The Philippine Jesuit Province is blessed to have two new priests. Fr Mamert Mañus SJ and Fr Nikki James Lee SJ were ordained in the Church of the Gesú, Ateneo de Manila University, on 19 June.
As ordaining prelate, Most Rev Pablo Virgilio David, Bishop of the Diocese of Kalookan, pointed out, the ordination took place during a year “overloaded with historical significance” for the Church. There are at least five occasions the Church celebrates in 2021: the 500th year of the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines, the Year of Mission as declared by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, the Year of St Joseph as declared by Pope Francis, the 500th anniversary of the conversion of St Ignatius of Loyola, and the beginning of a three-year synodal journey that the Holy Father will officially inaugurate in October.
The key themes of the “synod on synodality” are communion, participation, and mission. For Bishop David, these three words are good reminders for the newly ordained to become priests and shepherds configured to the image and likeness of the One Priest, of the One Shepherd of the Church.
“You are ordained to take part in the headship of Christ so that the rest of the body will move as one body and carry on with Christ’s redemptive mission in the world,” said Bishop David. “Pope Francis keeps reminding us, we don’t exist for ourselves as a Church. Our mission is directed to the world. Our mission is directed to the society. We have been gifted with the Holy Spirit so that through us He can renew the face of the earth.”
The bishop cautioned the new priests against clericalism, saying that it is the exact opposite of synodality, of journeying together. “The world has enough ‘pseudo-priests’ who are experts in sacrificing their fellow human beings on the altars of progress and development,” said Bishop David.
Rather, to be a good shepherd is to be ready to take the place of the lamb for the sacrifice. “The Good Shepherd says, ‘I will be the lamb. I will give up my life for you,’” he said.
Looking back on their decade journey to the priesthood, Fr Mañus and Fr Lee expressed their gratitude for the Lord’s infinite love and mercy. Fr Mañus recalled the journey he made when he entered the Sacred Heart Novitiate 11 years ago, “when God’s faithfulness shone through my all too human weaknesses and my sinfulness,” he shared. On the day of their ordination, both men begin another journey, as ministerial priests walking in synodality with the common priesthood, hoping to help bring everyone to Christ.