In May 2019, over 1000 Australians packed St Jerome’s parish in Western Australia to witness their first religious priest to be ordained to the five-century-old Order of Clerics Regular of Somasca (Somascan Fathers).
Three Archdioceses, two continents and one year on, Fr Chris De Sousa CRS commemorated his first ordination anniversary at a Mass in the empty parish of St Joseph in Moorebank, NSW.
With Somascan conferrer Fr Mathew Velliyamkandathil CRS, parish administrator of Moorebank parish, Fr Chris celebrated the live-streamed Mass of thanksgiving for family and friends across the country on 11 May.
During his homily, Fr Chris acknowledged the spiritual support of those family and faithful who had shared in his first year as a Somascan Religious priest.
“There are many parishioners and faithful in these three archdioceses that I have shared this first year with who I know have continued to pray for me even though we are no longer physically together,” said Fr Chris.
“For this I am eternally grateful for sustaining my priesthood with this spiritual closeness.”
From sacramentally administering to his ill mother soon after his ordination and his grandmother after returning from Africa to the added experience of priestly ministry during a pandemic, Fr Chris gave thanks to Our Lord for the challenges afforded to him in his first year of priesthood.
“All of this have immensely strengthened my vocation and helped me develop new horizons of service in my future priesthood,” said Fr Chris.
“I give thanks in this Eucharist for the extremely clear and direct ways that I have been able to give glory to God from his self-giving true presence at every holy sacrifice of the Mass I have offered to glorifying His limitless mercy in the confessions that I have been privileged to hear.
“[I give thanks for] the many times that the Holy Spirt have helped remind me of the words and commands of Jesus Christ in homilies, catechesis talks, bible studies, in moments of spiritual direction and for the inspirations that I have received from the faithful that I have been called to administer to as a priest in Our Lord’s Church.”
Celebrating Mass alongside his Somascan conferrer was particularly special as Fr Mathew has been present for all of Fr Chris’ vocation milestones such as his entry into postulancy, his professions of first and Solemn Vows and his Ordinations to the Diaconate and Priesthood.
As the Church cooperates to ensure all our safety during this time of pandemic, Frs Mathew and Chris continue to administer to their parishioners through weekly emails of communication and spiritual resources, live-streamed Masses and devotions, Youth zoom meetings and other initiatives involving members of Somascan Movement Australia and Somascan Young adults.