VOCATION STORY OF BOMBAY'S 6 NEW PRIESTS ORDAINED APRIL 5, 2008 Young seminarians of the Archdiocese of Bombay ordained priests on April 5 share candidly their vocation and eight long years of their exciting journey in faith Six young seminarians of the Archdiocese of Bombay were ordained to the priesthood on April 5, 2008 at 6 pm on St. Pius X College lawns in Goregaon. Correia Denzil, Kinny Thomson, Manaji Ignatius, Pinto Xavier, Rodrigues Oniel, Saldanha Nelson are part of a class of 18 candidates who completed their years of formation in St. Piux X seminary in April 2008. The remaining candidates will be ordained at different times in their respective dioceses, parishes of origin, or as determined by their own Bishops or Religious Superiors. --- Name : Denzil Correia Parents : Francis and Tessie Correia Parish : Our Lady of Bethlehem, Dongri My Vocation I always wanted to be a priest right from the first standard. My inspiration was Fr. Dominic Furgose who was the parish priest at Dongri. He was highly respected and loved by all people. Looking at his lifestyle, and the way he used to conduct himself wherever he went, I too thought of becoming a priest. Of course at that age, I was not aware of the role and the responsibilities of a priest but somehow the seeds of my vocation were being sown by Fr Dominic. My parents also played an important role in my vocation. They were the ones who in fact nurtured my vocation, since they were aware of my desire. They always guided me and encouraged me to go ahead with my call to the priesthood. As I am on the threshold of my priesthood, first of all, I thank God for choosing me to work in His vineyard. I also thank Him for accompanying me throughout my formation at St Pius X College. I will always cherish the time I have spent in the seminary. It is here where I discovered my strengths as well as my weaknesses. A big thanks to all my formators, companions and all those whom I have come in contact with for their guidance, support, encouragement and love. My motto is To walk in the ways of the Lord. May I always imitate Christ in my ministry by being available to people, by being compassionate, humble and approachable, and above all a man of prayer. I request you to keep me in your prayers, so that I may always remain faithful to my vision. May God grant me the grace to walk in His ways. --- Name : Thomson Kinny Parents : Joseph and Bridget Kinny Parish : Sacred Heart, Worli My Vocation The choice of the Lord was not made manifest to me in a spectacular or dramatic manner. It began as an inclination in me to serve the Lord in a better and more holistic way. This inclination grew very rapidly into a desire that could not be ignored. It was fuelled by my prayer life and of course it was centred round the Eucharist. As I look back, I realise that this is how I was chosen by the Lord to be His prophet to the world. I finally joined the seminary in the year 2000. My parents did not in any way place obstacles in my path to the Lord. They wholeheartedly and prayerfully supported me. It was the support and help of my family and relatives that sustained me through the long years of formation. This reinforced the relevance of my theme for me. My motto is You did not choose me, I chose you. My vision for the future is to offer dedicated and holistic service to the Lord and His kingdom. Children and youth are two areas that are close to my heart, and are also the focus of the Church in Mumbai. I am immensely grateful to the professors of the seminary for their patience and kindness towards me in my years of formation. It was their helping hand that has guided me to the altar of the Lord. --- Name : Ignatius Manaji Parents: Michael and Jona Manaji Parish : Holy Magi, Gorai My Vocation The seed of vocation was sown in my heart from early childhood through priests and family prayer, but I never took it seriously. As the years passed by, I was happy with the usual activities of college life and with helping my parents in household work. I became aware of Gods call in my final year of college. The life that seemed to be appealing and fulfilling turned out to be dry. My whole perspective to life changed, and my heart turned to prayer and church activities. But I did not know what was happening within me. I was going through an inner struggle. I thought to myself, How can God call a person like me? This struggle continued, till I decided to join the seminary. When I arrived at this decision, I felt the reassurance of God deep within myself. When I told my parents about my decision, they were not in favour of it, but later they agreed. I ventured into this way of life without knowing it fully. I was like a man standing on the shore without knowing the depth of the sea, but when I started swimming, I realised the depth and the currents. I was able to face all the currents of life with the constant prayerful support and encouragement of my parents and family. As I move forward in this way of life, I realise that the path which I have chosen is difficult and challenging. I really dont know what awaits me, but I am sure of one thing that Jesus is with me. He is an invisible companion on my lifes journey. --- Name : Xavier Pinto Parents : Late Dominic and Angela Pinto Parish : St. Blaise, Amboli-Andheri My Vocation Eight years have passed, and I find myself on the threshold of my priestly ordination. There