Fr Wilfred Atin celebrates 10 years of priestly life

KOTA KINABALU – “In the ten years that I have been priest, I felt like I have not made any contribution.”

Modest words from Fr Wilfred Atin who celebrated the tenth anniversary of his sacerdotal ordination at a dinner jointly organised for him by the pastoral councils of Sacred Heart Cathedral and Church of Mary Immaculate on 29 Nov 2015 at a local restaurant.

Two hundred people gathered for the occasion to express their continuous support and prayer for their priest.  Present at the event were Archbishop John Wong, fellow priests and deacon from the cathedral parish, parish councillors, religious, as well a visiting priest from Kenya but currently serving in Mill Hill Sibu, Fr Matheus Olili.

Recalling his ordination on 3 Dec 2005, Fr Wilfred likened it to a marriage covenant that two persons make and promise to live in trust, loyalty and commitment, when he made the decision to choose for his ‘bride’ the Church that belongs to the Heavenly Father.

In his speech, the archbishop emphasised the enormity of the priestly ministry as he recounted the numerous celebration of the Masses and services for the different occasions (weddings, baptisms, funerals, anointing of the sick, confessions, tribunal duties, etc), as well as his role as rector of the Catholic Archdiocesan Centre in a day of the life of a priest such as Fr Atin.

In sum, the archbishop stressed on the importance and necessity of the people’s prayerful support for their priests and bishops and appealed to them for their continued support. – Paula Christianus