The Rite of Ordination of Deacon Daniel Sultana, was presided over by His Lordship Mgr Mario Grech, Bishop of Gozo at the Gozo Cathedral on Friday evening. About fifty priests concelebrated with the Bishop.

The candidate hails from the Parish of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Xaghra.

During the Rite, the candidate was called forward and presented to the assembly, was then questioned, following which, he promised to diligently perform the duties of the Priesthood and to respect and obey his Ordinary, the Bishop.

Then the candidate prostrated before the altar, while the assembled faithful knelt and prayed for the help of all the saints in the singing of the Litany of the Saints.

The rite reached its essential and central part when the Bishop silently laid his hands upon Daniel, followed by all priests present.

The laying of hands of the priesthood is traced in the First Letter of Saint Paul to Timothy (4, 14). This was followed by the consecratory prayer, addressed to God the Father, invoking the power of the Holy Spirit upon the ordained.

Following the consecratory prayer, the newly ordained was vested with the stole and chasuble belonging to the Ministerial Priesthood and then the Bishop anointed his hands with chrism before presenting him with the holy chalice and paten which he will use when presiding at the Eucharist.

Fr Daniel Sultana then said his first mass taking the place of honour at the right of the Bishop.

Fr Daniel Sultana was born in Sydney, New South Wales, on the 5th of October 1988, he moved with his parents to Xaghra in his childhood. He has a sister and two brothers and he is the eldest boy of the family.

Photograph: Gozo Cathedral

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