By Anthony Barich
TWO more men moved closer to the priesthood in Perth last week when Archbishop Barry Hickey accepted an Italian and a Zambian’s candidacy at the Redemptoris Mater missionary seminary in Morley on 8 April.
Crispin Witika, 47, and Giovanni Raffaele, 25, who have already undergone three and four years of formation respectively, have both had strong and long involvement with the Neocatechumenal Way throughout their lives that has led them to this point.
Crispin, originally an electrical engineer, left work two decades ago to work as a lay missionary with the Way, working first in his own country for two years, then for 13 years in Uganda, three years in Ireland and three years in Italy.
It was in Italy where, for Crispin – the eighth of 13 children – “the Lord caught me red-handed and said to me ‘you are the one’,” he recalled to The Record.
Giovanni, the third of five children, was born into a Neocatechumenal Way community in the port city of Messina in Sicily and worked as a chef before finding his vocation.
This event previews the ordination to the diaconate of three more international missionaries from the Morley seminary – Antonio Scala (Italy), Wilson Donizetti Martins Jnr (Brazil) and Marcelo Parra Gonzales (Chile) at St Mary’s Cathedral at 7.30pm on 26 May.
In declaring their candidacy, Crispin and Giovanni, members of two of the five Neocatechumenal communities based at Mirrabooka parish, make themselves available to be sent anywhere in the world, while being dedicated to the local Catholic community which seminary Rector Fr Michael Moore SM said before the special Mass is a critical part of the pair’s commitment.
These two have now officially set themselves on a trajectory to join the long line of men who have been ordained as priests for Perth from the missionary seminary.
Since the seminary was established in 1994, 27 men from it have been ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Perth. After ordination, they often spend their initial few years in Perth then move on to somewhere else in the world where missionaries are needed in accordance with the charism of the Neocatechumenal Way.
The first ordinations from the seminary were in 1997.
During the Mass in which he accepted the pair’s candidacy, Archbishop Hickey said having such a ceremony is important as it gives the men a strong incentive.
It reminds them in no uncertain terms that they are headed for ordination to the diaconate and ultimately to the priesthood, he said. Acceptance of candidacy is the acceptance of “the awesome nature” of the priesthood to which they are committing themselves.
The candidacy Mass is also important for the Bishop, to “know they’re on the last lap”; it makes it clear that this is a life-long commitment to accept the call from God through the ministry of the Church, he said.
“The Bishop should have the highest expectations of them,” Archbishop Hickey said, because, as St Paul said, they will give the light of Christ, His peace and hope to those who are in darkness.
This commitment makes it clear that it is not enough to “just be nice people who will do a series of duties”, he said. Mission implies leadership in humility of service.
The Mass where the Archbishop accepted the pair’s candidacy to the diaconate and priesthood was concelebrated by eight priests and was attended by lay members of the Neocatechumenal Way in Mirrabooka.