Three brothers in the Philippines were ordained to the priesthood on the same day, in the same religious order.
On September 8, 2021, at the Cathedral of Saint Augustine of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro, northern Mindanao, in the southern Philippines, Archbishop José Cabantan ordained three biological brothers to the priesthood. his diocese: those are Jessie, Jestonie and Jerson Avenido 30, 29 and 28 years old. All three belong to the Order of the Relics of Jesus Christ, originally in Italy.
All Catholic communities in the Philippines rejoice at this rare event, which is considered unprecedented in the Philippines. The Archbishop of Cabantan also emphasized that he has never ordained three brothers of the same order on the same day.
The Knights of Colombo, in the diocese of Virac, called the news an "unprecedented event and a gift to the Catholic Church", and welcomed the new fathers' families and thanked them for the special gift. specifically for the local Church. The father of the three new priests is a farmer and a security guard, while the mother is a babysitter for the families. The Knights also said: “Having a priest in the family is a blessing, now having three priests, it is a very special thing.”
Although they were ordained on the same day, the vocation paths of the three Avenido priests were different. The oldest brother, Jessie, 30, entered the seminary in 2008, followed in 2010 by 29-year-old Jestonia and 28-year-old Jerson. However, no one immediately thought of a priestly vocation. Jessie wanted to be a police officer or an electrical engineer and enrolled in the local engineering school. Jestonie wants to be a teacher, and Jerson dreams of becoming a doctor.
After his ordination, Father Jessie Avenido said: “We did not come from a well-to-do family, but we were rich in love for God and for the Church. Masses in the parish of Santa Cruz in Manila said they had a strong impression of the three priests. James Vedan said: “The story of the fathers is truly a shining example. We hope some of us will enter the seminary.”
All three new priests say: our vocation is the result of our parents' works and prayers. “We chose this vocation not by chance, or because of pressure, but completely voluntarily and freely.” The three revealed that they have another brother and that he plans to follow the same path: “She is very active in the parish. We wouldn't be surprised if you also entered the seminary. If you do, it will be by the grace of God and we thank God for giving our family four priests.”