10 New Priests For the Diocese

CLIFTON  Bishop Serratelli ordained 10 men to the priesthood for the Paterson Diocese during the Rite of Ordination of Priests on May 28 in St. Philip the Apostle Church here. The Bishop told the newly ordained to live out the heart of their work, vocation and ministry as a priest each day: “To present Jesus before others, so that others seeing him, listen to the master and thrill in every note of his Gospel teaching.”

As sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows of St. Philip’s on Saturday morning, Bishop Serratelli ordained to the priesthood the following men, whom he had ordained last year as transitional deacons: Father Dominik A. Bakowski, Father Marcin Bradtke, Father Przemyslaw K. Gawlik, Father Krzysztof P. Liwarski, Father Michal J. Szwarc, Father Slawomir Tomaszewski, Father Artur P. Zaba and Father Dawid Zajecki, all of Poland, and Father Jeider S. Barraza and Father Duberney Villamizar of Columbia.

“The psalmist says, ‘This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad.’ Today the Church of Paterson gathers with great joy to receive from almighty God the precious gifts of 10 new priests. We thank God for His gifts,” said Bishop Serratelli, the main celebrant and homilist of the Mass.

The liturgy included the Rite of Ordination, steeped in the traditions of the early Church [see related story, page 7] and concelebrated by numerous priests of the diocese and beyond. It featured the powerful voices of the Diocesan Choir and also readings, prayers and hymns in English, Polish and Spanish, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of the men who were ordained and the Diocese they will serve. Filling St. Philip’s were seminarians’ families — some traveling long distances — friends, members of faith communities they have served, and parishioners from around the diocese, who gathered to show their support and offer their prayers for the newly-ordained priests.

In his homily, Bishop Serratelli said that Jesus created a “royal priesthood” with mission of “bringing Christ to the world.” During his earthly ministry, he selected certain disciples, the Apostles, to “carry out a public ministry in his name on behalf of mankind to work a priestly office in the Church,” so that through them and their successors — the bishops — he might continue to exercise his office as teacher, priest and shepherd,” said the Bishop, adding that priests are called to serve Christ and his people.

“You [new priests] will exercise the sacred duty of teaching in the name of Christ the teacher, imparting to everyone the Word of God that you yourself have received with joy. Meditating on the law of the Lord, be sure that you see that you believe what you read, that you teach what you believe and that you practice what you teach. In this way, let what you teach be nourishment for the people of God,” said Bishop Serratelli, who urged the newly ordained to help build up and unite the Church by their words and example.

The new priests, the Bishop said, also “exercise Christ’s office of sanctifier” — “the spiritual sacrifice of the faithful made perfect” by their being “united to Jesus’ sacrifice” as offered through their hands “in an unbloody manner on the altar in union with the faithful.” Therefore, he told them, “understand what you do, imitate what you celebrate.”

“As celebrants of the mystery of the Lord’s death and Resurrection, strive to put away death, wherever it is in your memory, and what is sinful, and walk in the newness of life,” Bishop Serratelli told the new priests in his homily. “Carry out the ministry of Christ, the priest, with constant joy and genuine love, attending not to your own concerns, but to those of Jesus Christ.” He also told them “to follow the example of the Good Shepherd, who came not to be served, but to serve, and who came to seek out and save what was lost.”

In his closing remarks, Bishop Serratelli thanked everyone who over the years helped to shape the lives and vocations of the newly ordained, including their families, brother priests and the seminaries that they attended. To resounding applause, the Mass concluded with a long procession out of St. Philip’s with the Bishop, who followed the new priests, who gave their first blessings to well-wishers, many of whom cried tears of joy.

Father Zaba gave blessings to family members including his cousin, Kathy Chyla, who came from Chicago, but is a native of Poland. She noted that Father Zaba became the second priest in their family and now joins another priest, who ministers in their native country.

“I’m very excited today,” Chyla said. “Artur will make a good priest, because he prays, is friendly and gets along with people. No words can really describe him,” she said.

A few feet away, Father Duberney Villamizar also blessed well-wishers, including his mother, Marleny, who traveled from their native Colombia for the ordination.

“Duberney will make a good priest, because he is organized, loves the Church, is a good son and is kind and respectful,” said Marleny Villamizar, speaking through another well-wisher, who translated from Spanish into English. “This [his ordination to the priesthood] has been such a blessing. Today, I’m excited. I have this feeling in my heart — a big emotion that is bursting.”

On the day before becoming a priest, Father Barraza anticipated that the ordination would be the “most special day of my life so far. God is going to deliver on His promise.”

“As a priest, I want to sanctify the people of God and bring Jesus to them in the sacraments: forgiveness in Reconciliation; the Body and Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist; and the heart of Jesus to children and adults in Baptism,” he said. “I also want to preach and teach what Jesus taught us.”

Also on the day before, Father Gawlik admitted feeling not only “nervous” about the upcoming ordination, but also imagining that it would be “wonderful.”

“In the priesthood, I want to hear confessions and preach a homily every day. I want to be like Jesus. In parish life, I want to tend to our sheep [of the faith community] as a co-worker with the Bishop,” he said.