Newly Ordained Priest, Deacons in Angola Urged to Embrace Listening, Ongoing Formation in their Ministry

Huambo, 27 August, 2025 / 4:25 PM

Archbishop Zeferino Zeca Martins of Angola’s Catholic Archdiocese of Huambo has called on a Priest and ten Deacons he ordained to embrace their ministry with humility, a spirit of listening, dedication to ongoing formation, and true presbyteral fraternity.

In his homily during the ordinations that were held at the Shrine of Our Lady of Monte da Caála of the Archdiocese of Huambo, Archbishop Zeca noted that ordination is only the beginning of a journey of service, not a destination. 

“Your ministry will be as fruitful as it is humble,” the Angola Catholic Archbishop said during the August 24 event.

He urged the Priest-elect and Deacons-elect to “learn to listen to God, to the Church, to the people, and to your brothers in the presbyterate.”

“Allow yourselves to be formed daily, because formation does not end in the seminary. Live your consecration in fraternity, for the Priestly ministry is not lived in isolation, but in communion with others, so that we may truly be a sign of Christ’s unity,” Archbishop Zeca added.

The Angolan member of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) emphasized that “ongoing formation is both a duty and a pastoral necessity. The ‘yes’ you give to God today must be renewed daily with prayer, study, and witness.”

“Do not be deceived into thinking ordination makes you complete. On the contrary, you are now called to deepen even more the gift you have received,” the Catholic Church leader said.

Reflecting on humility, he urged those he was about to ordain to learn from everyone.

 “Learn from the elderly, the sick, the simple, those who suffer. Learn in presbyteral fraternity. Learn from your peers. This will not diminish you. On the contrary, it will exalt you before God and His people,” Archbishop Zeca said.

He warned of the risks and responsibilities that weigh on those who receive ordained ministry, saying, “You will be the deacons and priest that you choose to be.

“Those who strive and ask God to be good ministers, I assure you, will be good. But those who choose to be bad will become a cause of scandal and rejection among God’s people,” he said.

Archbishop Zeca insisted on the authenticity of life as a condition for a fruitful ministry, saying, “Be conscious of what you will do. Imitate what you celebrate. Conform your life to the mystery of the Lord’s cross. Your lives must be marked by truth, authenticity, and uprightness, which too often are lacking.”

Continuing his warning against arrogance and self-sufficiency, he advised, “Beware of the spirit of arrogance and self-sufficiency that prevails among younger generations today. Do not think you already know everything. Listen, always learn, with humility.” 

Archbishop Zeca emphasized that “the mission is not a stage for individual protagonism, but a field of selfless service. The Church does not need ‘stars.’ It needs servants with humble and willing hearts. Vanity pushes away. Compassion draws near. Obedience to the Church and fraternal life are the marks of a true minister of Christ.”