FOUR new seminarians – Kalepo Misi, Edward Mbonu, Penitito Sagato and Antony Sebastian – were welcomed to Holy Spirit Provincial Seminary at the commissioning Mass at Holy Spirit Chapel, Banyo, on Sunday.
The chapel was packed with friends and family of seminarians, new and returning, for the start of the academic year.
Acting rector Fr Anthony Mellor said it was great to meet the newcomers to the seminary as well as their friends and family.
He said it was a great cultural experience too.
Two of the new seminarians, Mr Misi and Mr Sagato, are of Samoan and Tokelauan heritage, respectively, and wore traditional dress for the Mass, accompanied by many supporters.
The same supporters also helped with the music for the Mass, which Fr Mellor said was “beautifully sung”.
Good Samaritan Sister Ursula O’Rourke said it was a “wonderful gathering” for the returning seminarians too.
“They had their families and friends there too,” she said.
“It was lovely.”
She said the four additions brought the total number of seminarians to 12 in-house and three deacons who live in parishes.
“The deacons are still part of the seminary program, and do four days of formation per month,” she said.
Fr Mellor said about two-thirds of the seminary students were born outside of Australia.
“We have a very culturally diverse seminary and it’s reflecting the nature of the Church, where we draw vocations,” he said.
“That provides new formation opportunities for us as a staff.”
There was also a diversity in dioceses represented.
The four seminarians had come to Holy Spirit seminary from three different dioceses across Australia.
Mr Misi and Mr Mbonu would be discerning for Brisbane archdiocese, Mr Sagato for Townsville diocese and Mr Sebastian for Adelaide archdiocese.
It was the second time an Adelaide seminarian had come to study in the Brisbane seminary.
The way the seminary runs its curriculum has been changing, too.
Instead of seminarians going through year-levels, they now go through stages of discernment.
The phases are discipleship, pastoral internship and configuration before ordination to the transitional diaconate and onto priesthood.
Each phase comes with new ministries as the seminarian continues to develop and discern.
Fr Mellor said he was looking forward to the teaching year ahead and getting to know the new seminarians.
