The Missionary Society of St Paul recently celebrated an important milestone in the formation journey of two of its seminarians, as Br Anthony Cuong Van Pham MSSP and Br Augusteen Maseeh MSSP were instituted into the Ministry of Acolyte during a simple yet meaningful celebration held at St Agatha’s House, Malta.
The rite was presided over by the Superior General, Fr Martin Galea MSSP, and marked another significant step in the brothers’ preparation for priestly ordination.
The ministry of acolyte has a special place in the formation of candidates for the priesthood. While the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life for every believer, those preparing to become priests are invited to deepen their relationship with Christ through a particular ministry of service at the altar. As acolytes, they are entrusted with assisting during the celebration of the Eucharist and helping in the distribution of Holy Communion, allowing their liturgical service to become an ever deeper school of prayer, humility and pastoral charity.
For Br Anthony and Br Augusteen, this institution represents another stage in a journey of discernment and formation that will, God willing, eventually lead them to the Diaconate and later to Priestly Ordination. They continue their theological studies as they prepare themselves for a life of missionary service within the Society.
Their institution also offers an opportunity to give thanks for the gift of vocations within the MSSP. At present, the Society’s Formation House in Manila, Philippines, is home to ten brothers who are at different stages of their formation. Some are completing the final years of theology, while others are continuing earlier stages of philosophical and theological studies. In the coming year, one philosophy student is expected to undertake a pastoral experience in Malta as part of his formation.
The Society also looks ahead with hope as a novice from Gozo prepares to make his First Temporary Profession, while three new candidates from Malta, Peru and the Philippines are expected to begin their novitiate in the near future. These encouraging signs remind us that God continues to call young men from different cultures and nations to share in the missionary charism entrusted to the Society by its Founder.
As we celebrate these milestones, we ask the Christian community to continue praying for vocations to the missionary religious life, that more young people may generously respond to the Lord’s invitation to follow Him.
The Missionary Society of St Paul also expresses its heartfelt gratitude to all those who support the formation of future missionaries through the MSSP Scholarship Fund. Their generosity makes it possible for these young men to receive the human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral formation needed to serve the Church with dedication and joy. Through this shared commitment, benefactors become true partners in the Society’s missionary mission, helping to form those who will one day proclaim the Gospel across the world.