Priestly Ordination of Jacob Paul George and the Diaconate Ordination of Joel Philip

Emmitsburg, Maryland.

The Mass of the Priestly Ordination of Jacob Paul George and the Diaconate Ordination of Joel Philip took place at 11:30 am EST on Saturday 4 May 2024 at the Basilica of Elizabeth Ann Seton, Emmitsburg in the United States. 

Both Jacob and Joel are members of the Community of Grace, an Association of the Christian Faithful of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia and are ordained for the Diocese of Miao. The principal celebrant and ordaining Bishop was His Excellency Bishop Paul Hinder, Apostolic Vicar Emeritus of Southern Arabia, who also sent both the ordained men to study for the priesthood at Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland. 

His Excellency Bishop George Pallipparambil, Bishop of Miao, and His Grace Timothy P. Broglio, Archbishop of the US Archdiocese for the Military Services and the current President of the USCCB concelebrated at the Mass of Ordination. 

Jacob George was raised in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where his parents, George and Teresa migrated in the 1980s. Jacob studied at Saint Mary’s High School in Dubai and he owes the initial stirrings of his priestly vocation during his time at the Catholic School run by the Comboni Missionary Sisters. During his high school, Jacob’s family came into contact with the Community of Grace and soon Jacob found himself irresistibly attracted towards the life of the Community and its unique charism of treasuring the Scriptures. Jacob shares with us the story of his call: “While I met Br. Brillis, the leader of the Community and discovered the Scriptures as the living Word of God and a treasure of life and joy, this changed my whole outlook of life. I knew that the Community had something which resonated deep within me and from then on, I became a frequent visitor to the Community during the week. Participating in the weekly prayer meetings and reading the Scriptures led me deeper and deeper into the richness of the Catholic Faith and the Sacraments.” Jacob has four siblings and the entire family are active members of the Community’s charism and mission. The family moved to Houston, Texas in 2020. 

The vocation story of Joel Philip is also quite similar. Joel, together with his elder brother, Joe, and parents, Baby Philip and Jessy, did all his schooling in the United Arab Emirates. Joel and his family were introduced to the Community of Grace through their close friends in 2005. “When I attended one of the prayer meetings and listened to the Scriptures, I experienced my life being changed. In particular, it was John 17:3 that touched me deeply. “This is eternal life: to know You, the Only True God, and to know Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.” Even as a young boy, I always had a question of what eternal life really meant, having heard the term so many times in catechism. However, knowing that this life was a call to a deeper relationship with the Divine Persons of the Trinity was a whole new insight and this set me on a whole new path,” Joel remarks. 

Both Jacob and Joel took a year off after their school to accompany Br. Brillis on mission trips and pilgrimages in Europe and North East India. These trips, together with their active participation in the Community outreaches and retreats left in them a deep desire to devote their lives for the work of spreading the Good News of Jesus. After finishing their schooling in the UAE, both Jacob and Joel graduated as Engineers. Jacob completed his Mechanical Engineering in Purdue University in the United States, while Joel completed his Software Engineering in Kerala, India. Both entered into professional careers as well. Jacob worked in a hyrdaulics engineering firm in Dubai for two years while Joel worked in a multinational software firm. 

Shortly after the Moderator of the Community Br. Brillis was ordained to the priesthood in 2017, both Jacob and Joel independently felt that the Lord was calling them to the priesthood to serve the Church with the charism of the Community. Both Bishop Paul Hinder, the Apostolic Vicar in the United Arab Emirates who approved the Community as a Public Association in 2012, and his Secretary Father Gandolf Wild, felt that these unique vocations had to be supported which grew up in Arabian soil and were marked by their upbringing in the migrant missionary church of which they were members since their youngest days. Jacob also had the chance to work alongside Bishop Paul for two years at the Bishop’s House where he assisted with the work of the Office of Communications of the Vicariate and worked alongside other Community members in the Media Office who played an integral part in the success of the UAE Papal Visit in 2019. 

Being convinced of their future potential and the gift that these present-day vocations would present to the Church, Bishop Paul sent Jacob to study for the priesthood at Mount Saint Mary’s in late 2017, while Joel joined in 2019. Both the seminarians acknowledge with gratitude the opportunity to participate in the excellent programme of formation at the Mount, one of the oldest seminaries in the United States, where they studied alongside seminarians from across the country. 

Jacob completed his studies with a License in Theology (STL), a Master’s Degree in Divinity, and a Master of Arts specializing in Scripture. He presently works as a Canonical Assistant at the Archdiocese for the Military Services, U.S.A. Joel is expected to complete his Master’s Degree in Divinity in 2025.