are various factors that have nurtured my vocation. First and foremost is the example of my parents. The daily Mass and the rosary were obligatory in our family. Even if we came home late at night from a wedding party, it was necessary to pray the rosary. We were in contact with the priests in our parish and they became models for me. Their way of life inspired me to take the decision to become a priest. The journey to the priesthood was not a bed of roses. In my last three years of formation, I encountered conflict and turmoil within myself. There were times of dryness in prayer, and all these experiences nearly made me leave the seminary. But personal prayer and the prayers of my loved ones and well-wishers helped me to overcome these difficulties. At crucial moments, Gods grace comforted and consoled me. As I reflect and pray, I realise that my ordination to the priesthood is just the beginning of my journey. I expect this journey to be very challenging, and at times even tough. In times of trouble, God has helped me in unexpected ways to do His will and His work. Putting my trust in the Lord, I have chosen as my motto, To keep my burning heart fixed on the Lord. --- Name : Oniel Rodrigues Parents : Basil and Clara Rodrigues Parish : Holy Magi, Gorai My Vocation It all began when I was in Class II. One day, something prompted me to attend the Eucharist (today I believe it was the prompting of the Spirit). I instantly responded to the calling and became a daily church-goer. This brought me in contact with the priests and nuns of the parish. Looking at my commitment to the Eucharist, they encouraged me to join the altar servers association, which I did. They rewarded me annually for my dedicated service as an altar server. I was attracted by their kind-hearted and loving disposition. When I was in Class IV, they sounded me about going to a boarding school in Lonavla, pursuing my studies there and subsequently joining the priesthood. Though I had no idea of the place called Lonavla, the thought of the priesthood hit me like a bolt from the blue. Years went by. And as I went to the higher classes, the thought of the priesthood did surface occasionally, but I dared not articulate it, lest I be labelled a holy Joe. On entering college, the thought of the priesthood almost vanished. The activities and attractions of college life gave me no space to spare a thought about the priesthood. But then the inevitable happened. A nun, who was my catechism teacher, visited me when I was in S.Y.B.Com. She inquired whether I was still interested in joining the seminary. After my conversation with her, I strongly felt that in and through her, God had intervened at an opportune time in calling me to follow Him closely. I gave it a serious thought, and then there was no looking back. Immediately after my B.Com results were out, I entered the Archdiocesan Seminary at Goregaon. Since then, it has been eight long years of learning, reflecting, discerning and putting into practice all that I have learnt. Now that I am on the threshold of my priestly ordination, I particularly wish to thank God and the Blessed Virgin Mary for being with me all through the years of my seminary formation. If it was not for the grace of our Lord and the Blessed Virgin Mary, this long journey would have been impossible. But while I come to the end of the road as a seminarian, I embark on yet another road of priestly responsibilities. This road is no less challenging than the previous one. No wonder it is a road less travelled. Being fully aware of what it entails, I once again bank on the grace, inspiration and companionship of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary. I commend myself completely into their loving hands, so that they may guide me and use me as they will. --- Name : Nelson Saldanha Parents: Late Jacob and Late Emilya Saldanha Parish : St. Anthony, Vakola My Vocation Eight years ago when I joined the Seminary at Goregaon, I was anxious about being able to complete the eight years of formation. Today as I am getting ready for my priestly ordination and I look back, I am surprised how quickly the years have passed. My vocation story began about 10 years ago. The year 1998 was dedicated to the Holy Spirit in preparation for the Jubilee in 2000. There was a Holy Spirit Convention held at Don Bosco, Matunga. Some coincidences helped me to reach this convention. I had a beautiful experience there which impacted my life. I began to change my life. Sometime later, I attended a retreat at Kalyan. After this, I changed completely. I came closer to God. Prayer and the daily Eucharist became an important part of my life. About a year later, I attended another retreat at Vinayalaya. Once again, some coincidences helped me to attend this retreat. This too was a beautiful experience. During the Mass, the priest shared his personal testimony. Not knowing the priest, I went to talk to him. He turned out to be the vocation promoter of the Archdiocese of Bombay. He spoke to me about the priesthood and about joining the seminary. After spending time in prayer and consulting my spiritual director, I joined the seminary in June 2000. I thank God for choosing me to become a priest, and I pray that He may continue to shower His blessings upon me, so that I may remain faithful to His calling. __._,_.___
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