“The Priesthood Is the Love of the Heart of Jesus”– St. John Vianney Deacon Praveen Sanjeev Stanley, IVE, Ordained to the Sacred Priesthood

Today, 7 July 2026, the Church rejoices as Rev. Deacon Praveen Sanjeev Stanley, IVE, is ordained to the Sacred Priesthood during the first feast of St. Peter To Rot. The sacred

ordination takes place at St. Luke Church, Waromo Village, Holy Trinity Parish, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Vanimo, where Most Reverend Francis Meli, Bishop of Vanimo, confers

the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Born on 26 December 1994 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Rev. Deacon Praveen is the second child of Mr. Stanley Assirvatham and Mrs. Anna Selvadurai. He grew up in a loving Catholic family with his elder sister and younger brother, in which the seeds of faith and service were nurtured from an early age.

Deacon Praveen Sanjeev Stanley, IVE, Ordained to the Sacred Priesthood

He completed his primary and secondary education at St. Peter's College, Bambalapitiya,

Colombo, between 2000 and 2013. Following his graduation, he began his professional career at Nations Trust Bank as outsourced staff through Ranvil BPO. During this period, while fulfilling his professional responsibilities, he discerned the gentle yet compelling call of God to the priesthood. Responding generously to that invitation, he chose to dedicate his life completely to the service of Christ and His Church.

In 2016, Rev. Deacon Praveen entered the St. Joseph Freinademetz Novitiate of the Institute

of the Incarnate Word (IVE) in the Philippines. A year later, on 6 August 2017, the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, he professed his First Religious Vows in Lipa.

He then continued his philosophical and theological formation at the Our Lady of Sheshan House of Formation in the Archdiocese of Lipa. After years of study, prayer, and pastoral formation, he professed his Perpetual Vows on 2 February 2024, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, thereby making his lifelong commitment to the Institute of the Incarnate Word.

His journey towards the priesthood reached another significant milestone on 24 May 2026,

when Most Reverend Gilbert A. Garcera, D.D., Metropolitan Archbishop of Lipa, ordained

him to the Sacred Order of Deacons. As a deacon, he faithfully embraced his ministry of

service, proclaiming the Gospel and preparing for the fullness of priestly ministry.

Having completed his priestly formation in the Philippines, Rev. Deacon Praveen was assigned to missionary service in the Diocese of Vanimo, Papua New Guinea. Today, he is ordained a priest of Jesus Christ, offering his life in service to the Gospel and the People of God. His ordination reflects the Institute of the Incarnate Word's missionary spirit and its commitment to proclaiming Christ wherever the Church has need.

The priesthood is a profound participation in the ministry of Christ, the Eternal High Priest.

Through the laying on of hands and the Prayer of Ordination, Rev. Fr. Praveen receives the

sacred responsibility to celebrate the Holy Eucharist, administer the Sacraments, preach the Word of God, and shepherd the faithful in the heart of Christ, the Good Shepherd.

As he begins this lifelong ministry, Rev. Fr. Praveen Sanjeev Stanley, IVE, entrusts his

priesthood to the loving intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and seeks the prayers of the faithful. United in thanksgiving, the Church praises Almighty God for the gift of his vocation and prays that his ministry will bear abundant fruit for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

May Christ, the Eternal High Priest, strengthen Rev. Fr. Praveen with wisdom, holiness, and

joyful perseverance as he faithfully serves the Church throughout his priestly life.