Another formation year has come to an end. After weeks of hardwork to ace the final exams, the seminarians of Collegio Ecclesiastico Internazionale Sedes Sapientiae can make the words of St. Paul their own: “I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith” (2 Tm 4:7). And those, whose years in the seminary have concluded this year, can continue with the apostle: “From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day...” (2 Tm 4:8). As we bid farewell to our brothers whose days in our college have come to close, with gladness we share to you the news of the diaconal and priestly ordination of some of the alumni from all parts of the globe.
In the city where our Lady appeared to the native Juan Diego and whose shrine dedicated to this marian apparition, the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, receives millions of pilgrims every year, Luis Rodrigo Rangel received the ordination to the Order of Deacons in the Archdiocese of the City of Mexico on the 11th of June. Another alumnus from the same country, Rev. Jesús Obed Hernández Treviño from the Diocese of Ciudad Victoria in the state of Tamaulipas recieved the sacerdotal ordination on the 24th of July.
Going south to the Caribbean countries, in the Diocese of Jacmel in Haiti, Rev. Enel Fils received the sacerdotal ordination on the 26th of June, memorial of St. Josemaria Escriva, the founder of the Work, whose iniziative has made possible the existence of this college where these newly ordained were formed. On the same day, across the Atlantic, three alumni of our college in Croatia also received the sacerdotal ordination in two different dioceses. In the Diocese of Bjelovar, Rev. Dejan Fortuna was ordained priest, and in the Diocese of Požega, Rev. Robert Medved and Rev. Marko Gerendaj also received the priestly ordination.
In Nigeria in the African continent, Rev. Anthony Odunze received the priestly ordination on the 10th of July in the Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity in the Archdiocese of Onitsha.
In a country in the Far East, renowned as having the highest number of catholics in the Asian continent, Rev. Brian De Castro received the priestly ordination on the 31st of July in the Diocese of Sorsogon, in the region of Bicol, the Philippines.
Let us give thanks to God for this marvelous gift of vocation!