Archbishop ordains 4 new Cebu deacons

CEBU Archbishop Jose Palma called on new deacons to pray and be diligent with their duties, as he told them about the dwindling number of priests in other parts of the world.

The deaconate is the last step to priesthood. The deacons are also ordained and work mostly assisting priests and bishops in performing masses and other liturgical rites.

Palma, who just arrived from Ireland where he attended the International Eucharistic Congress, noted that priestly vocations are dwindling in other parts of that country.

He related visiting an empty castle that was used as a seminary formation house, but there were no more seminarians in the area.

Palma attributed the high number of vocations in the Philippines to the religiosity of the people and the sacrifice of families to give up a child who wants to enter the priesthood.

“One of the more important functions of the deacon is to preach to the people. They are the reminders of the importance of teaching,” said Palma in his homily during the ordination rites at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral yesterday.

“We can misuse the gift, we can even lose the gift,” said the prelate.

Reverends Marlowe Patigdas and Ruben Bajenting, two of the four new deacons, have the support of their family.

“We hope and pray na magpadayon siya (that he would continue to become a priest),” lawyer Jonathan Villegas, a classmate of Patigdas and Bajenting, told Sun.Star Cebu.

Villegas recounted that the three of them were classmates at the Pope John XXIII Seminary in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City.

He added that most of their classmates from the college seminary that graduated in 2004 were already ordained priests.

The other new deacons are Dante Padro Carredo and Dindo Cataliwala-an Yosores.

“Every new deacon, every new priest is a sign of God's love,” Palma said.

“My dear sons, as I lay my hands on you, I pray that you may be members of the clergy not only for one year or five years but until death... I ask you to spend time for daily prayer, pray that the gift you receive today will never be lost,” he added.