Conformed to Christ the Servant
Praised be Jesus Christ!!!
Nine days ago, the Feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, 29 of my classmates at NAC and I received the Sacrament of Holy Orders when His Eminence Seán Patrick Cardinal O'Malley (Archdiocese of Boston) ordained us deacons at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter's Basilica.
The entire week leading up to the ordination was just awesome. It was a blessing to have many family and friends in town for the occasion in addition to being supported by many back home through their prayers, and having Masses offered for me and my classmates.
The night before the ordination the NAC Community hosts an in-house prayer vigil for the ordinadi. We process in to "Adoramus te Domine" ahead of one of the faculty priests and one of our already ordained classmates. The Blessed Sacrament is exposed and then we have a reading, responsorial psalm, Gospel, homily by the faculty member chosen by our class to preach to us words of wisdom on the night before our ordination. Following this, there is a period of silent time before the Lord, where the entire community is lending their prayers and support to their brothers. After this we have benediction and then a candlelight procession to the Marian statue in front of the College where there is a closing prayer and blessing. The deacon candidates then try to get a good night's rest! (Most of the guys I talked to, myself included, slept like a rock the night before the ordination because we hadn't been sleeping well the days prior!)
Ordination day itself is a blur. It was so joyous, exciting, and overall incredible. I will highlight a few things (in a very Kevin way...) but not the entire ceremony.
Our class had gathered around 8:45 in the canon's sacristy of the Basilica where we kept prayerful silence. As is customary at NAC, a faculty priest was in there with us for moral support to "be a shoulder to lean on", or "give us a pat on the back" At around 9:10 they had us line up, and the ordaining prelate came in and spoke to us briefly about what a joyous day it was. At 9:15 we began processing out of the Sacristy into the main Basilica while the choir sang "Laudate Dominum, omnes genetes, laudate Dominum, alleluia!" It was indescribable. I had to stop singing a few times else I would have cried tears of pure joy!
Mass proceeds as a typical Sunday Mass, with the exception that the Gospel was chanted. After the Gospel, an already ordained classmate of ours goes to the ambo and says "Let those to be ordained deacons come forward", and calls us by name and diocese one at a time. After we are called we stand, turn towards the ordaining bishop and answer "present". The rector of the College then says "Most reverend father, Holy Mother Church asks you to ordain these men, our brothers, to the responsibility of the diaconate." The bishop will ask "Do you know them to be worthy?" to which the rector replies "After inquiry among the Christian people and upon the recommendation of those charged, I testify that they have been found worthy." The bishop then says "Relying on the help of the Lord God, and our Savior Jesus Christ, we chose these men, our brothers, for the order of deacon." The people reply "Thanks be to God!" and give a sign of consent (typically a round of applause).
A homily is given, and then the ordinandi declare our intentions before the people. Among the 6 questions asked, this is where the solemn promise of celibacy is made, as well as the promise of fidelity to praying the Liturgy of the Hours. Following that we go up and place our hands into those of the bishop and answer "I do" when he asks "Do you promise respect and obedience to your ordinary?" (the bishop of a diocese). Since the Cardinal-Archbishop of my diocese was the one doing the ordination his question to me was "Do you promise respect and obedience to me and my successors".
The ordinadi then lay prostrate on the floor for the singing of the Litany of the Saints, where the entire Church is praying for those men to be ordained. Following this prayer is the laying on of hands, prayer of consecration and then being vested for the first time as a deacon. Once vested we receive the Book of the Gospels, and then the Kiss of Peace from the Bishop and any other deacons present.After that the Rite of Ordination flows into the Liturgy of the Eucharist and Mass proceeds from there as regular.
I am truly humbled and beyond grateful to God for this gift that I was given. I feel as if I am not accurately describing the joy of that day, and in being called to serve Christ and His Church in this way...but I hope it shows through in the pictures of me post-ordination! Below are some pictures of me from that day, but there are tons more on the College's Flikr account.
Thank you God for this amazing gift!
Holy Archangels, pray for us!
Nine days ago, the Feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, 29 of my classmates at NAC and I received the Sacrament of Holy Orders when His Eminence Seán Patrick Cardinal O'Malley (Archdiocese of Boston) ordained us deacons at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter's Basilica.
