“Our community – the Dehonians – makes space for people from all different walks of life. Let us not be discouraged by a person, an incident, a thing that hurt or bothered us. The love of Christ and our charism are what unite us. There are still people in the world searching for the Truth, hungry for Christ, and wanting to be loved. Despite our personal human weaknesses, God continues to call us to serve His Church and people… Take courage and cooperate with his grace, respond to his invitation.”
The quote is from Fr. Paul Phong Hoang, SCJ, reflecting on his discernment to be a Dehonian priest. He was ordained to the priesthood at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Houston.
Bishop Joseph Kopacz of Jackson, MS, was the ordaining bishop. During Fr. Paul’s words of thanks at the end of the ordination, we learned that he and the bishop first met over a bowl of cereal in the kitchen of the Dehonian community house in Nesbit, MS.
“Who was this guy eating in our kitchen?” thought Fr. Paul when he saw the bishop. The ministries of Sacred Heart Southern Missions fall within the Diocese of Jackson. When the bishop travels to the northern portion of that diocese, he often stays with the SCJ community, where he regularly starts his day with a bowl of cereal.
When he met the bishop, Fr. Paul was in Mississippi as a student. Years later he would return to serve as a deacon and now as a priest in the diocese of Jackson.
The man in the kitchen would one day travel to Houston to ordain Fr. Paul.
Click here to read more about Fr. Paul and his ordination.
Click here to view photos from the ceremony (some of these are also on the province Facebook page).
Click here to view photos from Fr. Paul’s first Mass of Thanksgiving at Our Lady of Lavang parish in Houston (also on the province Facebook page)
And click here or on the image below to view a recording of the livestream of the ordination.
