In Sept. of 1999, my son entered high school. During that first year, we got to know the students, the faculty and fell in love with the school. One boy we met that first year was Danny. Like Stephen, Danny loved music and played the organ. Danny was the school organist and Stephen joined the choir, helping out at the organ.
I will never forget our first Mass at the Prep, the first time I heard all those male voices singing those hymns. It was pretty much the first time I ever heard an all male choir and it was beautiful. But I digress…
At Danny’s graduation, Stephen played the organ since, obviously, Danny couldn’t be playing it. Since Steve was just under 15 at the time and didn’t drive, we were at the graduation, as well. At the graduation, something was announced that we already knew – Danny would be entering the seminary to further discern a vocation to the priesthood.
Danny was the first seminarian classmate of Stephen’s that I knew. It also seemed that Stephen was following in Danny’s footsteps – from playing the organ in high school to entering the seminary, being sent to D.C. and then to Rome. (Then there is also that they are both Italian and both uh.. on the small side.)
The ordination was on Saturday, Stephen’s 24th birthday. Steve couldn’t be there because he’s not allowed back in The States until next summer but we were there, bright and early.
Three men were ordained that day. The seminarians, priests & bishops processed in. Seeing huge smiles on the faces of our 3 almost-priests, was just so cool.
The ceremony itself was amazing, as it always is. In a way, it reminds me of a wedding. You walk in single. You leave changed, bonded by the sacrament of marriage. Here, too, these men were changed up on that altar. They received the sacrament of Holy Orders and they are now priests.
One particular part of the ceremony I love is when all the other priests attending lay hands on the newly ordained priests. What I found especially cool that day was seeing our parish priest, who was only just ordained himself last year, laying hands on Danny.
Saturday evening, we attended the reception to celebrate Fr. Danny’s ordination. I don’t think I stopped smiling the entire night. So many priests were there, so many seminarians, my boys.
We were sitting with family of other priests & seminarians. I’ve met some parents before but had never met any of these people. I found out it works both ways. These boys I like to call “my boys” because I have a special affection for all these young men but there is also a bond with the other families. It’s like we are all connected. These men are brothers and, so, we are all one family.
It was just an amazing weekend. Stay tuned. More tomorrow.