Newly Ordained Catholic Priests, Deacons in Angola Urged to Live “consecration with depth, truth”

Luanda, 15 September, 2025 / 3:20 PM

Five members of the Poor Servants of Divine Providence (PSDP), also known as Calabrians, who were ordained Deacons and Priests on September 13 have been encouraged to embrace their vocation as an act of consecration and to live it “with depth and truth”, rooted in prayer, fidelity, and service. 

In his homily during the Priestly Ordination of Edvaldo António Damião, José Fuluta, and Rafael Kutokota Kinta and the Diaconate Ordination of José Tchindele Huambo and Valentino Mbendo, the Auxiliary Bishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Luanda noted that vocation is not a social status but a gift from God, rooted in a deep interior life.

“Understand what it means to be faithful and perseverant. Live your consecration with depth and truth,” Bishop António Lungieki Pedro Bengui said during the Eucharistic celebration that was held at the PSDP community in Luanda.

He reiterated, “The Church expects fidelity and perseverance from you. Do not be improvised Priests, but men of prayer and commitment to mission. Be living Gospels among the people.”

Bishop António described vocation as a free gift from God, one that must be sustained by a profound interior life. 

“Fidelity begins in the silence of prayer, in listening to the Word, and in concrete service to the people. Perseverance is the fruit of intimacy with God and awareness of mission. Your response to God’s call must be total, free, and joyful, lived in communion with the Church and sustained by grace,” he said.

Diaconate, he went on to explain, “is service—at the altar, in the Sacraments of Baptism and Marriage, in visiting the sick, and in charity.”

“The Priesthood is a celebration of the Eucharist, hearing confessions, preaching the Word, and pastoral care of the people,” he further said, and continued, “Ordination configures you to Christ, the Eternal High Priest. Let Christ live in you, for He is the center of your ministry and the meaning of your consecration.”

Addressing the Deacons-elect, Bishop António told them that the Diaconate is not merely a transitional step but a ministry in its own right. 

“You are taking on a life commitment. Serve with humility, dedication, and love. Visit the sick, help the poor, and prepare the altar with reverence. The Diaconate is a service to the Church and the people,” he said, and urged them to be close to the suffering with the heart of Christ.

To the Priests-elect, Bishop António called for maturity. He told them, “God has chosen you for His people. The Church entrusts you with the Eucharist, reconciliation, the Word, and pastoral leadership. Do not be mere functionaries. Be spiritual fathers, men of listening and mercy, disciples passionate for Jesus.”

He urged them to cultivate a strong spiritual life to sustain their mission, saying, “Be men of prayer. Celebrate each Mass as if it were your first. Listen to the people with patience, advise with wisdom, and forgive with compassion. Do not be Priests of appearances, but Priests of substance.”

In his homily, Bishop António encouraged the Priests-elect to live in communion with the people of God under their pastoral care and the Diocesan Bishop wherever they are sent.

He invited the people of God to pray continuously for the new ministers. 

“Brothers and sisters, pray for these your brothers who today have said yes to God. May they be faithful, persevering, and holy. May Our Lady of Providence accompany them, and may St. John Calabria inspire them in love, service, and humility,” Bishop António implored.

He told those he was about the ordain on September 13, “May your ‘yes’ be the joy of the Church.”