Preparations for the Diaconate Ordinations

Thursday, October 2, will see the ordination of 43 seminarians of the Pontifical North American College to the transitional diaconate. Those men will join the twelve of their class ordained ahead of them, bringing the total number of new deacons to 55.

The College welcomed family and friends on September 28 with a Sunday Mass celebrated by the Most Rev. Glen J. Provost (’75), Bishop of Lake Charles, and were warmly greeted by Msgr. James F. Checchio (’92, C ’97), Rector of the College. After the evening liturgy, the soon-to-be deacons and their guests enjoyed a reception in the cortile outside the Immaculate Conception Chapel. In the coming days, guests will benefit from the many sacred destinations to be visited in the Eternal City. Many will experience the unique scavi tour of the necropolis underneath St. Peter’s Basilica, which culminates in the unique privilege of venerating the bones of Saint Peter. Their pilgrimage will no doubt be intensified by the knowledge that on Thursday morning, their sons, brothers, and friends will lay prostrate on the marble of that same basilica to receive ordination at the hands of His Eminence, Donald Cardinal Wuerl (’67), the Archbishop of Washington, D.C., who will preside at the solemn liturgy.

The men to be ordained deacons have been preparing intensely for this crucial step on the road to the priesthood throughout the month of September. They attended workshops focusing on the practical aspects of pastoral ministry, including a practicum on liturgical preparation and a week-long session on marriage and family counseling. Lastly, the deacon candidates spent a week in prayer on a silent, individually-directed retreat at the Centro Internazionale di Spiritualità in Rocca di Papa, a retreat center near Rome.

Concurrently, the other seminarians at the College were also engaged in conferences, workshops, and retreats. Pictured here, the third-year men listened attentively to Thomas Finn, Ph.D., Sister Maximilian Marie Garretson, O.P., and Sister Gabriella Pettirossi, F.S.E, who gave a workshop on pastoral counseling. Rev. Robert Blyman, Director of Counseling Services at the College (not pictured), also spoke during the workshop, offering practical advice from his experience as a pastor.

Please continue to keep the 43 deacon candidates in prayer as they prepare to be ordained to serve God and his Church.

The latest photographs of the week’s activities will be posted on the PNAC photo page.