Three men from Allen Hall Seminary in the Diocese of Westminster have been ordained to priesthood. At the other end of the globe, “down under,” vocations have gone from, “virtually zero to hero,” proportions according to Brisbane archdiocese, which is frantically raising money for seminary extensions.
In London, Kim Addison, Lorenzo Andreini, and Ivan Millico were ordained by The Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster in a ceremony at Westminster Cathedral.
During his homily, Archbishop Nichols described ordination as an, “act of the risen Christ, mediated through the existing office of the Church which itself is in historic continuity with the apostolic beginnings of the early Church.”
One of the three newly ordained priests, Kim Addison, who grew up in Zimbabwe, described his calling saying, “There was no road to Emmaus moment, but there was something missing in my life. It was while I was praying for guidance from God that he idea of priesthood surfaced.”
Fr Kim said that he simply wants to serve God and his people and that he has, “no idea where that journey will lead me.”
“I only desire to remain faithful to this ministry and I leave the rest of this journey to God who has been ever faithful and ever will be!”
In June five Westminster diocesan seminarians were ordained Deacons, the penultimate stage in their journey to priesthood.
Fortunato Pantisano, Martin Plunkett, Mark Walker, Oscar Ardila, and Jeffrey Downie were all ordained Deacons by Archbishop Vincent Nichols at Westminster Cathedral.
In Brisbane archdiocese, space and finances are running out and a call has gone out to Catholics in the archdiocese and throughout the province of Queensland to support this, "exciting influx" of vocations, according to The Catholic Leader.Banyo's €3.3m Holy Spirit Provincial Seminary, still less than half-paid for, already needs to be extended.
Opened in 2008, it was originally built to cater to 16 seminarians but was extended two years ahead of time in 2010, to accommodate the 31 men in formation.
Three local men have joined the seminary this year and six more locals are due next year.
Holy Spirit Provincial Seminary rector Monsignor Tony Randazzo said there are several reasons for the growth in vocations, including the, "stimulus package," provided by the arrival of Nigerian priests to the archdiocese under an ongoing agreement with Umuahia diocese.
Brisbane archdiocese vocations director Fr Morgan Batt said the Canali House of discernment for young men considering the priesthood was also, "chockers.”
Clergy gift manager Mr Lindsay, responsible for raising the necessary funds, said, "We've gone from virtually zero to hero.”
”Until the last couple of years we were only getting dribs and drabs in vocations to the seminary which also feeds Queensland's other four dioceses.”