Nicholas Case and Cameron Pollette were ordained to the priesthood June 19 at St. Mary’s Cathedral by Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone, who in his Ordination Mass homily said that the two young priests enter a “dark and unbelieving world” like the one Jesus and his apostles confronted when they set out to spread the Good News, “a world that hated them.”
“This is the world for which our brothers Nick and Cameron are being ordained,” the archbishop said to those gathered together for a public ordination at the cathedral for the first time in two years. It’s a world to which they don’t belong, he said, echoing Jesus’ own words, but a “vocation to which God called them from even before He formed them in the womb.”
The archbishop said Father Pollette and Father Case are being sent into a world where they do not belong “to transform it into a place where Christ may find a home.”
The morning Mass was concelebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus William J. Justice, members of the College of Consultors, Father Mark Doherty, rector of St. Patrick Seminary & University, and six guests of the newly ordained men: Father Mark Mazza, Father Joseph Illo, Father Patrick Driscoll, Father Benjamin Rosado, Father Kevin Kennedy and Father Neil Healy.
Aside from those mentioned above who were fully vested and sat in the sanctuary, there were other concelebrating priests that were not fully vested and who sat in the pews during the Mass.
Archbishop Cordileone said Father Pollette and Father Cameron face “unprecedented” times in the church as it faces multiple challenges: bringing people back to Mass and parish life after the pandemic closed down churches for almost a year, a growing number of Catholics who “no longer believe core Catholic teachings,” such as the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist and what it means to receive him in holy Communion, and more Catholics disaffiliating and “losing faith altogether.”
“We see not only apathy, but ever increasing hostility toward religion and the practice of religious faith in the public square,” he said. “Yes, the world hated our Lord – hates our Lord – and so will it hate all those who look like him….”
Father Nicholas Case will serve as associate pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Church in Burlingame, and as priest-chaplain for Junipero Serra High School. Father Case, who served as director of religious education at St. Anselm Parish in Ross before completing his theological studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, celebrated his first Mass as a priest with his former parish the day after his ordination….
Father Daniel Holgren went to seminary in Rome with Father Case and flew in for the ordination of his friend and fellow classmate only a week after his own June 11 ordination in the Diocese of San Diego. He said he was fortunate to be there as Father Case ends one journey and begins another….
Though Father Cameron’s family was not Catholic, his mother took her young son on tours of various churches as a child. The Catholic churches captivated him even then.
“I am consumed with joy at the ordination of our son and the contribution of his life to the church,” said Pamela Pollette, speaking also for Father Pollette’s father, Ross. “God bless everyone who supported him through his journey….”
The above comes from a June 22 story in Catholic San Francisco.
Wow! Only two new priests for the diocese of San Francisco? Who does the Archbishop have running the vocations office? Seems like the Archbishop may have dropped the ball with regards to vocations.
Takes a brave man to take up Holy Orders these days. Pray for those who do, and those discerning it.
Ordinations are not like first Communions and Confirmations. They are more like baptisms. You don’t have a whole class getting their Sacrament at once.
Um, no… almost all ordinations happen in June.
Last August, on FB, they said there were 4 men who would be ordained this year.
12 men entering this year. It takes 8-9 years till ordination.
Give the archbishop a break. Some years are lean. SF is also hostile territory. Not as many families in SF anymore because of the high cost of living and the filthy conditions. Not a family friendly city anymore. So fewer families means fewer boys to become priests. And if I were going to become a priest it wouldn’t be in SF. I’d go to some good red state and county where people would appreciate a priest. SF is one of the most difficult places to be a Catholic, one of the most difficult places to be a priest. How would you like to be a priest in SF and risk being assigned to the Castro district? Everywhere you go there are Democrats. The gays run the city. It’s just time to get away from big cities period. Become a priest in Montana or Wyoming. Yes… that’s the life.
The question isn’t just what the Archbishop is doing for vocations. What are you doing for vocations?
Was the world EVER NOT dark and unbelieving?
Archbishop Cordileone speaks of hostility towards religion. Speaking for myself, I hold no hostility toward religion in general…just Roman Catholicism. The Catholic Church takes the Good News of Christ and makes it negative and dour. I left years ago and joined a Protestant church where the Gospel is preached as truly Good News…not a message of “No!” to a truly human life.
The Gospel is this: that Jesus Christ died so that sins could be forgiven.
Peggy, your ears have been tickled with protestantism and it’s time to come back to The One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, the Roman Catholic Church.
It is the only place you can receive the actual Body Blood Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Holy Communion, and the only place your sins can be forgiven through sacramental confession.
Your wandering days are over, come back prodigal daughter!
“There are two kinds of unbelief; those who say something is not true because they wish it were not true, and those who say something is not true because they wish that it was. The latter kind is curable.”
–AB Sheen
And yet, here you are posting on a Catholic site… I wonder which one are you?
” left years ago and joined a Protestant church where the Gospel is preached as truly Good News…not a message of “No!” to a truly human life.” Meaning Peggy wants Christ and the Gospel on her terms, not His completely ignoring that the Gospel is about getting to the next life and Not living a “truly human life” in this one. My bet is she wants the OK on contraception
The light shines on in darkness, a darkness that did not overcome it.
Looks pretty dark to me where I’m living. In America. And the darkness is spreading.
Don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines.
— Satchel Paige, 1974
The greatest grace God can give someone is to send him a trial he cannot bear with his own powers — and then sustain him with His grace so he may endure to the end and be saved.
