The young Augustinian Recollect received priestly ordination last Saturday, May 29, in Colombia, encouraged to exercise the priesthood in the present situation that society is going through.
The Augustinian Recollect Jhon Eduard Olarte is already a priest. The young Colombian received priestly ordination last Saturday, May 29 in Bogota. The religious will now carry out the priestly work in the Church after taking this important step in his life.
The Eucharist was presided by the auxiliary bishop of Bogota, Mons. Luis Manuel Ali, and was attended by several dozens of Augustinian Recollects who accompanied the young man in his ordination, as well as the Augustinian Recollect nuns of the Convent of Bogota. As the ritual indicates, the ordinand prostrated himself in front of the altar for the imploration of the saints and then the ordaining bishop imposed his hands and consecrated John Eduard, before placing the priestly vestments on him and anointing him with the holy chrism.
In his homily, the prelate asked the new priest to be “humble and simple”: “Although you have priestly dignity, you are a man of flesh and blood”. He also reminded him that “the Lord has chosen you in the midst of fortuitous situations”. In this sense, he encouraged him to face from the first moment the “critical historical” moment we are living: the pandemic, the demonstrations of young people in Colombia or the extreme poverty that is spreading in society.
At the conclusion of the Eucharist, the young priest addressed those present – among them his family – for thanksgiving. He began by quoting the words of St. Paul to the Philippians: “Rejoice in the Lord. These words, he said, reminded him of all that he had gone through to get to the ordination, since the celebration had been postponed up to three times because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Thank you, Lord, for calling me to serve in the Church,” he said.
For his part, the Prior Provincial of the Province of Our Lady of Candelaria, Albeiro Arenas, thanked especially the parents of the new priest “for this gift to the Church”. He also had a special word for all the people who have been involved, in one way or another, in the formation process of Jhon Eduard Olarte.