“When I heard about it, I felt sad. I had been waiting for a long, long time for that day,” he said. “I think, it’s human nature (to feel sad). But for the safety of the people and all things considered, like travelling, I think it’s a good decision to postpone the ordination.”

Deacon Nguyen was supposed to be ordained as a priest at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit on April 18. But Wellington Cardinal John Dew and Palmerston North Vicar-general Msgr Brian Walsh talked to him about it and they agreed it was best to postpone.

“We will decide when to have the ordination when the lockdown is finished,” Deacon Nguyen said. “I still believe, in God’s plan, that day will come.”

He said, with the virus still around, it doesn’t seem possible for his family to fly here to witness his ordination.

“It’s funny because I have three brothers following the vocation as well, one in the States, one in Colombia and one in India. Through this event, they are also always encouraging me and we kind-of journeyed together, which means I am not alone,” he said.

One of his brothers is a diocesan seminarian in Washington, DC, another in a religious order in Colombia, and still another in the Rosminian order in India.

He said the people in Palmerston North diocese also sent him messages and emails, most telling him to “hang on in there”.

But he is most grateful to Bishop Owen Dolan, his first spiritual director in New Zealand. He said Bishop Dolan called him (Deacon Nguyen) as soon as he (Bishop Dolan) heard the news.

“He said to me, I come from Vietnam where, all through the history of the faith in Vietnam, we have been through challenges and persecution,” Deacon Nguyen said.

He added that Bishop Dolan pointed out that his (Deacon Nguyen’s) vocation journey was filled with challenges as well, first with having to learn a new culture and now, with this virus.

“In the end, he said to me that your vocation will flourish like the faith in Vietnam. Because the challenges and the struggles made the faith in Vietnam so strong. I reflect on it as well. The difficult times make my vocation stronger. The desire to be priest is more, compared to the past,” he said.

Deacon Nguyen said he is with Msgr Walsh and Msgr David Bell for the duration of the lockdown.

“It’s a good time to learn from these wise men. They have a lot of experiences in their pastoral ministry, so now it’s time for me to learn from them. Actually, it’s a good time,” he said.

The post Ordination to priesthood postponed appeared first on NZ Catholic Newspaper.

Palmerston North diocese’s newest priest, Fr Vui Hoang, grew up firm in
the conviction that he would never be ordained.

Speaking to NZ Catholic before his ordination to the priesthood in Palmerston North on June 29, Fr Hoang said he was raised in Vinh diocese in Vietnam alongside his seven elder siblings — five brothers and two sisters — and the prospect of priesthood had not seemed that attractive during his upbringing.

“When I was younger, I didn’t think much about the priesthood . . . it wasn’t really attractive, living by myself and getting up early to celebrate Mass,” he said.

At age 11, his family moved to Ho Chi Minh City, where he went to high school. He said the boys at his school would often place bets on who would become a priest.

After leaving high school, he went on to study electrical engineering at university. It was in his first year of university that he began to feel God calling him to the priesthood.

“Initially I took the exam to enter the university and my purpose was to become an engineer, but in my first year I felt a fire within my heart that made me decide to go for the priesthood,” he said.

Fr Hoang’s faith was nurtured by his family during his upbringing. Family members would pray the rosary together every morning. There were very few priests available, so his village did not have Mass very often. People would say the rosary instead.

“Every day our family would wake up around half past five. Everyone was still in bed, but we would pray the rosary,” he said. “When I was young, I hated it. You can imagine a young boy wanting to sleep rather than say the rosary, but now I see. . . the fruits of the faith of my family, of the community. This is a gift.”

Fr Hoang first tried to enter the seminary in Vietnam, but due the number of men wanting to be priests, with around 400 applicants to the seminary every two years, he was required to wait.

Through the invitation of Bishop Charles Drennan of Palmerston North diocese, Fr Hoang came to New Zealand in May, 2012, to enter the seminary in Auckland.

The 32-year-old said the hardest part about coming to New Zealand was leaving his family and friends.

“You come to a new place, and you have no relationships . . . the Church here is quite different to where I come from. For example, more people go to Mass here, there are more young people at Mass,” he said.

At the beginning, he said, this was a challenge, especially when family back home had a big event or somebody passed away and he couldn’t be with them. However, the environment and brotherhood of the seminary helped him to settle into the New Zealand way of life.

“We come here and we all have the same . . . motivation that we want to
become a priest and want to serve God. Being here for seven years, we experience a really strong bond with our brothers,” Fr Hoang said.

Coming to New Zealand for the seminary was a blessing because it gave him a chance to learn about the culture and the language without pressure, he said.

“If I became a priest in Vietnam and then came here, it would be more challenging because then I would have to learn the culture, the language, the Church, and everything else,” he said.

Fr Hoang said he was both excited and nervous at becoming a priest.

