Unity in Diversity across three continents: India – Brazil – Switzerland

Three countries that are very far away from each other and belonging to three different continents; in the first of week of October had an experience in common. In the three of them, there were ordinations of the alumni of our college, Sedes Sapientiae.

In the diocese of Punalur (India), our dear friend Sajan Thankachen received his priestly ordination on the 2nd of Ocotber. The ordination was presided over by His Excellency, Selvister Ponnumuthan. After spending five years in our college, Sajan now resides in a college for priests called Altomonte also in Rome while completing his licentiate in canon law. We unite in joy and prayer with his family and diocese on the occasion of his priestly ordination.

Few days after that, on the 5th of October, His Excellency Manoel Delson Pedreira da Cruz, O.F.M Cap., the Archbishop of Paraiba (Brazil), conferred the priestly ordination to Erionaldo Jeronimo Duarte, the alumni of our college from 2012 to 2015. Colleagues and friends of his days in Rome like André, Marcondes, Wellington and above all his diocesans Luiz Carlos were able to accompany him closely during the ceremony. Best wishes dearest Erionaldo!

Unfortunately, it was neither possible to travel from Rome to India nor Brazil. Instead a group of 13 seminarians from our college accompanied by Don José and Fr Randifer, had the opportunity of being in Switzerland for the diaconate ordination of Benjamin Schmid and Peter-Klaus Vonlanthen; seminarians of the diocese of Coria who were our colleagues until the end of June 2017. Their bishop, His Excellency Vitus Huonder ordained them deacons by means of the imposition of hands and the recitation of the consecratory prayer. It was beautiful to be able to accompany these our brothers and their families. We thank them immensely for their warm reception. Our token of gratitude also goes to the seminarians of Coria's seminary especially their rector Don Martin Rohrer.