Three New Augustinian Priests
Published: 28 May 2017
The Australasian Province of the Order of St Augustine has celebrated the priestly ordination of another three of its friars.
All aged between thirty-five and thirty-eight years, these three candidates were born, raised and educated in the Philippines. They knew the Augustinians in their homeland and, with the acknowledgement of the Cebu Province (Philippines), they joined the Australasian Province to serve in Australia.
After the ceremony, on the front steps of St Kieran’s Church, Manly Vale (Sydney).
Francis Belcina was born in Cebu City, and before coming to Australia was a teacher and a professional musician. Percival Sevare from Leyte in the Philippines was also a teacher. Saldie Resolado from Danao City, Cebu, Philippines worked as a flight attendant for a major international airline.
The first of them entered the Order at Brookvale (Sydney) in 2010, and the other two in 2011. They resided in the Augustinian Formation Centre in Brookvale (Sydney), completed their formal novitiate year there, and continued to live there while attending the Catholic Instutute of Sydney at Strathfield for academic studies required in preparation for receiving diaconate and priesthood. They made their solemn vows to the Augustinian Order on 22 May 2016, and soon afterwards were sent to gain ministerial experience based individually in other Augustinian communities away from the Formation Centre.
After the ordination ceremony at St Kieran’s Church, Manly Vale (Sydney).
Francis Belcina was thus appointed to the Augustinian community at Manly Vale (Sydney) that staffs the Catholic Community (Parish) of North Harbour, and devoted much of his time to liturgical and youth ministry. Percival received an appointment to South Yarra, and focused time upon young adult ministry in that very multicultural parish. Saldie was sent to Villanova Priory at Coorparoo, and assisted at St James’s Parish and at Villanova College. The three of them received diaconate during October 2016, and exercised their ministry as deacons as per their appointments listed above.
They were ordained to the priesthood together on 27 May 2017. The ceremony took place at St Kieran’s Church at Manly Vale (Sydney); the ordaining prelate was the Philippines-born Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana, the Apsotolic Nuncio to Australia, who resides in Canberra. The new priests will return to the Augustinian ministries where previously they served as deacons.
Friars of the Augustinian Order have ministered in Australia since 1938, and this is only the second time that three of its friars have been ordained for Australian ministry in the same ceremony.
