Eight Salesian seminarians from the Philippines, India, Myanmar, Timor-Leste, and Papua New Guinea were ordained deacons on May 23 at the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in Parañaque City, Metro Manila, Philippines.
The newly ordained deacons included Jerick A. Magsino, SDB, Paulo Miguel Q. Calderon, SDB, and Ersan Jacob Rosete, SDB, from the Philippines; Gerard Maria Therese Raj Jeyaraj, SDB, from Kolkata, eastern India; Augustine Saw, SDB, from Myanmar; Joanico Correa, SDB, and Joao Soares Henriques, SDB, from Timor-Leste; and Anthony Walle, SDB, from Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
The ordination Mass, centered on the theme “Remain in My Love” (John 15:9), gathered Salesian superiors, priests, seminarians, family members, and faithful from different parts of Asia and the Pacific, reflecting the international and missionary identity of the Salesian congregation.
Bishop Herman Abcede of Daet presided over the ceremony and urged the newly ordained deacons to become ministers rooted in service, humility, and prayer.
In his homily, Bishop Abcede highlighted three qualities that every deacon must embody: being “effective in action, gentle in ministry, and constant in prayer.”
“Today the Church asks three things for you,” the bishop said. “That you may be effective in action, gentle in ministry, and constant in prayer.”
The bishop noted that many of the ordinands had once been his students at the Don Bosco School of Theology, where he taught Canon Law. Reflecting on their journey to ordination, he said the Church was now entrusting them with a mission greater than academic formation, service in the name of Christ.
He cautioned against reducing ministry to constant activity or public recognition.
“We live in a world addicted to activity,” Bishop Abcede said. “People confuse movement with mission.”
He reminded the ordinands that authentic ministry is measured by faithfulness to Christ and genuine love for people, especially young people. Drawing from the spirituality of St. John Bosco, founder of the Salesians, Bishop Abcede emphasized that ministry must carry “the fragrance of Christ” and not become focused on personal achievement.
The bishop also stressed the importance of prayer, warning that ministry without prayer risks becoming mere performance.
“Once prayer dies, vocation becomes a career, not a vocation anymore,” he said.
The ordination concluded with a call for the new deacons to remain faithful to their ministry through service, compassion, and prayerful commitment to the Church’s mission.
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