Orissa, India: Son of Christian Martyr Becomes a Deacon

Karunanakar Digal was ordained with four other seminarians, two into the priesthood. The ceremony was held at Saint Vincent's Pro-cathedral in Bhubaneswar before 500 people. The pogroms gave "our people a chance to express their faith with courage and conviction", a priest said.

P>BHUBANESWAR, India (AsiaNews) - The threat of new violence and discrimination by Hindu radicals has not stopped the Catholic Church in Orissa. Tuesday in Saint Vincent's Pro-Cathedral, Bubhaneswar, five young seminarians from Kandhamal district were ordained, two into the priesthood and three as deacons.

One of them was Karunakar Digal, son of a man who was martyred in the anti-Christian pogroms of the summer 2008. "I am happy that I was ordained as a deacon to serve my suffering people," Karunakar told AsiaNews. "I am not afraid to dedicate my life to Jesus, even though my father was killed for his faith by hard-line Hindus."

According to Fr Ajaya Sabhasundar, the five seminarians' spiritual leader, persecution has strengthened the faith of local Catholics. "Pogroms gave our people a chance to express their faith with courage and conviction. Persecution is part of the history of the Church and our people have experienced it in their lives; this has strengthened their faith. Ordination of these five young people bears witness to that."

Mgr Raphael Cheenath, archbishop of Cuttack-Bubhaneswar, celebrated the ordination mass before 50 priests and 500 worshippers. During the ceremony, he said, "The Church of Kandhamal needs more men and women to serve our community and keep the faith alive in people".

"Through the death of a father, we have now a missionary among our people. We are grateful to God for the gift of sacrifice and the gift of a missionary," he added, saying that the mission of the Church in Orissa will continue despite discrimination.

Speaking about the Holy Father's message for World Peace Day, Archbishop Cheenath told AsiaNews that the "pastoral challenge for the Church in India is to bring the 'Light of Christ' and peace to all of life's dark realities as the Pope himself said in his message."