Jerusalem, 25 June 2021 -- On Saturday 12 June 2021, fourteen confreres of the Salesians of Don Bosco Ratisbonne, an International Theologate in Jerusalem - Israel, were ordained to the order of Diaconate presided over by Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, OFM the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. The ordination took place at the Church of All Nations in Gethsemane, Jerusalem. Among the 14 candidates that were ordained to the order of diaconate, three of them came from EAO region: Paul Warayut Charoenphoom (THA), Nguyen Trung Hieu and Pham The Hien (VIE).

Fr. Ibrahim Shomali, Chancellor of the Latin Patriarchate, and Fr. Emanuele Vezzoli SDB -Vicar of the Salesian Province of the Middle East, in the presence of many Salesians, together with many other priests concelebrated during the Holy Mass. There were also several religious men and women, and the faithful that participated in the celebration.

All parents, family members, relatives and friends of the ordained deacons were not able to be present due to the current situation of Covid19 pandemic, instead they participated in the ceremony via social media. There was an online transmission through the Facebook page and Youtube of Christian Media Center, by the help of Canção Nova community in Jerusalem, who are members of the Salesian family.

Jerusalem Archbishop, Patriarch Pizzaballa during the homily beautifully reminded the new deacons that “The purpose of becoming a deacon, and afterwards a priest, is not to shine but to serve the community”. Also, that the servant of the community is the one who speaks and acts according to what the Lord wants or asks. A Deacon is to radiate the presence of the will of God, and people should feel that you’re different, that you belong to someone else, not yourself. His Beatitude prayed for the new deacons that they will be important elements and small bricks in the building of the Kingdom of God here in the Holy Land and wherever you will be.

It is such a privilege to be ordained at the very holy place that Jesus was praying once, in his time, and excepting his Father’s will, and not His will, to be done. The letter of Paul to the Philippians 2:7 “He emptied Himself taking the form of a servant” was the motto that was chosen for the diaconate ordination by the new deacons to remind themselves that the role of a deacon is to serve others as Christ did.

At present the community of theology (Rector Fr Stanislaus Swammikannu) has 10 formators and lecturers with 37 students. One formator and 5 students from the EAO region (PGS 2, VIE 2 and THA 1).