Maryknoll Father Vincent F. Corbelli celebrated the diamond jubilee of his priestly ordination on 11 June 2020. He has served the Church in Hong Kong for over five decades and the diocese celebrates his consecrated commitment on December 5.
Father Corbelli was born to a Catholic family on January 30, 1934 in Rochester, New York, the United States (US). He attended a Catholic primary school run by nuns, hence it was mandatory to attend Sunday Mass in the local parish as a group. Although a must, going to Sunday Mass was never a burden for the young Corbelli. Moreover, he became an altar boy and had the opportunity to become acquainted with many exemplary priests in the parish.
Father Corbelli attended an all-boys Catholic high school while also working at a supermarket near his home. He found the school, run by a group of priests, a joyful place to attend, in spite of being a bit strict. After completing the high school, but undecided on what further courses should he choose and what wanted to do with his life, he came across a small book titled, You Can Change the World.
The book said if one accepted Jesus in their life, they would change thus the world would begin to change. The missionary’s task was to tell others about Jesus. Corbelli felt Jesus wanted him to join the mission of changing the world.
The next step was to discuss the matter with his parents. One day he told them he wanted to see them together and they sensed something was strange! It was a shock for them because he had never mentioned this to them before that day. But, they finally gave him total support, for if it was God’s will, it would be their will.
He wanted to be a missionary priest and started to search for a missionary community and zeroed in on the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers. He joined on 24 June 1951 and underwent a nine-year training course, completing his bachelor’s degree in philosophy and theology. He also completed his master’s degree in religious education at Maryknoll School of Theology (MST).
Father Corbelli was ordained a priest on 11 June 1960. He was then assigned promote vocations for four years in the US. This meant, talking in schools and churches about the work of the Maryknollers and helping interested youth decide if God was calling them to be a missionary. Although the work was rewarding, he dreamed of being a missionary in a foreign country.
He continued his mission promoting vocations until his superiors assigned him to Hong Kong in 1964. Once in Hong Kong, he served as pastor of an yet unnamed parish in Kwun Tong. Father Corbelli held the position of regional superior in Hong Kong from 1978 to 1982. In 1993, he was instrumental in setting up the St. Jerome Mass Centre in Tin Shui Wai. He was also assistant parish priest at St. Jude’s Parish, North Point until 2019.
He says, he enjoyed his mission work very much as he has been blessed to participate in the process of bringing others to know Christ and in doing this he was participating in the mission to ‘change the world’.
“It has been a great blessing to follow Jesus in this way. I pray that more young men and women will hear the call and respond to it,” Father Corbelli said.
