Deacon Friar Claurence Motoyou to be ordained priest

KOTA KINABALU (CS) –   Franciscan Friar Claurence Motoyou, 47, ordained to the Diaconate at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Johor Bahru on 5 Dec 2017, is to be ordained priest at Sacred Heart Cathedral Karamunsing by Archbishop John Wong on 27 Oct 2018.

Motoyou will be joined by Friar Cruzender Alex at Mass for a joint Ordination, where Alex will be ordained to the Diaconate. The Mass will begin at 10.00 am.

Hailing from Kg Lokawi, Putatan, Deacon Claurence, 47, is the fourth of a brood of six born to Fredoline Motoyou (deceased) and Rose Onis Mosoly.

After completing his tertiary education in 1989, he went on to Universiti Sains Malaysia Penang where he graduated with honours in Computer Science in 1994.

What led him to pursue priestly formation?  As undramatic as it sounds, Motoyou was nevertheless attracted to the call to priesthood through his frequent contact with the Franciscan Sisters of Immaculate Conception (FSIC) and joining them in their activities and monthly mission outreach programs to share the love of God to others.

Under the spiritual guidance of Franciscan Sister Frances Mani, presently Mother General of FSIC, he realized his call to the religious vocation.

Without much ado, he resigned from the IT company, where he worked as a system analyst and computer programmer, to join the Order of Friars Minor (OFM) in Singapore.

It was mainly through the FSIC, especially Sr Mani, that he had gotten to know the friars.  The life of the friars in sharing the Gospel after the example of St Francis of Assisi eventually led him to want to share their mission.

Motoyou completed his seminary studies at St Francis Xavier Major Seminary, Singapore.

In less than a month to being ordained a priest, Motoyou reflected on the moment of grace and acknowledged that “It is only by God’s grace that all things are made possible.”

Humbled by the lengthy years of priestly formation, he added “I know that I am far from being perfect.  God’s call is a journey of life that each of us has to respond individually, yet at the same time, it is a pilgrimage that I make with my brothers and sisters…”

Currently, Deacon Motoyou is serving at the Church of Immaculate Conception in the Diocese of Melaka-Johor.