By Mathew de Sousa and Michael Cook
Two Australian Jesuits were ordained as priests on 5 July in St Mary’s Church, North Sydney, by the emeritus bishop of Port Pirie, Gregory O’Kelly SJ.
Fr Joshua Yew Khean Choong SJ, 47, is originally from Ipoh, in Malaysia, and Fr Isaac Anthony Demase SJ, 36, hails from Shepparton, in Victoria.
In September, along with six other Jesuits, they had been ordained as deacons in Boston where they were studying in the Clough School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College, a Jesuit university.
In his homily, Bishop O’Kelly spoke of the Jesuit charism of service, discernment, and mission, and encouraged Fr Choong and Fr Demase to be centred on Christ.
“Some awesome ministries will be entrusted to you, despite any unworthiness—to consecrate the Eucharist; to raise your hand in absolution; to anoint the sick and those on their last journey,” he said.
“And you are to do this ‘in persona Christi,’ acting in the place of Christ. At the same time, you are to seek the face of Christ in the ordinary, in the humdrum life of those to and among whom you are sent.”
Bishop O’Kelly stressed that the new priests have been called to serve, just as Christ did.
“Christ was the most exalted figure who ever walked on the face of the earth, but who became the servant and slave of all, washing away our sins through his death on the cross.
“The true priest must hold these two aspects of priesthood together, the sacred and the servant, as modelled in the ministry of Jesus.
“The very night before he died, in that most symbolic of actions, Christ went on his knees to wash the feet of others; he associated this act of service with the gift of his body and blood in the Eucharist.
“The most exalted figure on earth submitted to being broken on the cross for us, and you have now, through his grace and blessing, been chosen to be a priest in his name.”
Fr Demase told The Catholic Weekly that his aim in life was simply to be a faithful disciple of Christ.
“I can’t do anything else without that. From that comes being a faithful minister of the Word and the Sacraments. Two of the Jesuits who inspired me in my vocation, at different points, had this wonderful emphasis on celebration—celebration of God’s love and presence in our lives, celebration of the compassion and mercy of God, celebration of what Christ did for us in the Paschal Mystery, celebration of the gift of life and all the good that comes from that.
“I hope in some small way, as a Jesuit priest, I can be a vessel, a carrier of that to and for others.”
Both new priests will be returning to Boston to further their studies in theology.