“Excited because that’s what I’ve prepared for the last 12, 13 years. I can see
there is a lot of responsibility, being a priest . . . in New Zealand, we have very low numbers of vocations to the priesthood, so there is a lot of pastoral work,” he said.

The thing he was most looking forward to about the priesthood was working with young people. He said that young people struggling with discerning their vocation should leave it to God.

“ ‘Entrust your life to the Lord, trust in him and he will act’,” he said, quoting Psalm 37:5.

“We all have different vocations — marriage, priesthood, religious life —they are all beautiful and I would just encourage them to discern which way they want to serve the Lord the most.”

The post Preparing for priesthood in NZ a ‘blessing’ appeared first on NZ Catholic Newspaper.

The Bishop Viard Memorial Trophy for runner-up went to St Peter’s College in Palmerston North, which hosted the event this year.

Prize winners were: St Catherine’s Cup Debating Best Negative Team: St Joseph’s Maori Girls College (Napier); St Mary’s Cup Debating Best Affirmative Team: Sacred Heart College, Lower Hutt; Te Kaipanui I te Kupu Cup Scripture Reading in Te Reo Māori – Section A: Wharewaiata Rolls, St
John’s College (Hastings); Te Kaipanui I te Kupu Cup Scripture Reading in Te Reo Māori – Section B: Matarena Biiri, Bishop Viard College (Porirua); George Family Cup Junior Prepared Speech Section A: Darcy Donaghy, St Peter’s College; Vaughan Family Cup Junior Prepared Speech Section B: Waaka Poutu, Hato Paora College (Feilding); Cardinal McKeefry Cup Oratory
Section A: Patrick Ryan, St Patrick’s College (Wellington); Bishop Cullinane Cup Oratory Section B: Staines Sathya-Seelan, St Peter’s College; Catherine McAuley Cup Scripture Reading Section A: Amy Krammer, Garin College (Nelson): St Peter Chanel Cup Scripture Reading Section B: Corban Dravitzki, Francis Douglas Memorial College (New Plymouth); Bishop Owen Snedden Memorial Cup Religious Drama: St Bernard’s College (Lower Hutt),
first; Society of Mary Cup Religious Drama: St Peter’s College, second; Sacred Heart Lower Hutt Jubilee Cup Impromptu Speaking Section A: Royce Fitzgerald, St Bernard’s College; Silverstream Cup Impromptu Speaking Section B: Sam Crisp, St Patrick’s College Wellington; Hibernian Cup Religious Questions Section A: St Patrick’s College, Wellington; Mercy Cup Religious Questions Section B: St Catherine’s College; Jubilee Plaque Hosting School for 2020: Chanel College (Masterton).

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These are Auckland, Wellington and Palmerston North dioceses.

AUCKLAND

Bishop Patrick Dunn made key changes to the placement of priests which will take effect on February 1.

He announced the appointment of Msgr David Tonks as vicar for clergy.

Fr Peter Tipene became dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral replacing vicar-general Msgr Bernard Kiely who moved to Good Shepherd parish in Balmoral. Fr Sherwin Lapaan is cathedral assistant priest.

Fr Gilbert Ramos is parish priest of Blockhouse Bay and coordinating chaplain for the Filipino community.

Fr Savelio Tevaga is parish priest of Dargaville, Fr Larry Rustia of Devonport and Fr Craig Dunford of Flat Bush while Fr Redemptus Jawa, CSSR, is acting  parish priest of Glendowie until September, 2017.

Fr Carlos Guleng is administrator of Helensville parish.

Fr John Tollan is parish priest of Hibiscus Coast, Fr John Fitzmaurice of Howick, Fr Carlo Cruz of Kaitaia, Fr Lio Rotor of Northcote, Fr Patrick Brady of Orakei, Fr Benedict Francis of Owairaka (with Fr Michael Endemann in residence), Fr Jun Peralta, SVD of Panguru, Fr Andrew Matthew of Panmure, Fr Christopher Denham of Parnell. Fr Jeremy Palman is
administrator of Te Atatu.

Fr Oliver Aro, MSP, is parish priest of Thames, Fr Sean O’Connor, SSC, of Warkworth and Fr Tony Delsink of Whitianga. Fr Quirico Cruz is Wellsford administrator.

Bishop Dunn also appointed the following as assistant priests: Fr Marchellino Park (East Coast Bays), Fr Majesh Kurian, CSSR, (Ellerslie), Fr Austin Fernandes (Pakuranga), Fr Bill Fletcher (Papatoetoe), Fr James Mulligan (Pukekohe) and Fr Richard Cortes, MSP, (Takapuna).

Fr Michael Endemann, residing priest in Owairaka, is Samoan chaplain, and Fr Christopher Denham is tertiary chaplain.

Fr Leo Doyle was appointed to Liston Village while seminarian Martin Wu placed in Balmoral.

The following priests moved to St John Vianney  House: Fr Grahame Connolly, SM, Fr Philip Handforth, Fr Stuart Sellar and Msgr Pat Ward.

