In a momentous occasion for the local Catholic community, Anton Perera was officially ordained as Newcastle's newest priest during a sacred ceremony held on Saturday, November 8. The ordination, led by Bishop Michael Kennedy, filled the Sacred Heart Cathedral on Hunter Street with a profound sense of hope and celebration.
A Spiritual Journey from Sri Lanka to Newcastle
Father Perera's path to the priesthood began in Sri Lanka, where his deep faith was forged from a young age. He shared a pivotal childhood memory from a stormy morning when he was due to take his first communion. Frightened by the lightning and heavy rain, the young Anton decided to stay in bed.
His father, a deeply religious man, had already returned from mass and found his son still at home. "He said 'What are you doing?'" Father Perera recalled during the ordination. "I said, 'Dad, there is lightning and heavy rain, I can't go to mass', and he said no." His father immediately made him kneel and recite the rosary with him. From that day forward, Anton Perera never missed a mass again.
He entered the seminary in Sri Lanka in 2009 and made the significant move to Newcastle in 2022, answering his calling to serve the Australian community.
The Sacred Rites of Ordination
The ordination ceremony was rich with tradition and solemnity. Following the church's ancient rites, Father Perera was examined by Bishop Kennedy and made promises to respect and uphold the teachings of the Catholic Church.
In a powerful display of humility and devotion, he prostrated himself before the altar of the Sacred Heart Cathedral. He then received the laying on of hands from his fellow priests, a sacred tradition symbolising the passing of spiritual authority.
The ceremony culminated as he was presented with his stole and chasuble, the sacred vestments of his new office. His aunt and uncle, Anne and Ajith Perera, were present to witness the event, while his extended family in Sri Lanka watched via a heartfelt livestream.
A New Priest for a Hopeful Future
Bishop Michael Kennedy expressed his joy at the addition of a new priest to the diocese. "It is always a great event when a new priest is ordained," Bishop Kennedy said. "It's a celebration of the whole community. On a practical level, here is another priest which means we have the availability of the mass and the other sacraments."
He also highlighted the deep bonds that form between a priest and his community, noting the importance of these relationships for the spiritual life of the region.
The newly ordained Father Perera shared his eagerness to begin his ministry. "It is a great joy and a blessing, the gift of God, to serve the community with faith and love and fidelity," he said. "I am always available to people. I am ordained in the year of hope and I hope to bring it to the people of the diocese of Newcastle."
Father Perera now joins the ranks of the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, which comprised an estimated more than 50 ordained priests according to 2020 figures, ministering to approximately 150,000 Catholics across the Hunter region.
