“EVERY man should discern a priestly vocation,”
Brisbane’s Carlos Leung said after the Thanksgiving Mass following his marriage to Jacinta Li, from Melbourne.
The couple met in 2007 when they brought together Chinese youth from each of their home cities.
“That’s when I first saw her,” Carlos said.
“(But) she was the one to encourage me to discern priesthood.”
Jacinta too discerned a call to religious life.
That time they took to seriously consider such vocations led to a certainty that married life was their calling.
So Carlos and Jacinta maintained their individual ministry to young people and the Church but also began moving towards serving as a couple.
Musically talented Carlos has been active in the southside Chinese community of Brisbane for many years, having begun a “basketball ministry” to young people and leading many evangelisation initiatives.
Together they led a group of Chinese youth from the PAN Australia community, to World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid.
Carlos said that “challenging experience” strengthened their bond and helped them further realise their mission to serve God’s Church.
“A lot of people asked us why didn’t we get married and use World Youth Day as a honeymoon,” Carlos said.
“But we said no because we also have a ministry to serve as single persons.”
Carlos and Jacinta married in St Augustine’s Chuch, Melbourne, on October 22 and then quickly travelled to Brisbane for a Thanksgiving Mass in the Leungs’ home parish of Our Lady of Lourdes, Sunnybank, on October 23.
The Brisbane Mass was a lively gathering of family, friends and parishioners – some from as far as Hong Kong, London and interstate.
It was celebrated partly in English and partly in Chinese.
“It’s my privilege to share my joy with you,” Carlos said to those gathered, thanking his parents Stephen and Agnes Leung, of Stretton, especially.
He also thanked the bride’s parents – David and Angela Li – for “teaching Jacinta the value of love”.
“It’s the love we were raised in that we bring together and makes us complete,” Carlos said.
Carlos and Jacinta musically led the reflection hymn at their Thanksgiving Mass.
They were also joined by Oblate Father Mark Edwards, from Melbourne, and Sunnybank parish priest Fr Dan Ryan.
“Your joy doubles ours,” Fr Mark said to the couple at the beginning of the Mass.
The newly married Leungs said they were “further discerning” what God has in store, sure in the knowledge “there’s much to do”.
