando Santos said they had to be strong to live and work like Jesus Christ.

Santos told the three new priests that their ordination did not mean they had become angels as they were still humans and prone to sin.

He called on the congregation to support the three priests in their work and not tempt them into doing things that could cause them to fail in their promise to remain celibate.

Governor Titus Philemon and National Planning Minister Charles Abel attended the ordination ceremony.

The two leaders assured the church leaders and members of the Catholic faith who had travelled from far and wide to witness the ceremony that Government would be giving more funding assistance to the churches to support their work in delivering vital services like education and health.