Festival of vocations and ordination — Mgr Durhône: “Living listening for the priest is living discernment”

The 44th Vocations Festival was very special this Sunday, because this time the event included two parts. First, a march aimed at awakening vocations and encouraging everyone to support the mission of the Church in the service of Mauritian society. Then, the Bishop of Port-Louis, Mgr Jean-Michaël Durhône, presided over the mass of priestly ordination of Jonathan Dolidon within the company of the Jesuits.

The chosen theme, “Zezi pou met twa serye”, sums up the journey perfectly. “By becoming a priest in a synodal church where we are called to live together, this vocation of priest requires knowing how to listen and discern. It is about listening to what is happening within us, and recognizing our deep desires, just as Jesus knew how to listen to the hearts of this crowd who came to join him. A synodal Church is a Church on the move, listening,” urges the Bishop. And becoming a priest in a Church that listens, “is being attentive to cultural, social and religious realities. »

For Mgr Durhône, “Jonathan Dolidon is living his mission as a priest and is therefore called to listen to this Mauritian people who express their hunger for love, justice, unity, community and true happiness ". Just as the theme of this 44th Vocation Festival defines it, he says: “Zezi pou met twa serye. Anyway, you can see everything. "And continues that "it is a grace that God gives to live under the guidance of a healthy spirit."

“To live listening, for the priest, is to live discernment in a synodal Church in motion. But it's not that simple; “It’s quite an effort to put ourselves in an inner position, to listen, when we have our own inner struggles,” he continues.

For his ordination, Jonathan Dolidon was able to count on the support and presence of parents, friends and other close family members. In total, there were 80 who traveled from France for this occasion. And everyone had their hearts celebrating and will have experienced this moment of grace with happiness, applauding or taking a selfie. But the main person concerned will have been especially marked by his humility. At 42 years old, this new priest, originally from France, comes from a modest family of five children, three girls and two boys. His father worked for a long time in a duck breeding company, then in the cheese sector. As for his mother, she was very involved in the works of the church. Jonathan discovered Jesus through prayer groups. By his own admission, he has always felt this vocation to listen to others, especially those in suffering.

The forty-year-old has also traveled a lot. In India, Lithuania, Madagascar. After his baccalaureate, he had