The Archdiocese of Los Angeles will celebrate the ordinations of eight deacons to the priesthood and another eight men to the transitional diaconate this spring.
The ordinations of the new deacons will be celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Robert Barron on Saturday, May 28, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. Of the eight seminarians from St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo to be ordained, one, Brother Cesar Galan, is a religious brother of the Friars of the Sick Poor of Los Angeles. The 9 a.m. ordination Mass will be open to the public.
The ordinations to the priesthood will be celebrated by Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on June 4. Attendance at the 9 a.m. Mass will be limited to ticketed guests only.
Beginning on Friday, May 27, and continuing throughout the following week, the five regions of the archdiocese will host vocations holy hours at local parishes, where faithful are invited to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, and in a special way for this year’s ordinandi.
A list of the churches hosting the holy hours can be found at the online Angelus events calendar.
The ordination Masses will be livestreamed at lacatholics.org/ordination2022 (transitional diaconate) and lacatholics.org/ordination (priesthood). Angelus will be publishing the stories of LA’s newest priests in the days before the priest ordinations.
The eight men being ordained transitional deacons on May 28 are Michael DiPietro, Brother Cesar Galan, FSP, Rene Haarpaintner, Hieu Nguyen, Sergio Sandoval Martinez, Luis Gerardo Peña, Enrique Piceno, Jr., and Emmanuel Sanchez.
The new priests will celebrate their first Masses at their home parishes the day after the presbyteral ordinations, which this year coincides with the Solemnity of Pentecost:
Father Guillermo Alonso
First Mass: Sunday, June 5, Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, 10 a.m.
Father Juan Cesar Carrasco Martinez
First Mass: Sunday, June 5, St. Finbar Church, 12 p.m.
Father Juan Manuel Gutiérrez Sánchez
First Mass: Sunday, June 5, St. Lawrence Martyr Church, 11 a.m.
Father Daniel Lopez
First Mass: Sunday, June 5, Holy Family Church, 11 a.m.
Father Justin Dominic de Luna Ordoveza
First Mass: Sunday, June 5, Our Lady of Refuge Church, 10 a.m.
Father Ramon Jesus Reyes
First Mass: Sunday, June 5, St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 1:45 p.m.
Father Daniel Vega
First Mass: Sunday, June 5, St. Louise de Marillac Church, 10 a.m.
Father Kamil Ziolkowski
First Mass: Sunday, June 5, St. Alphonsus Church, 2 p.m.
The above comes from a May 12 story in Angelus News.
May they all be blessed in ministry!
I first met Fr. Daniel Lopez a few years ago, excited for him!
I hope they had the riot act read to them by this time about not molesting children, not grooming children, and not having gay relationships and not getting involved with women.
Wonderful! Praise be to God for these young men! Also, it is so nice to see that many Hispanic men are deciding on a the priesthood since there are many Hispanic parishes in So Cal.
I know it’s a common term, but is there such a canonical entity called a ‘transitional deacon’? I thought a deacon was a deacon and some go on to be ordained to the priesthood.
Men who are ordained permanent deacons are not discerning the priesthood. All priests are ordained first as deacons, and then as priest, so the term “transitional” (not trans) indicates that the diaconaal order is not their final service, rather that the order of priest will be. Canon 1031.2 speaks of permanent diaconate. Canon 1031.1 does not use the word transitional, but states “an interval of at least six months is to be observed between the diaconate and the presbyterate” for men who are called by the bishop to the priesthood.
If no Latin Church deacons (or others) clarify that for you, I’ll try. I think you’re correct. However, the adjective is added simply to indicate that these men feel called to the priesthood. You’re right, a deacon is a deacon. In the Latin Church, the adjective “permanent” is sometimes used before deacons not pursuing priestly ordination. In my Byzantine/Greek Catholic Church, we don’t use the adjectives. Maybe that’s in part because some of our deacons have served for many years and then been ordained to the presbyterate. (We ordain married as well as single men to the priesthood.) Personally, I think the term “transitional” is helpful. I think the term “permanent” is unnecessary. Try calling your pastor (who will likely never be made a bishop) a “permanent priest” and see how well that goes over. :)
I hope that helps.
Way to go, young men of Los Angeles!
Will pray for them that they stay on the “straight and narrow path” and encourage others to stay on it too. Please pray I keep the “straight and narrow” path also.