52 Confirmed by Cardinal Brislin at St Martin de Porres, Geluksdal
By Kati Dijane – Cardinal Stephen Brislin, the recently installed Archbishop of Johannesburg, conferred the sacrament of confirmation on 52 young people at St Martin de Porres in Geluksdal, on the feast of Blessed Benedict Daswa,
Family members and loved ones came in numbers to support the visibly excited young people, donned in black and white, on their special day. What made the confirmation celebration special for the parish was that it was the cardinal’s first in the Archdiocese of Johannesburg. Cardinal Brislin, who launched the Jubilee Year, earlier in the morning at Christ the King Cathedral, concelebrated Mass with Father Manuel Fernandes from the Archdiocese of Cape Town, the dean of the Far East Rand Deanery, Father Chaka Motanyane OP, Father Victor Dunne SPS, Father Vicar Emaze SPS, the assistant parish priest, as well as Deacon Kenneth Fortuin.
The parish priest, Father Kieran Birmingham SPS, could not take part in the celebration due to ill health. In his homily, Cardinal Brislin said that when Jesus ascended into heaven, back to his Father, he sent us the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, adding that the Holy Spirit is the guiding presence of God in our hearts. “The spirit lives with us, in us and among us,” he said, adding that the spirit was also given to us as gifts in order to work together to form the kingdom of God. “God has given us the Holy Spirit to unite us and to respect and appreciate differences; even though we are diverse, we are united in one body of Christ,” he said.
Cardinal Brislin also underscored the important role of the Holy Spirit in teaching and guiding us in discerning right from wrong in our current situations. He concluded by saying that Christians must be the voice, hands and feet of Christ, as the world is thirsty for goodness and the love and mercy of Jesus.
Before the end of Mass, the cardinal appealed to the parishioners to continue praying for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. After Mass, Father Vicar said he was happy for the confirmands and more especially that it was the cardinal’s first confirmation celebration since his installation as the archbishop of Johannesburg in January 2025.
Mr Craig Fortuin, the chairperson of the PPC, also expressed his joy at the memorable celebration. One of the confirmands, Alexandra Issacs, said he was happy to be finally a full member of the church and hopes to follow in the footsteps of his patron saint, Padre Pio, in growing his faith in Christ and serving the church.
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