Priests celebrate anniversaries

 TWO Catholic priests in Port Moresby celebrated their 10th and seventh years of priesthood respectively last Sunday.

Their anniversaries coincided with the feast day of Blessed Peter Torot, a Papua New Guinean killed by Japanese forces during World War II.

Fr Emmanuel Fadeyl, who is secretary to the Apostolic Nuncio, and Fr Sylvester Dong Saladaga, the parish priest of St John’s Tokarara, were presented with gifts by the members of the St John’s Tokarara Catholic church.

Among those at the celebration were French Ambassador Alain Waquet and Ruger Kahwa of the United Nations office responsible for the coordination of humanitarian affairs in Port Moresby.

Fadeyl and Saladaga shared how they chose to become priests.

Fadeyl, from Nigeria, who celebrated ten years of priesthood, said his parents wanted him to become a doctor but he refused. He wanted to be a priest so he could serve God.

“My family opposed me going to seminary and they punished me by not giving me any support,” he said. 

“I stayed nine years in seminary without returning to my parents.” 

He urged youths to surrender to God and be true to themselves. 

Saladaga, who comes from the Philippines and celebrated seven years as a priest, said his family was unhappy, especially his father, at his decision to go into the seminary.

 “I requested my father to buy me a pair of shoes I really liked. It’s a bit expensive,” Saladaga said. 

“My father came to the seminary with the shoes. At that moment I realised my father had supported my intention of becoming a priest.”