The Feast of Pentecost … and Seven New Priests

“When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,

teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

Mt. 28:18-20
 

BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY

On this past Saturday, I had the great privilege to ordain seven men as priests to serve our diocesan Church. It was a moment of great joy, for the men who were ordained and for their families and friends, for priests, religious and laity, for those who were able to be physically present (and fill the Cathedral), as well as for those who shared in the celebration via livestream. I mentioned in my homily that I believe these men are a “historic” ordination class, because they will be the first newly ordained priests in the 85-year history of our Diocese to celebrate their first Mass on the Solemnity of the Lord’s Ascension.

I also reflected on some of the other conditions, circumstances, and challenges, in our society and the Church into which they are being ordained as priests. While we had known for some time that these men would celebrate their first Masses on the Solemnity of the Ascension, it was only in the days approaching the ordination, as I considered the conditions of the world and Church into which they are being ordained, that I thought about the following Sunday, for these men, their second Sunday as priests. That “second Sunday” will be the Feast of Pentecost.

The current circumstances and challenges in our nation, our world and our Church can and should make us all aware of how much we need the seven-fold gifts of the Holy Spirit. I trust that each reader can see the need for wisdom, understanding, knowledge, fortitude (courage), counsel, piety and fear of the Lord in his or her own life. As I reflect on our current challenges and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, the ordination also caused me to “look back” and I invited all to reflect on where these men had “come from” and where and how the story of their vocation journey had begun.

These men have come to us from the Church, the community of believers, beginning with the “domestic Church,” their parents and families. Among the seven men, two were born and raised here in our Diocese; one was born in Mexico, but raised here in Paterson; two were born and raised in the Philippines; one in Colombia and one in Ecuador. It occurred to me that, as we give thanks for these new priests, we can also see in them and their journeys, the working of the Holy Spirit and the vibrancy of the One, Holy, Catholic (Universal), Apostolic Church that was “born” on the Day of Pentecost.

As we will celebrate Pentecost this year, in response to Pope Francis’ invitation, we are participating in the Synod on Synodality. One of the main goals of the Synod is to remind us that we are called to be a “listening Church.” Another theme is that “Synodality” is a way of “being Church” and that it has been so since the very beginning, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles. On the day before the Ordination, I had the opportunity to share a Day of Prayer with the men who were to be ordained. At that time, I shared with them some of what I had been hearing in recent days, after the horrific, deadly school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, less than two weeks after the mass shooting in Buffalo. During the Day of Prayer and in the homily at the ordination, I emphasized that, as priests, they are called to be instruments of healing and reconciliation, both in the “Sacraments of Healing” (Anointing of the Sick and Reconciliation/Confession) and in their priestly ministry.

In these days, I have heard from many that the Church and her leaders need to do more to work for an end to the gun violence that is plaguing our nation, taking countless innocent lives, and is seeming to occur on an almost regular basis. I believe that we all need to listen to those voices. I have already begun to consider what I can and should do so that we will do more, especially to identify and address the causes of these acts of hatred and violence. Let the words of the beautiful liturgical Sequence of the Pentecost be our encouragement and hope: “O most blessed Light divine, Shine within these hearts of yours, And our inmost being fill.” Led by the Light of the Holy Spirit we cannot fail to be sources of healing and unity.

We believe that we, the Church, are the One Body of Christ, born on Pentecost and guided by the Holy Spirit. Our seven new priests help to remind us of who we are and who we are called to be. Let us pray that, filled with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, each and all of us can truly be that One Body of Christ and Instruments of his peace.