03/05/2026
On this date, 15 Years ago, I was Ordained as a Catholic Priest in Providence Rhode Island, by His Excellency, +Most Rev. Bishop David Doyle, DD, of Albuquerque NM. In attendance were an Archbishop (Wash. DC), 2 Bishops (MA & RI) and 1 Benedictine Abbot (FL) along with 22 Priests and 4 Deacons.
Every year, on this date, I take out my "Thank You" which I offered at the conclusion of my Ordination; to read and recall those words and to ensure I am living up to my promise to serve, here are those words:
Most Reverend Archbishop Michael, Most Rev. Bishops David, and Melvin, Reverend Abbot Bernard, my dear con-celebrants, and fellow Priests, to my religious brothers and sisters, dear seminarians, to my sisters and family who have traveled here to share this day with me, and to my chosen family here in N.E., my dearest friends, thank you all for being a part of and celebrating this Blessed day with me.
I thank you all for your support, your prayers, and most importantly your love. This day brings to fruition a spark that I felt very early in my life, and today I bring one chapter to a close, and begin the newest and perhaps the most rewarding and yet a still challenging chapter of my life.
Throughout my youth, and finally in my seminary formation, as I discerned whether Christ Jesus was calling me to be a priest, I recall fantasizing about all the wonderful things I wanted to do as a priest. I vividly remember wanting to model my life after the many great and saintly Deacons and priests — St Francis of Assisi, St. John Vianney, St. John Bosco, all of whom were men who dedicated their entire lives to Christ, to his church and to his people.
While I still strive for such service, and realize now how very difficult it may be, I didn’t recognize the duality into which I had fallen. Throughout my time of preparation for this journey, my focus had been on me, on what I wanted to do, on what I thought was best, and on what I was going to do once I was ordained.
A vocation to be a priest is not about what I do as much as who I am. I preach the Word of God first to myself, and then in the presence of others. I cannot be faithful to God without being faithful to God's people. In my words and actions, I ask them to hold me accountable for what I say and do. I am surprised by what unfolds and humbled by what God presents to me for action on a daily basis.
The realization of this comes on the day of ordination to the priesthood. Moments after the bishop and your brother priests lay their hands upon your head, and you are greeted with the sign of peace by the other priests who are present to celebrate and bless this day.
It is at that moment, that you became acutely aware that this ordination day was not about you at all; it was totally about Jesus Christ and his priesthood. As I was greeted by my now fellow priests it all became even clearer, I am just one among the many throughout the generations whom Christ has called to continue his mission.
A deep sense of gratitude fills my heart in knowing that I am now taking part in something much greater than myself, something that was not about my gifts or talents or desires, but about the mission of Christ to bring his Gospel to all those I am sent to serve.
I am continuing to learn daily that the priesthood is never about me, but always about Christ, and trying to make him present in every encounter, in every action, and in every moment of my Priestly life.
Like the first disciples, and every priest here, there will be many challenges, but with such powerful spiritual energy they overcome those challenges, and I will as well, and they too with a greater awareness of who they are, of who I am, and who Jesus Christ has called us to be.
It is often a temptation to think that all these great things happened because of something that I did; the truth remains, however, that it is not about me or any of us for that matter. It is always about what Christ is doing and has done through his priesthood, a priesthood which I am so blessed and so humbled to now share in.
I am continually reminded of the awesomeness of the priesthood every time I reflect on the prayer of Jean-Baptiste Lacordaire, a Dominican priest, and this is a fitting way to end this thank you and reflection on my 5th anniversary:
“To live in the midst of the world with no desire for its pleasures; to be a member of every family, yet belong to none; to share all sufferings; to pe*****te all secrets, to heal all wounds; to daily go from His people to God to offer him their prayers and petitions; to return from God to His people to bring them His pardon and hope; to have a heart of fire for charity and heart of bronze for perseverance; to bless and to be blessed forever. O God, what a life, and it is yours O Priest of Jesus Christ!”
Thank you and May God Bless you all!