Msgr Brian Arahill is in Mercy Parklands. Fr Philip Sullivan, Fr Ezio Blasoni, SM, and Fr Conrad Bryant, SM, have retired.

The following priests have left the diocese: Fr Elric Jorquia and Fr Gerry Mascarina to the Philippines, Fr Alfonso Dujali, MSP, and Fr Jobin Vanniamparambil, CSSR, to Hamilton diocese, Fr Bernie Thomas, OFM, and Fr Joe McKay, OFM, to Australia, Fr Joselito Layug,
SSP, on sabbatical, Fr Peter Janssen, SM, to parish work in Italy, Fr Barry Malone, SM, to Addington parish in Christchurch, Fr Thige O’Leary, SM, to Provincial Council in Wellington, Fr Des Darby, SM, to Wellington and Br Pius Keene, SM, to Taradale.

PALMERSTON NORTH

Bishop Charles Drennan made the following appointments:  Fr Craig Butler parish priest of St Joseph’s Hawera; Fr Marcus Francis parish priest of Whanganui and vicar forane of Whanganui-Waimarino Pastoral Area; Fr Tom Lawn assistant parish priest of New Plymouth and vicar forane of Taranaki Pastoral Area; Fr John Mori, SM, chaplain to St Joseph’s Maori Girl’s College in addition to his pastoral work in Napier parish; Fr Robin Kurian, IC, assistant parish priest of St Mary’s Palmerston North and St Brigid’s Fielding as well as superior of the Rosminian Community; Fr Manoj Mathew, IC, administrator
of St Mary’s Palmerston North and St Brigid’s Fielding.

Fr Brian Carmine is on sabbatical and supply before taking up a new appointment in 2018.

Bishop Drennan thanked the priests who “so readily accepted these changes, and to the parishes that are ‘losing’ a priest”.

“Please also keep our seminarians Vui, Trung, Simone in your payers as well as Tom Dravitzki of Inglewood parish who is heading to the seminary next year,” he added.

WELLINGTON

Cardinal John Dew made the following clergy appointments for 2017.

Fr John Pearce, CP, was made parish priest of Our Lady Star of the Sea, Marlborough. Fr Pat McIndoe, CP, assistant parish priest of Our Lady Star of the Sea, Marlborough.

Fr Dennis Nacorda will be administrator of Wellington South parish from May to September as Fr David Dowling will go on sabbatical leave during that time.

Fr Alan Roberts was appointed chaplain of the Home of Compassion and to assist the Wellington South pastoral team. Fr Sanele Finau was made assistant priest of Otari
and will assist with cathedral Masses.

Fr David Orange retired from hospital chaplaincy though he remained on the pastoral team at Te Awakairangi. Fr Sebastian Chacko is chaplain for the Samoan community residing at Te Awakairangi parish.

Fr Andrew Kim is assistant priest at Our Lady of the Bays parish in Richmond, Motueka, Takaka.

Fr Binu Matthew is Locum Tenens at St Canice, Westport from February to June as Fr Raymond Soriano is on sabbatical leave in the same period.

Fr Sebastian Vandanamthadthil will celebrate Sunday Masses for the Syro-Malabar community at St Francis of Assisi, Ohariu.

The post Clergy moves in three NZ dioceses appeared first on NZ Catholic Newspaper.

The Mass was presided over by Bishop Charles Drennan with Bishops Peter Cullinane and Owen Dolan and the clergy of the diocese concelebrating.

The six priests whose jubilees were celebrated were Frs Freddie Barte (25 years), David Gledhill, SM (50 years), Desmond Paul Levins (50 years), Thomas Sherry (50 years), Pat Comiskey (50 years) and Don Hamilton, SM (60 years).

Council of Priests chair Fr Marcus Francis said not all jubilarians were able to attend. “Overall, it was a wonderful celebration of ministry and dedication,” he said.

Homilist Fr Thomas Lawn detailed  the priests’ day with a touch of humour.

“These men sometimes met their days with a willingness to get out of bed and get on with their vocation and at other times with a yearning to stay there, hide under the blanket and avoiding the new day,” he said.

“Sometimes they would have gone to prayer with peace and joy in their hearts and other times knowing that the gift of faith was just managing to get them there,” he added.

At a dinner after the Mass, Bishop Dolan made the toast to the jubilarians.

“The six priests whose jubilees we celebrate have made a rich contribution to the faith lives of people in our diocese, in parish, school and marae chaplaincy. Our hope is that reflecting on their priestly lives with us, among us, they can look back and rejoice,” he said.

Bishop Dolan said Pope Francis speaks of the joy of the priesthood.

“Jubilee can be a time to reflect on the joys [and] the hopes that have been part of the journey, [And] the crosses too,” he said.

He wished for them to see all these “as a grace, a gift. May our jubilarians rejoice in their priesthood. This is our wish for them.”

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