Latest news with #JubileeofPriests
Herald Malaysia
05-07-2025
- General
- Herald Malaysia
Penang Diocese celebrates the Jubilee of Priests
It was a time of gratitude and thanksgiving for the clergy and lay faithful in the Diocese of Penang as they commemorated the Jubilee of Priests celebration. Jul 04, 2025 By Aaron LimIt was a time of gratitude and thanksgiving for the clergy and lay faithful in the Diocese of Penang as they commemorated the Jubilee of Priests celebration. Held on June 17 which coincided with the monthly clergy recollection, more than 40 priests currently serving in the diocese gathered at the Church of the Assumption (City Parish) for this momentous occasion. Cardinal Sebastian Francis, the Bishop of Penang, celebrated the Eucharist which honoured the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The prelate quoted from the Eucharistic Preface on The Priesthood of Christ and the ministry of Priests, whereby Christ 'chooses men to become sharers in his sacred ministry through the laying of hands.' In drawing connection to the readings, he reminded the priests of their identity as shepherds after the heart of Christ which are tasked to tend and pasture God's sheep with love. After the post-communion prayer, Cardinal Sebastian then led the priests of the diocese in reciting the act of consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was followed by the placing of candles at the Sacred Heart statue as the priests pledged their commitment towards the ministry. This was followed by the establishment of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal of the Diocese of Penang with the reading of the decree and signing of the commemorative plaque by Cardinal Sebastian. The celebrations then continued with the congregation together with all priests adjourning to the St Xavier's Institution Hall for a dinner fellowship. They were feted to sumptuous dishes whilst witnessing a variety of performances prepared collectively by the various parishes across Penang Island Deanery. A special video presentation featuring all priests of the diocese was then presented with the different parishes and ministries expressing their appreciation to their shepherds.
Herald Malaysia
27-06-2025
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- Herald Malaysia
Australian priest ordained by Pope: ‘God has always been at work'
Father John Vespa from Australia, one of the thirty-two deacons ordained by the Pope in St. Peter's Basilica, shares his vocational journey, which has special ties to Rome. Jun 27, 2025 Australian John Vespa being ordained a priest by Pope Leo XIV (@Vatican Media) By Kielce GussieOn the morning of the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, June 27, thirty-two deacons, from all over the world—representing various countries and regions from the Americas to Oceania—were ordained to the priesthood in St. Peter's Basilic by none other than Pope Leo XIV. One deacon from Melbourne, Australia, learned earlier this month that he had been chosen to be ordained in the papal basilica. With just a few weeks to prepare, Deacon John Vespa invited family and friends and booked a last-minute flight to the Eternal City. Chosen to represent Australia Earlier this year, Vespa was studying at Corpus Christi College in Melbourne and one of the priests at the seminary invited all the deacons preparing for ordination to pray about putting their names forward to receive ordination at St. Peter's Basilica. Vespa took this invitation seriously. 'Over the weekend, I discerned and prayed about it,' he explained, saying he reflected on 'all the men coming together and laying down our life to be ordained.' After time in prayer, he decided to start the process. With all his papers in order, Vespa submitted his name to the Archbishop of Melbourne, Archbishop Peter Comensoli. Weeks later, he heard he had been chosen. He explained that 'a few weeks ago, on the June 3, I received an email from the Dicastery of Evangelization, which said that I was selected to represent Australia.' Vespa described feeling incredibly blesses and honored to have been selected and he explained, 'I know that God's hand has always been at work.' Heart of Jesus, heart of a priest The priestly ordinations were held during the Jubilee of Priests and on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which Vespa said is no coincidence. 'The Sacred Heart of Jesus is a model for the heart of the priest, which is love, mercy, sacrifice,' he said. Even more, Vespa highlighted that Pope Benedict XVI had described priesthood as being born from the heart of Christ. Full circle While being ordained by Pope Leo is special in itself, Vespa's vocation story has roots in the Eternal City. In 2018, he and his family were visiting Rome. While inside St. Peter's Basilica, in front of Michelangelo's Pietà, he decided to tell his mother that he had applied to the seminary, and later that day he shared the news with his father in St. Peter's Square. Returning to Rome for his ordination reminds Vespa of this unique moment because God has 'worked through our lives and that's a special blessing for myself, my family, but also all the people of God.' Now, Fr. John Vespa's vocational discernment has come full circle—from where it all began to the moment of ordination. Looking forward, he said he'll not only bring home an incredible memory, but will also 'try to take some pearls of wisdoms from that homily and and live that out in my priestly ministry.'--Vatican News
Herald Malaysia
24-06-2025
- General
- Herald Malaysia
Jubilee of Seminarians, Bishops, and Priests gets underway in Rome
More than 6,000 seminarians, bishops, and priests from five continents are in Rome this week to celebrate their jubilee as part of the Holy Year 2025. Jun 24, 2025 Pope Leo XIV waves from the popemobile at the crowds gathered in St. Peter's Square for Mass on Pentecost Sunday on June 8, 2025. | Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA By Victoria Cardiel More than 6,000 seminarians, bishops, and priests from five continents are in Rome this week to celebrate their jubilee as part of the Holy Year 2025. According to the Dicastery for Evangelization, the program, which runs June 23–27, includes prayer, catechesis, concerts, jubilee pilgrimages, Masses, and various meetings with Pope Leo XIV. A welcome event for the seminarians took place Monday at St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica at 5 p.m. local time. A community rosary and a concert by Rome's diocesan choir and the 'Fideles et Amati' orchestra, conducted by Monsignor Marco Frisina, were also held. On Tuesday, the seminarians are scheduled to make the pilgrimage to the Holy Door of St. Peter's at 8 a.m. local time. In addition, at 11 a.m., they will hear a catechesis by Pope Leo XIV in what will be his first official meeting with seminarians from around the world. The day will conclude with Masses in a number of languages at 6 p.m. in 10 churches in central Rome offered by various bishops. Bishops' day: Communion and faith June 25 marks the Jubilee of Bishops. The prelates have come, according to data from the Dicastery for Evangelization, from nearly 50 countries, including Italy, Spain, Poland, Portugal, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, the United States, and the Philippines. At 10:30 a.m., the bishops will concelebrate Mass at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter's Basilica with Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect emeritus of the Dicastery for Bishops, as the main celebrant. Pope Leo XIV will then offer a special catechesis to the prelates, concluding with a joint profession of faith above the tomb of the Apostle Peter. That same afternoon, the Jubilee of Priests will begin with several catecheses organized by language groups, given by bishops in 12 churches in central Rome. On June 26, priests will participate in a jubilee Mass at St. Peter's Basilica celebrated by Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik, prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy. From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. the priests are scheduled to make pilgrimages to the Holy Doors of the four major basilicas. The day will culminate with a prayer vigil at 7 p.m. in St. Peter's Basilica presided over by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, with testimonies from a seminarian, a bishop, and a priest. Priestly ordinations at jubilee closing The week will culminate on June 27, the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with a Mass to be celebrated by Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter's Basilica. During the Mass, the pope will ordain 31 new priests from around the world from Italy, India, Sri Lanka, Romania, the Central African Republic, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Cameroon, Angola, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Ghana, Nigeria, South Korea, Mexico, Uganda, Australia, Brazil, Croatia, Slovakia, and Ukraine.--CNA
