Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Asmara (Agenzia Fides) – The Catholic Church in Eritrea is celebrating the ordination of 12 priests. According to a report sent to Agenzia Fides from Fr. Kibrom Tseggai, Director of the Office for Social Communications at the Eritrean Catholic Secretariat, on July 18, 2009, Bishop Kidane Yebio of the Eparchy of Keren ordained six priests from the national major seminary of Asmara, in the Cathedral of Saint Michael. Also during this time, another six deacons from the same seminary of the Eparchy of Asmara were ordained in their parishes, by Bishop Menghisteab Tesfamariam.
The ordination of the 12 diocesan priests, in a country where Catholics are a minority, is significant. It is also a record for the Major Seminary of Asmara, which until now has never seen the ordination of 12 priests in one year. In its history, the Seminary has had a turbulent history from the moment of its foundation by S. De Jaccobis in Guala, in 1845, nearly 164 years ago, amidst persecutions and other difficulties. In 1869, the seminary was moved to Keren and in 1959 it returned to Asmara. The highest number of ordinations of diocesan priests from the seminary (10) dates back to December 25, 1889 in Keren; and the third highest number (8 priests) was registered in March 1936 in Keren. What makes the ordinations of 2009 even more historically significant is the fact that since the structuring of the Catholic Church in Eritrea into three dioceses in 1995, this is the first time that the Dioceses of Asmara and Keren each ordain six diocesan priests, and it is for both dioceses the highest number of priestly ordinations thus far. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 21/7/2009)
