Installation of the Ministries of Lector and Acolyte to 14 Seminarians of Rachol Seminary
On the 19th of August 2023, 14 seminarians of the Patriarchal Seminary of Rachol took an important step in their journey towards priesthood as His Eminence Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrão, Archbishop-Patriarch of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, installed them in the Instituted Ministries of Lector and Acolyte. Archbishop-Patriarch presided over the Solemn Eucharistic celebration held at the Seminary Church, in which, after the Gospel, the Seminary rector presented each candidate before the Archbishop. In his homily, the Archbishop spoke about the importance of these ministries and urged the candidates to emulate Jesus Christ, the servant leader, in their lives and ministry. Then, he installed 14 candidates in the Ministry of Lector by placing in each candidate’s the Book of Holy Scriptures and then he installed them in the Ministry of Acolyte by placing in their hands a Chalice.
After the final blessing, the rector expressed his gratitude to the Archbishop for conferring on the 14 seminarians the Instituted Ministries and congratulated the 14 candidates for taking an important step in their priestly formation. He expressed his gratitude to all his fellow formators for accompanying the seminarians in their journey to priesthood. He also thanked the parish priests, other priests and the parents of the seminarians who play an important role in their formation. Sem. Canjoy on behalf of his colleagues expressed his thanks. Thereafter, the Archbishop-Patriarch congratulated the 14 candidates and expressed his gratitude to the formators for their ministry of accompaniment to the seminarians. Alluding to the affiliation of the Good Shepherd Institute of Theology to Jnana Deepa, he urged the seminarians to be maximalists in all aspects of their formation and to excel in their academic pursuit.