We have joyfully received a new brother priest for our Church. Brother Rodrigo Quiroz, accompanied by his family and friends from various places (the south of Chile, Viña, Argentina, Santiago) received the ordained ministry to the priesthood through the imposition of hands by Pedro Ossandón, auxiliary Bishop of Santiago and Vicar of the southern area, and with the prayers of the assembled Community.
We experienced a real celebration with a very ss.cc. atmosphere, family style and simple. In his homily, Pedro Ossandón emphasized the importance of a new priest in his responsibility to help us and guide us and to be a witness to the faith; not through his personal qualities but by the Grace of our God of Love. He invited Rodrigo to be a man of deep prayer, a contemplative like Jesus; a man dedicated to the poorest, a friend and very near to them. The closing words of Rodrigo can be a preview of the ministry he hopes to exercise. He shared a very beautiful text with us that he titled: "All this about being a pastor". And he shared with us precisely that he discovered “all this about being a pastor” in his life journey from his childhood faith in his family through the supportive sharing in his parish ministry in Viña del Mar. That for him "all this about being a pastor" was a gift, pure grace, a gift to be given; because a pastor without a Community, with out a People is nothing.
We give our deep-felt thanks to the God of Jesus Christ for continuing to lead his Church with missionary disciples who wish to commit and live their lives in the Sacred Hearts. Thank you Lord!
The night before, in the same parish of Saints Peter and Paul, we held a vigil for vocations. In a very family-style atmosphere we led the youth of the parish, Rodrigo’s friends and his mother in prayer, reflecting, in a very deep way, on the step that Rodrigo would take the next day. It was a beautiful and intimate time of asking Jesus to send more workers into his vineyard.
Pedro Pablo Achondo, sscc
06/03/2013