St. Justin Martyr
“God does not call us to be successful. He calls us to be faithful.”
–Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta
29 The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery; they have oppressed the poor and needy, and have extorted from the alien without redress. 30 And I sought for anyone among them who would repair the wall and stand in the breach before me on behalf of the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one. Ez 22:29-30
Doesn’t it alarm anyone or at least make people suspicious that Christians so often say things like, “No matter how bad it gets and no matter how absent God seems, and no matter if prayer doesn’t seem to do anything, stick with being religious because, well… just because the bad stuff is a sign that you’re being tested.” Funny how the bad guys don’t get tested with suffering. Only the good guys. Huh.
Well, I don’t know who you think the “bad guys” are but I assure that there is no escaping the cross.
Two points to make to this one.
1.) How do you know that the evil are not being tested or suffering worse than you are? How does God sift the wheat from the chaff?
2.) This earthly life is temporary. There WILL be mercy, judgement and justice. God has promised and He don’t lie, brother.
Every day is Judgement day for somebody.
I have very strong negative reactions to and suspicions about priests who wear lavishly lacy surplices. Plain white cloth without effeminate frills are all that’s needed.
Priests who wear some lace are no more likely to engage in sodomy than those in plain attire. Although it might look strange to some of us, it is more a cultural thing. After all some of the founders of our country wore some pretty strange things — powdered wigs for one thing — most likely to cover baldness. The Institute of Christ the King wear similar buckled shoes as the Mayflower pilgrims wore. Braveheart wore a skirt and so did the Roman legion. (Laughter.) It all depends on culture and symbolism, and sometimes practicality.
Thank God there’s only one more week of pride month left.
Pride in sodomy is more like it. Subscribed to ACORN on ROKU and every single show has homosexual propaganda in it. Be warned.
Thank God there’s one more week to commemorate The Sacred Heart of Jesus, the true June celebration.
June is elder abuse awareness month. It is so important and it always gets eclipsed by PRIDE month. Every month is PRIDE month. Let those who want to protect elderly people have a little of the spotlight please.
These are not that dark of times. These are the times when the harvest is rich. Put off into the deep. People are starved for Truth and Love and Light.
Thank you Lord for sending these workers for your harvest.
Dark and unbelievable world…Yes it is. We were locked out of churchs during Covid….and now we have to wait and see if the bishops and archbishops give the ok for biden to receive Holy Communion….the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ…. I had to wait 3 years to get an annulment before I could received Holy Communion again and here is a man that will murder babies up to the day a baby is born and we are wondering if biden should receive the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is murder and should not be questioned as to if he can receive Holy Communion….he should not be able to. biden is against GOD and HIS teachings.
Thank you for obeying the Church by not receiving Communion when you were not in a state of grace. Biden should not present himself for communion as you did not.
Maybe don’t marry outside the church then.
Seek and ye shall find. If you look for a dark and unbelieving world, you can find it.
If you look for God, you will find Him.
If you look for faith, you will find it.
Where there is no love, put love and you will find love..
If your light dims, re-light it with prayer.
You have 5 constant companions- the Holy Trinity, Mary and your Guardian Angel.
Like I just posted below, I’m friendless and going to Mass doesn’t help because it’s all much older people. God doesn’t help me. Sometimes it seems all a lie to me. I persevere, but it just stays the same. It’s so discouraging and soul killing.
Say the Acts of Faith, Hope and Charity from a Catholic prayer book. Get a good Catholic book of Psalms, or even buy the Liturgy of the Hours or Breviary books one at a time or used. They all have the Psalms and other prayers in them. They give great comfort in dark times of life. When I am fearful, I always thought of the verse in the Psalms that says, “The Lord is my light and my salvation. The Lord is the strength of my life. Whom shall I fear?” The night time prayers of the Liturgy of the Hours or the Breviary, give great comfort and are very true.
God bless and protect you.
Being friends with older people can be very rewarding. To have a friend you have to be a friend. However, learning to be a friend to Jesus is very important also.
What do you want from a friend? What activities do you enjoy?
Anne TE suggestions are good but I found that as an adult you make friends by doing activities in the community or church.
You may be introverted and that could be difficult but do it for Jesus with no selfish intention. Even a one time activity lets you meet others.
Those older people at church have kids and grandkids, too. Every friend does not have to be someone you hang out with everyday or every week.
Are there young adult Catholic groups in your area? You could start one if there is not.
When you walk with Jesus, there will be times when you do not have earthly friends. You may be on one of those parts of the journey.
God bless you. I will pray for you.
This may sound trite to you. But, after I had reached a certain point in my life, I wanted to find the right girl to settle down with. I said many prayers to the Holy Mother to send me that woman. And, I mean many prayers. Now, we’ve been married sacramentally for 30+ years two grown children. Not been a “bed of roses” at times. But, trust in the Lord and prayers to St Joseph and my guardian angel plus the sacraments of confession and the eucharist got us thru. Have faith and pray.
Yours and Anonymous’ suggestion today at 12:51 pm are good too. I gave you both a thumbs up. Getting a little sunshine and exercise helps too if one can. Gets those endorphins, and one can even meet a friend in a park.
Quite so, if I may paraphrase as I dont have my quote book handy.
“Sometimes sadness can be alleviated with a good bath” St Augustine.
I just heard a statistic from 2018 that most Americans have 2 or less close friends. (The ideal number is 5.)
It is a contributor to every bad thing that is happening in America.
Become a friend to others.
Help people meet friends at Church.
And not frenemies-they take years off your life.