Mangaluru: Karnataka - Goa Province of Discalced Carmelites get 5 new priests

Bellevision Media Network

Mangaluru, 18 Apr 2015: April 17, 2015 was a special day in the life of the Karnataka-Goa Province of Discalced Carmelites, as 5 more members were added to the Priestly tribe!

 

The Solemn Mass with the rich ceremony of Priestly Ordination began at 03.30pm as around 85 priests walked in procession at the beautiful Infant Jesus Shrine at Bikarnatakatte, here.

 

 

Bishop Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza of Mangaluru was the ordaining minister.

 

The five new priests are - Fr Kevin Felix Fernandes from St Joseph the Worker Church, Vamanjoor. Fr Arun Bennis from St Thomas the Apostle Church, Nirkan.  Fr Prakash Lancy Rebello from St Antony’s Church, Bannur – Puttur.  Fr Joseph Cyril D’Souza (Jocy Siddakatte) from St Patrick’s Church, Siddakatte and Fr Pawan Alson Saldanha from Most Holy Saviour Church, Agrar.

 

The first four completed their theological studies at St Joseph’s Inter-diocesan Seminary, Jeppu, Mangaluru for the last 4 years and the last one was a student at St Pius X Seminary, Goregoan, Mumbai.

 

Fr Joe Tauro, OCD, Superior of St Joseph’s Monastery enumerated the various dimensions of Priesthood in his homily.

 

 

The Ordination rite was animated by Fr Jason Tellis, which included the laying of hands, prostration during the singing of the litany and the anointing of the hands with ‘Chrism Oil’. The respective parish priests adorned the newly ordained in priestly vestments.

 

In the short felicitation programme that followed the Mass, Rev. Fr. Charles Serrao, Provincial Superior of the Karnataka-Goa Province expressed his great joy to have these gifted youngsters in the Carmelite Family. Special thanks were rendered to the parents and the families who had offered their sons to the service of the Lord. The benefactors who accompanied them in their journey to the Priesthood were also honored on the occasion.

 

This year the Carmelites have an abundant harvest of new priests. Those ordained earlier are - Fr Sandeep Goveas was ordained by Bishop Antony Swamy Chikmagalur on April 16 at Moodigere – Chikmagalur. Fr Antony Stephen was raised to the presbyterate on April 15 at his native parish Mount Carmel Church, Mariapura, Bangalore, by Bishop Robert Miranda of Gulbarga.  Fr Augustine Robert was ordained on April 14 at his native parish, Sacred Heart Church, Kodiugane by Bishop Dr Thomas Antony Vazhapilly of Mysore. Fr Noel Francis D’Cunha was ordained on February 11 by Fr Filipe Neri Ferrrao, Archbishop-Patriarch of Goa and Daman at Carmelite Monastery, Aquem-Margao.