A choice in freedom – asking to be admitted

The recent monsoon showers brought in a long-awaited chill in Mumbai, and great joy in St. Pius X Seminary too, when 18 brothers of our seminary were admitted to Candidacy, which is the ecclesiastical declaration of preparing themselves for the office of Diaconate and Priestly Ordination. Most. Rev. Dr. Percival Fernandez graced the solemn Eucharistic celebration and conferred the candidacy on the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul.

The celebration began on the eve of June 28, 2019 with a solemn prayer service by the Rector, Rev. Fr. Aniceto Pereira. He recalled the humble words of St. Augustine saying, ‘When I’m terrified by what I am for you, I am given comfort by what I am with you. For you I am a bishop, with you, after all, I am a Christian. The first is the name of an office undertaken, the second a name of grace; that one means danger, this one salvation’ through which he exhorted the brothers to be aware of the danger of clericalism and to be humble priests after the Sacred Heart. The brothers were vested in their clerical cassocks at the prayer service.

In his homily during the Eucharistic celebration on June 29, Bp. Percy highlighted the importance of ‘being connected with God through constant prayer life and to hold His hand at all times in this sacred life’. After the homily, the eighteen brothers, 3 for the Archdiocese of Bangalore, 4 for the Archdiocese of Bombay, 3 for the Diocese of Vasai, 2 each for the Diocese of Kottar and Belgaum and 1 each for the Diocese of Sindhudurg, Delhi, Punnalur and Udaipur, were accepted as Candidates.

The staff and community of St. Pius X seminary, feels extremely happy for these brothers of our community for having joyfully expressed their intention to serve the Lord in His vineyard as priests.