June 3, 2026

By Father William Muench
NCC columnist

Each year in the parish liturgy of our Catholic Church, the Feast of the Pentecost leads us into several celebrations that center on the Sacrament of the Blessed Eucharist. There is the Sunday of the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Jesus – what is also call the “Corpus Christi.” This is the celebration that includes processions – carrying the Blessed Eucharist through the neighborhood. There is the First Holy Communion for the children – welcoming them to join the others at Mass to receive the Lord’s Body and Blood in Holy Communion. Also, many parishes celebrate the sacrament of confirmation. The bishop visits the parish calling upon the Holy Spirit to come upon the young people of the parish just as the at the First Pentecost to challenge them to bring Jesus to their world.

Today, I am planning to attend the ordination of a new priest in this diocese. In every diocese in this world, after Pentecost there will be ordinations, and the transitional deacons will be ordained priests. They have spent many years in preparation to become priests. They are now ready to celebrate and lead others at the Holy Mass. We believe that the Holy Spirit, through the sacrament of holy orders, chooses those who are ready to be ordained priests. We believe that the Holy Spirit brings God’s wisdom, God’s boldness to them to live out their vocation as a Catholic priest of the Lord Jesus.

The ordination ceremony begins as the bishop asks those to be ordained to prostrate themselves on the sanctuary floor. They lay down in praise of God as they prepare to dedicate themselves to the Lord. All those present are encouraged to pray for them. We all call upon the Holy Spirit to bring God’s love to make them successful as priests, to make them ready to make this sacrifice to serve God well.

The ordination for a priest is filled with many ceremonies. However, the actual ordination is when the bishop imposes his hands upon the head of this deacon who now becomes a priest. This new priest will now celebrate Mass. He will now bring the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist to people, the people of God. He will celebrate the other sacraments of our Catholic Church, forgiving sins in the sacrament of penance; anointing the sick for those suffering and for those near death. He will now be called “father.”

There is another part of the ordination ritual that I remember so well, that truly impressed me. I am thinking of the time when the bishop anointed my hands with the sacred Chrism. This reminded me – and every new priest – that my hands will now hold the bread as it is consecrated to the Body of Jesus. My hands would hold the chalice filled wine that is consecrated to the Blood of Jesus. And now, I know that I and every new priest will pray with the people of a parish and will bring the Lord to transform these people as I celebrate the Mass with them.

Each year as I participate in the ordination ceremony of a new priest, I, of course, think back to my own ordination. It is an opportunity for me to renew my own dedication as a priest of the Lord Jesus. I want you to know that whenever I show someone around our Cathedral, I always show visitors the exact place where I prostrated myself in my ordination ceremony. I often think back to that moment when Bishop Navagh imposed his hands on my head. I do believe that the Holy Spirit called me to that day. I dedicated myself that day to live out my vocation as a priest. I continue to pray that the Holy Spirit continues to show me the way, to help me continue to serve the Lord well as a priest of God.