God’s Gift to a Family and the Church
“God’s greatest gift to a family is a son-priest.”
Quoting Don Bosco, Bishop Patricio Buzon, SDB DD, impressed upon the families of the ordinandi the most sublime bounty which they have received, a gift more precious and limited than diamonds- the gift of priesthood.
May 24th, 2024, a day of great importance to the Salesian Congregation because of the Solemnity of Mary, Help of Christians, its principal patroness, was made more momentous for two of its members were raised to the rank of the priesthood.
Fr. Genson Banguis, SDB, and Fr. Antonio Velarde, SDB, who hailed from Kidapawan City and Mantalongon, respectively, received their ordination from the hands of Bishop Patricio Buzon, SDB DD, Bishop of Bacolod, at the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, Cebu City, amidst a jubilant crowd of families, relatives, friends, and the Salesian Family.
Fr. Fidel Ma. Orendain, SDB, FIS Provincial Superior, presented the ordinandi to the ordaining Bishop who, in turn, accepted them for ordination. A rare sight to behold, the ordination rite of Fr. Genson and Fr. Antonio was a spectacle of deep meaning, ingrained in an ancient ritual of profound significance. In front of the Bishop and the witness of the assembly, the two ordinandi gave their promise of faithfulness to their ministry and obedience to their superior. As the litany of the Saints was chanted, Fr. Genson and Fr. Antonio prostrated themselves in an act of humility and supplication for divine help, for the task that was entrusted to them would be daunting yet great and glorious.
The whole ordination ceremony reached its summit when the Bishop laid his hands on each of the ordinandi. Rooted in sacred scripture and tradition, this single act encapsulates the entirety of the ordination ritual. Not just a mere symbol but a supernatural reality, the laying of the hands is the conferral of the Holy Spirit upon them, making them the ordained priests of Christ. The newly ordained priests were then vested with the priestly stole and chasuble as an outward manifestation of their new ministry and identity. It was a touching moment when their families assisted in the vesting, triggering a flood of emotions when each of their mothers embraced their sons, now priests of the Church.
The ordaining Bishop anointed the hands of the new priests with holy Chrism, symbolizing their consecration to Christ and their participation in His eternal Priesthood. They then received from the same Bishop the paten and chalice containing the bread and wine as a sign of the Sacrifice which they are under holy obligation to offer daily on behalf of the people.
To close the rite of ordination, the Bishop exchanged a sign of peace with the two new priests in the form of a fraternal embrace. Each of the clergy present did the same, a gesture of welcome to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ which they all have in common.
Behind the grand rituals and pageantry of the ordination lies a deeper meaning only the angels can comprehend. The ordination to the priesthood remains, as always, a sure sign of God’s continuing care for His flock. It is an assurance that the Eucharistic Sacrifice will still be offered on behalf of a people whose own sacrifice is infinitely insufficient. It is a renewal of His promise: “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
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