Melbourne, Australia, 3 December 2022 -- On Saturday evening, 26 November, the first Sunday of Advent, two young Timorese Salesians, Euclidio Marques and Filipe Sarmento, were ordained to the diaconate by Bishop Terrence Curtin, an Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Melbourne, at St Joseph’s Church in Collingwood.
The ordination was attended by the Provincial of the Australia-Pacific Province, almost all members of Provincial Council and a number of Salesians from Melbourne and Hobart. Fr Abilio Gurretez SDB, a Timorese working in Hobart, also represented the Provincial of Timor Leste.
On the day of the ordination and speaking from his own experience, Bishop Terry encouraged them to continue the legacy of St John Bosco to live and work for the young, especially the poor and the abandoned.
At the end of the Eucharist, both newly ordained deacons thanked God and all those who journeyed with them in their Salesian vocation.
They are now looking forward to spending some time over the summer holidays with Salesian communities and parishioners in Adelaide and Melbourne.
Both Euclidio and Filipe have been living and studying for the priesthood in Melbourne from 2019. Apart from theological studies, they have been in different Salesian communities in Australia and have contributed well to the life and ministry of each community.
Please continue to pray for Euclidio and Filipe as they prepare for priestly ordination towards the end of 2023 in Timor.
