Priestly Fraternity Of St Peter

Twelve men have been ordained to the priesthood for the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter in Omaha, Nebraska. Archbishop Thomas Wenski told the new priests that they are called not to “burn out”, but to “burn yourself up” in the service of Christ and His Church Twelve men have been ordained to the priesthood for the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter in one of the larger ordination ceremonies for the fraternity in the United States. Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami ordained the men at St Cecilia Cathedral in Omaha, Nebraska, on 28 May before a congregation that included relatives, clergy and faithful from across the United States. The new priests are Fathers Andrew Daniels, Curtis Zuckerman, Shane Conlon, Marshall Harmon, Conán McGonagle, David Carte, Joseph Falciano, Anthony Ike, Daniel Kreilein, Daniel Mellino, Lai Nguyen and Peter O’Connor. Several of the newly ordained priests were already known to Archbishop Wenski in south Florida through their service at Miami’s Holy Face of Jesus Latin Mass Chaplaincy during Holy Week and feast days. In his homily, Archbishop Wenski thanked the families, friends and formators who had helped the candidates discern and pursue their vocations before expressing gratitude for what he described as the “yes” offered by the ordinands to God. “We thank God for the ‘yes’ given to God by these young men so generously and uncompromisingly today,” he said, adding that through the laying on of hands they would be “configured to Christ the eternal High Priest” and become “sharers in the very mission of Christ”. The archbishop reminded the new priests that their vocation would inevitably involve sacrifice. Recalling advice given by the mother of St John Bosco on the day of the saint’s ordination, he said priesthood meant not only drawing closer to Christ but also sharing in His sufferings. Quoting the saint’s mother, Archbishop Wenski said: “Giovanni, today you are a priest. You will begin saying Mass, so from henceforth, you will be closer to Jesus. Remember that to begin to celebrate Mass also means to begin to suffer.” The Archbishop of Miami told the ordinands that priests today minister in a culture of secularisation and indifference to religion, observing that “many have lost the sense of the transcendent”. “In such a world, the Church will always seem ‘out of step’ and irrelevant,” Archbishop Wenski said. “Such a Church will often be regarded, if not with scorn and ridicule, then with utter incomprehension.” At the same time, the archbishop reminded the new priests that their vocation was not to be lived in isolation from society. “Though we do not belong to the world, we are ‘in’ the world ‘for the life of the world’,” His Grace said. “We are not men ‘out for ourselves’ but men for others.” Archbishop Wenski also urged the new priests to exercise their ministry with charity and patience, drawing on the teaching of St Pius X, whose pontificate was dedicated to the restoration of all things in Christ. Referring to the saint’s first encyclical, E Supremi , the archbishop quoted St Pius X’s warning that “it is vain to hope to attract souls to God by a bitter zeal”, adding that excessive harshness often caused more harm than good. “A ‘bitter zeal’, rather than witnessing to the Truth, will undermine it,” Archbishop Wenski said. “And instead of restoring all things to Christ, who prayed that all his followers be one, bitter zeal will fracture the unity of His Body, the Church.” The archbishop encouraged the priests to remain close to those entrusted to their care, especially the poor, the sick and those struggling in their faith. “Do not shun the excluded or sinners but help them to turn, to convert, and return to the right path,” Archbishop Wenski said. “With simplicity and generosity, be close to the sick and the poor.” The archbishop also stressed the importance of the sacrament of penance, encouraging the newly ordained priests to make themselves readily available for confessions while regularly approaching the sacrament themselves. “I ask you to be generous with your time, making yourself readily available to hear the confessions of the people,” Archbishop Wenski said. “The Mercy of God is always greater than their — or our own — weakness and unworthiness.” Concluding his homily, Archbishop Wenski urged the priests to embrace the demands of their vocation with generosity while avoiding discouragement. “No one wants you to burn out — a candle that burns out leaves a sooty mess. A burned-out priest is a mess too,” he said. “But you are expected to work hard: you are not to burn out, but you are supposed to burn yourself up, to consume yourself in the service of Christ and His Church.” The newly ordained priests completed their formation at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, Nebraska, the North American seminary of the FSSP. Founded in 2000, the seminary prepares candidates for the priesthood through studies in philosophy and theology alongside formation rooted in the traditional liturgical life of the Church. Established in 1988, the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter was founded by priests and seminarians who sought to preserve the Church’s traditional liturgical patrimony while remaining in full communion with Rome. According to the 2024 Annuario Pontificio , the fraternity had 567 members, including 375 priests, serving in 139 houses and apostolates around the world.