Newly ordained Sacred Hearts Father Ajit Baliar Singh celebrates the Liturgy of the Eucharist with Bishop Larry Silva, May 21. In front of the altar is the relic of St. Damien, who was ordained in the cathedral 150 years ago in 1864. (HCH photo | Darlene Dela Cruz)
As Sacred Hearts brother Ajit Baliar Singh lay prostrate in the sanctuary of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace May 21, dozens of clergy and well-wishers solemnly prayed over him, invoking the saints to guide and strengthen Singh at his priestly ordination.
Among the saints the congregants called upon for his intercession was St. Damien of Molokai. It was a powerful moment connecting across time the two members of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. St. Damien was ordained a priest of the religious order exactly 150 years prior to Singh, in the same church, on the same day in 1864.
Singh’s May 21 ordination at the cathedral was the culmination of a series of events organized last month by the Sacred Hearts Congregation. To commemorate milestone anniversaries in the life of St. Damien, the order celebrated several Masses, concerts and a feast day rally May 9-12.
Bishop Larry Silva came up with the idea of celebrating the 150th anniversary of St. Damien’s priestly ordination at the cathedral with another ordination at the downtown Honolulu church.
Sacred Hearts brother Singh was chosen from the Sacred Hearts community in India, which is a part of the congregation’s U.S. province. Singh, 35, entered the Sacred Hearts order in 2001. He made his first profession as a brother on May 8, 2010, in Manila, Philippines. This past Jan. 11, he made his final vows and was ordained a transitional deacon in India. He was already scheduled to be ordained a priest this year.
On the evening of his priestly ordination in Honolulu, Singh told the Hawaii Catholic Herald that he has had a longstanding devotion to St. Damien. He decided to join the Sacred Hearts order after reading a pamphlet that mentioned the Molokai saint.
“I feel very happy to be ordained on the occasion of St. Damien’s 150th ordination anniversary,” Singh said. “He inspired me to join this congregation.”
The ordination Mass began with a procession of 57 priests, 12 deacons and several Sacred Hearts brothers and novices.
Visiting clergy at the liturgy included Archbishop emeritus of San Francisco George Niederauer, Auxiliary Bishop Neal Buckon of the Archdiocese for Military Services and Sacred Hearts Father Sudhir Nayak, superior of the order’s India region. Also present was Singh’s uncle, Father Alphons Baliar Singh, from the Archdiocese of Bhubaneswar, India.
The ordination rite began after the Liturgy of the Word. Singh was called forward by Bishop Silva as a candidate for the priesthood. The congregation assented to Singh’s worthiness for ordination by responding, “Thanks be to God.”
Bishop Silva in his homily reflected on Singh’s priestly vocation. Just as Jesus gave up his body for his beloved flock, the bishop said, so too will Singh be called upon to perform humble acts of love for the people entrusted to him as a priest.
St. Damien, Bishop Silva said, was an example of such loving sacrifice. The Belgian priest ultimately succumbed to leprosy after aiding those afflicted with the disease in Kalaupapa.
After the homily, Singh pledged his resolve to accept the responsibilities of priesthood by responding in a loud and assertive voice, “I do,” to five questions asked by the bishop.
Singh then prostrated himself as the congregation intoned the Litany of Saints in a Hawaiian-style chant.
Bishop Silva afterward silently placed his hands on the head of Singh, who knelt before him just a few feet away from the relic of St. Damien. At this part of the rite, the bishop invoked the Holy Spirit to raise Singh to the order of priesthood.
Each of the priests in attendance followed by repeating the bishop’s gesture and praying over Singh one-by-one. Bishop Silva later gave Singh the relic of St. Damien — a piece of his heel bone — to hold in prayer for a few seconds.
Singh was then helped into his priest’s stole and chasuble by his uncle and local Sacred Hearts Sister Helene Wood.
The bishop followed by anointing Singh’s hands with sacred chrism. The calabash containing the holy oil was made of wood from the Islands’ first kiawe tree, which was planted by the first Catholic missionaries to arrive in Hawaii from France.
Bread and wine for the Liturgy of the Eucharist were then brought to the bishop and in turn handed to Singh. A silver chalice and paten used by St. Damien were used for the ordination Mass.
The ordination rite concluded with Bishop Silva and the attending priests each welcoming the newly ordained Sacred Hearts Father Singh with a “fraternal kiss of peace.”
At the conclusion of the Mass, Father Singh gave his first priestly blessings to Bishop Silva and to Sacred Hearts Father Johnathan Hurrell, superior of the order’s U.S. province.
In words of thanks to the congregation, Father Singh expressed gratitude to everyone who worked to make his visit to the Islands possible.
Father Singh will begin his first assignment in India. He will work with the Sacred Hearts brothers and sisters at the Damien Social Institute in Orissa, serving the poor through various ministries.
The priest noted that although he will be overseas, he will continue to keep his new Island ohana in mind.
“I assure you of my prayers for each one of you through St. Damien,” Father Singh said.