Diocese of Dumaguete: Bishop Cortes ordains new deacon

CEBU, Philippines - Bishop Julito Cortes had ordained Rev. Christian Bomediano Durango as the new deacon of the Diocese of Dumaguete during rites at the St. Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral in Dumaguete City last Tuesday.

Durango, a native of Mabinay town in Negros Oriental, graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Bachelor in Sacred Theology at the Pontifical and Royal University of Sto. Tomas in Manila, where he studied from 2009 to 2012.

The new priest earned his degree in Bachelor of Arts, major in Philosophy at the St. Joseph Seminary, also in Dumaguete. He is currently enrolled in Licentiate and Masters in Philosophy at the UST.

Cortes, in his homily, told Durango, to love God above all things and reminded the latter of the three tasks of a deacon: To read what you receive, to preach what you read and to practice what you preach.

The bishop said a deacon must study and contemplate the word of God and pass on to others what he had studied. A deacon must fully understand the meanings of the Gospel, be a preacher of the Word of God. “When you preach, do not only proclaim from your head but from your heart,” Cortes told Durango.

Finally, Cortes reminded the new deacon of Christ’s words, which say that whoever wants to be His disciple, must deny himself, take up the cross and follow Him. “Only when we follow the Lord can we truly understand what it means to love,” he added.

Durango was born on August 14, 1987 to parents Libredo and Eva. He comes from a family of priests, some of whom were his uncles and a brother, Fr. Onesimo Durango, all assigned to the Diocese of Dumaguete.

The new deacon expressed happiness of his ordination. He said, “every decision entails a challenge, but the challenge is only second to the graces received from God to be able to endure and overcome the challenges being faced in the priestly vocation.” (FREEMAN)