It was a festive occasion for the India-Great Britain-Ireland Province of Society of St Paul as Dn Francis Xavier Aind was ordained priest by his Lordship Most Rev. Binay Kandulna D.D., the Bishop of the Diocese of Khunti, in Jharkhand State, on Sunday 14th April 2024. The Sacred Rite of Ordination began at 7.00 a.m. in Sacred Heart Church, Torpa, the home parish of Fr Francis Xavier Aind. The most heartwarming moment of the entire ceremony was when the parents of Dn Francis Xavier Aind presented him in Mundari (a Local dialect) to the bishop for the service of the Church and the Gospel. Bishop Kandulna focused his homily on the day’s Second reading in which St Paul writing to Corinthians says (1 Cor 15:1-10), “By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain.” Priesthood is a freely given gift from the Lord, it is not merited nor achieved, it is not “a job” or “an employment” in which one “must do” something. Like St Paul, we are weak human beings, but His grace makes us strong. Therefore, we must receive this gift and safeguard it and in the contemplation of the gift — everything else should spring up. Priests indeed have things they must do, “and the first task is proclaiming the Gospel,” Bishop said, “but it is necessary to take care of the core, the source from which this mission springs, the gift we have freely received from the Lord. To the ordinandi, he presented St Paul as a Model of consecrated life. Yet another significant feature of the ordination was the day -- the Third Sunday of the Easter, also known as Good Shepherd Sunday. Francis Aind is the Second Pauline Priest from the Diocese of Khunti, the other being late Fr Pankaj Kandulna who passed away in 2020. Present at the ordination ceremony was Rev Fr Bisu Benjamin Aind, the Vicar General of Khunti Diocese, Provincial Superior, Fr Joby Mathew, Fr Prithviraj Philip, the Formation Director and other twelve Pauline and thirty-five Diocesan Priests who con-celebrated at the Holy Eucharist. More than five thousand Catholics actively participated in the Holy Eucharist. Dances are an essential part of many Tribal cultures, and they often reflect the symbolism and beliefs of the tribe or culture that performs them. They are an essential part of tribal ceremonies. During the Holy Eucharist, various schools presented meaningful Tribal dances accompanied by a devotional song. After the Ordination Ceremony, Fr Francis Xavier Aind remembered and thanked his parents, brothers, sisters, relatives, teachers, formators and the members of the Society of St Paul for all the support and guidance he received during his vocation journey. Immediately after the Ordination the parish community and the members of the Society of St Paul felicitated the newly ordained priest. On 15th April 2024, Fr Francis Aind celebrated his First Thanksgiving Holy Eucharist in his village Icha Onga Toli, Torpa. The Ordination Ceremony as well as the First Mass of Fr Francis Aind was attended by a large number of parishioners from St Paul’s Unit (Bhusur), well-wishers and members of the Society of St Paul. Congratulations and best wishes to dear Fr Francis Aind!
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