Diocese of Covington - Messenger at 402 E. 21st Street, Covington, KY 41015 US - Ordination 2009

First reading Isiah 61:1-3
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
Because the Lord has anointed me;
He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly,
To heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And release to the prisoners,
To announce a year of favor from the Lord
And a day of vindication by our God,
To comfort all who mourn;
To place on those who mourn in Zion
A diadem instead of ashes,
To give them oil of gladness in place of mourning,
A glorious mantle instead of a listless spirit.
They will be called oaks of justice,
Planted by the Lord to show his glory.

“This day this reading will be fulfilled in the presence of all here.” Bishop Foys May 30, 2009

Gospel: the Good Shepherd John 10:11-16

“This is the mission of the priest, this is what you are called to. How do you fulfill this mission? By praying, offering the sacraments, being a witness to God’s people, by being obedient to the bishop. Follow the example of Jesus the Good Shepherd.”

The four we ordain today came from different families, different backgrounds, different experiences. But they all heard God’s call and what is more important, they answered that call as they cooperate with God’s grace to be good shepherds.”

“We thank God that the four deacons have answered God’s call with a resounding ‘yes.’ We thank the parents for planting the seed of a priestly vocation and nurturing it. All of us here celebrate their commitment to be holy, caring, obedient and loving priests.”

“As we begin the Year of the Priest I ask all here to pray that all bishops and priests may be good men and good priests.”

 For photos from the ordination click here.

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