The Church of Jerusalem has been enriched with three new priests. Fr. Fadi Qandah of Mafraq, Jordan, Fr. Malek Al-Qalanzeh of Ader, Jordan, and Fr. Jiries Abu Khalil of Jifna, Palestine, were ordained to the sacred priesthood by His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa after years of formation and discernment at the Latin Patriarchate Seminary of Beit Jala.
Fr. Fadi and Fr. Malek were ordained on June 24, the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Jubeiha, Jordan. Fr. Jiries was ordained on July 3, the Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle, at the Holy Family Catholic Church in Ramallah. In the days that followed, each celebrated his First Mass in his home parish, where family members, clergy, religious, and faithful gathered in joyful thanksgiving to accompany the beginning of their priestly ministry.
The celebrations became moments of profound ecclesial joy for the local communities of Ader, Mafraq, and Jifna. Through prayer, hymns, and traditional expressions of celebration, the faithful welcomed their new priests, giving thanks for their generous response to God’s call.
A joyful welcome for Fr. Jiries Abu Khalil in his hometown of Jifna
“You Belong to Someone Other Than Yourselves”
In his homily, Cardinal Pizzaballa reminded the newly ordained that every priestly vocation begins with God’s initiative.
“You freely chose this path, but first God chose you.”
He urged them to remember that the grace of the priesthood does not come from themselves, but from Christ, and that this truth must become visible in every aspect of their lives.
“People must see that you belong to someone other than yourselves. This should be evident in the way you speak, think, and act. You must be different—not in the sense that you are better than others, but because your life belongs to Someone else. At times, this may make you appear weak in the eyes of others, because if you wish to reflect the life of God, the foundation of your life must be love, mercy, and patience, and this does not conform to the standards of this world.”
Drawing inspiration from St. John the Baptist, the Patriarch encouraged them to place their complete trust in God, explaining that priestly life is not a promise of comfort, but of God’s constant presence.
“Our anchor is Jesus Christ; everything else is secondary.”
During Fr. Jiries’ ordination, celebrated on the Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle, the Patriarch reflected on Christ as the cornerstone of the Church, encouraging the new priest to remain united to Him so that his ministry may reveal Christ’s presence to the faithful.
“Through your presence, Christ Himself must become present to His Church. The faithful must be able to recognize His presence in you.”
"A visible sign of God’s closeness"
Speaking to the Latin Patriarchate Media Office, the newly ordained priests reflected on the vocation that led them to the altar and shared their hopes for the ministry entrusted to them.
For Fr. Malek Al-Qalanzeh, the first seeds of his vocation were planted in childhood while serving at the altar.
"I think the beginning of my call was very simple, but it was genuine. From a young age, I served in the Church as an altar server, and that's where I began to love the Church, prayer, and the Holy Mass. I admired the priest not only because he led the liturgy, but because he dedicated his entire life to God and to serving others. At that stage, I never imagined I would become a priest one day, but the Lord was quietly at work in my heart."
He described entering the seminary as the beginning of a profound journey of discernment that gradually revealed the beauty of the priestly vocation despite its challenges.
"When I entered the seminary, I didn't have a complete picture of what priestly life meant. But year after year I came to understand more deeply the beauty and depth of this vocation. I experienced moments of joy, difficulties, and doubts, yet at every stage I saw God's hand guiding me and assuring me that it was He who had called me. Today, having received the grace of the priesthood, I look back and see how God has accompanied me from my very first step in serving at the altar until this very day."
Looking ahead to his ministry, Fr. Malek expressed his desire to become a visible sign of God's closeness, particularly for those living amid the many hardships of the Holy Land.
"I hope to be a priest who is close to the people, who listens to them and shares in their joys and sorrows, and who instills hope in them even in the most difficult circumstances."
Young people, he said, will remain at the heart of his ministry.
"I want to be present among them, listening to them and accompanying them on their journey, because they need someone who believes in them and encourages them. I would like to help them discover that Christ is not merely an idea or a tradition, but a living Person who transforms lives and gives them their true meaning."
To young men and women discerning God's call, he offered a message of encouragement:
"Do not be afraid to open your hearts to God. A vocation is not always an easy path, but it is a path filled with joy and peace when we walk it with the Lord. If you feel that God is calling you, do not silence that voice out of fear or anxiety. Give it room to grow through prayer, the guidance of a spiritual director, and a deeper encounter with the sacraments. God does not choose perfect people; He calls ordinary people and gives them the grace they need to live their vocation faithfully and joyfully."
Fr. Bernard Poggi, Rector of the Patriarchal Seminary, walks alongside the three newly ordained priests — Fr. Malek Al-Qalanzeh, Fr. Jiries Abu Khalil, and Fr. Fadi Qandah — together with Fr. Firas Abed Rabbo.
Fr. Jeries likewise traced his vocation back to his childhood service at the altar, where, as he explained, "the seed of my vocation began to grow." Entering the seminary allowed that seed to mature until he discovered with certainty that God was calling him to consecrate his life through the sacred priesthood.
"The seed of my vocation continued to grow in every dimension until the day I was able to say, 'Here I am,' and receive this sacred ministry."
Addressing young people who may be discerning a vocation, he encouraged them not to allow fear to overshadow God's invitation. He concluded by asking the faithful to pray for then and for new vocations in the Diocese.
The ordination of these three priests stands as a renewed sign of God’s faithfulness, sending laborers into His harvest here in the Holy Land, even amid the many challenges facing the Church. This celebration reminds the entire Church to remain faithful to God’s call, as each person seeks to embrace and live out the vocation entrusted to them. United in prayer and communion beyond borders and circumstances, the Church of Jerusalem continues its journey of hope, trusting in the Lord who never ceases to walk with His people.
