Mt. Hagen: “Kamap lait na brukim tudak blong sin na opim ai blong ol manmeri na ol tu bai ken save long rot igo long kingdom bilong God,” said Archbishop of Mt Hagen, Douglas Young SVD, as he encouraged newly ordained SVD Priest, Rex Andrew Dokta.
More than a thousand people flocked in to witness the special priestly ordination on Thursday 19th January 2023, at Tiling Komkul of St Paul’s Parish, in the Archdiocese of Mt Hagen, Western Highlands Province. Present for the ceremony were SVD Provincial Superior PNG, Father Joseph Orathinkal; Fr John Ryan SVD, former Chaplain of Divine Word University; Priests and Religious; Deacons and Seminarians; families and friends; and media personnel from Trinity FM and Radio Maria PNG.
The ordination was guided by the theme, ‘I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service,’ taken from Timothy 1:12.
Abp Young in his homily, reflected on the aspect of ‘Salt and Light’ and urged young Fr Rex to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to all areas of society. “Nau yumi stap long taim we igat planti tudak na ol pipol blong yumi faul long gutpla rot krais ibin lainim yumi long en. Kamap olsem sol na lait na bringim olgeta dispela manmeri igo long kingdom bilong Papa God,” he said.
Fr Rex recalled how his journey of becoming a priest wasn’t easy but reminded the faithful gathered to always put God before any and all challenges in order to succeed. “It was a long and hard road filled with so many challenges especially when my dad passed because he was very supportive and it was his dream for me to be ordained here in Komkui. I thank God for seeing me through,” he stated.
Chairman of the Ordination’s Organizing Committee, Mr Christopher Philip, congratulated the newly ordained Priest, and thanked the Catholic church for calling their son, Rex Andrew, from Komkui to become an inspirational vessel of God.
Various exotic traditional dances were performed throughout by members from the archdiocese’s different outstations and parishes. The Choir group was led by Youth from St Paul’s Parish.
He is the 24th Papua New Guinean SVD being ordained today. Thursday 12th January, saw the ordination of Fr John Hal, at Kumin in the Diocese of Mendi and today another SVD Ordination in Mt. Hagen Archdiocese.