Our Akolla Etuge, OFM Cap., was ordained a priest in our Provincial celebration held on June 15, 2019. Cardinal Sean O'Malley, OFM Cap., now the Cardinal Archbishop of Boston was on hand as the ordaining prelate. St. Catherine of Sweden Church in Allison Park, PA, hosted the even since our own motherhouse church, St. Augustine's in Pittsburgh, PA, is undergoing the construction of our additions to the current friary.
A choir of singers and musicians animated the Mass and Ordination Ritual. They traveled from the parishes of Holy Spirit and St. Agnes/Our Lady of Fatima in Cleveland, OH, where Br. Akolla served as deacon and will now serve as parochial assistant.
Akolla hails from Cameroon. Before he became a Capuchin Franciscan, the future friar entered the USA through the special Visa program offered to gifted applicants for immigration. He was in college taking classes in pre-med while working for a security company in downtown Washington, DC, when he heard his vocational call: "I have always wanted to serve people, especially the poor, because I come from a country which, despite being rich in natural resources, has a lot of poverty. My desire to serve others and my uncle Eugene’s love for Padre Pio inspired me to join the Capuchins." Since that time, Akolla became a US Citizen and has contributed his goodness and desire to serve in various parts of our Province.
The parish website posted this video on YouTube:
The spectacular Gospel Procession is at 32:34 (mm:ss) and the call, homily and ordination rite begins at around 40:00. You can move the guide to the minutes desired.
The Dancers in the following shots were from St. Agnes/Our Lady of Fatima under the direction of Dora Rae Vactor and Darnell Weaver. All of the photos from our brother Matt Hindelang, OFM Cap., can be found in our Gallery.
