18 Deacons, 4 Priests Ordained in DR Congo Urged to Exemplify Humility, Simplicity in Ministry

“Let the grace of God fall into your hearts, which the Lord Himself has already prepared during these ten years of formation, so that your hearts may become good soil according to God’s will, Deacons and Priests, witnesses of hope to the little ones and the marginalized,” the Congolese member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (OFM Cap) further said.

Cardinal Ambongo urged the Priests-elect and Deacons-elect to “carefully prepare” their preaching and to meditate on “every word spoken and every gesture” made on the day of their ordination before the Bishop and the people of God.

“Becoming a Priest or Deacon,” he emphasized, is to “accept dedicating one’s life to God and to the poor, the suffering, the forgotten, and the excluded… because the new Priests, conformed to Christ, have received the power to sanctify God’s people and to proclaim the Gospel.”

The Catholic Church leader continued, “Furthermore, when serving the Church, they must always remember that sacred things are to be celebrated simply and with dignity.”

To the people of God, Cardinal Ambongo also encouraged them to “pray for the ordinands and to give them sound advice so that they may faithfully carry out their evangelical ministry with zeal.”

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Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.