Archbishop ordains five more labourers for the vineyard but warns ‘be prepared for the temptations and be obedient’
By Bridget Spinks
Satan is about to get busy, Perth Archbishop Barry Hickey said at the priestly ordination of Deacons Anibal Leite da Cunha, Emmanuel Dimobi, Cyprian Shikokoti, Daniel Boyd and Quynh Huy Nhat Do on 4 March at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Instead of preaching on the readings prepared for the occasion, Archbishop Hickey, hoping it was the work of the Holy Spirit, preached on the Lenten Gospel of the temptations of Christ in the desert.
Christ was tempted three times in the desert by Satan and he rejected all three temptations which were designed to change His mission from a spiritual mission – doing the will of His Father – to a temporal one, the Archbishop said.
This Gospel speaks of obedience to God’s will, he said.
“It also tells me that straight after this Ordination, Satan will get busy,” he said.
Satan will tempt the newly ordained with worldly things, he said, so that they will be bedazzled by perhaps money they have never seen before; the things that people give them or comforts of modern Australian society. Other temptations that will come their way include that of being praised by people; of being on a pedestal; of having their newly ordained priestly hands kissed, he said.
Deflecting the attention away from Jesus onto the priest is a serious temptation that may come their way, he said.
The temptation to treat the priesthood like a ‘nine to five’ job and temptations against the promise of celibacy will also come.
“Obedience is what Jesus showed, when He was tempted, obedience to His father,” he said.
“Remember: be obedient to your promises all the days of your life,” he said.
“And you will find that your priesthood would be fulfilling, would be effective,” he said.
“People will receive the great blessings and graces that will come from your sacramental ministry, from your celebration of the Holy Eucharist. The grace of Jesus will come through your preaching.”
The reality of temptations come in the life of every priest; be prepared, he said.
The Archbishop also reminded the Ordinands that their mission is to preach the Word of God beyond the parish.
He encouraged them to live in the presence of God so that they would hear God call them just as he called Samuel.
“You are to be people of prayer because in prayer, there is no noise; you’ll hear God saying ‘Samuel,’” he said. “Your response is to say ‘Speak Lord, your servant is listening.’”
After the homily, each Ordinand knelt one-by-one before Archbishop Hickey and promised obedience to him and his successors.
Then the congregation kneeled while the Ordinands prostrated themselves on the sanctuary and the Litany of Saints was chanted.
Following this, Archbishop Hickey conferred the Sacrament of Holy Orders on each of the five candidates with the laying on of hands. As the Archbishop took to his chair, the clergy rose from theirs and proceeded one by one to lay hands on their new brother priests.
A few close family and friends then rose to help the newly ordained remove the stole of their diaconate and invest them with their priestly robes.
Cheering and loud applause broke out around the Cathedral to celebrate and welcome the five new priests to the Perth Archdiocese.
The ‘whole world’ was present to witness Perth Archbishop Barry Hickey ordain Frs Anibal Leite da Cunha, Emmanuel Dimobi, Cyprian Shikokoti, Daniel Boyd and Quynh Huy Nhat Do to the Perth Archdiocese as family members had come from Kenya, Nigeria, Vietnam, Portugal and Australia for the occasion, to join Perth Auxiliary Bishop Donald Sproxton and Mgr Brian O’Loughlin; more than 95 priests of the Archdiocese; seminarians and hundreds of Perth parishioners for the occasion, making it standing room only for any latecomers.
These ordinations bring the number of priests ordained by Archbishop Hickey to 95, according to records supplied by the Archdiocese.
Archbishop Hickey commented that the number of ordinations he has presided over was ‘something extraordinary these days when we are told that vocations are few and difficult to find’.
“God has blessed this Archdiocese in a special way and I am very grateful to God,” he said.