A Celebration of Faith and Vocation: Fr Adrian Hafner Celebrates His First Mass in Timișoara
Returning to His Roots
For every newly ordained priest, celebrating his First Mass is one of the defining moments of his life. It brings him back to the place where his vocation first took shape. For Fr Adrian Hafner, this was the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Elisabetin district of Timișoara. There, on Sunday, 5 July, he celebrated his First Mass, only one day after being ordained to the priesthood by Bishop József Csaba Pál of Timișoara in St George's Cathedral.
The church was filled to capacity. Parishioners, family members, friends, numerous priests, and Salvatorians from several countries accompanied the newly ordained priest on this special occasion.
Bishop József Csaba Pál and many guests from Romania and abroad had come to Timișoara to celebrate this joyful event with Fr Adrian Hafner.
The International Brotherhood of the Salvatorian Family
The celebration also highlighted the international character of the Society of the Divine Saviour. Among those concelebrating were Fr Josef Wonisch SDS, Provincial Emeritus, Fr Erhard Rauch SDS, Fr Joseph Ho SDS, Fr Friedrich Emde SDS, Provincial of the German Province, and Fr Hubert Kranz SDS from the Generalate in Rome. Fr Hubert had accompanied Adrian closely during his novitiate in the Philippines and played an important role in this stage of his vocational journey.
The liturgical music was provided by organist Krisztián Kelemen, while Fr Branko Duma served as manuductor, accompanying the newly ordained priest during his First Mass.
A Long Journey with Many Milestones
Fr Adrian Hafner grew up in the Elisabetin parish. Before entering the Society of the Divine Saviour, he studied law in Timișoara and worked for several years in the private sector. At the same time, he was deeply involved in the parish youth group Juventus Salvator and the diocesan youth movement Jubilate.
His formation as a Salvatorian first took him to the Philippines, where he completed his novitiate. He then continued his studies in Rome, where he will soon complete his academic formation.
Vocation Grows in Community
In his homily, Provincial Fr Márton Gál SDS recalled that Adrian's vocation had begun precisely in this parish. He traced the path from Adrian's baptism in the Church of the Sacred Heart, through his novitiate in the Philippines, to his years of study in Rome.
His message was also a reminder of the essence of religious life: no one walks this journey alone. Vocations grow within community. The international Salvatorian family supports its members and accompanies them across borders and cultures. Fr Márton Gál also expressed his gratitude for the faithful prayers of so many people for priestly and religious vocations. The ordination of Fr Adrian, he said, is itself a fruit of these persevering prayers.
Gratitude to All Who Accompanied Him
At the conclusion of the celebration, Fr Adrian Hafner reflected on his personal vocational journey. He thanked God for the gift of his vocation, his family for their unwavering support, and all those who had accompanied him over the years.
He expressed particular gratitude to Fr Josef Wonisch SDS, Provincial Emeritus, who had welcomed him into the Society of the Divine Saviour and thus laid the foundation for his life as a Salvatorian.
He also thanked Bishop József Csaba Pál for ordaining him, the Salvatorian communities in Vienna and Rome, Fr Hubert Kranz SDS for accompanying him during his novitiate, and his friends who had organised the gathering after the celebration. He also paid special tribute to organist Krisztián Kelemen, who had even missed his own university graduation ceremony in Hungary in order to provide the music for the First Mass.
The celebration concluded with the traditional First Mass blessing, which Fr Adrian bestowed upon his mother, his family, his confreres, the bishop, and the many faithful present. It was much more than the first Eucharistic celebration of a newly ordained priest. It was a visible sign of how a vocation is born, nurtured, and sustained within the worldwide Salvatorian family.
More photos will follow shortly.