The entire week leading up to the ordination was just awesome. It was a blessing to have many family and friends in town for the occasion in addition to being supported by many back home through their prayers, and having Masses offered for me and my classmates.
The night before the ordination the NAC Community hosts an in-house prayer vigil for the ordinadi. We process in to "Adoramus te Domine" ahead of one of the faculty priests and one of our already ordained classmates. The Blessed Sacrament is exposed and then we have a reading, responsorial psalm, Gospel, homily by the faculty member chosen by our class to preach to us words of wisdom on the night before our ordination. Following this, there is a period of silent time before the Lord, where the entire community is lending their prayers and support to their brothers. After this we have benediction and then a candlelight procession to the Marian statue in front of the College where there is a closing prayer and blessing. The deacon candidates then try to get a good night's rest! (Most of the guys I talked to, myself included, slept like a rock the night before the ordination because we hadn't been sleeping well the days prior!)
Ordination day itself is a blur. It was so joyous, exciting, and overall incredible. I will highlight a few things (in a very Kevin way...) but not the entire ceremony.
Our class had gathered around 8:45 in the canon's sacristy of the Basilica where we kept prayerful silence. As is customary at NAC, a faculty priest was in there with us for moral support to "be a shoulder to lean on", or "give us a pat on the back" At around 9:10 they had us line up, and the ordaining prelate came in and spoke to us briefly about what a joyous day it was. At 9:15 we began processing out of the Sacristy into the main Basilica while the choir sang "Laudate Dominum, omnes genetes, laudate Dominum, alleluia!" It was indescribable. I had to stop singing a few times else I would have cried tears of pure joy!
Mass proceeds as a typical Sunday Mass, with the exception that the Gospel was chanted. After the Gospel, an already ordained classmate of ours goes to the ambo and says "Let those to be ordained deacons come forward", and calls us by name and diocese one at a time. After we are called we stand, turn towards the ordaining bishop and answer "present". The rector of the College then says "Most reverend father, Holy Mother Church asks you to ordain these men, our brothers, to the responsibility of the diaconate." The bishop will ask "Do you know them to be worthy?" to which the rector replies "After inquiry among the Christian people and upon the recommendation of those charged, I testify that they have been found worthy." The bishop then says "Relying on the help of the Lord God, and our Savior Jesus Christ, we chose these men, our brothers, for the order of deacon." The people reply "Thanks be to God!" and give a sign of consent (typically a round of applause).
A homily is given, and then the ordinandi declare our intentions before the people. Among the 6 questions asked, this is where the solemn promise of celibacy is made, as well as the promise of fidelity to praying the Liturgy of the Hours. Following that we go up and place our hands into those of the bishop and answer "I do" when he asks "Do you promise respect and obedience to your ordinary?" (the bishop of a diocese). Since the Cardinal-Archbishop of my diocese was the one doing the ordination his question to me was "Do you promise respect and obedience to me and my successors".
The ordinadi then lay prostrate on the floor for the singing of the Litany of the Saints, where the entire Church is praying for those men to be ordained. Following this prayer is the laying on of hands, prayer of consecration and then being vested for the first time as a deacon. Once vested we receive the Book of the Gospels, and then the Kiss of Peace from the Bishop and any other deacons present.After that the Rite of Ordination flows into the Liturgy of the Eucharist and Mass proceeds from there as regular.
I am truly humbled and beyond grateful to God for this gift that I was given. I feel as if I am not accurately describing the joy of that day, and in being called to serve Christ and His Church in this way...but I hope it shows through in the pictures of me post-ordination! Below are some pictures of me from that day, but there are tons more on the College's Flikr account.
Thank you God for this amazing gift!
Holy Archangels, pray for us!
| Promising respect and obedience to Cardinal Seán and the his successors (every ordinary of Boston after him) |
| Cardinal Seán calling the Holy Spirit upon me to ordain me a deacon |
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| "Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, practice what you teach." |
| The Pontifical North American College Class of 2017 ordained 9/29/16 (12 of our classmates were ordained back home over the spring/summer, or earlier!) |
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| Me, Mark (one of my closest friends at NAC) and our parents post-ordination |
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