Mangalore: Fr Alliston – First Secular Priest (ICPE) from Milagres Parish
Pics: Denis Studio
Daiiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Apr 10: Alliston Savio Ignatius Fernandes, is the elder of the two sons of Joe and Celine Fernandes of Milagres Ward. Joe Fernandes has been an active lay minister at St Mary’s Church, Dubai. Joe’s other son, Dr Bennet Fernandes, is a dentist by profession. Having been born in the city, Alliston did his primary and secondary schooling in Mumbai. He then did his graduation in computer Science at the NMAM Institute of Technology, Nitte. After having worked for a few years and sensing a vocation towards the priesthood, he did his studies in philosophy at Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram Institution, Bangalore, and the theological studies at St Alphonsus Seminary, Bangalore. He spent almost a year in the archdiocese of Cape Coast in Ghana, West Africa, serving there, and was incardinated and ordained a deacon there last October.
His priestly ordination took place this morning, Saturday April 10, at Milagres. Bishop of Mangalore, Aloysius P D’Souza, was the ordaining Prelate.
He has been part of an international community of lay people called the ‘Institute for World Evangelization’, one such being in Bangalore. This community desires Catholics to have a deeper relationship with God and to take this good news to others. They do so through weekly ministries, regular retreats in parishes, schools and colleges. They also conduct residential programmes like the School of Mission, which advises the Catholics to surrender their lives to our Lord Jesus, and come to appreciate their faith in a deeper manner. The Pastoral Counselling School conducts inner healing programmes, which are of a psycho-spiritual nature, normally over the weekends.
He considers himself fortunate to have had the support of his parents, who prayed and offered one of their sons to the Lord’s service. His advice to the youth is to seek God’s will in their lives, to find their true vocation, for, in doing so one will have peace, which the world cannot give. “In spite of dangers and difficulties one may face in responding to God’s will, we can be rest assured that God cares for His children. We are called to make Christ present in the world and if we Christians do not do so, who will?” he questions.
Alliston S I Fernandes has been incardinated into the Archdiocese of Cape Coast, Ghana, West Africa, by His Eminence Peter Cardinal Turkson. He was ordained a deacon in October 2009 and has been released to work with the Institute of World Evagelisation, ICPE, a pontifically recognized missionary community.