Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee
 

The bishop has the great privilege of ordaining men to the priesthood, and ordination day is one of the great moments of the year – especially in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. It’s the culmination of the education and formation of men who will be sent to serve the “People of God” and assure that the sacramental life of the Church will continue to be administered. We all take pride in the work of Saint Francis de Sales Seminary that establishes an environment for men to grow in their understanding and dedication to the Church.

On May 21, 2022 at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, I will ordain six men to the priesthood for service to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. They are Dcn. Matthew Ferch, Dcn. Kevin Harmon, Dcn. Matthew Kirk, Dcn. Tonny Kizza, Dcn. Ariel Orozco, and Dcn. Pedro Ruiz. While these men come from varied backgrounds, there is one characteristic that joins them together: the understanding that they will stand in persona Christi – in the person of Christ – for the Church that Jesus founded.

The action of ordination is in the imposition of hands. In this simple gesture, the power of the Church is transmitted, and an “ontological” change occurs. The very being of the ordained person is now transformed and receives the grace and spiritual power to sanctify others.

On May 14, 1975, I received the imposition of hands by the Archbishop of Chicago, John Cardinal Cody, in the Chapel of St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Ill. I was one of 38 men. All of us different but all feeling inadequate to the task ahead. One must be willing to surrender one’s life and understand that God and His Church will now be in control of your life. Jesus warns, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.”

I began a journey working for the love of Christ and His Church. This journey took me to places I would never have imagined. I developed friendships which became my quasi families and was privileged to witness Christ-saving forgiveness, conversions and healings. I offered services that joined couples together, heard the confessions of sins and presided over services, turning loved ones over to God. In my 47 years, the face of God has been celebrated in the lives of the people that I served through my ordained priesthood. I could never return to the Lord the blessings that He has given to me through the priesthood.

The six men who will be ordained will begin their journeys as priests. They cannot look back but forward, so that the Lord will take them and use them as instruments of His power and glory. I only pray that they will be as happy and fulfilled as I have been.

I know that the surrender to the will of God will take them on a journey that will end in a profound relationship with the Lord, and the eternal happiness waiting for all believers. All of us must follow the Lord seeking to do His will and LOVE ONE ANOTHER.         
 

Note: This blog originally appeared as the May 17, 2022 "Love One Another" email sent to Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Milwaukee by Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki. If you are interested in signing up for these email messages, please click here.