Priests, Deacons, and Brothers

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Nativity of Our Lord,
 
Last weekend we celebrated Good Shepherd Sunday, and also the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. This week, we celebrate God answering those prayers of ours, as he has called a number of men from or to our parish to serve him at his altar.
 
Congratulations to Deacon Joe Connelly, set to be ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis next weekend. Deacon Joe (pictured with his classmates, second from right) served our parish two summers ago, and forged particularly strong bonds with our young adults.

I would like to invite the entire parish to join me, as well as some of our Urban Catholic members, at his ordination Mass at 10am next Saturday, May 25 at the Cathedral of St. Paul.
 
Congrats also to Deacon Zane Pekron, set to be ordained for the Diocese of Rapid City, South Dakota on Tuesday, May 28.  Deacon Zane has learned the ins and outs of parish life from our teaching parish committee and me these last four years of preparation for the priesthood. Don’t worry, Zane, you’ll get your own cover photo too…
 
A belated congratulations to Brother Florian Rumpza, OSB (pictured at right), a parishioner who made his simple (first) profession of monastic vows in the Order of St. Benedict at St. Benedict’s Abbey in Atchison, Kansas on December 8.  Peter Rumpza entered the novitiate the previous December, and took the name Br. Florian and St. Therese of Lisieux as his patron.
 
Finally, a hearty congratulations to Deacon Jerry Devine (pictured) who celebrates the 40th anniversary of his ordination to the permanent diaconate. Deacon Jerry has been an indispensable member of this community, particularly during his 15 years of full-time service.
 
We are very blessed here at Nativity, and home-grown ordained and professed vocations are a striking visible sign that God is at work here and now. Let us continue to take up his cross and follow our Lord wherever he leads!
  
 — Father Patrick Hipwell
 

A previous version was published in the May 19 bulletin.

Photo of Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis priestly ordination class of 2019 by Dave Hrbacek courtesy of The Saint Paul Seminary
Photo of Brother Florian Rumpza is from  kansasmonks.org
Photo of Deacon Jerry Devine courtesy of the Devine family