Newly Ordained Priest in Angola Cautioned against Celebrating Holy Mass as “a ritual”

He went on to invite the people of God under his pastoral care to accompany the new Priest with prayers in his mission, saying, “Let us accompany him not only today, but throughout his ministry with our prayers, in a spirit of ardent praise, to God who called him. Praise to the Son who drew him to himself and praise to the Holy Spirit who formed him.”

“This ordination should be a wake-up call for all of us, starting with me, the Priests, the Religious and the laity to take the responsibility of caring for and watching over vocations in the Church,” the 59-year-old Catholic Bishop, who started his Episcopal Ministry in February 2007 as Coadjutor Bishop of Angola’s Uije Diocese further said.

In praying for and nurturing vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life, Bishop Sumbelelo called for “more patience and more care”.

He said, “We need to be patient these days, just as God is patient with us. Just as God allows fruit to ripen in its own time, so we need to bear in mind that today's young people are not like the young people of yesterday; that the times of today's young people are not like our times; They need more patience and more care.”

He went on to thank all those, who guided Deacon Massuca on “his journey of discernment and preparation for the Priesthood.”

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“To all of them, as the Church of Christ, we express our gratitude and I invite everyone to give thanks to God for the gift of this presbytery to his Church in the family of the Passionist Missionaries,” Bishop Sumbelelo said during the January 7 Ordination event.

João Vissesse is an Angolan Journalist with a passion and rich experience in Catholic Church Communication and Media Apostolate.