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Faith. Wisdom. Holiness.
3 men ordained to priesthood at cathedral
By Andrew Junker, ajunker@catholicsun.org
June 19, 2008
Arizona Catholics had cause to celebrate earlier this month as the Church welcomed three new men into the priesthood.
Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted ordained José Jesús López, Matthew Lowry and Arthur Nave, Jr., before a packed Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral June 7.
“From this day forward, the Church expects you to exercise the same duty of teaching in the name of Christ the Teacher,” the bishop told the ordinands in his homily. “Do so with a grateful heart and with deep confidence in the power of the truth to set us free.”
Fr. Don Kline, director of the diocesan vocations office, presented the three men to the bishop on behalf of the local Church and requested their ordination.
Bishop Olmsted accepted and said, “Relying on the help of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ, we choose these, our brothers, for the order of the priesthood.”
The crowd of more than 1,000 burst into sustained applause.
“I kept focusing my eyes on the crucifix, thanking God for His grace in my life and asking for the grace to love as He does,” said Fr. Lowry, describing how he stayed prayerful during the two-hour-plus Mass.
After Bishop Olmsted accepted the three men, each knelt before him, promising respect and obedience.
Fr. Jim Wall, vicar for priests, said this moment served as a reminder to the more than 100 priests who concelebrated the Mass.
“It’d be similar to a married couple renewing their vows,” he said. “You’re not only welcoming new brother priests into the fraternity, but, interiorly, you can recommit yourself. I think you hear the prayers in a different way.”
In his homily, Bishop Olmsted encouraged the new priests to be filled with hope, echoing a theme of Pope Benedict XVI’s during his recent pastoral trip to America.
“Our Holy Father Pope Benedict strengthened our hope in Christ by reminding us of what a blessing it is to know the truth and to live that truth,” the bishop said.
“Our Holy Father also pointed out various darknesses in our culture and country, which need the light of Christ and especially need His truth to set us free,” he said.
The ordinands promised to bring the light of Christ to others by faithfully and reverently celebrating the sacraments, by spreading the Gospel and teaching the Catholic faith, by constant prayer and by consecrating themselves to God.
“Dear sons and brothers in Christ, I urge you: Be full of hope, no matter what comes your way,” the bishop concluded his homily. “Even if at some times the burden of the ministry seems more than you can handle, be full of hope. Trust in the love of God.”
The Rite of Ordination also featured the three men lying prostrate in the nave of the cathedral as the congregation knelt and chanted the litany of supplication.
“Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us,” the crowd sang. “All holy men and women, pray for us.”
Fr. Lowry said he felt the power of prayer as he lay facedown on the floor of the cathedral.
“I felt great peace carrying me through the whole ordination, stemming from the prayers of so many people,” he said.
Laying on of hands
After the litany, Bishop Olmsted laid his hands on each ordinand’s head, silently praying for them. Then, each priest in attendance did likewise.
“You see that apostolic succession” in the bishop laying his hands on the ordinands, Fr. Wall said. “You think about that scripturally and how it’s been happening for nearly 2,000 years.”
It made a great impression on Fr. Lowry, who described the laying on of hands as the highlight of the Mass.
“I felt very aware that I was being blessed and invited to share in the priesthood of Christ,” he said. “It helped me to know that I am not alone, but part of a presbyterate being led by the Holy Spirit to sanctify God’s people.”
Then, the bishop extended his hands and prayed the prayer of ordination over the three men, conferring the sacrament of Holy Orders to them.
The newly ordained priests then vested for Mass, and were each assisted by a few priests who were instrumental in their vocation.
Bishop Olmsted also anointed the new priests’ hands and gave each one a chalice and paten with bread and wine.
“Receive the oblation of the holy people, to be offered to God,” he said. “Understand what you do, imitate what you celebrate, and conform your life to the mystery of the Lord’s cross.”
The priests then joined the bishop around the altar for the Liturgy of the Eucharist and distributed Communion to the congregation.
While local Catholics rejoiced at being blessed with three new priests, the number is only half that of last year’s class. Fr. Kline would like to see between five and 10 men ordained each year to keep up with the diocese’s growth.
“It starts with the parents, the primary educators of their children,” he said of fostering more vocations. “Don’t be afraid to encourage your children to think of the priesthood or religious life as a possibility.”
Dream come true
Hundreds of people stayed after the Mass to congratulate the priests and receive a blessing from them.
“It’s like a child of mine getting their dream job and starting the new career they’ve always wanted their whole lives,” said Rose Muller, a parishioner of Corpus Christi, on witnessing Fr. López’s ordination.
She met the new priest when he was a seminarian working at St. Benedict Parish and described him as “down-to-earth” and “always with a smile.”
For her, the highlight of the Mass was during the eucharistic prayer, when she could hear Fr. López uttering the words of consecration.
Larry Shima, a parishioner of Holy Cross in Mesa, is a financial consultant to the diocese and got to know Fr. Nave when he was at St. Daniel the Prophet Parish in Scottsdale.
Shima worked with Fr. Nave on financial and administrative topics — “things they don’t cover in the seminary,” he said.
Shima waited with his wife, Dorothy, for a blessing from Fr. Nave.
“It’s a spiritual enlightenment and renovation. It lifts us up,” he said and pointed to Fr. Nave. “This is what it’s all about.”
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