Called to the Priesthood: Father Chia ordained at St. Ignatius
Advance correspondent
YARDLEY - Members of St. Ignatius of Antioch Parish in Yardley gathered by the hundreds on Saturday to witness the ordination of one of their own: cather games Chia.
Draped in white vestments, the 42-year-old former member of St. Ignatius, who’d once dreamt of marriage and children, publicly vowed to set earthly matters DVLGH WR VHUYH hLV flRFN.
Chia, one of 17 children, traveled many roads in his lifetime, including the journey from his native Malaysia in 1989 to study engineering at Temple University. After graduation, hH WRRN D FRuSOH RI yHDUV to contemplate his future. In 2001, after being granted permanent residency in the United States, he moved to Yardley to live with his sister, Catharine Chia-Calabria.
,n Dn LnWHUYLHw D wHHN EHfore his ordination, Chia declared that, during that time of contemplation, much of it spent as an active member of St. Ignatius, he’d never thought about a religious vocation until a spiritual director suggested he consider it.
“, WROG hLP , wRuOG FhHFN it out. cor a long time, I prayed, I read scripture,” he said.
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DGYLVRU wDV his mother, who is now deceased. She told him that if he became a priest, she would be happy for him. If he did not, she would still be happy for him. Whatever he decided, she would be proud of him, Chia recalled.
With her blessing and the tug, he believes, from above, he entered The Order of the Blessed sirgin Mary of Mercy, based in 1Hw YRUN. ,n WhH WLPH OHDGing up to ordination, he’s served the role of a brother. Brothers - also called friars - join a religious community and serve their ministries according to their various talents, but are not ordained.
As Brother games, Chia was stationed at St. gude Cathedral in St. Petersburg, cla., where he will return as a priest.
Bishop Michael citzgerald, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, celebrated Saturday’s Mass and performed the ordination rites. The ceremony was open to the public and about 300 people attended, including priests - led by Monsignor Samuel 6hRHPDNHU, SDVWRU RI 6W. Ignatius - parishioners and seminarians.
The Bishop urged Chia to practice his beliefs and VHUYH hLV flRFN Ln D “FRnstant sense of joy and love” and to fully carry out his ministry wherever dod chooses to send him. He advised the young priest to live his life in a way that sets an example of faith, integrity, and submission to the will of dod.
“The Church today judges that you have been called by dod to the priesthood,” Bishop citzgerald told Chia. “7hH ChuUFh WhDnNV yRu IRU saying, ‘yes.’”