Deacon-elect Thomas Zureich is to be ordained to the Diaconate at Our Lady of the Mission Parish, Whitfords on 24 February at 7pm.
A native of West Germany, he grew up in Jestetten as the eldest of nine children. At age 27 he entered the seminary in Freiburg, Germany in 2000.
Trying to discern the will of God, he joined the Missionaries of Charity Fathers in Rome in 2007. After experiencing diocesan life here in Western Australia at parishes in Goomalling and Whitfords, he was accepted into St Charles’ Seminary in February 2010.
Since that time, Thomas has often returned to Whitfords to join the parish’s youth choir and to keep in touch with the parishioners who have become his friends.
During his Christmas holidays he helped parish priest, Fr Joseph Tran and lived at the presbytery where he gained more experience of priestly life. Thomas told The Record that the integration of hands-on parish experience with his formal study at Notre Dame University, Fremantle has provided added inspiration and strength in his journey towards priesthood as well as allowing him to witness to others.
After studying in Rome, Thomas’ journey took this Australian turn when he met a priest from the Archdiocese of Perth who was visiting his family in Germany, introducing him to the concept of being a diocesan priest in Australia.
Further inspiration came from his online participation in the Sydney World Youth Day in 2008, proving, he said, that the power of the Holy Spirit reaches to the ends of the earth.
Before visiting Australia for the first time, Thomas was given the opportunity to work with an Indian priest in a healing ministry. He said that listening to people’s stories and watching the way the priest tried to help them was a powerful experience that has helped him to examine his own life from a different perspective.
Here, in Australia, he became “much more relaxed” and said that parishioners have taken to his brand of humour. Suddenly he realised, he said, that although he had left his family in Europe, he became a member of many new families here in Perth who, in a certain sense, adopted him.
He describes the parish of Whitford as being a welcoming community with many people actively involved. With his new friends, he has enjoyed surfing, swimming, table tennis and karaoke. Thomas Zureich’s ordination to the priesthood is planned for August 2011 when he anticipates his family will come from Germany to lend their support.