By Ivy Chai
KUCHING — The Archdiocese of Kuching presbyterium welcomed a new deacon on 25 March 2021. Mark Noel Bonchol, aged 48, was elected to the Order of Deacons during a live-stream Mass to celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord.
The Rite of Admission for Orders of Deacon and Priest, Declaration of Freedom and Willingness to embrace lifelong Celibacy and Obedience, and Profession of Oath and Oath of Fidelity, had taken place two days earlier.
Newly ordained Deacon Mark is the youngest in a family of four siblings. His sister Ann and brother Andy accompanied by wife Jenny, were present at his Diaconate ordination. His other brother Allan was away overseas, and his mum Katie Lau was not able to be there.
Deacon Mark’s late vocation began in 2013 when he was accepted into St Peter’s College in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah for his initiation year. He continued his formation at St Peter’s College Major Seminary in Kuching in 2014, and completed both his philosophical and theological studies in the month of May, 2020.
Prior to that, he had graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from an Australian university and Postgraduate Diploma in HRM from the United Kingdom. He then worked in both the private and public sectors.
Since August 2020, Mark has been at Holy Trinity Church, Kenyalang Park for further pastoral ministry development.
At the Diaconate ordination presided by Archbishop Simon Poh and witnessed by Fr Nicholas Ng, Rector of St Peter’s College Major Seminary, seminarian Mark declared his intentions to abide by the Rites of the Ordination. Fr Nicholas then put on a diaconal stole and a dalmatic on the newly ordained deacon.
Vested as a Deacon, he then went before the Archbishop seated at the Cathedra to receive the Book of Gospels. “Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach,” the Archbishop told him. Receiving the Book of Gospels is symbolic of the mission to proclaim it.
Both Archbishop Simon and Deacon Mark gave their speeches after the Eucharistic celebration, before the concluding rites.
The Archbishop gave praise and thanks to the Lord for the “gift of a new deacon for ministry in the Archdiocese of Kuching,” and welcomed him on behalf of Archbishops Emeriti Peter Chung and John Ha, and the presbyterium. He said it is never too late to say ‘yes’ when God calls. He also thanked the Bonchol family, including his father Noel who passed away in 2016, for offering their son.
The new Deacon said he had to first thank God from when his “journey began and now have come to fruition.” Describing how he felt, Mark said it was a “combination of many elements – bitter, sweet, sour, but most of all, the feeling of thankfulness to God Almighty.”
He also thanked the many people who had played an important role in his formation years, directly or indirectly. They included among others, Archbishop Simon, Emeriti Peter and John, and all the formators at St Peter’s College in Kota Kinabalu and Kuching.
While thanking his family members, namely his dad, mum and siblings; his friends and the media, Mark felt that although the ceremony was his diaconate ordination, it was all about God, and God’s mercy and compassion towards him as a sinner.
The Archbishop then presented Deacon Mark his Certificate of Ordination, and gifted him a communion pyx, so he could use it to give Holy Communion, beginning with “his mum,” the Archbishop quipped.
The Diaconate ordination and Mass ended with the solemn blessing for Mark and all viewers online by Archbishop Simon Poh.
