“This is a glorious moment to become a priest of Jesus Christ.”
That’s what Bishop Robert W. McElroy told the two men he ordained in a Mass on June 5 at The Immaculata parish before their parents, a handful of friends and a few priests.
Traditionally, hundreds attend ordination Masses and the celebration afterward, one of the diocese’s major events annually. County health orders to slow the spread of COVID-19 made such a gathering impossible for the 2020 ordination, which instead was live-streamed.
The diocese also live-streamed the ordination of seven men to the permanent diaconate the next day, also held at The Immaculata.
In the ordination of the priests, the bishop noted in his homily that the two men had already spent time in one way or another serving others. Raymond Philip Cerezo Napuli, 30, had served as director of music at the Newman Center. And Manuel Marcelino del Río, 39, had enlisted in the Marines and afterward served as a fire department paramedic.
Some people would say that it’s a hard day to be ordained, the Bishop said. “But I say to you that this is a glorious moment to become a priest of Jesus Christ because times such as these reveal potently that the priest must stand alongside his people in their suffering, condemning structures of sin and racial prejudice, helping to forge a world in which the Gospel values of justice, compassion and peace trample those of inequality, hatred and division.
“Today is a glorious day to be ordained a priest of Jesus Christ because in our priesthood we preach that hope can never be extinguished nor dimmed by any pandemic, hatred or fear.”
Full story at The Southern Cross.
Two priests ordained, and how many priests in the Diocese of San Diego retired in the last 12 months?
““But I say to you that this is a glorious moment to become a priest of Jesus Christ because times such as these reveal potently that the priest must stand alongside his people in their suffering, condemning structures of sin and racial prejudice, helping to forge a world in which the Gospel values of justice, compassion and peace trample those of inequality, hatred and division.” So his priests are SJWs. No mention, at least here, of guiding souls away from personal sin and prejudice, and toward hatred of evil and toward the love of virtue and spiritual disciplines. Framing the priestly vocation this way, McElroy has me wondering why anyone would need to be a priest to fulfill this SJW mandate. Anyone volunteering at the local soup kitchen, or , dare I say it, marching in a local Pride parade, would satisfy his vision; at least I fear this is so.
May they be able to preach the true Faith and Morals despite their bishop.
Exactly
About three months ago CCD ran an item regarding the benefits of married clergy. Perhaps the Roman Church should look east, at least as long as the Pope claims he lacks authority to ordain well qualified women.
Come be a glorified social worker in a Roman collar with guaranteed housing and income?!
(And, you won’t even have to worry about taking care of a wife and children.)
That said, God bless Fathers Napuli and del Rio. And, we should pray for them. They may, by the grace of God, be a lot more than SJWs!
How often this heterodox bishop and those sharing the views like and use the word “structures.”
Do these people ever speak of individual amendment and sanctification?
O, for the golden days of wooden ships and iron men! Where are the masculine males in church leadership?
And by racial prejudice, McElroy means ‘white’ racism (a hoax). Just helping him man up.
Should have held the ordinations in honor of St George Floyd. Just think: full house, no social distancing; dancing, clapping, singing and testifying – Can I get a witness!; then afterwards maybe loot local businesses as a reenwokement in an unbloody manner.
McElroy’s kicking himself.