Ordination of Dickson Tiwelfil in Yap
Last week, Micronesia marked a major regional church event held on Yap, drawing attendees from across the islands. Dickson Tiwelfil, the last remaining Jesuit from the islands, was ordained as a priest before a congregation that nearly filled the large stadium temporarily converted into a church. Local Yapese chiefs attended—some in traditional loincloths—alongside visitors from Palau and other neighboring islands.
The guests included several Jesuit priests from the US: John Mulreany, Tom Benz, Pat Nolan, and Dennis Baker—all of whom had once worked in Micronesia for a time—along with the current provincial superior Joe O’Keefe. Fr. Naoki Ochi, once a regent at Xavier High School, flew in from Japan to join us. Then there were several other Jesuits presently serving in the islands: Dave Andrus, Hadi Sasmita, Pungkas Pamungkas, Ed Quinnan, Chris Smith, Rich McAuliff, Todd Kenney, and yours truly. As you might imagine, there were lots of shared memories of the past as we prepared Dickson for his priestly ministry in the future.
But it was more than just a clan gathering for Jesuits. It was also also a moment of celebration for the diocesan clergy across the islands. Among those in attendance were Bishop Julio Angkel, who presided over the ordination, along with Kelly Yalmadau and several other priests and deacons from the diocese.
Dickson joined the Jesuits in 2012 and followed a formation path that took him to both the U.S. and the Philippines. It’s fair to say he embodies what Jesuits aspire to be—citizens of the world. Still, he remains deeply connected to his home island of Woleai, a coral atoll located a few hundred miles from Yap. He chose to celebrate his first mass there. While Woleai is just a short flight away, it’s a much longer trip by boat, so I opted not to make the journey and returned to Guam a couple of days after the ordination.
Food abounded and so did the good cheer that accompanies the lunches and dinners. But for many, the most powerful moment came during the ordination itself. One Palauan woman, moved to tears, said the highlight of the week was hearing the congregation sing the Litany of the Saints and watching the priests lay hands on Dickson as part of the ordination rite. It was hard to disagree.
All of us—old-timers and young bucks, islanders and foreigners—are proud of our newest priest and cheer him on in his ministry.
