Priestly Ordination of South Sudanese Comboni Missionary Philip Andruga

During his homily, Bishop Erkolano Lodu Tombe of Yei said that Philip is a gift of his Church to the Institute of the Comboni Missionaries. He also added that the diocese must be very happy that Philip is a missionary and that the Church needs many servants for its task of evangelization.

Fr. Philip was deeply moved and happy. “For me the day of my ordination has been something that I had long waited for and I believe it was so for many other people as well,” he said in a very moving way. The young priest also stated that he wants to be “a priest in the style of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who shares the joys and the sorrows of his people.” For sure, in the heart of Fr. Philip the joy of his ordination was mingled to the sadness and sorrow for the death of his father, Natalino Kenyi a short two weeks earlier in Juba.

Fr. Philip studied theology in São Paulo, Brazil, and did his two year missionary service in two missions in South Sudan, where he will remain for the next three years.

In the course of the same Mass, a seminarian of Yei was ordained a deacon. Bishop Erkolano was visibly rejoicing, because he had not ordained any young man for his diocese in nine years.