Four seminarians, who are currently in their fifth year of studies, yesterday asked Archbishop Charles Scicluna to officially accept them as candidates for priesthood. 

In a ceremony held on Sunday at St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta during Epiphany Mass, Roderick Baldacchino and Jean-Claude Schembri from St Catherine’s Parish in Żejtun, Joshua Cortis from St Gaetan Parish in Ħamrun, and Tony Pace from the Conversion of Saint Paul Parish in Safi, publicly expressed their will to serve as priests. 

Accepting their offering “with joy”, the Archbishop called on the candidates to ensure that they would use the remaining years of their studies before their ordination to prepare themselves “to worthily receive Holy Orders”.

One of the four men, Mr Pace, a widower, had already made headlines in the past for wanting to become a priest after reaching the age of 60.

In an interview with TVM in 2017, Mr Pace, who is the father of three adult children, had said that on her death bed, his wife had urged him to get remarried, however he immediately told her that he wanted to become a priest. His son was also studying to become a priest.

He had said during the interview with TVM that his children were not surprised by his decision because they were used to both he and his wife doing voluntary work.

During the same Mass last year, four other seminarians had taken part in a similar ceremony.

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