Agonda local ordained priest of Pilar Society

CANACONA

Calling on parishioners of Agonda for support in the increasing the number of priests, Bishop of Sindhudurg Alwyn Barreto said priests were sorely needed in his diocese.

He was interacting with parishioners after ordaining Deacon Neville Fernandes of Agonda as priest of the Society of Pilar on Sunday.

This is the second ordination of a priest from Agonda into the Society of Pilar after a gap of 26 years and Anjuna Parish Priest Fr Santiago Fernandes, who was ordained in 1996, is the maternal uncle of Fr Neville Fernandes, while Sr Petolina Fernandes is an aunt of the newly ordained priest.

Around 60 priests concelebrated at the ordination ceremony at the St Anne’s Church in Agonda and they included Society of Pilar Vicar-General Fr Nazareth Fernandes representing the Superior General Fr Sebastiao Mascarenhas, Rector of Seminary Fr Peter Melo Fernandes, Delhi Provincial Fr John Marcus, Anjuna Parish Priest Fr Santiago Fernandes, Agonda Parish Priest Fr Patrick Luis and Assistant Parish Priest Fr Darrel Fernandes.

While interacting with the packed congregation, Bishop Barreto said the Society of Pilar was formed by Fr Bento Martins at Agonda in 1887.

“He shifted to Pilar and has helped to spread the Word of God through missionary priests in several parts of the country and also some other countries as well. We are in short of missionary priests to spread the Word of God in Sindhudurg Diocese.”

“We have only about 36 priests and I would appeal to you all to please gift me priests to carry on the missionary works in my diocese,” Bishop Barreto informed the congregation.

Fr Neville Fernandes, is the youngest son of Cipriano and Efante Fernandes of Agonda and he studied at the St Anne's Institute before joining the Pilar Seminary 14 years ago. He completed his higher education and theological studies at the Pilar Seminary and Pune.