MARY, OUR MOTHER

ASIA/SINGAPORE - 

Singapore (Agenzia Fides) - "A priest must make use of all his time, and all his talents to serve the people of God," says Archbishop Nicholas Chia of Singapore, in a message that was sent to Fides, on the occasion of the close of the Year for Priests, an event which the local community will celebrate this June 19 with a Mass presided by Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, who served the Holy See as an Apostolic Delegate in Singapore prior to his transfer to India.
Archbishop Chia highlighted the benefits that have come to the community of Singapore in this Year for Priests, including a greater vocational ministry and awareness of vocations among the faithful.
Perhaps one would have expected a grand and loud calling for the archbishop, but there was nothing dramatic about his calling. He simply followed the promptings in his heart and responded accordingly – the rest, as they say, and as he says, happened according to God's will.
As a priest, Archbishop Chia was always attracted to pastoral work, immersed in the parochial activities that he now recalls with a bit of nostalgia: "I really loved my ministry in Holy Cross and I miss the parish very much. [There], I was close to so many people." A feature of his life was obedience, even when he was called by the Holy Father to the episcopal ministry. He chose the motto "Omnia Omnibus," which means "all things for all people," precisely to emphasize that a priest must spend all of his life unreservedly at the service of others. 
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 06/07/2010)