Four Vincentian Priests Ordained as Bishop Highlights Priesthood as a Sign of Hope

Gopalpur-On-Sea, Odisha, January 2, 2026:

At the solemn closure of the Jubilee Year 2025 in the Diocese of Berhampur, Bishop Sarat Chandra Nayak centred his homily on hope, perseverance and renewal as four Vincentian deacons were ordained priests at Gopalpur-On-Sea, Ganjam.

Reflecting on the Jubilee theme Pilgrims of Hope, the Bishop recalled the painful memories associated with the year 1999, a time marked in Odisha by the brutal murder of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons, and by the devastating Super Cyclone that claimed thousands of lives. These events, he said, remain deep wounds in the collective memory of the Church and society.

Acknowledging that Christians continue to face threats, uncertainty and suffering even today, Bishop Nayak affirmed that God has not ceased to act in history. “In the midst of pain and fear, God continues to call,” he said, pointing to the priestly ordination as a powerful sign that faith endures and hope is reborn.

The Bishop underlined that the priesthood is not merely a personal achievement but a mission entrusted by God to serve the people as pastors, teachers and witnesses of hope. Priests, he noted, are called to stand with the suffering, to rebuild what is broken, and to proclaim God’s compassion in wounded contexts.

Emphasising renewal and rebuilding, Bishop Nayak reminded the newly ordained that their vocation is rooted in sacrifice and service. Even amid adversity, he said, the priest is called to be a pilgrim of hope, leading God’s people with courage, faith and trust in divine providence.

The ordination of four Vincentian priests at the Jubilee Year’s conclusion thus became, as the Bishop stressed in his homily, a testimony that suffering does not have the final word, and that God continues to raise servants of hope for the Church and the world.

Four Vincentian Priests Ordained as Bishop Highlights Priesthood as a Sign of Hope

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