Darjeeling : Addressing a group of seminarians, senior prelate and alumnus of Salesian College Sonada, Darjeeling archbishop Dominic Jala interacted with students preparing for priesthood and briefed them on pastoral concerns facing priests today and spelt out urgent qualities needed for a modern pastor.

While addressing 66 students of philosophy and faculty members of his alma mater Archbishop Jala who belonged to 1972 batch spelt out four important qualities a priest should have today.

Former provincial of Guwahati Salesian province and professor of Sacred Liturgy at Sacred Heart College Mawlai, Shillong, Archbishop Jala said, “first and foremost a priest should be a man of God.”

“Love for God should be manifested in love for people shown in pastoral availability,” he explained saying, “if my life is not spent for people, my life is empty.”

Archbishop recalled the life of the servant of God Fr Constantine Vendrame, an Italian Saleisan missionary of Shillong diocese who lived in the pre-Vatican II era saying, “Fr Vendrame went knocking at the doors of people’s homes tirelessly seeking out the poor and needy.”

Citing the example of another Italian missionary Fr Peter Schaevon, archbishop said, “even though he shouted at the people, they knew that Fr Schaevon loved them.”

The second characteristic of a modern priest today said archbishop Jala, is “proclamation of the Gospel –evangelization.”

The third characteristic said the prelate is “competence and professionalism in what we do, especially to help in conflict resolution situations as well as peacemaking efforts. This competence should also be reflected in the communication of the Word God and sharing of faith.”

Fourthly, the million dollar question the prelate insisted is “our motivation – what do we want to do?” He added, “we all need to re-orient ourselves – all of us – the formators and the formees, diocesan and religious priests, we all need to face this question of purpose and relevance.”

Archbishop Jala is preaching the annual retreat of the diocesan clergy of Darjeeling diocese at the Jesuit retreat centre at Woodcot near Kurseong.