We are blessed in the Diocese of Brooklyn with the gift of 10 newly ordained priests. They come from different backgrounds and different cultures, but all share in common their Catholic faith, their zeal and earnestness to preach the Gospel, and a desire to preach that Gospel here in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

As we congratulate these ordinands, we might take the opportunity to remind our readers about what a diocesan priest is and what the promises that they make mean.

These 10 men are ordained for the Diocese of Brooklyn. They are diocesan (or secular) priests, as are most of the priests who serve us here in Brooklyn and Queens. We make this distinction in order to emphasize that they are not members of a religious order, like the Jesuits, Franciscans, Dominicans, etc. They do not follow a particular charism of a particular saint like Ignatius Loyola, Francis, or Dominic, nor do they have a particularly specialized mission and ministry – although they might teach, or work as a chaplain in a hospital or school, their main role is to serve as parish priests. And although some diocesan priests may be asked to serve outside the diocese in specialized work in places like Rome or Washington, D.C., they will spend their lives mostly serving in the local Church in Brooklyn and Queens.

Diocesan priests make three promises, not vows. A promise is made to a bishop and is a serious, lifelong commitment to the Lord.

The first promise is obedience to the bishop and his successors. It’s important to remember that the priest will not just serve the bishop who ordains him. He is called to be obedient to the bishop who will follow after his ordaining prelate. The newly ordained priest, in promising respect and obedience to the bishop, makes a public act signifying that his will and desires are not as important as the needs of the diocese that the bishop discerns. The promise of obedience permits the priest to more closely follow Christ’s will in his life. It permits him to imitate more closely Christ, the obedient Son of the eternal Father. It allows him to go where he is needed and to be open, attentive, reasonable and loving in the face of the Father’s will.

The second promise is celibacy. The newly ordained priest promises chaste, perpetual celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom of God. Celibacy is not simply not getting married. It is a radical call to be a living sign of God’s merciful, eternal love. It is not about not loving; it is really all about truly loving all in a deep, true way. Celibacy permits the priest to be father to his people; it permits the priest to be the chaste spouse of his Bride, the Church. It is not a negation or a privation. It is a call to a more intense, non-exclusive loving.

The third promise is daily prayer, in its entirety, of the Liturgy of the Hours. The priest prays the Divine Office (Office of Readings, Morning Prayer, Daytime Prayer, Evening Prayer, Night Prayer) not only to sanctify the day for himself, but he prays for the entire Church Universal. In this way, he acts a mediator between God and humanity, praying on behalf of all God’s people. This is a serious obligation and one from which no priest can ever excuse himself.

These newly ordained priests will celebrate the sacred mysteries of the Lord’s Body and Blood at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

They will absolve the sins of penitents. They will offer the Lord’s healing in the sacrament of the anointing of the sick. They will officiate at weddings and bring new life to God’s people in baptism. They will preach, teach and sanctify. And they will do it in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

May God richly bless our new priests!

 

Related:

Click here to see brief biographies of the ordinands with details of their roads to the priesthood and plans for their First Masses of thanksgiving.