THREE priests ordained in St Stephen’s Cathedral on July 5 have a sense of joy and optimism about the future of the Church.
Newly ordained priests Steven Hartley, John Hong and Daniel Redhead have not been deterred by the Church’s crisis of image.
Fr Hong said that in any situation it was always best to live in the moment and enjoy the present time.
‘Dare to venture, dare to be different, dare to be God’s instrument,’ he said.
Fr Redhead said he did not see the Church’s present situation as a crisis but more as a reformation.
‘I’m going into the priesthood with my eyes wide open. I’m prepared for it and I’m optimistic for the future. A lot of people have been praying for me and I know there will be a lot of people still praying for me. We have been well prepared for the challenges.’
Fr Hartley said the Church had to face up to certain issues but he would be walking in God’s light.
‘Some parts of the Church have been walking in darkness and it has had to face up to that. These things like sexual abuse have to be transparent, but the whole thing doesn’t scare me at all. I think it’s important that you have very strong personal boundaries and maintain them.’
