The 26th of September, a date forever engraved in the hearts of Rev. Fr. Prince Baro, Rev. Fr. Charles Svuure, Rev. Fr. Obvious Chiorese, SVD, and Rev. Fr. Peter Chadyoka, as they were joined by priests, religious and lay faithful from Masvingo Diocese and beyond to celebrate their priestly ordination at Gokomere Mission.
At a time when the world is in need of hope and direction, the Catholic Diocese of Masvingo celebrated the ordination of four deacons to the priesthood, entrusting them with the mission of offering spiritual guidance to God’s people.
Three of the newly ordained priests belong to the Diocese of Masvingo, bringing the Diocese’s total number of priests to 75, while Rev. Obvious Chiorese belongs to the Society of the Divine Word (SVD).
During Mass, the rite of the presentation of candidates was carried out by their Vocations Directors, Rev. Fr. C Pesanayi and Rev. Fr. A. Mutandwa, who confirmed their worthiness for ordination. Bishop Mupa acknowledged the testimonies before proceeding with the celebration of the Mass.
In his homily, the Bishop reminded the candidates that priestly ordination was not simply the attainment of a title, but a call to give their whole lives to Christ and His Church.
Quoting St John Mary Vianney, the Curé of Ars, Bishop Mupa reminded the newly ordained as well as the Church that, “The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus.”
“Being ordained alone is not enough. Choose the Church as your home, like John Vianney, who completely gave himself to Christ,” he said.
Reflecting on the mission of the priest, Bishop Mupa cited Luke 4:18: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.”
“Live a life that reminds others of what happened on the Cross. Be an example of love and turn away from sin. Remind God’s people of how deeply we have been loved.” he explained.
The rite of ordination then unfolded, beginning with the Promises of the Elect, during which the candidates promised obedience to the Bishop indicating that ministry is exercised under the authority of the local Church’s shepherd.
The elects then lay prostrate before the altar as the Litany of Saints was sung. In this deeply prayerful moment, they humbly acknowledged their dependence on God as they prepared to receive the sacred order of priesthood.
A defining moment of the ordination followed with the Laying on of Hands. Bishop Mupa first laid his hands on each of the elect, followed by the priests present, expressing the unity and continuity of the priestly ministry.
The Bishop then offered the Prayer of Consecration, invoking the Holy Spirit upon the candidates and asking God to strengthen them for the ministry they were about to undertake.
The atmosphere among the religious, family and friends changed from solemn prayer to celebration as the newly ordained priests were vested in the priestly vestments, a moment the newly ordained priests will cherish in their life.
During the ordination of the four priests, Bishop Mupa anointed the palms of the newly ordained priests with sacred chrism oil, a sign of their consecration and their call to offer the Eucharistic sacrifice on behalf of the people of God.
They were also presented with bread and wine, signifying their ministry of offering the Eucharist for the people entrusted to their care.
The rite continued with the Fraternal Kiss of Peace. Bishop Mupa was the first to welcome the newly ordained, followed by the priests present to welcome them into the priesthood.
In a particularly emotional moment, the newly ordained priests presented the cloth (maniturgium) used during their anointing to their mother’s individually, as a reminder of the grace of God manifested through the ordination of their sons accompanied by heartfelt words acknowledging the role of their families in their journey to priesthood.
For the Diocese, the ordination was a moment of renewed hope as the new priests begin their ministry of proclaiming the gospel and administration of sacraments.
