Diocese_Of_Sandhurst_YearInReview_2021

25 Fr Rom Hayes I always knew I wanted to become a priest, right from the word go; I felt it was what I would be happiest doing andwhat Godwantedme to do. I grewup in a family with very spiritual parents who had a great attachment to the Church, and there were always priests visiting our house – my father took them fishing – they were so full of joy, just great fun. There were many family members who were priests, including my name- sake, my father’s brother Rom. So, when I joined the seminary, it wasn’t something unusual, more natural. Priesthood has enriched my life in so many ways. The most significant being my experience working in Peru as a missionary with the Columbans for 12 years. Rubbing shoulders with the poor all the time helped me to be grateful for the comfort, beauty, and safety of our country and ever mindful of the conditions people in poverty face every day, wherever they might be. It’s the reason why I became Director of Caritas in Sandhurst; I couldn’t just work with the poor and then forget about them. For me, people living in poverty express best the face of God. Around that is their simplicity, their warmth, their capacity to laugh; they are filled with the best of humanity. In the years I’ve been a priest, my understanding of Church has changed dramatically, and so has the Church. I ammuch more open to change now than I thought I’d ever be. I never believed I would be so lucky as to live in a Church with a Pope like the present one; he has given me light, and hope and a strong belief in the Church of tomorrow. I’ve been blessed with good Bishops throughout my entire time. Our current Bishop has an exceptional vision of Church, and this is a great boost to me and fellow clergy. I’ve enjoyed working as priest in the Diocese of Sandhurst. You can really get to know people in parishes and there is a genuine sense of fraternity amongst the clergy. Fr Junjun Amaya Since his early years of primary school Fr Junjun knew he wanted to be a priest. “Everytime I saw a priest wearing a white vestment and/or blessing people with the Blessed Sacrament ... something deeper in me would fire me,” he once wrote. For Fr Junjun the path to priesthood had many obstacles. Born into a farming fam- ily in the Philippines, the sixth of eleven children and the oldest son, Fr Junjun felt responsible for thewellbeing of his familywhenhis father became ill and later died and so left high school to work in various odd jobs. All the while Fr Junjun continued with ministry in his own way, working as a catechist at his local parish and volunteering in parish life. Fr Junjun felt God’s work when he passed a placement exam for out-of- school youth, which eventually allowed himadmission to diocesan seminaries in Cebu. On the invitation of Bishop Joe Grech, Fr Junjun completed his formation at Corpus Christi College in Carlton. Since his Ordination in 2011, Fr Junjun has served in the parishes of St Kilian’s, Myrtleford, Kennington, Eaglehawk, Kerang, Pyramid Hill, Cohuna and now, Wodonga where he is Parish Priest. 50 10 CELEBRATIONS