Cincinnati archdiocese ordains largest priest class in 40 years
MT. WASHINGTON, Ohio (WKRC) - The largest class of priests in four decades will be ordained Saturday by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
Sitting on 65 acres in Mt. Washington is one of the most sacred spots in the Tri-State. The Athenaeum of Ohio-Mount St. Mary's Seminary has prepared men for the priesthood since 1808.
Fr. Chris Geiger of St. Andrew-St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Milford was ordained three years ago.
I never wanted to be a priest. I always wanted to get married and have a few kids and teach high school math. That was always my dream. But when I was in college, I started to pray more and be open to what God might be calling me to, and it was just very clear that he was asking me to do this, Geiger said.
Joining Geiger in the priesthood are nine men. Two are from Uganda. The others represent 19 counties in Cincinnati's archdiocese. They entered the seminary with a bachelor's degree and spent the last five to seven years in prayer and study. There hasn't been a class this big since 1979.
It's not just the Archdiocese of Cincinnati seeing an increase. It's becoming a nationwide trend. According to a study by Georgetown University, the number of men entering the priesthood has increased by 17 percent since 2008. Across the country in 2019, 481 men are being ordained compared to 401 in 2008.
The rector, Fr. Anthony Brausch, says it's a sign of hope.
So, next year we only ordain three for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, but the year after [we ordain] seven. So, we do know what the trend is going to be over the next four to five years because they're already in the pipeline. But in terms of an actual trend that's going to be sustainable, every year, we're looking to say, 'OK, how many is the Lord sending us this year?' Brausch said.
Brausch is counting on God's help -- a $12 million project is almost finished. Fenwick Hall will add 30 more rooms for seminarians. The 76 current rooms are occupied, and it's not just by Cincinnati's soon-to-be priests.
Charlotte, North Carolina, Tulsa, Oklahoma, are two of the further ones. But also Kansas City, St. Joseph, Toledo, Youngstown, Archdiocese of Louisville, said Brausch.
Mount St. Mary's Seminary of the West is preparing men from all over to answer God's call.
The ordination mass is open to the public. It's Saturday morning at 11 at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral downtown.
The following are the Priest Assignments:
Fr. Alex Biryomumeisho: Parochial Vicar of St. Veronica Parish, Mt. Carmel and St. John Fisher Parish, Newtown.
Fr. Mark Bredestege: Parochial Vicar of St. Louis Parish, Owensville, St. Ann Parish, Williamsburg, Holy Trinity Parish, Batavia and St. Philomena Parish, Stonelick.
Fr. Zachary Cecil: Parochial Vicar of St. William Parish and St. Teresa of Avila Parish, Cincinnati.
Fr. Christian Cone-Lombarte: Parochial Vicar at Fort Recovery Cluster which includes: Mary, Help of Christians Parish, Fort Recovery, St. Joseph Parish, St. Joseph, St. Peter Parish, St. Peter and St. Paul Parish, Sharpsburg.
Fr. Ambrose Dobrozsi: Parochial Vicar of St. Peter Parish, Huber Heights, Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, Holy Cross Parish and St. Adalbert Parish, Dayton.
Fr. Andrew Hess: Parochial Vicar of Holy Angels Parish, Sidney and to the faculty of Lehman High School.
Fr. Elias Mwesigye: Parochial Vicar of St. Susanna Parish, Mason.
Fr. Jeffrey Stegbauer: Parochial Vicar of Immaculate Hear of Mary Parish, Anderson Township.
Fr. Jedidiah Tritle: Parochial Vicar of All Saints Parish, Cincinnati and St. Vincent Ferrer Parish, Kenwood.
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2 ordained as priests in Covington, 4 ordained in Cincinnati
CINCINNATI (WKRC) - Two men are now priests with the Diocese of Covington.
Bishop Roger Foys presided over the ceremony for deacons Benton Clift and Joseph Shelton Saturday at the Cathedral Basilica.
The diocese has 13 seminarians preparing for ordination.
Across the river in Cincinnati, four men were also ordained Saturday at a ceremony at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral.
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White Mass honors local health care providers
CINCINNATI (WKRC) -- A church service honored health care providers on Sunday.
The annual White Mass was held on Sunday morning at Saint Peter in Chains Cathedral in downtown Cincinnati.
The event is called the White Mass in honor of the clothing traditionally worn by members of the caregiver profession.
Dozens of health care providers from across the Tri-State were honored.
November is National Family Caregivers Month.
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Tri-State Catholics celebrate World Day of Peace downtown
CINCINNATI (WKRC) - The Archdiocese of Cincinnati will celebrate the Catholic Church's World Day of Peace Sunday with a mass downtown.
It starts at 11 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains at Eighth and Plum streets.
Catholics around the globe have celebrated New Year's Day as World Day of Peace since 1968.
Archbishop Dennis Schnurr will preside.
Archdiocese of Cincinnati prepares to ordain new priests
CINCINNATI (WKRC) - Hundreds of people are expected to attend a celebration for new priests in Cincinnati on May 19. It's the hope of the Archdiocese that its numbers will continue to climb.
Deacons Craig Best, Jacob Willig, Andrew Smith and Jarred Kohn will be ordained into the priesthood.
Cincinnati's Archbishop Dennis Schnurr says there is an increase of young men in the area who are studying for priesthood. Even so, there remains a shortage of priests in Greater Cincinnati and around the world due to retirement. The number of young men studying for the priesthood has ticked upward.
Nine years ago, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati called for more young men to study for priesthood. The challenge is probably going to be with us for another two to three years. Then, we think that the number of priests that are being ordained will begin to exceed the number of priests retiring.
Hundreds of people are expected to attend the celebration. It's a public witness to the fact that the four being ordained this weekend they recognize that God creates for a definite purpose and they have taken this very seriously.
The archbishop says he knows the placement of the new priests but he won't reveal them. He did say at least one might not stay in Cincinnati.
The event tomorrow is set for St. Peter in Chains Cathedral in downtown Cincinnati. The ceremony for the new priests starts at 11 a.m.
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Catholics called to pray for victims of abuse
CINCINNATI (WKRC) - Archbishop Dennis Schnurr is asking Tri-State Catholics to come together to pray for victims of abuse in the church.
This comes at a time when the Catholic Church is under worldwide scrutiny.
The pope ordered an investigation of a Wheeling, West Virginia bishop who was accused of sexually harassing adults.
The announcement comes as a U.S. delegation meets with Pope Francis to discuss the clergy sex abuse scandal.
On top of that, 1,600 priests and clergy are accused of sexually abusing minors for decades in Germany.
The church has opened a hotline for potential victims to call.
And on Friday, local Catholics come together to strive for holiness at the request of Archbishop Schnurr.
That includes several masses at three churches at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral, St. Joseph Church in Dayton and St. Michael Church in Ft. Laramie, Ohio.
Cincinnati firefighter dies after falling into an elevator shaft while trying to battle a blaze in M
Daryl Gordon, 54, was a 30-year veteran of the Cincinnati Fire Department.
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