On Sunday, June 21, 2026, H.B. Card. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, ordained Daniel Suchożebrski from Poland, and František Anderle from the Czech Republic, to the order of priesthood during a solemn Eucharistic celebration at the Franciscan Shrine of Capernaum.
The two newly ordained priests belong to the Koinonia of John the Baptist, an ecclesial community dedicated to the work of the New Evangelization and the proclamation of the Risen Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. Having discerned their vocations within the life of the community, both now begin their priestly ministry in service to the Church in the Holy Land.
Celebrated on the shores of the sea of Galilee, the place where Jesus called His first disciples, the ordination brought together bishops, priests, religious, members of the Koinonia of John the Baptist community, the families of the ordinands, and faithful from the local Christian community. Among those concelebrating were Msgr. Rafic Nahra, Patriarchal Vicar in Israel; Msgr. Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo; Fr. Francesco Ielpo, Custos of the Holy Land; Bishop Nicola Di Ponzio, Secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature; Fr. Piotr Żelazko, Patriarchal Vicar for the St. James Vicariate; Fr. Ricardo Argañaraz; the founder of the Koinonia of John the Baptist, and Fr. General Giuseppe De Nardi.
Fr DANIEL SUCHOŻEBRSKI Testimony: “give my life completely to her Son Jesus”.
Reflecting on his vocation in an interview with the Christian Media Center, Fr. Daniel Suchożebrski, born in 1984, and who has been serving in Tiberias since 2014, recalled that although he was raised into a very traditional family of faith, he always carried within him "a desire for something greater, something deeper." Hence, he left his small town to go study in the Capital of Poland, in Warsaw, where he first encountered the community of Koinonia of John the Baptist. The calling grew louder during a pilgrimage to the Marian shrine of Częstochowa, where he senses a deep pull "to give his life completely to her Son, Jesus." He answered by becoming a consecrated brother in the community. Eventually, the Lord led him to serve in the Holy Land. And now, ordained a priest precisely at the service of the the the Living Stones, describing the vocation as “a great honour and a great responsibility."
Fr FRANTIŠEK ANDERLE: “I experienced a strong presence of Jesus and a powerful, immense love”.
Fr. František Anderle, born in 1986, likewise traced his vocation to an encounter with Christ through the Koinonia community during his youth. He recalled experiencing the Lord's presence in a particularly powerful way during a Eucharistic celebration, “I experienced a strong presence of Jesus and a powerful, immense love”, an experience that changed his life and inspired him to embrace consecrated life. "Being ordained a priest here, in Capernaum, in the place where Jesus lived, is truly a joy," he shared. "I would say it is a privilege, a great gift from the Lord."
The ordination stands as a sign of God's fidelity to the mission entrusted to the community. "This is the work of God," Fr RICARDO ARGAÑARAZ Founder of the Koinonia Giovanni Battista, affirmed. "I firmly believe that it was He who gave them to us, for His glory and for the fulfillment of evangelization in the Church."
The ordination of Fathers Daniel and František is a joyful witness to God's continues call within the Church and a reminder that the Holy Land remains a place where new vocations are nurtured in service of the Gospel and the People of God.
*Interviews have been taken from the Christian Media Center Video Report, click here to view
