Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Baatar (Agenzia Fides) - The ordination of the first deacon of Mongolian nationality, 22 years after the rebirth of the Church in the country, "is an immense grace and a priceless gift for the small community of the baptized in Mongolia, which has about a thousand believers" says in an interview with Agenzia Fides Fr. Ernesto Viscardi, a Missionary of the Consolata, Apostolic Vice-Prefect of Ulaan Baatar.
The diaconate ordination of Joseph Enkh-Baatar will take place tomorrow, December 11, at the Cathedral of Daejeon, Korea, the diocese where the young man attended the Major Seminary. The local Bishop, Mgr. Lazzaro You Heung-sik, along with Mgr. Wenceslao Padilla, Apostolic Prefect of Ulaan Baatar, will also ordain seven other young South Koreans.
Fr. Viscardi told Fides: "Joseph is the first deacon and after him there is already another young man, Peter, who is studying theology, always in Korea, as in Mongolia we do not have a Seminary. Their vocation is a sign of great hope for the Church in Mongolia. After the diaconate at least a year will go by before priestly ordination. We hope it will coincide with the celebrations for the 25th anniversary of the Church's presence in Mongolia, which falls in 2017".
According to the vice-Prefect "the Church in Mongolia, although very young, is already rooted and these deacons are the first sprouts. We have over 30 catechists engaged in the six parishes of the Prefecture and five full-time lay leaders of the communities. These young people represent a source of vocations to priesthood: even Joseph, graduated in languages, began attending our church community of St. Peter and Paul, he joined the group of catechists where he discovered his vocation".
Joseph, concludes Fr. Viscardi, "expressed great joy and emotion, but also the awareness of the great responsibility that his story and his path has for the future of the Church in Mongolia". (PA) (Agenzia Fides 10/12/2014)
