By Marco Ceccarelli
The Archdiocese of Perth is anticipating a momentous occasion this week as six seminarians from St Charles’ Seminary, Guildford, will be ordained to the diaconate by Archbishop Timothy Costelloe on Friday, 7 November, at St Mary’s Cathedral.
The deacons-elect, Simeon San, Garner Vergara Jr., Stephen Gorddard, Jeffey Casabuena, Israel Quirit and Grant Gorddard have all studied at St Charles’ Seminary, Guildford, and Notre Dame University, Fremantle, and are originally from Australia, the Philippines and Myanmar (Burma).
In an interview with Communications and Media Office journalist Marco Ceccarelli, the six deacons-elect spoke about a strong desire to serve the Christian community that God will entrust them with.
Their experiences, they said, conveyed a distinct sense of faithfulness and commitment to their ministry as they framed their transition into the diaconate as a sign of their devotion to the Church, the people of God and, more importantly, to Jesus Christ. The intimacy with Christ, many of them said, had sustained their openness to their vocation and had steadily accompanied them on their journey towards priesthood.
The term “deacon” has its etymological roots in the Greek word diákonos, meaning “servant,” “minister,” or “messenger.”
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “deacons share in Christ’s mission and grace in a special way. The sacrament of Holy Orders marks them with an imprint (‘character’) which cannot be removed and which configures them to Christ, who made himself the ‘deacon’ or servant of all.” (Article 1570)
In light of these words, the testimonies of the young men reflect a profound understanding of the mission that awaits them.
Garner Vergara Jr., originally from Cebu in the Philippines, studied nursing at a Catholic University run by Augustinians before arriving in Perth in 2008. He joined St Charles’ seminary in 2009. Garner experienced the rewards of being at the service of others in his home country where he volunteered for an organisation that feeds and teaches homeless children in the slums of Cebu. As he entered adult life, his altruistic inclinations gradually grew and, despite the opportunities to study at different universities, he remained committed to becoming a missionary and a priest.
“I think it was the desire to serve people that attracted me to the priesthood. Selflessness and altruistic love was my inspiration” he said.
When asked about his hopes for the future of his vocation Garner said that he endeavours to use the gifts that God has given him.
“To be an example of a good Christian disciple, to be of service to the People of God for the greater glory of his name.”
Equally inspiring testimonies were given by 34-year-old Jeffey Casabuena and 26-year-old Israel Quirit, also from the Philippines. Jeffey initially entered the Sacred Heart Seminary, Bacolod City, where he finished his AB Philosophy Degree and attended The University of Santo Tomas, in Manila, for his Bachelor of Sacred Theology Degree.
He describes his experience of discovering his vocation to the priesthood as a “beautiful tapestry” woven by God from a “jumble of threads,” a reference to the different events of his religious life that pointed him towards the seminary.
“In the seminary I was able to reflect God’s wonderful plan for me, and that all the things that happened, happened for a reason. Indeed nothing happens by chance” he said.
The abundance of gifts from God that Jeffey received created a strong desire within his heart to give back to God by serving his people. “I received lots of beautiful gifts from the Lord that I do not deserve, including my life, and in turn, I offer myself to him as a gift to others. This is the meaning of priesthood for me,” he said.
Israel, on the other hand, grew up in Dipolog city where he studied electrical engineering until he decided to choose the path of religious life in 2005. While he entered the seminary in 2009, his true calling to become a diocesan priest did not blossom until 2012. It was in this time that, he says, he began to fall in love with the priesthood, “that is, ‘falling in love’ to a way of life, to way of being, that constitutes the priesthood.”
Israel felt that being chosen to be servant of God among millions of people in the Philippines was somewhat frightening – a fear that slowly faded as he entered a gradual process of discernment and formation in the seminary.
Jeffey’s and Israel’s desire to be instruments in the hands of God for the service of others reflects the vision of another deacon-elect, 28-year-old Simeon San.
Simeon grew up in the village of Pan Hlaing, Myanmar (Burma), where he was raised by parents strong in the Catholic faith.
Simeon was inspired by different role models during his youth, including his parish priest and the numerous seminarians who would visit his village every year to carry out pastoral work.
“When they visited, they shared their stories with us. Some of the seminarians’ stories inspired me. This was the starting point for me thinking of entering the seminary – thinking, ‘I want to be one of them,’” he said. Arriving at St Charles’ seminary was a turning point for Simeon as it consolidated his desire to become a priest and answer the call he had felt within his heart.
This year the Archdiocese of Perth will also be gifted with the ordination to the diaconate of two brothers. Stephen, 30, and Grant Gorddard, 38, entered the seminary of St Charles at the same time yet each came to his decision independently.
“We both knew that the other was discerning the priesthood over the years beforehand, but the surprise for us and our family was when we discovered in 2008 that we were both applying for St Charles’ for the following year,” Grant said.
He also spoke of the centrality of faith and prayer within the Gorddard household – an aspect of family life which contributed to his decision to enter the seminary.
Recalling the true meaning of the term “deacon,” Stephen spoke of his vocation to the priesthood as “a life for others, a life of sacrifice, a life of service, a life of intimate relationship with Jesus and a life of joy.
“For me the vocation to the priesthood corresponds to the deepest desires of my heart, desires which God put there,” he said.
The Archdiocese of Perth eagerly awaits Friday’s ordinations as these young men prepare to further commit themselves to the service of God’s Church.
Photos and more details from the ordination will be published in the e-Record in the coming weeks.