Introducing the 2021 Postulant Class of the Province of Canada...
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November 4, 2021Benedict Nicholas
My name is Benedict Nicholas, and I am the youngest postulant currently living at the Redemptorist formation house, which isn’t very different from my home where I am the youngest of 4 brothers. My beginning was in Montreal however, just barely, moving to Scarborough at the age of 1. My journey to the Redemptorists began with my call to the priesthood in grade 6. Since then, I had been fixated on diocesan life, never really giving religious life a chance. I would sit with this call to be a diocesan priest throughout elementary school and onto high school, graduating from Francis Libermann C.H.S. During this time, I continued to help my parish in various ministries and even worked at a parish for my high school Co-Op, all in order to familiarize myself with diocesan life. Nearing the end of high school I spoke with my priest about future plans, and he recommended I go through university and then make any decisions, if I still felt the call.
Having gone through 3 years of university at the University of Toronto, it would be at the end of my 4th year of university that I would meet Fr. David Purcell through a common acquaintance who was aware of my discernment and informed Fr. David. Upon completing my education at U of T in Book and Media Studies and Christianity and Culture in 2019, I would use that summer to familiarize myself with The Redemptorists with the help of Fr. David.
From my meeting with Fr. David, I realized that the Redemptorist charism was what I was seeking. I had always been attracted to the idea of serving the poor and marginalized, having had the opportunity to do so at local shelters and in my community. Hearing of St. Alphonsus serving the marginalized people in the outskirts of Naples further invigorated my discernment towards the Redemptorists.
In the summer of 2019 I was privileged enough, thanks to Fr. David, to also familiarize myself with the French confreres in Montreal and St. Anne de Beaupre, as well as the Redemptoristine Nuns in Montreal. I would officially begin my candidacy with the order in September of 2019. I have now been at the house for 3 years, having completed my Master of Theological Studies during the summer of 2021. I continue to grow in my discernment learning more about myself and my place within the order. I am currently doing a practicum this year, allowing the other two postulants to catch up and God willing we can enter Novitiate together. Thank you for your continued prayers and support.
Mark Suezo
My name is Mark and I'm a postulant with the Redemptorists! I'm currently in my fourth and last year of Philosophy. I'm the son of two loving parents and the middle child between my big brother and little sister. I was born in the Philippines and immigrated to Vancouver, BC at the age of 8 years old. Upon graduating high school, I worked in the financial industry for almost two years and shortly after that I left my job to serve as a campus missionary with a Catholic movement for young adults. It was during this time of ministry when I felt a calling to religious life and priesthood.
After a few years of discernment, I applied to the Redemptorists in 2017 and moved to Toronto in 2018 to begin the candidacy formation program. I'm grateful for my friends and family who have strengthened me with their prayers and support that have led me here and I am excited for the rest of what God has in store for me in the future. Aside from my daily studies and rhythms of prayer, I enjoy hiking, camping, art, and photography.
Gabriel Ciang
My name is Gabriel Üng Ciang. I am 31 years old and come from Shanghai, China, where I was born. As the only child of my parents, I spent my childhood and school years in my native city. Being educated in an atheist society where the Church is persecuted, I first encountered the Catholic faith on radio and in my father’s book collections. In high school, I had a chance to read some philosophy thanks to the leisure time in my last year, and started taking faith seriously.
I was baptized at the age of 21 when doing my undergraduate study in Russian Studies at Fudan University. After graduation, I worked as a language teacher and a part-time International Olympiad in Linguistics coach (which is a coach who trains and helps students/participants to prepare for annual competitions at different levels). During these years, I had extensive contact with our local churches: the official Catholic Church, the underground Catholic Church and the semi-underground Russian Orthodox Church.
I got to know the Redemptorists through a friend in 2016. Soon after, having communicated with me several times, Fr. John Sianchuk and Fr. Larry Kondra invited me to come to Winnipeg and see. Thus, I had a wonderful Great Fast there in 2017 and acquired some knowledge of the Congregation and its mission. Back to work, I started my discernment and, with the help of Our Lady of Zo-sè, finally wrote back to the Yorkton Redemptorists and asked to enter the Congregation. Therefore, I came back to Canada and helped at the Welcome Home in the first eight months of 2020, and then moved to Toronto, where I became an official candidate and started my studies.
Issaka Dieudonné
My name is Issaka Stivens Dieudonné. I was born in Haiti (Grande Riviere du Nord 24-02-1991). My father’s name is Antonio Succès. My mother’s name is Cléante Dieudonné.
I grew up in Grande Rivière du nord until I was 12 years old. After elementary school, I left for the capital (Port-au-Prince) where I lived with my father for a year. My father died on July 4, 2008. Since my childhood, I have always loved to play soccer, basketball and to read.
I finished my high school at Lycée Alexandre Pétion, P-au-P 2013. I was a supervisor at the College le Louverturien from 2013-2014 in P-au-P, Haiti. I was a candidate for the Congregation Camilian (Ordre des serviteurs des malades) from 2014-2016. I studied philosophy at the Institut Saint Francois de Sales from 2014-2016.
I studied Special Education for two years at the College la Cité, 2018-2020 and I dropped out in my last year 2020-2021. I did my first internship at Franco cité in Ottawa in 2019. I stopped my studies at the beginning of my third year in the Special Education Technical program (November 2020).
After much reflection, I once again felt the desire to become a priest: it was then, in the middle of January 2021, that I remember calling the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. A week later, on January 21, 2021, I received my first call from the Redemptorist Congregation with Fr. David Purcell. Since then, the Congregation has opened the door for me to discern my vocation with the Ste-Anne-de-Beaupre Region.
(Courtesy of Community Connections.)
