Archdiocese of New York Priests Ordained at St. Patrick's Cathedral
By: Steven Schwankert
Ordinandi take their vows and prepare for their first assignments
The Archdiocese of New York welcomed four new priests on Saturday, with the Mass of Priestly Ordination held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan.
Pews in the center of the Cathedral were filled with non-participating clergy members, along with family members of the ordinandi, as the ordained are known, and other well-wishers for the two-hour ceremony.
A long line of concelebrants preceded Cardinal Timothy Dolan towards the altar.
“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it,” Cardinal Dolan said, welcoming those in attendance and commencing the Mass, a theme to which he returned repeatedly during the ceremony.
Readings were done in both English and Spanish.
“This is the day for an archdiocese that has prayed so hard and long for new, ordained laborers in the vineyard,” said Cardinal Dolan in his homily.
Cardinal Dolan and the concelebrants individually laid hands on each of the ordinandi, as those being ordained are called. The four declared their intentions to join the priesthood before those in attendance. Each took vows of obedience and chastity. Cardinal Dolan anointed each of the four with chrism, consecrated oil.
The newly ordained also received and donned their stole and chasuble, the principal garment of the priest celebrating the Eucharist. Having been ordained, the four then joined as concelebrants of the Mass.
At the conclusion of the Mass, in a particularly moving gesture, Cardinal Dolan asked the four new priests for their first blessing and knelt before them to receive it.
The four priests ordained Saturday are:
Fr. Collins Ashu and Fr. Carlos Germosen attended St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers. Fr. Steven Neier, C.O., attended the New York Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Sparkill. Fr. Zachary Alspaugh attended Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Massachusetts.
Watch the replay of the livestream here.
The complete list of those ordained this spring appears below.
