Friday April 17 was a special day in the life of the Karnataka-Goa province of Discalced Carmelites, as five more members were added to the priestly tribe.
The solemn Mass with the rich ceremony of priestly ordination began at 3.30 pm as around 85 priests processed in the beautiful Infant Jesus Shrine at Bikarnakatte. Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza, Bishop 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
In the short felicitation programme that followed the Mass, 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 honoured on the occasion.
This year the Carmelites have an abundant harvest of new priests. Those ordained earlier are:
Fr Sandeep Goveas who was ordained by Dr Antony Swamy, Bishop of Chikkamagaluru on April 16 at Moodigere – Chikkamagaluru.
Fr Antony Stephen was raised to the presbyterate on April 15 at his native parish Mount Carmel Church, Mariyapura, Bangalore, by Dr Robert Miranda, the Bishop of Gulbarga.
Fr Augustine Robert was ordained on Tuesday April 14 at his native parish, Sacred Heart Church, Kodiugane by Dr Thomas Antony Vazhapilly, the Bishop of Mysore.
Fr Noel Francis D’Cunha was ordained on February 11 by Dr Filipe Neri Ferrrao, Archbishop-Patriarch of Goa and Daman, at Carmelite Monastery, Aquem-Margao.
