Celebration of the silver and gold jubilee of the priests and deacons of the Archdiocese of Barcelona - Celebration of the silver and gold jubilee of the priests and deacons of the Archdiocese of Barcelona

Over one hundred priests and deacons celebrated the mass together for the silver and gold jubilee ordination anniversary of many priests, among them, Cardinal Joan Josep Omella i Omella. It's Cardinal Omella’s 50th ordination anniversary.

Places had to be limited in accordance with the measures stipulated in order to avoid any possible contagion. Therefore, face masks and social distancing meant that the number of places available in the Basilica had to be reduced.

Cardinal Joan Josep Omella i Omella's words at the beginning of the ceremony were specifically in memory of the victims of COVID-19. As such, he wanted to draw attention to the “effort, time and energy that many people had invested in fighting off the virus.”

Some minutes later, during the homily, Joan Josep Omella i Omella dedicated some words to the important pastoral role that priests and deacons play. “We know that we are fragile, but we also know that our work is a precious calling. As such, we renew our desire to follow the Lord, serving him with joy.”