Fr Dean Bongat, entered the seminary in Mindanao in the southern part of the Philippines, then transferred to Manila where he joined a seminary, then went to university studying Psychology. He worked as a Psychologist in one of the orphanages in Manila, acted as a guidance counsellor in Manila Business College and lectured at the university.

During this time he was the Philippines representative to the World Federation of United Nations Associations. In 2010 went back to the seminary, this time the Lorenzo Mission where he completed his degree in Philosophy and started a degree in Theology.

He then applied for and was accepted as a student for the Diocese of Sandhurst living in Melbourne and studying at Catholic Theological College.

Dean was ordained a deacon on 25th November 2017 at Muntinlupa in the Philippines and ordained a priest on 15th September 2018 at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Bendigo.

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