Three more join priestly ranks

Ambria Hammel/CATHOLIC SUN

Matthew Henry, Chad King and John Parks process into Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral June 5, moments before their Mass of Ordination. For the third year in a row, Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted has ordained three men to the Order of Priests. The three said it was special to be ordained during the Year for Priests.

Bishop ordains young men to the priesthood

Like a father, priests are charged with instructing those in their care and feeding and nurturing them.

Three young men — ages 25 to 34 — said “yes” to their call to spiritual fatherhood June 5 at Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral. Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted ordained transitional deacons Matt Henry, Chad King and John Parks with more than 1,000 Catholics looking on.

“From this day forward, the faithful of the Church will call you ‘Father,’” the bishop said during his bilingual homily.

“God Himself is giving you the grace today to share in His fatherhood, and to love others in His name. As a true spiritual father, then, listen with compassion to all whom you serve,” he continued.

The bishop reminded the elect that they are to joyfully teach in the name of Christ the teacher.

“Let what you teach be nourishment for the people of God and what you teach be a delightful fragrance,” the bishop said.

Emotions ran high for the newly ordained priests and their families throughout most of the more than two-hour liturgy.

Rose King, Fr. King’s mother, cited bringing up the gifts for the liturgy of the Eucharist as a pivotal moment for her. She walked alongside the moms of the other two ordinands and thought about how bringing the Eucharist to others will be among their sons’ major roles.

“What a different and significant gift the priesthood is to parishioners,” King said.

The gift of Holy Orders, especially during the Year for Priests, was not lost on the newly ordained either.

“It’s a great privilege to be doing what we’re doing,” Fr. Henry said of the graces priests can bestow through the sacraments.

Fr. Parks agreed.

“In my priesthood, if I were to baptize one child, then that would be everything,” Fr. Parks said. Similar words, which the bishop quoted from St. John Neumann, underscore the power of the sacraments, Fr. Parks added.

Fr. King found a powerful witness in the laity as well. Family and friends, deacons, religious men and women, as well as Boy Scouts and Catholic groups who pray for seminarians and priests, packed the cathedral with a few stragglers lining the walls.

“Seeing the love of the people for their priests [during the procession] gives us such a witness of their love and support,” Fr. King said.

The crowd erupted into applause when Bishop Olmsted said, “We choose these, our brothers, for the Order of the Priesthood.”

They prayed a lengthy litany of supplication while the ordinands lay prostrate down the center aisle of the cathedral.

“There’s a phrase in the litany about these ‘chosen men.’ It touched me so much that we were witnessing this amazing thing,” said Becky Henry, Fr. Henry’s mom.

The church went quiet while one by one, Bishop Olmsted, Bishop-elect Eduardo A. Nevares and several dozen priests serving the Phoenix Diocese silently laid their hands on the ordinands during the prayer of ordination.

“My only part was just to say ‘yes’ to that,” Fr. Henry said.

Fr. Parks also noted the laying on of hands as a special moment.

“I just felt that I was being reconfigured in my person,” he said. Fr. Parks also mentioned receiving the Eucharist during the ordination.

“I was just struck once again that God becomes the Eucharist for us,” he said, underscoring God’s humility.

Bishop Olmsted reminded the new priests that a good father provides nourishing food for his children.

“As a priest, you will provide the bread of life and the cup of eternal salvation,” the bishop said. “May you never lose a sense of wonder and awe” when offering the Communion Rite.

The liturgy of the Eucharist was a pivotal moment for Jim King, Fr. King’s father. King didn’t know his only son would be concelebrating his own ordination Mass.

“It’s such a blessing to have all these new priests,” King said, noting their strength. “That’s the key to our future as far as the Church is concerned.”

That future is looking strong in Phoenix, the bishop said. This marked the third straight year that the bishop ordained three men to the priesthood.

“We almost couldn’t get all of the priests around the altar” for the eucharistic prayer, the bishop said in a few closing words of gratitude. “What a great problem to have.”

Roughly 440 men nationwide were scheduled to be ordained to the priesthood this year for their home diocese or a religious order.